174 – Let’s regain our memories (1)

“This isn’t real… … Why is my sister with you and the child… … ?”

Choi Yeon-ah muttered to herself with a face that seemed to have lost its soul.

He looked so shocked that he couldn’t get over it because it was such an unexpected event.

When I saw Choi Yeon-ah’s face, which looked more mentally shocked than necessary, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly inside.

I kind of expected it, but I didn’t think it would sell this well.

“Lies, lies, right? It doesn’t make sense. You’re not even married. And you didn’t even get permission from your father. And yet you’re pregnant?”

“You don’t have to get married to have a child, right? And don’t worry too much. I didn’t just get pregnant without thinking about it. As you know, we have enough money and ability to raise one child.”

Choi Yeon-ah’s two eyes shook unsteadily like fallen leaves in the wind.

Although she tried hard to deny what I said, her lips moved, but the thought of ‘what if?’ seemed to be sprouting in her mind.

It would be difficult to deny it outright since she confessed that she was pregnant and even showed an ultrasound picture.

Of course, the possibility that the ultrasound image was manipulated cannot be ruled out, but the power of the evidence seen with my own eyes was not something that could be ignored.

“To be honest, it may seem a bit sudden, but if it were normal, my relationship with Seo-yoon would not be acknowledged. So, I got pregnant a few weeks ago, but I didn’t know that I would tell my sister-in-law first.”

“That, that kind of… … .”

I say this half-jokingly, half-seriously, as pregnancy attacks have been a very effective strategy since ancient times.

It’s not for nothing that people in soap operas dream of a Cinderella comeback, shouting “I’m pregnant with that man’s child!”

“Anyway, it’ll be easier to persuade the craftsman, right?”

“You call that talking? That would be a threat, not persuasion.”

“Threat? How sad to hear such words. How can the fruit of love be a threat?”

“……you.”

Suddenly, Choi Yeon-ah glared at me with a sharp gaze and said.

“Really… … Really… … Your sister is pregnant with your child? Really?”

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you talk to Seo-yoon? Or you can go to an obstetrician and gynecologist and get checked out.”

It would be a bit awkward to actually go to the gynecologist and get re-examined, but if you say it so confidently, I can’t help but believe it’s true.

“You really… … No matter what, why did you… … even think about marrying that person, sis… …?”

Choi Yeon-ah slumped her shoulders weakly and made a complicated expression.

Although he didn’t seem to completely believe what I was saying, I thought he might have used the method of pregnancy because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to continue meeting Seo-yoon through normal means.

I didn’t want to tell this lie, but I had no choice because I thought Choi Yeon-ah would interfere until the end.

If it’s Choi Yeon-ah, she’ll definitely hang on until the end.

“Okay, then, sister-in-law. It was nice meeting you today.”

“… … .”

“Let’s meet up with Seo-yoon sometime and talk. Oh, and please keep the pregnancy a secret as much as possible. We plan to reveal it at the right time.”

“… … .”

“If Choi Yeon-ah reveals it without permission, Seo-yoon could be affected as well. Leave it to me and Seo-yoon to persuade our father-in-law.”

“… … .”

“Aren’t you looking forward to seeing your nephew’s face? Then I’ll take my leave now.”

‘… … .“

Choi Yeon-ah just kept her head bowed until the very end.

Despite the fact that it was an action close to notification, Choi Yeon-ah remained silent.

I was a little worried that he might deny what I said and be unreasonable until the end, but it seemed like he was letting it slide for now.

Would you mind keeping quiet for a while?

All it takes is a few months.

‘I need to go back and discuss with Seo-yoon what we’re going to do next.’

It was necessary to inform this fact not only to Seo-yoon but also to the others.

I didn’t tell her everything because I put off lying about being pregnant as a last resort. Even if it’s a lie, she might react a little sensitively, so I need to explain it to her well so she doesn’t misunderstand.

‘Well, I’m not really pregnant, I just lied to fool Choi Yeon-ah, so you’ll understand, right?’

I turned around and walked away, thinking somewhat lightly.

however…….

***

“pregnancy?”

“teacher?”

“under…….”

Several days passed.

