The innermost chamber of Gyeongwonjae.

Seo Yeon was looking down at the janggi board with a serious expression.

“Hmm. Where did the person playing janggi go? It seems like I’m taking too much time.”

At that, Seok Hyun, sitting across from Seo Yeon, urged her impatiently.

Despite Seok Hyun’s prompting, Seo Yeon carefully examined the board before placing a piece in an unexpected location.

Seok Hyun stared at Seo Yeon for a moment with wide eyes. Then, after a while, he mocked her move.

“It seems I’ll win this game.”

Feeling elated, Seok Hyun didn’t stop there and teased Seo Yeon once more.

“You’re not going to ask for another chance, saying you made a mistake, are you?”

Seo Yeon, who had been pondering her next move, looked up at Seok Hyun’s words.

“I placed it intentionally.”

She replied with a faint smile. Thinking it was just Seo Yeon’s bluff, Seok Hyun moved his piece to capture her cannon with his right horse.

It was as good as taking it for free due to Seo Yeon’s mistake. While Seok Hyun was grinning with satisfaction, Seo Yeon, who had been closely observing the board, made her next move.

“…!”

Seok Hyun was startled. Seo Yeon had used her right cannon to place it in a position where she could capture his chariot. He had been pleased about getting a free cannon, but now he was about to give away his chariot for nothing.

Could it be that giving up the cannon wasn’t a mistake but actually planned? Feeling like he had been scammed rather than losing fairly, Seok Hyun began to boil with anger.

“Isn’t this a trick?”

“Yes, it is. A trick I won’t be able to use twice. Indeed, it’s a trick.”

“Since you admit it so readily, I assume you agree this game should be invalidated.”

As Seok Hyun tried to clear the board, Seo Yeon firmly shook her head.

“No. A loss is still a loss. You can continue playing if you don’t want to give up.”

“Huh…”

“Take your time to think. Unlike with grandfather, I’ll wait for you patiently.”

“My, what an impertinent thing. You never back down, do you?”

“What will you do? Give up now? Or continue playing?”

“I lost. I lost!”

Seo Yeon smiled at Seok Hyun’s declaration of defeat and began to clear the board. Seok Hyun was truly dumbfounded.

He couldn’t believe the audacity of his granddaughter-in-law, who dared to play such a deceptive game against him, the head of the Han Kyung Group, and then brazenly insist that a loss was a loss.

“Let’s play one more time.”

Thinking he couldn’t possibly lose if they played without tricks, Seok Hyun suggested another game.

“Of course, grandfather. As many times as you’d like.”

Seo Yeon nodded, as if to say it wouldn’t be difficult at all. And so, the match began. Having admitted that her previous strategy was a trick, Seo Yeon played by the book, as if to say she wouldn’t use underhanded tactics twice.

‘Without her dirty tricks, there’s no way I could lose to such a youngster.’

And as he thought, the game ended in an easy victory for Seok Hyun.

“I lost.”

Seo Yeon graciously acknowledged her defeat. Feeling somewhat triumphant, Seok Hyun suggested with a broad smile.

“It’s one-to-one now. How about we play one last game to determine the winner?”

And so, their final match began. Befitting a final game, the outcome wasn’t easily decided. Just when one thought they were winning, the other would launch an attack, and when one thought they were losing, a path to victory would appear.

Perhaps because it was such an evenly matched game, Seok Hyun found himself fully immersed in the game itself for the first time in a long while. He couldn’t remember when he had last enjoyed himself this much.

However, the match ended anticlimactically.

And not because of Seo Yeon’s clever move, but due to his own mistake. Hoping that perhaps she hadn’t noticed his error, Seok Hyun looked at Seo Yeon, who annoyingly stared back at him as if to ask if he really meant to make that move.

The game up until now had been so exciting that Seok Hyun was reluctant to end it so disappointingly.

“That was a mistake. Let me take it back.”

Finally, he swallowed his pride and said. Seo Yeon, who had been calmly observing the board, looked up at Seok Hyun for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

“No. Mistakes are part of one’s skill too.”

Seok Hyun felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head by Seo Yeon’s response.

Who would have imagined that his much younger granddaughter-in-law would dare refuse the request of the head of the Han Kyung Group? Seok Hyun found Seo Yeon’s behavior incredibly brazen, not only rejecting his request but also lecturing him that mistakes were part of one’s skill.

“Would you take it back if I gave you some pocket money?”

“I don’t need pocket money.”

“You say you don’t need it without even hearing how much I’d give you.”

“Are you planning to buy me a building or something?”

Seok Hyun’s face lit up with interest at Seo Yeon’s bold statement. He spoke with a stern expression.

“Look at this. I thought you were a timid child without greed, but it turns out you’re the embodiment of desire. You want a building for a mere game of janggi?”

