AOA 58

Just like before the regression, the visit to the family burial ground didn’t take long. Baek Jinseok had led the way up the mountain, but was the last to descend.

We waited for him in the cold wind by the parking lot, just like last time.

The only difference was that my fever kept rising and falling. I was definitely coming down with a cold, if not the flu.

Still, it was bearable. Once the visit ended, everyone would scatter without regrouping.

The visit to my biological father’s house wasn’t until the afternoon. I just needed to show my face at the right time and that would be the end of it. Since the regression, I’d suffered from frequent indigestion and had stocked the house with all kinds of emergency medication, antacids, cold medicine, fever reducers, expectorants, and more.

If I took the medicine and rested for a day or two, I’d be fine. That was the plan, until Baek Yeongseop approached me.

That, too, was exactly like before the regression.

“Hello,” I greeted first.

“You’re alone?”

His snide tone and sneering smile were just as I remembered. Baek Mugyeong was currently descending the mountain with Baek Jinseok.

Baek Jinseok liked a certain formality, always surrounding himself with his children like a backdrop. Baek Mugyeong accompanied him in place of his late father.

Knowing that, Baek Yeongseop still came over to pick a fight. That said a lot about his character.

“You look like a sickly chick. Did you overdo it last night? Huh?”

He stood in front of me, grinning lewdly as he spewed crude comments. Everyone else was scattered around chatting, and I was standing a little apart. I was upset because no one could hear the filth coming out of his mouth.

Still, unlike before the regression, he didn’t mock me with “Isn’t he the bastard child?” That was one clear difference.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

As I silently stared at him, Baek Yeongseop grinned creepily. I didn’t have the skill to shut people down with facts like Baek Mugyeong did. So I said nothing and just looked at him.

“You’re such a boring bastard. Why didn’t you react that time? You don’t respond to alpha pheromones? Are you sick or something?”

“I’m not really sure myself.”

“What about Mugyeong’s pheromones? If that’s the case, you can’t have sex, can you? Do you? Huh? I’m honestly curious.”

“As I’ve said before, I won’t answer that.”

His vulgar questioning pushed my patience to its limit. I was getting genuinely irritated, but I held it in. I could endure up to three provocations.

“You’re no fun. No reaction at all.”

While I kept my expression in check, he repeated the same line as before the regression. Baek Yeongseop was the kind of person who targeted those who reacted.

Before, I didn’t have the presence of mind to realize that. When I was out of it from the drug’s side effects, I didn’t even have the capacity to think.

But after the regression, once I experienced the same incidents repeating themselves, I realized Baek Yeongseop was doing this on purpose. He was trying to provoke me, harass me, ridicule me, and crush me.

It was exactly like what Im Songyoon used to do. She had spread the rumor that I was a bastard child and harassed me until the very end.

Baek Yeongseop was no different. Even if I didn’t respond, he kept approaching me like we were friendly. Maybe he wanted to mess with the dazed, drugged version of me, but looking back, it seemed more likely he was trying to get at Baek Mugyeong.

I swallowed the sigh threatening to escape. You don’t avoid shit because you’re scared of it, you avoid it because it’s filthy.

“Oh, you two are here together? What are you chatting about?”

Just then, a voice cut in. It was Baek Sujin’s pride and joy, her eldest son, Baek Unhyeon.

“We were just having a grown-up talk. Want to join us?”

“No, I’m good. But Aunt is calling for you. Grandfather’s coming down now.”

As Baek Unhyeon said that, I could see Baek Jinseok descending the stairs holding Baek Jaehan’s hand. Clearly, this wasn’t the time for Baek Yeongseop to be goofing around.

Grumbling, Baek Yeongseop eventually wandered off toward where Im Songyoon was.

“Let’s go,” Baek Unhyeon said with a tilt of his head. I nodded and followed. So far, everything was unfolding just like before the regression.

“I didn’t get a chance to say this earlier, but thank you for helping my mom. If it hadn’t been for you, she might’ve gotten hurt.”

“I just happened to see her shoe.”

“Lucky, huh? Right?”

“Yes.”

“If she says she wants to give you a gift, ask for something expensive. My mom doesn’t know how to do things small, you know? Got it?”

