Live Well Without Me-Chapter 17

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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The next day, I told Jin Gwang-woo that I would side with him.

Jin Gayeong had told me to stay quiet, but I was curious about how Jin Gwang-woo would strategize.

To avoid suspicion, I naturally didn’t forget to demand the position of Naedang Dangju, the second-highest position after the family head.

This way, I could also get closer to the center of political maneuvering.

“The Jin Family Council will soon be convened.”

Of course, Jin Gwang-woo isn’t foolish enough to completely trust me just because of that.

So, I gave Jin Gwang-woo some fake information from Jin Gayeong’s side.

Information that seemed real at first glance but would reveal itself as false upon closer inspection—deceptive information meant to mislead.

At the same time, I took off my mask, and he completely believed me.

“You plan to settle things at the Jin Family Council, don’t you?”

“The family head position will go to Gayeong. Since she holds the position of successor, there’s no way around that.”

“I see.”

I could already predict what he would say next.

A way to hold the family head’s power without being the family head.

“I plan to take the position of acting family head.”

That’s all.

“Acting family head?”

I feigned ignorance, keeping a straight face.

This is all too familiar to me.

“As you know, Baek Do-gak, Gayeong is not yet of age.”

“So, you’ll act as the family head until she comes of age, under the pretext of her being too young?”

“That’s the idea. It’s not uncommon, is it?”

I couldn’t let this slide too easily.

Suspicion often sprouts from trust, after all.

Hadn’t I been betrayed by Yoo So-eun and Namgung Soo-ah?

“Wait a minute, then we need to revisit our earlier discussion.”

“Huh? What’s the problem?”

“The young lady has only two years left until she comes of age. So, in two years, I’ll be out of a job, won’t I?”

“Ah, about that…”

“You promised me the position of Naedang Dangju, and I trusted you enough to side with you. But if I’m going to lose that position in a couple of years, why should I stay on your side? I might as well just stay by the young lady’s side and live comfortably.”

I spoke with a hint of anger.

Like a petty person who only cares about martial prowess.

“Hey, Baek Do-gak. I didn’t expect you to be so hot-tempered. Don’t worry.”

“Do you have a backup plan?”

“Let me explain.”

The door opened, and a girl who had been waiting outside entered.

It was Jin Ye-ryeong, the second princess of the Taiyuan Jin Family, whom I had encountered a few times over the past three days.

“Why is the second princess here…?”

I feigned surprise.

“I’ll explain the plan my uncle and I have prepared. Is that alright, Uncle?”

“Uh, yes… of course…”

Jin Ye-ryeong naturally sat down at the table where Jin Gwang-woo and I were seated and began to speak.

Jin Gwang-woo seemed uncomfortable with her presence.

“For the two years that my sister will serve as the provisional family head… during that time, my uncle and I will use the family head’s authority to frame her.”

“Frame her, you say?”

“Yes, we’ll make her out to be mentally ill and send her to the Sacheon Dang Family’s medical hall under the pretext of treatment. It’s called treatment, but it’s essentially a prison.”

“I see.”

“After that, I’ll take over as the provisional family head. My uncle will continue to act as the family head. Then, when I come of age, I’ll officially become the family head.”

I thought Jin Gayeong’s only enemy was Jin Gwang-woo, but it seems Jin Ye-ryeong is also in on it.

“Baek Do-gak, you don’t need to worry. Whether my uncle is acting as the family head or I am, the position of Naedang Dangju will be yours. Just do one thing for us. You’re her closest confidant, right? When the time comes, just testify once that Jin Gayeong is mentally ill.”

“Hmm…”

“We’ll take care of everything else. All you need to do is say one word. Do you understand?”

My demand for an excessive reward bore fruit.

I had uncovered Jin Ye-ryeong hidden within Jin Gwang-woo.

And, I also learned their plan.

“I understand. Truly, the uncle and niece are both master strategists. I, Baek Do-gak, am genuinely impressed.”

