AOA 57

The official cause of death was listed as an accident, but there had been rumors it was actually suicide.

It was an unspoken rule in the family never to bring up the eldest grandson’s failed marriage, yet Baek Mugyeong had just broken it.

Naturally, Im Songyoon’s face flushed red with indignation.

“What… what did you just say?”

“And it was Uncle who chose both my and my cousin’s spouses. Grandfather approved them. If you speak carelessly about their families, you’ll be making things difficult for more than one person.”

Baek Mugyeong didn’t raise his voice. But because the drawing room had gone so quiet, his words rang out clearly.

I stared wide-eyed, unable to say a word.

It was only after my regression that I realized Baek Mugyeong had a talent for provoking others with his mouth. When he coldly stated facts, it was infuriating; when he cornered someone with absurd accusations, I wanted to punch him.

But now, I was just stunned. He had basically said, “Didn’t you also marry a woman whose family started in loan-sharking? If you run your mouth any further, you’re not just insulting your nephew’s wife, you’re insulting your husband’s judgment.”

And as he pointed out, questioning Baek Jinseok’s decisions was absolutely taboo.

As expected, Im Songyoon floundered.

“You probably don’t know this, but your wife’s grandfather was a well-known figure, called the Loan Shark King. That’s why I was surprised, that’s all. Just surprised.”

Even while trying to explain herself, she couldn’t resist twisting the knife with that term Loan Shark King again. She seemed to think she had regained the upper hand. But it didn’t work on Baek Mugyeong.

“I know. If I know, then surely Uncle and Grandfather know as well.”

“W-well… I suppose.”

“Yes. Ah, Grandfather’s coming.”

In the end, Im Songyoon was still stammering when Baek Jinseok appeared at the top of the stairs. The conversation stopped, and the drawing room became bustling again.

“Grandfather will lead the way.”

Standing beside me, Baek Mugyeong quietly explained what would happen next. I stayed in place, waiting, glancing sideways at him.

To be honest, I wasn’t that surprised things had turned out differently from before the regression.

But I hadn’t expected Baek Mugyeong to stand up for me.

His ability to shut people up with cold, factual statements really was amazing.

I guess that kind of thing counts as talent, too?

As I stared at him, astonished, impressed, and maybe even a little envious, Baek Mugyeong seemed to notice and turned to look at me.

When his eyes silently asked, Do you have something to say? I shook my head.

I wanted to say that was amazing, but worried it might come off as flattery.

“Let’s go.”

One by one, the family began filing out of the mansion behind Baek Jinseok. I moved with Baek Mugyeong, mentally preparing myself.

According to my memory, something was about to happen at the family burial ground.

The Baek family’s ancestral burial site was massive. The path leading up the hill was neatly maintained, and the rounded graves were carefully tended. There was even a jegak (ancestral shrine) at the entrance, which was restricted from public access.

Even just performing a brief memorial at the jegak and visiting the individual graves in the dead of winter was no small task.

I took another dose of fever reducer and kept pace beside Baek Mugyeong.

Today, Baek Sujin would fall on the stairs during the visit.

She’d fracture her left arm and scrape her knees and face.

Just because I had regressed didn’t mean I could prevent every accident. Honestly, I hadn’t been following the news much since summer and barely remembered what happened anymore. But if an incident was about to happen right in front of me, I could stop it.

Nervous, I walked the mountain path right behind Baek Sujin with Baek Mugyeong, ready to catch her before she tumbled.

But just before we reached the stairs, I noticed something strange.

“Aunt.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I think there’s something wrong with the heel of your right shoe.”

Once I focused on Baek Sujin, her shoe caught my eye. The heel of her dark blue-black shoes, adorned with metal embellishments, was wobbling slightly.

She stopped and looked down at her foot.

“Oh, you’re right. Huh. It’s fine. I just need it to hold up until we finish the memorial.”

Baek Sujin, ever the tough woman, brushed it off. She grabbed her eldest son Baek Unhyeon’s arm and continued walking.

“Mom, there’s another pair of shoes in the car.”

“It’s fine. Just for a little while.”

She ignored his concern and climbed the stairs. But after four or five steps, she staggered badly. Thankfully, she was holding on to Baek Unhyeon’s arm, so she didn’t fall.

