Whispers of Autumn Wind (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
“To be honest, I’m a little hurt. I guess I must’ve trusted and relied on you a lot all this time. I even hoped—maybe foolishly—that you’d hold me back. Yet the moment I least expected it, you practically shoved me toward my maternal relatives, as if you’d been waiting for this chance all along. To you, I’m nothing at all, am I?”
At that moment, Gi Dae Woong wasn’t asleep—he’d simply missed the right moment to open his eyes.
As always after drinking, he’d lain down on the office sofa, waiting for the alcohol to wear off a bit, and eventually drifted off. Then, the sound of a woman’s singing—laced with tears—woke him. At first it sent chills down his spine, but he quickly recognized the voice as Han Ga Eul’s.
He’d been about to signal he was awake when Ga Eul began cursing him. While part of him wanted to hear more of what she’d say next, he decided to reveal his presence before she did anything even more embarrassing.
He’d expected her to stop and leave once she noticed him—but instead, Ga Eul moved closer. Then, unexpectedly, she began pouring out her innermost thoughts. Dae Woong’s drowsiness vanished instantly, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes.
Ga Eul spoke freely, convinced he was deeply asleep, laying bare her circumstances and emotions without restraint.
Her story jumped erratically—first explaining why she was in the office at this hour, then suddenly confessing her anxiety about meeting her maternal relatives.
When she mentioned she’d used up the money she’d painstakingly saved to repay her debts on repairing the kitchen of her Uncle Han Myeong Ho’s fire-damaged restaurant—and how devastated she’d felt afterward—Dae Woong nearly opened his eyes in anger.
But in that moment, what unsettled him most was how uncomfortably close Ga Eul was.
After rambling alone for a while, exhausted, Ga Eul crouched down beside the sofa. Her breath now brushed against his face—or so it felt to Dae Woong, who stubbornly convinced himself it was just his imagination.
His senses sharpened. Though he and Ga Eul had shared this space many times before, the nighttime darkness lent a uniquely intimate atmosphere. Between them, there was nothing—no barrier. If he reached out, he could touch her face.
His hand itched to move, but he held back. Not yet. Not now. Though nothing seemed to stand between them, in truth, many unresolved matters still separated Ga Eul and him.
“No one believes me when I say I’ve broken up with Woo Jin. To me now, he’s just a good friend from the past. Yet people insist I still love him—including you, President? Do you really think I still like Woo Jin? No. Absolutely not.”
Ga Eul’s monologue had shifted, without warning, to her relationship with Woo Jin. As he listened, Dae Woong’s lips involuntarily curved upward—until he caught himself and quickly forced his smile away, afraid she might notice.
But then Ga Eul suddenly fell silent. To check whether she’d seen his fleeting smile, Dae Woong cracked one eye open—and found her staring directly at him.
“President, how long have you been awake?”
She asked sternly. *Caught.* Concluding he could no longer feign sleep, Dae Woong opened his eyes.
“What are you doing here in the dark? I thought I saw a ghost—I nearly had a heart attack.”
In truth, his heart had fluttered—not from fear, but from hearing Han Ga Eul declare she’d finally let go of Woo Jin.
“You smile when you see a ghost? You heard everything I said, didn’t you?”
Indeed, Han Ga Eul never let things slide gracefully. Expecting further interrogation, Dae Woong simply admitted it.
“I woke up when you started talking about Woo Jin.”
Still, to spare her embarrassment, he didn’t confess he’d heard *everything.*
Emboldened by alcohol and the cover of darkness, Ga Eul impulsively blurted out what she truly wanted to say:
“President… could you just hold me back? Tell me not to go to my maternal relatives’?”
“Why? Do you have a reason not to go?”
Even Ga Eul knew she had no valid reason to refuse—only countless reasons compelling her to go.
“They’re taking Gyeo Wool and me in because they need an heir. If I join that family, I’ll be forced to live the life they want—not the one I choose. We’ll never live as we truly wish.”
“And is *this* how you want to live? Crushed under debt, acting as Secretary Seon Jae Ho’s puppet?”
“You knew…?”
Ga Eul’s voice trembled as she asked. She’d suspected he might know—but hearing it from the President himself filled her with unbearable shame.
“Since when…?”
“From the very beginning.”
“Did I seem that dangerous? That completely untrustworthy?”
