## Chapter 230 – Retribution (2)
“…Ah…”
My current vision connects with the last memory of falling asleep in the back seat of Min-jung’s car.
I’m lying on a bed wearing only underwear, having taken off the blood-stained shirt and pants.
It wasn’t a hospital, my own place, or Seo-hee’s house, but a bedroom in a newly acquired luxury apartment.
As soon as I mentally understood that this place was safe, a sigh of relief escaped me.
I stretched out my arms and legs, which had unknowingly tensed up, back onto the bed and laid my head on the pillow.
“…How long has it been?”
I tossed and turned, looking at the IV needle stuck in my hand and the healed wounds all over my body.
The dark red bruises, the broken bones, and the burns were all healed.
My memories were vaguely cut off, but the condition of my body told me that quite some time had passed.
I traced the scars all over my body and turned my head to look at the table beside the bed.
I picked up the remote control on it and pressed the power button to turn on the TV in front of the bed.
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I needed to figure out the situation first.
According to the detectives I met at the hospital, the incident had spread quite widely…
I pressed the buttons on the remote to change channels and finally found a channel broadcasting the news.
On the screen, the announcer was reporting on the ‘Seonghwa University Murder Case,’ and
I could see from the small clock in the corner of the screen that another day had passed since I fell asleep in the car.
“Is this for real…”
I felt all the strength drain from my body and dropped the remote onto the blanket.
I shook my messy hair and let out a hollow laugh when the bedroom door burst open. And…
“M-Master!”
As soon as the door opened, Theresa, dressed in a maid outfit, jumped in surprise and ran to the side of the bed.
“M-Master! Are you alright? Does anything still hurt, or are you dizzy…!”
“…I don’t know yet, but I feel much better than yesterday. Don’t worry.”
Theresa couldn’t even bring herself to touch my injured body and was flustered and unable to stand still.
To reassure her, who kept pouring out her worries, I showed her the healed wounds and
gave her a weak smile, and she finally seemed relieved and stroked her chest.
“By the way, where are the others? Where are Chaeyoon, Seo-hee… Min-jung, Sua, and Yuri?”
Theresa screamed that I was awake loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear,
but when I asked why no one was following her into the room…
“Two of your partners were investigated by the police but are still under surveillance.
So, we decided it would be difficult for them to come here and they are hiding in their respective homes.
The three who brought you here are circling around here, guarding the area.”
“…Okay, tell them I said thank you.”
As I thought. An attack from enemies who, for whatever reason, didn’t bother hiding their identities.
Because of that, things that had always been quietly glossed over so that the world wouldn’t notice were exposed.
Everyone was on edge due to the sudden attack, and Chaeyoon and Seo-hee were even under surveillance.
…I should have quietly killed Keen before things got this bad,
but my complacent judgment made things more troublesome than I thought.
“…..”
I regretted not avoiding the situation back then and roughly scratched my head.
Keen, even though that man had comrades hiding behind him, I could have managed somehow…
If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have fought him before he touched the students.
I held the blanket tightly with one hand, suppressing the rising frustration, when
Theresa, who had been biting her lip and bowing her head, raised her head and spoke.
“Um, Master… there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
“…What is it?”
“First of all… a woman named Min-jung brought Lapus, Iria, and a little girl named Nabi.
She said it would be troublesome to keep the three of them at the home of Seo-hee, who is under surveillance.
The three of them are in the living room now… but first, Lapus and I have something to tell you.”
Theresa, who usually had sharp, imposing eyes, lowered her eyes and spoke in a small voice.
As she finished speaking, I ran, who was wearing a shirt, appeared from beyond the open door.
I ran unsteadily walked through the door and stood next to Theresa by the bed.
I ran stared at my face for a moment with a slightly stiff expression and suddenly bowed her head.
“…I’m really sorry, I didn’t judge properly. I should have considered the possibility of Keen coming here…”
“I’m also sorry, Master. I never thought that man would come to this country.
If we had thought more and taken more decisive action, you wouldn’t have been hurt so badly…”
“No, a long time ago, I lost Heer once and vowed never to be swayed by emotions again, but
I fell into personal feelings again and couldn’t think straight. It’s my fault. This…”
I ran kept apologizing with her head bowed, and Theresa followed her and apologized in the same way.