“Yes, understood.”

Baek Unhyeon gave me a playful grin as he offered his advice, and I smiled back, probably for the first time in a while.

Before the regression, I’d barely interacted with Baek Unhyeon. We’d never really talked, and all we ever exchanged were polite greetings at events.

But even from this short conversation, it was clear Baek Unhyeon had a level of social grace Baek Yeongseop could never match.

No wonder Baek Sujin was always proudly bragging about her eldest son.

As our chat ended, Baek Jinseok arrived at the parking lot. He offered a short word of blessing, then got into his car and left. Naturally, the gathering began to disperse.

I was also planning to head straight home. But at that moment, one of the security staff approached and delivered a message from Baek Jinseok: I was to stop by the mansion before going home.

This hadn’t happened before the regression, so I was bewildered.

“Do you know what this is about?”

I turned to Baek Mugyeong, who had been beside Baek Jinseok moments earlier. Maybe he had a clue.

“I don’t,” he said, shaking his head. He looked just as confused as I felt.

Something didn’t feel right.

The place Baek Mugyeong and I were summoned to was Baek Jinseok’s private study. It had more antiques than books, and Baek Jinseok sat at the head seat with an imposing air.

“We’re here.”

“You called for us?”

It was my first time inside Baek Jinseok’s private study. As I bowed my head, I silently clicked my tongue.

Just shy of eighty, Baek Jinseok exuded the presence of a top chaebol chairman. Unless he made an effort to look like a kind grandfather, his features were sharp and intimidating.

I didn’t know what this was about yet, but I was sure it wasn’t good.

“Sit down.”

Both Baek Mugyeong and I took our seats on the sofa he indicated. Since nothing like this had happened before the regression, I had no idea what the problem could be.

“I called you here because I want to confirm something.”

“Please go ahead,” Baek Mugyeong replied. I stayed quiet, assuming the question was for both of us.

“Child, let me ask you first. Be honest. Are you two sleeping in separate rooms?”

Caught off guard, I snapped my head up from my lowered gaze. His face was full of certainty.

It felt like he was asking just to confirm something he already knew. It would’ve been easy to find out, we had weekday and weekend housekeepers who used to work at Baek Jinseok’s mansion.

In a situation like this, it was best to admit the truth.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Well… we talked it over and agreed that having our own space would be better for us, so we decided to have separate rooms.”

I stopped myself from instinctively glancing at Baek Mugyeong. Saying it was all his idea would’ve been the truth, but framing it as a mutual decision was better.

I kept my voice steady as I explained, and Baek Jinseok clicked his tongue.

“Always siding with your husband, huh? Bet it was him who wanted separate rooms.”

There was anger in Baek Jinseok’s voice. Of course he’d be furious, he’d arranged this marriage to see an alpha great-grandchild, and now we were sleeping in separate rooms?

He was the kind of man who’d give a newlywed granddaughter-in-law a nine-figure wedding gift, but if things didn’t go his way, even family wasn’t exempt from consequences.

Please don’t ask for the money back.

I prayed silently as Baek Jinseok turned to Baek Mugyeong.

“What’s your problem?”

“You know what it is.”

“What?”

“I can’t sleep next to anyone, Grandfather. Not since that day.”

I didn’t know what day he was referring to, but the atmosphere grew tense. Baek Jinseok’s wrinkled face hardened.

I had lived with Baek Mugyeong for two years, but this was the first I’d heard of him being unable to sleep beside someone. I had no idea what “that day” was.

But judging by Baek Jinseok’s reaction, it must have been serious.

“You’re still like this, even at your age? Are you that weak?”

“Yes. But I still do what needs to be done. I just don’t sleep beside anyone.”

“You talk big.”

Baek Jinseok slammed the armrest of the sofa.

“It’s pathetic that I have to ask something like this to a grown grandson. Am I asking for too much? I’m this old already, I just want to enjoy my retirement, watching a sturdy great-grandson play around. But now that everyone’s grown up, no one listens to me.”

He sounded like a grandfather who genuinely longed for a great-grandson. But I wasn’t fooled by the sentimentality. The truth was far more twisted.

Baek Jinseok’s obsession with having a male alpha heir bordered on pathological.