"Later, when you inherit the memorial rituals, you’ll have to handle them at this level to uphold the family’s honor.”

“I’m not inheriting them.”

“What?”

“The ancestral rites—I’m not taking them over.”

The cold, decisive tone left a stunned silence in its wake.

“What... What are you saying? If you don’t take over the rituals, then who will? You’re the only son of the eldest brother! It’s the eldest grandson’s duty to inherit them!”

Although Heeju felt like an ignored bystander, she found herself included in every conversation. The relatives were intent on making use of her somehow.

“If you want the inheritance, you have to take the ancestral rites too!”

“Then you take them, Uncle.”

“What?”

“If I inherit them, I’ll abolish them in my generation anyway.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now…!”

“Anyone who wants to perform the rituals is welcome to take them over.”

Baek Sa-eon swept his gaze across his bewildered relatives and announced it like an auctioneer putting something up for sale.

A chilling silence settled over the mansion.

His mother shrugged her shoulders, observing the scene with amusement.

“And don’t even think about making my wife handle it. I didn’t marry her to have her serve food to the dead.”

“...!”

“Trying to freeload off others’ work won’t bring blessings from the ancestors.”

His biting words made even Heeju feel uncomfortable as the tension in the air prickled her skin like static electricity.

“What? The dead?”

One of the uncles, face flushed with anger, raised his voice.

“This insolent brat! If it weren’t for your father’s legacy, it would’ve taken everyone here at least another decade to achieve their promotions and election victories!”

“Yes, it seems so,” Sa-eon replied, unperturbed.

“And now you call him ‘the dead’?”

“Well, isn’t he?”

His expression remained stoic, devoid of any emotion.

“Respecting one’s ancestors and exploiting my wife are two entirely different matters. I won’t stoop to such pathetic acts.”

“You… You insolent…”

“At a time when I should be feeding my wife properly, you have the audacity to…”

He clicked his tongue sharply.

The firm grip of his hand in hers felt so weighty it was almost burdensome. Watching her husband fight on her behalf without flinching made Heeju’s heart flutter unexpectedly.

“If you want the family to become even stronger, you should start by keeping your children in line. I hear all about the disgraceful things they’re up to.”

“...!”

Unable to best him in words, the anger turned toward Heeju.

“This is why we should’ve ensured the right kind of person married into the family…”

Sa-eon let out a soft laugh.

“If the ancestral rites are so important to you, why did you focus on the wealth of your sons-in-law’s families when marrying them off? If you think marriage is just about preparing meals for ghosts, you should’ve married them to shamans.”

“You… You wretched brat…!”

The uncle’s chin trembled with rage.

Unable to watch any longer, Heeju tugged on Sa-eon’s hand. He raised an eyebrow but finally closed his mouth.

“My dear.”

At that moment, her mother-in-law’s soft voice cut through the tension like a knife.

“Do you see my bag on the table over there? Could you take it to the study for me?”

When their eyes met, her mother-in-law offered a gentle smile. Finally, Sa-eon released the tension in his grip.

‘My heart nearly shriveled up…!’

Fleeing to the second floor like a startled rabbit, Heeju glanced back at the living room. The atmosphere was still razor-sharp, thanks to the storm Sa-eon had stirred.

The mother-in-law’s study was peaceful.

Surrounded by books on all sides, the stiffness in her shoulders began to ease naturally.

Clenching and unclenching her still-tingling hand, she placed the bag on a chair.

“Hmm…?”

Her gaze fell on something atop the desk, freezing her in place.

Several old photo frames.

Wedding photos, family portraits, award ceremony pictures—and among them, a chubby photo of baby Sa-eon at his first birthday celebration drew her attention.

Suppressing a grin, she picked up the frame.

‘This baby would grow up to be…’

Without realizing it, she shivered slightly.

Dressed in a colorful hanbok, young Sa-eon held something tightly in his hands, likely from the traditional first birthday ritual.

Upon closer inspection, it was an early commercial mobile phone—an expensive item only the wealthy could afford in the 1980s—and a toy hammer.

‘Wow…’

For a child, he’d certainly chosen something unusual.

Quickly placing the frame back as if she hadn’t seen it, Heeju turned her gaze away, feeling a strange pang of guilt.

As she prepared to leave the room, her brows furrowed.

“Huh?”

A pamphlet on the desk caught her attention.

“Yuhan Funeral Services.”

In bold, tidy lettering, the document detailed the company’s offerings for funeral arrangements: ceremonial supplies, vehicle services, support staff, and more.

‘Why would she have something like this?’

Tilting her head in curiosity, Heeju lingered briefly before stepping out of the study. The puzzling sight faded from her mind as she walked away.

