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Yoon Doyoon was recognized in childhood as a prodigy because of his genius mind. That very thing became the poison of his life.
"Everything you eat, wear, and sleep in comes from him. If the councilman sees you again and doesn't like you, both you and your mother will be as good as dead. Do you understand?"
Ahn Hyeongsik wanted from early on to raise outstanding talent to suit his own tastes, and his mother wanted to grow the company.
Because of those two people, Yoon Doyoon's life was decided regardless of his own will.
"Didn't I say that if it isn't a perfect score, it means nothing? Repeat pointless actions, and you lose your value. And a human without value dies. Getting even one problem wrong is nothing short of a desperate desire for death, isn't it?"
Ahn Hyeongsik's support continued only while Yoon Doyoon was the kind of talent he needed. Therefore, Yoon Doyoon was constantly forced to be perfect.
He could never afford to lose first place in any measure that judged him, and if he fell even a little short of a perfect score, a harsh punishment would inevitably come down.
There was not a single uninjured place left on his body. His wounds festered and scabs clung to his flesh. Every time he put clothes on or took them off, his skin peeled away.
Even when the bed sheets were soaked with the pus leaking from his wounds and gave off a musty smell, Yoon Doyoon's mother did not treat him until he became the perfect son.
"Hello, you're Yoon Doyoon, right? I'm the new live-in helper."
The person who helped Yoon Doyoon was the newly arrived live-in helper. She would secretly apply medicine to his wounds at dawn and would bring him painkillers.
"Why are you helping me, Auntie?"
"Because you're a child. Adults have an obligation to help children."
"Lies. I don't believe that. If such an obligation existed, would I be in this state?"
"You don't believe me? Then if I told you I actually want something from you too, would you believe me?"
"So you want a deal? That's better. What do you want me to help with?"
"That can wait. For now, let's treat your wounds."
The live-in helper was suspicious in every way.
Yoon Doyoon could have told his mother that she had clearly entered the mansion with some sort of motive. But he didn't.
Every dawn, the live-in helper secretly treated his wounds, and when his mother ordered that he not be given anything for two days, she secretly brought him food as well.
"You want to adopt someone?"
"Yes. There's a distant relative's child I've been watching for a long time, and… how should I put it… I feel as if my soul is being pulled toward her. As if my own child had gone down the wrong path and fallen somewhere strange, and I've finally found her at last."
"I don't really get what you mean, but… well, good for her, I guess. If you become her mom, you'll definitely treat her much better than my mom treats me."
"Hehe… she's a very lovely child. If you ever see her, you'll fall for her at first sight. I'm doing my best to win her over right now. Will you pray for me to be chosen?"
"That's not difficult."
Seeing each other every dawn—secretly treating Yoon Doyoon's wounds and sharing food with him—they became quite close.
Close enough that the woman who had called herself a live-in helper finally confessed her true identity to him.
"To be honest… I'm actually a researcher. There was an experiment I'd been preparing, but it seems Congressman Ahn Hyeongsik wants to use it for something. He approached my team through your mother's company, Yoon & Mi, suggesting an investment."
"I can't really help with anything like that. Every conversation I have with my mom is only about my academic progress. If I tried to dig into anything related to her company, she'd notice instantly."
"That's not the part I want your help with. After coming here, I became certain—we absolutely cannot allow our research to fall into their hands. So my husband and I have decided to hand our research results over to a different party altogether. Naturally, Congressman Ahn Hyeongsik and your mother won't like that. So… if your mother starts acting suspicious, could you quietly let me know?"
"…That isn't difficult, but…"
A bad feeling filled the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and the tips of his fingers tingled as if pricked by thorns.
"This will be the last time I see you here."
"You're quitting?"
"Yes, I think I have to. Do you remember the daughter I said I wanted to adopt? She chose us as her family. So I no longer need to stay in Korea."
"……"
Yoon Doyoon's hand, which had reached out to grab her, trembled faintly.
'…Can't I go with you too?'
