Escaping the Mystery Hotel - Chapter 428
Only Krnovel
EP.428 Episode 428 – A Family with a Backbone (4)
Episode 428 – A Family with a Backbone (4)
– Han Ga-in
It didn’t take long for the country house to become a mess.
From the beginning, Ari didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding the fact that she had damaged the car tire.
Naturally, the shocked adults started screaming, and my parents had to apologize repeatedly and promise to pay for the repairs.
Ari and I got so confused together.
…
Why am I getting scolded too?
You said you didn’t take good care of your younger sibling?
Does this make sense?
I told him that Ari suddenly knocked me to the ground with a movement that seemed to be from someone who had mastered Muay Thai, but I felt wronged because no one believed me.
It was Ari’s attitude that turned this absurd situation into a comedy.
Seeing Ari apologizing in a half-hearted manner, saying, “Time, go by~” instead of reflecting, her father could no longer stand it any longer and told her to roll up her calves in front of her relatives.
Then Ari yawned and said something crazy like, ‘It’s time to start acting more freely now,’ and ran away!
“Hey, Hanari! Don’t come here!”
“Goodbye everyone~!”
“I, that crazy thing -”
And so Ari disappeared like the wind.
What’s left are the adults who have expressions on their faces like, “What on earth is going on?”
“Hahaha! I don’t know who you are, but you’ve raised your daughter really well. Hey, stop chasing after her! Who are you to blame for the brats being so selfish? They’ll come when it’s mealtime!”
All I saw was my great-grandfather laughing like crazy.
*
Around lunchtime, the adults started fighting again.
My great-grandfather used to give my great-grandfather quite a lot of money, and that seems to have become a problem.
“You bastards! You didn’t make a fuss about it back then -”
“Well, I didn’t know how much you got paid! You said you got 1.5 billion, so why -”
“You didn’t say it was 800 million when you received it!”
“Another lie! Whenever you open your mouth, nothing but lies come out!”
“Changshik, you punk, even cold water has its ups and downs, so where’s your habit of speaking -”
As the noise grew louder, I took my siblings out to the garden again.
While I was spending time outside handing out cookie crumbs to the carp, I heard a sigh next to me.
“Gain, you too have had a hard time.”
I was surprised and looked next to me, and my great-grandfather was already there.
“grandfather?”
“What kind of kids are you?”
“…”
“Gain, where is Ari?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Where are you wandering around like that, skipping lunch?”
“Okay, if I get caught I’ll be in big trouble….”
“The kids usually just break cars. Why are you scolding them for something so small?”
“…”
Grandpa, I honestly don’t think that’s true.
If your daughter suddenly poked holes in a dozen tires with a metal skewer, wouldn’t all the parents in the world be incensed?
“I’ll clean up those messes soon, so Ari, go eat some food.”
“yes?”
Take care of them?
Are you talking about adults?
It didn’t take long for me to realize what this meant.
My great-grandfather called outside to call a truck, and then out of nowhere, he sent all the adults to a nearby greenhouse.
As things turned out that way, Ari, who had disappeared somewhere, reappeared.
“Hmm….”
“Ugh, what the heck! You, why did you break the tire earlier? Because of you, me too -”
“It seems like an unstoppable trend to the point of sending out adults.”
“what?”
“It didn’t really matter whether the tires were damaged or not. Given the circumstances, it seems sending them to the tea fields wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“…”
“Han Jin-seong got sick of his descendants fighting over who would inherit his inheritance. That’s why he kept losing his temper, and when it became too much to bear, he just kicked them out.”
I couldn’t understand what Ari was saying. But… .
Strangely enough, there was another me who clearly understood Ari’s words.
“ari -”
“Listen carefully.”
“…”
“You’re basically a middle school student now, but you’re not quite back then. Somewhere in your heart, you’re aware of the situation.”
“…”
“Do you feel something too? That’s why you’re quiet?”
“…”
“Let’s go to Han Jin-seong together. We need to find out something from him.”
*
“Oh my~! Baby, where have you been hiding all this time?”
“…”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry, Grandpa won’t scold you for destroying the car. Did you skip lunch? Eat well and -”
Perhaps because I had heard Ari’s words earlier, I felt like I was seeing a kind great-grandfather caring about his great-granddaughter’s meals.
The sight of him being grumpy towards adults was nowhere to be found.
Was the sight of descendants gathering together to covet their inheritance a significant source of stress for the elderly?
Regardless, Ari raised her head and stared at her grandfather.
“…”
“…”
My grandfather and I both felt awkward at this sight and remained silent, but Ari did not stop.
“Ahem, what’s there to see in my old face -”
“No.”
“What is this?”
“No.”
“What do you mean it’s not?”
“Grandpa, can I ask you a question?”
“then.”
The grandfather looked as if he was curious about what questions his playful granddaughter would ask.
“Gain’s relative – ahem. Isn’t it uncomfortable for adults to fight in the countryside?”