“Thank you for accepting. I’ll take my leave now, so you two can continue your discussion.”

“Yes, I look forward to working with you.”

“I look forward to it as well.”

After Jin Ye-ryeong left with a faint smile.

Jin Gwang-woo, now alone with me, smiled even more wickedly than Jin Ye-ryeong had.

“Baek Do-gak, don’t get too close to Ye-ryeong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, you know what I mean. Those young kids might be naive enough to fall for that mental hospital act, but you and I are seasoned enough to know that the best course of action is to eliminate the roots.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say it outright. Whether it’s Gayeong or Ye-ryeong, from our perspective, what’s the difference?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Jin Gwang-woo made a gesture of slitting his throat.

The meaning behind that action was clear.

“I’m proposing we split it between us. Take care of both Gayeong and Ye-ryeong. Of course, if we deal with Gayeong first and then Ye-ryeong, I’ll naturally be suspected of being the next family head, so we should deal with Ye-ryeong first.”

“Huh.”

“I assume you understand my meaning?”

Jin Ye-ryeong saw me as a tool to eliminate Jin Gayeong.

But this guy saw both Jin Gayeong and Jin Ye-ryeong as targets to be eliminated.

Of course, an old fox is more cunning than a young one.

—

A man with a mix of robustness and bulk sat at the center of the Namgung Family estate, resting his chin on his hand.

In front of him stood a one-eyed man.

Namgung Bin, the family head of the Namgung Family, and his right-hand man, Cheolho-gak (Iron Tiger Guest).

They were waiting for news from Baek Dong-sa-wang, who had gone to the Assassin’s Guild to make a request.

“Hmm… no matter how I think about it, something feels off…”

Namgung Bin was making an uncharacteristically uneasy expression.

“My lord, what have you been thinking about so deeply?”

Cheolho-gak, sensing something was amiss, asked.

“Huh? Ah, there’s just something on my mind. No matter how much I think about it, there’s one thing I can’t figure out…”

Namgung Bin furrowed his brows even more as he replied.

“Please share it with me. I’ll do my best to help with your concerns.”

“It’s not something your brain can solve… but well, I suppose it’s better to ask for your opinion than to keep struggling alone.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

And so, Namgung Bin began to share his concerns.

“Don’t you think… things have been going too smoothly?”

“Huh?”

“I mean… it doesn’t feel natural. For the past three years, everything I’ve set in motion has gone suspiciously well…”

“Wait, are you saying that things going well is a problem?”

“That’s not the issue. It’s just that… especially with Cheolbin, it feels off.”

Cheolho-gak couldn’t easily understand Namgung Bin’s concerns.

If things were going well, shouldn’t he be happy? Why was it a cause for worry?

“Think about it. It’s easy to deceive the world, so I could frame Cheolbin as a villain. That was a given, like a predetermined outcome.”

“Isn’t that because your schemes are too perfect?”

“Sigh, I’m not done yet. Anyway… the real problem is, why did his family fall for it so easily?”

“Are you talking about Yoo So-eun and Namgung Soo-ah?”

“Yes, they’re the only direct family members within the Namgung Family. But… even though Cheolbin had been reclusive since the war ended, how could his family believe the rumors? They’ve lived together for years, haven’t they?”

“Well… is that so? My wife betrayed me and had an affair with another man…”

“Is Cheolbin and Yoo So-eun’s relationship the same as yours? They were both reserved, but even so, it’s not like distrust would just settle in. No matter what people outside said, they saw him every day. How could they not believe in such a husband?”

No matter how much Namgung Bin explained, Cheolho-gak couldn’t understand.

“Hmm… wasn’t it because of that day, when you planted a lip mark on the Sword Saint’s cheek? You even called in a professional artist to do it.”

“That’s right, Yoo So-eun’s attitude started to change drastically from that day. But… isn’t it strange for someone’s heart to change so suddenly? From what I know, people’s hearts don’t change that easily.”

