Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
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It seemed that Sara’s birthday was quite an important day.
Until now, no one except Choi Na-kyung had celebrated Sara’s birthday.
Even that was just adjusting the day to align with one of her quarterly visits, so it wasn’t much different.
No, for Sara, it was actually more harmful.
Once her birthday passed, she couldn’t see Choi Na-kyung until the next quarter.
…That’s not the case anymore.
…Well, whatever.
After all, it made sense considering what happened.
I didn’t want to see Choi Na-kyung again either; it would only trigger my trauma.
Anyway.
What I was trying to say was that this was about Sara’s situation after the “Choi Na-kyung barrier” disappeared.
Choi Na-kyung wanted Sara to belong only to her.
She went to great lengths to ensure Sara wouldn’t interact with others, and she almost succeeded.
Naturally, the category of “people who couldn’t meet Sara” didn’t just include those physically close to her.
As if the timing couldn’t be more perfect, today—right after I told my friends about Sara’s birthday just yesterday—
As always, while I was leisurely walking home, I spotted an unusual sight.
A car was parked in front of the mansion.
At least it wasn’t a blue car, which was a relief.
I didn’t know much about cars, but even I could tell this was a massive, ridiculously expensive sedan.
It might even be more expensive than the one I used to ride to school.
Next to the sedan, two people in formal suits were standing.
One was young, the other older.
At a glance, one seemed to be the driver, and the other the person who’d been sitting comfortably in the back seat.
However, the fact that both were standing outside the car was a bit odd.
And those two were confronting Yang Hye-in, who had come out in front of the mansion.
They weren’t yelling or arguing, nor was either provoking the other, but there was a certain tension in their faces as they stared at each other.
Except for the younger man.
He looked like he wanted to go home right away, his expression showing a kind of weariness.
I could understand.
A driver caught in their employer’s fight would find it very awkward.
…What should I do?
Honestly, those people looked like they’d be incredibly bothersome.
Probably even more annoying than the district office workers who visited me every week or the police who came last time.
Something told me they were going to bring up money.
Or maybe management rights…
Either way, it would be an incredibly difficult conversation.
…Sara, it’s your property, so wouldn’t it be better for you to handle the conversation?
‘My property is yours too, but obviously, you should be the one talking. You’re not going to avoid spending my money while acting as the representative.’
…When put that way, I had nothing to argue.
After all, I’d been spending Sara’s money freely without her permission.
So, I ought to do at least this much.
“Could you wait here for a moment?”
“Oh…”
Ha-neul, who had followed me, looked at So-hee and Soo-ah as she said this, and the three of them hesitated for a moment before glancing at Yang Hye-in and nodding.
Though the three hadn’t directly witnessed Yang Hye-in smashing a car window with a hammer, they had heard the story.
Especially since I had personally testified, I didn’t think they’d doubt it.
It seemed the image of Yang Hye-in that had settled in their minds was a bit off, but… well, that’s something Yang Hye-in would have to fix herself.
Taking a deep breath, I walked as confidently as I could toward the people standing in front of the mansion gate.
Behind me, Ha-neul, So-hee, and Soo-ah slowly followed, stopping at a distance from the people.
“Ms. Yang Hye-in?”
Exhaling the breath I had held, I called out to Yang Hye-in in a slightly loud voice.
“My lady, welcome back.”
Yang Hye-in greeted me, as always, with her usual unwavering demeanor.
The people waiting in front of the car turned their heads toward me.
“Oh, Sara! It’s been a while.”
The older man said that to me.
“…Oh…”
I had tried to respond coolly, but I failed miserably.
Well, I didn’t know who this person was.
Even after looking through Sara’s memories, I didn’t recognize his face.
“It’s me. Uncle In-hyuk.”
His hair was graying, but he had a friendly voice for an older man.
Not too low, not too high.
The kind of voice you’d expect from someone good at explaining things, like in business.
…He’s probably actually in business too.
If he was calling himself Sara’s uncle, he must hold a significant role within the group.
But the problem was that I didn’t know if this “uncle” was really her uncle.
If he really was her uncle, that would mean he was Sara’s father’s brother—
‘No. My dad was an only child.’
—If he wasn’t, things would get much more complicated.
Sometimes close family friends are called “uncle,” and in some families, even fifth or sixth cousins could be called uncle.
“Uh…”
The issue was, it felt too awkward to ask directly.
I mean, you can’t just say, “Who are you?” to a family elder.
Normally, when you’re confused, your parents would discreetly tell you who someone is, but Choi Na-kyung was in hiding now.
Then again, even if she weren’t in hiding, she wouldn’t be standing beside Sara anyway.
“Well, I guess that makes sense. You were so young the last time I saw you.”
Seeing my bewildered expression, the man gave a bitter smile as he spoke.
Just looking at his face, he seemed like a very nice person.
Yes.
Just his face.
Even Choi Na-kyung had a face that made her look like a mysterious beauty.
I’d come to realize after arriving in this world that looks don’t always match a person’s character.
“…”
I glanced at Yang Hye-in.
“…”
It seemed she didn’t know who he was either.
Well, Yang Hye-in had only entered Sara’s life when she was in middle school, so she wouldn’t know the relatives Sara met before then.
Sara had been isolated from the world by then.
Hmm.
What should I say?
Asking “Why are you here?” seemed a bit rude.
I didn’t mind, but Sara wouldn’t hide her discomfort.
She always acted confident, but she had a strangely timid side and didn’t like meeting new people.
‘What was that?’
If I could see Sara’s face, I was sure she’d be pouting with dissatisfaction.
“…”
As I continued to stare at the man’s face, a drop of sweat formed on his forehead.
Hmm…
Well, I guess I should at least hear him out.
If something was going on with the company, it would affect Sara’s future too.
I didn’t want to ignore something only to have it explode years later.
…It sounds arrogant to say, but the Eugene Group had a firm grip on South Korea’s economy.
The Eugene Group wasn’t a bank, so if it collapsed, the global economy wouldn’t be affected, but… in Korea, it would be a different story.
And given that this world resembled a “game’s” setting, who knew what exaggerated scenario might be lurking?
It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
“…Shall we go inside and talk?”
Only after I said that did the man let out a sigh of relief.
Judging by his reaction, maybe he wasn’t that calculating…
Well, he could be acting.
***
Her eyes were similar.
Of course, the Ye Sara standing before Ye In-hyuk wasn’t biologically related to Choi Na-kyung.
The atmosphere was similar, but he knew that was subtly induced by Choi Na-kyung.
He didn’t know exactly why, though.
Was she trying to make Sara look like her real daughter to solidify her position in the company?
That would remain unknown until Choi Na-kyung was captured.
For now, based on what he had heard, it was clear that Sara had been influenced by Choi Na-kyung.
He didn’t think that was a good thing.
Although the major incident had strained their relationship, the bond between parent and child isn’t easily severed.
Even if they aren’t related by blood.
After receiving Choi Na-kyung’s influence for such a long time, he needed to see for himself what Sara had become.
He didn’t care much who took over the Eugene Group.
He just wanted the massive company, nurtured by his family for generations, to continue.