Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
━━━━━━♡♥♡━━━━━━
“So, I’m very sorry to say this to you, Ms. Shin So-hee…”
On the way to school, Yang Hye-in hesitated a little as she spoke.
The expression, “She’s hard to read” is not something I could use anymore.
The image of her being like a doll, emotionless, mechanical, and only focused on her tasks—has slowly been crumbling these days.
If I had to pinpoint a moment, it was from the time she sincerely apologized to me.
Since then, she’s been treating me cautiously, as if she felt indebted to me.
Sure, when nothing particular was going on, she still showed little change in her expression.
Looking at her that way, it seemed like her personality had always been like this, even before doing this job.
Maybe my mother thought she’d be perfect for watching over me because of that.
However, whenever something involving me came up, especially anything to do with the chairwoman, her expression would fall apart like this.
She wasn’t someone you’d say had an expressive face, like So-hee or Ha-neul, but lately, she’d been showing expressions that made me think, “So, she can make that face too.”
Well, even though she was like a doll, she wasn’t at the level where you’d think blood wouldn’t come out if you pricked her.
“You avoided meeting with the chairwoman and moved locations because you didn’t want to meet her, right?”
“But, Ms. Shin So-hee’s house is too easy to find.”
“…”
Hmm.
Well, if Yang Hye-in says so, then it must be.
Although So-hee works for me, it wouldn’t be difficult for someone to find out her personal information.
To work, she needed her father’s consent, and documents like her consent form or her personal details would all be at the mansion.
No matter how well Yang Hye-in hid them, my mother is rich.
Yang Hye-in couldn’t search the entire mansion on her own.
Besides, there are countless ways to find out, even without looking inside the mansion.
If that weren’t possible, things like phone scams wouldn’t exist.
“But if that’s the case, why did you agree to it in the first place?”
“Well…”
Yang Hye-in hesitated again for a moment before speaking.
“There aren’t many people that the lady can trust.”
“…Ah.”
That’s true.
The people I could trust were those around me.
There were a few more besides Ha-neul, Soo-ah, and So-hee, but still, these three were the only ones I could trust with my life without worry.
That person within me couldn’t help in a situation like this, since they shared the same body as me.
“Miss Lee Soo-ah said she would provide a room for you.”
I see.
Ha-neul’s family wasn’t what you’d call wealthy, so the only person I could get personal help from was Soo-ah.
Although you couldn’t compare her to the Eugene Group—in fact, most Korean companies couldn’t be compared to the Eugene Group—out of the friends I could trust, she was the most well-off.
“But did Soo-ah’s parents agree?”
“According to Miss Lee Soo-ah… yes, they did.”
“Really?”
I glanced at So-hee, who was walking next to me.
“…”
So-hee, who had been walking silently, smiled brightly when our eyes met.
“Like senior said, it’s safer this way. It’s true, my house is just an ordinary apartment. Soo-ah’s house is much bigger and more comfortable.”
“…”
I turned to look back at Yang Hye-in.
“It seems like I’ll be going alone, right?”
“Yes, I believe that is the case.”
I couldn’t take others along when I was already being a burden.
Besides, offering to pay for lodging would be ridiculous.
Though you couldn’t compare our wealth, Soo-ah’s family wasn’t poor enough to charge for a room.
…Well, it’s not like I’ll be staying there forever anyway.
“Alright, please proceed with that. Oh, and…”
“Yes?”
“…I’d like all the staff working at the mansion to be replaced as soon as possible. No, it doesn’t matter if they aren’t replaced, but please have them all cleared out soon. I can’t have anyone in the mansion who might cause trouble.”
“If we do that, the number of people managing the mansion will decrease significantly.”
“Then we’ll just reduce the number of rooms being maintained. Lock up the unused rooms, cover the furniture with sheets… as long as the house doesn’t collapse, it’ll be fine, right?”
“But if it starts looking like an abandoned house, it might attract the attention of local teenagers.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Rumors of ghosts showing up in neglected buildings spread quickly, and sometimes kids break in to film it.”
“…”
Would there be such rumors about a house that was lived in until just recently?
Well, considering the rumors that used to follow me, it wasn’t impossible.
“…That wouldn’t be a bad thing, though.”
I wouldn’t be there.
I had no plans to return there ever again.
It would be a clear sign.
In fact, what if rumors spread that I had died while living there?
It’s something to think about.
“Still, make sure the doors are securely locked, and if possible, ensure that no one can enter the rooms. Contact a private security company to patrol the place regularly.”
“Understood.”
At my words, Yang Hye-in lowered her head in response.
As our conversation came to an end, I could see the school gates in the distance.
Ha-neul and Soo-ah were standing in front of the gates, waiting.
They must have been watching to see if my mother showed up while I was on my way to school.
…No, that’s not it.
They usually waited for me in front of the gate until I arrived, so it wasn’t that different.
“Hey, guys!”
So-hee cheerfully shouted and waved toward them.
Ha-neul and Soo-ah turned their heads toward us.
“Hello!”
Ha-neul waved back brightly, smiling.
*
I stared out the window during class without saying a word.
I felt restless.
A few months weren’t enough to completely sort out feelings that had lasted a lifetime.
I once thought about getting revenge on my mother.
Of course, I still had that thought.
I now had precious things I didn’t want to lose, and those things might be able to replace my mother in my life.
The problem was, deep down, I still longed for my mother.
As my family.
As the precious mother who shared my childhood with me.
…Even though I knew it was impossible, every time I realized my mother was looking for me, I couldn’t help but think of her smiling face.
I hate her.
But I also love her.
These feelings, which were oddly different from those I had for that person, couldn’t be changed so easily.
There was no car coming through the gates outside the window.
Perhaps my mother had given up on looking for me.
Maybe she realized I wouldn’t listen and decided to discard me as a lost cause.
Whenever I thought that, a part of my heart ached.
Even though I hated her so much.
Even though I wanted to strangle her and carve up her face whenever I saw her.
I always ended up making a different choice because of my fear of “losing her.”
After all, I had written that letter when my mother wasn’t in front of me.
“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”
Someone spoke those words of baseless comfort.
I turned to see So-hee and Ha-neul looking at me.
I wasn’t sure whose voice it was since I hadn’t been paying attention.
But it wasn’t strange for either of them to have said it.
“Yeah.”
I responded to the words.
“It will be.”
I gave that baseless statement some substance.
I had the strength to do that.
Just like the person had proven to me.
Once again, I silently chanted to myself as if hypnotizing myself.
I have more than what my mother has.
I now have a line I absolutely don’t want to cross, and I now have things I don’t want to lose.
So, I’ll move to protect it all.
For that, I have no choice but to give up on one side.
And, as the daughter of the person who once ran the largest company in the world,
As someone who deserves to be called the true owner of that group,
I will choose the path that benefits me.
I will calculate the losses that will come my way and choose the option that minimizes them.
Mother, it’s unfortunate, but you’ll have to become my “minimal loss.”
Come to think of it, the choice I made back then might have been too hasty.
You tried to take everything from me, so I will take everything from you.
And you, Mother, will be the only thing I give up.
…I just hope that, in the end, you truly did love me.
And when I finally give you up, I hope you’ll feel despair.
At least, as much as I have.