Chapter 9.4

“Housekeeper Woo, what is my wife doing?”

– Ah, you’re calling because you couldn’t reach Madam, right? She dropped her phone this morning, and it broke.

Was that why Eun-sol hadn’t replied? 

He felt a slight sense of relief.

“Can you put my wife on the phone?”

– Ah, she went out for a walk with Mong-mong.

Her usual routine was enough to reassure him. Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t shake off his unease.

On the contrary, his instincts, sharpened like an animal’s, were reacting sensitively. And most of the time, those instincts were right.

“Was there anything unusual about her behavior?”

At Jeong-hyeok’s question, Housekeeper Woo hesitated before replying.

– How did you know? Actually, Madam skipped breakfast this morning. And yesterday, when she returned from going out, she seemed a bit off. She even checked the ringtone on my phone all of a sudden….

A cold chill ran through his chest.

– She also forgot to take the water bottle for the dog walk. With this heatwave, she’s been particularly careful to bring it along to prevent Mong-mong from getting dehydrated.

Just then, the group that had gone out to smoke returned in a noisy cluster. The surroundings became lively again.

“Understood. Keep a close eye on my wife’s movements and report back to me.”

After ending the call, Jeong-hyeok bit down softly on his lower lip. He couldn’t shake the strong premonition that something was about to happen.

“Chief Cheon, secure a flight back to Korea. The sooner, the better.”

“What? Ah, I’ll look into it. But….”

He already knew what Chief Cheon was about to say. The place they were in now was a war-torn area that had just seen the fighting end. Like other countries, the airport here wasn’t operating normally. Flights were rare, occurring maybe once every few days—if that.

They had even arrived here using the presidential plane.

“Look into it anyway. Layovers are fine, whatever it takes to get us back to Korea as soon as possible. If necessary, consider all illegal routes as well.”

* * *

The next day, Eun-sol visited Vice Minister Yoon’s residence again. This time, Vice Minister Yoon, who was at home, personally came out to greet her.

“I feel so bad for constantly receiving help from you, Vice Minister Yoon.”

“When I see you, Eun-sol, I think of my younger sister. If she had grown up without that medical accident, she’d probably be about your age by now. Her name was Yoon-seul. Your name reminded me of hers, so you’ve never felt like a stranger to me.”

Eun-sol nodded slightly. She was so grateful that she couldn’t even bring herself to say “thank you.” Words alone felt insufficient to express her feelings.

Vice Minister Yoon brought out a warm bowl of abalone porridge. Lately, her nerves had been so on edge that she couldn’t eat anything, but she finished the bowl, thinking of the sincerity behind it.

“Oh, about what we discussed yesterday. Just in case, I had several products from different pharmaceutical companies brought in.”

Inside the pharmacy bag handed over by Vice Minister Yoon was a pregnancy test kit.

With trembling hands, Eun-sol accepted it. Lately, she had been feeling nauseous and experiencing dry heaving. She thought it might just be psychological, but Vice Minister Yoon suggested it would be best to confirm things accurately.

“Take your time, and don’t worry.”

Eun-sol stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. After hesitating for a while, she opened the pregnancy test kit.

Memories from a few months ago suddenly resurfaced. Back when she was at the seaside mansion, during the time she doubted whether Kwon Jeong-hyeok was truly her husband, she had nervously used a pregnancy test kit.

‘I never thought I’d have to check for pregnancy again under such miserable circumstances….’

Her current emotions were far more bleak and complicated than back then.

Just like before, she desperately hoped for a single line. Having a child in her current situation would be troublesome.

Since she had done it once before, she was familiar with how to use the kit. With a trembling heart, Eun-sol stared at the result window.

‘Please, let it be one line.’

No, let it be two lines.

Amid her mental turmoil, a faint desire for two lines began to take root in her heart.

‘One line….’

No, two lines….

Even during that brief moment, her emotions swung back and forth chaotically.

Three minutes later, the result appeared.

“…Ah!”

Eun-sol collapsed to the floor. Even after rubbing her eyes and looking again, it was undeniably two lines.

Just to be sure, she tried using a test kit from another pharmaceutical company, but the result was the same.

After a while, Eun-sol finally emerged from the bathroom, her face half-dazed. Vice Minister Yoon was waiting anxiously outside the door.

Eun-sol showed the pregnancy test kit to Vice Minister Yoon.

“Congratulations, Eun-sol.”

Surprisingly, Vice Minister Yoon said this.

As if nothing had happened, as if no misfortune could possibly occur, Vice Minister Yoon’s casual congratulations momentarily filled Eun-sol’s heart with an overwhelming emotion.

Soon after, Vice Minister Yoon made a phone call.

