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Chapter 8
‘My stomach doesn’t hurt though.’
‘Healing hands make everything better, they said.’
‘Who said that?’
‘The grandma downstairs.’
Hongsi, startled to see him awake, hesitated before holding out a dirty-looking piece of candy to him.
‘W-would you like some candy? I got it at school, and it’s really good. I brought it for you, young master….’
The child was so lovable that Taesan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Everyone had been shocked that summer day in August when laughter escaped Taesan’s lips—Taesan, who always became especially irritable whenever that day approached.
It was only natural that Taesan cherished that child.
Even now, whenever something bad happened, he spent time with Hongsi.
Being with her calmed him.
Only that child let him breathe.
He cared for her so deeply that he couldn’t even imagine a life without Hongsi.
But that affection had never been as a woman.
Watching his parents, who had loved each other more passionately than anyone yet ultimately destroyed each other, Taesan had sworn he would never fall in love.
He didn’t need marriage either.
His only wish was to continue living as he did now—taking care of Hongsi.
That was why rejecting her confession had been the right thing to do.
If unnecessary feelings contaminated their relationship, things would fall apart.
And that was absolutely unacceptable.
But then… why did the image of Hongsi lowering her head in hurt keep surfacing in his mind?
‘I love you.’
Why did the clumsy sincerity in her trembling confession wrench at his heart?
And what was this heat?
Feeling as though his insides were burning, Taesan rolled down the car window.
Just then, a call came in from an unknown number.
Stopped at a red light, Taesan pressed the button.
“Who is this?”
—Zzzzt….
But the other side said nothing. Taesan frowned.
“Please speak.”
—P-patient, what are you doing there… cli—
“Patient…?”
He muttered with narrowed brows.
Then suddenly, bright headlights rapidly approached from the distance.
HOOOOONK!
A massive truck driving in the opposite lane abruptly swerved into reverse traffic and charged straight toward Taesan’s car.
Hongsi only gave an awkward smile at Huiyoung’s suggestion before returning to her room.
Too many things had happened in a single day.
Exhausted, she was about to collapse onto the bed when she noticed someone sitting in the dark room.
“You’re back?”
It was Taekyung.
As Hongsi hurriedly turned on the light, she saw the room in ruins.
Around Taekyung, who sat with her legs crossed, lay all the gifts Taesan had given Hongsi over the years, shredded by something sharp.
Expensive clothes with the tags still attached, luxury bags, shoes, accessories—everything.
But what angered Hongsi most wasn’t the ruined valuables.
It was the painting in Taekyung’s hand.
“What… are you doing?”
The first and last painting Taesan had ever made for her.
The painting of the lake she had nearly drowned in.
Every day on the way to school, she had to pass that lakeside, and Hongsi would tremble in fear whenever she stood before it.
Back then, Taesan had thought quietly for a moment before returning the next day with a small canvas painting.
‘From now on, think only of this picture. Only sparkling, beautiful things.’
After that, Hongsi was no longer afraid.
It felt as though Taesan was standing firmly behind her.
When she kept the painting beside her, she no longer had nightmares.
From that day on, it became her greatest treasure.
And now, Taekyung was pressing scissors against it.
“A warning not to get above your station.”
“Put it down.”
“Taesan oppa exists in a world far too high for someone like you to even dream of reaching. You’re trash at the bottom. If he’s royalty, then you’re a peasant.”
“Put the painting down!”
Hongsi strode forward, trying to snatch it away.
But Taekyung lifted it high above her reach.
“Don’t tell me Taesan oppa gave you this too?”
“You can rip up everything else. Burn it all if you want. But not that.”
Taekyung smiled with amusement.
Then she tried to cut it with the scissors.
“Oh really? Then I definitely should—agh!”
Hongsi bit Taekyung’s hand without hesitation.
Taekyung screamed, her grip loosening as the painting fell to the floor.
Hongsi quickly grabbed it.
“You crazy bitch!”
Taekyung lunged at her like a demon.
Hongsi curled around the painting protectively.
Taekyung punched and kicked her relentlessly.
“Your insane mother should’ve just let you die in that lake!”
Thud! Thud!
Hongsi didn’t even let out a groan, which only enraged Taekyung more.
“Now I understand why your mother tried to kill you.”
Still, she couldn’t break Hongsi.
No matter how viciously Taekyung lashed out, Hongsi never opened her mouth.
“You demon bitch! We never should’ve let something like you into this house!”
Eventually, exhausted herself, Taekyung spat out a curse.
“You’d better disappear from this house on your own soon. Otherwise, I’ll really kill you with my own hands!”
Pushing back her disheveled hair, Taekyung stormed out of the room.
Hongsi swallowed her tears as she looked down at the frayed canvas in her arms.
It hurt seeing the precious painting ruined.
“Everyone, come out!”
Just then, a commotion erupted outside.
