Chapter 21: A Startling Discovery

“I’ll definitely watch the live broadcast. It’s next Friday at 6, so please watch if you have the time, Team Leader.”

“Sure. Let’s watch it while having dinner.”

“Dinner? I’ll shower and watch it on my knees.”

After the broadcast, Chae-jun decided to pay and keep it forever, muttering ecstatically. At his exaggerated behavior, Sa-yoon, who had been serious, forgot his worries and smiled slightly. Among those who praised Sa-yoon, Chae-jun was special.

If Sa-yoon had been followed with admiration, he would have been exhausted and fallen a hundred times by now due to Chae-jun’s fickle and lazy nature. However, Chae-jun had steadfastly stayed by Sa-yoon’s side.

As Sa-yoon moved, he deliberately dropped a chocolate next to Chae-jun.

“Eat some sweets and work.”

He wanted to say ‘thank you’ at least once, but it was difficult for Sa-yoon to do so.

[A package has arrived at the dormitory.]

At the first message, Sa-yoon’s steps stopped. If it were an official item, it would have arrived at Sa-yoon’s office, not the dormitory. The fact that it arrived at the dormitory meant it was a personal item. This was the first time since enlistment that something like this had happened.

“What is this?”

There was no one who would send a package to Sa-yoon personally. Sa-yoon had no friends, not even acquaintances. His family was not someone who would send him anything.

When Sa-yoon scratched his head and arrived at the dormitory, a small package, about the size of a book, was placed at the door. It was surprisingly light, almost as if the inside was empty. As Sa-yoon touched the coordinates inside, he felt a slight thickness.

Out of curiosity, he checked the shipping label, which only had Sa-yoon’s name and address. Since it had passed the base inspection, it wasn’t a dangerous item. Sa-yoon casually opened the package in his room.

His expression hardened as he confirmed the contents. Inside the box was a bulging envelope. On top of it was Jin Jung-woo’s nameplate. It seemed that Jin had done something unusual because Sa-yoon had ignored his summons to a restaurant.

Sa-yoon opened the envelope with a foreboding feeling. And then the box tumbled to the floor.

“…”

A thin, tangled clump of hair flowed through Sa-yoon’s fingers. The texture was dry and lacked moisture, similar to what Sa-yoon knew.

Enough hair to fill both hands. Hair with a soft, chestnut color like his mother’s, with a few gray strands mixed in.

Sa-yoon couldn’t remember how he left the base and moved. He must have shouted something about taking the disciplinary action later when the guard asked for the reason for leaving. Without noticing the surroundings, Sa-yoon moved straight ahead, as if walking on the building and through the air. In front of him appeared the dark wall of the mansion he had seen before.

Under the overcast sky, the ominous wall stretched out. Following the wall, Sa-yoon arrived at a gloomy iron gate.

His heart, which had risen to his throat, was pounding as if it would burst. His vision whitened with anger, making him question whether what he saw was real or an illusion.

There was no time to press the bell. Break down the gate. There was no patience left to wait for someone to open the door. As Sa-yoon reached out both hands to grab the thick iron gate, a dry voice came from inside.

“The master is currently out.”

The voice, like a bucket of cold water, brought Sa-yoon back to his senses. Slowly opening the iron gate, a secretary with an expressionless face stood on the other side.

“It’s bold of you to do such a thing and stand before me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The secretary’s face showed no emotion, but Sa-yoon was convinced. The secretary with that shameless face must know the truth about the package Sa-yoon received. Or perhaps, the secretary had personally shaved Sa-yoon’s mother’s hair and sent it.

The amount of hair in the envelope was not small. If one were to shave the head of a person with shoulders-length hair, it would be about that amount.

“Please come in. People might talk if they see you outside.”

“What did you do to my mother?”

“Your mother is with the master at a banquet. She will return late in the evening.”

At the mention of Sa-yoon’s mother, who was now the master’s wife, Sa-yoon gritted his teeth. The secretary’s attitude, who would not speak in front of others, made Sa-yoon enter the courtyard and roughly close the gate.

Sa-yoon pulled out a large tree in the courtyard and blocked the gate, asking again.

“I asked what you did to my mother. Not those filthy beasts, but my mother.”

“If you’re asking about the guest who has been staying in the annex for a long time, she is still receiving excellent treatment there.”

Sa-yoon felt like he could strangle the secretary and hang him from the window right now. As Sa-yoon’s eyes rolled, the secretary slightly raised one corner of his mouth.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but it’s all for treatment. Recently, the guest has been complaining of severe headaches, and hair was obstructing the examination.”

“…”

“It was special for me to send it to you, but it seems you’re quite upset.”

Even if it was for treatment, there was no need to send it to Sa-yoon. This was a warning, a vile and low threat.

“You have no idea how troubled the master was a few days ago. The 3rd-line assemblyman wanted to meet you, but you unilaterally ignored the contact.”

“So you cut someone’s head?”

“I explained that it was for treatment.”

The secretary, who was talking nonsense, stepped aside.

“By the way, the considerate master told me in advance. If someone comes to visit, worrying about the guest’s health, this time only, they are allowed to visit the annex.”

It was all nonsense. After sending a threat in an unaddressed package, now they were allowing a special meeting between mother and son. It was like giving medicine after poisoning.

Sa-yoon reached out. His fist, which had gone out without hesitation, grabbed the secretary’s collar.

“Ugh…”

“I can’t touch Jin Jung-woo, but I can touch you.”

The secretary, who was useful to Sa-yoon, was different from the old Jin. There was no reason to tolerate a fox who dared to act like a tiger.

Sa-yoon’s strength increased.

“M, my guest is waiting…”

“I’ll have time to see my mother after dealing with this trash.”

Sa-yoon lifted the struggling secretary. He didn’t plan to kill him. He just wanted to educate him to know his place. As the secretary’s eyes widened, Sa-yoon glared at him. Sa-yoon threw the secretary to the ground just as he was about to choke.

“Cough. Cough.”

“Oh, you must be having trouble with your lungs due to old age. You should take care of your health.”

Sa-yoon, who had shaken off his hands, stood in front of the fallen secretary and looked down at him with disgust. Should he let it go this time, or should he take care of it once and for all? While Sa-yoon was contemplating, a familiar figure appeared in his blurred vision.

“Huh?”

“My goodness. What’s going on here?”

His mother, who had been waiting in the annex, seemed to have stayed nearby out of concern for Sa-yoon. His mother, who had seen the fallen secretary, was surprised. Sa-yoon quickly composed his face, which showed his dismay, and hurriedly approached his mother.

“Mother!”

“Sa-yoon, what’s happening? Was there a fight…?”

“No, it was just a small misunderstanding.”

His mother glanced at the back. Sa-yoon quickly blocked her view and smiled.

“It’s okay. Nothing’s broken, and no one’s dead. Right, Secretary? You were talking a lot earlier, so you must be fine.”

Sa-yoon smiled kindly and pushed his mother’s back.

“Then let’s go to the annex. I’ll escort you.”

As his mother moved along with Sa-yoon, her face did not relax. Walking slowly, his mother, who was next to Sa-yoon, wore a soft tensel fabric hat.

Seeing the smooth nape of her neck instead of her once lush hair, Sa-yoon’s anger surged again.

He wanted to blow up the entire mansion right now, but his mother came first. His mother must have been more shocked than Sa-yoon when she saw the hair.

“You must be tired, so let’s take a shortcut.”

Sa-yoon trampled on the neatly arranged lawn and crossed the garden to the opposite side of the main building. As the main building’s garden became distant, his mother cautiously asked.

“Are those people still bothering you?”