YDCFGD 02

Chapter 02

A members-only luxury golf course in Yongin.

“Hey! I told you I was going golfing! Why are you calling me directly for something so pointless?!”

Joo Soo-deok snapped as he answered the phone.

Despite having ordered his staff to handle anything on their own unless it was truly urgent, his phone had kept buzzing nonstop. His mood was already ruined.

“V–Vice Chairman, sir. It’s not about the company… There’s a problem at Jaedamjae. It’s just that…”

At his secretary’s hesitant voice, Joo Soo-deok’s expression stiffened. His face cooled for a moment, then slowly filled with panic.

“What? Who’s here?”

He shouted.

His raised voice drew the attention of the people with him. Embarrassed, Joo Soo-deok waved his hand at them before lowering his voice.

“Why would she come here?”
“She says she has something to look for at Dongu Hall.”

She had gone to Dongu Hall.

His dead sister’s daughter.

Joo Sae-yi—that quiet yet cunning girl.

She had seemed ready to withdraw quietly, so why show up so suddenly now? Her visit made him uneasy.

“Should we let her in?”
“Let her in? Are you telling me you can’t even stop one kid?”

Chairman Joo had entrusted Joo Soo-deok with full authority over access to Dongu Hall.

Which meant that as long as he kept his mouth shut, the Chairman would never know about this visit.

“Send her away. Properly. And make sure it doesn’t reach Father’s ears.”

Joo Soo-deok bit his lip.

He tried hard to suppress his anxiety.

‘It’s just one kid. What could possibly happen if I don’t let her in?’

As long as Father didn’t know.

Only that mattered.

He ended the call and returned to his golf group with a calm expression.

Dongu Hall.

I had come prepared to face my uncle, but he wasn’t there.

Instead, someone stood in front of the building like a stone pillar, blocking my way.

“Are you really going to keep blocking me like this?”

I looked up at Secretary Park with my widest, most innocent eyes.

‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen him.’

Secretary Park Cheol-won.

A man who had served Joo Soo-deok for years. He would eventually turn against him, but for now, he was my number-one person to watch out for.

“Please step aside.”
“Miss, the Vice Chairman ordered us not to let anyone in without permission.”
“I heard members of the Joo family can come and go freely. I’m the Chairman’s blood too.”
“Well… I’m sorry, but…”

Look at that troubled face.

He had stepped aside to make a call as soon as he saw me. No need to guess—he must have received orders from my uncle to block me.

‘I can’t be pushed back here.’

I spoke in a disappointed tone.

“Did Uncle tell you to stop me from entering? He said I could come to him anytime if I needed help…”

I pretended to sound pitiful, but it wasn’t entirely untrue.

Back then, he had often said nice things to win me over so he could take my shares.

“Come anytime. I’ll help you.”

Secretary Park, who was practically his shadow, had to know that.

I added, looking as though I might burst into tears.

“Don’t tell me… he just said that out of pity, and I misunderstood…”

“Th–That’s not it!”

Panicking, Secretary Park pulled out his phone again, clearly intending to call my uncle.

‘So it’s a miss, huh.’

Just as I was about to sigh—

“Just let her in.”

A stranger’s voice came from behind.

Startled, I turned around.

It was my aunt.

Joo Jung-hee, the youngest of Chairman Joo’s three children.

“But the Vice Chairman gave direct orders—”
“So?”

She stepped closer and cut him off sharply.

“Since when could someone with the Joo surname not enter Dongu Hall? Should I report this to Father? That you blocked his granddaughter?”

I didn’t know why she was helping me, but—

Yes! Go for it!

“Move. I hate repeating myself. You should know better.”

She grabbed my wrist and led me past Secretary Park into Dongu Hall.

“Why are you so nervous?”

I had been sniffing at the scent of wood, but quickly shut my mouth. After hesitating, I answered quietly.

“My uncle doesn’t seem to want me here… so I was worried.”

She put her hands on her hips and let out an irritated breath.

‘Did I overdo it? What if I get on her bad side too…?’

But contrary to my worries—

“If he complains, tell him I let you in.”

She roughly placed a hand on my shoulder.

I bowed my head.

“Th–Thank you, Aunt…”
“…Just call me Aunt.”
“Is that really okay?”
“If you add ‘ma’am,’ I’ll sound old.”

She snorted and turned away, clearly done with me.

‘Now’s not the time to worry about her.’

I had managed to get inside this time, but there was no guarantee it would work again.

I had to find the script quickly.

The play my grandmother had written herself.

I didn’t know much about it—only what was mentioned in Chairman Joo’s autobiography.

My wife left behind several scripts during her lifetime. Most were lost in a fire, but a few remaining ones are carefully preserved at Dongu Hall.

And more importantly—

Someday, I want to bring those few remaining pages into the world. With the actors I raised, I want to breathe life into my wife’s story.

There was no better way to prove my worth.

If I acted poorly, I might earn the Chairman’s displeasure.

But strangely, I wasn’t afraid.

I was confident I could do well.

The problem was—

‘I can’t find it!’

I searched everywhere, but there was no sign of any script.

Only expensive celadon, porcelain, gold, paintings, and calligraphy.

‘You said it was carefully stored here!’

Was the autobiography lying? Or had it not been moved here yet?

Aaaah!

I collapsed onto the floor in frustration.

Then I saw—

“Joo Jeong-wol…?”

A small box with my mother’s name on it.

Without thinking, I picked it up.

It was light. I thought my father had taken all her belongings.

‘Was something left behind?’

There was no lock, so I opened it.

Inside were three yellowed sheets of paper, densely covered in writing.

“Even now, the sea from that day still appears in my dreams…”

I read aloud, then suddenly realized.

I didn’t need to read further.

‘This is it.’

The old-fashioned handwriting and stage directions confirmed it.

I carefully spread the three sheets on the floor and took photos with my phone.

‘If I take it and get accused of stealing, I’m finished.’

Better safe than sorry.

After photographing all six pages front and back, I stood up, satisfied.

‘Why was this in a box with Mom’s name on it?’

There was no way to know.

Maybe someday, when I got closer to the Chairman, I could ask.

‘It’s a long road ahead.’

Still, it wasn’t hopeless.

More than anything, I wanted to go home and read the script properly.

My heart had raced even during that brief glimpse.

“I’ll get going now. Thank you so much today, Aunt!”

After bowing politely, I left Dongu Hall in high spirits.

Watching Sae-yi’s retreating figure, Joo Jung-hee thought quietly.

When had that tiny child who used to cry in her sister’s arms grown up so much?

She felt completely different from her brother’s rude, ill-mannered kids.

‘This isn’t the time for me to be idle either.’

Even if Jeong-wol was gone, her child was still part of the Joo family.

She had come here on her own.

She shouldn’t be treated like that.

Joo Jung-hee shot Secretary Park a glare and headed toward Jaedamjae.

It was time to report what had happened between him and the girl to her father.