Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 33

The friends fell into a heavy silence, lost in their own thoughts while waiting for the innkeeper to arrive.

Tension hung in the air of the room, making it hard to guess the situation at hand.

Eunbi still held tightly onto her younger brother Seojoon’s hand.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but her gaze conveyed her worries and affection for her brother.

She waited for Seojoon to open his eyes again, warmly wrapping her hands around his small one.

The friends glanced at each other, pondering how to resolve this situation.

Kangtae occasionally looked toward the intercom, waiting for the innkeeper to show up.

Hyun quietly stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Seojin tried to comfort the children, attempting to reassure them.

Finally, the bell rang, and the voice of the innkeeper was heard.

“Ding-dong!”

“I’m at the door.”

Yoonhwa stood up to open the door.

At the door stood the innkeeper’s wife.

Her face was filled with kindness.

“Hello, what’s the reason for calling…?”

The innkeeper looked surprised as he saw the children inside the room.

Especially upon seeing Seojoon and Eunbi, her eyes widened.

“Are these the innkeeper’s children…?”

In response to Yoonhwa’s question, the innkeeper wiped her tears and nodded her head.

“Yes, that’s right…!”

“T-thank you so much! How can I repay you…!!”

“W-where did you find them?!”

The friends exchanged worried glances.

Now they had to explain the situation involving the children to the innkeeper.

Eunbi ran to her mother, crying.

“Mommy…!!!”

The innkeeper looked surprised as her daughter Eunbi rushed toward her, opening her arms wide.

Eunbi collapsed into her mother’s embrace, sobbing.

“Mom… Mommy…!”

Tears flowed down the innkeeper’s cheeks as well.

She tightly hugged Eunbi, attempting to soothe her.

“It’s okay, your mommy is here.”

“What has happened…?”

“Were they kidnapped…??”

At that moment, they heard the sound of the door opening again.

Everyone turned their surprised gazes toward the noise.

The person who opened the door was the innkeeper’s husband.

He looked around the room with a shocked expression, letting out a sigh of relief upon spotting his children and wife.

“Kids…!”

He hurried into the room and approached Eunbi and Seojoon. Seojoon remained sleeping on the sofa.

“Seojoon, Eunbi… what happened?”

The innkeeper’s husband looked at the children with worried eyes and turned to his wife.

“Did these people help find them…?!”

The innkeeper approached her husband, gripping his hand tightly.

Her gaze reflected a mix of worry and relief.

“I still don’t know the details well.”

“It seems that these friends found our kids… let’s ask them for more information.”

The innkeeper expressed her gratitude to Yoonhwa and the other friends.

“Thanks to you all, it seems our kids are safe; I’m really grateful…”

“Can you explain what happened now?”

Yoonhwa nodded and began narrating the events.

She told the innkeeper couple how the children ended up here and everything that had just occurred.

The innkeeper couple was taken aback upon hearing her story.

Especially, they were shocked to learn that Seojoon had attacked Yoonhwa.

“Seojoon did that…?”

The innkeeper’s husband muttered in disbelief, worry filling his eyes.

“What on earth happened…?”

The innkeeper couple expressed their gratitude to Yoonhwa and her friends once again and stated they would take care of the children now.

“Thank you so much for finding our kids…”

“And we’re so sorry…”

Just then, the bell rang several times.

“Ding-dong!”

“Ding-dong! Ding-dong~!”

“Who could it be…?”

Yoonhwa cautiously unlocked the door.

Her gaze was a mix of caution and wariness as she took a deep breath and slowly turned the doorknob.

The light seeping through the crack of the door briefly illuminated the tense atmosphere inside the room. Yoonhwa peeked outside as she opened the door a little.

When the door was fully opened, a woman stood in front of her.

The woman stepped into the room in her shoes, holding some strange object in one hand.

Her gaze was cold and cruel as she quickly scanned everyone present.

“Just useless little brats, huh?”

Her voice was icy and indifferent.

Each word she spoke intensified the tension in the room.

Eunbi gasped and stepped back at the woman’s appearance.

Her small body trembled with fear, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Eunbi slowly knelt down, burying her face with her hands as she whimpered.

The woman sneered at Eunbi’s reaction as she brushed past her.

“Well, well. You decided to show up now?”

“I came looking for Yoonhwa.”

“You all couldn’t handle it.”

Yoonhwa panicked at the woman’s strange words and shouted.

“What’s going on here?! Please leave!”

Ignoring Yoonhwa’s command, the woman’s gaze fixed on Eunbi and Seojoon.

“Really… you’re such a hassle.”

Her tone grew increasingly threatening, and everyone in the room watched her next move with bated breath.

Eunbi’s small shoulders shook in fear, with tears soaking her face.

Her eyes were filled with terror as she bit her lip, vigilantly observing the woman’s next actions.

Eunbi’s parents exchanged bewildered glances, shocked by the sudden situation.

