Chapter 192 - Chapter 188: Side Story - Sisters (3)
I was a failure as a parent.
When my eldest daughter lost her mind, the emotion I felt was relief rather than worry or regret.
It was far more comforting to have her managed by Ji-ah and me than to have her pointlessly getting involved with Seon-ah again.
Deep down, I desperately wanted Hyun-ah to stay this way, and I lived in constant fear that someone might discover my true feelings.
But what the hell was happening now?
In the middle of this chaos, Ji-ah froze the moment she saw me, avoiding my gaze as if she were hiding something.
"Ji-ah... are you going to explain what the hell is going on here?"
"Oh... Mother... th-that is..."
"Well? Start talking!"
If anyone knew why Hyun-ah was acting like this, it had to be her younger sister.
Since she'd been the one looking after Hyun-ah in this room, there was no excuse for her silence.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Hyun-ah.
Her pupils were focused, clear as day.
Yet, as if Ji-ah and I didn't even exist, she kept watching the video, completely shameless.
The smartphone in her hand was clearly Ji-ah's.
What on earth was she watching that had partially restored her sanity?
I couldn't suppress my curiosity any longer.
Before Ji-ah could even open her mouth, I snatched the phone from Hyun-ah's hand.
I stared at the screen, witnessing a man letting out guttural groans while a brown-skinned woman copulated with him like a beast.
The man had ejaculated so much that the bottom of the frame was soaked in semen.
At this rate, he'd die from exhaustion during intercourse.
Then, the video zoomed in on the man's upper body.
I couldn't help but recoil in shock.
The naked body on the screen was identical to Seon-ah's.
No, the man in the video was Seon-ah.
Seeing Seon-ah's naked body had been a traumatic event for me, and the image of his torso was etched into my brain.
As that memory surfaced, my body began to tremble.
That incident back then—where I'd almost caused Seon-ah to die from exhaustion—remained a deep, festering wound.
"M... Mother, I'm sorry... I only intended to watch for a second. But suddenly, Unni snatched my phone away... That's all."
"You've lost your mind. You left a sick person unattended to watch porn right next to them? You're no better than a beast."
I couldn't bring up Seon-ah's name.
If I mentioned he looked exactly like him, Ji-ah's response would be obvious.
'How does Mom know that?'
I wouldn't have an answer for that.
I glared at my two daughters, my eyes burning with rage.
It seemed they shared my twisted sexual tastes, enjoying the brutal treatment of men.
Judging by the video, they liked things quite hardcore.
I'd separated from my husband because I'd revealed my own dark desires, and I'd prayed they wouldn't suffer the same fate. But at this rate, they were destined to repeat my mistakes.
I had to fix them before it was too late.
Hyun-ah was too far gone to reason with, but Ji-ah was still capable of thinking, so I had to correct her behavior.
'How should I scold her?'
I'd never properly disciplined a child who was already an adult, and I was at a loss for how to handle it.
After checking the history on Ji-ah's phone for "p-hub," I was terrified that my younger daughter might be doing the same things to Seon-ah.
The history went back to yesterday.
Every single video featured Seon-ah.
It was as if her own cousin was her specific type.
Learning this, Ji-ah started to look like a monster, just like Hyun-ah.
I needed to hear the truth, so I forced myself to speak in a gentle, non-threatening tone.
I pretended I wouldn't be angry if she just told me the truth.
"Ji-ah... will you be honest with me? The man in these videos... they all look like your cousin. Is that just a coincidence?"
"Th... that's right, it's a coincidence... It kept popping up on the main page, so I just clicked it."
She didn't fall for my trap.
She was lying, and I knew it.
"But there were videos here that didn't pop up on the main page. Are you going to tell me the truth?"
"I'm sorry... He looked like Seon-ah oppa... so I clicked them. But I don't like Seon-ah oppa. I was just curious."
'You don't like him, but you're sexually obsessed with him? Just like the videos?'
It was exactly like Hyun-ah.
Hyun-ah didn't "like" him either, but she exploited him to satisfy her own sick desires.
My worst fears were becoming reality.
My head was spinning.
I had to make sure Ji-ah never went down the same path as her sister.
I decided to take special measures.
"Cr... crazy, what is this..."
Ji-ah was completely bewildered.
She'd been caught watching porn, her sister had snatched her phone, and then I'd walked in at the worst possible moment.
My head was throbbing.
I was terrified of what she thought of me, but seeing the look in my eyes, she was paralyzed with fear.
She wasn't worried about her status as a successor; she was terrified of what my "punishment" would be.
And after agonizing over it, the punishment I chose was humiliating.
"Ji-ah, from now on, you are to take your sister with you everywhere."
"Yes?..."
"Whether you're commuting, working at the guild, or doing anything at all, sticking together and taking care of your sister is your punishment."
She couldn't comprehend my reasoning.
Take Hyun-ah, who wandered around drooling, with her everywhere?
It wasn't just an embarrassing request; it was a social death sentence.
'Even without this, Unni is already rumored to be a fool within the guild...'
"Wh... why?..."
"It's so you can keep an eye on her in case she suddenly regains her sanity... but you know exactly why she lost it in the first place, don't you?"
What I'd said was shocking.
Since she'd heard from my own mouth that Hyun-ah had been caught by the Demons while trying to rape Seon-ah, the implication was clear.
I wanted her to use her sister as a cautionary tale and reflect on her own actions.
"If you don't want to end up like your sister, use her as a mirror. Keep your heart in check while you watch over her."
With that bolt from the blue, a strange new life for the two of them began.
Because of Unni, I had to wake up an hour earlier than usual.
Since we had to commute together, I had to wash her, dry her hair, dress her, and then get myself ready.
I hated that she kept drooling, so I had to carry a stack of handkerchiefs.
If she kept acting like this while stuck to my side, I'd be the one getting criticized.
"Haa..."
As I held Unni's hand and stared at the main gate of the Han-il Guild headquarters, a heavy sigh escaped me.
"Will I even be able to work properly today..."
I felt like I was losing my mind.
Just as Mother ordered, I took Unni everywhere.
What was annoying at first became familiar after a month.
Though I never got used to the stares of the people around us.
Nevertheless, it felt strangely fresh.
No... it felt like returning to the old days.
I thought maybe we had returned to being close sisters, back before we awakened our abilities.
And then, the unexpected happened.
Today, I took Unni out for a walk.
On the stairs leading up to the park, she started drooling again, so I pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"Unni. Drooling again? How sloppy of you..."
Although she hadn't fully regained her sanity, her behavior had normalized quite a bit since I'd started taking care of her.
It was rare for her to drool like this anymore.
On top of that, she would sometimes grab my hand first and just stare blankly at me.
Memories of the old days?
It was much better than that.
It felt like I had become the Unni.
Since she was a bit taller than me, having a slightly bigger younger sister seemed to fit perfectly.
After wiping Hyun-ah's mouth, her face looked clean and shiny.
Unni, who had turned into a young baby, was finally building a good relationship with me.
My life was just too happy.
There was no need to fight over the successor position or let our tempers flare.
This new dynamic had brought us closer.
I realized how foolish I'd been to curse Mother in my heart, never understanding her true intentions.
With that thought, I reached to put the handkerchief back in my pocket.
However, a sudden gust of wind blew it from my hand.
The handkerchief I always used to wipe her mouth.
Thinking it was hers, Unni reached out toward it.
And on the stairs leading to the park, she tumbled downward.
The sound of Unni rolling down the stairs made my head spin.
As I turned toward the sound and witnessed the tragedy, I...
felt like my heart was going to stop.