"Father!"

Late at night, Sang-jong came to Tak-hyeon's darkened house in Pyeongchang-dong. From the yard onward he called loudly for Tak-hyeon as he came inside.

"What on earth is this behavior?"

Suk-ja Chu, in a thin outer garment, came out with a frown to meet him. "Have you been drinking? What are you doing coming here in the dead of night?"

"Had a little to drink." Sang-jong lifted his fingers right up before his eyes as he said it.

Suk-ja went to him and struck his back with the flat of her hand.

"Ow! Mom. Why are you hitting me?"

"If you've something to say, you come and say it while the sun's up. What kind of behavior is this now? What if your father found out?"

"I really came because I have something to say to Father. Something truly important."

Displeased, it seemed, at the sight of Sang-jong speaking with his tongue thoroughly tangled, Suk-ja sighed and waved a hand. "Enough. Off you go."

Terrified of the thunderous scolding that would fall if Tak-hyeon happened to see this, she kept glancing back at the master bedroom as she shoved at Sang-jong's back.

But Sang-jong dug in, refusing to go, and went on calling for Tak-hyeon. "Father. I'm here. It's Sang-jong. I've something to say, and it's truly important."

"Has the boy lost his mind? Why are you like this today of all days!"

Startled by Sang-jong's steadily rising voice, Suk-ja pushed him away harder. But Sang-jong shoved past her and, going further into the house instead, called for Tak-hyeon louder still.

"Father. I said I'm here!"

In the end, his voice brought out not only the household staff but Seong-ho and Gyeong-eun from the second floor, throwing coats on.

"Brother. Are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk."

"Gyeong-eun. Kim. Take him out, would you? If your father sees this, there'll be trouble."

Unable to bring herself to tell the staff to take Sang-jong out, Suk-ja asked Gyeong-eun and Seong-ho to do it.

But making a mockery of her worry, Tak-hyeon's voice came from the master bedroom. "Bring him in."

At…