His lips moved slightly. For the first time—after all the beatings and all the times his eyes stayed dry—he felt like tears might finally come.
"When you become an adult, there will be a way for you to escape your parents. Until then, just match your mother's rhythm. You can do that, right? You're a smart kid."
"…What's the method?"
"If your mother is no longer your legal guardian, then I'll be able to help. My husband and I will go somewhere neither Congressman Ahn nor your mother can find, and we'll stay hidden there. We'll build a foundation so that once you become an adult, we can bring you over."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I promise."
That day, Yoon Doyoon hooked his pinky around the live-in helper's, placing all his hopes on that small promise.
From then on, he lived with the belief that the day he would escape his mother and Ahn Hyeongsik's graspbwas drawing near.
The live-in helper left the mansion, and with her gone, there was no one left who wished to help Yoon Doyoon.
Not long after...
"Yes, Assemblyman. These rats were preparing to flee overseas. We may not be able to secure what you wanted, but at the very least, we must stop it from falling into the other party's hands. We'll handle it cleanly, no witnesses. Don't worry."
Yoon Doyoon overheard his mother's conversation with Ahn Hyeongsik from her study.
It didn't take much thought to know exactly who they planned to eliminate.
'Auntie…!'
He desperately dialed the phone number the helper had left behind.
No answer.
His anxiety tightened.
Ahn Hyeongsik was visiting the mansion that day, so security was strict.
Yoon Doyoon was not allowed to take a single step outside without permission from his mother.
"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"
Yoon Doyoon ran to the kitchen and poured a pot of boiling water onto his own arm.
People rushed toward the sound of screaming, including his mother, who had been conversing with Ahn Hyeongsik.
"Can't you read the room? The assemblyman is here. Do you really have to make such a fuss over something like that?"
All she could feel was the sight of her son clenching his teeth in unbearable agony.
She simply ordered the nearest staff member to take him to the hospital quietly for treatment and returned to the study where Ahn Hyeongsik was waiting.
One of the staff, barely managing to hide their revulsion at the sight of his skin peeling away, carried him to the car and left the mansion.
"We're almost at the hospital. Please endure a little longer, young master."
"What district is this?"
"…Pardon?"
"I asked where we are."
"Why… do you want to know?"
"Forget it. I can already guess."
When the car slowed down because of traffic, Yoon Doyoon opened the door and jumped out onto the road.
Then he started running, like a madman.
"Young master.....! Hey! You crazy....!"
Shaking off his mother's men was easy. They hesitated, unsure whether to abandon the expensive car in the middle of the road to pursue him.
Yoon Doyoon didn't know the exact location of the helper's home.
But by recalling the conversations they had shared, he could piece together the clues—like assembling a puzzle—until the address became clear.
'We found a house near the facility where she lives. So she can see us when she comes and goes. She likes cherry blossoms, so we planted a cherry tree too. When spring comes, maybe she'll see the blossoms and want to step right into our home.'
'On the way back from grocery shopping, there's an old stationery shop. She's close with the owner, so I got a few tips from him. Want to hear?'
'There's a small park behind our house, and in the middle of it is a well. A real well—you can draw actual water from it. You've never seen one, right? Water from a well is really cold. When you visit later, I'll wash your back there.'
He kept running—running and running. His shoes flew off, his soles split open, his burned arm was going numb, but he felt none of it.
The places she had described, places he had imagined countless times, flashed by one after another.
When his breath had risen all the way to his throat and he could taste blood in his mouth, he finally saw it.
"Hey-! You can't go in there!"
"How would you know?! How do you know whether they killed themselves or not?! How can you decide it's suicide without even investigating?!"
"Kid, you don't know anything. Stop meddling in adult business and move along, okay? I'm telling you nicely—go."
In front of the house, now blocked off with police tape, a girl with bloodshot eyes was kicking and struggling, desperately trying to get inside.
"Suicide? Don't make me laugh! I'm their daughter, I'm their daughter!! Today—today was the day we'd been waiting for. All of us! There's no way they killed themselves. No… no!!!"
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