Chapter 59
“What is she doing?”
“……”
Baek Sa-eon silently watched Hong Heeju’s antics at the social party he attended with his parents after a long time.
Munch! Munch! Slurp!
Are her manners on vacation? Sa-eon’s eyebrows twitched.
It wasn’t long before the girl who had been fidgeting annoyingly in front of him suddenly started to empty her plate. Hong Heeju deliberately made loud smacking noises as if to flaunt her actions. Then, she ostentatiously gulped down the food.
“Haa…”
The funniest part was when she opened her mouth in surprise, revealing her unsuspecting insides as if to say, ‘I swallowed it, see!’
Now Hong Heeju held out a new plate to him.
“For me to eat?”
The girl beamed brightly and nodded.
Was she testing the food or just being thoughtful? Her gentle eyes were full of sincerity.
Noticing that Sa-eon let out a chuckle.
‘What was she up to?’
Baek Sa-eon frowned in irritation for no particular reason. When he didn’t move, Hong Heeju emptied several more plates. Seeing her stomach bulge slightly, he reluctantly took a bite, worried she might overeat and make herself sick.
As he finally relented, the child grinned brightly and ran back to her older sister.
Baek Sa-eon tugged at his bowtie, feeling a different sensation.
‘The snacks tasted good.’
“Baek Sa-eon” was forbidden from eating snacks, but this was something he liked.
The crumbly texture between his molars felt oddly tolerable for the first time in a long while.
***
When he reached the age of military service, he went on a deployment to the Republic of Argan.
Being buried in issues like who succeeded, who failed, who lived, and who died sometimes made his own problems feel insignificant.
He had just realized that discussing others’ lives, accidents, and far-off issues was an effective way to hide himself. After all, his entire life was the result of living under someone else’s name. If that was the case, why not hide myself from others?
The Republic of Argan was in the midst of religious conflict, civil war, and foreign intervention.
Despite Baek Jang-ho’s objections, he left without hesitation. After his discharge, he moved on to another war-torn region.
“Why are you even here?”
One day, a journalist traveling with him asked curiously.
“Such places make me feel alive.”
“What?”
“Only here can I feel my own existence.”
“In this hell?”
“Precisely because it’s hell.”
His gaze was dry as he looked at the devastated land. Then, an incident occurred where he inadvertently filmed a prisoner torture video.
“Baek Sa-eon, Baek Sa-eon…! Hey, snap out of it!”
“Ugh…”
“You’re not dead yet, are you? If you’re going to die, at least escape first!”
“Dammit, stop shaking me…”
“Now’s your chance. Run, run for it!”
His face felt as though one side had caved in, leaving him numb. Eyes were swollen and bruised like a wasp sting. Under cover fire from the U.S. military, Baek Sa-eon barely escaped.
Leaning against a rock, he spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.
Under the vast desert sky, the sun was setting. Then, out of nowhere, Hong Heeju’s face came to mind.
“……!”
It was an utterly unexpected figure.
His eyebrows rose in disgruntlement, and his battered face twisted into a wry grimace. A dry laugh escaped from sheer disbelief.
Why now— At a moment where he felt like he might really die… Why was her face appearing before me? She was likely over twenty years old now.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off the setting sun.
From that moment on, as the sun set, she would inevitably come to mind. His photo album began filling with scarlet images of sunsets.
They were all reminiscent of Heeju.
***
After years, he finally set foot in Korea again.
Having traveled through conflict zones like the Republic of Argan, Baghdad, Mosul, Samawah, Tikrit, Fallujah, and Erbil, time had flown by.
Back at his family’s house, Baek Sa-eon immediately stepped out onto the terrace and gripped the railing.As if on cue, a heavy, long sigh escaped. Just crossing the threshold of the house made his throat tighten.
And then, his dry gaze was drawn to a particular spot.
“……”
Under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom stood a woman.
Clad in a white dress, her long, straight hair framed a mature face. Delicate features contrasted with striking lines, hinting at the woman she had become.
“……!”
Baek Sa-eon’s brows furrowed slightly.
In front of him stood a fully-grown Hong Heeju.
The man felt momentarily dizzy at the sight of her transformed appearance. Her slender neckline, long arms and calves, and the graceful curve of her waist narrowing and flaring out again—these were no longer those of a child.
