Chapter 71: Hatred And resentment

“Wh… What did you just say?!”

Won Yeojeong shouted in surprise at Choi Juwon’s words. But Choi Juwon replied indifferently,

“I said take care of your own daughter. I’m not even thinking about forgiving that b*tch, let alone reconciling. I utterly despise people like you who think they can solve everything with money. I’m letting it slide because I have a lot on my mind, but if you try something like this again, I won’t hold back. So you better watch out.”

“H… How dare you be so rude…!”

-Click

Choi Juwon hung up.

He lay back on the sofa and muttered,

“Please… Just leave me alone… I’m begging you.”

-Squeeze…

He pressed his temples, the headache returning.

He suppressed his anger once again. The current situation was already enough to drive him crazy.

-Crack!

The sound of a phone breaking echoed through the room.

“That… disrespectful bastard…”

As Won Yeojeong fumed, the vice-leader, Ju Taehoon, spoke up.

“What happened, Guild Leader?”

“That Choi Juwon… I humbled myself and tried to apologize, and he cursed at me and hung up.”

“…Is that true? Perhaps he doesn’t know who you are?”

“Judging by the way he spoke, he doesn’t seem to know who I am. Well, if he knew I was the guild leader of Daepeld, he wouldn’t have acted so disrespectfully.”

Daepeld. One of Korea’s high-ranking guilds, like W or Baal. Although more powerful than W, they were still no match for Baal.

Nevertheless, Won Yeojeong’s words weren’t empty boasts. Daepeld’s standing had recently risen due to the incident where over a hundred W guild members, who had been relentlessly targeting Daepeld, were killed.

“Haa…”

Won Yeojeong fumed, still not appeased.

“That disrespectful bastard. I wonder if he can still talk like that when I meet him face to face.”

She was a kind mother to Baek Hyunseo. However, she wasn’t always kind and benevolent to those outside her family. This was only natural. If she were truly kind and benevolent, she wouldn’t have become the leader of a high-ranking guild, nor would she have survived in this harsh world.

“I’ll deal with that arrogant instructor later. I was going to let it slide for Hyunseo’s sake, but he’s forcing me to use force. He seems to be acting all high and mighty because he was an S-rank instructor at Helmunt Academy, like a frog in a well. I’ll have to teach him a lesson.”

Won Yeojeong calmed herself down and spoke to Vice-leader Ju Taehoon.

“Where’s Hyunseo? Did you hear from the aide?”

“Miss Baek Hyunseo will be arriving soon. Judging by the fact that she agreed to see you without much resistance, she doesn’t seem to harbor only negative feelings towards you. If you talk things out, you might be able to reconcile.”

Won Yeojeong looked relieved.

“That’s a relief. Hyunseo is the only reason I have left to live. Baek Jooseok… that
bastard is in jail now, so I can finally clear up the misunderstandings with Hyunseo.”

Won Yeojeong looked up at the ceiling with a sad expression.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

-Knock, knock, knock

“Who is it?”

“It’s your aide. I’ve brought Miss Baek Hyunseo.”

“Come in.”

-Creak…

As the door opened, Baek Hyunseo stared blankly.

She saw a woman who looked like she was in her twenties, with flawless skin and youthful features.

“Huh…?”

Baek Hyunseo couldn’t help but be surprised. Won Yeojeong’s face hadn’t changed at all.

She looked exactly the same as she did when Baek Hyunseo was a child. She hadn’t aged a day.

If a stranger saw them, they would have thought Won Yeojeong was Baek Hyunseo’s older sister.

As Baek Hyunseo stared at her in surprise, Won Yeojeong smiled kindly and tried to hug her.

-Flinch

But Baek Hyunseo stepped back. Her defenses kicked in instinctively.

“Hyunseo…”

Won Yeojeong looked at her with sad eyes. And said,

“Hyunseo, do you still think your mother abandoned you?”

Baek Hyunseo replied,

“I… Isn’t it obvious? You left when I was young. You never came to see me after that. You never even tried to contact me or talk to me. After you left, I lived alone with my father. Until I entered the academy, I had no friends, and I had to play alone in my empty room with the money and dolls my father gave me. Do you know how lonely I was? How can you be so shameless as to call me after abandoning me like that? The only reason I came here is because I wanted to know why you abandoned me. Why did you do that to me?”

