The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 101

Park Dohyul’s expression, which had been slightly stiffened as if tense, relaxed as if relieved by my answer.

 

Then he smiled brightly and said,

 

“Mhm. I promise.”

 

And soon, he carefully continued his words.

 

“And… there was something I really wanted to tell you when I met you again, Yeong.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Back then, there were words you said to me. Thanks to those words, I was able to change and grow this much.”

 

“…..”

 

The look in Park Dohyul’s eyes was filled with sincerity.

 

“Back then… there was no one who said such things to me. There was no one to tell me that I could do something with my own strength, that it was okay to try. So…”

 

He took a step closer.

 

“Thank you. Meeting you is a more precious fortune than anything else in my life.”

 

Hearing those words, I couldn’t say anything for a while.

 

It was something I had never heard even once in my past life.

 

Everyone hated me, and no one said warm words to me. But now it was different.

 

In this life, I… was someone who had truly been a great help to another. 

 

I could hardly believe that my sincerity had reached someone.

 

“I’m the one who should be more thankful. Brother saved me. Several times.”

 

“No, that’s. Actually…”

 

A dark shadow flitted across Park Dohyul’s smile for a brief moment. 

 

“The fact that you were put in danger is actually my fault.” 

 

“Huh?!”

 

“The mole on the top of your foot.”

 

Park Dohyul’s words rang heavily.

 

“I saw that and had the physician treat you. If only that hadn’t become known to my father… you wouldn’t have been chased by the Prime Minister. If only it hadn’t become known that you… are the biological daughter of His Highness the deposed Crown Prince…”

 

“Huh? Biological daughter… you say?!”

 

In fact, just as Park Dohyul said, it wasn’t very surprising that the mole on the top of my foot was already known to the Prime Minister.

 

Because I, too, had suspected to some extent that he might have known about the mole on the top of my foot from the very moment he first targeted me. 

 

“I have a request. Let me just confirm this one thing and I will return. May I take off the child’s beoseon?”

 

The time he came directly to Im Daeseung’s house and insisted on taking off my beoseon to check the mole.

 

I couldn’t understand the reason for that action until now.

 

“Could it be that he found out she is the child the Chief has been carrying around?” 

 

The uncles guessed that the reason I became the Prime Minister’s target was simply because someone saw me hanging around with the Chief.

 

But if that was all, there would have been no need to specifically check the mole on the top of my foot.

 

If so.

 

‘Did Park Dohyul hear something over the past 5 years about the real reason the Prime Minister started chasing me? And that’s…’

 

“Then Brother’s father… thinks I’m Dad’s ‘biological daughter’?”

 

Rather, Park Dohyul tilted his head with an expression as if he didn’t understand what I was saying.

 

“Is that… not the case?”

 

At that reaction, I realized.

 

Right, I had never told Park Dohyul the fact that I was a ‘picked up child’. It was perhaps natural for him to think so.

 

‘I suppose… Park Dohyul might have considered me his biological daughter from the moment the Chief came to save me back then.’

 

“Because you’re his biological daughter, he said he could catch your father if he catches you.”

 

What on earth, what on earth is this! 

 

With my mind becoming complicated, I caught my breath for a moment.

 

Judging from Park Dohyul’s words, it seemed the Prime Minister truly believed I was the Chief’s biological daughter.

 

The problem is ‘why’ did he come to believe so?

 

‘The Chief said he lost both his wife and daughter to the Prime Minister and the current King…’

 

If so, the Prime Minister would be the very person who directly killed the Chief’s family.

 

How on earth did such a person come to misunderstand ‘me’ as the Chief’s biological daughter?

 

My mind became more and more complicated.

 

Questions led to more questions, and the end was nowhere in sight.

 

It was then.

 

“We will depart soon! We must hurry before the wind gets stronger!”

 

With the captain’s shout…

 

“Young Master, you must hurry. It is already late. If we delay any further, the Lord will find it suspicious.”

 

Unable to hold back, Seo Taeho’s urgent voice was also heard.

 

‘I have to let him go for now.’

 

Suppressing my desire to ask more, I lightly pulled Park Dohyul’s sleeve and said goodbye.

 

“Go quickly. Brother. See you again!”