Just then, as if it were the most natural thing, she inserted a straw into a pack of soju and began to drink.
“Well, isn’t this something?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Hong Heeju’s cheeks hollowed as she sucked on the straw.
“Tsk.. She only knows how to pick up bad habits.”
But she quickly scrunched up her face and stuck out her tongue in disgust.
“Ugh—”
Without realizing it, the corners of the man’s eyes softened. If he had candy in his pocket, he might have unwrapped it right away and popped it in her mouth.
Baek Sa-eon’s gaze lingered as he slowly ran his tongue across his dry lips, feeling an odd disappointment.
‘One person is tasting bitterness, while another craves sweetness.’
It almost felt as if their ages had been swapped.
It was only then that he began to feel the reality of being back home.
***
Baek Sa-eon quickly rose to prominence and gained fame. Around that time, Baek Jang-ho passed away from old age. Having lived past a century, his longevity matched his stubborn temperament.
“Dear… bring my daughter-in-law, Gyu-jin, here…”
On the verge of death, Baek Jang-ho pitifully called out for his daughter-in-law. It was obvious what he wanted to confess.
Coward.
Was he really planning to confess now, of all times? Baek Sa-eon found it laughable. Leaning in close, he whispered into the old man’s ear.
“Father.”
“……!”
It was the first time he had ever used that word.
“Don’t think you can be forgiven. So leave without making a fuss.”
The dying man’s fading eyes twitched briefly.
“You’re the one who taught me what happens when words are carelessly spoken, aren’t you?”
“……!”
“Now bear the weight of your actions until the end.”
He gently closed Baek Jang-ho’s eyelids.
“When you’re gone, a lot of things will change.”
“Wh-what… are you…”
“I’ll overturn everything—starting with the bottom of that fishing lake.”
“……!”
“You will regret in your grave”
Baek Jang-ho passed away with his jaw clenched.
After that, Baek Sa-eon inherited the old man’s responsibilities while secretly gathering information about the family. Baek Jang-ho, Baek Eui-yong, Shim Gyu-jin…
He had no intention of living as “Baek Sa-eon” forever.
Having wandered abroad for so long, the house no longer scared him. He now knew how to break free on his own.
The more weaknesses he discovered and the more famous he became, the more leverage he had to exert pressure. However, to avoid being outmaneuvered again, he needed power. A power greater than that of Baek Ui-yong, a rising presidential candidate.
So when the government scouted him, he accepted without hesitation—at least, until Hong In-ah came to him with her absurd threats.
Up until then, his plan to abandon this cursed name had been unshaken.
***
[ Tomorrow’s wedding… I can’t do it. Let’s call it off. ]
On the eve of her wedding, what nonsense was this woman spouting?
[ I can’t marry someone with an unclear identity. ]
Baek Sa-eon frowned as he read her written note.
“I’m not marrying you out of affection, either.”
[ You could help me call it off, couldn’t you? ]
“Why should I?”
He flicked open a Zippo lighter, speaking indifferently.
“It’s not just Representative Baek Ui-yong who dreams of leveraging media power to climb higher.”
[ This isn’t a request. I’m giving you a threat. ]
“Threat?”
[ I’ll expose your secret. ]
He watched her through a haze of cigarette smoke. Though Hong In-ah coughed from the acrid smell, he didn’t care.
In an expressionless voice, he muttered, “You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?”
“……!”
“I guess your ears must not hurt anymore.”
Despite his cold gaze, a dry chuckle escaped his lips.
Hong In-ah trembled and began writing again. By the time she finished, he was grinding the cigarette filter between his teeth.
[ Where is the real Baek Sa-eon, and who are you? ]
“Ah.”
That sound was utterly devoid of emotion.
[Aren’t you afraid this truth will come to light?]
“Not particularly.”
[You’ll lose everything you have.]
“It’s all circumstantial, isn’t it?”
[Evidence can be created if necessary.]
“So, did you come to pick up stray hairs from my floor for a DNA test? You might regret it.”
He rested his chin on his hand with a bored expression.
[As long as Heeju successfully marries Samhyun Electronics’ third son, I could help—]
Suddenly, the ash at the end of his cigarette dropped. He violently snatched the paper from her hands.
