TFSG 13

Chapter 13

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

“Hmm… I guess even after returning to normal, it takes a while for the brain to come back too.”

The way he dragged out his words made his tone sound more languid the longer I listened.

He seemed cheerful when talking with his son, but…

“Gasp! Big Brother, did your brain become stupid too now? That’s a serious problem…”

“Hey, baby brother. All that sleeping seems to have made your mouth the only active part.”

“Ack, ack!”

Apparently, his grip strength had returned too. Without hesitation, he reached out and squeezed his younger brother Heukbirang’s neck with his hand.

It looked like a familiar sight.

“Ack! Let go, seriously!”

I subtly stepped away from Heukbirang.

‘Uncle, I’ll never forget your sacrifice…’

That wicked cousin of mine had spilled everything before I even had time to prepare myself mentally.

‘If he has a sensitivity to anesthetics, he might get angry.’

People with symptoms like Uncle’s had one thing in common: you never knew when or where they’d have an episode.

“Hmm…”

Now he could even sit up, thanks to his miraculous recovery. His red eyes stared at me intently, making me feel pressured.

“Are you scared?”

“W-What?”

Uncle tilted his head and mumbled, “Wary?”

“I get the situation. So, little fairy princess?”

“Um, could you… please not call me that…”

It’s burdensome and embarrassing.

“Alright, fine. Chickie.”

It’d be great if you didn’t call me that either.

He stood up and strode over to me.

Startled, I nearly hiccuped.

“Thanks for helping me, princess.”

Something warm touched my head. When I looked up, I saw a refreshing smile.

“Is this too much too? That won’t do~”

This person… I think he had a similar smile just before he died in the first timeline.

It felt strange.

“If it weren’t for you, Birang might’ve ended up as lightning-roasted meat. What a shame.”

“What?! Who are you calling roast meat? I let you win, okay? I only lost because of elemental disadvantage!”

If it’s Pikchu vs. Squitle…

Electric beats water, after all.

“You might’ve even hurt my son. That’s the one thing I’d never want. So that makes you my benefactor.”

“…”

His casual attitude was surprising.

‘We’ve only just met, and yet he’s calling himself my uncle like it’s nothing.’

The people of the Heuk family I knew through all my lives…

They were always cold and only ever saw me as a tool.

“But Chickie, there’s something I’m curious about…”

He bent down as if to meet me at eye level, but he was still towering.

I blinked and nodded.

“Please ask.”

“It’s admirable that you offered to help… but why us?”

He wore a more serious expression now. I got the feeling this was closer to his true personality.

“Pardon?”

“You have a father, don’t you? Heukbihu. He lives in the eastern part of this place.”

I froze.

‘Stay calm.’

…This question wasn’t entirely unexpected, was it?

“You’re right. I was curious about that too,” added my younger uncle who had approached without me noticing. He looked curious as well.

Heukbihu.

My father. The man who was confined here because of his illness.

He died early in the original story.

I don’t know the reason.

But I do know where he stays.

‘Still, I’ve decided not to go to him.’

…I figured having just my older and younger uncles would be enough.

I tried hard not to clench my fists.

‘Though Uncle and Younger Uncle were tied to my death, they’re not the same as Father.’

My father, Heukbihu, had multiple chances over the past three lives to come find me.

When I suffered abuse. When I lived like a slave and was beaten.

He had chances to rescue me, to step in.

I had hope too, at one point.

‘In the first life… I was happy just knowing I had a father.’

“What? Doesn’t she have a dad too?”

“Heukbihu? Don’t even mention him. Would he show up? He abandoned his family.”

“True… He’ll never come.”

Even while hearing things like that, I couldn’t give up.

Back in Korea… I was an orphan.

A good friend and their family helped me a lot and became like family to me. But even so, I dreamed of having a real one.

Even after being cruelly betrayed in the first life, I believed the second could be different.

“Unni! Did you try reaching out? Maybe my dad can help…!”

In the second life, I was falsely accused. I requested my father as my guardian.

I asked my trusted sister-like figure to send a letter.

“Biyu… Listen to me. Your father said…”

“He doesn’t have a daughter.”

The response I got was horrifying.

So in the third life, I left the family without looking back.

Now, in my fourth life, I had no desire to see him.

‘If there was a reason, I’d be irritated trying to understand. If there wasn’t, I’d be angry because there was no reason.’

I was already busy trying to save the family and get back home. I didn’t want to waste energy on that.

‘I figured someone would ask eventually.’

Because I expected it, I had prepared my answer.

“The reason I came to Uncle…”

I made my eyes shine.

“It’s because, even though he doesn’t remember, Uncle Baekbbu was kind to me.”

At that moment, my uncle stopped smiling and looked blank.

“…I was?”

Perfect. I changed the topic. I smiled innocently, pretending to be calm.

I wasn’t lying.

“You said you wouldn’t remember.”

It was from the first timeline, so it made sense the current Heukbiwon wouldn’t recall.

“Damn it, get out! I said run!”

In the first life, I died caught up in Heukbiwon’s berserk episode, but it wasn’t his fault.

Before I died, they had stopped giving him anesthetics. Instead, they poisoned him with something that worsened his madness.

His relatives had abandoned him, but they didn’t let him die peacefully.

They wanted to provoke a frenzy and throw him at the enemies.

‘Monsters.’

But the madness turned out to be worse than expected, and his relatives couldn’t handle it.

They tried to use me as a scapegoat — I had just awakened my healing ability.

The real villains were those who forced him into madness and used him until the end.

“She’s still so young… I… I really…”

I remember how my uncle tried desperately to help as I lay dying.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, my sweet little one…”

Heukbiwon hugged me and cried.

His gentle voice whispering apologies. Struggling to resist the madness even while crying.

He was the first person to weep over my death.

Now, it was my turn to help him.

Of course, I won’t deny that I also sought him out because I needed something.

“…When did I meet you?”

Uncle Heukbiwon tilted his head.

“Weird. I wouldn’t forget someone this cute, would I?”

“Father, that’s such a sleazy line…”

“Hey, Heukbiyu, let’s say your big brother met her — then what about me?”

My younger uncle jumped in. I rolled my eyes.

‘I did meet you… but you didn’t leave much of an impression.’

I couldn’t say I was looking for a bodyguard before going to Uncle, so I dodged his gaze.

“Let’s say… two birds with one stone?”

“Two birds?! Am I dessert or a side dish to go along with the main?! You came to me first! I was your number one!”

“Cough, cough…! Biyu’s coughing…”

I invoke the right to remain silent.

Then, turning to Heukbiwon, I spoke firmly.

“Don’t be sick anymore.”

I could tell instinctively.

This person had sharp intuition.

He might’ve realized my goodwill wasn’t purely innocent.

‘It is because I like you, but…’

And I do want to return home with your help.

“Oppa is very sad.”

Heukgye won flinched.

“Biyu can help.”

“…Even hearing that means a lot.”

Uncle smiled gently.

It was the resigned look only a long-suffering patient wears.

Just like Uncle at first: “What makes you different from all those countless doctors and alchemists who’ve tried?”

“Big Brother, I get it sounds unbelievable, but… You should trust her.”

My younger uncle stepped over and pressed down on my head, grinning confidently.

“Thanks to her, I woke up in three days.”