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Chapter 11
Shock. And then the flood of grief and doubt.
The relationship between father and son, shattered in an instant.
The memories replayed again.
“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?! When were you ever planning to tell me?!”
“It’s not like that. Stop raising your voice, Seo Taejoo!”
Even knowing it was childish rebellion, he couldn’t stop himself.
This defiance.
“Ha. Seo Taejoo? Why? Why not just call me Lee Taejoo instead? I may not be Seo Moonsu’s son, but I’m still the son of CK Chairman’s only daughter, Lee Hana. Now that it’s been revealed I’m not your biological child, what’s the point of keeping the Seo surname?”
“Don’t make a scene. As long as I’m alive, you’re still one of the Seo family!”
“No. I have no intention of living as a Seo anymore.”
“What?!”
“I’m leaving this house. I’ll give up my position as Taekwang’s heir too. I can’t keep doing this alone anymore. I can’t keep trying just to get a little attention from you.”
“You insolent—!”
“The reason you’re trying to stop me… and the reason you desperately suppressed the truth that I’m not your biological son by spreading ridiculous rumors about your affair….”
“…Wasn’t it all because of the CK shares from my mother’s side of the family that I possess?”
More than being shocked that I wasn’t your real son—
I was disappointed in you as a person.
Because after that incident, you didn’t come to me immediately. You hesitated.
Of course, you must’ve regretted it. You had trusted and raised someone who wasn’t even your biological child all this time.
His mind could understand it.
But his heart couldn’t.
Later, Seo Taejoo learned that Seo Moonsu had tried to adjust the shares of Taekwang that Taejoo was supposed to inherit.
That was when Seo Taejoo began losing faith in Vice Chairman Seo Moonsu.
This man—who wasn’t even his real father—would never again be sincere toward him.
“Were you more upset about losing CK shares after the truth came out than the fact that I wasn’t your biological son? Enough to spread fake scandals saying Mother died from the shock of your affair?”
“Seo Taejoo…!”
“…Did you know? Even after getting accepted into Columbia University, I chose Korea University because of you. Father—ha, no… Vice Chairman Seo Moonsu.”
“……”
Korea University.
Vice Chairman Seo Moonsu’s alma mater.
“I wanted your acknowledgment. Just once.”
Though now everything had become a mess.
“From this moment on, I’ll live as someone with no connection to Taekwang or to you, Vice Chairman.”
“Who decided that?!”
“You worked hard raising someone who wasn’t even your real child all these years. And don’t worry—I’ll repay everything I enjoyed while living as Taekwang’s son before I leave.”
And so continued the battle of wills between a former father and son.
The reason for Taekwang’s infamous troublemaker’s birth wasn’t petty rebellion, nor Vice Chairman Seo Moonsu’s affair.
It was because of Seo Taejoo’s damned secret of birth.
* * *
Seo Taejoo frowned while staring at the monitor.
“…This feels absolutely awful.”
Click.
He grabbed the mouse, opened the original family photo file, and dragged it into the trash.
Just as he was about to permanently delete it—
Bzzzz.
His phone vibrated.
Seo Taejoo muttered irritably,
“Who is it now?”
At such an important moment—the ceremonial burning of the fake family photo.
[Princess on a White Horse]
What?
It was Yeo Jaekyung.
The crease between Seo Taejoo’s brows instantly disappeared after seeing the sender.
The permanent frown on his forehead vanished.
It was a text message from her.
[I might be a little late to our meeting time. About 3 minutes. It’s not my fault, though—it’s because of traffic.]
Late because of traffic, not because of herself?
He quickly texted back.
[Drawing such a clean line. Very like you, Yeo Jaekyung.]
Her reply came quickly.
[I’m the type who doesn’t admit fault when it isn’t actually mine.]
A laugh escaped him.
Even her proud way of distancing herself from public transportation was strangely amusing.
Since when was my type a woman this unusual?
He suddenly thought back.
Was I ever interested in people like this?
One thing was certain—
Yeo Jaekyung was a dangerous woman capable of completely destroying someone’s preferences.
Come to think of it, didn’t I tease her before about being some princess on a white horse…?
The princess on a white horse and Seo-terella.
At the absurd coincidence, Seo Taejoo laughed again.
He murmured to himself,
“…Turns out I was the real Cinderella, Yeo Jaekyung.”
I even have a stepfather and two stepsisters.
Perfect qualifications.
Eventually, he stood up with a sigh.
“Guess I should get going too.”
Time for Seo-terella and the princess on a white horse to go on their date.
The location wasn’t a ballroom—
It was a tteokbokki restaurant.
His mood, ruined by the unexpected attack of old family photos, improved just by thinking about seeing her.
Of course, his original plan to use this woman hadn’t changed.
Seo Taejoo muttered uneasily,
“I hope Lee Changsik and Jo Gabin are preparing properly.”
The paparazzi he hired had better earn their money.
