One-Shot Transmigration: Sorry I'm Here To Ruin Your Happy Ever After Chapter 98: A family reunion (1)

ical was walking back to the study, already rehearsing what he needed to ask the physician, when he saw Odysseus coming toward him from the sa direction.

The man was hurrying, his steps quick and tense, but he still bowed properly when he reached ical.

"Master.." Odysseus said, slightly out of breath, "I have unexpected news. Your family have arrived at the estate and are demanding to see you."

ical stopped.

For a mont he didn’t react, as if the words hadn’t fully reached him.

"My family?" he asked, voice low. "You’re joking. Tell this is one of your silly gas, Odysseus."

Odysseus shook his head imdiately. "I wouldn’t joke about this, master. They are here. All of them. They’re waiting."

ical felt sothing cold settle in his chest. Ten years of staying away, ten years of silence, and now they appeared without warning.

He wasn’t ready to see them.

He wasn’t ready for anything involving them, not today.

"What should I do, master?" Odysseus asked carefully.

ical exhaled slowly. "Lead them to the tea room. The good one with the open view. We’ll be there in a minute."

Odysseus bowed again and left.

ical stayed where he was for a few seconds, breathing in through his nose, forcing the rush of old mories and worse feelings back down.

He was older now. He could handle them. It would be fine. It had to be fine.

When he finally reached for the study door, it swung open before he touched it.

He was late, Min-jae had already finished his examination.

The physician was packing his things, giving a short report as ical stepped inside.

ical listened, nodded at the appropriate monts, and dismissed him with a quiet "Thank you, you can go."

The door closed behind the physician.

Min-jae took one look at ical’s face and frowned lightly.

"What happened?"

Min-jae took one look at ical’s face and frowned lightly.

"What happened?" He asked again.

ical didn’t answer right away. He closed the door properly, almost too carefully, as if delaying even a second would help him sort his thoughts.

It didn’t.

He turned back toward Min-jae, his expression pulled tight in a way he couldn’t hide.

"...My family is here.." he said finally.

Min-jae blinked. "Your family?"

-_-

How co his family was appearing so soon, the author of the novel never really shed more light on ical’s family so he didn’t know anything about them.

ical nodded once, slow. "They arrived without warning. They’re in the tea room now."

Min-jae watched him for a mont. The shift in ical’s posture was obvious, his shoulders slightly raised, his breath shallow.

"Do you want to see them?" Min-jae asked quietly.

ical let out a breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. "Want isn’t the word. But I don’t have a choice. They’ll keep asking for until I go."

Min-jae moved closer, resting a hand on ical’s forearm. "You don’t look okay."

"I’m not.." ical admitted, voice soft. "But I’ll manage."

Min-jae squeezed lightly. "You’re not going alone."

ical’s eyes flicked toward him. "You just finished your examination."

"And?" Min-jae raised a brow. "I’m walking fine. I can sit beside you."

ical hesitated.

Not because he didn’t want Kaizar there, he wanted nothing more but because the idea of showing Kaizar to his family after ten years, showing the person he actually loved, terrified him in a way he didn’t have words for.

Min-jae could tell. He stepped a little closer.

"I’ll be with you.." he said simply, like it wasn’t sothing ical needed to earn.

ical swallowed once. "...Alright."

He took Min-jae’s hand without thinking, the familiar warmth grounding him a little.

"Did the physician say anything concerning?" ical asked, needing to anchor himself in sothing normal.

"No." Min-jae leaned back against the desk. "He said my ribs are healing. Just told not to overwork myself and to follow the treatnt properly. Nothing serious."

ical nodded, relieved but still distracted. His thoughts were running too fast, each one bumping into another, none of them helpful.

Min-jae noticed. He reached up and smoothed his hand down ical’s sleeve, slow and steady.

"Hey.." he said softly. "Look at ."

ical did.

"You’re not going back as the boy who left.." Min-jae said. "You’re going as the man you beca. And you’re not alone."