“Yes, Senior Choi. Tomorrow at 6 PM. Yes, after regular consultations are over, please arrange for a discreet checkup. Make sure no records are left. Thank you, Senior. I’ll treat you to a meal.”

But it was merely an illusion. “No records for the consultation.” In reality, she couldn’t simply visit the obstetrician and rejoice like other mothers.

Staggering, Eun-sol sat down on the sofa. She could faintly hear Vice Minister Yoon making an appointment for an obstetrics consultation.

Pregnancy, an obstetrics consultation, the truth she had to face, and an unpredictable future—all of it felt unfamiliar, as if it belonged to someone else.

‘I thought I had to know the truth no matter what….’

Eun-sol closed her eyes. 

Was that truly the right thing to do?

Now that she carried his child in her womb, she felt even less confident.

* * *

The evening sky was covered with heavy clouds. There wasn’t even a hint of a breeze.

– As Typhoon No. 7, ‘Doksuri,’ approaches directly toward the Korean Peninsula… we urge all citizens to take extra precautions to avoid any damage.

Inside the taxi heading toward the obstetrics clinic, the weather forecast about the typhoon played repeatedly. The streets were quiet.

“It’s truly the calm before the storm. After dropping you off, I think I’ll call it a day.” 

The taxi driver said, nervously glancing at the looming dark clouds.

“The calm before the storm… It really is….”

Eun-sol repeated the phrase in her mind, nodding. Everything truly felt like the calm before the storm.

The waiting room at the obstetrics clinic was empty when she arrived. While the typhoon played a role, it was also thanks to Vice Minister Yoon’s arrangement that she could have the consultation after regular hours.

She was relieved. If she had seen couples happily visiting the clinic together, it would have been even harder for her to bear.

She entered the consultation room. The doctor inserted the ultrasound probe and spoke immediately.

“Congratulations. You’re eight weeks pregnant.”

With a faint gaze, Eun-sol stared at the ultrasound screen. There was indeed something on the screen.

“This is your baby. It doesn’t quite look like a baby yet, though.”

The fetus hadn’t yet taken on a human form, but amidst its uncertain shape, the presence of a heartbeat was unmistakable.

“Now, let’s listen to the heartbeat.”

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump—

The precise rhythm of the heartbeat brought a small smile to her face.

“The baby must take after its father. He’s just as precise.”

Murmuring as if in a trance, tears soon began to fall.

Ah, she truly didn’t know how to process or handle all of this.

“When you’re pregnant, emotional fluctuations are completely normal.” 

The doctor reassured.

The doctor casually pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. It was clear the doctor didn’t understand. If only it were as simple as hormones causing her tears.

“In the early stages of pregnancy, there are many variables. It’s not unusual to miscarry at this stage, so make sure to avoid stress.”

Eun-sol carefully tucked the ultrasound photo into her belongings. By the time she hurried back to Vice Minister Yoon’s mansion, heavy rain had begun to fall, signaling the imminent arrival of the typhoon.

“Vice Minister Yoon, I’m back.”

“…You’ve worked hard. Is the baby healthy?”

After briefly relaying the details of her obstetrics consultation, she sat across from Vice Minister Yoon with two cups of rooibos tea placed between them.

On the table in front of Vice Minister Yoon were scattered photos, reports, and various documents.

“Actually, the information you asked me to find about your father has just arrived.”

It wasn’t clear whether Chairman Kwon Gi-jo was her biological father, but legally, Eun-sol did have a father registered in her family registry. This was an opportunity to learn more about him as well.

“This man is your father.”

Vice Minister Yoon handed her a photo that had been sitting on the table.

“…This man is my dad?”

The photo Vice Minister Yoon handed her showed a middle-aged man wearing a prison uniform, attending a religious meeting in a correctional facility.

“I didn’t know my dad was a criminal….”

It was a shock. She had assumed he was simply poor or an ordinary working-class parent….

Now she understood why Jeong-hyeok always clammed up whenever the topic of her parents came up.

“Still, he was a model inmate. If it weren’t for complications from diabetes….”

On the table was also a death certificate for her father, who had passed away several years ago.

“What was his crime?”

Her throat tightened, making it difficult to speak.

“He served time several times for simple gambling. The real issue, however, is that he was later imprisoned for kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping?”

Eun-sol’s tangled voice burst out. Gambling was one thing, but kidnapping was a serious crime.

“Yes. That’s… well, how should I put this….”

Vice Minister Yoon, uncharacteristically, stumbled over her words. It seemed there was even more shocking news to follow.

“What on earth is it?”

“The person your father kidnapped was….”

Crash—Boom!

At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck outside, splitting the sky.