Chapter 79: A Mother’s Plight and a Shadow of Deceit

Regaining his composure, Sa-yoon’s next thought was of his mother. He cared little if his biological father became entangled with him and ended up in a laboratory. But his ailing mother was a different matter entirely.

It was his first time visiting his mother without an appointment. Sa-yoon exhaled deeply, gazing at the massive gate of the mansion. He had no intention of asking for permission to enter this time.

If his biological father discovered his unusual behavior, it would likely raise suspicions about the situation. Sa-yoon intended to secretly contact his mother and assess the circumstances.

Phasing through the wall, he entered the mansion’s perimeter, carefully making his way toward the annex while discerning the presence of others.

‘Something felt off.’ The atmosphere was distinctly different from when Sa-yoon usually visited the annex.

There were far too few people passing by. Scanning the interior of the annex yielded similar results. Even the grass underfoot felt darker and gloomier than other parts of the mansion.

Sa-yoon frowned at the utter lack of vitality in the air. ‘Surely that damnable old man isn’t neglecting and mistreating my mother.’ He quickened his pace.

His mother was even thinner than when he had last seen her. New wrinkles, unfamiliar to him, had formed around her eyes. He hadn’t noticed it when her eyes were open, but her complexion was clearly sickly.

Only after confirming the steady rise and fall of her chest did Sa-yoon finally release the breath he had been holding.

‘How long could his ailing mother truly endure life as a fugitive? It seems difficult for her to even leave Seoul right now; would it be possible to take her overseas?’

Silently, Sa-yoon looked down at his mother, then suddenly checked his watch. Only then did he realize that hours had passed while he had been blankly staring at her.

For a considerably long time, his mother hadn’t woken, nor had her caregiver returned. It was strange. Even for a patient, it was the middle of the day. She shouldn’t be napping this long.

Sa-yoon rose from his spot. He had planned to speak to his mother secretly and then disappear, but the situation was not as he had expected. He moved to find the caregiver on the lower floor of the annex.

“Oh, you startled me!”

The caregiver, who had been cooking in the kitchen, gasped and clutched her chest upon seeing Sa-yoon.

“Hello. My name is Jin Sa-yoon. May I intrude for a moment?”

“Oh, I know you well! Come right in. What brings you here today without a call?”

“I happened to be passing by and decided to drop in.”

Sa-yoon smiled genially, acting friendly with the caregiver. He knew his own strengths better than anyone. When he replaced his usual nonchalant expression with politeness, he easily won people over.

“I’ve been worried about my aunt’s condition lately.”

“Oh, yes, of course. I can only imagine how distressed you, her nephew, must be. She’s still so young….”

Sa-yoon’s mother was referred to as his aunt here. He had spun a story that his mother and aunt had raised him together, fostering a close bond.

Although it grated on him every time he had to call his biological mother ‘aunt,’ Sa-yoon responded to the caregiver with a smile, showing no hint of his true feelings.

“If I had known you were coming today, I would have woken her earlier. What a shame. Please make sure to call ahead next time.”

“Wake her up?”

“She needs an IV drip to regain consciousness. You have to tell me two hours in advance. Otherwise, she’ll sleep all day.”

“….”

Sa-yoon fell silent, having just learned this fact. He had only thought his mother looked tired whenever he saw her, but he hadn’t realized her condition had deteriorated to this extent. Until now, she had been woken with medication specifically for his visits.

“Just a few months ago, she used to take walks during the day, but now she struggles without painkillers. Your heart must be aching terribly.”

“It is.”

It made sense now why Jin Jung-woo had acted so anxiously around Sa-yoon. The man who had intended to use his mother as a hostage to control Sa-yoon had backed off, and this was the reason.

He already knew. Sa-yoon’s mother would not last much longer. A year, no, it seemed she might not even survive this winter.

Therefore, to capture Sa-yoon, he had feigned humility and cooperated. Sa-yoon’s face twisted into an ugly grimace at the unwelcome news.

“Should I wake your aunt now? She would be so happy to know you’ve come.”

“No. I don’t want to cause her any unnecessary trouble. My visit… please keep it a secret from both my aunt and the mansion. She would be upset if she knew I just left.”

“Don’t you worry about that. You have such a kind heart, looking out for your aunt like this.”

Sa-yoon forced a smile and bowed to the caregiver. Then, he walked out of the annex once more.

It was happening too fast. The future Sa-yoon had braced himself for was arriving much too quickly. The future where his status as an Irregular would be exposed, and the future where he would be separated from his mother, were far closer than he had anticipated.

