Chapter 23
“Ugh…”
Lee Ji-cheol groaned and was anxiously pacing back and forth.
On his desk, the payment he had received for the ‘solution’ lay there, alongside the deadly weapon. The man who used to show up punctually on payment day was now nowhere to be found.
“I’ve worked with him for years, and I still can’t figure him out,” he muttered.
It had been about two months since he left. This workaholic had never been absent for such a long period without notice.
With his title as the undefeated solver, there were always many people looking for him.
How should he even find him now? Was he dead somewhere, or was there some excuse he could come up with for the people looking for Gwang-ryong?
His mind was a tangled mess.
Lee Ji-cheol sighed deeply, resting against the back of his chair.
“Ugh, whatever. He’ll come back when it’s time…”
“Boss! Gwang-ryong is here!”
Before Lee Ji-cheol could finish speaking, an employee burst in through the door without warning.
“Speak of the devil and he appears,” Lee muttered.
“How does he know to show up like this?” Lee Ji-cheol thought, shaking his head.
“Whether it’s Gwang-ryong or Ak-ryong, if they come, they come. No need to make a fuss about it!” Lee Ji-cheol yelled out, irritated. Despite his attempt to calm things, the employee couldn’t control his excitement.
“But, boss, Gwang-ryong has some kid with him…!”
“Why are you making such a scene over him coming? Go and do your work!” Lee Ji-cheol barked, already getting irritated.
Out of nowhere, Gwang-ryong appeared and smacked the employee on the back of the head. The employee froze, too shocked to say anything.
Lee Ji-cheol immediately jumped out of his chair when he saw Gwang-ryong.
“Hey, you! Why are you so late?!”
“When I come is up to me. Did you miss me that much?” Gwang-ryong answered nonchalantly.
“This guy! Did you think I was just gonna joke around with you? After disappearing like that, you should’ve at least sent a short letter or something. Really, you…” Lee Ji-cheol ranted, but suddenly stopped when he noticed something odd about Gwang-ryong’s chest.
He looked closer and realized that Gwang-ryong was carrying something. Without saying anything, Lee Ji-cheol approached and lifted the cloth carefully.
There, in Gwang-ryong’s arms, was a cute child with white cheeks, long eyelashes, and delicate features that looked like they had been carved from porcelain.
Lee Ji-cheol almost fainted from the cuteness.
“You…!”
“It just happened like this. This is…,” Gwang-ryong began.
“Did you get into trouble or something?” Lee Ji-cheol interrupted.
“What?” Gwang-ryong replied, confused.
“Didn’t you always look at women like they were stones? Where the hell did you get into trouble? And this kid looks pretty old, doesn’t she?! Wait, you didn’t…!”
Gwang-ryong raised his eyebrows slightly.
“What do you think of me? It’s not like that.”
“Where’s the kid’s mother? Oh, I see, you’re holding the kid because she ran off… Tsk, tsk. Poor thing. Growing up with bad parents…” Lee Ji-cheol sighed.
“I told you it’s not like that.”
“You don’t have to deny it. How long have we known each other? I understand,” Lee Ji-cheol said knowingly.
Bam!
Suddenly, Lee Ji-cheol’s head snapped back, a sharp pain shooting through his skull.
“Ahhh! Why did you hit me?!”
“She’s my niece.”
“I’ve understood you got a kid, but this… Huh? Niece?”
“Yeah, niece.”
Lee Ji-cheol stood dumbfounded as Gwang-ryong sat down, casually ignoring him.
“Close the door. I’ll explain what happened.”
Later…
“…So…”
“…Poor thing…”
“Mm…”
Eun Sowol rubbed her eyes as she heard voices nearby.
“…Uncle?”
“Awake? You didn’t even know you were being carried?” Gwang-ryong asked.
“Mm… I was so sleepy…” Eun Sowol mumbled.
She lazily climbed onto Gwang-ryong’s lap, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes again. But she wasn’t trying to sleep; she was just trying to wake up.
“That kid really follows you well.”
“Did you think I was lying?”
A voice Eun Sowol didn’t recognize entered her ears. She turned her head, still half asleep.
The man appeared to be in his forties, with a beard, giving him a somewhat ordinary appearance. He had a friendly aura, almost like a neighbor.
“Hello, little one.”
Eun Sowol blinked her eyes slowly and looked up at Gwang-ryong.
