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chapter 8
“You must be Yeonseo.”
In contrast, Chairman Seo’s voice was slow and gentle.
Yeonseo slowly lifted her head to look at him. Seated at the head of the table, Chairman Seo looked far kinder up close than his intimidating first impression suggested.
“Child, you truly look just like Yoonseon.”
“……”
“Young as you are, you must have suffered so much. How hard it must have been.”
He reached for her hand and held it firmly. From his rough, weighty touch, she could feel the years the old man had lived.
“Sit down.”
After the brief greeting, they sat on the sofa in front of the desk.
“You’ve done well to come. Do you know why I so insisted on having you as my granddaughter-in-law?”
That was exactly what Yeonseo had wanted to ask. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why someone like her, who had no ties to politics or finance, had been chosen.
“…I don’t know.”
She shook her head slowly, showing a faint smile. Chairman Seo lowered and lifted his eyelids deliberately as he replied.
“When a country bumpkin from Gyeongsang Province came to Seoul saying he’d start a company, everyone laughed at me, said I was chasing clouds. But Yoonseon—no matter what I said, she believed me and stood by my side. Even when the whole world laughed, she never once mocked my dreams.”
His voice gradually filled with longing. Yeonseo could almost picture her grandmother standing there.
Her grandmother had been the same—when Yeonseo declared she would study plants and enter a prestigious university despite their harsh circumstances, she had quietly supported her without question.
‘My precious girl! Always remember this—you can become anything if you truly want it. Sometimes the journey may be lonely and long, but in the end, you’ll grow to resemble that dream.’
Hearing her grandmother’s voice in her mind, Yeonseo felt her nose sting.
She soon realized Chairman Seo’s sharp eyes were also glistening red. It seemed he couldn’t free himself from the weight of his memories.
After a few minutes, he moved his withered cheek and smiled.
“And so I made it this far, Yeonseo. It’s thanks to your grandmother, Yoonseon, that I was able to come this far.”
His half-closed eyes regained their clarity. He continued in a firmer tone.
“How is Doheon treating you? He’s a bit indifferent, isn’t he? Never had much interest in women—never even seen him date.”
“At first I thought so, but he’s warmer than he looks. Spending time with him, my heart gradually opened.”
Of course, it was a lie meant to deceive the chairman.
‘That man is endlessly cold.’
The Doheon she knew never revealed the slightest bit of his heart. She suddenly wondered how those words would sound to him.
Doheon lowered his head and let out a silent, amused chuckle.
‘Did I just make a mistake?’
Yeonseo pressed her thumb against her fingertip and swallowed dryly. Chairman Seo, however, burst out laughing as though satisfied with her answer.
“All I can do now is transfer shares to you both and pass down as much as possible. That will proceed gradually after the wedding.”
“……”
“And Doheon, you finish the M&A properly. You hear? You must prove your ability to the shareholders. Show the slightest weakness, and those starved wildcats will tear you apart.”
His gaze sharpened with intensity. Doheon bowed respectfully.
“Yes, Grandfather. I will keep that in mind.”
“Good. That’s enough. You may go.”
With the old man’s gesture, the two quietly left the room. The meeting had gone more smoothly than expected.
Doheon’s gaze flickered toward Yeonseo and then away.
“You did well.”
Hearing that, some of her tension eased.
‘Is it really over?’
But once one mountain was crossed, an even higher one awaited.
Leaving Chairman Seo’s room, they entered the living room. On the leather sofa sat a middle-aged woman in a beige dress. Her smooth, taut skin and polished face caught the eye.
She looked younger than her age—and on top of that, she was strikingly beautiful. There was an aura about her that the photo Doheon had shown didn’t capture.
‘Geum Seon-ae.’
Yeonseo bit the inside of her lip.
‘As you know, she’s my stepmother. She’s obsessed with making her own son, Kang-jae, the head of Seoguk Group.’
She recalled what Doheon had told her about his family.
‘To her, I’m nothing but an obstacle she’d like to erase. But she’ll never show it openly. If she did, she’d lose her standing in this household and reveal her entire hand.’
‘She’ll question why you and I are marrying. Until the shares are transferred, we must act perfectly—make it seem like nothing but a marriage of love.’
‘Remember, everyone in this family is practiced at hiding their true feelings.’
A chill suddenly ran through her lower belly.
Yeonseo rubbed her abdomen with her left hand, realizing she was overwhelmed by Seon-ae’s aura.
“My dear son, Doheon, you’re here?”
Her elegant voice rang out, each syllable clear.
“Were you waiting for us?”
Seon-ae lifted the corners of her lips, gesturing toward the sofa.
“Of course. I missed you, not seeing you for so long. Sit down.”
Her demeanor was poised and leisurely, as if little could disturb her composure.
On the table before them, tea had already been prepared, as though she had been waiting.
“Hello. It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Woo Yeonseo.”
Yeonseo bowed slightly before sitting.
When she raised her head, her eyes caught on the brooch pinned to Seon-ae’s chest. Depending on the light, it shimmered in many colors. A spiral studded with crystals, surrounded by diamonds.
‘That design… it looks like the feather brooch Grandmother had.’
Seon-ae silently scanned her up and down before speaking in her characteristically soft voice.
“So, a face I’ve never seen before. What company does your father run? Is he in politics, perhaps?”
It was a question Yeonseo had expected, so she answered calmly. On this matter, there was nothing to conceal.
“He passed away.”
Seon-ae frowned, though not with sympathy.
“I see. And your mother?”
“I haven’t seen her since I was young. My parents divorced early.”
Seon-ae’s brows furrowed and smoothed again.
With a strange expression, she set her teacup down. Then, as if Yeonseo weren’t even present, she asked Doheon:
“So you truly intend to marry this girl?”
Contempt.
From her lofty gaze and graceful movements, Yeonseo felt a disdain that placed her in a different class entirely.
It was a different kind of chill than the one she felt from Doheon.
“Yes, Mother. Grandfather has already given his blessing.”
His flat, unwavering tone nailed the point down. Seon-ae’s eyebrows shot upward.
“My, my. I truly cannot understand you. You must know what marriage means for people like us, son.”
“Marriage is the one thing I want to choose for myself.”
“Don’t tell me you actually love this girl?”
“Well, as you can see, she’s beautiful.”
His lips curved into a faint smile.
“And given how picky I am, surely you know I chose well.”
A silence stretched before Seon-ae suddenly burst into laughter. The sharp sound split the quiet air, freezing Yeonseo in place.
After laughing for quite a while, she finally stopped and assumed a gracious expression.
“So you do care about women, after all… how could I oppose my son’s choice?”
Her smile seemed unnatural, but Doheon looked unconcerned.
In a soothing voice, he replied:
“I knew you would understand, Mother.”
He flashed her a faint, polite smile.
After that, the conversation carried on with nothing of note—stifling silences, empty formalities.
Until her teacup was emptied, Seon-ae never once looked Yeonseo in the eye.
“Then we’ll be going now, Mother.”
Doheon rose, ending the exchange. Yeonseo followed silently.
The marriage now seemed set in stone.
As they turned away, Yeonseo bit her dry lips. If she relaxed, she feared her legs might give out.
What she had thought would be the hardest trial—meeting Seon-ae—had ended like a scripted play.
Leaving Myeongseonjae, the two walked in silence, like actors after the curtain had fallen.
