“Sigh, Mom…… I really can’t tolerate this. It’s so unfair, how can we marry off our Woo Jin like this!”

Young Sook was making a fuss since morning, wiping away her tears and snot. Young Hee, who was beside her, also looked like she was about to die.

That’s because the day had finally come.

The long-awaited formal meeting day.

In the meantime, Young Hee and Young Sook had been visiting Chairman Jung almost every day, trying to change his mind. However, for some reason, Chairman Jung’s resolve was firmer than expected. As a result, they had to be warned instead.

“Don’t say anything unnecessary at the formal meeting. Just as Woo Jin is precious to us, their daughter is also precious to them. So be polite and mind your manners.”

“Mom!”

“If you’re going to cause trouble, don’t even come!”

“Sigh! Really, Mom!”

Young Sook vented her frustration by throwing her handkerchief, but she never said she would not attend the formal meeting. How could she not attend? It was still the formal meeting for the only eldest grandson of the family’s main branch!

She got into the waiting car, eating mustard while crying.

Like that, four cars smoothly left the large family estate.

It was an unusually sunny day, perfect for a formal meeting.

* * *

Tae Eun moved with a tense expression, following the employee’s guidance to the private room where the formal meeting would be held. Her brows furrowed at the excessive conversation between Ji Hoon and Ji Eun on the way.

“Mom, you have to tell them for sure, okay? I want to get a job at Wooseong Group after I graduate. Okay?”

“Alright. They wouldn’t refuse to arrange a position for their only brother-in-law, would they?”

“Ah, I think I left a bad impression last time because of Min Tae Eun. I’m a bit worried, but I still want to get a job before graduation. Then I won’t have to stress about employment. Ha, youngest team leader…… Something like that, wouldn’t it be possible? I’m confident I can do really well.”

“Of course. What can’t you do? Don’t worry. Mom will take care of everything for you.”

Saying that, Ji Eun straightened Ji Hoon’s crooked necktie. Min Kyung Hoon, who was next to them, seemed tense and had been silent since leaving the house.

The sliding door of the guided room opened. It was a luxurious Korean restaurant with a hanok feel, and it seemed they had rented the entire restaurant for the formal meeting.

Chairman Jung, Woo Jin, and the three ladies of the Wooseong family had already arrived there. Tae Eun had also come about 10 minutes early, but it seemed they had arrived first.

“Oh my, we seem to be late. We tried to come early since you are such esteemed people.”

“No, we arrived a bit early. So please don’t worry too much.”

Chairman Jung gently responded to Min Kyung Hoon’s words, and after exchanging introductions and greetings, they sat down.

The atmosphere was not bad after that either. When Tae Eun first greeted them unintentionally, the three aunts had been holding a grudge, but this time they seemed much more relaxed. They must have been scolded by Chairman Jung. Tae Eun could guess that from the way her third aunt, Young Sook, was pursing her lips, trying to hold back what she wanted to say.

“You have raised your daughter very beautifully.”

“Haha. I’m rather grateful that you are overvaluing my lacking daughter.”

“Your wife must be proud too.”

When Chairman Jung spoke to Ji Eun, her acting skills started as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Oh, don’t mention it. I’m just grateful that you say such things. Actually, our Tae Eun was a child who didn’t require much care. I don’t know how grateful I am. Of course, I also tried not to show that I was a stepmother, but you know. To others, I’m just a stepmother no matter how much I treat her like my own daughter. I cried so much alone. Still, I’m just thankful to the child for growing up so pretty like this.”

Her emotional acting, slightly reddening her eyes and shedding tears, was superb. Min Kyung Hoon, who was patting her back beside her saying she had a hard time, also played a decisive role.

However, Tae Eun saw it. Young Ja’s cold gaze as she roughly put down her warm teacup, looking at Ji Eun like that.

Young Ja’s chilly eyes showed no agitation as if she had seen through Ji Eun’s lies. However, she did not add any words to it. After all, it was a formal meeting, and above all, she did not want to forget the duty of the royal family who valued face and manners.

“I know. Our Woo Jin was also raised by my eldest daughter here. So we also know well how arduous that process is.”

When Chairman Jung gently sympathized, Ji Eun, empowered by this, became more immersed.

“I don’t know how grateful I am that you understand. Honestly, I had many twists and turns after marrying, trusting only my husband. Still, our Tae Eun is so pretty like my own child, and this person’s character is so excellent that I was able to overcome it.”

“Haha. Yes. I heard. You were a human rights lawyer. It must not have been an easy path, but you are truly respectable.”

“You overpraise me.”

