CHAPTER 10
“What else is there?”
At her son’s question, Seo Jeonghwa let out a deep sigh as if the ground might collapse and spoke.
“Seol Insu.”
Seol Jaejun slightly frowned and asked back.
“Seol Insu? You mean my uncle?”
“Yes. Your youngest uncle.”
Seol Jaejun lifted his gaze to the ceiling for a moment.
Seol Insu.
He was the youngest among his father’s siblings and the only one not involved in the group.
Until Seol Jaejun was in middle school, he used to see him occasionally at family gatherings, but afterward, Seol Insu went to the United States saying he wanted to pursue theater.
At the time, the shock caused their grandfather to collapse, and he never recovered before passing away.
Because of that, Seol Insu was resented by his siblings and cut ties with the family.
“Has he returned?”
“He did come back, but not Seol Insu—his son did.”
“…What did you say? My uncle’s son?”
“Yes. Apparently, he secretly had a child with a Korean woman there and raised him. But that woman recently died after battling cancer.”
“No way.”
“Yes. Seol Insu was your grandmother’s sore spot. Being the youngest, she doted on him endlessly.”
“….”
“She said she didn’t want her son to live as a widower, so she brought that grandson to Korea. Just yesterday.”
“I see. Please treat him well. He must be deeply grieving after losing his mother.”
“You!” Seo Jeonghwa shouted, her face turning red.
“How can you be so carefree right now?! Do you know where your grandmother brought that child? She brought him to Seongbuk-dong!”
“To the main house?”
“Yes! She said we should keep him at our house!”
“Hmm.”
Seol Jaejun slowly crossed his arms and thought.
Even if Insu’s son, meaning his cousin, came, it wouldn’t reduce his own standing.
All he had to do was focus all his efforts on growing the hotel after taking office.
Of course, he would have to produce results faster than he initially planned, but that wasn’t impossible.
“Listen carefully. He’s your rival. Someone who could put a knife to your throat at any time.”
“He’s still just my cousin.”
“Do you think people with a thirst for power won’t do anything? Anyway, get your head straight from now on and don’t do anything that will fall out of your grandmother’s favor. Got it? I’ll also start looking for daughters from good families who can help your business.”
Perhaps because of that, it seemed he would soon be getting into an unplanned marriage.
“When your mother calls, you come immediately.”
For the first time, Seol Jaejun felt a tightness in his chest.
He was already busy focusing on the hotel’s growth, and it seemed troublesome matters would only increase.
But there was something else he needed to think about first.
“I’m sorry again about the assignment. If there’s any way to repay it, please contact me.”
Seol Jaejun said this as he stood up.
“Understood for now. Please get some rest.”
Seo Jeonghwa, who had been complaining, became restless like a motherless kitten when he tried to leave.
“…You’re leaving already?”
“I should. I have something to think about.”
Seol Jaejun stopped as he headed toward the door and asked.
“So when will you be discharged? We don’t know how long grandmother will keep that child at home.”
“…Ah, right. I don’t know. I’ll rest here for a few more days.”
After telling her to do so, Seol Jaejun tried to leave but stopped again.
“Oh, right.”
“Yes?”
“What’s my uncle’s son’s name?”
“Ha-neul… I think.”
“Seol Haneul? How old is he?”
“Ten.”
Seol Jaejun’s brows furrowed in disbelief.
Did Seo Jeonghwa seriously think a ten-year-old child could be a rival capable of threatening him?
“Are you going straight home?”
“I should. I need to greet grandmother after returning. Rest well.”
With that, Seol Jaejun left the hospital room.
—
On the way home, Seol Jaejun first received a report from Kwon Yongil about what he had found.
–Kim Byungtae. He runs his company decently, but his personal life is extremely messy.
“What do you mean?”
–He has been arrested multiple times on drug charges and then released. He probably used money to get out. Also, in the past five years, he has married two women.
“Two? In five years?”
–Yes. One was a woman known in the underworld, and the other was a graduate student of Chinese descent…
Seol Jaejun pressed the brake at a red light and continued.
“What is it? Why did you stop talking?”
–Both of them are dead.
Seol Jaejun’s expression twisted.
“…What? What were the causes?”
