Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1118

Chapter 1118

“You’re staying?”

“Yes.”

Father echoed my words. I nodded again.

“Yes. I’m staying.”

“……What are you trying to say?”

“I mean exactly what I said.”

“I’m asking whether you believe going back is the correct path, or staying is.”

I rubbed my cheek and answered.

“I already told you—returning is the logical decision.”

“And yet?”

“It is. But I still won’t go back.”

“……”

The more I spoke, the deeper the frown on Father’s face became. He looked as if he couldn’t tell whether I was arguing to leave or not.

How much clearer did I need to be?

“Let’s just end it here.”

“So even if the rest of us go back, Baek Dae-won, you still plan to remain?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to.”

Father’s eyebrow gave a slight twitch.

“If we return, that’s an order. You don’t stay just because you feel like it.”

“Yeah, I know. But, you see…”

I shrugged.

“It wouldn’t be my first time ignoring an order.”

“……”

I stated it plainly.

At that, Father’s eyes took on a dangerous glint. I flinched.

That was the look he gave me whenever I had truly messed up.

“Wait… No, I don’t mean it as open rebellion. I just—this is what I believe.”

I found myself quickly trying to soften what I’d said.

Only then did Father’s harsh stare ease slightly.

“So, in the end, you think staying is the right decision?”

“……That’s my view, yes.”

“And you, Do Yun?”

This time, Father turned to Do Yun. The question made him freeze.

“Ah… I, um…”

He hesitated, then looked over at me.

What’s that look for?

“I think staying would be the right thing to do.”

“……”

He said it like he was waiting for my reaction first.

What the hell?

Why was he looking at me like that? Did he need my permission?

Absurd.

“……”

Father fell into deep thought. After a short silence, he finally turned to Mi Horan.

“We’re staying.”

“Young Master Gu…!”

Mi Horan’s eyes went wide at Father’s declaration.

“You’re staying…? But why…?”

“If you need a reason, it’s straightforward.”

Father met Mi Horan’s gaze with a calm, steady intensity.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“But—”

“Horan. You should go back.”

“…What?”

At Gu Cheolwoon’s words, Mi Horan went still.

“Go back…?”

“Yes.”

“What are you saying?”

“You should return.”

“Hah…!”

Mi Horan’s mouth opened as if to protest.

But—

“Keeping you safe would only be a burden.”

“…!”

At Father’s blunt words, she stiffened as if struck.

‘Damn.’

I hadn’t expected him to be that direct.

The entire room seemed to freeze solid under the weight of that statement.

The atmosphere grew colder than ever.

“……”

For a long moment, Mi Horan was silent.

Then—

“…Fine.”

Her face turned icy. She spun around.

Clack! Boom!

She wrenched the door open and slammed it shut behind her, her footsteps echoing angrily down the hall.

“……”

I glanced between Father and Do Yun, watching their reactions.

Anyone could tell Mi Horan was enraged.

At the same time, I was curious how Father would respond.

“The first matter is decided. Let’s move on.”

“……”

He didn’t seem to care at all.

How could he be so detached?

Everyone else was clearly tense, but Father…

“The second issue. If we are staying, we need to discuss what comes next.”

Without a trace of hesitation, Father continued.

And just like that, Mi Horan was dismissed.

*****

By the time our discussions concluded, the sun had set, painting the sky in twilight hues.

“Then, as agreed, we begin moving at midnight.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

We went over the plan one final time before ending the meeting.

Finally, everyone filed out of the room.

Father would probably remain in his quarters.

That left just Do Yun, Soi, and me walking out together.

“Heading back to your room?”

I asked Do Yun. He paused before answering.

“Ah… Yeah, I suppose?”

His response was oddly unsure, but I just nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be back later.”

“Where are you going?”

“Ah, just something I need to check on.”

“……”

“……”

Our eyes met.

We both understood.

We were making the exact same face.

The same thought.

‘He’s not being entirely honest.’

We had seen right through each other.

Nod.

We nodded at the same time.

“Take care.”

“Yeah. You get some rest.”

We had a silent understanding to let each other be.

Do Yun disappeared into his room.

Once I was sure he was gone, I turned to leave when—

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

Soi called out to me.

I turned to see what she wanted.

She was watching me with a strange expression.

“Tell me something.”

“Yes?”

“What you said earlier. Why did you say that?”

“…What are you talking about?”

I wasn’t sure what she meant.

