Return of the War King Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Although there had been some unintended disturbances along the way, they safely arrived at his wife’s family home.

It was a merchant guild on the scale of a manor. The plaque above the main gate proudly bore the name Bomon Merchant Guild, written in bold, dragon-like strokes. Judging from the powerful brushwork, it seemed they had commissioned a rather famous calligrapher.

Though the place wasn’t far, Baek Yu-jin hadn’t been able to visit often, and now she was filled with emotion. Yet, at the same time, there was hesitation on her face, what if nothing had changed since then? Even Yu-jin, who was always dignified and never lost her composure, seemed nervous.

Clap!

Kang Mujin placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

“Darling.”

Rather than words, he reassured her with a smile, conveying the certainty that nothing bad would happen.

“That time… it was a woman, wasn’t it?”

“What?”

“Wasn’t it?”

“…It was.”

’Why are you only asking that now? ’

Even though he had blocked out the sound, a woman’s intuition was frightening. For her to sense it so accurately, Yu-jin truly was incredible. Then, as though nothing had happened, she calmly walked toward the main gate.

Standing guard at the gate was the Bomon Guild’s gatekeeper. He was not someone to be overlooked simply for being a gatekeeper. Identifying what kind of man he was mattered greatly, after all, the gatekeeper was the face of the household.

“You… don’t tell me?”

“It’s me, Uncle.”

Having served as a gatekeeper for decades, Kim Mun-pyung was shocked to see Baek Yu-jin, but joy and longing quickly overtook his surprise. It had already been ten years since the young Yu-jin, who once called him “Uncle” had left. Now, perhaps she ought to call him “old man.”

“Miss Yu-jin, how many years has it been?”

“Uncle, you look exactly the same.”

“Exactly the same? Look at these wrinkles of mine. But you, young lady—you haven’t changed at all since back then.”

“I’m a mother now, you know. Hohoho.”

Even after ten years, Yu-jin was still beautiful. That alone filled Mujin with pride. He felt the weight of responsibility press down on him as a husband, reminding himself that he had been doing his best for her sake, and that he must continue to do so.

It was as if Yu-jin had returned to her youth, her spirits high.

‘Did my wife always have this side to her?’ Mujin found it oddly refreshing.

“Children, greet him. This is the person I relied on ever since I was young.”

“Hello, my name is Kang Tae-jin.”

“I’m Kang Mi-joo.”

Looking at the daughter and son, Mun-pyung was reminded of Yu-jin’s own childhood, spirited and lively.

“My goodness, young master, young miss! I’m even more delighted to see you! Come in, quickly!”

‘Wait, what? He’s only taking my wife and kids in?’

‘What about me?’

Though they were ushered into the house, they weren’t led to the rooms they had once used. Instead, they were guided into a guest chamber located in the annex, where the Bomon Guild received visitors.

“I’m sorry… this is all because of me.”

Quite some time had passed since Mun-pyung had left them, and Yu-jin felt guilty for making them wait without any word. Truthfully, she had already sent a message a few days before their arrival.

“The person I am today—it’s all thanks to you. So never, ever apologize. No matter what happens, you’ll always be the treasure of my life.”

“Darling!”

“Come on, you can’t be so moved by something like this. You’re not crying, are you?”

“I am not.”

But she would tremble.

After all, she had defied her family’s wishes, enchanted by a scoundrel, and chosen to walk this path. What she needed now was certainty, that her decision had not, and never would be, a mistake.

‘Because you have me, you never need to shrink back.’

If protecting his wife’s dignity meant it, Mujin was prepared to throw himself even into the flames of hell. It was not only for her but also for Tae-jin and Kang Mi-joo. For his wife to be treated with contempt, his pride would never allow it. He owed his in-laws respect, yes, but it was Yu-jin who made the in-laws matter at all.

‘How about that? Dependable, right?’

—You sure are gilding it well.

‘I just told my wife she’s the best—my life’s greatest treasure!’

—That’s the first time I’ve heard such nonsense.

‘That’s because you’ve never married or had children, Demonic King.’

—…I could have children, you know.

‘If they even lived long enough to see their father’s face, that is.’

—…Kuh!

This time the retort must have hurt, because Cheon-gyeong fell silent. Why was the Demonic King so sensitive? Mujin wished he would just go back to being his usual self.

A human weapon… nothing but garbage.

Still, it wasn’t as if Mujin didn’t understand Cheon-gyeong’s feelings. The man had been raised like livestock, his desires indulged without restraint. It was possible that women sacrificed to the Demonic King had borne children.

But those children, without ever once seeing their father’s face, would either be raised as livestock if they showed talent, or killed if they did not. In truth, even if the Demonic King had offspring, he had no authority over them. Everything was decided by the handlers.

‘What’s wrong? Are you sulking? A grown man, sulking like that?’

—You stabbed my chest and rubbed salt into the wound, and you call this sulking?! You cruel bastard!

‘Cruelty belongs to the Demonic King, not me.’

—You’ve killed more people than I have!

‘Are we counting numbers here? Every last one I killed deserved it!’

The quarrel with the Demonic King ended there.

This guy’s mood swings were ridiculous—just one poke and he’d spiral. For someone who once held the title of Demonic King, it was downright embarrassing. A Demonic King should be solemn, bloodthirsty, reveling in slaughter. To be picky about temperament when it came to killing people? That in itself was wrong. His behavior was completely at odds with the first impression one expected from a Demonic King.