–The first wife died from a fall while hiking, and the second committed suicide. There was no autopsy for the second case. It smells suspicious. Someone like Kim Byungtae could easily cover it up.
Seol Jaejun’s face grew colder than ever.
–He already had a reputation for violence. Even at bars, he would assault staff and women alike. He likely treated his wives the same way.
He imagined Hong Yumin living in constant fear of being beaten by Kim Byungtae.
That’s ridiculous.
Even if it was brief, she was someone he had worried might break just from his touch.
–This is just my opinion, but he might have sadistic tendencies… or sociopathic traits. He doesn’t seem to care about others and is already looking for another woman to remarry.
“Then.”
–Yes, young master.
“If he succeeds in a third marriage.”
–The third woman will likely meet the same fate as the previous two…
His breath felt suffocated.
–I will report again as more information comes in.
Without realizing it, Seol Jaejun rolled the name Hong Yumin around in his mouth.
Not even noticing that it slipped out as a sound.
–Ah. The investigation on Hong Yumin is almost complete as well—
“Send me Hong Yumin’s contact first.”
–Yes, understood.
“And I’m heading to the main house now. Send the rest by text.”
After ending the call, Seol Jaejun’s expression turned icy.
He’s already old enough, and still greedy enough to go after a woman over ten years younger than him?
The memory of Kim Byungtae handing Hong Yumin a room key at the hotel and trying to drag her away forcefully made his anger surge like a storm.
Then he recalled the photo of her eating snacks with him after visiting her house, and his anger felt like it would burst his veins.
Why would Hong Yumin go on a blind date with a man like that and even share a meal with him?
Back then, you barely agreed to eat tteokbokki with me.
“Ha.”
As he let out an irritated sigh, a message arrived.
It was Hong Yumin’s contact information sent by Kwon Yongil.
Without thinking, Seol Jaejun saved the number and pressed the call button.
What kind of situation was she in to agree to a blind date with Kim Byungtae?
At the very least, he wanted to tell her not to meet that strange man.
After a few rings, a familiar voice came through.
–Hello.
“It’s me, Seol Jaejun.”
Click.
“….”
Seol Jaejun froze for a moment.
Did she hang up on purpose after realizing it was him? Because she felt uncomfortable?
He looked back and forth between the road and his phone screen.
Soon, he let out a scoff.
“This is unbelievable.”
Perhaps because it was so absurd, he didn’t even feel angry.
“Well, it’s not like we’re going to keep seeing each other, so I don’t have to tell you everything about my personal life.”
It seemed Hong Yumin avoided clashing with him.
But too bad.
There was no way he could just watch her marry Kim Byungtae and live being beaten.
Buzz—.
Just as he finished parking at the main house, another message arrived.
It was additional information about Hong Yumin from Kwon Yongil.
She had dropped out of university and was working at a children’s piano academy near her home.
Why would someone who even studied abroad drop out?
With that question in mind, he entered the house.
As soon as he stepped into the entrance, he heard someone hurriedly running deeper into the living room.
Soon, someone peeked out.
It was a young boy.
“Seol Haneul?”
When Seol Jaejun called his name, the boy flinched and revealed himself.
He looked smaller and thinner than expected for a ten-year-old.
Did they not feed him properly in the United States?
Why would his mother be wary of a child like this? One push and he’d collapse.
Seol Jaejun walked into the living room.
The boy, with pale skin and clear calf-like eyes, froze stiffly and blinked as soon as he saw Seol Jaejun.
“Kid. You should greet me.”
“H-Hello. J-Jaejun… hyung.”
Seol Jaejun smirked.
“Grandmother told you my name.”
Seol Haneul nodded and added.
“She said… to get along with you…”
“Right. Where did grandmother go?”
Seol Haneul nodded again.
“It’d be better if you answered instead of just nodding. When do you start school?”
“Next year…”
“I see. Rest.”
So she planned to let him adapt to Korea this year and send him to school next year.
Seol Jaejun turned to head to the second floor where his room was.
But the moment he stepped onto the stairs, Kwon Yongil’s message flashed through his mind.
He immediately turned back and called Seol Haneul.
“Hey, kid.”
Seol Haneul blinked.
“Do you want to go to a piano academy?”
