MUC 14

Chapter 14

---

“Uncle Samchoon-!”

With a scream, Eun Sowol jolted awake, her eyes snapping open.

“…Haah, just a dream…”

What kind of cruel nightmare was that?

She rubbed her dry face with both hands, taking in her surroundings. The unfamiliar scenery was the first thing that hit her.

“Where is this…?”

“Oh, Sowol, you’re finally awake.”

Dokgo Haeryang entered the room. The moment she saw him, Sowol froze in place.

“You suddenly collapsed. It really shocked us. Are you feeling okay?”

“Collapsed…?”

“Yes. Don’t you remember?”

“….”

She looked blankly down at her hands.

She remembered clinging to Dokgo Ryong’s clothes with those hands. And after that…

‘So it’s true.’

He really did leave… her uncle was really gone.

And he left her alone in the Dokgo clan.

A wave of indescribable emptiness and pain surged through her chest.

Was she destined to die here all alone in this clan? Was that why everything felt so agonizing?

If that were the case, shouldn’t she be consumed by fear of death, terror, and resentment?

But the feelings rising inside her now weren’t driven by the fear of dying. It was just…

“…I thought… we were family.”

A bitter, hollow whisper escaped her cracked lips.

Seeing the emptiness in her eyes, Dokgo Haeryang couldn’t bring himself to speak further.

He didn’t know how to comfort her.

‘They must’ve really cared for each other.’

He almost wished the child would cry instead. Then at least he could console her. But she just sat there, like someone who had already given up on everything. His heart ached.

Knock knock—

“Excuse me, Lord Administrator. Has the young lady awoken?”

A servant’s voice came from behind the door. When permission was given, the servant bowed and entered.

“The clan head has requested the young lady’s presence.”

“…At this hour? Surely he knows she just collapsed…”

“Yes, but he insisted she greet the rest of the family.”

Dokgo Haeryang’s lips twitched, but he glanced at Sowol.

She was still dazed and unresponsive.

“I’ll take her myself.”

The servant said he would wait outside, and Haeryang sighed deeply, pressing his forehead.

Then, putting on a gentle smile as if nothing had happened, he turned to Sowol.

“Sweetie, do you remember the old man you saw earlier—the one sitting at the head of the table?”

“…My grandpa?”

Her reply came a beat late, but Haeryang let out a silent sigh of relief when he saw a faint spark return to her eyes.

“Yes, your grandfather wants to introduce you to the rest of the family. It won’t take long.”

“…Okay.”

Sowol nodded obediently, and Haeryang smiled brightly as he gently picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes growing more solemn.

‘My head’s a mess, and now they want me to meet the rest of the family? If they’re “family,” that ugly guy’s probably one of them, too.’

That jerk who picked a fight with her when she arrived in front of the main hall.

Dokgo Cheonun, was it? He must be her other uncle.

From what she’d heard from Dokgo Ryong, and from how that guy looked at her uncle like trash, there was no way he’d welcome her.

‘Grandpa probably knows that too, which is why he said this’ll be quick.’

Didn’t her grandfather realize what was going on?

‘Or maybe he knows and just pretends not to.’

Either way, she didn’t like it.

Still, might as well strike while the iron is hot. She was curious to see what kind of faces these “family” members had.

As she calculated in her head, Dokgo Haeryang asked,

“Sowol, do you know who the members of the Dokgo family are?”

“No?”

She just got here—how would she know?

“You’ll meet them soon, but just in case, I’ll give you a quick rundown of the family tree. You saw the clan head and the sub-head earlier, right?”

He began with Dokgo Ildo and gave her brief information about the important direct descendants.

Thankfully, there weren’t too many to remember. Currently, only Dokgo Ildo’s second wife and the sub-head couple were staying at the main estate.

There was an aunt named Dokgo Hwaran, but she was married and living elsewhere.

Soon, they arrived at one of the grand halls. Before they could knock, a voice burst out from inside—clearly irritated.

“Father! How could you bring that child into the house?!”

A man’s voice, full of annoyance.

She had heard it once before.

“Oh dear… Sowol, why don’t you cover your ears for a bit.”

Sowol only pretended to plug her ears, trying to catch what was being said.

“Dokgo Hwayoung ran away from the family for love, completely turning her back on us. She’s a disgrace! Not just someone who married out, but someone who cut all ties! Why would you take in that woman’s child?!”

‘Knew it.’

Sowol snorted internally at the hostility in the voice.

‘Didn’t they say that guy only got his position after my mom left?’

No wonder she was a thorn in his side.