“Daddy, can’t I go look around?”

“You haven’t even greeted your grandfather and grandmother yet. Wait, give them your respects, then you can look around with me.”

“When are they coming? We’ve been waiting forever. What if they don’t even want to see me?”

“There’s no one in this world who wouldn’t want to see Kang Mi-joo. Trust your father.”

“…That’s true.”

‘Oh?’

He had expected her to say no. Sometimes, even though Kang Mi-joo was still a child, she gave off the feeling of being more grown-up than her age. Perhaps kids these days matured differently, mentally sharper than in the past. Times changed, and parents needed to adapt to that change. That was the essence of teaching at a child’s eye level.

‘She mustn’t wander around alone.’

If she did and got into trouble, a children’s quarrel could easily escalate into an adult’s fight, an irreversible mess. Whether child or adult, when faced with strangers, people often reacted with suspicion or hostility.

Of course, maybe he was exaggerating. But still—what did it mean that they had been left waiting in this guest room for so long? Best not to give anyone an excuse to pick a fight in the first place.

‘I won’t stand by and watch my daughter get hurt.’

And the son?

Forget it.

Beyond everything else, he worried about the shock the children might feel if their mother’s family treated them poorly here. That was something he absolutely could not allow.

‘They’re finally here.’

He sensed movement.

And soon—

The door opened.

Nervous, Baek Yu-jin rose to her feet to greet her parents. It was a long-awaited reunion, and her nerves were more on edge than usual.

“Have you been well?”

“It’s been a long time.”

Her father, Baek Woong-Cheol, carried himself with the dignity and upright nature unbecoming of a mere merchant, while her mother, Jang Hwa-ran, though frailer in appearance, bore a face that mirrored Yu-jin’s exactly.

There was a chill in their tone.

Ahem.

After all, Yu-jin was the daughter who had spurned their expectations and married of her own accord. That resentment clearly lingered, keeping her father from stepping forward.

“What brings you here?”

“What do you mean, what brings me here? You were the one who called for her! And it’s not like Yu-jin has come somewhere she doesn’t belong! Are you going to keep acting like this?”

Unable to restrain her longing any longer, Jang Hwa-ran rushed forward and embraced Yu-jin, whom she hadn’t seen in ten years. Then, noticing the children hesitating nearby, she quickly beckoned them.

“Oh, my goodness! Look at me, forgetting myself. You must be Tae-jin, and you must be Kang Mi-joo. I’m your grandmother. Come here, darlings!”

“I’m Kang Tae-jin, Grandmother!”

“I’m Kang Mi-joo!”

Finally, Tae-jin and Kang Mi-joo let go of their stiff expressions and took their grandmother’s outstretched hands. Yu-jin, however, kept glancing nervously at her father, who remained unmoved. For once, she found herself hesitating. She knew there were no words that could easily soften his anger.

That was when Kang Mujin stepped forward.

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law! Forgive us for being late. From now on, we’ll visit often to pay our respects.”

“There’s no need.”

“Now, now, please don’t stay angry. It’s all my fault. But what could I do? You gave birth to such a beautiful, intelligent, wise, and charming daughter. That’s entirely your fault! I simply couldn’t restrain myself. Tell me, who in this world could reject Yu-jin? Anyone who could must have broken eyes and shouldn’t even bother keeping them! The so-called Ten Great Beauties of the continent—if Yu-jin had ever stepped forward, she would have been first among them. Truly, she’s the unrivaled beauty of the entire land!”

For a moment, Baek Woong-Cheol and Jang Hwa-ran were left speechless at Mujin’s shameless flattery. Never had they expected such brazen, honey-coated words. To speak with such unabashed gall, though not entirely wrong, was the very definition of a doting fool.

‘Good heavens!’

Ung-cheol, despite having once declared he’d cut ties with his daughter, had still kept tabs on her. Their sect and the guild maintained business dealings, after all. Rumor had it the once-disgraceful troublemaker had changed. But Ung-cheol had never imagined he’d changed like this.

Still—

What parent wouldn’t feel pleased hearing their daughter praised so lavishly? Despite himself, Ung-cheol’s cheek twitched.

But with his strict nature, he forced his expression back under control.

‘Flatter me all you want, you won’t wring a single coin out of me.’

Ung-cheol convinced himself that Mujin’s words hid ulterior motives. After all, how could a man change overnight? People did not change easily. When desperate, they simply concealed their true intentions.

And in Ung-cheol’s experience as a merchant, those who pretended to be kind were far more frightening than those who openly looked unsavory.

‘That’s not true.’

Mujin, however, knew exactly what was going through his father-in-law’s mind. He too understood, people changed when they were desperate. Merchants met countless people, developing eyes keener than any fortune-teller’s.

And Mujin was no different.

As one who had once been hailed as the King of the Battlefield, he had always read opponents by their faces and their presence. His eye for people was second to none.

“Since we came, I don’t have much to offer, but I did bring some wild ginseng.”

“There’s plenty of ginseng in the storage.”

“It may not look like much, but it’s good for the body. Please accept it. If nothing else, you could even use it as a side dish.”

“…Very well. I’ll use it as a side dish then.”

---The End Of The Chapter---

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