Chapter 127

The staircase creaked softly under their steps as the three generations of Kim women moved upward—Jennie carrying a peacefully asleep Ruby, Jennie’s mother leading the way like she had walked this path a thousand times, and Lisa trailing behind with the expression of someone whose entire understanding of biology, history, and romance was currently being stress-tested.

The upper floor of the mansion felt even older. The air was cooler, quieter, and lined with more portraits—this time even more elaborate, some painted in traditional ink, others in faded oil, all staring down with the same unmistakable Kim features: mandu cheeks, cat eyes, and an unsettling level of calm confidence.

Lisa stopped walking.

“Wait a minute.”

Jennie didn’t even turn. “Hmm?”

Lisa pointed vaguely at the portraits, her voice rising with genuine disbelief.

“How the hell did your generation multiply if they all gay?! I mean—Jennie and I had Ruby through IVF, okay, modern technology, science, hospitals, expensive bills—fine, I accept that part—”

She stepped forward like she was building a case in court.

“But how did they have children back then?? Like, in the old times?? There were no IVF clinics, no science labs, no nothing!”

She looked between Jennie and her mother like she expected one of them to finally admit this was all a very elaborate historical prank.

Jennie’s mother stopped walking.

Slowly, she turned around.

Then smiled.

“Oh,” she said calmly, like Lisa had just asked why water was wet. “That is simple.”

Lisa straightened immediately. “Simple??”

Jennie adjusted Ruby gently in her arms, still half-asleep, the baby’s tiny face squished adorably against her shoulder.

Jennie’s mother gestured toward the portraits as if explaining something completely normal.

“They got married to women who have male genitalia.”

Silence.

Lisa blinked once.

Then twice.

Then very slowly pointed at herself like she needed confirmation she was still inside reality.

“…Excuse me?”

Jennie’s mother continued, completely unbothered.

“Well, I had Jennie through IVF as you already knew,” she added casually, “but before modern times, that was not possible. So historically, Kim women always married women who had male anatomy. It is a very rare condition.”

Lisa’s mouth opened slightly.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

“That is not—” she gestured wildly at the air, searching for words, “—that is not a historical explanation, that is a fantasy loophole!”

Jennie, still calm, gave a small shrug.

“Let’s just say they all had the same taste throughout different eras they were born in,” Jennie said lightly.

Lisa turned to her immediately. “That doesn’t explain—”

Jennie continued, as if reading from a very confusing family history book.

“Kim women only love women,” she said simply. “That’s why they all fell in love with the same kind of partner in their own time.”

Lisa stared at her.

“…A woman with male parts.”

Jennie nodded. “Mm.”

Lisa slowly raised both hands to her head.

“I feel like I walked into a historical romance novel written by someone who gave up on explaining logistics halfway through.”

Jennie’s mother laughed softly. “We prefer not to dwell too much on complications. It is tradition.”

Lisa pointed weakly at one of the portraits nearby. “This woman looks like she judged empires. You’re telling me she also just casually had a very specific niche dating preference in the 1800s?”

Jennie’s mother nodded. “Very specific.”

Lisa turned again, scanning the wall like she was trying to find an escape clause in the family tree.

“So just to be clear,” Lisa said slowly, “the entire Kim lineage survived… because every generation of women found partners who were biologically… compatible in a very specific way… and nobody thought this was worth writing down in normal historical records??”

Jennie’s mother tilted her head. “Why would they write it? It is private family matter.”

Lisa’s voice cracked slightly. “THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE FAMILY MATTER, THIS IS BIOLOGY AND HISTORY HAVING A FIGHT IN A BACK ALLEY!”

Jennie finally let out a soft laugh, stepping closer to Lisa.

“Babe,” she said gently, “you’re overthinking it.”

Lisa turned sharply. “I am not overthinking it, I am trying to survive it!”

Ruby, still asleep, made a tiny sound in Jennie’s arms, and instantly both Jennie and Lisa softened at the same time.

Lisa sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

“Okay,” she muttered. “Okay. Fine. I accept the Kim family lore. I accept the cat eyes. I accept the mandu cheeks. I accept the emotional intimidation portraits.”

She pointed one last time at the wall.

“But I refuse to accept that history was like ‘yeah this is normal, no need to document it properly.’”

Jennie smiled and leaned in, kissing Lisa’s cheek again.

“You’re doing great,” she whispered.

Lisa looked at her wife with exhausted disbelief.

“I married into the most historically confusing family in human existence.”

Jennie’s mother, already walking further into the hall, called back cheerfully:

“And you are welcome to stay confused!”

Lisa groaned loudly, but followed anyway.

Because somehow, between the impossible family history, the endless portraits, and the baby sleeping peacefully in Jennie’s arms—

It still felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.