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Chapter 245

Soo-Yeong took out her phone and glanced at it briefly. There were dozens of missed calls and messages from Ha Pan-Seok. Of course, Soo-Yeong had yet to answer the calls or reply to the messages. Soo-Yeong stared at her phone momentarily before putting it back in her pocket.

“Every day."

Jin-Sung nodded. "Makes sense."

He drove the car to a high-end liquor store selling whiskey and wine. Jin-Sung carefully selected a bottle of expensive liquor that easily surpassed tens of thousands of won and bought it.

Soo-Yeong felt nervous despite not buying it with her own money.

"You drink... very expensive liquor,” she said when they got back in the car.

Jin-Sung fell silent for a moment before smiling faintly and nodding. "I\'m not going to drink it. It\'s a gift."

"A gift? Who are you giving it to?"

"Someone I hate," Jin-Sung said.

Soo-Yeong didn\'t understand him and tilted her head in confusion. She wondered why he would buy such expensive alcohol for someone he didn’t like.

Jin-Sung drove in silence until the road became quiet. "I used to shake if I didn\'t drink. But now, my hands shake when I do," Jin-Sung said with a blank expression.

Soo-Yeong listened quietly to his words.

"In the past, I would hit Sun-Woo when I was drunk. You know, when he was young."

"..."

"I couldn\'t stand seeing him cry after everything happened with my sister and brother-in-law. So, I crouched down, stepped on the crying kid, and hit him."

Jin-Sung then briefly closed his mouth. It seemed like he was reminiscing about that time.

Soo-Yeong tried to imagine Sun-Woo crouching and in tears while Jin-Sung loomed over him and hit him. It was a hard sight to imagine. Jin-Sung and Sun-Woo were on good terms now. Above all, Jin-Sung didn\'t seem like the type to hit anyone. Sun-Woo didn\'t seem like the type to be hit by anyone either, at least to Soo-Yeong.

"He was good at using spells even back then. If he wanted to, he could have easily killed someone like me. He could have made me go crazy. No, I guess I was already half-driven mad back then."

"..."

"But he just took the hits," Jin-Sung said, then closed his mouth again.

Soo-Yeong listened to him without saying anything.

A few raindrops fell on the front windshield. The rain was light. Jin-Sung turned on the windshield wipers.

"I hit him, cussed him out, threw things at him, but he just... just stayed still. As if my sister getting imprisoned and my brother-in-law dying were all his fault, he just sat there."

"..."

"And yet, I acted like I did nothing wrong, saying it\'s all your fault, my sister died because of you, your father died because of you...”

The car entered a tunnel. Raindrops were no longer falling on the front windshield. However, the wipers continued to move back and forth, wiping away the nonexistent raindrops.

"I came to my senses back then. After that, I’ve gone completely sober. I don’t even smoke anymore. I don’t do anything that could potentially lead to an addiction."

Soo-Yeong continued to stare at the windshield wipers swaying back and forth.

"Since then, I only bought alcohol as gifts to give to people I disliked. I think I drank alcohol back then because I didn’t like myself."

"What about apologizing?"

"Huh?" Jin-Sung asked.

Soo-Yeong turned her head slightly toward Jin-Sung. “Did you apologize?”

"I did. It’s been seven years now. Every year, when the day of the Second Cult Leader’s death comes around. And on Sun-Woo\'s birthday, or whenever I remember."

"Did he forgive you?"

"He did. But I haven\'t forgiven myself yet. To forgive myself, and to receive forgiveness from myself, I guess I\'ll have to apologize for about another 70 years."

Soo-Yeong tried to estimate the number in her head. The next 70 years... Jin-Sung would have to live over 100 years.

Soo-Yeong let out a chuckle. "You\'ll have to live for a very long time."

"That\'s the plan. Not being greedy and just living until I\'m exactly 150."

Jin-Sung made a joke, but Soo-Yeong didn\'t laugh. She just nodded slowly and suddenly remembered something from a long time ago.

She reminisced about the day she had accidentally wandered into the forest during an executive meeting, and Sun-Woo had helped her. Had she thanked him back then? No, had she even apologized?

"Where to park the car... Ah, okay. There."

After buying alcohol and finishing the drive, Jin-Sung parked the car in a suitable spot. They found the parking space after circling the neighborhood because no parking was available.

Jin-Sung and Soo-Yeong exited the car and walked toward the underground chapel. After a short walk, they could see Florence Academy. The students were heading home. Students poured out by the dozens and hundreds, wearing uniforms resembling those of clergymen.

Soo-Yeong scanned the faces of the wicked and cruel Romanican Church members. However, no one seemed wicked or cruel, which made her feel strangely uneasy.

"The kids are heading home. Let\'s see if Sun-Woo is there. If he is, let\'s go back home together."

"Ah."

Following Jin-Sung\'s words, Soo-Yeong quietly muttered as she scanned the students\' faces, looking for Sun-Woo. Jin-Sung also looked at the students\' faces, but Sun-Woo was nowhere to be seen. Jin-Sung shrugged and turned his head toward Soo-Yeong.

"Why? Did you find him?" Jin-Sung asked.

"No, I must have seen something wrong. I think it’s probably better to go back ourselves."

"Yeah? Okay then," Jin-Sung casually replied and headed back toward the underground chapel.

Soo-Yeong followed him. As they walked, she glanced back for a moment. The man she had seen earlier had passed through the church gate with feeble steps. He had dark, sallow skin, bleached yellow hair, and the same unchanging, unpleasant gaze.