“They say Young Master Taesan got into a traffic accident on the way to Seoul and was rushed to the hospital!”
Slowly, Hongsi raised her head from where she had curled up.
“Oppa…?”
The canvas slipped helplessly from her hands.
After emergency surgery, Taesan’s condition was critical.
The doctor’s devastating words—that he might never wake up again—caused Chairman Kang to collapse backward.
Hongsi didn’t even know how she had managed to reach the hospital.
One of her shoes was missing after she desperately begged the driver to bring her there.
As Hongsi entered the hospital, Taekyung—who had been sobbing in Huiyoung’s arms—lifted her head upon spotting her.
Eyes blazing, Taekyung charged over and grabbed Hongsi by the hair.
“This is all because of this bitch! Her confession brought bad luck!”
“Y-Young Miss Taekyung! Please calm down first!”
The startled driver tried to intervene, but it was impossible.
“How can I calm down right now?! Because of this crazy bitch, my brother might die—!”
Slap!
At that moment, Huiyoung strode over and slapped Taekyung across the face with all her strength.
Taekyung froze.
Her own mother—who adored her more than anyone—had hit her for the first time in her life.
Unable to believe it, Taekyung’s face went blank.
“…You hit me?”
“Kang Taekyung. Go home.”
Taekyung stared at Huiyoung in shock before her face twisted.
“Mom!”
“Go right now!”
“No!”
Huiyoung, who was always smiling and rarely angry, looked at Taekyung coldly with an unfamiliar expression.
“You foolish child! Do you know where you are, raising your voice like this?!”
“H-how can you do this to me, Mom? You should be hitting her instead! This happened because of her!”
“Driver Kim, take Taekyung home.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am.”
Biting her lip, Taekyung glared resentfully at Huiyoung before storming off.
Driver Kim hurried after her.
“Madam.”
At that moment, Chief Butler Choi, who managed the household affairs with Huiyoung, approached and spoke quietly.
“Young Master Taejun heard the news and is on his way back to Korea.”
Taejun, Taekyung’s fraternal twin and Hongsi’s childhood friend, was currently attending Harvard in the United States and nearing graduation.
“Taejun? That boy must be so busy with finals, why would he come all the way back…! Still, he has to. Taesan’s in that condition. School hardly matters now.”
At the mention of Taejun, Huiyoung became upset before collapsing weakly into a chair, sobbing.
“Honey! How could you do this to me? You made me a widow less than a year ago, and now you’re going to take Taesan too? How am I supposed to live…?”
As she cried into her hands, Huiyoung suddenly looked at Hongsi.
“Hongsi… what are we going to do about Taesan?”
Without looking at Huiyoung, Hongsi stared through the glass at Taesan, sleeping amidst countless tubes and breathing machines.
“Taesan oppa is stronger than anyone. There’s no way something bad will happen to him.”
“Sob… you’re right. Taesan is such a strong child….”
Even while comforting Huiyoung, Hongsi’s insides churned with guilt.
Maybe the shaman had been right.
Maybe Taekyung was right too.
A man who had never once shown weakness in his life was now lying unconscious after a terrible accident.
Right after she had made such a ridiculous confession.
‘An evil spirit has attached itself to you!’
Though Taesan had told her to forget it, the shaman’s chilling voice clung stubbornly to her memory.
‘Your greed is overflowing! That greed will bring disaster in the end!’
No, that couldn’t be true.
Even if she really were cursed, Taesan wasn’t someone who would fall to something like an evil spirit.
No… please.
I won’t ever say I like you again.
I won’t be greedy anymore.
Praying desperately to a god she didn’t even believe in, begging only for Taesan’s safety, Hongsi suddenly saw Chairman Kang approaching with his cane.
“Who died?!”
Chief Butler Choi hurried to support him.
Huiyoung quickly wiped away her tears and rose from her seat.
“F-Father…!”
“Stop crying this instant!”
Chairman Kang glared fiercely at Huiyoung.
“That brat Taesan carries my blood. The blood of Kang Chunsik! He won’t die from a mere traffic accident.”
“But Father, there was the shaman’s prophecy!”
A prophecy?
Hongsi turned toward Huiyoung in confusion.
Sobbing, Huiyoung spoke.
“It finally happened… it finally happened…. This is why we should’ve gotten him married sooner. If we had, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Silence! Are you trying to curse Taesan to death right now?!”
“I-I’m sorry, Father. I’m just so worried….”
What in the world were they talking about?
What did she mean it finally happened?
And what did Taesan’s marriage have to do with this?
Hongsi was bewildered by the incomprehensible conversation.
Then—
“Don’t worry, Father. The shaman should be arriving any moment—oh! Madam Shaman!”
Suddenly Huiyoung brightened as she welcomed someone.
Turning her head, Hongsi saw a woman in unmistakable shaman attire approaching them.