That steadied ical a little more than he expected.

He exhaled slowly. "...Thank you."

Min-jae shrugged lightly. "I’m not comforting you. I’m stating facts."

ical almost smiled.

A knock sounded gently at the door, one of the maids. "Master, the tea room is prepared."

ical straightened. "We’re coming."

The maid bowed and stepped away.

The hallway felt longer than usual as they walked. ical kept his pace even, but Min-jae could feel the tension radiating off him. He moved closer, brushing their hands together before quietly linking their fingers.

ical didn’t pull away.

They reached the door of the tea room, that familiar polished wood, the one with the open view ical always preferred because he could breathe better there.

Now it felt too small.

Min-jae squeezed his hand once.

ical took a slow breath, turned the handle and stepped inside.

He had only placed one foot inside when he felt a tug in his hand.

He turned to Min-jae, who’s foot was rooted to the ground.

"What’s wrong?"

Min-jae pursed his lips slightly, his guts was telling him that he shouldn’t follow ical in from the get go.

"Nothing, I’m just going to wait here until I’m ntioned if that’s okay.."

ical frowned slightly but nodded, guess he wasn’t getting emotional support from Min-jae.

"Alright, I’ll go in first..."

He steeled himself for a second, much to Min-jae’s surprise, it was a rare sight to see ical hesitate.

"You’ll be fine, rember you’re the the sa boy they rember, you’re a man now.."

Min-jae smiled, soone like ical had nothing to worry about, he was predestined to do well.

The author of the story was very biased when it ca to her characters.

ical fluffed his clothes one last ti before stepping inside fully.

"It’s a surprise to see you all here. You did not write, I would have welcod you properly.."

ical’s voice carried through the bright room, steady even though his chest felt tight as four heads turned toward him.

Andrey sat with perfect posture, hands resting on his cane. Tatiana sat beside him, her lips curved into a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Aleksandr, his older brother lounged back slightly, his expression unreadable, though the faint curl at the corner of his mouth was unmistakably mocking.

Sanya, his younger sister’s face was the only one that softened when she saw him.

"ical.." Tatiana said first, standing just enough to acknowledge him before sitting again. "You’ve kept us waiting."

"My apologies.." ical replied calmly. "I had matters to finish."

Andrey looked him over slowly.

Not warmly, loving or approvingly. Just... assessing the man, ical had grown to be.

"So this is what ten years looks like.." he said.

Aleksandr let out a short breath, almost a scoff. "Governor ical now, isn’t it? Quite a jump from the boy who caused trouble for everyone."

Sanya shot Aleksandr a glare as she hissed lowly, she could already guess where this was going to.

He leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes fixed on ical like he was sothing unpleasant stuck under his shoe. "You’ve grown enough to make a na for yourself here, I suppose. A position, influence." He lifted a brow. "Impressive, really.."

ical kept his face unreadable. "I’ve worked hard."

Tatiana’s smile sharpened. "Work is one thing. Respecting your family is another."

Sanya stood then, walking over to hug ical lightly. She was careful, unsure if it was welco,but her expression was genuine. "It’s good to see you, older brother.." she murmured. "Really."

He allowed the brief embrace. "You too."

She stepped back, giving him space.

Tatiana watched with a thinly veiled disapproval before clearing her throat.

"Well..." she said "now that we’re done with greetings..."

She crossed one leg over the other, smoothing her skirt as though preparing for a performance.

"We are here.." she said lightly, "because of your wife."

Before ical could respond, Andrey stepped in, voice deep and cutting.

"Explain to ..." he said "why you believed you could marry without consulting us."

His gaze was cold, commanding in that way ical rembered too well.

"You did not seek permission.." Andrey continued. "You did not inform us. Things are not done that way, ical."

Tatiana nodded, her earrings shimring as she tilted her head.

"Your father is right. Marriage is a family matter. Yet you acted as if you have no family at all."