It was him—the one who had wiped out the Voodoo Cult during The Starless Night, the one who made Soo-Yeong\'s mother die, and the one who caused Soo-Yeong\'s older brother to be taken away.

It was Yu-Hyun.

“Come to think of it, his birthday is coming up," Jin-Sung muttered quietly as they walked.

Soo-Yeong didn\'t hear him and continued to look at Yu-Hyun. There was not even a hint of wrath in her eyes, which shone brighter than usual.

So, he had been attending Florence Academy, the same school as Sun-Woo.

Her heart raced.

*

Joseph received a call from a subordinate and rushed to the office. The subordinate following Joseph could not keep up with his pace, and few could catch up with Joseph running at full speed.

The subordinate gasped for breath and soon collapsed on the ground, exhausted. He watched Joseph\'s back slowly turn into a dot and disappear into the distance.

Thud!

Joseph forcefully opened the office door and saw some unfamiliar faces. They were clergymen affiliated with the International Theological Association. Among them were clergymen who had already retired and current prelates, who had been on par with Joseph in terms of the hierarchy within the church.

Joseph walked toward the lot, which had messed up the office. "I am Inquisitor Joseph. May I ask what you are all doing?"

The eldest member of the International Theological Association said, "Ah, you\'ve arrived, Inquisitor Joseph."

He was an archbishop, meaning he was on the same level as Joseph within the church, but he’d been around the block a lot more. In other words, he had seniority over Joseph.

Joseph gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "What brings the esteemed members of the International Theological Association to this place? Do you have permission to do this?"

"Yes, we have obtained permission."

"On what grounds? It seems unlikely that the mere Theological Association could be involved in an inquisitor\'s investigation."

Joseph\'s words gradually became more informal. His expression gradually darkened.

Meanwhile, the old man seemed relaxed and smiled cheerfully. He took out a book from his pocket. Joseph\'s face hardened. The old man shook the book as if he was training an animal with a treat.

"We found this in here. As far as I know, this is a forbidden book."

"..."

"As you said, the likes of the Theological Association cannot be involved in or interfere with investigations. That would be overstepping our boundaries."

Joseph chewed his lips meticulously. Blood dripped from his lips. His clenched fist trembled, and veins bulged on his forearm.

The old man smiled. "But things are different when it comes to forbidden books. The International Theological Association has authority over the forbidden books according to the Holy See\'s decree. Aren’t you familiar with this?"

"I am."

"So, where did you get the forbidden book?" the old man asked.

He still wore a cheerful smile. Joseph wanted to rip that smile off his face, but he couldn\'t dare to, nor could he even reveal where he had obtained the forbidden book. Joseph stood there, just chewing his lips in silence. There was nothing else he could do.

"It would be wise to answer." The old man was testing Joseph.

Would he turn the members of the purification clan into enemies like this? Or would he submit to their power? The forbidden book found in Joseph\'s office had been given to him by the members of the purification clan. They had asked Joseph not to disclose the source of the forbidden book. At that time, he didn\'t think much of it and never imagined it would be used this way.

If Joseph revealed the source of the forbidden book here, the members of the purification clan would torment Joseph with even more malicious and cruel methods.

Joseph forced a smile as he looked at the old man. "Can I answer some other time? I can\'t remember right now. It\'s been so long since I acquired the book."

"Yes, I understand. My memory gets fuzzy as I get older too."

"Well then, please leave now. I will contact you soon,” Joseph said, bowing toward the old man.

The old man nodded and dropped the book on the floor.

Thud.

"Alright. I\'ll leave the book here."

Joseph picked up the book and dusted it off.

Still watching Joseph silently, the old man finally sneered, "Why did you bring trouble upon yourself by doing things that weren’t even asked?"

"..."

"Do only what His Holiness commands. And only that."

Joseph bowed his head. He neither nodded nor shook it, not wanting to give any response.

The old man stared at Joseph in silence for a moment before slowly nodding. "Well... then I\'ll be going. Everyone, let\'s withdraw."

Members of the International Theological Association who were searching the office stopped in their tracks upon hearing the old man\'s words. They followed the old man out of Joseph\'s office.

Joseph looked around. The papers and books he had neatly organized were scattered haphazardly on the floor. All the drawers had been left open. This was the price for attempting to dig up dirt on the purification clan.

His investigation hadn’t even been successful. Why, he hadn’t even started investigating yet. This was the price for just attempting to see what they were up to.

Joseph picked up the papers and began to tidy up. He closed the open drawers. As he picked up the book, Joseph saw the flower pot where he used to grow his Venus flytrap.

The Venus flytrap seemed to be asking for food with its mouth wide open. Amidst all the mess, the pot where the Venus flytrap lived was the only thing that remained intact.

Joseph picked up the pot and threw it on the floor.

Smash!

The Venus flytrap lay motionless on the ground with its mouth still stupidly open.

Squish.

Joseph stepped on the Venus flytrap and killed it. He then tore the forbidden book, the root of all this chaos, into shreds, scattering pieces of paper on the floor.

Joseph took out a lighter from his pocket and set the book on fire. The book and the Venus flytrap burned together. The Venus flytrap writhed as it burned as if it were alive.

He was enraged that a measly book had acted as leverage for the members of the purification clan. So, he burned the book in a fit of rage. He had read the book hundreds of times anyway, and its contents were all in his head. Nothing would change whether he burned the book or not.

Then, Joseph\'s subordinate belatedly entered the office. He looked around the office, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Inquisitor."

"Contact Sun-Woo," Joseph said to his subordinate.

His eyes burned with a fierce rage that had never been seen before.