While he was mentally debating how to teach her a lesson, feeling quite displeased, she surprisingly gave the opposite answer.

“I didn’t say I’d accept it. Even if you offered me a building, I don’t want it.”

Now Seok Hyun regretted not offering the pocket money first.

“Are you really going to be like this?”

“…”

“Just let me take back that one move.”

“No.”

“Who did you take after to be so stubborn?”

As the two were engaged in this back-and-forth, there was a sound from outside the door.

“Chairman. The refreshments are ready.”

“Come in.”

With Seok Hyun’s permission, the sliding door opened and two servants entered.

They each placed a plate of colorful snacks and a teacup at Seo Yeon and Seok Hyun’s seats.

As Seo Yeon lifted the steaming teacup to her lips to enjoy the aroma, Seok Hyun asked.

“Where and from whom did you learn to play janggi?”

“…”

“It must have been quite boring for a young person like you, wasn’t it?”

At his question, Seo Yeon fell into thought. It was when she had been frequenting the hospital where Seok Hyun was admitted, sitting in a chair to massage his hands as he complained of continued discomfort.

‘You don’t need to come from tomorrow.’

‘Does my coming bother you?’

‘I’m telling you not to waste your time. You won’t get any scraps from visiting like this. I can’t give you a penny unless you cut ties with your birth family.’

‘I’m not coming here expecting anything.’

Seok Hyun responded spitefully to Seo Yeon’s answer.

‘I’m sure you aren’t.’

But it was easy to tell that he didn’t mean it. Seo Yeon continued to move her hands diligently, regardless of Seok Hyun’s spiteful words. After watching Seo Yeon silently for a while, Seok Hyun’s gaze turned towards the window.

‘It’s boring.’

‘…’

‘I know I don’t have many days left, so what’s the point of treatment? I’ve lived intensely until now, so I have no regrets or lingering attachments. I just wish this pain would end soon.’

Seo Yeon’s expression hardened at Seok Hyun’s words.

‘Why are you speaking so weakly?’

‘I’m just so bored being hospitalized.’

Seok Hyun’s face looked infinitely lonely as he answered like that.

‘What can I do to help you?’

‘It would be fun to play a game of janggi.’

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know how to play janggi.’

At Seo Yeon’s words, Seok Hyun responded with a slightly disappointed expression.

‘I see. That’s alright.’

Seo Yeon told the chief of staff who assisted Seok Hyun about what had happened today and suggested that it would be good to find someone to play janggi with the chairman.

Unfortunately, the next day, Seok Hyun’s condition worsened and he was moved to the intensive care unit, making visits impossible. He passed away without getting to play that game of janggi he had wanted.

“I learned it by myself from books and the internet a while ago.”

She never knew that what she had learned out of guilt and regret for her grandfather would be so useful today.

“You taught yourself? Well, well, it seems you’re quite clever despite appearances!”

Seo Yeon smiled, happy that she could play janggi with Seok Hyun, even if belatedly. Seok Hyun smiled back at her.

He hadn’t noticed before because she rarely smiled or spoke, but looking at her face closely now, she was a striking beauty. Was this why his grandson, whom he thought would live alone forever, had been the one to say he wanted to get married?

“We’ve had some delicious snacks, and a good amount of time has passed. Now, answer me. What will it take for me to take back that move? Hm? Tell me.”

Seok Hyun asked with a bright expression. He was prepared to gift her not just one building, but two, if she wanted, for livening him up after so long.

At first, he had felt indignant, but now he was looking forward to whatever outrageous answer Seo Yeon might give. Seo Yeon didn’t seem surprised, as if she had expected this response.

“Will you grant me anything?”

As expected. It seemed she had no intention of being satisfied with just a bit of pocket money. However, Seok Hyun didn’t particularly dislike her for it.

Rather, he thought that with such a grand disposition and honesty about her desires, she might be able to keep his willful grandson in check.

“Yes. Tell me anything.”

As he answered, Seo Yeon’s expression changed. It became more serious, and her tightly closed lips even showed a hint of solemnity. Just as he was feeling quite expectant about what answer she might give.

“I’d like you to get a comprehensive medical checkup, grandfather.”

Seok Hyun’s brow furrowed at Seo Yeon’s utterly unexpected answer.

“Is that all you wish for?”

“Yes, it is.”

“You keep harping on about health checkups. Do I look that weak to you?”

“If you want to play janggi with me for a long time, you need to be healthy.”

Seok Hyun looked Seo Yeon up and down as if she were a naive child, then bellowed as if telling her to come to her senses.

“You’ve just missed an opportunity to become filthy rich, you fool.”

But whatever she was thinking, Seo Yeon’s attitude remained firm. She didn’t waver. It seemed as if no one in this world could break her stubbornness.

“Alright.”

“…!”

“I’ll do it. I promise. Now will you let me take back that move?”

Seo Yeon nodded with a bright smile.