***

A quiet scent of incense filled the air.

While the family elders bowed in reverence, Heeju sat in the reception room, observing the scene from a distance.

Her mother-in-law, who had smelled of food earlier, had changed into a purple dress. She was now offering liquor to the late Baek Jang-ho, her eyes red as she looked up at the photograph of her deceased father-in-law. Yet, she quickly brushed away her tears and approached the women gathered in the room.

“Go ahead and eat first. Why wait?”

The reception room was filled with women—direct daughters-in-law like her mother-in-law, nieces by marriage, and aunts-in-law.

Caught in the middle of this group, Heeju couldn’t even lean back against her chair. It was far from a comfortable seat.

“Well, sister-in-law, what does Sa-eon eat to grow so tall?”

“He’s just like his father.”

Standing at around 188 centimeters, Baek Sa-eon was the only one of his generation with such height. Even in a crowd of countless relatives, he was the one who stood out.

As the topic turned to Sa-eon, who had caught her attention earlier, Heeju instinctively tuned in.

“Back then, he was lively and talkative—I never thought he’d grow so reserved.”

“Sa-eon? Really?”

An aunt by marriage asked in surprise.

“He had so much energy; he was hard to manage.”

But the Baek Sa-eon that Heeju remembered was a sharp and somewhat precarious young man. Because of that vivid first impression, her mother-in-law’s words felt hard to reconcile.

The aunt by marriage pursed her lips.

“Sister-in-law, you raised him so uniquely. Was it because he was the eldest grandson? You never let him out much. Honestly, after his first birthday, I hardly remember anything about him.”

“Well, he was also my firstborn. I suppose I wanted to raise him well, though it was quite the burden.”

“But you kept him too sheltered…!”

“That wasn’t me—it was my father-in-law,” her mother-in-law said with a faint smile.

“He didn’t want people talking about him unnecessarily. He personally oversaw every detail and taught him everything. There’s a lot I owe him for that.”

This was a story Heeju had never heard before.

Sitting stiffly, she found herself straightening her back even more, the discomfort spreading. As she subtly massaged her aching lower back, she met her mother-in-law’s gaze.

“My dear, if it’s too much, why don’t you go upstairs and rest?”

“…”

Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

The conversation had already shifted to the upcoming presidential election. Fidgeting with her fingers, Heeju shook her head lightly to signal that she was fine.

“Don’t overdo it. We’re fine here, so go ahead and rest. You’ve just been discharged; your body isn’t fully recovered yet…”

“Exactly. You’re not so indispensable that things won’t go on without you.”

The remark was laced with a barbed undertone.

Looking around, she could hear the hushed whispers: “Oh, so that’s her? The one who can’t talk…”

Is this what it feels like to be an ugly duckling among swans? Feeling the piercing stares, Heeju slowly got up from her seat.

The sharp gazes weighed heavily on her.

When Baek Sa-eon had stood beside her earlier, shielding her, she hadn’t noticed the full extent of it.

Now, as she climbed the stairs alone, she couldn’t help but reflect on how considerate he had been.

Creeeeak—

The door hinges emitted a rusty squeak, as if the room had been unused for a long time.

It was just her husband’s old room, yet her throat felt dry as she stepped inside.

The atmosphere was steeped in Baek Sa-eon’s presence, as though he were imprinted on the walls and floors.

A room devoid of warmth.

Running her palm along the cold, cement-like wall, she moved further in.

“So, this is the room Baek Sa-eon used as a child…”

Unused furniture draped in white cloth gave the space an eerie feel.

Given that he had moved out in his twenties, the room was essentially a storage space now.

Breathing in the faint scent of dust, she plopped down onto the bed.

“Hmm…?”

Blinking, she turned her gaze toward the window.

“…I can see my room from here.”

Pressing her face against the glass, her sharp nose flattened against it.

From his room, she could see the neighboring house—Chairman Hong’s residence.

More specifically, she could see the small room on the second floor.

That little space, wedged between a window and a wall, was where she had placed a small desk to practice sign language late into the night.

Lost in thought, Heeju stared at her old room with a peculiar sense of nostalgia.

Learning a new language had been difficult, and her mother’s stern gaze had locked her lips like a padlock on a child’s mouth.

Even so, the desperate hunger for approval had driven young Heeju to practice until dawn, her hands tirelessly signing.

‘Did he ever see me?’

The thought crossed her mind when the door suddenly burst open.

“Hong Heeju.”

“…!”

Without even turning on the light, he strode toward her, his steps steady and unhesitating.

In the darkness, his piercing gaze gleamed vividly.