Munjeong - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Taeha simply smiled quietly again. He had only recently thought it was about time for that particular topic to come up. Marriage was, perhaps, just one step in a series of milestones—a part of a significant phase. Not so much for love or romance, which felt outdated, but as one of the means to solidify his foundation.

“Yes.”

“You brat, don’t you even want to know whose daughter she is?”

At Taeha’s unhesitant response, Chairman Jang laughed heartily and resumed walking through the garden, still holding Taeha’s hand.

“She’s the daughter of the CEO of Wolseong. They’ve got a firm grip on the food sector and an impressive network. When you expand into department stores someday, she’ll be a great help to you.”

“Grandfather, I’m sure you’ve chosen someone good for me.”

“Don’t act so meek.”

Although Taeha responded with a smile, both of them knew that this behavior was reserved solely for his grandfather. In fact, in other matters, Taeha could sometimes seem so thorough that it was almost chilling.

It had been exactly half a year since he had been given a position in one of the subsidiaries to gauge his capabilities. Taeha carried out his work as if he already knew what would one day fall into his hands. In between managing his own tasks, he quietly offered suggestions to improve the areas where his two incompetent uncles had been underperforming. His ideas often proved astonishingly accurate.

The thought of how far Taeha might soar if given wings filled the chairman’s mind. Everything he had originally intended for Hayeon, he now planned to place in Taeha’s hands. For the sake of the grandson whose presence might soothe the scars in his heart, scars born of sleepless nights haunted by the thought of his son.

“I’ll have some wine and take a nap. My knees haven’t been the same these days.”

“No matter how healthy you are, you must still take care of yourself. Let me escort you inside.”

“No, that’s all right. I’ll walk alone for a bit and head in.”

His grandfather loved moments of solitude, likely to sketch out blueprints for the future in his mind. Taeha bowed quietly and turned away.

The air surrounding Songbaekwon seemed, as his grandfather mentioned, slightly chillier. As he walked, Taeha closed his eyes momentarily. The damp scent of earth soaked by recent rain, the intensified fragrance of grass that had deepened in color—it all became more vivid.

Swish, swish. The sound of grass brushing against his footsteps echoed in his ears. As he walked, Taeha clenched and unclenched his hands softly, and then slowly opened his eyes.

It wasn’t far now.

“Taeha, Wuseong is where my influence runs the deepest. Someday, I hope you’ll take over everything I’ve built there.”

The voice, buried deep in his memory, resurfaced in his mind.

I will. Gladly.

Responding silently, he blended into the lush, verdant scenery of the estate.

—

It was a relatively mild weekend midday. On her way to the linen room in the main house with neatly folded towels, Chaeon paused briefly at the beginning of a long hallway. She felt a faint stinging sensation on her cheek again.

“Yoon Chaeon. Why is your lip chapped?”

“Huh?”

The swelling on her cheek had fortunately subsided, leaving only a slight reddish tint resembling a blush. Relieved by this, she hadn’t thought to come up with an excuse for her chapped lips and was momentarily flustered. Then she recalled how her mother, Heejeong, sometimes got cold sores when she was exhausted.

“Oh, I must’ve stayed up late studying. Maybe I take after you, Mom.”

Heejeong rolled her eyes and muttered something about how anyone listening would think Chaeon was top of her class. Despite her teasing, she couldn’t hide her concern. Gently, she applied ointment to Chaeon’s lips, her face filled with worry.

“Don’t take after me in things like this. In pain, in misfortune—don’t inherit the bad parts of me.”

Her mother’s voice had been calm but tinged with sadness, her expression unusually sorrowful. In a slightly hushed voice, Chaeon had replied, “Still, I’m happy to take after you, Mom.” That was last night.

Now, lowering her gaze in thought, Chaeon let out a short sigh and shook her head.

There was no time to wallow in gloomy thoughts. If her mother thought that way, she just had to ensure that her life wouldn’t turn out the same. Graduating, getting a job, and earning money—that was her priority. Chaeon had barely taken a determined step when it happened.

“Wow…”

She unconsciously murmured in amazement.

The long hallway connecting the annex and the main house was filled with sunlight streaming through the windows, creating a curtain-like effect. Unlike the extravagant wallpaper in the main house, the plain white walls reflected the light, making the hallway glow brightly, almost reverently, like a sacred temple.

