Despite the affectionate tone, the meaning was sinister.

When Taein looked up, frozen, Nokhyun wiped Taein’s face and mouth with the handkerchief. Whenever he was about to collapse, Nokhyun always appeared as if he knew how to help.

Taein embraced him at once.

“Shall I kill him?”

Understanding the situation roughly, Nokhyun whispered threateningly into Taein’s ear.

Despite the affectionate tone, the meaning was sinister.

“Are you serious?”

“I said I’d help with anything.”

It wasn’t a joke. This person could really kill someone, Taein thought, and nodded.

“I want to put an end to it.”

With Taein’s determined words, Nokhyun smiled satisfactorily, as if he had expected that.

Now was the time to exact retribution on those criminals who took away from others and enjoyed it with pride.

A hungry Arin woke up from sleep and stealthily walked downstairs. She filled a cup with milk and cereal. Strangely, she didn’t see any employees. Hearing sounds from afar, Arin quickly went back to her room.

After filling her hungry stomach, she opened her sketchbook.
The words of Mom, who promised to send her to school, were a lie. She didn’t particularly resent it. Her family always told lies. But there was one reason she came back here. It was because she had threatened to kill Taein if she didn’t come back.

Taein had really almost died, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be in danger again. She didn’t want Taein, the only one who had treated her well, to be in danger. She didn’t want to see Taein, who had finally become happy, become unhappy again.

Arin drew Taein in her sketchbook. And she also drew Hyungbu and Stella.

For some reason, it felt like tears might fall, but she held them back.

“It’s okay, Seo Arin. I was happy enough while I was there.”

The seven-year-old, who thought eating delicious things and having fun was the best, wrote the word “happiness.”

After drawing everything, when Seji opened Arin’s door around the time she was about to draw herself, she exclaimed, “Our little mouse, what did you eat like a thief again?”

Looking at the empty bowl, Seji sneered.

Arin, an unwelcome presence, had only eaten expired cereal, but she had to hear the word “thief.”

Arin’s small body shrank even smaller. Instinctively taking a step back, when Seji agilely approached and grabbed Arin’s wrist, Arin bit Seji’s wrist with all her might and ran away. Hearing a scream from behind, her heart felt like it was being hit with a baseball bat, but she didn’t look back or stop. Because if caught, she felt like she would really die.

Breath reached the tip of her chin. At the moment when Seji was about to catch her from behind, Arin swiftly ducked and avoided it. She thought about hiding in the vast garden to buy time.

“How dare she!”

If she went a little further, it would be the entrance, but unfortunately, she was caught.

As Seji grabbed her from behind, Arin, feeling suffocated, coughed violently.

Even in agony, Seji paid no attention. It was the moment when Arin thought she might really die.

“Let go of that hand right now.”

With a welcoming voice, tears that she had held back burst out. Taein walked briskly and firmly grabbed Seji’s wrist, which was holding Arin.

Having escaped from Seji, Arin quickly hid behind Taein.

“Are you trying to take her away? Did you think I would just let her go willingly?”

In response to Seji’s words, Taein chuckled softly.

“To take her away.”

At Taein’s words, Arin’s heart sank.

Why did she come here? Maybe because she was causing trouble and worries all the time and never doing anything properly. Arin’s hand, which was holding onto Taein’s pants, dropped weakly.

“Then why did you come?”

Instead of answering, Taein looked around the house with his eyes.

During that time, the door that Taein had entered reopened, and people rushed in, forming a line behind Taein.

“I came to reclaim what’s mine.”

It seemed like they had hired a service, but it didn’t seem like that. The people in uniforms looked like newly hired employees.

Some of them stood behind Taein as if guarding him, while the others freely wandered around the house.
Suddenly, family members who were in their respective spaces appeared at the unexpected commotion. Among them was Seyoung with a swollen face.

“What’s all this sudden fuss about!”

In response to Honggyu’s remark, Taein shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

“It’s Father’s will.”

Jeha, who had entered last, held up the will for everyone to see.

Seji glared at Jeha as if she wanted to kill the one who betrayed her.

Taein spoke again.

“My father passed away. So, as the heir, I become the owner of this house.”

Taein said with a bitter expression. At this, Youngmi, who was next to Honggyu, widened her eyes.

“What nonsense is this? Your father is clearly alive!”

At the sharp voice scraping metal, Taein furrowed his brow.

“I said I’m not my father’s child, right? Yes, the person in front of me is not Seojunggyu but Seohonggyu.”

While Taein stared at Seji, he gestured to Jeha. She immediately understood and moved Arin, who was behind Taein, into the room.

“Seohonggyu, what are you talking about now…”

Honggyu couldn’t continue his words.

There were many clues, but why hadn’t he noticed earlier? Taein sneered and moved slowly.

The destination was the space where Grandfather and Father used to cherish the most, but now it was the study used by Honggyu and Younggam for their shenanigans.

With Taein’s unexpected behavior, Honggyu and Younggam also quickly moved. Today, of all days, the employees who guarded the house were nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t act recklessly because of the sturdy men surrounding Taein; they could only follow behind her.

Taein sat down at the old mahogany table.

“This house was personally designed by my great-grandfather.”

Taein’s gaze was on the vast garden beyond the window.

Even on Sundays when Father didn’t go to work, he always sat at this desk.

Even while sitting at the desk and working, Father would occasionally watch Taein swing on the swing and smile contentedly.

Even in the midst of a busy schedule, on Sundays when there were almost no staff, Taein spent a simple daily life with his parents.

The people who stole and trampled on that simple daily life were now right in front of him.

Even though he promised to repay them in kind, Father did not return alive. The stolen happiness could not be regained.

However, even if it was for the sake of those who had to lose their families to fill their bellies, Taein had to seek retribution.

Taein turned his head and ran his finger over the old mahogany table.

In a calm movement indicating no hurry, the faces of the family distorted.

Taein opened his mouth without caring.

“For generations, the owner of Taekang sat here and worked.”

Taein tapped the old mahogany table with his finger. Like a countdown.

“So why are you sitting there!”
At the scream-like sound of Younggam’s voice, Taein lifted his head. The one who used to manipulate Taekang with Honggyu as a puppet, and now, glaring over the owner’s position of Taekang, seemed furious as if something of his own was being taken away.

Soon, Taein’s fingers came to a halt.