March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 67

He opened the passenger door and pulled out Lee Sehwa, who was crumpled inside. He looked so lifeless and wilted… even a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse would have a brighter expression.

“Excuse me, but if you mean pregnant woman guardian registration… are you, General, just here to help with the procedure, or….”

“I’m the guardian.”

Gi Taejeong pulled Lee Sehwa, who kept trying to back away, to his side.

“This person is carrying my child.”

Don’t avoid me. As if to warn him, he rubbed the hollow part where the wrist and palm connected a couple of times, and Lee Sehwa’s rounded, hunched shoulders slightly trembled. That gesture felt like a rejection towards him, so Gi Taejeong deliberately held Lee Sehwa’s hand tightly. No, he firmly intertwined their fingers, completely interlocking them. To prevent him from having any strange thoughts.

He felt Lee Sehwa’s body flinch as he squeezed his hand, but that was only at first. After that, he showed no particular reaction and silently followed Gi Taejeong. It was strange. He had dragged him along because he didn’t want to see him stubbornly refuse, but when he acted docilely, that was also not good.

“Ah, I see. As you know, it’s not common for an officer to volunteer as a guardian…. I asked an impolite question. Congratulations. Your husband is truly affectionate.”

Lee Sehwa only smiled ambiguously at the thoughtless compliment. It was a face that was hard to guess whether he was displeased, nervous, or embarrassed. Perhaps all of them.

Watching him, Gi Taejeong also felt his mood sinking. He could understand. It was so sudden that he couldn’t easily accept the truth, he was shocked, and he still couldn’t believe his words and was wavering.

But even so, he asked Lieutenant Na to be his guardian? Without a single word to him, who had been taking care of him all along? Moreover, Lee Sehwa shook his head even more vehemently as soon as he heard that a permanent record would remain on the military server. He also said he didn’t want that kind of responsibility. Thinking about it again, it was absurd.

It was true that registering a guardian for a pregnant woman was a legal obligation, but it was not common for a high-ranking official like a Brigadier General to step forward directly. No, it was almost unheard of. Especially if the person, like Gi Taejeong, had parental rights to the child.

There was no issue when direct family members or others stepped forward, but once a parent with parental rights registered their name as a guardian on the resident registration ledger, they became more than just an emergency contact. They became obligated to take responsibility for the other person until childbirth.

For a smooth delivery, the pregnant woman could legally access all of the guardian’s information. This included location tracking and property inquiries, and if the guardian refused, enforcement could even be demanded.

For ordinary people, there would be nothing to hinder them, but the circumstances of high-ranking people were different. The more splendid the rank, the more likely there were dirty secrets. Moreover, the personal information of an officer was inevitably linked to national secrets.

Therefore, in high society, even for couples who married after a passionate romance, it was common for a direct family member other than the spouse to act as a guardian. No, that was natural.

Nevertheless, Gi Taejeong intended to become Lee Sehwa’s guardian. If he did, Lee Sehwa could at least receive treatment equivalent to a Brigadier General during pregnancy, and could freely use the assets of Gi Taejeong, who was both the parent and guardian. Of course, withdrawals would be limited to matters related to the child, but couldn’t excuses be made? He could say he bought some jewelry out of a wish for a safe delivery, or he could buy prime land later, saying he wanted to build a playground for the child.

A high-ranking parent stepping forward as a guardian for a pregnant woman meant they were willing to endure all that. Gi Taejeong had subtly hinted at it last night, intending to turn a blind eye even if Lee Sehwa did such things in his name.

Gi Taejeong laid Lee Sehwa, who had cried himself unconscious, on the bed and wiped his gaunt face with a towel soaked in warm water. Although it was Chief Warrant Officer Choi’s advice, it was the first time he had provided such embarrassing care. And he swept up all the luxuries he could buy that day and filled the room with them. He also prepared a large flower basket as his subordinates suggested, and even stuck the check card, which Lee Sehwa hadn’t touched since he first bought him ice cream, among the flowers.

Afterward, when Lee Sehwa regained consciousness and started provoking him with absurd talk like payment, he patiently endured it. Remembering how he used to like it when he stepped on his foot, he also hugged him like that.

And then he whispered that he would grant whatever he wished. He even subtly hinted that there would surely be something he needed, so he should think carefully.

As expected, Lee Sehwa had a bewildered look on his face. As if he didn’t understand. So Gi Taejeong chuckled inwardly. He was looking forward to Lee Sehwa’s face when he belatedly realized he had to register a guardian and hesitantly brought it up.

Even though that was his true intention, he had no intention of being mean to Lee Sehwa about this issue. He wouldn’t make him cry or tease him; if he asked, he would immediately agree to it. He even planned to tell him the secret story behind the 12 billion won on the check card. Not to show off that he had messed with President Son like that, but just… he thought Lee Sehwa might feel more comfortable spending the money then.

But that frustrating person only asked to be allowed to wear whatever clothes he wanted from now on. Perhaps he was so upset about being stripped naked in the house that he turned his back and cried again while talking about it.

Indeed, at the time, he seemed to have said such things without even knowing that there was a guardian registration law…. But looking at how Lee Sehwa was acting now, even if he had known, he probably wouldn’t have asked him. If Lieutenant Na refused, would he have gone to Chief Warrant Officer Choi or Second Lieutenant Park next? He would rather bribe the people at the house than have his turn come to him. That was certain.

Gi Taejeong looked at Lee Sehwa’s hand, which he was holding. He didn’t know why Lee Sehwa felt so precarious even though he was holding him so tightly.

“Welcome to the government building, General. And madam.”