* * *
About two hours later, outside a famous tteokbokki restaurant in the suburbs.
Click. Click.
A man carrying a telephoto camera and an assistant in a baseball cap loitered nearby.
They were Lee Changsik and Jo Gabin—
Seo Taejoo’s “friends,” written as such but better described as employees and slaves.
“My life is legendary. Secretly taking photos of my boss’s date.”
“What exactly is Seo Taejoo planning to do with pictures of himself dating Yeo Jaekyung?”
“No idea. Since when have we ever understood anything Seo Taejoo says?”
We just do what he tells us.
At that moment, Seo Taejoo appeared again.
Coming out of the restaurant—
With someone beside him.
Yeo Jaekyung.
“Hurry! Hurry! Zoom in!”
Lee Changsik quickly captured them in frame.
Click-click-click.
The shutter fired repeatedly.
Soon the two checked the photos together.
The images showed surprisingly warm moments between Seo Taejoo and Yeo Jaekyung.
…Enough that anyone might mistake them for a happy couple on a date.
“Wow. Looking at them like this, they actually suit each other.”
Lee Changsik muttered.
Visually, it was a perfect picture.
They looked as though they belonged together.
He remembered a conversation with Seo Taejoo from a few days ago.
“Lee Changsik, ever heard of Seodongyo?”
“Seodongyo?”
“Yeah. The legendary scammer of Baekje who spread illegal rumors, married a princess far above his station, and eventually became king.”
“Ah… I know it, but why…?”
“Get ready. The 21st-century version of Seodongyo.”
Seo Taejoo had grinned.
“Let’s do it too.
Spread rumors.”
Rumors that Seo Taejoo and Yeo Jaekyung were that kind of relationship.
Even while sending the carefully selected photos to Seo Taejoo, Lee Changsik sighed repeatedly.
“Is this really okay…?”
“Seriously. Aren’t we going to get sued by Hanlim’s legal team?”
Jo Gabin nodded in agreement.
“Still… what exactly is Seo Taejoo thinking? Why of all people is he doing this with Hanlim’s Yeo Jaekyung?”
At the question, Jo Gabin spoke seriously.
“I think I know why.”
“What? Why?”
Lee Changsik listened intently.
“Think about it. I’ve got a theory. There’s been a lot of talk lately about Taekwang trying to acquire Hanlim Steel, right?”
“Ah… that thing where people say Taekwang’s acting like thugs in the steel industry?”
“Yeah. Taekwang and Hanlim have been battling hard lately. Of course, wealthy Taekwang has the advantage. But Hanlim isn’t the type of company to just bow down.”
Right, right.
Lee Changsik nodded.
Jo Gabin continued.
“So what happens if a scandal breaks out between Taekwang’s son and Hanlim’s daughter?”
“…Chaos.”
Lee Changsik shivered.
“The parents and companies are fighting like enemies, while their kids become Romeo and Juliet? I’d call them immature too.”
“Exactly.”
Jo Gabin’s eyes lit up.
“Seo Taejoo’s basically begging people to curse him right now!”
“Ahhh! So that’s it!”
Now Lee Changsik finally understood.
Still…
“The backlash is going to be huge. Will he be okay?”
Jo Gabin tilted his head while looking at the photos.
“Especially when it’s that Seo Taejoo and that Yeo Jaekyung.”
One was the nation’s most notorious troublemaker.
The other was Korea’s model student.
Any connection between them was bound to become a hot topic.
“I just feel bad for Yeo Jaekyung. Of all people, she got caught up with Seo Taejoo.”
Maybe if this had been years ago, when Seo Taejoo was admired as Taekwang’s heir.
Lee Changsik muttered regretfully,
“…Back then, there wasn’t anyone who lived more uprightly than Seo Taejoo.”
But these days…
Both friends let out long sighs.
“Still… Seo Taejoo isn’t actually falling for Yeo Jaekyung, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“No, think about it. Didn’t Seodong create the Seodongyo rumors because he wanted to marry Princess Seonhwa? So maybe Seo Taejoo’s final goal is also with Yeo Jaekyung…”
“You idiot. No way!”
“I’m not saying it without reason. Look at the pictures.”
Jo Gabin held out the photos.
Lee Changsik looked at Seo Taejoo’s expression while watching Yeo Jaekyung.
Every photo showed the corners of his mouth lifted.
Anyone could tell—
He was enjoying that time.
“…Looking at these photos, doesn’t it feel less like Yeo Jaekyung got caught by Seo Taejoo and more like Seo Taejoo got caught by Yeo Jaekyung?”
“…That’s true.”
In every picture, Seo Taejoo couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Lee Changsik murmured worriedly,
“…What if he ends up trapped by his own scheme?”
If Seo Taejoo ended up falling for the very Seodongyo rumor he created himself…
…Then what would happen?
The two dumb-and-dumber friends pondered seriously.