I approached them, who were gathered at the clan house and training in preparation for the final battle with Edelin, and since they were all gathered there, I decided to give them an explanation and told them about what had happened with Choi Yeon-ah.

Then their reaction is somewhat strange.

It’s a bit sharp, isn’t it?

“What did you just say? Pregnant?”

“huh.”

Jihyun made a face of bewilderment and then glared at me with a sharp gaze. I blinked my eyes, meeting her gaze directly. Jihyun chewed her lips in discontent.

“Are you crazy?”

“No, calm down. I told you it was just a lie.”

“Even so, how could you lie and say you were pregnant? Han Seo-jun, I really didn’t see you like that… … .”

“I had no choice in the process of persuading Choi Yeon-ah. Right, Seo Yoon-ah?”

I glanced at Seo-yoon.

Because I realized that there was no use in continuing to talk to Jihyun.

In times like this, it would be a valid strategy for Seo-yoon to support me and give strength to my words.

Seoyoon stared at me intently and nodded with her cheeks slightly blushing.

“Ah, yes… … Considering Yuna’s personality, she probably wouldn’t have been able to get permission through normal means… … .”

Since Seo Yoon knew Choi Yeon Ah’s personality well, the two of us chose this method after much thought.

“Yeon-ah is the kind of person who does something once she starts. If she had tried to interfere with Seo-jun until the end, it would have been quite difficult.”

“Don’t you know, Choi Yeon-ah? What kind of relationship we have with Seo-jun?”

Jihyun answered with a slight frown.

Like it or not, Jihyun indirectly expressed that if you touch her, Jihyun and the others will not stay still.

Even though she was the second daughter of the Ilseong Group, there were successors such as Heuksanhoe and Seongssi Se.

If a conflict is created for no reason, it will be Choi Yeon-ah who will suffer greater damage.

As Choi Yeon-ah of Ilseong Group, whose successor structure has not been decided yet, she would want to avoid friction with us as much as possible.

“But even in that situation, the fact that you would bother Seojun means that Seoyoon thinks of you that much. You have a good younger sibling.”

Jihyun laughed happily.

“Right. If she’s the kind of sister who loves her so much, she wouldn’t be able to tolerate her being toyed around by a womanizer, a pervert, a Casanova like that.”

“No, Jihyun. You’re joking… … .”

I tried hard to deny Jihyun’s words.

I can accept words like womanizer, pervert, Casanova, four-legged, and punk, but it’s not like it’s a joke. It’s not like it’s a joke.

“By the way, teacher.”

“what’s the matter?”

“So when you two dated, did you end up doing it?”

“… … ?”

What are you doing?

“Since then, things have been a bit strange between you two… … You said that, right? Right? Sister Seo-yoon.”

“yes yes?”

Yerin looked at Seoyoon with red eyes and Seoyoon, feeling an inexplicable pressure, shook her head awkwardly with an awkward smile.

“No, Yerin. Oh, nothing happened… … .”

Seoyoon paused for a moment as if the memory of her cat cosplay came to mind, and Yerin, who couldn’t miss the moment, asked a question with sharp eyes.

“I think I stuttered a little bit? Are you feeling a little hurt? Tell me honestly, Seo-yoon. Did you? Right? They say the quiet cat gets to the roof first.”

“Oh, a cat?”

Seo Yoon Ah, don’t react to the cat.

“Well, that guy would definitely do something like that.”

Hwaryeon, who had been watching silently, chimed in.

He gently touches his lower abdomen and glares at me with a sharp gaze.

It seems that the incident at the Heuksanhoe training ground is still vivid in my memory. Thinking back, I was a bit harsh back then. I even did something similar to an unfair slave contract to Hwa-ryeon.

“Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

“What? Hey, why are you like this, Yerin? I said no.”

“No, it’s too sudden. It’s also a bit strange that you said that to Choi Yeon-ah without saying a word to us. It’s something that Choi Yeon-ah could have revealed to the public.”

“There’s no way Choi Yeon-ah would do something that would harm Seo Yoon-i.”

“still…….”

Yerin glared at Seoyoon again.

Seoyoon was startled and shrugged her shoulders.