“Yes.”
Ga Eul *had* to go to her maternal relatives. Otherwise, his plan would falter. So Dae Woong squeezed his eyes shut and severed the bridge behind her—knowing that only when she felt she had no retreat would Ga Eul finally move forward.
The merciless verdict landed. Tears welled in Han Ga Eul’s eyes—and this time, she didn’t hold them back. She’d given up trying. When nothing could stop the tears, it was better to let them flow.
“All this time, I must’ve looked ridiculous—jumping straight into asking you out, of all people. Why on earth did I live like that?”
Staggering, Ga Eul rose to her feet. The pathetic one wasn’t the President—it was herself. How absurd she’d always found him, when all along, the real joke was on her. Why *had* she lived this way? She’d wanted to be poor yet proud, honest and upright—but clearly, she’d failed.
“I’ve already passed everything you discussed with Jeong Se Hyun to Woo Jin’s father. Goodbye. I don’t think there’s anything left for me to do here. I’ll repay the hospital fees as soon as I can.”
She bowed deeply, then walked toward the door. Today, it seemed, was destined to be the day she lost her job too. Her body swayed—she blamed it on the bottle of soju.
“You’re truly ruthless, President. You knew all along, yet stayed silent, watching how I’d handle things—until finally, deciding it’s over, that I’m no longer useful as a spy, you drop the bombshell: *‘I knew from the start.’*”
At the door, Ga Eul voiced one final reproach. Then Dae Woong strode over, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said:
“You may be done as a spy—but you’re not entirely useless. I suspect I’d feel uncomfortable without you, so keep working with me until you enter your maternal family. *I’ll* decide whether you still have tasks to do.”
That wasn’t what Dae Woong had truly wanted to say. He’d wanted to confess: *“The untrustworthy one was me.”* After all, he’d hired her knowing full well she was a dangerous variable capable of shaking him. Yet in the end, he only spoke those other words—and withdrew his hand from her shoulder.
“I’m sorry for failing to earn your trust all this time.”
Bowing once more, Ga Eul opened the door and left.
Dae Woong watched her retreating figure, then rubbed his face hard with his hands. He longed to grab her, to clear up the misunderstanding—but not yet. He hadn’t even begun his revenge against his father.
Sleep seemed impossible tonight. Dae Woong switched on the light. Reaching to lock the door, he suddenly froze—the door burst open, and Ga Eul rushed back in. Unable to dodge in time, he caught her in his arms.
“President, please tell them I’m not here.”
Unbothered by being in his embrace, Ga Eul finished her plea, then abandoned him at the door and darted behind the partition to hide.
While Dae Woong stood bewildered, the office door slammed open again. This time, a drunken middle-aged man stumbled in.
“Han Ga Eul! Han Ga Eul! Get out here—right now! I saw you come in!”
The man bellowed for Ga Eul, his reeking cloud of alcohol and cigarette smoke making Dae Woong frown.
“Who are you?”
Dae Woong stepped forward, blocking the man’s path into the office.
“And who the hell are *you*? Move aside! Han Ga Eul—come out this instant!”
“I’m the president here. Why are you acting like this in someone else’s office?”
“The president? Then hand over Han Ga Eul. She works here, right?”
“I asked—*who are you*?”
Why were there so many drunken men chasing Han Ga Eul? What trouble had she gotten into *this* time? Dae Woong nearly scoffed.
“Me? I’m Han Ga Eul’s uncle! Hand her over!”
The man raised his voice arrogantly. Dae Woong stared at him threateningly. *So you’re the one bleeding Ga Eul dry.* He nearly grabbed the man by the collar—but stopped himself. This called for brains, not fists.
He’d known Ga Eul had an uncle, but until hearing her monologue moments earlier, he hadn’t realized just how despicable the man was.
Now the very man himself had strutted in, performing his pathetic farce right before Dae Woong’s eyes. Seizing the opportunity, Dae Woong resolved to tie his hands and feet—permanently silencing him so he could never torment Ga Eul again.
“What’s so special about being Han Ga Eul’s *uncle*? Who do you think you are, barging in here demanding I hand her over? Do you really expect me to obey just because *you* say so?”
Dae Woong roared. The uncle hesitated, staring at him in surprise—clearly unprepared for this reaction.
