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Chapter 29
“Don’t run away like a coward—stand and fight, Black Secret Doctor!”
“Oh dear, brother-in-law.”
Thanks to the splash made by the third uncle-in-law, water was puddled all over the floor.
“You attacked first, and yet you call this honorable combat?”
My eldest uncle dipped the tip of his foot into one of the puddles. At that moment—
Crackle!
Lightning struck every water puddle.
Strangely, the lightning converged solely on the third uncle-in-law, avoiding everyone else around him.
“Gyaaaaah!”
“…If he keeps that up, he’s going to die.”
“He knows how to control it,” my father replied indifferently.
“If he kills someone here, his outing will be canceled. He should know that, assuming he has a brain.”
Well, he had a point.
And attacks that would normally kill a regular person probably weren’t a big deal to ability users.
“Huff… huff…”
As expected, the third uncle-in-law appeared, gasping for air.
His clothes were scorched, and his hair singed, but otherwise, he looked fine.
“I’m going to kill you!! And you kidnapped and abused a child of the Black family?! What did you do to Daewi?!”
“Uh, I’m also from the Black family though?”
“Shut up!!”
Just as things were starting to get boring—
“This side doesn’t seem so dull either.”
Dad muttered something cryptic. At the same time, a gust of wind howled.
“Urgh.”
“Just hold on a little.”
Shielding my face from the wind, I forced my eyes open.
Crash!
The moment I inhaled, giant tree roots shot up from the ground.
They rushed at us so suddenly it startled me.
‘Trees? Don’t tell me…’
Holding me with one arm, Dad casually waved his other hand.
Slice!
A sharp gust of wind shredded the roots.
Thud.
Pieces of the roots that had just emerged dropped to the ground.
‘Eek…’
It wouldn’t have been strange if the spectators had screamed and backed away.
But this was the Black family—filled with ability users. The spectators were resilient too.
Well, I guess this much shouldn’t faze them.
“That’s enough.”
A tall man in his early twenties stood not far away. He had dark brown hair and wore glasses.
‘That’s…’
That was Black Yehoon—my second aunt’s son.
“They’re the ones fighting. Why are you talking to me?”
Wind swirled around Yehoon menacingly as Dad responded.
‘If Yehoon is here…’
Then it’s time.
“Biwon-nim had no reason to come here. Didn’t you cause this situation so he’d have to?”
Yehoon pushed up his glasses, wearing a frosty expression.
“Whatever scheme you’re up to, stop it.”
“I’ve never been so misunderstood in my life.”
Just then, a woman walked up behind Yehoon.
“Everyone, stop.”
A graceful woman in traditional eastern clothing, draped in a shawl, with jet-black hair.
Though nearing her forties, she looked younger than her age and had a stern presence.
She was my first aunt, Black Haran.
“Vulgar fools. Don’t you know shame, arguing in front of outsiders…”
She was also one of the top three physicians and pharmacists in the Black family.
‘Someone both I and the female lead will have to surpass someday…’
As soon as she appeared, her son, Black Daewi, flailed as if having a seizure. His eyes were wide as saucers.
‘He must’ve realized he’s screwed.’
Of course, he’d never want his mother to see him like this.
Aunt Haran’s jet-black eyes briefly turned to me.
But it was only for a moment.
With a gentle wave of her hand, a massive tree vine burst from the ground and shot forward at lightning speed.
The target was—surprisingly—third uncle-in-law.
“Urgh! What are you doing, sister-in-law?!”
“I should be asking you that.”
Bound tightly, Bae Seonghyeon (third uncle-in-law) tried to escape using his water ability, but he failed.
Thud!
Aunt Haran stomped his back with her formal shoe, pinning him to the ground.
“A mere low-ranking guard dares speak to me.”
“Mmph, mmmph!”
“If you don’t want to become an experiment, I suggest you shut your mouth.”
Then she raised her head.
“That applies to you too, Biwon.”
“…”
“I told you to stop acting like a wild colt. You haven’t changed.”
My eldest uncle crossed his arms.
Not a scratch on him—he was perfectly fine.
“Seriously, long time no see, sister? Wow, your skin’s flawless. What have you been eating—blood?”
“Still as vulgar as ever.”
Biwon smirked as he dodged flying vines.
“Your vines still don’t rot, huh? Creepy~”
Haran had a nature-type ability, specializing in plants.
In our family, which handled medicine, it was the most useful ability next to healing.
‘Because it’s perfect for growing herbs.’
And the young man who had blocked me and Dad earlier—Black Yehoon—also had a plant-based ability.
Since his mother died young, he had been raised by her twin sister—first aunt Haran.
“Huh.”
Her eyes turned toward us.
“…This is rare. Seeing my airheaded younger brother here.”
Whether this person or that one, they all took turns mocking Dad.
‘Did he make that many enemies when he was sane…?’
Looking at Dad’s handsome face, I thought, with his personality, probably.
“Who’s that?”
“…That’s your first aunt, Dad.”
“No resemblance at all.”
True. The three brothers were all exceptionally good-looking.
The aunts were elegantly pretty, but the brothers—especially Dad—were in a whole different league.
Oh—was that a twitch of anger on Aunt’s face just now?
Did we just hit her reverse scale?
“You’ve got no manners… What’s a half-wit like you doing here?”
“Oh, let me explain~”
Eldest uncle approached her with a grin.
“This is perfect. You were going to ask me anyway, weren’t you? ‘Why are you here? Who gave you permission to make a mess?’ Boring questions like that.”
“Out of my way. I wasn’t asking you.”
He smirked.
“You’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
“…”
“I came to report someone, sis.”
“Report?”
“Daewi hit me. It really hurt.”
Pfft! I buried my face in Dad’s coat to stifle a laugh.
“…What about Daewi?”
“He hit me and—can you believe it—he also hit my favorite niece lately?”
I wasn’t even hit, but…
‘Pretending I was? I can do that. Veteran move.’
Should I sneakily create a bruise or two?
Aunt Haran glared at Biwon and raised her hand.
Vines rose from the ground and untied the bound Daewi and the guards.
“Mother…! That’s a complete lie! That uncle kidnapped me, beat me, and threatened me!”
Wow, listen to that silver tongue. I frowned.
“Dad, can you shut him up with wind?”
“Why not. Want me to stop his breathing too?”
“Wait a bit.”
Daewi fell to his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks, looking completely pitiful.
Visually, he really did seem like a victim.
“The guards did their best to protect me…! But they couldn’t stop my crazy uncle! And then another uncle joined in—against a young boy and his friends!”
Daewi’s companions hesitated, but followed his lead and dropped to their knees.
“Wow, what an amazing performance. So unfair.”
Eldest uncle whistled and applauded. Aunt Haran glared.
“You’re saying my son’s lying?”
“Sis, why do you think I’m here—me, still in my manic state, and perfectly fine?”
“…”
“I’m starting to recover.”
Aunt Haran’s eyes widened.
Eldest uncle approached with a grin.
Whoosh!
“Any closer and I won’t tolerate it.”
“Too bad.”
He blocked the attacking vines with his hand.
Crackle!
Lightning shot from his hand, burning the roots.
He finally closed the distance and whispered in a low voice, loud enough for all to hear:
“What will you do…? The illness even you—Black family’s best—couldn’t cure… is getting better.”
He’d struck directly at Aunt Haran’s pride.
