Chapter 29
‘When did it start?’
The moment when he began to fixate on food.
A fleeting thought crossed Namgung Hyeo’s mind.
As he traced back through his memories, he found the answer in his childhood.
‘I couldn’t endure without eating.’
It would have been better if he’d been born the youngest.
It was a wish Namgung Hyeo held since he was a child.
His position as the second son of Namgung Hyuk felt burdensome.
Above him was Namgung Sun.
His elder brother, who was often praised for inheriting the most of their father’s talent. No matter how much Namgung Hyeo trained, he could never reach his brother’s level.
Below him was Namgung Jin.
His younger brother, known for his intelligence, inherited from their mother. He envied his brother, who could understand books that he found difficult even to read.
‘But maybe it’s a good thing.’
Namgung Hyeo decided to think positively. He was naturally optimistic.
He thought, I may lack compared to my brothers.
But doesn’t that mean I have more opportunities to work harder than they do?
Namgung Sun and Jin wouldn’t understand. They wouldn’t know what it’s like to achieve something difficult, or the incomparable sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming hardships.
So, in his own way, he lived a blessed life.
He was the embodiment of positivity.
‘Of course, it would be a lie to say it never bothered me.’
No one would insult him outright, but as the second son, he was exceptionally perceptive. He could guess what people whispered behind his back. A second son who was mediocre in both martial arts and scholarship. This was the evaluation Namgung Hyeo understood about himself.
‘Well, let’s just enjoy some good food.’
Namgung Hyeo felt happiest when he ate delicious food. In those sweet moments when food tickled his tongue, all other thoughts would fade away. Eating made him happy. It was the only indulgence in a life where he devoted himself earnestly to everything.
That’s when it began.
His obsession with eating.
To fill the emptiness in his heart, he devoured food.
And that expanded his physical needs, like a snowball rolling down a hill.
That was why Namgung Hyeo ended up with a large body.
‘Habits are indeed terrifying.’
As you age, your core becomes more solid.
His efforts never betrayed him, and he eventually became worthy of being a member of the Namgung Family.
The wandering phase of his childhood became a distant memory. Though his now larger body bothered him a bit.
‘Well, isn’t it fine like this?’
He had a wife who found his plump belly endearing. A woman who truly loved him. They even had children who inherited her cheerful disposition. Surely, that was enough.
‘I thought I could never change.’
But then, a big change came to Namgung Hyeo’s life.
It was Lee Se-woong’s plan, aimed directly at him, carried out in secret.
The plan to stuff him with chicken breast and make him healthy. A ruthless strategy, but it worked.
‘But nothing really changed…?’
Namgung Hyeo, who had shed all the fat covering his body and transformed into a muscular figure.
The thing that surprised him most wasn’t the fact that his eating habits could change. Although that was surprising, too…
What puzzled him was that the way people treated him remained the same. Even after losing weight, people’s attitudes toward him didn’t change. He received occasional passing compliments, but that was all.
‘I guess I never truly let go of that delusion.’
He lived pretending to be unaffected. Convincing himself that he no longer cared about others’ opinions.
In reality, everyone around him treated him the same, regardless of his appearance.
That realization brought back memories from his childhood.
‘It was just me who felt inferior.’
Did others think he was lacking compared to his siblings?
There was no such thing.
It was all a mirage created by his own inferiority complex.
It was while he was eating chicken breast that this realization struck him.
Namgung Hyeo had finally reached the true end of his childhood.
‘Chicken breast is the best!’
It became the turning point that dispelled his inner demons.
From then on, Namgung Hyeo became truly dedicated to chicken breast.
It had been the driving force behind his mental growth.
‘How could my brother-in-law betray me!’
It was shocking.
His brother-in-law’s quiet confession shook him.
It felt like a betrayal of trust.
‘It’s probably delicious.’
There’s a saying, “Those who have tasted good food eat well.”
The grilled eel that Lee Se-woong prepared.
He knew the flavour.
He could recall the Savory taste of the meat glazed with sauce.
But he had to resist.
That was the first step towards trapping himself again in the cycle of gluttony!
‘In the end, I ate it.’
His resolve didn’t last long.
The first bite was the hardest. Once it was done, he surrendered himself to the act, as if he had momentarily lost control of his body. When he came back to his senses, he found himself surrounded by a mountain of empty plates.
‘I’ve done it!’
He felt like a monk who couldn’t resist a single drop of water at the end of a long hardship.
Namgung Hyeo couldn’t hide his grief at breaking the promise he had made to himself.
