Chapter 46
“Evidence? What evidence. What more is there to see? If the orphanage director says she can’t send the child for adoption because she’s thinking of the child’s welfare, then adding anything to that is strange in itself.”
“…….”
“Besides, I don’t even understand why you’re so intent on adopting that child. From what I hear, it was the child who wanted it?”
At Grandmother’s words, Father let out a dry chuckle.
“Yes. It was my daughter who wanted it.”
“So you adopt another child just because your daughter wants it? In a situation where we don’t even know for sure whether that child belongs to our family?”
“Mother. That’s too harsh. I thought that matter was already settled. I don’t even know anymore how much proof you expect.”
“Be that as it may, I’m opposed.”
“Even if you oppose it, I’ve already made up my mind. I won’t leave that child under the director. I will proceed with the adoption.”
At those words, both the director and Grandmother shot sharp looks at Father at the same time.
“Leocal!”
“Marquis!”
“There’s no need for the two of you to make such a fuss.”
In that moment, as if the back of her neck had seized up or she could no longer contain her anger, Grandmother suddenly sprang up from her seat—then hastily collapsed sideways.
Of course, she didn’t actually fall. As always, before she could, her arm instinctively grabbed onto the sofa.
Perhaps she had assumed Father would naturally catch her; Grandmother’s expression stiffened even more.
‘I should’ve known from the way she was slowly tipping to the side.’
As if someone had tied strings behind her, Grandmother’s movements were extremely unnatural.
“So now it seems you don’t care what happens to this old mother.”
“That’s not true.”
“You certainly speak well, Leocal. No matter how I look at it, it seems clear you truly intend to kill your own mother.”
“…….”
“My body is already unwell and it’s hard enough as it is, and yet you burden me with worries like this.”
As if it were difficult even to get angry, Grandmother flopped back onto the sofa and began groaning.
“In any case, that’s my opinion, so send the child from the orphanage away at once. I don’t want to create unnecessary trouble.”
“Is the reason you refuse to accept the child simply because of Amanet? Or because you believe what the director says?”
Grandmother, who seemed about to open her mouth and say it was because of me, instead shook her head from side to side.
“I oppose it because, by common sense, it’s simply not right. I’m only stopping you because it makes no sense for a man who calls himself a marquis to do something like this just because his young daughter wants it.”
Apparently thinking it was a reasonable justification, Grandmother smiled in self-satisfaction and looked toward the director.
“If you put it that way, there’s nothing I can do.”
Only then did Father nod, as if he had given up.
“Fine. Don’t create any more trouble. Send the child back.”
“But you’ll have to look at this.”
As Father slightly turned his head toward the back, an attendant walked forward at a steady pace.
In his arms were several sheets of paper.
“What could there possibly be to see at this point?”
“If you truly intended to take the child back for the child’s sake, I’d be willing to send her back anytime. But this director has no such intention whatsoever. I don’t know the reason, but she’s only trying to take back a child she hasn’t even cared for properly!”
“That’s slander. As if I would do such a thing. Do you know how much I love the children!”
“Is that so? Then is this the behavior of someone who can’t even produce a single recent medical record for the child?”
“That’s only because the child is extremely sensitive and wouldn’t allow examinations by others.”
This time was quite different from before. As if he had come fully prepared, he rebutted Father’s sharp questions without hesitation.
“I see.”
“Yes. If I had truly intended to abuse the child—if that were the case—would I have opened that room and shown it to you that day?”
He acted as though there were absolutely no problems on his end, as though he had no bad intentions at all and everything was simply a misunderstanding on Father’s part.
“You speak as if you showed everything. When my daughter asked to see it, you ignored her to the very end and refused to show it.”
“That was……”
“Well, none of that matters. These documents are records confirming the child’s health, obtained from multiple clinics on the very day we brought her.”
“…….”
“If Mother truly doesn’t wish to create controversy, then instead of sending the child back to the director, the right thing is for us to take her in.”
I never imagined that the documents we prepared yesterday would be used like this.
