The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 28

“Someone special?”

 

“Mhm. Soooo special!”

 

Park Dohyul seemed to hesitate for a moment, then reluctantly turned the question back to me.

 

“That… what is it?”

 

I swallowed once, trying to stay as calm as possible, and answered as clearly as I could. 

 

“So… I gotta find what I wanna do an’ make it happen… dat’s what a spec’wal person is.” 

 

“Find what you wanna do and make it happen… and live happily.” 

 

“You’re a kid who’s more than worthy of that.”

 

“Brother’s a spec’wal person too! So me… and Brother jus’ gotta do what brother really wanna do, right?”

 

I looked at Park Dohyul and gave a shy little smile.

 

‘Even though in my past life I couldn’t live like that.’

 

If there’s even just one person who accepts me as I am and wishes for my happiness.

 

I was certain that things would change.

 

Just like how, after meeting the Chief, I sometimes felt that the ordinary world sparkled far too brightly. 

 

“….”

 

Park Dohyul’s eyes trembled intensely for a moment before settling back into place. 

 

“How… can I live like that?”

 

His trembling voice tickled my ears. 

 

Hmm, how… After a moment of thought, I spoke my mind.

 

“You should ask.” 

 

Looking back, I wished someone had asked me even just once in my childhood, “What do you want to do?”

 

Because the thoughts and answers I wrestled with in response to that question would have shaped who I am.

 

So.

 

“Keep—keep asking me! What you wanna do, bwother! And when you think you kinda know…!” 

 

“….”

 

“Do it. Do everything you can.” 

 

“What if someone tries to stop you?”

 

“That… I won’t forgive!”

 

Suddenly, I clenched my fists, glaring as if I couldn’t forgive. My lips were tightly pressed together! 

 

“Pfft!”

 

Maybe my expression looked funny, because Park Dohyul laughed out loud. 

 

“Why, why aw you laughwing!” 

 

“Pfft, haha! Your face….” 

 

“Eek, don’ laugh! Really, if you do that, I gotta fight and not forgive! Like this, like this…!”

 

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I punched the air and moved my body.

 

Tak—!

 

“Ack?!”

 

The glass of water I’d left beside me hit my elbow and tipped over.

 

The problem was that, because of that, the military strategy book he had left nearby got wet! 

 

Swosh—!

 

He picked up the military strategy book a little late, but it was already soaked and the ink had run.

 

Oh no! 

 

Of course, I did think earlier that it’d be nice if this thing disappeared, but still.

 

It really wasn’t on purpose…!

 

“S, Sowwy.”

 

I apologized, but Park Dohyul’s face was already filled with despair.

 

He seemed to hear nothing.

 

“You…!”

 

When he raised his voice at me.

 

“Young Master! I found the baby’s home…! Ack, what is this?”

 

Just then, Samyong came running in, out of breath. Park Dohyul didn’t say anything more and pressed his lips tightly shut. 

 

For a brief moment, his eyes looked complicated, as if countless thoughts were running through his mind.

 

“…Hurry and take the baby home.”

 

At Park Dohyul’s order, Samyong rolled his eyes, then suddenly picked me up. 

 

“Okay, let’s go! Baby~!”

 

And just like that, I gradually grew farther away from him.

 

I looked over Samyong’s shoulder at Park Dohyul, who was still staring only at the soaked strategy book.

 

‘Is this as far as I can go for now?’

 

Honestly, I didn’t expect that such a brief meeting could change anything.

 

From the start, there was no way I could fully understand what kind of childhood he had or what he was thinking from just this one meeting.

 

But there was one thing I knew better than anyone else.

 

What it felt like to be manipulated by bad parents.

 

“Yesterday? I was at home with Dad. We played in the water together!”

 

In my past life, I was the living alibi for a killer dad.

 

I always had to lie to the neighbors. It was something I hated more than death.

 

Of course, I knew in my head that I had no choice. I was young, powerless… and there were no options for me.

 

Even so, those lies…

 

…became a guilt that chased me my whole life and eventually dragged me into hell.

 

‘Someday… I’ll get another chance to meet him again.’

 

Only after Park Dohyul disappeared completely from my sight did I let out a small sigh.

 

I could only hope that today’s small effort… had changed the future of the original story, even just a little.

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

“Father, I have personally surveyed the terrain as you commanded and have returned.”

 

With perfect posture, Park Dohyul bowed deeply to the man seated in the main seat.

 

Then the hand of the man, who had been writing with a brush, came to a stop.

 

The man, the Prime Minister, quietly lifted his head. 

 

“What about the strategy book? Didn’t you say you would bring it by today?”

 

“…That.”

 

Park Dohyul, wearing a frightened expression, quickly confessed the truth.

 

“I apologize, Father. The strategy book got wet due to my mistake and is currently being restored. Please wait just a little longer.”

 

“So you’re lying.” 

 

The Prime Minister let out a faint sigh and placed his brush down on the inkstone with a clatter.

 

“I heard that yesterday, you brought a girl into the house.”

 

“!”

 

“There was someone who said they saw that girl spill water on the book you were reading. Is that true?”

 

“…!”

 

Everyone in the household was the Prime Minister’s person, so it was only natural that every move of Park Dohyul reached his ears.

 

Even so, Dohyul couldn’t speak the truth.

 

It was because he was suddenly afraid that his father, as he always had, might even harm that little girl.

 

Seeing Dohyul trembling with a face pale as death, the Prime Minister clicked his tongue.

 

 “Tsk. That’s exactly why you’re a problem. I told you not to be so soft with just anyone. Whose daughter was she?” 

 

“I, I don’t really know either. I just heard she got lost…”

 

“So you’re telling me you let some worthless brat of unknown origin ruin your strategy book! What do you think the value of that book is! If you were just going to let it be ruined like that, then what did you write it for in the first place!”

 

The Prime Minister suddenly raised his voice, furrowing his brow.

 

Under the terrifying intensity, Dohyul’s body trembled like a trembling aspen.

 

And then.

 

Suddenly, a clear voice came to Dohyul’s mind as he bowed his head, staring only at his own knees.

 

“Bwother too, bwother just hafta do whatewer you weally wanna do.”

 

The words that the girl, whom he had met by chance, had said.

 

‘What I… want to do?’

 

Hearing those words, Dohyul felt his mind growing complicated.

 

It was because he had never once thought about it before.

 

He had never considered why he was writing this strategy book, or for what purpose.

 

“You should ask.” 

 

Park Dohyul squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them. Then, suddenly, he lifted his head and looked his father squarely in the eyes.

 

And for the first time, he asked his father a question.

 

‘Father… what do you think I should write this strategy book for?’”

 

The moment he asked the question,

 

His chest, which had always felt tight, suddenly felt relieved for a moment.

 

As if he had done something he was meant to do.