My heart pounded as I stared down at her foot. The heel had now completely come off.

Unable to move any further, Baek Sujin asked Baek Unhyeon to fetch the spare shoes from the car. Grumbling, he went.

Her daughter and other son, who had been walking behind, came over to see what was going on. We all waited together for Baek Unhyeon to return.

“Whew. If it weren’t for our nephew-in-law, today could’ve been a disaster.”

Baek Sujin let out a hearty laugh. I responded simply, saying I was just glad she was okay.

Before my regression, I hadn’t known why Baek Sujin had fallen on the stairs. I’d only seen her face covered in blood as she was carried away on Baek Unhyeon’s back.

It was lucky I’d noticed it was the heel. The steps were well maintained, but still fairly steep.

If I’d tried to catch her as she fell, I might have gotten dragged down too.

While waiting for Baek Unhyeon to return, Baek Sujin bickered lightheartedly with her children.

Her eldest daughter, Baek Yeojeong, scolded her for wearing high heels on a mountain, and Baek Sujin proudly replied that they were just too pretty not to wear.

Her youngest son, Baek Yujeong, offered a compromise, next time, wear lower heels that are still pretty.

Their banter was no different from that of any ordinary family. I hadn’t realized it before the regression, but it seemed Baek Sujin got along pretty well with her kids.

Seeing their warm dynamic reminded me of my younger sibling. I missed my parents, too. No matter how much time passed, that longing never faded.

I made a mental note to contact my sibling once I got home.

When Baek Unhyeon finally came back with the new shoes, Baek Sujin quickly changed and climbed the stairs briskly to rejoin the others.

I followed with Baek Mugyeong, but Baek Sujin paused and came up beside me.

“Minchae.”

“Yes, Aunt?”

“Next week, let’s have lunch together, just the two of us. My treat. How about it? Oh? Why are you looking at Mugyeong? Mugyeong, are you managing your wife’s schedule or something?”

When I didn’t immediately answer, she turned to Baek Mugyeong and asked bluntly. She really was a force of nature.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll have lunch together. Actually, inviting just my nephew-in-law might be weird. You come too. It’s your first time, you should go as a couple. Deal?”

“Understood.”

“What about you, Minchae?”

With Baek Sujin inviting me and Baek Mugyeong agreeing, I couldn’t say no.

Before the regression, I had a distant relationship with her. She hadn’t been particularly kind, but she hadn’t been hostile either. In fact, she had stepped in once to stop Im Songyoon from going too far.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“Great. I’ll finally get to test your drinking limits. You’d better be ready.”

Laughing heartily, Baek Sujin quickly went up the stairs to catch up with her children.

I smiled at the sight of her cheerful back.

Before the regression, we hadn’t interacted much. We exchanged greetings at family events, and she once asked me to help boost department store sales, but that was it.

Still, seeing her walk safely up the stairs instead of tumbling down made me genuinely happy.

If I could prevent disasters like this one and rack up some good karma along the way, that was fine by me.

As I smiled in satisfaction, I felt someone’s gaze on my cheek.

I turned my head and met Baek Mugyeong’s eyes.

When I silently asked What is it?, he opened his mouth.

“Do you drink well?”

“No. Why?”

“Aunt really meant it when she said she’d test your limit. Don’t just take whatever she pours. Know when to stop. She’s not the type to get offended by that.”

“Okay.”

I answered promptly, taking his advice seriously.

I didn’t like alcohol and couldn’t hold my liquor either. Early in my career, I’d once accepted every drink offered, only to suffer a horrible hangover the next day. Ever since, I drank as little as possible, just enough to match the mood.

As I nodded, Baek Mugyeong stepped closer, just about a hand’s breadth away.

I looked up, curious, and he spoke quietly.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No? I’m fine.”

The question came out of nowhere, and I was confused.

My fever had been fluctuating, and I did have the sense I was coming down with something, but for now, maybe because of the meds, I felt okay.

“Your face is pale.”

“Probably from the cold?”

It wasn’t a steep mountain, but it was still a mountain, and it was winter. Even with a coat and padded jacket, the wind was freezing. No wonder my face was pale.

Baek Mugyeong gave me a strange look, then nodded and turned away.

I made up my mind: if I ended up bedridden with the flu, I’d just blame it on being out in the cold during the memorial.