Chapter 250

With the power of the mysterious talisman, peace had returned to the mansion after vanquishing William.

Life had resumed its ordinary rhythm.

Thus, those who had regained their day-to-day existence spent their time happily.

During her practice of witchcraft, Ella transformed a fir tree used for Christmas into a walking tree; Anastasia, seeing this, decided to animate something resembling a tree she had brought from a dream, pairing it with the fir tree; and Iarin tried to string a hammock between the walking trees to take a nap, only to get scolded.

In the new year, Lee Yang-hoon insisted on hiking to watch the sunrise, leading to Odilia chastising him for his old-fashioned ways, while Iarin forcibly dragged Iserin to the gym, claiming it was time to exercise for the new year, narrowly avoiding retaliation.

And while everyone was joyfully chatting and laughing, Park Jinseong remained quietly holed up in his room, as if deep in slumber.

Sometimes, he would even order strange specimens or creatures.

*

As time flowed on, the moment finally arrived.

“Is the preparation for the coming-of-age ceremony going well?”

“I’ve memorized all the material.”

With the spring breeze, the day of the coming-of-age ceremony was approaching.

“Tsk, this coming-of-age event gets shifted around every year…”

The coming-of-age ceremony certainly held a peculiar position.

Though it was a legal holiday celebrating children becoming adults, the treatment was less than favorable.

It was endlessly pushed back and forth based on the whims and opinions of the power holders, dates were changed because of overlaps with other events… Even parents protested, causing changes because it clashed with graduation or university entrance seasons.

Thanks to this, the coming-of-age ceremony had been on April 20, then May 6, shifted to the third Monday of May, then the fourth Monday of February, and even changed based on the lunar calendar.

It was pure chaos.

If you didn’t look at the calendar, you could hardly guess when the coming-of-age day was; it had turned into nothing more than an elaborate display, showing that “we’ve created this as a legal holiday.”

However, despite its nominal status, it was not without meaning.

This coming-of-age event did indeed involve those just becoming adults, and participating in it meant they would be treated as adults.

For kids on the verge of adulthood, this event was the social acknowledgment of their arrival, a pivotal moment to step into society with their parents’ blessing.

And what did this mean for the adults?

It was the moment their children, whom they had raised through hardships, became adults.

That significance was far from light.

And there was another meaning for the adults.

It was the perfect excuse to create gatherings.

Journalists were creatures with eyes lit up for stories.

Naturally, whenever famous people met, they would spin tales around it.

They’d capture scenes of conglomerate chairmen drinking together while reminiscing about the past, then layer on stories of splitting or disposing of subsidiaries, causing stock prices to rise and fall repeatedly. Moreover, politicians, catching a whiff of it, would wade in with discussions about “reckless expansions of conglomerates threatening small businesses,” making trouble for everyone.

And politicians?

Surely, rumors would fly about shifting party affiliations, alliances forming behind closed doors, secret backroom deals at bars; some would even take sneaky photos, claiming bribery, or get tangled in scandals involving illicit affairs and love children.

And celebrities?

They were no exception. Rumors about who was close with whom and who was at odds would swirl around, creating a cacophony of stories churned up from a journalist’s mind.

Because of this, famous people had to be cautious about gathering.

Due to public scrutiny.

Because of reporters that followed them everywhere.

Due to those who inflated meaningless meetings with significance.

This made the need for excuses all the more apparent.

Anything would do, even if it was just a flimsy pretext.

As long as they could say, “I met for this reason and nothing else.”

Whether it was a golf outing, a group hike, a gathering for charity, or just to watch a baseball game.

…

…

…

So many reasons.

Excuses that brought a sense of intimacy to those who seemed to float high above the world.

If they had that, they could minimize risks and still meet.

And the coming-of-age ceremony was no different.

It was merely another excuse.

Some would meet to share secret proposals or contracts while avoiding the reporters.

Some might reminisce over old tales with close friends.

Others might eavesdrop as they roamed about collecting information.

And some would ultimately make valuable connections.

“By the way. I’ve provided the material, but the people in it might bring along acquaintances. So be careful; there might be those not included in the material.”

“I understand.”

As the coming-of-age ceremony loomed closer, Lee Yang-hoon earnestly approached Jinseong with his concerns.

His demeanor had an odd blend of chilly formality and a subtle sense of affection, as if he wanted to express something to Jinseong, his eyes flickering with unuttered thoughts.

Seeing this, Jinseong chuckled lightly and remarked.