From the diagnosis issued by our family physician to those obtained from other clinics.
As soon as the attendant placed the documents in front of Grandmother, Father’s expression hardened even further.
“These are proof that the orphanage director lied.”
So that’s why, even though it was late last night, he had the doctors examine Yeoju.
“Will you still refuse to look at them this time, Mother? Taking a child away from an orphanage director who has done nothing wrong could indeed be a problem. But knowing full well that there is a problem, knowing there has been abuse, and still sending the child back—wouldn’t that be a problem for our family as well?”
At last, a smile spread across Father’s face.
It was the first time I had ever seen him express opposition so firmly—him who had always complied with Grandmother’s words.
Irritation was thickly written across Grandmother’s face. From the start, she hadn’t intended to side with the orphanage director. She had done this solely to break Father’s spirit, to force some sense into a son who refused to act according to her will.
If anything, the orphanage director must have been a welcome tool to her.
“If you refuse to read them to the end, may I assume that your intentions are not truly for the child’s sake, nor for the sake of the family?”
As if driving in the final nail, Father quietly said what he needed to say.
“You’ve changed, Leocal.”
“You’re the one who’s changed, Mother. No—were you always like this, and I simply misjudged you? You were someone who always put the family first, but……”
Only then did Grandmother, who had been wearing a displeased expression, flip through the documents Father had handed her.
“So what about it?”
“If the orphanage director truly cared for the children with love, there should certainly be at least one current medical examination.”
“That’s because the child didn’t want one!”
“Then how is it that she’s able to receive examinations now?”
Apparently he hadn’t thought that far ahead; the director was busy biting his nails.
“Well, that’s because……”
“So it’s all just excuses, then. What do you think, Mother? Even now, do you still believe I’m trying to take away a child who has no issues at all?”
If she had seen the documents—if she had only looked at them properly—there was no way she could deny that Father was right.
Grandmother seemed to think so as well, gazing at the orphanage director in deep silence.
Perhaps because her attempt to crush Father’s spirit had completely failed, her complexion gradually worsened.
“I only judged based on what the orphanage director told me. But for it to be laid out like this in documents… it seems he must have lied to me.”
Even at the end, she admitted no fault of her own. She believed she too had simply been used by the director and frantically waved it off in denial.
“That—that isn’t so much my fault, it’s just that……”
In the meantime, Father snatched the documents Grandmother was holding and threw them at the orphanage director.
“Bring the papers tomorrow at once. I’ll let this matter pass as quietly as possible.”
“…….”
“Do you want to be formally reported? For abusing children while being an orphanage director—and taking sponsorship money while doing so?”
Father’s voice grew increasingly heated. Only then did the director bite his lip hard and bow his head to the floor.
“If you want to make more excuses, go ahead. I’ll listen.”
“…….”
“Do you need the words ‘I was abused’ to come out of the child’s mouth before you come to your senses?”
“No.”
At last, as if giving up, he pushed himself to his feet.
“Then go, immediately.”
What more could he say? The director slowly lifted his head, his expression darker than before.
His eyes were filled with rage. As if he still had something to say, he stared at Father for a long moment, then nodded.
“Understood……”
With that as his final word, he turned and walked out.
Grandmother glared at Father with deep dissatisfaction.
“This time, you were right, Leocal.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might not acknowledge it this time either.”
“Yes. But Leocal—did you really have to treat your own mother like that in front of others?”
“…….”
“You took an issue that could have been handled quietly and blew it up like this. Do you know how much people will look down on me because of it? As if it weren’t enough that I live clinging to my child without even a husband, now I’m being disrespected by my own son as well!”
“…….”
“I suppose that saying about needing to die once you’re old exists for times like this. I should have died earlier if I didn’t want to see such a spectacle.”
“Mother. Stop.”
The words were firm and utterly devoid of emotion. Both Grandmother and I looked at Father in shock.
“You should stop.”
“Stop what, exactly?”
“Using such words to unsettle people’s minds. Only now do I see it clearly—your intention in saying those things.”
