Last time it seemed like he just had a simple investigation and was released, but now he’s being detained? Does this mean he’s really going to prison? Unable to believe what she heard, Park Ra Jin shook her head slightly.

“W-what did you say?”

[It looks like Chairman Oh is going to prison. Who else is there to discuss this with besides you, actress?]

“Where is my elder brother right now?”

[He’s being investigated at the prosecutor’s office.]

Oh Jong Hyuk being investigated at the prosecutor’s office, the agency undergoing a search and seizure. Things were progressing faster than Park Ra Jin had anticipated. Then next would be Kim Yu Jun and Myungjin Group?

Suddenly Park Ra Jin’s heart pounded heavily and then sank. No, she felt dizzy to the point where her vision blurred.

‘Don’t be weak, get a hold of yourself. Only then can you break free from Kim Yu Jun.’

She repeated to herself that this was just the beginning, and she needed to brace herself for more to come. But Park Ra Jin staggered as if about to collapse at any moment.

[Chairman Oh has a prior conviction for a similar offense, so the situation is even worse.]

“Did you call to tell me he’s been detained?”

She calmly asked, wanting to know the lawyer’s next move.

[Ah, I’m at my wit’s end with Chairman Oh’s pressure. He’s making such a fuss about contacting you.]

“What power do I have when I’m just an actress?”

[He said to do whatever it takes to change that person’s mind. Otherwise, both you and the company will be ruined.]

In that moment, a vein throbbed at Park Ra Jin’s temple.

It’s not like he was caught fighting for independence, but he’s asking someone else to sacrifice themselves when he’s being investigated for overseas gambling? Though she was determined not to cry, Park Ra Jin’s vision blurred.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

[Actress. The investigation from higher up is extremely thorough about what was said.]

The lawyer continued with a veiled threat that if Oh Jong Hyuk were to receive a prison sentence, Park Ra Jin would also be subject to gossip. Is this lawyer in his right mind? Her wavering heart quickly steadied at such an absurd threat. As if she had been doused with cold water, Park Ra Jin’s mind became clearer.

“I’m hanging up.”

The lawyer let out a deep sigh at Park Ra Jin’s cold response.

[Then what about this? I heard Chairman Oh’s mother is seriously ill.]

“What did you just say?”

[If there’s a medical opinion stating his mother is critically ill, we can request a review of the detention.]

Critically ill? Park Ra Jin wondered if there was some other meaning to the word “critically ill” that she didn’t know. Otherwise, how could a child ask for false documents saying his mother was about to die?

All this time, Park Ra Jin had poured her everything into keeping her mother healthy. Even being held back by Oh Jong Hyuk was solely for the sake of saving her mother. But now they want to use her mother to cover up Oh Jong Hyuk’s crimes? A cold wind blew through Park Ra Jin’s heart.

“Attorney Kim.”

[Time is really of the essence.]

“No. I won’t do it, I can’t!”

[It seems you don’t understand my meaning. To put it simply, the company could go bankrupt.]

Whether the company went bankrupt or not, Park Ra Jin had made a promise to Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho. To gradually wrap up her advertising contracts and part ways with the agency. There were companies sending love calls to Park Ra Jin, and they had even discussed setting up a separate corporation if that didn’t work out.

Whether Oh Jong Hyuk rotted in prison for life or not was his own fault for falling into gambling, not something to help with by falsifying her mother’s condition.

“I don’t want to make my mother look like she’s about to die right now.”

[I’m not saying to actually do it, just the paperwork.]

“When did you curse her as a stepmother, and now you’re telling me not to touch my mom? And!”

Hot breath burst from between Park Ra Jin’s teeth as if she had swallowed a ball of fire.

“If you’re not up to it, then quit. Don’t think about using someone else’s mother.”

[No, I think there’s been some misunderstanding.]

“I don’t want to hear it.”

[Ah, actress.]

“Tell Chairman Oh clearly that the person he mentioned told me not to get involved.”

She snapped that Oh Jong Hyuk would know well who “that person” was. The lawyer who had been lecturing condescendingly from the start was gone, and the man couldn’t even give a proper response.

Park Ra Jin abruptly hung up on the lawyer who kept apologizing.

“Bastard.”

With that one heartfelt word, Park Ra Jin’s eyes reddened.

[This is the timeline separator]

The sharp smell of disinfectant unique to hospitals. Park Ra Jin gave the night caregiver a break and sat by Jin Ok’s side.

“Mom, I told you I got the role of the Queen Consort this time, right?”

Park Ra Jin fiddled with her mother’s hand as she stared at the ceiling. Whether she was listening, or disappointed because it wasn’t the “Jung Kyu oppa” she was desperately waiting for. Today too, her mother’s eyes were empty.

“I saw the synopsis. There will be many trials before becoming Queen Consort.”

“……”

“A love triangle with the Chief State Councillor’s daughter, and being chased by thugs. Just how many times will I almost die.”

Muttering about falling into water, rolling down mountains, and being locked in the abandoned palace, Park Ra Jin rubbed her cheek against her mother’s hand.

“I guess it’s fortunate it’s not winter? Anyway, this shoot is going to be tough.”

There was no response from her mother to Park Ra Jin’s complaints. No, her mother not only didn’t answer, but she didn’t even make eye contact. Still, Park Ra Jin was so grateful that her mother didn’t push her hand away today. That alone made her happy.