They seemed to be concerned about what they had told me before meeting Keen two days ago.
‘There’s no way a conceited man like Keen would come here.’, ‘He’s not interested in Iria’s Hon.’
Those were the words they said to me when I was worried about Iria going to school alone.
But their words were wrong, and I met Keen at school, which I had visited with Iria for the first time in a while.
And I fought him, and I almost died for real. Everyone who was there.
The fact that their words almost led to the death of me and Iria.
That became a heavy shackle that pulled down on the necks of the two.
“…..”
Honestly, I don’t want to blame anyone. This isn’t Theresa’s fault, or I ran’s fault.
It was me who was complacent and relaxed after listening to their words. Keen was aiming for me, not Iria.
I didn’t think that I was hurt or almost died because of them at all.
So, I want to say ‘It’s nothing.’, ‘It’s okay, stop it.’, but
I couldn’t open my mouth. For some reason, even if I said that, the two of them, especially I ran…
I don’t think she’ll ever be able to wash away this guilt, so I can’t open my mouth.
“…Sorry, is this bothering you…? I’ll leave now so you can rest more… huh?”
“…..”
So, I decided to do it with actions rather than words. I’m not a talkative person anyway.
I wordlessly placed my hand on I ran’s head, who was trying to leave with a forced smile.
A moment of silence, I ran raised her head and looked at me with a surprised expression.
I wondered what I should say to make the conversation flow naturally, but I thought it would be better to do it as usual.
“…I ran, that’s okay. Is the USB password decryption done yet?”
“…Huh? Oh, not yet… but there’s not much left…”
“How long will it take?”
“…It’ll be done in about a day…”
I replace the words ‘It’s okay’ with a light smile and a light voice, just like when I usually talk to them.
I ran, whose face had been contorted with guilt until just now, had a blank expression and stuttered as if she was flustered.
As I gently stroked I ran’s soft hair and asked about the work I had asked her to do,
I ran, who was hesitating to tell me the progress, still didn’t seem to know why I was doing this.
This time, I smiled gently so that she could easily understand and hugged I ran as she was.
“…Thank you, but don’t overdo it since I’m not alone anymore.”
“…Oh… yeah… sorry, I’m sorry… I was afraid I’d lose someone I like again because of my mistake…”
I was a little surprised, but I ran’s voice, which had been calmly apologizing again, gradually trembled, and
soon I heard sobbing in my arms. I took my eyes off her and patted her back.
“This will never happen again, and if it looks like it will, I ran, tell me.”
“…Okay.”
I stroked I ran’s head, who was giving a short answer while crying, and naturally got up.
I left I ran, who was still bowing her head and crying, and only left a short word to Theresa, ‘Please.’
“…I’ll be in the living room, so come out when you calm down. We all have something to say.”
I decided to leave I ran and Theresa, who were crying, and go to the living room for a while.
There’s a TV outside, so I can watch the news with that, and I ran needs time too.
……………..
……………..
“…Ha, the Lapus I knew didn’t have so many tears.”
“….Can you not pick a fight right now… I was always a woman with a lot of emotions.”
“…But you said earlier when you were talking to Master, ‘I was afraid I’d lose someone I like again.’
It’s natural to like a perfect man like Master, but who was it before that? Heer?”
“….”
“I guess so.”
“Yes, that’s right. So, I can never forgive you for not only killing Heer and Iria,
but also hurting the one I love.
Keen, Piadels, Nigeum, and Theresa, you too.”
“It’s no use telling me that now. I’m not ‘the Theresa you knew.’
But I sympathize with how you feel right now. Those who dared to hurt Master… I can’t forgive them either.
So, I’ll help you with what you’re doing now, so send me the file too.”
“…You’re helping now, but you won’t be able to do anything anyway, will you?”
“Tsk, I was stuck in that lab for 20 years, can’t I do that much?
And Master clearly told you not to overdo it earlier, but you were going to stay up all night again, weren’t you?
What if Master’s child is hurt because of that? Taking care of you is also serving Master…”
“…Okay, I shouldn’t have said anything… Come up to the second floor study around dinner later.
I’m going to work hard so that I can finish decrypting everything by tomorrow morning.”
