IH Ch 93

Chapter 93

The grandfather had long since cut ties, having known about his son’s vile nature for years. He wanted nothing more than to cut down Hwang Hajin’s nonsense in one blow, but Hwang Jae-i was still Hajin’s blood. Even if the grandfather wished to keep the child with him, if Hwang Hajin insisted on asserting his legal rights, there would be no way to hold onto him.

On top of that, back then, Jae-i had just come out into the world—and had Awakened as well—making it difficult for him to adjust. While buried under a blanket on the bed, he wouldn’t budge and would occasionally lose control of his abilities. What young Hwang Jae-i needed most was absolute stability. And Hwang Hajin definitely knew that. That heartless man would undoubtedly try to expose Jae-i on purpose just to get what he wanted.

Even so, the grandfather, who truly didn’t want to go along with any of it, brought up Pungjin. He asked, “Do you really think that family would accept Jae-i?” But Hwang Hajin only smiled and replied, saying it was already agreed upon with Pungjin.

That’s right. The conglomerate, which prioritized corporate profit over their own daughter, had already prepared to slot Hwang Jae-i into the place of their deceased grandson. To them, an S-Class like Jae-i was far more useful than a hidden-away heir who might die any day.

Pungjin promised to keep this secret forever on the condition that they could claim Jae-i as one of their own. They pledged unwavering support and protection as he grew up. Hwang Hajin insisted that stabilizing the child’s surroundings as soon as possible would be better for him.

Those who desire something are always relentless. If they didn’t get their way, they wouldn’t hesitate to threaten to expose everything. The grandfather and Hwang Suhyeon, rather than accept that filthy deal, took custody of Hwang Jae-i. While Pungjin used Jae-i’s name, they also provided generous support. But there was a reason why they were now committing such acts.

With a calm expression, Jae-i finally spoke.

“They needed a weakness to use against that bastard, Hwang Hajin. Even though they accepted him as their son-in-law, he wasn’t loyal in the marriage and only cared about his own image. From the perspective of the chairman, who brought in an S-Class Hunter just to manipulate him as he pleased, he must’ve been a massive disappointment. That’s when they found out about my mom.”

“……”

“They learned she was pregnant and visiting an OB-GYN, and they tried to use her as leverage to tame that man. Sensing something was wrong, my mom went to find Hwang Hajin and told him about me. She was scared, that’s all—she just wanted a little help. She always planned to raise me on her own from the start.”

He had only learned about this later on while tracing her past.

She had no family and had been living in a no-residency zone. When he returned to the rooftop unit of the dilapidated building where she had tried to start a new life, it had already collapsed. Since it wasn’t even designated for redevelopment, he was only able to recover a few of her traces from the rubble.

A childcare journal was one of them. It contained her feelings upon first learning about her pregnancy, how she gradually came to accept the child, and her resolve to live on her own no matter what. If those who tried to exploit her hadn’t appeared, maybe she would still be alive. Of course, he couldn’t say for sure how his existence might have changed her life, but at least she wouldn’t have had to die like that.

“That bastard just let her die, knowing full well she was sick.”

If Pungjin had tracked her down and thrown her into a dangerous situation, then Hwang Hajin was the one who finished her off. Unlike him, who was born in a shelter and raised in cramped quarters from the start, she had known the outside world. It must’ve been unbearable.

There are memories that refuse to fade with time. For him, his mother was that kind of presence.

“I’m going to bring Pungjin and that bastard down all at once. I won’t just end them—I’ll drag them down to the bottom, make them suffer the most miserable fate imaginable.”

Doing so would inevitably impact Hwang Jae-i himself. It would expose that he was born out of wedlock and not truly a member of the Pungjin bloodline, even though he’d lived as if he were. Those who love to gossip might end up tearing into him even more viciously than they would Hwang Hajin or Pungjin.

The Association President, fully aware of all this, asked: Was it really necessary to go this far? He pointed out that thanks to him, Hwang Hajin couldn’t even set foot in the country. Pungjin, too, was already crumbling from internal strife—it would fall apart on its own if left alone. So what’s the point in stirring things up?

“I just don’t want to leave it like that.”

“……”

“I know if I leave it alone, they’ll all disappear from my sight eventually. But I don’t want that.”

Even though he knew that the moment he started, he’d become the center of endless noise, he still went through with it. Was there something wrong with him?

“No, there isn’t.”

“……”

For once, Hwang Jae-i was retracing his decisions and actions. He was just about to begin second-guessing himself when that firm denial cut in sharply.

“You’re doing exactly what you should be. That’s the right answer.”

“……”

“You’ve held back long enough. You don’t need to endure anymore.”

Dohwa gently patted Jae-i’s shoulder.

Hwang Jae-i repeated Dohwa’s words in his head. That he no longer had to endure anything—that he should just do what he wanted.

If someone else heard it, they might think it was nonsense. After all, the Hwang Jae-i that the world knew was already an utterly selfish man. Someone who never held back, always acting on his temper—a complete wreck of a personality. And yet, in Dohwa’s eyes, he must’ve seemed like someone who had endured a lot.

“……”

Jae-i looked into Dohwa’s eyes. The discomfort and awkwardness that once filled him slowly melted away, leaving behind only calm. After quietly gazing at Dohwa for a moment, Jae-i spoke again.

“When did you first know about me?”

“……”

“What were you doing back then?”

Though Dohwa sometimes dodged questions, he generally answered honestly. Each time, Jae-i would reconstruct those fragments into mental images.

What kind of environment had he lived in? What had happened there, and what had he been forced to do? As he pieced those bits together into a rough shape, Jae-i became certain—Dohwa had known about him for a long, long time.

What kind of answer would he get this time? Instead of urging a reply, Jae-i simply waited. He leaned back comfortably in his chair and looked at Dohwa’s face—it wasn’t bad at all. While he waited, Dohwa tried several times to speak, then finally took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

There’s a saying: sometimes even a backward-stepping cow catches a mouse. Lee Myunghwan was that kind of case.

When he first started, he hadn’t expected his faction to grow so powerful. He probably just wanted to enjoy a luxurious life within a group that followed him devotedly. But his business grew bigger and more successful than expected.

As the number of followers multiplied exponentially, people from all walks of life and with all kinds of abilities became part of the group. Once the organization got bigger, he felt the need to manage them more systematically. That’s when it started taking on the true form of an organized group. And it was around this time that Lee Myunghwan started to grow greedy.

He began dreaming of creating an independent nation. And if luck had been on his side, he might’ve succeeded. But with more people come more problems. As internal issues began to fester and slowly surface, Lee Myunghwan tightened his control.

He began to doubt and monitor everyone. He crafted metaphorical leashes—potential weaknesses—for each individual. And there was always someone he took everywhere he went. People kept it hush-hush, but anyone who saw her reacted the same way: surprised.

Because she was a celebrity—one who had once appeared like a comet and dazzled the public before suddenly disappearing. Though her fans and family searched endlessly, she was never seen again. That woman was Yoo Sijin.

From the time Lee Myunghwan began expanding his influence, she had remained glued to his side, becoming the center of countless rumors.

Some said she was his wife. Others said lover. Some believed she was his daughter or the head of a key project under his command. So many stories floated around, but she never batted an eye. No matter how loud the rumors got, no one dared to question her to her face.

Within that group, she held considerable power. Her true role was persuasion.

Not everyone Lee Myunghwan sought submitted willingly. Some resisted until the very end. Yoo Sijin had the gift of changing their minds. Regardless of gender or age, anyone who stood before her would eventually cave. Those who had once distrusted and doubted Lee Myunghwan would become his most devoted believers.