“Back then. When you said you weren’t leaving.”

“Oh. That?”

Now I understood.

She was referring to when I declared I would stay, even if everyone else returned to Hanam.

“I meant what I said.”

“You truly meant it? That even if everyone else left, you’d stay here alone?”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

“What do you mean, why? I just wanted to.”

“That’s the only reason?”

“Yes. Well, if I had to give another reason…”

I scratched my head. Honestly, this wasn’t something I wanted to voice.

“It just doesn’t feel right to me.”

Leaving behind something that happened because of me.

That was the only reason.

There’s no emotion more vile than guilt—I knew that better than anyone. And I didn’t want to carry even a shred of it.

“……”

At my words, Soi’s expression grew even more peculiar. Her already narrow eyes squinted further.

“…Unexpected. I never took you for that type.”

“I get that a lot.”

“What are you, really? You’re a strange one.”

“I get that a lot, too. Are we finished here, senior?”

“……”

Soi didn’t answer. I took that as my cue.

“Then take care. I’m going now.”

I offered a slight bow and turned to leave. Soi said nothing more.

Seeing that, I quickened my pace.

I had something to look into.

**********

I wandered around the grounds.

This wasn’t a casual stroll—I’d been searching for a while.

‘Where did she go?’

If I used Qi Perception, I could find her immediately, but that wasn’t a choice. So I had to do this the difficult way—on foot.

Where had she vanished to?

The person I was looking for was none other than—

‘Where did Lady Mi go?’

Mi Horan. I was searching for her.

After how things ended with Father, I had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

Especially the expression on her face before she left—it stuck in my mind.

Not that finding her would change anything.

But still, my feet kept moving.

Pointless interference. It wasn’t like me at all, yet here I was.

‘Is it because I came to this world?’

If I had to list the people I was most uneasy around, Mi Horan would easily be in the top three.

And yet, I was looking for her.

Even I found it puzzling.

The problem was—

“Tch…”

I had no idea where she had gone.

‘Did she actually leave?’

Maybe she had already departed for Hanam.

Honestly, if that were true, it would be a relief.

‘At least she’d be safe.’

If Mi Horan had left, she wouldn’t be in danger. That would be a good outcome.

But… I didn’t think she had.

Given her personality, it was possible.

But—

‘That would be Lady Mi, not the Mi Horan of now.’

The Mi Horan before me was far younger than the Lady Mi I remembered.

Rational and sharp, but clearly still immature.

Thinking that, I doubted she would have just left because she was told to.

‘So where did she go?’

She was probably still somewhere within the Namgung Manor.

‘Hmm…’

I scratched the back of my head in irritation.

‘Should I just call it off?’

I wavered. Like I’d thought earlier, finding her wouldn’t really accomplish anything.

So maybe I should just let it go.

But—

“……”

I clicked my tongue and let a tiny amount of Qi seep out.

I shouldn’t have done this. Not with Heavenly Lord nearby.

‘That old man.’

He must have already factored me in.

After our meeting, he’d undoubtedly marked me. No matter how secluded he was on his mountain, he would be watching.

I had wanted to avoid attracting notice.

But—

‘That expression…’

I couldn’t forget it.

The last look on Mi Horan’s face.

It reminded me too much of how she had looked at me when I was a Demon in my past life.

Fwoosh—

My energy spread out, carefully controlled to avoid detection.

It dissipated throughout the Namgung Manor.

Tack.

‘Found her.’

It didn’t take long to locate Mi Horan.

But—

‘…What the hell?’

Something was wrong.

‘Why is she…?’

Her presence was coming from a place she absolutely should not have been.

“……”

Suspicious, I moved.

I leapt forward, closing the distance in an instant.

It wasn’t a completely unknown spot—I’d been here before.

A somewhat dilapidated residence. A neglected part of the Namgung Manor, surprisingly shabby for a family of such standing.

I passed through the overgrown path and approached a door.

Creak.

Without pausing, I pushed it open.

And in that moment—

“Huh?”

“…?”

“Oh my.”

Everyone inside turned to look at me, clearly startled.

Mi Horan, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Namgung Hyung, frozen with chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

And Hyun Soyeon, in the middle of setting down dishes.

Right.

This was Namgung Hyung’s residence.

For some reason, Lady Mi was in Namgung Hyung’s quarters.

And—

She had a mouthful of food that Hyun Soyeon had just given her.