Your eyes are a bit fierce. It hasn’t been that long since you turned on the switch, has it?

Yerin had a sword in her hand because they had just been sparring. The blade looked even more gleaming today.

“Yerin. Don’t you believe me?”

“I believe it, but… … .”

“I can’t believe it.”

While Yerin was hugging me and burying her face in my arms, Hwa-ryeon suddenly linked arms and started talking nonsense.

No, why is he like this again?

“Of course, it’s none of my business whether you had s*x with Choi Seo-yoon or not, or whether you had a child with her or not.”

“For something like that, it seems a bit harsh. Are you upset?”

“Are you mad? Me? Huh. Stop talking nonsense, Han Seojun.”

Hwaryeon roughly stroked her red hair and clicked her tongue.

“The reason I’m here is to give that Lesbian b*tch a kick in the butt?”

He looks really upset about being raided and robbed by the Raspberries.

Could it be that you are sharpening the blade of revenge in your heart?

“Okay, thanks.”

“what?”

“No, just thank you.”

“Oh my. What do you have to be thankful for, Han Seo-jun?”

Hwaryeon answered indifferently and turned her head.

Considering Hwa-ryeon’s usual personality, she could have acted independently and planned revenge, but she was acting together like this.

Even though he grumbled, I could clearly tell that he was thinking of me.

“You’re planning on forcing me with that damn contract anyway.”

“Ahaha.”

I let out an awkward laugh like Mina.

Contract, contract… … You can definitely enforce an order with a contract.

But you had plenty of opportunities to release it, right? So why didn’t you release it? Well, asking it directly like this is just a bit too much.

‘Is this your own justification?’

He said that he had no choice but to help me under the pretext of a contract because it would hurt his pride to just follow my orders.

Hwaryeon, this kid also has a really twisted personality.

“Speaking of raspberries, what are you going to do about it?”

Suddenly Jihyun threw a fire.

Their gazes were soon focused on Jihyun.

Jihyun continued to talk with an indifferent face.

“Anyway, we have to settle things with Charlotte, right?”

“Oh, right.”

“There are only a few months left until I meet Charlotte.”

We promised to meet and talk if we reached just before the very top of the tower.

“I made a bet with you before, right? Who would conquer the tower first? If so, there’s a high chance that we’ll meet and talk about it.”

“Probably so?”

“Ha. Seriously. Honestly, I wonder why Charlotte wants to meet you in person.”

That would be the case, since if Edelin Paul Charlotte, who controls the Sungcheon Church, were to set her mind to it, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to capture me.

No matter how much Jihyun, Seoyoon, Hwaryeon, and Yerin protect them, the other party is the head of the most influential religious group in the world.

If you didn’t bother to bet with me, didn’t have to meet me, and didn’t care about the means and methods, I would have fallen into Edelin’s hands a long time ago.

“I heard that Charlotte is quite obsessed with you… … .”

“Obsessed. Well, that’s not wrong. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed, though.”

I really can’t understand why Edelin is so obsessed with me.

Although Edeline always had a kind face and spoke with a smile on her face, I dimly realized that deep inside, dark emotions were lurking.

Was there something going on with Edelin before the regression?

But even if I carefully looked back on my memories before returning, there was nothing particularly strange.

Because from the beginning, Edelin was very kind to me.

He first approached me and said he was my biggest fan, and he continued to help me. Of course, I don’t have complete memories of before my regression, so I don’t know exactly what happened with Edelin in the meantime. However, I can clearly see that his favor toward me was abnormal.

‘Just seeing the person who tried to kill me being left like this… … .’

If it were me, I would have caught him right away.

Why is Edelin letting me go?

And she was so friendly. Edelin always smiled whenever she saw me. It wasn’t a face without a secret, but it was clear that she was genuinely happy.

“You said you tried to take Charlotte’s life before you lost your memory, right? As a result, Charlotte was in a coma for several months.”

“Uh, uh.”

“But I don’t know why Charlotte is leaving you alone. What was your relationship with Charlotte before you returned?”

“huh?”

Jihyun looked at me with an uneasy expression.

“Are you dating by any chance?”