Seeing this, Lee Se-woong spoke casually.
“Brother-in-law. You don’t have to obsess over chicken breast anymore. You can control yourself now, can’t you?”
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck.
A thunderclap echoed in Namgung Hyeo’s mind.
He felt the last lingering regret that had held him dissolve.
‘Brother-in-law, just who are you….’
Let go of your obsession.
Obsession arises from not fully trusting oneself.
To truly transcend, you must let go of that too.
Namgung Hyeo shivered with newfound understanding.
‘Thank you!’
A sense of gratitude filled his heart.
From that day on, Namgung Hyeo diligently ate the eel, filled with appreciation.
In the end, Lee Se-woong’s plan worked once more.
***
“With this, I can finally take a breather.”
It was a relief that his plan worked.
The result of enticing Namgung Hyeo into the path of gourmet indulgence.
The vast amount of eel was quickly devoured.
Namgung Hyeo, as if he had become some sort of preacher, eagerly recommended eel to the other members of the Namgung Family.
“Brother-in-law, I am always so grateful to you. Haha!”
Though the gratitude was somewhat unfounded, as long as he was happy, that was what mattered, right?
After all, completely cutting out fat isn’t good either. Well, isn’t it best when everyone is content?
“Gaga, the eel has run out.”
“Really? What a shame.”
“Shall I ask them to bring in more?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ve heard that eel prices have gone up recently. It’s probably better to enjoy other things too, don’t you think?”
And with that, I managed to avoid Yeon-hee’s clutches(?).
‘By the way, when is Namgung Hyuk returning?’
I had already prepared how to report the matter concerning the Moyong Family. The only problem was that there was no one to report it to.
Namgung Hyuk had left due to matters involving the Murim Alliance.
It’s been almost two weeks since he returned to the Namgung Family’s estate, but there’s no sign of Namgung Hyuk’s return.
Well, it’s not like what I have to report is urgent. If he was truly curious, he would have called for me separately.
I figured he’d eventually return if I just waited.
In the meantime, I spent time visiting the elders of the family. Given the time I had spent away from the family, I thought it was only proper to pay my respects.
“What kept you so busy that you didn’t even show your face?”
“Haha. I was traveling around on my father-in-law’s orders, so it took some time to unwind from the journey.”
“Aye, a young man like you shouldn’t be complaining already!”
Perhaps because I didn’t pay my respects immediately upon arrival, Namgung Hwan seemed quite sulky.
Though it might not be the most appropriate term for a man in his seventies, he had a bit of a cute side to him.
“It seems I still have much to learn in my training. You wouldn’t understand, Grandfather, being as robust as you are.”
“Oh, stop talking nonsense!”
“I even brought a gift for you, Grandfather. Will you keep scolding me?”
The gift I had prepared for Namgung Hwan was a bamboo fan with the four gentlemen (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo) elegantly engraved on it, exuding a grand atmosphere.
“What’s with the sudden fan?”
“Didn’t you mention that you found it irksome how Hwang Bo-chung always flaunted his pipe?”
“…”
“Well, when you have the upper hand, you can do this.”
Swish!
I snapped open the bamboo fan with a flourish and gently fanned it in the air.
“It shows a sense of leisure. And when you want to give advice, fold it like this.”
Snap!
I folded the fan and pointed it into the air.
“You use it like this, with a condescending gesture, like you’re scolding someone. Hwang Bo-chung would find it unbearable.”
“That’s a brilliant idea!”
Namgung Hwan’s expression brightened immediately.
Really, this elder is quite easy to please.
“But before I give you this fan… there’s one condition.”
“What condition all of a sudden?”
“You must beat me in a game.”
“Hah, do I look like someone who still struggles against you?”
“I heard you lost to Hwang Bo-chung.”
“…”
The elder’s face quickly fell.
“He used underhanded tactics! Bringing in all those scribes to analyse my games… how could I not fall for it? And it was just one loss!”
“Oh my, judging by how much you’re going on about it, it sounds like a pretty devastating defeat.”
“That…!”
“What a disappointment. I suppose I’ll have to teach you the basics all over again.”
“Agh!”
Complaining won’t help.
Well, who told you to lose in the first place?
“I’ll pay back this humiliation a thousandfold someday!”
“Grandfather.”
“What?”
“Please don’t use such strong language. It makes you look weak.”
“Arrgh!”
They say emotions dull with age, but seeing how he reacts so easily when teased, I’m certain this elder will live a long, healthy life.
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