“I’m coming in.”
So, this is the garden where my mother-in-law is.
As I carefully opened the door, a chill of early winter brushed against my cheeks, but I was warmly greeted by the cool air of autumn.
‘Is the weather different?’
The world had seemingly jumped into early winter, yet the view before me was a garden full of autumn scents.
Is this the formation of the Zhuge family?
I’d heard tales of a woodsman witnessing two immortals playing Go in the Wuling Peach Garden and how decades passed, but seeing a world holding onto autumn right before my eyes was simply astonishing.
The garden was imbued with the essence of autumn while also radiating a clean and restrained beauty. It looked familiar, yet it didn’t take long to recall.
It was similar to the garden cultivated by Man Geum-jeon.
The only difference being, despite the restrained colors of autumn, one side boasted an explosion of blooming autumn flowers, showcasing vibrant colors and fragrances that disrupted the harmony.
A garden similar to Man Geum-jeon, yet flaunting a different hue.
“Welcome.”
Here is the owner of the garden, who has now entered the autumn of her life.
“I can finally see your face.”
It suited the elegant yet radiant middle-aged woman perfectly.
———–
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Yoon-ho.”
I dashed over to the pavilion where my mother-in-law awaited, quickly kneeling on one knee to greet her.
“The ground is cold. You must have had a hard time with your husband; please, come sit. I’ll bring some tea.”
“T-thank you.”
My mother-in-law smiled gently, inviting me to take a seat.
She was very different from the image I had envisaged. The mother-in-law that Miss Zhuge trembled in fear about was no different from any other mother.
An elegant lady with a calm demeanor. It seems she must have been a stunning beauty in her youth.
“Drink up. It’ll help ease your tension.”
Before long, a warm tea filled with affection was placed before me.
“I’ll drink well.”
“You seemed curious. What were you thinking about?”
Thoughts of my daughter lounging around at home, reading novels and doodling while a rough lady scolded her came to mind, but then a woman resembling a drama actress portraying a dignified lady appeared, leaving me flustered.
I couldn’t say that.
“I thought, ‘Miss Zhuge must resemble her mother.’”
“Ho-ho. Our youngest daughter is indeed beautiful. Only when she keeps her mouth shut, though.”
“The silent Miss Zhuge is breathtakingly beautiful, and the speaking Miss Zhuge is a woman that brings happiness just by being nearby.”
Miss Zhuge’s personality is unique, but being with her is incredibly entertaining. I actively defended her in my mother-in-law’s sudden praise.
“Pass.”
“Excuse me?”
My mother-in-law sipped her tea gracefully while looking at me.
“I was curious if there was truly a man who could pull our daughter out from her imagined world to reality. It seems there really is.”
“Y-you flatter me.”
It was hard to maintain my composure under her proud gaze. It felt like being thrown from steaming hot water to ice cold water in an instant.
“It’s pure admiration, so don’t feel too burdened. I was actually half-doubtful too.”
“Half-doubtful?”
“Black-haired, huh? When your father first brought it up, I wondered if I’d truly lost my mind.”
My mother-in-law placed her teacup down, looking at me as if she still couldn’t believe it.
“I was under the impression you had received permission.”
“Because your father asked. He said he had found a promising talent he wanted to invest in, asking for help.”
“Man Geum-jeon, you say?”
“When others couldn’t see his worth, we needed to grab it early. Giving him our youngest daughter would surely move his heart a bit. He confidently proclaimed he would make him believe.”
“I can’t believe it.”
It was hard to imagine Man Geum-jeon asking for his daughter.
“He said he wouldn’t regret it. He believed this would be the best investment of his life.”
“……”
I had thought the two just joined forces due to Miss Zhuge’s marriage.
The situation of giving his youngest daughter to a black-haired fellow as a bride would be difficult for any parent to agree to, no matter how open-minded they were. So Man Geum-jeon must have trusted and actively convinced his daughter.
The fact that someone trusted me that much and held me in high regard made my heart feel a little heavy, recalling Man Geum-jeon, who lay in bed.
“Do you think your father’s vision wasn’t flawed?”
Man Geum-jeon’s daughter, Zhuge Hyang’s mother, Jang Young-young, asked me.
Was Man Geum-jeon’s vision truly flawless? Did I live up to my father’s expectations? Was my decision truly correct?
“I did my best to meet the expectations, and I managed to secure the position of the successor at Man Geum Battlefield.”
I confidently answered.
“Good. Well done.”
———
“I apologize for what just happened. I wanted to greet him too, but my husband has rarely been this angry throughout our years together.”
Mrs. Jang sighed softly after taking a sip of tea, perhaps reminiscing about the awkward situations she faced over the past few days.
“How could I not understand those feelings?”
If I had said I was going to visit my maternal grandfather’s house and ended up cohabitating with another man for almost a year, any father would go insane.
Especially since I was a black-haired barbarian, no less.
“As head of the family, it’s a heavy burden, but he’s a man who loves his family deeply. Especially Hyang, being the youngest daughter, has received most of his affection.”
“I’ve often heard about your father from Miss Zhuge.”
“It was a decision made unilaterally without my husband’s knowledge. I never thought he would suggest imprisoning a visitor.”
Mrs. Jang said with a bitter smile.
“W-well, there must have been some misunderstanding there.”
There was no way I could foresee Miss Zhuge dropping a nuclear bomb.
“To him, she’s simply a young daughter. Your husband probably thinks she was forced into living together against her will.”