For a moment, Chaeon stood mesmerized by the sight before quickly resuming her steps. This mansion was so picturesque that it often left her momentarily awestruck.

With the mock exams in early September approaching, Chaeon reminded herself that she needed to focus. Having been summoned and scolded repeatedly, she hadn’t been able to study properly. She had to stop getting distracted and get back to her books.

As she finally reached the main house, she noticed a group of people gathered, whispering about something. Curious but hesitant, Chaeon started walking again, only to see someone waving at her with a bright smile.

“Oh? Chaeon!”

It was Yeonseo, one of the staff members at Songbaekwon. Ten years older than Chaeon, Yeonseo often doted on her like a younger sibling, and Chaeon, who had never experienced sibling affection as an only child, naturally grew fond of her in return.

“Hello.”

Chaeon greeted the staff with a small bow and approached Yeonseo, who enthusiastically pulled her closer.

“Come here! Didn’t you say you used to play the piano? Take a look at this piano!”

“Huh…”

In truth, she didn’t bother to explain that the piano wasn’t just an instrument she had casually or fleetingly taken an interest in, like others her age, but one she had been so deeply involved with that she had once considered pursuing university studies in it. Perhaps that was why Chaeon felt a bit disconcerted by Yeonseo’s hand tugging her toward what she presumed was an object she would love—a piano that now evoked a bittersweet mix of feelings in her.

Even so, Chaeon found herself at a loss for words at the sight of the majestic and elegant instrument before her.

“This thing looks ridiculously expensive, and apparently, it really is. They say it’s worth over 300 million won.”

It was a model Chaeon knew well. A familiar sight she’d encountered during competitions—a grand piano from a renowned manufacturer, the kind every pianist dreams of owning. It gleamed with a polished finish, proudly occupying a spot beside the stairs leading to the second floor.

Though her family’s piano hadn’t been nearly as expensive, it was one of the first possessions they had sold off when times became tough. Seeing the piano now, she felt a wave of wistfulness.

It wasn’t here just a few days ago… Chaeon recalled how, when she had accompanied Yeonjun to his room not long ago, the space had been empty. As she gazed blankly at the instrument, Yeonseo leaned against her shoulder and let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it? It originally belonged to the late madam’s room, but the eldest young master had it restored and tuned. Apparently, the vice-chairman wanted to throw it out, but the eldest opposed it.”

“…The late madam?”

Chaeon, who had been quietly listening to Yeonseo, looked puzzled as she asked the question. She’d never met the madam, who was said to be frail and rarely showed herself at Songbaekwon, but hearing such unexpected words about someone who was still very much alive left her bewildered. Yeonseo, suddenly realizing something, hesitated before gently pulling Chaeon aside.

“When you first came here, did no one tell you anything?”

“About what?”

“Wow… Did they seriously not say anything to you, just because you’re young?”

Yeonseo bit her lip for a moment, muttering to herself before leaning in to whisper to Chaeon, her voice barely audible.

“The eldest young master, Taeha, and the second young master, Yeonjun… They have different mothers. And fathers.”

“Oh.”

“When I said ‘the late madam,’ I meant the eldest young master’s mother, the first madam.”

What on earth… Faced with this sudden revelation of a secret she had never imagined, Chaeon could only close her mouth tightly in surprise.

She’d heard occasional gossip about the scandals of chaebol families from her talkative friend, Im Soyeong, but she hadn’t expected that even the seemingly perfect Jun Gwang family had its own hidden stories.

As Yeonseo glanced over Chaeon’s shoulder at the staff polishing the piano and meticulously inspecting it for scratches, she whispered even more quietly.

“What I’m about to tell you, I only overheard by chance. But anyway, just keep this to yourself.”

“No, I—”

“You need to know, or what if you accidentally say something you shouldn’t? A slip of the tongue in a place like this can cause a big mess.”

Chaeon doubted she’d ever make the mistake of talking about Jun Gwang’s family affairs, but she stayed silent, listening to Yeonseo. After all, indulging talkative people in their stories was often the easiest way to satisfy their unique vanity.

Yeonseo, looking around nervously, pulled Chaeon a little further away from the other staff and whispered again, her voice tinged with caution.

“Before there was talk of an arranged marriage with the first madam’s family, the vice-chairman had already been secretly seeing the second madam.”

“…Secretly?”

“Of course. She had some flaws. The second madam had already been divorced twice—both times because of her own faults. And apparently, she had a reputation for being involved with many men.”