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Chapter 47
Han Myung-sook, the chairman of the Eunyang Foundation, was the third daughter of the foundation’s first chairman, Han Cheol-jin.
Out of seven siblings—three sons and four daughters—she was the fifth child.
In other words, she wasn’t the eldest son nor the eldest daughter; she was one of those children who happened to be born and didn’t particularly attract attention.
Naturally, the heir to the large foundation should have been the third sibling and eldest son, Han Dong-ho. But Han Myung-sook boldly rose up during that time.
And though she lacked a sword, in the midst of fierce battles, she took over the Eunyang Foundation.
That was the kind of person Han Myung-sook was.
A person who took what she should take.
A person who knew her own worth.
For this reason, she often measured others by her own standards.
What she despised most, however, was seeing the ugly traits she had grown weary of in her siblings from a young age.
In other words: ugliness and incompetence.
She detested it utterly.
Tap.
Despite being over eighty, her sharp eyes and hands set down the teacup she had been holding. Moist lips parting, she spoke.
“That guy’s done a lot of wrong.”
For a first sentence after long silence, it was rather aggressive.
“He was like that from the very beginning. My husband was somewhat vain, but that guy, Ha Yoon-jae, even more so. With just a few words, he charmed my child.”
As if telling an amusing anecdote, she spoke, prompting her granddaughter, Yoon Da-hee, who was sitting nearby, to frown.
She wanted to deny it but had no words—it was true.
The chairman chuckled quietly.
“There are always people who attract attention wherever they go. That’s exactly him. It’s innate.”
It was quite famous that Ha Yoon-jae, the illegitimate son of the Youngdo Group, had been abruptly broken off from an engagement.
Moreover, the fact that he chose an ordinary woman afterward became gossip, though that was the extent of it. There was no special connection with Eunyang.
So Da-hee was puzzled.
“Is there a particular reason you invited those two?”
And it was Han Myung-sook herself who had extended the invitation.
It was hard to understand why the two were counted among the few direct guests personally invited by the chairman.
As if aware of her curiosity, Han Myung-sook crossed her legs and began.
“You see…”
Her leisurely tone was as fluid as tea in her cup.
“That young lady caught my eye.”
As always, her words were unusually difficult to decipher, so Da-hee asked,
“Whom are you talking about?”
“Ha Seong’s daughter.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I haven’t seen her many times, but I’d like to have her in my family if my grandson had one.”
Among many young people, her sharp eyes paired with that difficult temper…
She clicked her tongue softly.
“She wasn’t supposed to go that way, it’s such a pity. Smart yet reasonably kind kids like her are rare.”
Whether a criticism or a compliment, Han Myung-sook replaced her regret with that remark and smiled at her granddaughter, who still looked puzzled.
“I also want to see who she picked instead of my little one.”
Da-hee could tell that the smile wasn’t casual words.
“When you get old, you get curious about these things.”
Perhaps her pride had been slightly bruised. She adored her granddaughter after all. Da-hee shrugged, still with a slightly sulky expression.
“Ha Yoon-jae will probably come alone. He wouldn’t want to come just to attract attention or be the center of gossip.”
“If a guy has no judgment and is easily scared, then Youngdo’s finished,” Han Myung-sook scoffed as she emptied her teacup and glanced at the busy preparations outside the window.
Late in the evening, the venue would be full of invited guests, and who knew what might happen?
“Let’s see.”
Whether a flame that burns out leaving only ashes, or a spark that ignites from embers…
Her clear eyes sparkled as if she had forgotten her age.
Eunyang’s charity event was a long-standing tradition.
It was a formal event gathering those supported by the foundation, so everyone wanted to attend.
Even without invitations, people tried to come somehow, making the event busier each year.
This meant that today’s spectacle would attract plenty of attention.
Pitter-patter.
Under eyes that seemed to scan him from head to toe, Yoon-jae checked the time.
‘6:30 PM.’
Thirty minutes remained until the auction—the highlight of today’s event.
Not too early, not too late—the liveliest time with the largest crowd.
He had arrived with the calculated expectation of enduring the attention all at once.
He also knew that the crowd’s interest would fade quickly.
What they wanted was Ha Yoon-jae’s “wife,” whom they hadn’t even seen at the wedding. But he was alone.
“Came alone, huh?”
“Without medicine, how could he have come together?”