“That’s absolutely not true!”
I acted shocked, firmly appealing to my mother-in-law. While there may have been suggestions, it wasn’t due to threats or coercion.
Of course, it began as a contractual relationship and turned into cohabitation while trying to hide someone else, but still.
“I see. Our daughter can’t refuse when forced, which is true, but if she dislikes something, she tends to escape ignoring her surroundings.”
“Ahaha……”
“To think that our daughter has lived with a man for almost a year.”
“……”
Was she trying to test me? The more she looked at me, the more her expression hinted at curiosity.
“If you had come back holding hands with her, it would have been a calming sight, but anything said to your husband now would sound sweet to him, wouldn’t it?”
“I see that as burdens I must bear.”
A marriage is a significant matter for the family. It’s the greatest thing a father can do for his daughter marrying someone from another home.
If a father with deep love for his daughter hears that his girl has cohabited and even shared a bed with a black-haired guy, would he see it kindly?
“By the way, what did your father say? Since he’s elderly, he looked as though he hadn’t come here on his own.”
My mother-in-law, understanding the severity of the situation, sought another ally.
Did she not know about the event in Man Geum Battlefield? But then again, it happened right when someone from the Zhuge family came crashing into the incident’s aftermath.
I cautiously opened my mouth, trying to ease my mother-in-law’s potential shock.
“Uh… Well… Your father was poisoned by the Demonic Cult and is currently unconscious.”
“W-what…?”
——
“Your father fell victim to the poison of the Demonic Cult…? ”
“Fortunately, the situation has been resolved. Thanks to the life-saving measures from the Zhuge family, Man Geum-jeon is okay.”
I briefly summarized the events, starting with the results from the Baek Myeon-ho-ri incident, to ensure my mother-in-law wouldn’t be shocked further.
“Better than nothing, I guess.”
“Man Geum-jeon will regain consciousness soon.”
The doctors all said it was just a matter of time before he would wake up. Unless all the renowned physicians from Wuhan engaged in illegal practices, everything should be alright.
“No. Given who my father is, he wouldn’t just succumb to something like that. I’m talking about this whole affair.”
My mother-in-law shook her head.
“Excuse me?”
“I just think it’s nice that, in such a difficult situation, my husband now has one more thing to leverage.”
Mrs. Jang flashed a smile reminiscent of someone resembling a figure from the past, looking at me.
Was she referring to me capturing the Demonic Cult members? As expected, she is indeed Man Geum-jeon’s daughter.
Right. Mentioning Man Geum-jeon reminded me of something I had previously forgotten.
“Ah! I brought a letter from aunt!”
“A letter from Nan-ok?”
“I wanted to show it to my father, but the circumstances haven’t been right.”
I didn’t want to hand it over, fearing it would be torn to pieces.
As I handed it over, Mrs. Jang carefully unfolded the letter as if taken by surprise.
“……Well done. If you had shown this, I’m sure you wouldn’t have walked out on your own two feet.”
“W-what do you mean by that?”
“You didn’t read the contents inside, did you?”
“I only heard there would be compliments offered.”
There’s no way my aunt would write any negative remarks. Perhaps it’s written in such an authoritative tone that it might provoke the family head’s ire.
As I replied with a perplexed expression, my mother-in-law smiled bitterly.
“Your aunt can be mischievous at times. I’ll take this and talk to him separately.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
My mother-in-law asked me with a serious expression.
“I want to be recognized.”
Even if I had to be struck by a pair of brushes, trapped in the torture chamber, or even sprinkle dirt into the eyes of Lord Zhuge, I desperately wanted to gain acknowledgment.
“It will be difficult. The successor of Man Geum Battlefield. It might mean something to others, but to him, it will only look like a position earned by using his youngest daughter.”
So it all began due to a mistake from the very first step.
No matter how well I passed the tests or how outstanding my achievements were, the fact that I obtained the position of successor through Miss Zhuge would mean I wouldn’t be viewed favorably by my father-in-law.
“I’m prepared for that.”
“I heard you have talents in other areas besides your achievements.”
“Yes. I have a bit of a reputation.”
Though one is forbidden knowledge, meaning I can’t use it. The other is an honorary title with no salary attached.
If I could at least converse with someone, I could perhaps persuade them with my accomplishments, but whenever I open my mouth, they invoke the power of the brushes.
I felt utterly helpless. It felt as if all my limbs had been amputated.
“Alright. From now on, I will need to take action too.”
Seeing me wearing a slightly gloomy expression, my mother-in-law stood up energetically.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
With a refreshing demeanor, my mother-in-law responded to my inquiry.
“How can I judge when my daughter’s lover is a man acknowledged by my father?”
“……Mother-in-law.”
Is this what it feels like when a winged angel reaches out to you?
“Mother-in-law… well, we’re not quite at that stage, are we?”
Mrs. Jang said with a firm voice, drawing a line.
“I’m so sorry.”
Right. I still have a long way to go to be recognized. Flustered, I lowered my head.
“From now on, you should call me mother.”
“W-what?!!”
“That’s what I heard. Your parents have passed, so think of me as a mother. I’ll consider it my duty to manage my troublemaking son.”
“Mother!”
“That sounds nice.”
Mrs. Jang nodded, clearly satisfied.
“Th-thank you!”
“Good. From now on, act as if the world would collapse if it’s not my daughter. My husband won’t be easy to deal with.”