“Well, who knows? It might be different for different people.”

“Tsk, tsk. That’s why you ended up with a wife like yours.”

“Ugh…!”

Cheolho-gak grimaced as if his weak spot had been hit.

Regardless, Namgung Bin continued to vent his growing unease.

“And, most of all, what I can’t understand is Cheolbin.”

“The Sword Saint?”

“I’ve never met anyone who could read people’s hearts as well as Cheolbin. Even during the war, I never harbored any ulterior motives in front of him. He always saw through me.”

“…Is that so?”

Cheolho-gak, who had spent his life honing his martial arts, didn’t understand what it meant to read people’s hearts, but he just went along with it.

He had never seen his lord make a mistake.

“But… since when? He stopped reading my heart. From then on, I started planning and brought him down. At first, it was just rumors, then I created solid evidence, and step by step, I set up witnesses and proof.”

“Right. But what’s strange about the Sword Saint?”

“He… didn’t resist.”

“Huh?”

He didn’t resist?

Cheolho-gak’s mind went blank at the unexpected topic.

“Didn’t he try to explain himself? It’s just that no one listened.”

“That’s what’s strange. A martial artist trying to explain himself? I thought he’d at least draw his sword and cause a scene. In fact, that’s what I was most worried about. If he did that, there’d be no one to stop him.”

“Isn’t that just his personality? Even if he wanted to cause a scene, he wouldn’t have the justification… so he just tried to explain himself.”

“His personality? What’s Cheolbin’s personality like?”

“Well, he’s gentle… values righteousness… doesn’t draw his sword recklessly, right?”

“Who? Him?”

As if he had heard something unbelievable, Namgung Bin widened his eyes and asked again.

Cheolho-gak couldn’t help but be flustered.

“No… my lord… that’s scary…”

Seeing him shrink back, Namgung Bin softened his tone.

“Well, I suppose it might seem that way to you. But his true nature is different.”

Namgung Bin cleared his throat and continued.

“During the war… only someone like me, who was his closest confidant, could have seen it. The Sword Saint… well, it’s more accurate to say he’s obsessed with righteousness than that he values it.”

“Huh…?”

“Don’t you think it’s strange that the Blood Cultists called him the Sword Demon? He didn’t leave a single Blood Cultist alive, chasing them down to the end and killing them as cruelly as possible.”

“Huh?? The Sword Saint did that?”

“Once, he even piled up the bodies of Blood Cultists to make a mountain. When I asked why, he said it was ‘venting.’ The atmosphere was so terrifying that I couldn’t ask further. Anyway… why would such a man respond so meekly?”

“Hmm…”

“The man who showed no mercy to evil people, why did he accept being framed and expelled by us without resistance? If he had gone mad, he should have been more violent, so why did he act so weakly?”

“Is… that so?”

As he listened, Cheolho-gak found himself oddly convinced and nodded blankly.

Meanwhile, Namgung Bin grew increasingly burdened by his unease.

“It’s definitely strange… even though I hoped he wouldn’t resort to force…”

Namgung Bin’s fingers moved back to his chin.

“It’s good for me… but it’s strange… really strange…”

“Hmm…”

“Soo-ah, who believed the rumors too easily, is strange… Yoo So-eun, who changed as if she had been waiting for it, is strange…”

“Listening to you, I’m starting to think differently too…”

As Cheolho-gak tried to put his arm around Namgung Bin’s shoulder to show sympathy.

Thud-.

“……!”

“……!”

Both of them suddenly raised their heads and looked in the same direction.

The energy detection that had spread throughout the Namgung Family estate sensed ‘one presence.’

Baek Dong-sa-wang, the former leader of the White Serpent Squad and now Namgung Bin’s left hand.

And…

“He’s here…!”

Even without any sound or presence.

“Is this… is this the killing intent a human can possess…?”

A vast, endless energy that made it clear ‘he’ was coming.

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