Ep451 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

At the crack of dawn, Baek Woojin found himself waking up, as if he had fainted into his sleep, only to see the sun already high in the sky. A sense of clarity followed a deep and satisfying slumber. As he took in the surroundings of the room he had slept in, Baek Woojin's expression gradually twisted. Yong Seona’s bedroom. On the large bed that exuded an indescribable scent lay two dazzlingly naked women on either side of him. To make matters worse, they were mother and daughter. And, to heighten the absurdity, they were to become his wife and mother-in-law, respectively. 'Screeeech!' Unable to voice it out loud, Baek Woojin screamed internally in anguish. This was not something a mere human could do. No, a true human wouldn't dare hold both his future wife and mother-in-law together like this! “Aigh…” With a small sigh, he composed himself. Carefully dismounting the bed, he began picking up the scattered clothes thrown all across the room. Once dressed, he quietly opened the door and made his way out of the room. The raging storm of emotions within him quickly subsided. ‘Let’s face the facts.’ From last night until today’s dawn, he had acted like a beast. Yet Baek Woojin was certain of one thing. No man put in his position would have acted differently than he had. ‘It was like a natural disaster.’ A mother who knew exactly how to provoke a man and a daughter inheriting such a talent and growing fearsomely. If a man could resist this, he would likely be either impotent or have a preference for men. Such was his disgustingly twisted self-justification. But what could he do? The deed was done. Even more binding was the realization that if he could travel back in time, he doubted his decision would change at all. So what choice did he have? ‘From now on, I’ll just live as a scoundrel.’ Yes, a scoundrel, but one dedicated solely to his woman. Perhaps, in this manner, he might just survive without losing his life. Resolving his future course with such musings, he arrived at the quarters. Outside, a maid who usually attended him was pacing nervously back and forth. “What’s the matter?” “Oh my!” Startled by Baek Woojin's voice, she recoiled. Recovering swiftly, she asked with a confused tone. “When did you step out?” “Oh, well, I woke up early at dawn to do some training.” He offered a flimsy excuse, but her expression remained filled with doubt. “Hmmm, at dawn?” “Yes…” “That’s strange. I was certainly stationed outside your quarters at that time…” “Uh, well.” While he was pondering how to wriggle out of this situation— “That’s not what’s important right now.” She took the initiative to change the subject. “The young ladies are frantically looking for you.” When she mentioned the young ladies, she must have meant Dang Seyeong, Jegal Yeonji, and Dokyung. The thought of them sent a shiver down his spine. Had they, perhaps, already noticed something amiss? “They were concerned because you haven’t shown your face since morning.” “Ah.” Thankfully, it seemed that wasn’t the case. Relieved, he asked the maid. “Where are the young ladies?” “They’re gathered in Miss Dang’s room enjoying tea.” “Got it.” With that, Baek Woojin strolled down the corridor. Since things had come to this, he would at least show his face to reassure those concerned women. Before long, he reached Dang Seyeong’s room. Knocking lightly, he entered and saw the women laughing and enjoying tea. To his surprise, there were five women instead of the expected three. Alongside Dang Seyeong, Jegal Yeonji, and Dokyung were Seolsuyeon and Geum Yeoul too. All five pairs of eyes fixated on Baek Woojin simultaneously. “So you finally show up?” “We were worried since you disappeared, sir…” “How could you not let us know if you were going somewhere?” The barrage! While he could just about handle the remarks from the initial three— “Ha…, you used to disappear without a word back then, and now too…” Seolsuyeon’s sigh-laced swipe from their past life. “Seriously, how could you! The elder sisters were so worried, you know? Me too, of course!” Even Geum Yeoul’s manipulative whine to earn favor from the others piled on, prompting Baek Woojin to shout in surrender. “I’m sorry!” Apologies were the safest route. The air started to settle slightly. That’s when Dang Seyeong casually inquired. “Where have you been?” “Oh, um…” Ah, dear. They say that a careless stone thrown on a whim might kill a frog. Baek Woojin found himself cornered by a question, innocently asked out of sheer curiosity. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead and across his face. 