Searching for the Baekho Guild brought up numerous articles, most of them praising Baek Seo-jin, the guild's heir.

Though only ten years old, he was being celebrated as a genius. The articles highlighted his humility and exemplary manners, painting him as a paragon of virtue.

Amidst the glowing praise for Baek Seo-jin, there were articles about me as well—about the tragedy that had befallen the "beloved" eldest son, Baek Seo-jun.

The content of those articles went as follows:

"Five years ago, during a villain attack… (abridged)… sympathy poured out for Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung, the grieving parents who lost their beloved eldest son, Baek Seo-jun, to the villains. (abridged) The couple expressed their deep sorrow, announcing they would take three days of seclusion to mourn in private. (abridged) The funeral was held as a family-only affair."

The article described their supposed grief. Digging further into reports from five years ago, the pattern became clear.

From the day I was sold to the villains, Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung had shamelessly played the role of tragic victims, presenting themselves as the heartbroken parents who lost their eldest son to villains.

Public sympathy had been heaped upon them for barely managing to save their younger son while losing their eldest to the villains' clutches.

Seomun Ye-jin, being only ten years old at the time, likely never saw these articles, which explained why she hadn't connected me to the Baekho Guild. But the moment I revealed myself publicly, my identity would inevitably come to light.

"Using the name Baek Seo-jun would be a mistake."

Continuing with that name would lead to instant recognition.

"How disgustingly shameless."

I muttered under my breath, and Seomun Ye-jin flinched.

Perhaps the cold edge in my voice startled her, but she didn’t panic or grab her phone away. It was her possession, after all, and I wasn’t about to break it.

"After selling me to the villains, they’ve been profiting off my name all this time."

A "tragic couple" who lost their beloved son to villains.

Anyone would sympathize with such a story.

No one could possibly imagine that these parents had actually favored their younger son to the point of selling their eldest to villains.

The comments on the old articles were filled with sympathy for Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung:

• "How heartbreaking, losing their son to villains. My heart aches for them."
• "I can't imagine the pain they're going through."
• "What can anyone say to console them?"
• "Stay strong, Baekho Guild! We’re rooting for you!"

However, scattered among the comments were whispers of the truth:

• "I have relatives in the Baekho Guild, and they said the parents mistreated Baek Seo-jun. Apparently, they wouldn’t even feed him properly, forcing him to survive on cheap meals, while lavishing everything on the younger son."

Those who had worked within the Baekho Guild likely knew the truth. They had witnessed firsthand how my so-called parents had treated me.

But their voices had been silenced. Judging by the parents’ lack of resistance during the sale, it was clear they had been threatened into keeping quiet.

Baek Hyung-won must have intimidated the witnesses, burying the truth to protect his position.

If the truth—that the guild master had sold his son to villains—were exposed, the fallout would be catastrophic.

So, they acted the part of tragic parents who couldn’t save their son despite their best efforts, using my name to bolster the Baekho Guild’s reputation.

Scrolling through the comments, I noticed others mocking the rare dissenters:

• "What’s wrong with this person?"
• "Another troll seeking attention."
• "Delete this. You’re going to get sued."
• "I heard the same thing! It’s well-known among guild staff that Baek Seo-jun was mistreated."
• "Human trash alert."

Most people blindly believed my parents’ lies, dismissing the truth-speakers as trolls. It even seemed Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung had deployed a comment brigade to suppress dissenting opinions.

"How thorough."

I never expected them to feel guilt over selling me. I had anticipated that they might exploit my name for their benefit.

Still, seeing it confirmed enraged me.

Was it because I remembered that day so vividly?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that my thirst for vengeance only burned brighter.

"Enjoy your happiness while it lasts. When you reach your peak, I’ll cast you into hell."

Resolving to pursue my revenge, I handed the phone back to Seomun Ye-jin.

"I’ve seen enough."

"Okay."

As she took the phone, her eyes caught the article I had been reading.

I didn’t bother to hide it. She quickly grasped my situation.

"Baek Seo-jun… is this about you?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

She read the article before looking up at me with concern.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?"

Her earlier hesitation about prying had disappeared. Perhaps she realized I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret, or maybe she wanted to avoid causing trouble by being ignorant of the situation.

"There’s no reason to hide it from you, so I’ll explain."

I told her the truth.

"Five years ago, my parents sold me to the villain So Kang-seok to save their favored younger son. I was taken, subjected to horrific experiments, and thrown into a dimensional rift as a test subject, left to see if I’d survive."

Seomun Ye-jin’s face turned pale as she listened.

She seemed deeply shaken, realizing my truth was far worse than anything she could have imagined.

"I turned out to be an anomaly who couldn’t die in the rift. I discovered how to grow stronger there, and now, I’ve returned."

"That’s… terrible…"

"As for the comments with high dislikes, most of them are true. Baek Hyung-won has likely silenced people, but the rumors within the Baekho Guild were common knowledge. No one would have guessed that my esteemed parents actually sold me to villains."

Seomun Ye-jin sat silently, her expression unreadable.

• Seo-jun, she’s crying.

Even without Ramisa’s observation, I could see the tears streaming down her face.

"How could they…? That’s too cruel."

Through her tears, she suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Seo-jun."

I looked at her tear-streaked face and asked, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"

"I’m… I’m just so sad for you."

"Is it pity? This isn’t something worth crying over."

"It’s… it’s my feelings. Crying and grieving are my own feelings!"

"Fair enough."

I didn’t dismiss her emotions. As one of the heroines, her kind heart was expected. Feeling sorrow for my pain was her own choice.

"Seo-jun, are you trying to keep your identity hidden?"

Her sharpness surprised me.

"Why do you think that?"

"It’s just… you’re not revealing your return publicly, and you chose to stay at my house. I thought maybe you had something you wanted to do."

Her insight amused me.

"This girl is more interesting than I thought."

"You're right. I’ve used my power to obscure my identity as Baek Seo-jun. For now, I’ll use an alias while I take care of some business."

"What kind of business?"

"What else? Hunting."

"Hunting?"

"I’m going to Somalia to hunt the SSS-Class villain So Kang-seok and retrieve the video containing the truth about that day. That’s my first goal."

This would give me a card to use against Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung—the ones who sold me.

I shared my plans with her, not because I thought she’d betray me but as a gesture of courtesy.

Her tears may not have meant much, but for the first time, someone had wept for me. This was my small way of showing gratitude.