Chapter 150: Seon-Ho

Bong-Ju finally came home and I had him meet Yeon. Of course, Chun-Ae relied on me to look after him while she was out somewhere or another doing god knows what. He was a small timid boy who was neglected by her and used by her as a materialistic object to increase their honour and I was far too busy from the time he was born to care for him myself. Chun-Ae's oversight was already creating him to be the son who's future I was fearful for.

I know it was hard for Yeonie that I had a foster child with someone else but she was really trying to be the best stepmother to him, redecorating his room, learning to cook foods his Chun-Ae unnecessarily banned him from, when she tried to exert her power over him. Yeon started overseeing his new training equipment and sewing new clothes for him as well as her own baby all from her bed. I was so grateful to her that I eased up on my private torment on her.

Yeon was the first person he didn't seem shy to meet although I could tell his Chun-Ae had already tried to warn him to keep his distance from her. He just kept looking at her from behind my legs before slowly approaching her who had her hands stretched out waiting to hold him on the bed. She pulled me into a passionate kiss while he stared at her belly in fascination. I felt my dark edge that she had left me to rot in long ago slowly slip away and I remembered my happier days with her. She pulled us both into a family embrace in which she gave us hope of a better future together... until Chun-Ae came storming into Yeon's wing and all hell broke loose. She came in with a sword she took from my courtyard and starting screaming and swearing at Yeon before trying to stab her belly. Thankfully I grappled it away from her in time but the scare had shocked her into early labor. I wrestled Chun-Ae away from the room and had a servant take my son to his room.

"What the hell are you trying to do, kill my family?" I bellowed so loudly I could tell I had scared her despite her rage. "Your family?! I'm your family! Why are you letting my son go anywhere near that epileptic mutt! She's nothing and no one, how dare you marry her and bring her into my home! She's stealing my family away from me!' She howled.

All I could do was stare at her before laughing, a little cruelly I might add "what are you talking about? This was never your family, it was always my family, and she is mine! You failed in your duties of being a decent mother to our child, he needs her more than he needs me! He is upstairs crying his eyes out right now but of course, you are nowhere near him even now. You are sticking to me like flies on animal dung" not one word of it was a lie but I could see my words struck her like a tight slap. "YOU are mine! I've loved you long before you knew of my existence, when you used to visit the palace with your father before you even had your position and when you were nothing more than a lowly bastard!" She screamed with tears running down her face but I was just getting more angry and frustrated. Yeon was finally giving birth to my child and here I was trying to keep the wife I never wanted from killing the one I've waited years for.

"You're lying! This isn't my family? I am your wife and the mother of your child! Are you telling me you don't remember how you used to treasure me when we first met? All out those nights?" She tried to cling to me but I just slapped her hands away. I couldn't help but feel stressed the more I heard Yeon scream but I had to sort this out so our children could co-exist under the same roof. And I didn't want Yeonie to hear any of this "Listen to me carefully as I will not repeat myself again. I treated you well enough but all our times we had were not for you and you are no longer my wife." I didn't want to say anymore and rush to her but Chun-Ae was really testing my last nerve, blocking my path each time I wanted to go to her "What does that mean? They weren't for me? What are you talking about, you must tell me!" I was begging to lose my restraint as I threw her into her wing and told her quite loudly "every time I treated you well and took you out; I was always imagining that it was Yeonie from the start, I had no choice but to do so. Every time you looked at me I imagined it was her all along. You and I might have been born in the same social rank once upon a time ago but we are nothing alike. Despite your extensive flaws, I still allow you in my life only for the sake of our child as I know the pain of being separated from one's own mother. Now leave us be unless you want me to throw you out from this home and all the privileges that come with it. You are my main wife in this damned society but Yeonie will always be my only wife to me that matters." I then ran upstairs and did something completely beyond society's norms by bursting into her room and actually holding her while she birthed my child despite everyone's protests. But I knew she wanted me to be there, she kept holding onto me for dear life.

It took almost two whole days, Yeonie was in so much pain and fainted so many times I was really afraid I was going to lose her. I really wondered how her small frame could have handled it. But in the early hours of the morning my wife blessed me with not just a baby, but twins; a boy and a girl each. I don't recall every crying with happiness in my life but I guess that was what was happening; I could barely get a good enough look at them. I began rushing around the mansion like a madman; sending word to our loved ones, making sure Yonnie had plenty to eat and drink as the poor girl had to be confined to her bed she could hardly move. She fell asleep as soon as she gave birth, barely opening her eyes to look at her children. But she managed to kiss me and thank me for not leaving her alone the whole time...and that she loved me. I was truly convinced that I was the happiest person in the world at that very moment.

My boy was the plumpest of the two, crying heartily for his mother. I look at him and froze in fear for a second; what if was a bad father to him? Like mine was to me? What if I failed to raise him well? All my childhood experiences were pouring out of my memory and I felt like I could hardly breathe...until Yeonie's hand brushed mine as she lay sleeping which actually calmed me a little. I knew I wouldn't fail him if she was by my side, there was no way she would let it happen. I looked at him again, taking in his strong radiant look, and decided to name him 'Hyuk'.

My girl was the smallest of the two and the calmest until I kissed her cheek and she suddenly started crying as if she wanted more of my attention. I was drunk on happiness and couldn't stop laughing. My daughter had a very different effect on me that was hard to explain...she captured my heart and melted it as soon as she opened her eyes. I remembered Hui-Jee telling us that daughters were able to soften their fathers in ways that sons couldn't. I also remembered the soft moments Hwi had raising his sister back in our youths, it was like he was two different people! I just smiled, mesmerised by my children, and waited for their mother to wake up. I wouldn't leave their sides until she did. I decided to name my daughter 'Hana'.