“Say hello. This is Lee Ji-cheol, the owner of the Pungyu Tavern.”
“He’s been Gwang-ryong’s business partner for seven years, and you could say he’s like a sworn brother.”
Sworn brother? To Uncle?
Eun Sowol blinked in confusion at Lee Ji-cheol’s words. Just then, a soft snort was heard above her head.
“Sworn brother? My foot.”
“Hey, what’s with that? Who fed and raised you?”
“Feeding me? You gave me a few bowls of noodles, that’s all…”
“That counts as raising you! And who helped you get your first job at the tavern?”
The two of them started bickering about whether they were truly “sworn brothers” or not. In the middle of it, a few curse words were thrown in, but Eun Sowol strangely found comfort in their argument.
I’ve never seen Uncle joke around like this before.
Whether they were really sworn brothers or not, Eun Sowol could tell they had a strong bond.
“Do you remember who helped you settle in Namyang?” Lee Ji-cheol asked.
“Really? Let’s go back to the time we first met, shall we?”
“Hello, Mr. Lee, I’m Eun Sowol, Uncle’s niece.”
Before their voices could get any louder, Eun Sowol quickly intervened.
Only then did both men stop and look at her.
Clears throat.
“Well, you saw something you shouldn’t have. Anyway, Gwang-ryong and I are close, so you can treat me like family. If Gwang-ryong’s niece is my niece, too.”
“Yes, Ji-cheol, sir…” Eun Sowol started to call him, but Lee Ji-cheol’s cheeks twitched.
That expression… that’s the look that affectionate older people give! If that’s the case…
“Ji-cheol, Uncle.”
Eun Sowol tried using a playful tone.
“Ahh, Uncle…! Sure, I’m your Uncle! Call me whatever you like, Sowol!” Lee Ji-cheol laughed heartily and stretched out his hand.
Eun Sowol grabbed his hand. His firm grasp felt warm, and she smiled.
“Wow, your hands are so tiny. My son used to be this small… huh?”
Lee Ji-cheol smiled, looking at Eun Sowol’s hand. But then he suddenly paused. He took her hand and started feeling it.
The sudden shift in atmosphere made Eun Sowol tilt her head, but Gwang-ryong slapped Lee Ji-cheol’s hand away.
“What the hell are you doing? You pervert?” Gwang-ryong scolded.
“No… is this kid’s temperature a little high?”
“Temperature?”
Gwang-ryong raised his hand to Eun Sowol’s forehead, looking confused.
“She’s a little warm, but kids are like that, right?”
“Sowol, I’m going to check for a moment.”
Lee Ji-cheol moved in and touched Eun Sowol’s forehead. His face slowly twisted with concern.
“You idiot! She’s got a fever!” Lee Ji-cheol yelled at Gwang-ryong.
He hurriedly started checking her neck and legs.
Meanwhile, Eun Sowol, who was the one with the fever, simply tilted her head and fiddled with her flushed cheeks.
“Do I have a fever?”
With half-closed eyes, she exhibited the classic symptoms of a child with a fever.
“When did this start?” Lee Ji-cheol asked, looking at Gwang-ryong.
“When did it start? She’s been like this the whole time…” Gwang-ryong muttered.
“She’s been like this the whole time? You, as her guardian, didn’t notice she was sick?” Lee Ji-cheol scolded.
But then he stopped, noticing Gwang-ryong’s unusual reaction. His eyes were trembling, and his face turned pale.
“I’ll go get a doctor. Wait here for a moment.”
Lee Ji-cheol carefully put Eun Sowol down and rushed outside.
‘No wonder I felt hot and had a headache. I have a fever.’
But compared to when she was sick in the Gwang-ryong family, this wasn’t that serious. So Eun Sowol didn’t think much of it.
At that moment, Gwang-ryong touched her cheek with a frown.
“Sowol, when did you get sick?”
“I’m not sick…”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m really not sick. I’ll be fine after a few days of sleep.”
Her attempt to reassure him only made him more worried, and his frown deepened.
“Then, when did this start?”
“Umm…”
Eun Sowol slowly blinked, then swayed a little. Realizing it was more serious than she thought, Gwang-ryong quickly held her to keep her from falling.
“Since we left?”
With a little smile, Eun Sowol spoke, but Gwang-ryong clenched his teeth.
