Chapter 9

Chairman Baek’s voice sank even lower, growing heavy. Beneath the satisfaction on his face, a strange, searching glint flickered.

“Attorney Han has never hesitated for a moment in front of a task I assigned. She didn’t falter when it mattered, and above all, I liked her ambition and survival instincts—she knows how to throw herself away to charge toward her goal. She’s exactly the kind of daughter-in-law material I’ve been looking for.”

“That is precisely why I dislike her even more! How can such a selfish and greedy girl possibly act as a mother?!”

Madame Jo’s sharp scream cut through the silence of the living room. However, Chairman Baek didn’t even flinch.

His gaze completely bypassed his wife, fixing on the empty air far off in the distance. As if his sight were mapped solely toward the grander future of Taesan Group, Madame Jo’s rage was utterly out of his mind.

“When Do-jin’s child is born, I’m sure we’ll get a sly, ruthless kid who will inherit everything Taesan has to offer.”

At Chairman Baek’s low murmur, Madame Jo slowly yet desperately clenched her hands resting on her lap. It was a grip so hard her knuckles turned white.

“In the end, you’re saying you chose a ‘human’ as if shopping for an ‘object.’ Not a simple daughter-in-law, but a tool to carry Taesan’s bloodline.”

At Madame Jo’s dagger-like words, Chairman Baek replied ruthlessly without a second’s hesitation.

“Naturally.”

He raised his whiskey glass once more. His posture was arrogant, the subtle stillness in his wrist declaring an absolute end to all debate. It was an overwhelming stance that signaled the outcome was already settled and his wife’s pushback was entirely meaningless.

Madame Jo could not open her mouth any longer.

The moment Seo-young followed Do-jin up to the second floor, the atmosphere shifted perceptibly. The wide hallway and thick carpet swallowed their footsteps whole. Do-jin stopped without hesitation in front of the room at the very end of the corridor.

The door opened to reveal a restrained space. Devoid of any unnecessary decorations, the room was excessively neat, reflecting Do-jin’s personality exactly.

Moments later, a servant entered carrying tea and set the cups on the table. After the servant quietly left, only the two of them remained in the room.

“Have a seat.”

Seo-young nodded silently and sat down. Her back remained straight, still maintaining her guard. Do-jin watched her for a moment before taking a sip of tea and speaking.

“Was it difficult down there earlier?”

Seo-young took a brief breath before answering.

“I was fine.”

Seo-young kept her back upright, striving to infuse calm into her voice. But as if piercing right through her forced composure, Do-jin’s eyes met hers directly.

“Rarely is a person truly fine when they say they are. Especially in a situation like today’s.”

Do-jin’s voice was indifferent, yet behind it lay a cool, sharp insight gained through vast experience.

Seo-young wrapped both hands around the warm teacup in front of her. The heat from the cup seeped into her frozen fingertips, but her inner self remained icy cold. Her mind was entirely filled with one person.

‘What would Sister have done in this situation?’

It had been the exact same throughout the suffocating dinner earlier. Every time Chairman Baek’s dagger-like words struck and Madame Jo’s chilly gaze swept over her body, she had called out to her sister in her mind countless times. She had repeated to herself that she was now Joo-young and pretended to be confident, but in the end, she couldn’t actually become Joo-young.

‘Sister definitely wouldn’t have hesitated like I did. She would have stood her ground more proudly, more fiercely. Or maybe she would have overwhelmed Chairman Baek and Madame Jo with a brilliant answer I couldn’t even imagine.’

Seo-young clutched the cup as the tea cooled. Feeling her heart chill alongside it, as if even her body heat were being drained away, she whispered softly to herself, pouring firm resolve into the tips of her trembling hands.

‘I won’t waver like this either, sister. Never. I am Han Joo-young.’

As if swallowing her hardened resolve, Seo-young painted a relaxed smile on her lips. Even if her heart was torn into a thousand pieces inside, it was a face filled with the determination that she would not break—at least on the outside.

“Still, you tried your best not to lose your nerve.”

The corner of Do-jin’s mouth loosened ever so faintly. Staring at Seo-young with calm eyes, he said:

“I certainly noticed that.”

He paused briefly, then added in a more serious tone.

“That attitude is necessary. Especially if you are to marry me and live here in the Taesan family.”

Seo-young’s gaze naturally shifted toward him.

“Dealing with Mother won’t be as easy as you think. Father, of course, is no easy opponent either. Even when he smiles on the outside, he has already finished calculating everything on the inside. He has undoubtedly finished his calculations regarding you as well. He isn’t someone who lets people into his circle easily.”

Do-jin’s eyes were fixed on the teacup where a thin trail of steam rose. Even within those unfathomably deep eyes, his expression remained mercilessly unperturbed.

“Father judges a person’s usefulness first.”

Seo-young immediately understood the hidden weight of those words, feeling a chill run down her spine. Now everything became clear as to why Chairman Baek’s hearty laughter had felt so cold and spine-chilling earlier. His goodwill was not kindness. It was a relentless ‘evaluation.’

“High expectations mean Taesan will demand just as much from you, Joo-young.”

Do-jin’s voice reached Seo-young like a final warning.

Seo-young set down the warm cup. Then, she raised her head slowly with an unwavering gaze. There was no sign of trying to run away, nor any trace of excessive nervousness—only a calm, solid face.

“I’m prepared for it.”

It was a short answer, but within it lay a firm strength that could not be easily broken. Do-jin stared at Seo-young’s steady eyes, then gave a low nod.

“Then at the very least, you won’t crumble easily here at Taesan.”

Those words were neither comfort nor encouragement. It was merely the dry acknowledgement of a man who knew this marriage was a total battlefield.

Deep down, Do-jin felt relieved that he hadn’t chosen a woman who was driven solely by ambition. Seo-young possessed far more grit and resolve than he had anticipated.

“What about you, Do-jin?”

Do-jin’s gaze turned to her.

“What about me?”

“Marriage. Do you attach any meaning to this marriage, as I do?”

Holding his teacup, Do-jin erased even his faint smile. His voice was as calm as still water, yet a bitter resignation lingered within it.

“Once a decision is made, I no longer attach personal meaning to it.”

It was a brief reply, but Seo-young clearly understood how Do-jin viewed this marriage through those words. To him, marriage was like an order already issued and a fate that had to be accepted. A cold pain sliced through one side of her heart.

“I hope you keep the promises made at the beginning.”

Do-jin’s voice was low and calm. While he showed no emotion, a clear boundary was set in his tone.

“And bearing my successor—that is your role.”

His gaze rested on her. It felt less like a confirmation and more like a declaration. After catching her breath for a moment, she lifted her head. Looking straight at Do-jin, she answered calmly.

“Yes…”

Only the faint aroma of tea spreading through the air filled the quiet room. Immersed in their own thoughts, the two slowly finished their tea.

Only then did Seo-young finally realize: the battle here at Taesan, where she had set foot, was only just beginning. The door named marriage was merely the start of everything, and she would have to fight countless battles to bear a successor and guard her position.

‘So it has come to this in the end.’

There were no more options left for her.

Having stepped foot inside, it was now her fate that she could not back out even if she wanted to.

The path back had already been severed.

The only remaining way was to face it head-on and become a true member of the Taesan family.