Chapter 699: Mask (3)

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His pale facial expression and the deep sadness in his eyes made his impression different, but the resemblance was uncanny.

If Ahn Dain were a man, he would’ve had his face.

‘I don’t think I’m the only one who noticed. Hwang Jiho, Baekho-gun, and Jukho can see it too.’

Hwang Jiho often runs into Ahn Dain at school.

Baekho-gun worked with Ahn Dain on the Christmas Eve incident.

Those two surely know Ahn Dain’s face.

Jukho has Ahn Dain’s best friend as his student, so it’s highly likely that he saw her face through photos.

My hypothesis was almost completely verified, but there were other things to confirm.

“Do you remember your face?”

It seems like a ridiculous question at face value, but these tigers have lived thousands of years without seeing their faces.

I thought they’d ask me why I asked, but the man answered right away.

“I cannot dare to bring my face to the light under the sky, so what is the point of remembering my face?”

He didn’t answer directly, but it’s clear that he doesn’t remember.

For the wife, she must remember since she saw his face a thousand years ago when she found the treasure.

Finally, I asked the hardest question.

“Have you two ever attempted to have children again?”

I could feel the tigers turning their heads and looking at me.

I haven’t revealed the details yet, but my hypothesis must be obvious to them by now.

Jukho looked agitated and alternately looked at the husband and at me.

“No...”

A long silence settled at the end of his answer.

The tigers couldn’t speak, and I chose to be silent to organize my thoughts.

The couple didn’t seem to know why, but they assumed that I was hesitating from my lack of words.

The wife talked to Hwang Jiho about the punishment.

“What are you hesitating about? Please punish me. Our folly has concealed the treasure of the Tiger Clan for a thousand years. One day, this heart might swallow us.”

Then, the husband bowed lower.

“Even without a betrayal, a war with the Bear Clan would’ve still happened. It was bound to happen, and even when knowing that... My eyes turn dark whenever I see that child who has grown up so well.”

“The treasure is called the First Marriage’s Jewel. I couldn’t let go of the thought that it might be able to call our child’s soul.”

“We thought about putting this out because there was a benefactor who allowed us to take our revenge.”

The wife looked at me over her mask, her eyes looking very sad.

The husband pleaded guilty again and added.

They’ve been able to maintain their sanity so far.

But once his wife was corrupted, the husband also started wavering.

If they were left alone, the couple would one day be completely corrupted.

“Now that we know of this jewel’s existence, if we are not punished, we are bound to be greedy again.”

The couple spoke as if they had put everything down.

It was as if they were asking Hwang Jiho to kill them.

Since the bear was captured, which was the trigger for their miscarriage, and their revenge was fulfilled, their regrets may have disappeared already.

What then would they use the treasure for?

The couple seems to intend to die after helping the Tiger Clan last Christmas Eve.

Even if Hwang Jiho doesn’t punish them now, they may quietly make the extreme choice later.

They couldn’t speak, let alone say a single word, and just cried.

‘I wonder what happened to them in PMH.’

Kim Shinrok died and they failed to catch the bear that they wanted to take revenge on.

On top of that, Jukho died too.

The couple’s revenge couldn’t be achieved, and their sadness must have intensified.

The husband, who his wife holds onto for sanity, would’ve weakened.

‘And they were going to do something with that treasure.’

One day, the corrupt couple ran into Ahn Dain.

For some reason, they tried to use the treasure on her.

‘According to the hidden quest in Gye Bastard’s memory, there must be something more going on here, but I’m running out of clues.’

Still, I could make a guess.

It must be the Black Screen.

Perhaps the Black Screen knew the husband’s face?

If they knew about Ahn Dain’s conception dream, they would’ve naturally come for the tiger couple.

‘That’s how the couple tried to kill Ahn Dain. Without ever thinking that she was theirs.’

The man forgot his own face, while the woman couldn’t know for sure.

Drop...

Then, the wife’s mask fell on the floor.

The energy waves that kept it in place could no longer hold it.

Her face was distorted, her eyes red from crying.

It wasn’t as much as his husband, but she looked like Ahn Dain too.

“She wasn’t born to you two, but her face and her nature are yours. Why don’t you meet her since you long for her? I can check with her.”

Ahn Dain would love to meet the two of them.

However, I drew a little bit of a line because my thoughts and reality may be different.

That’s why I didn’t mention Ahn Dain’s name on purpose.

“T-that child would be very disappointed if she saw us... like this, so disheveled...”

“N-no. If the child sees us, she would be very scared...”

“She may have met good parents instead of us who are...”

Despite missing the child so much, the couple were considerate of the child and not just themselves.

I can swear that they are without a doubt much better people than Ahn Dain’s parents.

“If it were me, I would want to meet my parents as soon as possible.”

When I said that, the disturbed couple looked at me and their faces hardened.

The other tigers looked at me similarly.

The atmosphere turned strange, and I thought I shouldn’t have said it.

I couldn’t find anything to say to change the subject, but fortunately, Hwang Jiho spoke.

“I will hold you responsible for the treasure later.”

Hwang Jiho turned his head.

He was looking toward the residential area of Eungwang High, and toward Jiikhoe Hall where students gathered for an all-nighter Christmas party.

Ahn Dain is there.

Hwang Jiho asked.

“That child happens to be awake. What will you do?”

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