“I thought Ha Yoon-jae would be different. He doesn’t care about others.”
“No matter how accomplished, if a guy thinks at all, coming alone is right.”
Whispers mixed with elegant classical music soon became indifferent.
As the attention dispersed, someone approached Yoon-jae, as if they had been waiting.
“Everyone looks bored. Want to perform a talent show or something?”
The friendly voice belonged to Jang Ju-ho, who didn’t quite fit the event.
“Why are you here?”
“Attending for the hospital director.”
“Then why are you here without him?”
“Dating my partner.”
That short conversation explained Ju-ho’s presence.
Taking a sip of champagne, he added,
“The chairman invited you to see Ae-jung’s face.”
“I know.”
“Coming alone means you’re prepared for a bit of attention, right?”
Yoon-jae snorted briefly.
“I brought her because I don’t know what she might do here.”
From the moment of the invitation until now, that thought hadn’t changed. His wife was too big for such a frustrating event.
“Oh, so it’s not that you’re worried about Ae-jung, but that you didn’t bring her because you don’t know what she’ll do here?”
Ju-ho nudged him lightly on the shoulder. Yoon-jae’s brows twitched.
“Say what you want.”
“Nothing much. By the way, how’s Ae-jung?”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“Suddenly cold, distant, or different than usual?”
“Always strange.”
“Think carefully.”
“Not really.”
“Her expressions, her words… not listless, I hope? Not like someone who has given up on some goal or purpose?”
“Jang Ju-ho.”
The effort Ju-ho made to circle around his awkward phrasing was cut off.
Was it obvious? Had he pressed too much?
Slightly nervous, Ju-ho stopped talking, and Yoon-jae’s narrowed eyes asked,
“When did you two become so close?”
“…Huh?”
What kind of strange question was that?
Even someone skilled at reading people like Ju-ho had to pause at this oddity.
The person who helped him was a familiar face to both.
“Ha Yoon-jae.”
Most attendees probably knew her: Yoon Da-hee, granddaughter of the Eunyang Foundation chairman.
The notable point: Yoon-jae had once flirted with Go-woo before their engagement, only to be rebuffed harshly.
Of course, nobody cared about such old matters.
“We’re not on speaking terms, so let’s skip that,” she continued with a sparkling smile.
“The chairman wants to see you briefly…”
Naturally, Da-hee glanced at Ju-ho standing next to Yoon-jae and blinked before asking,
“Came alone?”
“Yes.”
“I thought the chairman invited you and your wife separately.”
“I know.”
The lack of additional comment implied he deliberately came alone.
As expected, Da-hee tilted her head slightly at his calm demeanor.
“If you don’t always come alone, it might be better to use such gatherings to get used to the scene, learn something…”
“No need.”
“….”
“You’re already enough of a person.”
Enough?
As always, Yoon-jae remained stone-like, but strangely different.
A subtle kindness.
Though she couldn’t clearly articulate it, for a moment, Yoon-jae’s words caught her off guard.
“Do you still think the chairman will look for me?”
Yoon-jae knew well that, like the other attendees, Han Myung-sook’s focus wasn’t on him personally.
She suppressed the rising emotion in her chest and smiled.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll explain to the chairman so there’s no misunderstanding.”
And she added a courtesy that wasn’t strictly necessary.
“Thanks to my grandmother, Ha Yoon-jae must have been troubled. But don’t worry. I fully understand your wish to keep it private.”
Apparently, old grudges remained. Referring to the chairman as “grandmother” and politely correcting him was part of that.
“Though my grandmother probably had her reasons for calling you, it couldn’t be helped. I would have felt the same if I were Ha Yoon-jae—coming together could be burdensome. Showing one’s shortcomings is embarrassing, and…”
She sharpened her words with a desire to ease things, and surprisingly, it worked.
“….”
Yoon-jae, usually indifferent, showed a brief flicker of hesitation.
Not an illusion.
‘Was he this easily affected?’
Da-hee herself paused for a moment at this uncharacteristic tremor.
Whoosh.
Yoon-jae passed by noticeably unsettled, moving away without hesitation.
Ju-ho explained to the stunned Da-hee.
“Please understand kindly.”
“…Huh?”
He gave a faint smile toward the direction Yoon-jae had disappeared and shrugged.
“They’re newlyweds.”
An invincible word.