Then she praised the child actor’s performance she saw on set today and recited the lines she had memorized in advance. Perhaps thinking it was the TV that was usually on. Her mother stared blankly into space like a paper doll, without joy, sorrow, or anger.

“Oh! Mom.”

“……”

“Do you know how embarrassed I was because of you?”

Though normal conversation was impossible, Park Ra Jin suddenly brought up the diary story. She hoped that even a little of those happy memories from the past remained with her mother.

“Why did you stick my report card in the diary? You know it’s terrible, you should have thrown it away.”

Park Ra Jin sighed deeply, remembering the report card that Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho had seen.

She had forcibly shown him the improved report card to shed her image as a poor student, but… Or not? Maybe it still fell far short of his standards? How his eyes had wavered when he saw the report card that day. That image just wouldn’t erase from Park Ra Jin’s mind.

“And, well. How many times did I change clothes every time the tutor came.”

Park Ra Jin complained that she had written down every little thing.

In fact, she had been mindful because he was the son of her stepfather’s friend, not because she had any other feelings. As Park Ra Jin pleaded her innocence to her mother whose memory wasn’t even intact, her face reddened again. She had needlessly been misunderstood by Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho as having a crush on her college student tutor.

“I really… to that person… No, never mind. It’s nothing.”

“……”

“I guess it’s fortunate it was the college student tutor oppa. What if I had written about Kim Yu Jun?”

Park Ra Jin grumbled to herself at length. Then suddenly remembering memories with her mother, she chattered on for a while longer. Like a long monologue.

“Remember? The first time I was invited to the Myungjin main house. There were so many amazing things…”

“M-madam.”

“Madam?”

The only person her mother would call “madam” was the wife of the Myungjin Group chairman.

She said she would chat with that woman who rarely went out, and occasionally enjoy rare teas. Could she be remembering that time? Park Ra Jin’s eyes suddenly grew wide, about to overflow.

“About young master Chul Jun… I-I know. But Y-Yu Jun…”

“Kim Yu Jun? Mom! Did you just say Yu Jun?”

“I-I’m sorry. I… m-misspoke, sob.”

For Kim Yu Jun’s name to come up here. It was the first time Kim Yu Jun’s name had come from her sick mother’s lips.

Moreover, her mother neatly folded her bony hands as if she had committed some great wrong. Then she mumbled words that were completely unintelligible.

It was just wheezing sounds as if she was about to lose her breath, and scattered words strung together, so it was impossible to even guess what she was trying to say.

“Hic, Oh advisor… blackmail…”

Her mother was not in a state to make up lies due to the aftereffects of the accident. If she wasn’t having hallucinations now, she must be recalling something that happened in the past. What was this about Kim Yu Jun, and what were the slip of the tongue and blackmail about?

Park Ra Jin was in utter confusion, as if a giant mouse was running around inside her head.

“Our daughter… p-poor thing.”

“Mom, speak slowly. Okay?”

Park Ra Jin clutched her head, bewildered by the whole situation, as if hearing a long-hidden behind-the-scenes story.

At the time, her parents hadn’t mentioned Kim Yu Jun at all, and Kim Yu Jun was the same.

But there must have been something she didn’t know about. Because for the first time, she felt emotion in her mother’s empty eyes.

“N-no. Madam. If Yu Jun… takes her away… I-I’m scared.”

Her mother trembled as if terrified, and finally her eyes welled up with tears. But that only lasted a moment. As if a fuse in her memory had blown, she blinked her eyes and abruptly turned her back.

“Mom, what are you talking about? Why am I so pitiful?”

“……”

“Did Kim Yu Jun blackmail father? What for?”

No matter how much she asked if it was because of her, her mother coldly pushed Park Ra Jin away. Then she pulled the blanket over her head.

Park Ra Jin stared blankly at her mother’s back, as if she had just had a strange dream.

Usually she would pierce her heart with harsh words, but today she stunned her with words she’d never heard before. Park Ra Jin’s heart tightened painfully, as if she had been beaten black and blue. She just covered her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling dejected.

Just then, the door creaked open.

“Unni!”

“Oh, oh. Ha Eun.”

“Is mother sleeping?”

Jung Ha Eun whispered, looking at the mother covered by the blanket.

“No. I think she’s upset about something.”

“Aiyoo. Our mother is acting like a teenage girl again.”

Park Ra Jin gently stroked her mother’s back as she was curled up tightly, smiling faintly.

“I said I could go alone. Why did you come when you’re tired?”

“I came to pick up some sponsored traditional ornaments to wear with the hanbok tomorrow. Killing two birds with one stone.”

The company was in chaos after being hit with the bomb of a search and seizure, and the manager was still unreachable. Thankfully, Jung Ha Eun had volunteered to accompany her as a temporary manager for the time being.

“What about the caregiver?”

“In the break room. She’ll be back soon.”

The clock on the wall showed 9 PM. As Park Ra Jin took out juice from the fridge, Jung Ha Eun approached with a broad smile.

“I’ll stay until the caregiver comes back. Unni, you should go to A34 on basement level 1.”

Park Ra Jin looked at her quizzically at the sudden statement, and Jung Ha Eun came closer.

“Someone said they’d wait for you there and asked me to tell you.”

“Huh? Who?”

“A very handsome prosecutor.”

She did know one very handsome prosecutor. Still, Park Ra Jin whispered softly in Jung Ha Eun’s ear, just in case.

“That person?”

“Yes! So hurry and go. He just arrived.”