Baek Hyunseo spoke calmly, as if she had rehearsed these words hundreds, even thousands of times. It was what she always wanted to ask. When she met her mother, she wanted to ask her why she abandoned her, why she never came back.

Won Yeojeong shed tears and said quietly,

“Hyunseo, it’s a misunderstanding. Your mother never abandoned you.”

She walked slowly towards Baek Hyunseo and continued,

“First, I have to explain why I left you. Your father, Baek Jooseok, that man… It was his routine to fool around with other women, using work as an excuse. So, I got angry about it. Small arguments turned into big fights, to the point where we threatened each other’s lives. Baek Jooseok refused to change his ways, so we decided to get a divorce. But don’t misunderstand. I intended to raise you no matter what. I never intended to leave you with him.”

-Swoosh

She wiped away her tears and looked at Baek Hyunseo.

“Hyunseo, as you can see, your mother hasn’t aged at all. This transcends the laws of physics. It’s not normal. Your mother used forbidden magic since she was very young.”

“Wh… What kind of magic…?”

She hesitated for a moment and then said,

“My magic allows me to gain life force by offering sacrifices.”

Won Yeojeong’s unique magic, [Sacrificial Sanctuary]. By sacrificing a person’s life force, she could absorb it for herself. Absorbing enough life force not only increased her magical power but also stopped her physical aging.

Although not widely known, [Sacrificial Sanctuary] was a technique that granted life force in exchange for sacrificing a living person.

It was a forbidden technique that could only be acquired through heredity. Naturally, the state didn’t allow such absurd magic.

Long ago, the state eradicated the entire clan that possessed [Sacrificial Sanctuary]. But a few survived and had children, passing down the magic, eventually reaching Won Yeojeong.

She actively used her magic. She was inherently greedy.

She desired eternal youth and immense power. She believed she needed greater strength to protect her daughter, and she considered even her youth and beauty as weapons.

She had willingly sacrificed living people, gaining youth and power in return.

But Baek Jooseok, who lived with her, knew her secret.

“My magic is forbidden by the state. I don’t know what kind of punishment I would receive if my existence was discovered. But Baek Jooseok knew, and he used it against me. He threatened to report me to the state if I tried to raise you.”

“S… Sacrificing other people… You used that kind of magic…? Mother…?”

In Baek Hyunseo’s memory, her mother was a warm person. Even though she abandoned her, she wasn’t greedy enough to sacrifice someone for personal gain.

“Don’t misunderstand. The sacrifices I used weren’t people, but monsters or livestock.”

Won Yeojeong lied naturally. Baek Hyunseo didn’t know about this magic anyway. [Sacrificial Sanctuary] only granted power in exchange for sacrificing a living person. Offering monster hides or livestock yielded nothing.

“…”

Baek Hyunseo believed her mother’s words for now. Of course, Baek Hyunseo also had the potential to use [Sacrificial Sanctuary]. It was a hereditary magic. But Sacrificial Sanctuary required specific conditions to be unlocked. Baek Hyunseo had never used or even heard of it before, so she had no choice but to believe her mother.

“So, you’re saying you abandoned me and left me because you were afraid my father would report you to the state?”

Baek Hyunseo’s expression didn’t soften. Even if Baek Jooseok had threatened her like that, it didn’t make sense that she never tried to contact her even once. Baek Jooseok was always busy with work, and Baek Hyunseo was always at home.

Won Yeojeong looked at Baek Hyunseo with pity in her eyes.

“Perhaps you’re right. Baek Jooseok not only threatened to report me, but he also controlled me to prevent me from contacting you. He wouldn’t let me use a phone and forbade me from leaving the house. Didn’t you find it strange? That Baek Jooseok’s control wasn’t normal?”

Baek Hyunseo agreed inwardly. She hadn’t even owned a cell phone until she was over 20.

And before the practical magic class was established at Helmunt Academy, she had never even left the house alone.

She had thought it was strange. But she never imagined it was because of this reason.