“And how do we even know that child is really Hwayoung’s? For all we know, Dokgo Ryong is trying to scam us by bringing in some random orphan.”

Honestly, it made sense they didn’t trust her… but…

“I’m against this. We know nothing about that girl. Even if she is Hwayoung’s daughter, there’s no reason for us to keep her. She’s the child of someone who abandoned our family—why should we care?”

On the surface, it sounded… reasonable.

‘…Yeah, no.’

The longer she listened, the more furious she became. She lightly tapped Haeryang’s shoulder.

“Put me down.”

“Huh?”

Still bewildered, he set her on the ground. The moment her feet touched the floor—

Clack—!

She pushed the door open without warning.

The people seated around the table turned to look.

At the head sat her grandfather, Dokgo Ildo. Next to him, the one who had spoken—Dokgo Cheonun, the sub-head. Beside them were a middle-aged woman she didn’t recognize, a young woman, and two children.

“…What the—?”

Dokgo Cheonun sprang up, frowning at the tiny girl who barely came up to his waist.

“Sweetie, you should knock before entering…”

Haeryang tried to recover the situation, flustered by Sowol’s sudden entrance. But she stared daggers at Cheonun, unyielding.

She didn’t say a word—just kept glaring.

Cheonun let out a dry laugh, clearly exasperated.

“Well, when you see an adult, you should at least—”

Before he could finish, she stomped right past him with her short legs.

The one she walked up to was Dokgo Ildo.

Surprised, he blinked as the small hand tugged at his sleeve.

“Grandpa.”

‘Appa.’

For a split second, Ildo saw a young Dokgo Hwayoung in her face.

“…Why is that man keep saying my mom’s name?”

“W-what? ‘That man’…?”

Dumbfounded by the child’s bold words, Dokgo Cheonwoon’s face flushed with anger. The others around the table were also visibly shaken by the sudden confrontation.

But Dokgo Il-do didn’t scold Eunsowol. Instead, he looked at her tiny hand tugging at his sleeve, his face slowly softening.

“…That’s your uncle. Your mother’s younger brother.”

“He keeps talking bad about my mom. Doesn’t he know it’s rude?”

Eunsowol’s large eyes stared directly into his. Her tone was calm, but the accusation cut deep.

The room fell into an awkward silence. The other family members looked away or lowered their gazes. Dokgo Cheonwoon clenched his jaw.

“Child, you—!”

“Why should I let someone bad-mouth my mom just because he’s older?”

Her voice trembled slightly, but her stance never faltered. Dokgo Il-do remained still for a moment, then reached out and gently patted her head.

“You’re right. I should’ve stopped it sooner.”

“Then… am I allowed to stay here?”

Her question was small—fragile even—but it carried all the weight of a child who had been rejected and abandoned. It was a question wrapped in longing and fear.

Dokgo Il-do let out a long breath.

“You’re family. No one has the right to drive you out.”

Eunsowol’s eyes welled up. But she didn’t cry. Not here.

She just nodded.

“…Okay.”

Dokgo Cheonwoon looked like he wanted to say more but held himself back. His fists clenched under the table.

“Now, let’s finish introductions,” Dokgo Il-do said, looking around the table. “This is your uncle, Dokgo Cheonwoon. And next to him is his wife.”

The middle-aged woman nodded stiffly.

“This young lady is your cousin. Her name is Dokgo Seori.”

The girl around Eunsowol’s age barely lifted her head to glance over. Her face showed no warmth—only discomfort.

“And those two,” Dokgo Il-do pointed to the younger children beside Seori, “are Dokgo Myeong and Dokgo Eun.”

Eunsowol quietly took mental notes. None of them looked welcoming, but she wasn’t expecting much.

“Will I be staying here, with them?”

“For now, you’ll stay in a separate courtyard. We’ll see how things go.”

Eunsowol glanced once more around the room, her expression unreadable.

“…I’m tired. Can I leave now?”

Dokgo Il-do gave a faint smile.

“Yes. Go rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

Without saying another word, Eunsowol turned and walked back toward Dokgo Haeryang, who waited quietly by the door. He scooped her up again, and she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.

As they exited the room, murmurs resumed behind them.

“That child… she’s not ordinary.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s far too composed for her age.”

Haeryang didn’t respond. He just quietly carried Eunsowol through the halls. Once they were out of earshot, he whispered:

“You did well in there, agi. You really are her daughter.”

“…Was it okay that I said all that?”

“More than okay. Sometimes, the truth is the best weapon.”

Eunsowol buried her face in his shoulder. Her voice was barely audible.

“…Then I’ll keep using it. Until they can’t ignore me anymore.”