The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 18

What? He’s going to… send me away for adoption?

 

‘What’s this? Somehow, this is turning out exactly the way I intended?’

 

Of course, all I ever wanted was to get out of this mountain hideout.

 

And rightly so.

 

‘I never want to be the daughter of a criminal again.’

 

But I need to be able to speak in order to clearly express my intentions.

 

The time I had expected to escape was well over six months from now.

 

‘But the Chief decided to send me for adoption immediately.’

 

It’s a good thing. Surely, it’s a good thing.

 

But why… 

 

‘Doesn’t it feel a little strange?’

 

As I mumbled with a face that could neither smile nor cry,

 

The Chief tilted his head with a “Hmm,” as if finding it strange.

 

“Your expression doesn’t look very good, though?”

 

“…”

 

“Why? Are you sad about leaving me?”

 

He asked with a mischievous smile, and I flinched my shoulders.

 

‘No, what… who said that?’

 

Still unable to answer, I rolled my eyes around.

 

Pat, pat.

 

The Chief gently patted my back.

 

“Still, it can’t be helped. This place isn’t suitable for a baby to live in.”

 

…That’s completely true.

 

“Besides, we’re constantly being hunted by the royal army. If you were to grow up here, you’d live your whole life on the run.”

 

Even with his soothing voice, I still couldn’t bring myself to nod.

 

I didn’t know why, but I simply didn’t feel like nodding. 

 

“Yes. This is the right thing to do.”

 

Pat, pat.

 

It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling strange; the Chief, repeatedly patting my back, murmured to himself as if trying to convince himself.

 

“It’s the right thing to do.”

 

“Buu…”

 

“And when the sun rises, Pilsuk will be exiled.”

 

“Bya!?”

 

When I widened my eyes and looked at him, the Chief let out a faint sigh with a somewhat bitter expression.

 

‘The woman who tried to kill me.’

 

At the same time, I remembered Pilsuk, who had burst into tears looking at me, and my heart felt inexplicably tangled.

 

‘The Chief must not be feeling too good about it either.’

 

I reached out and gently tapped the back of his hand. It’s okay.

 

As if to say that everything would be alright.

 

Then the Chief let out a small chuckle and pulled me tightly back into his embrace.

 

Listening to the Chief’s heartbeat, I closed my eyes tightly once more.

 

Hoping that when I wake up, this tangled feeling will have vanished.

 

* * * 

 

“The Chief has decided to find a home for the baby.”

 

Deep inside a cave.

 

A woman, bound tightly with ropes and confined.

 

Second Commander Pilsuk lifted her head sharply upon hearing the news. 

 

“Why…”

 

Pilsuk murmured through her tears. She couldn’t understand.

 

She was just the wife of an ordinary tenant farmer.

 

But at some point, the tyrannical rule of the current king began.

 

In the court, the Gunyeok Law ( a tax system designed to reduce the burden on the people) was implemented, and an excessive amount of rice was collected. 

 

Thus began a period of severe poverty. With successive droughts, droughts, and more droughts… it became impossible to continue paying the tribute.

 

Eventually, officials from the government office came to visit.

 

“Bring your wife to my chambers tonight. If you do, I’ll let this pass this time.” 

 

She was subjected to a humiliation that could never be forgiven.

 

How many times. How many times.

 

After several days passed, her husband, unable to contain his rising anger, took a sickle and headed to the government office—and that became the problem. 

 

“Please save him! Oh dear, someone save my husband!”  

 

Her husband was surrounded by the men and bound tightly in a mat. 

 

But the problem was after he was beaten like that.

 

“Mother, father… father…” 

 

Her husband, an ordinary tenant farmer, lost his life.

 

After that, she had to survive on her own. She had two sons. She did whatever she could.

 

She didn’t hesitate to take on piecework or serve as a servant in other people’s homes. She did whatever came her way, and through it, she learned a great deal.

 

She had also worked as an assistant in an apothecary, so she was able to pick up knowledge about herbs by observing.

 

She lived tenaciously, clinging to life with fierce determination.

 

Only for her sons.

 

For her bloodline.

 

Moreover, Pilsuk possessed more talent than expected. She particularly excelled at anything requiring physical skill.

