Young-In was aware he was jealous. Her response was not to provoke further jealousy but simply to state a fact.
She had met Jin-Kyo about two years ago through a movie her actor was in. They weren’t in frequent contact, but they met for drinks once every couple of months. She felt comfortable with him, even after long periods apart.
That she was drawn to him for his similarities to Cha Sung-Hyuk was a secret.
“Ah, I see.”
Sung-Hyuk responded tersely. At that moment, a faint vibration was heard. It was coming from his pocket.
He took out his phone to check the caller and then put it back.
Feeling his gaze, Young-In’s expression read, ‘Don’t mind me, go ahead and answer.’
“It’s my mother. I can call her back later.”
Young-In’s attention snapped upon hearing ‘mother.’
She vividly remembered the composed face and voice.
“You don’t expect Sung-Hyuk to marry you, do you? It doesn’t seem like it will last long, so I thought I’d just watch. But even casual dating is not very appealing. I hope you’re aware that your existence is the only flaw in our Sung-Hyuk.”
Her decision to break up with him after meeting his mother was a defense mechanism.
She was afraid of being Sung-Hyuk’s only flaw. She wanted to escape and avoid it.
Sung-Hyuk vaguely guessed that Young-In broke up with him because she felt burdened by his presence.
He wasn’t entirely wrong. He just didn’t know the crucial reason was his mother.
Both remained silent for different reasons, and the car was enveloped in silence.
The next afternoon.
Sung-Hyuk visited his family home.
The residence of SL Group Chairman Cha Hyeon-Woong was a single-family house with one underground and three above-ground floors, covering nearly 500 pyeong of land. Majestic centuries-old pine trees stood with dignity.
The building, formed in an L-shape and distinguished into a main and auxiliary wing, was notable for its white and grey harmony. The horizontally extended side was the main wing, while the vertically extending side was the auxiliary wing.
Currently, the main wing housed Chairman Cha, his wife, and youngest daughter, while the eldest son and his wife lived in the auxiliary wing. Sung-Hyuk had used the second floor of the main wing until he became independent.
“It’s entirely up to Myung-Gyu and his wife, Jung-Hye, to not live separately. They want to present themselves favorably to the parents, aiming to secure the heir position firmly.”
Walking on the stepping stones from the main gate to the entrance, Sung-Hyuk was greeted by a middle-aged woman with her hair up.
“Are you here, son?”
It was Han In-Sook, the wife of Chairman Cha and the mother of the three siblings. Her gentle tone matched her elegant appearance well.
“Where’s dad?”
“In his study.”
Mrs. Han naturally linked her arm with Sung-Hyuk’s. As they walked to the study, she casually started a conversation.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“You’re now thirty. It’s time to meet a nice girl and settle down.”
“I should.”
“Really? How about meeting the only daughter of Hong’s group? I hear she’s quite virtuous.”
Mrs. Han was delighted because Sung-Hyuk, who used to grimace at the mention of marriage, showed a positive response for the first time. Unbeknownst to him, she was already searching for a suitable match.
“No, I’ll choose my partner.”
“You will…”
She almost blurted out her worry that he might meet another girl like Chae Young-In but hastily held back her words.
“Go ahead.”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
She regretted almost bringing up a past event Sung-Hyuk was unaware of. It would have been foolish to rake up old wounds.
“The woman must suit our family. You know that?”
“She has to suit me.”
Mrs. Han forced a smile.
“Of course.”
She hoped he wouldn’t end up with someone worse than an orphan whose parents were unknown.
Adopting someone without any known background was as dreadful as marrying someone from a family with no pedigree.
Three years ago, when she found out her beloved son was seeing Chae Young-In, an adopted child, the disappointment was immense. She didn’t want to experience that again, having been betrayed by her trusted son.
“Mother trusts her son’s judgment.”
Unbeknownst to her, Young-In had joined Hyeseong Entertainment after Sung-Hyuk left for the U.S., and she believed that Sung-Hyuk’s relationship with Young-In had completely ended when he left. Hence, there was no reason for her to pay any attention to Young-In.
She was also unaware that Young-In was currently working in management and that Sung-Hyuk refused a position in the management planning department for SL Entertainment because of Chae Young-In.
The biggest problem was that Sung-Hyuk’s heart and determination had become stronger than they were three years ago.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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