“I became free after I started attending Helmunt Academy… Why didn’t you come find me after that? If what you’re saying is true, you could have visited me secretly when I had more freedom. The people around you didn’t seem that weak either.”

“That was when Baek Jooseok’s power was growing. My guild wasn’t that strong back then. Do you know how many people Baek Jooseok connected with and how many connections he built until he established the academy? I couldn’t touch him. But I truly wanted to see you. That’s why I came here after he went to jail, avoiding his eyes.”

Won Yeojeong looked at Baek Hyunseo with longing and continued,

“Seeing you, I’ve made up my mind. I will never be separated from you again. Even if Baek Jooseok gets out of jail, I will stay by your side, no matter the threat. I’m no longer afraid of his threats. Knowing how happy I am just by seeing you, I’ve made up my mind.”

Baek Hyunseo was moved by her mother’s sincere plea.

More than anything, Baek Hyunseo needed someone to rely on. Choi Juwon had abandoned her. Her father was in jail. Her friends had distanced themselves after finding out what she had done. She only had her mother left. She was completely alone, with no one else around her.

Baek Hyunseo spoke in a small voice,

“I haven’t completely forgiven you, but… I… I’ll try to understand…”

At Baek Hyunseo’s words, Won Yeojeong hugged her with a grateful expression.

“Hyunseo, I’ll be a good mother from now on.”

Baek Hyunseo silently accepted her embrace.

After a long hug, Won Yeojeong spoke as if she suddenly remembered something,

“Oh, Hyunseo… I’m sorry to say this, but I failed to reconcile you with Choi Juwon.”

-Flinch

Baek Hyunseo couldn’t believe her ears.

“What?”

Her mother continued, oblivious to her reaction,

“You might not like hearing this, but I had my aide investigate you. I don’t know everything, but I know that you liked that instructor, Choi Juwon, and that you wronged him greatly. So I wanted to reconcile you two. That’s why I called him.”

“C… Called…?”

“Yes. I thought, ‘How much could a young girl have possibly done wrong?’ and offered to compensate him with money, and he yelled at me and hung up. I could see what he must have done to you, and it made me furious. I’ll deal with that bastard myself. You should forget about him and be happy with your mother.”

-Tremble

Baek Hyunseo’s arms started to tremble.

“Y… You offered him money to forgive me… over the phone?”

“Yes, no one dislikes money. But that bastard arrogantly refused.”

“…”

Baek Hyunseo’s expression began to change.

-Shiver

Goosebumps rose all over her body. Her face paled, her heart pounded, and her breathing quickened.

She remembered a conversation she had with Choi Juwon in the past.

-Instructor Choi Juwon, what do you hate the most?
-Hmm… What I hate?
-Yes! I’ll try my best to avoid doing anything you dislike.
-What I hate most is using money to toy with people. I’ve seen a lot of people abusing their wealth when I was younger. Ever since I was a high school student working part-time… Well, you probably don’t know that word. Anyway, whenever I see people suffering because of money, I can’t just ignore it. I’ve never told anyone this, but the reason I donate here and there isn’t entirely unrelated to my childhood trauma.
-Ah… Then I should be careful. What would you do if you met someone abusing their wealth like that, Instructor?
-Someone like that? I haven’t met many…

Choi Juwon had thought for a moment and then said,

-I’ll crush them. Make sure they can never say anything like that again. And I’ll cut off all ties with anyone related to them. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. I’ll never associate with someone like that.

“Ah…”

Baek Hyunseo let out a silly sound.

“Ah… Ah…”

As she muttered as if she were delirious, Won Yeojeong looked at her with concern, about to put her hand on her head and ask what was wrong, if she was alright…

-Slap

Baek Hyunseo slapped Won Yeojeong’s hand away.

“Wh… Why did you do that? I didn’t tell you to do that.”

“Hy… Hyunseo, why are you acting like this?”

“Why?!”

Baek Hyunseo started to have a fit, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Won Yeojeong as if she were her enemy.

-Reach

As Won Yeojeong tried to grab Baek Hyunseo’s hand…

She slapped her hand away again.

“Get your filthy hands off me.”

Baek Hyunseo burst into tears. She was filled with despair and rage at the thought that it was truly over between her and Choi Juwon.

-Drip