“If we continue talking like this, everything will make sense. Aunt passed away, and young Yeon was being held hostage in Danmokse-ga. Moreover, the fact that she was kidnapped precisely in Danmokse-ga. Whether Danmok-gaju knew about Yeon or not, at least the leader of the Blood Sect must have known that Yeon was in Danmokse-ga, right?”

“That’s right. When I was kidnapped in Danmokse-ga, Hyeoljunghyeok said that. He came to Danmokse-ga, and I was conveniently unconscious, like a present for him.”

I widened my eyes and nodded. It was as Jegalmin said.

“Hyeoljunghyeok just fled from Danmokse-ga, carrying only me like a sack. Thinking about it now, it makes more sense to see it as if my existence was his original goal.”

In the Blood Sect’s perspective, they believed I stayed in Danmokse-ga all along. That misconception fit perfectly because I happened to visit Danmokse-ga at that time, creating that illusion.

“Then, the people from the Blood Sect who left me in Danmokse-ga after my parents passed away were the ones who summoned me? Why?”

The reason seemed elusive until I met the person who summoned me from the Blood Sect.

Upon hearing my words, Grandfather clenched his fists in anger.

“I should never have set foot in Danmokse-ga in the first place. If I hadn’t, the bastards from the Blood Sect might have known where Yeon was.”

That’s right. I smiled awkwardly.

“But it was because of Grandfather that I decided to go to Danmokse-ga.”

I didn’t even know if Danmokse-ga was the destination. I glanced at Grandfather with that thought, and he vented his anger in a strict tone, directed at Danmokbi.

“All of this is because you kept wandering around looking for Yeon!”

What did Danmokbi do to be blamed? In this situation, I was the only one who could defend Danmokbi, so I confronted Grandfather confidently.

“Oh, why are you blaming Danmokbi again?”

As I stepped forward, Namyangryeo, who had been silent, muttered as if it was strange.

“Wow, have you become so close to call her your close friend? When did that happen?”

She always butts in like this! I wanted to say something to Namyangryeo, but Grandfather spoke first, and I couldn’t turn that way. When I defended Danmokbi and turned around, Grandfather exploded.

“You, do you dare open your eyes to your father just because you’ve got a close friend!”

“How can I not? I can’t even say a word, let alone open my eyes.”

“To be approaching someone else’s precious granddaughter can lead to losing your face.”

“I’m not approaching her. The only one in this world who would say that the two are in love is Grandfather.”

In the midst of the escalating argument between me and Grandfather, when our dispute was getting intense, Danmokbi intervened by grabbing my clothes. Danmokbi, who sat me back down as I was squirming, looked straight ahead and spoke firmly to Grandfather.

“All of this is because you wandered around looking for Yeon!”

Why blame Danmokbi for what happened? What’s happening now is the result of Grandfather’s choices. Danmokbi stated that firmly.
“No matter what his purpose is, I will block him from laying a hand on Yeon. Don’t worry.”

It was a reassuring statement, combining a serious tone and a calm atmosphere, making one feel inexplicably hopeful.

At that moment, when I was wearing an enchanted expression due to his trustworthy attitude, Grandfather, perhaps finding it impressive, coughed lightly and spoke.

“Well, you need that level of ambition if you want to be my grandson-in-law.”

Right at that moment.

“And no matter how much you oppose, Yeon is my wife.”

“This guy for real!”

At the last word, Grandfather clutched the back of his neck and made a choking sound.

Danmokchang was wandering in the darkness. His world had been entirely black from a certain moment.

‘The question of when is meaningless, it has been like this for a long time.’

The day his world sank into darkness was a day that didn’t need to be asked.

‘The day Yeon chose my brother.’

It was an unfair event for Danmokchang. There was never a time in his life when he was happy.

Even when he went to Shinsan with his father’s expectations, his father demanded harsh training using love as bait. And during that time, his younger brother, who was inferior to him, suddenly began to stand out.

‘Watching expectations disappear at a rapid pace was a very painful thing.’

Watching something that was never there in the first place disappear is more heart-wrenching than seeing something that once existed move to someone else. And what made it even more difficult for him was the existence of Yeon.

‘For a very short time, she gave me happiness and then disappeared.’

Wouldn’t it have been better if he had been someone who never had any expectations from the beginning? If so, would Yeon’s love and his father’s expectations eventually have become his?

‘I’m tired of hoping for a family now.’

Danmokchang breathed heavily. There was no desire to get up or eat anything.

The only thought was.

‘I hope everyone becomes unhappy.’

His life was darkness.

Then, at least fairly, wouldn’t it be better for everyone to be unhappy?

In the midst of lethargically entertaining such thoughts, there was a man who appeared before him. He had a rough but handsome face with a greyish complexion and scattered eyelashes.

It was none other than the leader of the Blood Sect, Hyeoljunghyeok.

“It would be great if the world fell apart, right? Everything being happy except for me doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Somehow, Hyeoljunghyeok accurately penetrated his innermost thoughts.

And then, he reached out towards him.

“In that case, let’s destroy this world. I’m the same as you. I can’t stand seeing others happy.”

His face speaking of doom was strangely innocent, like that of a child.