“…”
“Isn’t it?”
“Whew… That’s what comes out of a little kid’s mouth. You shouldn’t be scolded for tearing a tire, but those guys should be getting scolded in the blazing sun -”
“Grandpa, you know why adults act like that.”
“…”
“I don’t understand. You have a lot of assets and a lawyer by your side. At least there must have been a way to distribute it in a better way than now.”
Was Ari really this deep in thought?
Although I was embarrassed, I didn’t stop my brother because I was curious about it too.
“Whew… It’s a strange story, but I don’t know if you’ll believe it.”
“I believe you, so try it.”
After that, the grandfather told a story about a mysterious jar.
Although its exact origin is unknown, it is an item that came from Japan, and the material abundance that came with obtaining it.
Unlike me who was concentrating on the interesting story, Ari waved her hand and asked a question as if she already knew the story.
“So you’re saying that he didn’t get his wealth naturally, but with the help of a strange object.”
“… That’s right.”
“Do you by any chance not wish to pass on your wealth to your descendants?”
What is this?
“Do you think there might be some curse attached to the property? Since it is an unnatural property?”
Great-grandfather made a face as if he had been hit with the point, then stood up with an awkward smile.
“Haha, right, Ariya. It was just a funny story that Grandpa told me, so why are you listening so seriously? Why don’t you have lunch and -”
“I want to see the jar.”
“… Go have lunch or something.”
With those words, the grandfather left.
Only the two men, Ari, looked at me with meaningful eyes.
“One mystery has been solved. The reason Han Jin-seong did such strange things with his wealth. It was because he didn’t want to give it away. I’m thinking that if his descendants inherit the inheritance, they might also inherit the curse associated with the jar.”
“…”
“Of course, even if I try hard to explain this kind of occult stuff, my descendants won’t say, ‘Yes, I’ll give up 100 billion!’ So I just kept making a mess of it.”
“…”
“From now on, I plan to go to the underground storage room.”
“What? You’re going to the warehouse?”
“This direction may be different from what actually happened in your past. However, I am the first one to try it. Even if I know I will fail, I will try this and that and see what happens.”
“… It’s strange. I don’t understand what you’re saying at all, but it feels like I understand it.”
“That feeling is enough.”
“Why are you explaining this to me?”
Ari smiled lightly and put her hand on my shoulder.
“I’m just warning you that things might get tough from now on. Now, let’s go to the warehouse.”
*
— Clang!
The noise of plates breaking.
— Ting!
A silver candlestick rolling carelessly on the floor.
— Squeak!
A roughly opened wardrobe.
The warehouse was in chaos exactly 10 minutes after the tyrant named Ari entered.
A hired worker who managed the Hanok came to visit, startled by the loud noise, but he left in confusion after seeing the great-granddaughter of the owner of the house causing a commotion.
“… Is this okay?”
“It doesn’t matter, you go look for the jar too. Where on earth did you hide it?”
“Is it okay to destroy the car and warehouse like this?”
Ari didn’t even listen to what I said.
“Ariya, the caretaker ran over in surprise! It looks like he’ll bring in your grandfather soon.”
“doesn’t care.”
Not long afterwards, my great-grandfather appeared, supported by a sturdy man.
“Hey! What’s going on?”
“grandfather….”
“Gain, Ariya. If there’s something you want, you should tell Grandfather. Why are you rummaging through the storage room like this?”
“…”
“Seungchan, take the kids out and -”
Just as Grandfather was about to give instructions to his employee, Ari spoke in a cold voice.
“Han Jin-seong. Send the employee out.”
“…”
“…”
Anyone can see that these are not words a great-granddaughter would say to her great-grandfather.
Yet, no one criticized Ari for being rude.
Because I felt an inexplicable pressure from the atmosphere, the tone of voice, everything.
“Baby.”
“I don’t want to hear you yell at me, so send the servant away.”
“… Seungchan. You go clean the garden for a bit.”
“Oh, sir, are you okay?”
“What are you doing if you don’t go quickly?”
“All right!”
A warehouse in disarray, three people silent in a strange atmosphere.
Finally, Ari broke the silence.
“Grandpa, you said you worked at the management office?”
“…”
“Then you understand what I mean. I’ll just be blunt. I’m an agent.”
Instead of contradicting or laughing at those words, the grandfather approached Ari and observed her closely.
Can people in the management office tell something just by looking at each other?
“It’s strange… It’s strange. I’m sure none of our children were from the management office… Ariya. If you heard any strange stories somewhere -”
“recent.”
“…”
“I’ve been crossing the line recently.”
“…”
“Do you not understand if I say it like this? Or, should I say that I have gone beyond infinity -”
“I understand, so that’s enough.”
“…”
Grandfather’s speech changed.
“…Why are you acting so strangely since morning? What the heck is this -”
“Where is the jar? And you, Han Jin-seong.”