“Ah, the coming-of-age ceremony. After this event, I will be leaving this mansion.”

“…I suppose so.”

Lee Yang-hoon nodded in agreement with Jinseong’s words.

His obligation to Jinseong would finish when Jinseong reached adulthood.

And that milestone was none other than the coming-of-age ceremony.

The very day meant to bless their transition to adulthood, marking their successful completion of the rites and earning the societal symbol of adulthood.

“Do you remember the day you first arrived here?”

“I don’t really remember well.”

Lee Yang-hoon queried Jinseong, as if he had resolved to ask something significant.

Honesty and resolve seeped through his voice.

If not now, when would he have the chance for a heart-to-heart with Jinseong?

He thought this might be his last opportunity to engage him in a genuine conversation.

But Jinseong could only answer he didn’t really recall.

In truth, he didn’t remember well.

For Lee Yang-hoon, it might not have been long, but for Jinseong, it was another lifetime before his return.

Jinseong had another existence before the rewind.

“Do you remember your parents?”

“I don’t remember well.”

Jinseong shook his head at Lee Yang-hoon, who looked at him with a sorry expression.

It wasn’t out of sympathy to lessen Lee Yang-hoon’s burden; he honestly did not remember his parents’ faces.

If he couldn’t remember his own childhood clearly, how could he recall his parents’ faces?

Moreover, what few vague memories did come to mind painted them as far from perfect.

They were not bad people.

But they were not good parents either.

They were people who were obsessed with their work, boasting about their patriotic sacrifices while burning themselves out. Naturally, being away from home was commonplace, and constant relocations didn’t allow Jinseong to form friendships, nor did they enable him to study properly.

Of course, making friends and developing social skills had been impossible for him.

And while he felt familial bonds, they existed in a very simplistic form.

It merely felt like they fed and clothed him.

Given some thought, the ‘family memories’ commonly expected were largely made within the Lee Clan rather than with his actual parents.

“It’s only now that I’m speaking about this, but I still harbor a sense of obligation. Call it guilt if you will. Yes, guilt. No matter how much it’s a misunderstanding, we rolled that snowball.”

Lee Yang-hoon began speaking, sitting before Jinseong.

And with a complex expression intermingled with various emotions, he gazed at Jinseong.

His face displayed a mélange of regret, guilt, pride, and affection.

It was as though he couldn’t pinpoint one feeling, revealing the intricate turmoil within.

“You know how things unfolded, right?”

“I am aware.”

Jinseong nodded.

He couldn’t possibly be unaware.

Could he not remember the absurd events that unfolded through a web of misunderstandings?

“…Do you blame me?”

“Blame?”

Jinseong shook his head as he met Lee Yang-hoon’s penetrating gaze.

“What could I possibly blame? There’s no malice involved, and no one could have anticipated it; people just refer to it as an accident, a disaster. That’s exactly what it was.”

Jinseong did not blame Lee Yang-hoon.

If the weather suddenly got hot, causing excessive evaporation, and the water in the clouds created a storm that struck a person, should the family of that deceased person hate the summer heat or the water?

The death of Jinseong’s parents mirrored that situation.

The origin of the misunderstanding lay with Lee Yang-hoon, but it couldn’t be controlled and ricocheted uncontrollably until it became a calamity.

Even if the fluttering of a butterfly sparked a storm, the butterfly itself wasn’t the monster that caused the disaster, just like Lee Yang-hoon.

Park Jinseong’s parents died because of their foolishness.

It was as if they had merely accepted their fate and destiny, acting just like moths drawn to flames.

Besides, Lee Yang-hoon fulfilled his obligations admirably.

In a situation where it would have sufficed to provide just money and shelter, he kept Jinseong around until the end, treating him like family. Moreover, he made an effort, albeit awkwardly, to build affection, never shirking from the weight of his responsibilities, nor did he seek to escape or dismiss it.

Even when the past Jinseong ran wild with various antics, he did not restrain him but instead actively helped him to become self-sufficient by securing magical resources and materials.

So what was there to resent?

“Is that so?”

Lee Yang-hoon fell silent at Jinseong’s declaration of non-blame.

Then with a brief closure of his eyes, he opened them again and retrieved a bottle of alcohol from the shelf.

It looked to be an expensive drink.

“I have never thought of you as anything less than family.”

“I know.”

“And that shall remain unchanged.”

Pouring alcohol into two glasses, he began passing it back and forth.

It was a scene that had not existed before his return.