The innkeeper, Eunbi’s mother, trembled as she grasped her husband’s hand tightly.

Fear and anxiety filled her eyes, mirrored on her husband’s face.

“Who on earth are you?! What are you doing to our child?!”

The innkeeper’s husband raised his voice, questioning the woman. His tone carried a resolute determination to protect the children.

The innkeeper tried to bend down to embrace Eunbi, but the woman’s overwhelming presence held her back.

“Please, don’t hurt our kids…!”

“Can’t you just leave us alone?!”

However, the woman maintained her cold demeanor, even in the face of the innkeeper couple’s pleas.

She slowly walked around the room, approaching Eunbi and Seojoon, her gaze still frigid.

Eunbi’s father wrapped his arm around Eunbi and fiercely protested toward the woman with his other hand.

His eyes mixed with rage and fear, his voice strained.

“Please, don’t lay a finger on our daughter…!”

“Whatever you want, let’s talk it out.”

“What wrongs have the children committed…!!”

Eunbi’s father, desperate to protect his daughter, threw himself forward.

Yoonhwa and her friends were ready to help Eunbi and her family.

Despite Eunbi’s father’s urgent cries, the woman smirked disdainfully and coldly replied.

“I haven’t even touched these kids.

“Why are you being so dramatic?”

Her attitude remained arrogant and provocative. Ignoring everyone in the room, she stepped closer to Eunbi and Seojoon.

“Yoonhwa. Don’t you have any idea what I want?”

“Are you too dim-witted to comprehend, being an animal and all..?”

Yoonhwa stepped back, startled by the woman’s words. Her eyes were now filled with anger and confusion as she spoke slowly.

“T-this… it’s because of the gem, isn’t it…?”

“I-I’m the reason these kids got caught up in this…? ”

“This is a place where kids are.”

“L-let’s just step outside and talk for a moment…!!”

Her suggestion aimed to calm the situation.

Yoonhwa understood what this woman wanted and suspected that her goal was connected to her.

The woman seemed to consider Yoonhwa’s suggestion for a moment. She tilted her head slightly, a cruel smile spreading across her lips.

“Well… I’m not too keen on that…”

“I mean, you’re not gonna give it to me anyway, right?”

Suddenly, the woman shifted her tone and pointed to Hyun.

Her gaze turned calculating, her manner still provocative.

“But, let’s bring that man too.”

“I can’t know what you’ll do when it’s just the two of you.”

Hyun looked astonished at the sudden suggestion, turning to Yoonhwa.

His eyes reflected a mix of worry and confusion. Yoonhwa glanced at Hyun briefly and then nodded. She was trying her best to make the best decision in this situation.

“Hyun…”

“Alright, let’s do that…”

“Just don’t harm the kids. Absolutely not.”

Though Yoonhwa’s voice was firm, it was laced with deep concern.

The woman nodded with a cynical smile.

“Don’t worry.”

“I’m only here to get what I want.”

The woman frowned as she spoke.

“By the way, you’re such poor hosts not offering me a cup of tea with your guests.”

She fixed her intimidating gaze on Eunbi and said,

“Hey, bring me some tea.”

Eunbi’s mother, alarmed at her daughter’s frightened expression, immediately stepped in.

“I’ll get it.”

Eunbi’s mother headed toward the kitchen to prepare the tea. Though her hands trembled, causing the teacups to clatter, she did her best to prepare it quickly and carefully.

Holding the tray filled with tea, she returned to the yard and handed it to the woman.

“Here, I have prepared the tea…”

Her voice trembled, but she tried her hardest to maintain her composure.

The woman took the tea and glanced at Eunbi’s mother.

“Don’t forget to bring a spoon too.”

Eunbi watched her mother’s trembling hands and was startled by the woman’s demand, immediately moving to fetch a spoon.

Her little footsteps quick yet cautious, she entered the kitchen and grabbed a spoon.

Eunbi’s hand shook as she held the spoon, but she mustered courage to offer it.

“…Here it is…”

Her voice quivered, and she carefully placed the spoon beside the woman’s teacup.

The woman looked down at Eunbi with a mocking smile.

She stirred the tea with the spoon and took a sip. It looked like she was savoring the flavor, but her gaze remained icy.

Eunbi quickly knelt before the woman again.

Then, her mother handed tea to her friends as well.

Hyun and Yoonhwa received their tea, casting grateful glances at Eunbi’s mother.

Afterward, her mother quietly stepped back and spoke to Eunbi.

“Mommy and Daddy are here…”

“You don’t have to kneel…”

Eunbi, desperately trying to hold back tears, ignored her mother’s words.

The woman sipped her tea, locking her intense gaze on Yoonhwa and Hyun.

“Shall we go now?”

With that, Yoonhwa, Hyun, and the woman left the room.

Eunbi and her parents, left behind, were filled with unease and worry.

Eunbi’s mother tried to comfort her daughter, holding her tightly while her father kept his eyes on the three departing figures.