As soon as they passed through the entrance, people rushed out from inside and bowed deeply. It seemed the word that an officer had arrived had spread quickly.

“I heard you’re here to register the madam as a guardian.”

At the peculiar title of ‘madam,’ Lee Sehwa mumbled and looked up at him. He seemed to want him to draw a line and tell people not to use such words. Of course, Gi Taejeong had no intention of doing so.

“Get used to it.”

“……”

“Like it or not, as long as I’m your guardian, people will call you that from now on.”

“…But….”

“You must have had a hard time getting here.”

The officials standing in front of them crowded around and spoke, and Lee Sehwa, who had opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, soon clammed up like a clam. He could have pressed him, but he didn’t want to hear it. It was obvious. He was probably going to say he didn’t need a guardian or something like that.

“Are you tired? We’ll escort you directly to the reception room.”

The people lined up treated Lee Sehwa with more utmost respect than Gi Taejeong. Since a Brigadier General had volunteered to be his legal guardian, they seemed to have judged that they should make a good impression on the ‘madam’ who was clearly a person of power.

“Watch your step on the floor.”

They were just walking down a marble corridor with nothing to trip on, but they were making such a fuss. Even the palace maids attending a pregnant queen probably wouldn’t be this overly dramatic.

Actually, Gi Taejeong didn’t like this kind of welcome. The more they fussed about taking care of him, the slower things got done. But he didn’t dislike seeing people fawn over Lee Sehwa.

Despite everything, Lee Sehwa was very affectionate. He wouldn’t reject hands that worried about him and cared for him. So Gi Taejeong, even with a slight frown… decided to let the fussing people go, who were saying they would bring refreshments and to let them know if he needed anything. He hoped that generous treatment might soften Lee Sehwa’s heart a little.

“Please rest, we’ll be right back with everything ready.”

The reception room on the highest floor looked more like the lobby of a luxurious hotel than a government office. Or perhaps an art museum with a piece of history from its most glorious era. As soon as the door opened, a huge and delicate sculpture caught his eye, and when he looked up, he saw baby angels frolicking on the ceiling. Perhaps there was a device that could project the weather directly, as the sky outside was full of life.

When he sat on the sofa, a warm and sweet scent, similar to fabric softener, wafted up. He also noticed fresh flowers placed at regular intervals at eye level. In fact, it was a rather distracting sight for Gi Taejeong, but it seemed to suit Lee Sehwa’s taste, who liked sweet things.

“Oh, did you bring the medical certificate?”

“Medical certificate?”

Oh. He hadn’t thought of that. Gi Taejeong, scratching his cheek awkwardly, suddenly remembered the two holograms he had put in his pocket. Lee Sehwa had been fiddling with them endlessly even in the car, so he had taken them away and put them aside out of frustration. He thought that clumsy guy would probably cut his finger on a sharp edge if he kept playing with them.

“Can’t we start the registration process with this? The child looks so much like him that this should be enough as proof.”

“Of course, you can supplement the medical certificate later… Oh my!”

The official in charge, who had looked over his shoulder at the hologram, raised his glasses in surprise.

“He’s a spitting image of the madam. How can he be so pretty…? What’s the baby’s gender?”

“Well, I haven’t asked….”

“…General.”

Lee Sehwa, sitting on the opposite sofa, called Gi Taejeong. His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, but it carried an undeniable discomfort. Or perhaps displeasure. He seemed to dislike talking about the baby with strangers.

“Oh dear, I was being thoughtless, bothering someone who’s tired. I’ll go get things ready right away.”

The official, sensing the unusual atmosphere, bustled away. Only then did Lee Sehwa seem to relax a little, letting out a long sigh. It meant he was starting to feel uncomfortable with Gi Taejeong without having to worry about other people’s gazes.

“General, I’m sorry, but….”

“Ha… stop it.”

“……”

“What’s so bad about it? Didn’t you see how surprised people were earlier? Do you know what it means for a military parent to step up?”

“No, that’s not….”

“Or, what.”

Lee Sehwa’s fists, resting on his thighs, trembled terribly. Now he even had cold sweat on his forehead.

“If it’s not that, why are you making such a face? Is it so terrible for me to be your legal guardian?”

“No… I… the scent here is too strong, ugh!”

Lee Sehwa suddenly covered his mouth with his hand and bent over greatly. He looked so distressed that even Gi Taejeong, who had been relentlessly pressing him, paused for a moment.

“Ugh…!”

With a pale face, Lee Sehwa staggered to his feet. He looked around as if searching for a restroom, but even that seemed too much effort, so he just clutched the back of the sofa and gasped for breath. It didn’t look like he was faking it at all.

“Hoo, ugh…!”

Gi Taejeong stared blankly at Lee Sehwa, who was curled up and dry heaving. He wasn’t deliberately neglecting him. When he had fainted from fever, he would just call Lieutenant Na to check on him and give him an IV, but this was the first time he had seen Lee Sehwa suffer so much while fully conscious… he had no idea what to do.

“H-Ugh, ugh….”

“…Lee Sehwa.”

Did he get indigestion? When he belatedly tried to approach him to rub his back, Lee Sehwa shook his head slightly. Now he could barely speak, only managing to raise his hand. It was such a small gesture that it was hard to tell what it meant, but since he had just said the scent was strong, he probably wanted him to open the window.

“Want me to ventilate? Is that enough?”

He asked, but there was no reply. He wasn’t actually vomiting, just fiercely gagging. Ah, damn it. Gi Taejeong frantically tapped the controller button. He couldn’t even wait for the window to open completely and threw all the damn flower arrangements out through the slightly opened gap.