“Get out! I won’t tolerate your drunken nonsense. Leave—*now*!”
Dae Woong shouted with all his might, expelling the frustration built up inside. Towering and intimidating, his outburst visibly cowed Ga Eul’s uncle, whose voice dropped noticeably.
“Hiding back there won’t help, Han Ga Eul! Come out *now*! Don’t think this ends here—I know better than to go after Gyeo Wool at school, right?”
“Why threaten Gyeo Wool? I already gave you money for the restaurant repairs! What more do you want? I have no more to give!”
Mentioning Gyeo Wool worked. Ga Eul emerged from behind the partition.
“You lot spent *all* my money! You feasted and lived well off *my* savings! If your brother hadn’t squandered my share, would I be in this mess?”
Seeing Ga Eul, her uncle regained his swagger. Dae Woong itched to punch the man who’d manipulated Ga Eul by invoking Gyeo Wool.
His fist clenched instinctively—but he didn’t strike. Instead, he extended his clenched hand, blocking the uncle’s advance toward Ga Eul.
“Step aside. This is *family* business—stay out of it!”
The uncle shoved Dae Woong’s chest. At that instant, Dae Woong made his decision: reuse the tactic he’d employed on Young Min’s father. Operation Name: *Self-Sacrificial Martyr.* He silently declared it in his mind.
The plan was simple: let the uncle land a few blows, then use both criminal and civil charges to permanently immobilize him.
This was far better than hitting him just once. Since he’d tangled with *Gi Dae Woong*, he’d make sure the punishment lasted long and hard.
Dae Woong gave Ga Eul a meaningful glance—then silently mouthed: *“Record it.”*
“Hey, Mr. Han.”
Dae Woong began provoking him.
“Mr. Han?”
“If you’re Han Ga Eul’s uncle, you must be a *Han*, right? You’re definitely not a *Kim* or a *Park*.”
Mr. Han sputtered, eyes darting furiously. *What a pathetic Han—so utterly worthless he vents his frustrations on his younger nieces and nephews.* Dae Woong cursed inwardly.
“You insolent brat! Fine, whatever—just get out of my way.”
Mr. Han shoved Dae Woong’s chest again. Dae Woong simply caught his hand and lowered it calmly.
“‘Hierarchy’? So you kept quiet while your brother squandered the family fortune—but now bully your defenseless niece for money? *That’s* how you ‘respect hierarchy’?”
“What? What the hell did you just say, you bastard?”
Mr. Han grabbed Dae Woong by the collar. He no longer saw Dae Woong as a threat—after all, this big guy hadn’t retaliated despite being shoved multiple times. In short: he underestimated him.
“A parasite leeching off his niece dares to talk so tough.”
“What? You little—”
*Thwack!* Mr. Han’s fist slammed into Dae Woong’s face. Though the sound was loud, Dae Woong had turned his head sharply at impact, diffusing most of the force.
He thought: *One hit isn’t enough.* To ensure Mr. Han received a severe sentence, *he* needed to sustain visibly worse injuries. So he shouted:
“Didn’t hear me? A parasite who—”
“What do *you* know?”
Another punch flew—this one glanced off Dae Woong’s raised guard before landing on his jaw. Though cushioned, it still stung.
For a split second, Dae Woong flared up. *He hit the same spot again!*
“Like hitting water—zero impact. No wonder you only throw your weight around with your niece.”
“You bastard—your mouth’s still working!”
A fist shot out again. This time, Dae Woong’s lip split, blood spraying.
“President!”
Ga Eul screamed and threw herself over him.
“What are you doing? Hit *me* instead!”
*Clueless Han Ga Eul.* This operation’s name is *‘Self-Sacrificial Martyr’*—*I’m* the one supposed to sacrifice, not *you*! Still, warmth spread in his chest—moved that she’d throw her fragile body in front of him to protect him.
But they couldn’t stay like this. Urgently, Dae Woong whispered into her ear:
“Call the police.”
Then he gently pushed her away and shouted:
“Niece—”
He’d barely uttered the word when another fist flew. Dae Woong deliberately dodged it partially, collapsing to the floor—prompting a barrage of kicks onto his body. He curled inward, shielding his abdomen and chest as he endured them.
In that moment, Dae Woong regretted it deeply. *This* is exactly why you never meddle in other people’s family affairs.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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