'What should I do?' Two paths emerged in Baek Woojin's mind. One was to evade the situation with vague excuses, and the other was to tell the truth, which would at least bring him some internal relief. Both had their pros and cons, making it an agonizing choice. After a moment of deliberation, Baek Woojin finally made his decision. “…I was having a chat with Miss Yong.” “…….” “…….” “…….” The atmosphere instantly turned icy. What had begun to slowly rebound from its lowest point abruptly came crashing down, like an irreversible crossing of the Rubicon. “A chat… you say.” Dang Seyeong's voice fragmented into the air. Though he’d described it as a simple chat, no one in the room took his words at face value. Certainly, they may have shared conversation, as he said. Yet, it was unlikely it was the mere exchange of pleasantries. Perhaps it was words laced with deep affection. “Has it increased again…?” Jegal Yeonji’s cold inquiry made Baek Woojin shrink further into himself. He briefly regretted his choice. 'I should have just evaded…' No, he thought better of it. Having accepted this situation, he would have had to reveal it sooner or later. In the long run, seeking forgiveness sooner was the wiser path. “Will women flock to you even if you just breathe?” Dokyung’s sarcastic remark added to the tension with Seolsuyeon’s chilling contribution. “Should we, perhaps right now…, ensure you can’t breathe?” “But… if you do that, he'll die, sister…?” “Hehe…, it’s fine. As long as there’s breath left to attach, we can save it. Somehow….” “But, but, once he stops breathing, there’s no breath to attach…?” Only Geum Yeoul’s pitiful attempt to reign in the escalating tension could be seen. As the situation spiraled out of control, the eldest sister-like figure among them, Dang Seyeong, spoke up. “Explain what happened.” Even amid such chaos, she offered him the chance to defend himself. A truly elder-sisterly gesture. With that, Baek Woojin recounted the events. He didn’t lay bare everything. He refrained from outright lies but concealed parts of the truth. Specifically, the presence of Yong Seona was omitted from his story. The entire narrative cleverly shifted to being an interaction solely between Yong Seollan and himself. 'This is the right way.' Her involvement wasn't something he could shoulder the blame for alone. If word were to spread, it could affect the whole of the Northern Ice Palace. Moreover, if Yong Seona were truly to bear a child, how much prejudice and gossip would cloud the child's life before even being born? “…And that’s how it is.” When he finished, silence enveloped the room. Each woman's expression suggested they were lost in thought. Baek Woojin wondered what they would say once they collected their thoughts. At the same time, he feared their words may be ones he dreaded to hear. ‘How ridiculous.’ Suddenly, he found his situation laughable. If he was so afraid, he should have treated the women he already had better instead of amassing more. Even he couldn’t fully understand his actions, but looking back, there were encounters he couldn’t avoid. As a man born into a world where even multiple wives were permissible, how could he reject beautiful women who approached him unreservedly? By this point, he found himself accepting that he deserved any harsh words they might have for him. The silence was broken by Dang Seyeong, the first to finish her contemplation. “What do you all think?” Her question wasn’t directed at Baek Woojin but to her sisters who had become like family. This time, Jegal Yeonji, considered the second eldest among them, spoke. “…I think it’s fine.” “……?” Baek Woojin couldn’t comprehend her words. After much thought, how could she say it was fine? What was fine? But it didn’t end there. “Hmmm..., since it’s not just anyone but the Palace Lord who proposed it first, I think everything will be okay.” Dokyung added. “It’s a bit annoying…, but given that you confessed promptly, I suppose we should let it go.” Even Seolsuyeon, who had earlier mentioned something about stopping his breath. “As long as the sisters are okay, then I’m happy too, hehe!” Even Geum Yeoul, seemingly ready to lose her status as the youngest among them. “Then…, ha, I suppose it’s time to welcome our newest member.” With a gentle sigh, Dang Seyeong stood up. The others followed suit, leaving the room one by one after her. The room quickly emptied out, leaving only silence behind. "What just…?" There was no one left to answer Baek Woojin's bewildered question. Author's Note: I'll see you in the next installment. Thank you, as always, for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)