‘How much longer could his mother endure? After Sa-yoon escapes with Jung Hyun-woo, could she still receive treatment safely and remain here? Or…’

“Sa-yoon. You’ve finally lost your mind.”

Sa-yoon called his own name and slapped his cheeks with both hands. What kind of thought had just crossed his mind? How could such a terrible idea—that it might be better for his mother to close her eyes peacefully in a comfortable place while she could still receive treatment—have entered his head?

Disgusted with himself for such a thought, Sa-yoon clenched his teeth.

He had just been momentarily insane. He reassured himself that the reality was too difficult, and he merely wanted to escape, leading to such futile thoughts.

It was simply the day that was bound to come. Therefore, Sa-yoon had no choice but to proceed with his tasks even more thoroughly. He had to endure in the country for as long as possible, seeking a future where they could all escape safely together. That was Sa-yoon’s best option.

By the time Sa-yoon returned to headquarters, it was already past midnight. It had been a dreadfully long day. Meeting Jung Hyun-woo, seeing his mother, and then aimlessly wandering had brought him to this hour.

Walking down the dark corridor, Sa-yoon suddenly realized he hadn’t eaten anything all day. Yet, he had no desire to put anything in his mouth.

His stomach was filled with emptiness instead of hunger, leaving him with no appetite. He simply wanted to go back to sleep quickly. To draw the thick blackout curtains and sleep like crazy.

As Sa-yoon, consumed by this longing, arrived at his quarters, a massive silhouette awaited him by the door.

“…I told you I’d be very late.”

“You look tired.”

Sa-yoon didn’t know what kind of face to show Han Do-hoon. He averted his gaze to the floor. Han Do-hoon was the last person he wanted to face right now. With his vision half-blurred, Sa-yoon reached for the door to his quarters.

The familiar sound of the door opening echoed.

“I’m tired today. Let’s talk another time.”

“It will only take a moment. There’s something I really want to say….”

He slowly swatted away Han Do-hoon’s hand as it reached for him. Seeing Han Do-hoon’s surprise, Sa-yoon realized his mistake. He shouldn’t have changed his demeanor so abruptly.

He had to act as if he hadn’t figured out Han Do-hoon’s true identity.

“I’m sorry. Today… something bad happened.”

“Is it something you can’t tell me?”

The concerned voice sounded genuinely heartfelt. It was precisely because he was such a good actor that Sa-yoon had been deceived all this time. If he hadn’t known the truth, he would have immediately let his guard down and poured out his grievances to Han Do-hoon’s compassionate ear.

“It’s just that my parents aren’t well. Their health is worse than I thought… and I’m not in the mood to talk about anything else.”

Only after speaking did Sa-yoon realize that, publicly, his mother was Jin Jung-woo’s current wife. However, it was difficult to retract the words he had already uttered. Perhaps it was fortunate that he had vaguely referred to ‘parents’ health.’

Sa-yoon chastised himself. It seemed his guard had been significantly lowered in front of Han Do-hoon, more than he had thought. Even after learning the truth, he was still like this.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Tomorrow. No, it might take a little longer… Anyway, I just want to rest today.”

“Sa-yoon.”

Han Do-hoon called out to him from behind, stopping him.

“I will also be returning to the battlefield soon. I was informed today. This time, I wanted to tell you myself before you heard it from someone else.”

He was such an earnest man. He had waited in front of his quarters until dawn, fearing Sa-yoon would be upset if he heard the news from another source.

If Sa-yoon hadn’t known the truth, his heart would have melted again at that inflexible attitude. It was truly malicious. If he was going to hurt people like this, he should have just remained a villain from the start.

Sa-yoon struggled to hold back everything he wanted to unleash on Han Do-hoon. Words like, ‘What were you thinking?’ and ‘Were you playing with me?’ rose to his throat, then vanished.

“That’s unfortunate. When was it decided?”

“Next week.”

“That’s sooner than I expected.”

“It seems the situation on their side isn’t good. If I may ask, your decision hasn’t changed, has it, Sa-yoon?”

Sa-yoon’s decision. Han Do-hoon had offered for Sa-yoon to join him on the battlefield, even for a short time, and Sa-yoon had foolishly replied that he would consider it.

Blaming his past self, Sa-yoon bowed his head, hiding his grimacing expression so it wouldn’t show.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

How can I, the Holy Son, marry someone?

BattleFemale ProtagonistMarriage

Read Now →
Not interested