 

Her stamina surpassed that of others, and she was strong, which made many people seek her out…

 

Gradually, it seemed like her household might start to improve.

 

But…

 

“It is His Majesty the King’s procession!” 

 

It was the king’s procession.

 

Her sons were brutally beheaded and their heads were publicly displayed in the marketplace. 

 

Upon hearing the news, Pilsuk threw down her sewing materials and ran—ran as fast as she could.

 

Thud!

 

The moment she faced the heads of her sons, who were not even ten years old.

 

“W, why…!”

 

She lost consciousness and fainted on the spot.

 

When she opened her eyes again…

 

“Oh dear, how pitiful they are.”

 

“They say His Majesty ordered their deaths simply because he didn’t like them, without any reason.”

 

“The worst villain in the world…! Hngh!”

 

Many people gossiped about her and the children who had left with her. 

 

Yes. Her babies were killed. 

 

Without any ‘reason.’

 

Simply because they caught the king’s attention and displeased him.

 

Their heads were severed, treated as if they were worth less than passing ants.

 

“Husband.”

 

She stretched out her trembling hand. The sharp, cold touch of metal met her fingertips.

 

The sickle her husband had held when he went out for the last time before his death.

 

“Hold on. Just a little longer. Wife. Soon, better days will come.” 

 

He was a truly good man.

 

Even when he was hungry, he never lost a smile on his face.

 

He was so soft-hearted that he couldn’t even kill a single ant in his entire life.

 

And yet, that person picked up a sickle and stepped forward.

 

“I… I can’t take it anymore.”

 

Pilsuk bit her lip.

 

Blood trickled from her crushed, bitten lips

 

She sobbed uncontrollably, tightening her grip on the sickle. Then, she positioned the blade toward her own neck. 

 

“Hhup, it hurts so much…” 

 

She tightened her grip on her trembling hands.

 

And then…

 

“Stop.”

 

He had appeared before her.

 

* * *

 

“Chief.” 

 

With a hoarse voice, Pilsuk called out to the Chief standing before her.

 

Maybe it was because she had dreamed of something that happened long ago—everything that had happened until now felt distant and hazy.

 

She stared blankly at the Chief holding the sword, then quickly bowed her head.

 

“Chief, it’s my fault. I, I will never… ever again!”

 

“I have already explained everything to you and given you a chance. However, you have betrayed my trust. Normally, you should have been punished with death, but since we have been close, I will spare your life.”

 

“…”

 

“Second Commander Go Pil-sook. As of today, I strip you of your Commander rank and order your expulsion from the mountain. Furthermore, in order to strictly maintain the secrecy regarding the location of the mountain stronghold…”

 

The chief let out a faint sigh and spoke curtly.

 

“Cut it off.”

 

Slash—!

 

With those words, the chief turned his back on her.

 

Gaon and Dupil, who had been waiting for the Chief’s order, approached her with their mouths open.

 

And so it was that day.

 

Pilsuk had lost her voice, unable to speak to the Chief who had saved her life.

 

She was left alone once more and expelled to the outside.

 

* * *

 

For a while, the bandits were in an uproar over two incidents.

 

The first was Pilsuk’s expulsion, and the second was about my adoption.

 

After the Chief declared that he would find a home for my adoption,

 

They truly set up more than 10 search teams for the investigation of the adoption placement. 

 

As soon as the search parties, each dispatched to different regions, returned and reported their findings, the Chief began endless all-night meetings. 

 

“Among these families, this one only has three cows, so it’s not suitable.”

 

“I’ve heard that their physiognomy isn’t very good.”

 

“Ehe, this one won’t do. You see, they have close ties with the Park family.”

 

“It seems their wealth is somewhat lacking. Hmmm… shouldn’t a household have at least this much land?” 

 

At this rate, it felt like they were going to tell me to dress properly and come to the mountain hideout for an interview. 

 

Anyway, just as the Chief had said before, finding a proper adoptive home was far more difficult than expected. 

 

“We must not give up. We have to find one. We absolutely must…!”

 

Still, the bandits put their heads together.

 

It was as if they were seeing, in a past life, an office worker toiling under a cruel boss, slowly dying from endless overtime. 

 

After a full ten days of relentless investigation and meetings…! 

 

“This household will do perfectly!” 

 

Finally, the place I’ll be adopted to has been decided!