“…”
“You’re not an agent. I was wondering what you meant when you said you looked like one.”
“…”
“It’s something you can’t manage, so pass it over here.”
“Whew… How is it that you guys stay the same even after so much time has passed?”
“Same?”
“What are you going to do with the jar? Are you going to capture the people and see what price the jar will cost?”
“…”
“Oh, it’s too much to just round up innocent people and grind them up, so how about we round up some death row inmates and do it this time?”
At that moment, Ariga burst into laughter.
“It felt like that a long time ago.”
“What is it?”
“This place was a long time ago. Maybe that’s why it feels a little different.”
“What are you talking about -”
“Just give it to me. Don’t bother me. If you bother me, I’ll just contact headquarters.”
The old man, who had been wearing a stern expression, finally gave up and went deep into the warehouse.
It was a place that was difficult to find even if Ari and I searched for hours.
“Okay. Now I know where the jar is.”
“…”
Great-grandfather handed the jar to Ari with a pained expression on his face.
“I’m sure they’ll do something bad, but this is much worse than you think -”
“You’re wrong.”
“What is this?”
“I have a rough idea of what you’re thinking, but what I’m trying to do is completely different from what you’re thinking.”
“What is that -”
“And I’m sorry. What I’m about to do has nothing to do with the administration.”
“What on earth have you been talking about since a while ago -”
Ari, who had been talking about what she wanted to say since earlier, looked at me.
“Cain.”
“Huh? Huh?”
“You’ve often talked about houses before, but it never felt like you inherited tens or hundreds of billions.”
“…”
“In real history, it means that Hanjin Sung’s assets worth over 100 billion have disappeared somewhere. In other words, isn’t it the right direction for the assets to disappear?”
It’s confusing.
There is a me who cannot understand Ari’s words at all, and there is another me who vaguely understands them.
Thanks to the latter, I realized what Ari was going to do from now on.
— Clang!
As the jar hit the solid stone floor and shattered, my great-grandfather’s expression became thoughtful.
“This, this, this crazy bitch! What the hell are you doing -”
“Don’t swear all of a sudden. And what bad thing did you do? I just broke a jar that was possessed by a ghost.”
“Break it! If it’s a problem that can be easily solved by breaking it! I should have done it a long time ago -”
“I know. If you break it, something weird will happen. You would probably be shaking like crazy, not knowing what to do.”
“what?”
When her great-grandfather collapsed on the floor in a daze, Ari smiled faintly.
“Sometimes you have to check even when you expect a bad ending. What happens if I break this? I’ll go and check.”
“You crazy bitch… You crazy bitch…!”
“Jinseong, you speak quite rudely.”
And time passed.
…
…
…
*
My great-grandfather passed away shortly after the incident.
Since there was no will or anything like that, the estate was distributed fairly according to the legal inheritance shares, and inevitably, considerable conflict arose during this process.
A lot has happened since then.
I don’t want to explain everything in detail, but to put it simply, my father lost one eye and his job.
My father opened a coffee shop with his retirement money, and my brother and I had to help out every day even though we were middle school students.
Then one day, Ari smiled bitterly as he was fiddling with the espresso machine.
“sorry.”
“… huh?”
“I guessed it, but it looks like there’s a price to pay for breaking the jar.”
“…”
“It seems that it would be a problem to carelessly break a jar when you have acquired wealth through supernatural means and are enjoying wealth and honor.”
“…”
“All those who inherit are cursed. Should they give up their inheritance?”
“…”
“Or maybe this direction itself is wrong. Wasn’t this dream your ‘worst memory’ in the first place? I guess I have to do something about the name tag stealing game itself.”
“…”
“Is an ending like this a bit weird?”
“The same ending as now? What does that mean?”
“The house is completely ruined, but I’m going to rebuild it with my cute and pretty little sister?”
“…”
“Don’t you think it might be possible? Look behind you.”
The coffee shop business was going incredibly well.
This coffee shop was famous in the neighborhood for the good looks of its part-time workers.
Because of that, I couldn’t get in without taking a number.
Finally, another unlucky student ordered coffee.
“Excuse me, over there!”
“yes.”
“Bu, bu, number -”
“Please order first.”
“Yes, yes! One Venti size iced Americano! Hey, the number is -”
“It won’t work.”
“yes?”
“The number is, you need to order both coffee and cake.”
“…”
“Iced Americano?”
“… No. I’ll take the most expensive one!”
“Would you like a venti Mint Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino with two extra shots of espresso? And a Blueberry Chocolate Cheesecake?”
“…yes.”
“It’s 19,500 won.”
The boy ordered all the coffee and cake, shivering and doubtful that he could eat them all by himself, and Ari wrote ‘my cell phone number’ on a note.
“This is not your number, it’s my number.”
“It’s up to you to stop a strange man from flirting with your little sister.”
“…”
“How about that? Wouldn’t this be enough to raise a family?”
I just started feeling dizzy.