 

“Yeong.”

 

“…Mhm?”

 

Swoosh. Park Dohyul stroked my hair once.

 

His touch was softer and more careful than anyone else’s.

 

“I’ll be waiting again. Until we meet again.”

 

His whispering voice was endlessly warm.

 

At those words, I impulsively opened my arms and hugged him tightly.

 

Just as I did to my dad and uncles.

 

“Me too! I’ll miss you soooo much!”

 

“….!”

 

Slip. I let him go, but Park Dohyul’s expression was stiff as if frozen.

 

“Let us go quickly.” 

 

Seo Taeho approached and urged him, and Park Dohyul finally moved his steps as if waking from a dream.

 

‘See you again.’

 

I fluttered my hand, waving at Park Dohyul as he grew distant.

 

And seeing him blushing even from afar, a small chuckle escaped me.

 

‘He acts all grown up, but he’s still a kid.’

 

To be this embarrassed over just one hug!

 

“M-m-me! Yeong, you! Why won’t you hug me?!”

 

Damho came stomping over to protest, and I shrugged my shoulders.

 

“You’re my friend.”

 

“Can’t you hug friends? Where is there such a law! Do you like me, or do you like him? Huh?!”

 

“Yeong, you! You shouldn’t hug any other guy like that besides your uncles! If the Chief had seen this, he wouldn’t have stood for it… uh, huh?! Are you listening?”

 

Even Gaon ran over and grumbled in displeasure.

 

I laughed and ran lightly towards the ship. And surrounded by everyone like that, listening to their nagging, I headed towards the mountain stronghold.

 

Even then, I believed I would be able to rest well once I arrived at the mountain stronghold.

 

However…..

 

“Wh-what is that?!”

 

A sudden shout was heard.

 

“W-wait a minute! Look over there!”

 

“That’s… the direction of the mountain stronghold!”

 

“Are you sure it’s towards the mountain stronghold? Th-then that’s…!”

 

The home I was supposed to return to.

 

I hadn’t expected even a little bit that something wrong would happen there.

 

“It’s a fire!!!”

 

“There’s a fire at the mountain stronghold!”

 

“Oh my god! It’s not just the mountain stronghold… the entire middle of the mountain is engulfed in flames!”

 

Around the time we got closer to the beach leading to the mountain stronghold.

 

A pirate who was folding the sail atop the mast and one of the members from the mountain fortress cried out. 

 

I couldn’t believe it.

 

I quickly ran to the front of the ship, the bow, and looked at the mountain.

 

And, even without straining my eyes, it was clearly visible.

 

Thick smoke rising from the middle of the mountain.

 

It was by no means thin or small.

 

Seeing that smoke soaring like a black pillar, I could guess it wasn’t just a small campfire but a massive blaze.

 

‘This is ridiculous. That’s… definitely where the mountain stronghold is.’

 

This was a disaster.

 

Even though we were preparing to relocate the base, the mountain stronghold was my home.

 

A place imbued with countless memories and recollections. A place where our family laughed, ate, cried, and leaned on each other.

 

Just the fact that such a precious place was burning made my heart sink.

 

“No…”

 

As anxiety heightened, my heart pounded crazily, and my hands and feet turned ice cold.

 

“Yeong, calm down. It’ll be okay.”

 

Seeing my anxious state, Damho urgently ran over and tried to calm me down by patting me.

 

However.

 

Looking at the black smoke stretching even higher into the sky, even that felt meaningless. 

 

‘The Chief, the Chief is in danger…!’

 

Clutching my slingshot, I hurriedly ran to Gaon, who was coming out of the cabin.

 

“Uncle…! The mountain stronghold is…!”

 

However, Gaon, whom I expected to be agitated like me, was unexpectedly calm.

 

He placed his hand on my head as I ran to him and said,

 

“It’s okay, so calm down.”

 

“But Dad might be in danger…! With a fire like that…!” 

 

“I told you. Your father, the Chief, is not someone you need to worry about.”

 

Gaon stared for a moment at the massive black smoke rising, then smiled with the corners of his mouth turned up.

 

“Everything has turned out exactly as the Chief expected.”

 

“?!”

 

Everyone’s eyes shifted toward Gaon in an instant.