“Oh, overpraise. This person is so humble. People around also praise this person so much. They make a fuss saying someone so honest and righteous like this person should do politics. So he entered politics, but the political world is not easy either. No matter how excellent this person is, you can’t survive without connections.”

Saying that, Ji Eun glanced at Chairman Jung. She was hoping Chairman Jung would promise full support. However, Chairman Jung only nodded with a benevolent smile. It seemed like a smile that agreed, but Tae Eun thought it was a smile that was really hard to read.

Contrary to expectations, when Chairman Jung did not say anything, Ji Eun drank a glass of water as if her throat was parched. Then Chairman Jung naturally changed the topic to something else.

“What about the groom’s younger brother? Is he still a student?”

“Yes. He’s still a student!”

Ji Hoon answered with sparkling eyes and a disciplined voice as if he had been waiting.

“I see. What’s your major?”

“Business management!”

“Which university?”

“Well……”

Ji Hoon hesitated. Even after taking those expensive advanced lessons, Ji Hoon had entered a third-rate university. Despite Ji Eun’s persuasion to retake the exam, he shook his head, saying he absolutely could not take the college entrance exam again. He had no talent for studying and his exam scores were a mess, so he did not have many options.

Usually, Ji Hoon found meaning in the fact that he at least went to university, but it seemed he could not even do that in front of them. Seeing him unable to speak out of embarrassment.

Unable to watch any longer, Ji Eun opened her mouth instead.

“Oh, which university matters? What’s important is a person’s character. Our Ji Hoon is really good at social life. He has many friends and is attentive. Plus, he gets along so well with Tae Eun. Even though she’s his stepsister, our Ji Hoon follows her really well.”

“At least he has that talent, fortunately.”

Suddenly, Young Sook’s true feelings, which she had been trying to hold back by just moving her lips, burst out. Only then did Young Sook realize that her true thoughts, which she had only been thinking in her head, had slipped out as words, so she cleared her throat and drank water.

And as if to make up for Young Sook’s mistake, Chairman Jung turned his gaze to Ji Hoon.

“I see. Then what are the groom’s younger brother’s plans? After graduating from school.”

“Ah, yes! I want to get a job at Wooseong Group!”

“Haha. At our company?”

Chairman Jung laughed, but Woo Jin was bothered enough by those words to stop using his chopsticks. His emotionless black eyes turned to Ji Hoon. For a moment, Tae Eun felt the tip of her heart ache and her fingertips curl from the tension.

She was crushed by an indescribable tension. She was really so embarrassed by her own family behaving like this even at this meeting.

As if knowing or not knowing Tae Eun’s feelings, the clueless Ji Hoon did not stop there and fearlessly revealed his grand ambition.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. Even before my sister Tae… no, our sister and brother-in-law’s marriage was being discussed. Wooseong Group is one of the top conglomerates in our country, you know.”

Ji Hoon was startled as he tried to carelessly call her name again, glancing at Woo Jin and correcting the way he addressed her. Fortunately, Woo Jin did not say anything. He seemed to be refraining from speaking since it was a formal occasion.

“Oh, that’s right. Our Ji Hoon talked about that a lot before. He said he really wanted to join Wooseong Electronics. An acquaintance of my husband really liked our Ji Hoon and even offered him to work at the company after graduation, but he flatly refused. Even though he said he would give him a good position.”

It was a lie. However, Ji Eun told the lie as if it was the truth with such composure. At this, Tae Eun really wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

She had no idea how to handle this situation.

The contrast was too great between her own family members desperately trying to leech on and the Wooseong family members calmly watching the situation. Even though they had fully grasped Ji Eun’s insidious intentions, their restraint from speaking showed exceptional dignity. And that fact made Tae Eun even more embarrassed.

“Truly, I’m not just saying this because he’s my son, but our Ji Hoon’s personality is really the best. He adores his stepsister so much. You can tell just by seeing how he treats Tae Eun. These days, there are so many smart and talented kids, but character education is really a mess. In that aspect, I really succeeded. Just looking at our Ji Hoon makes me feel full.”

“….”

“Our Ji Hoon consistently does volunteer work too. The kid has such a kind heart that he can’t even pass by a stray cat. I really wonder where such a son came from….”

“Madam, that’s enough.”

The one who interrupted Ji Eun, who was immersed in earnestly bragging about Ji Hoon, was none other than Young Ja.

Young Ja put down the chopsticks she was holding and looked at Ji Eun. No emotion could be felt in her eyes facing the startled Ji Eun. But her clear voice with a definite end was conveying a clear intention.

“If someone saw this, they would think it’s the groom’s younger brother’s marriage meeting. But today’s main characters are Woo Jin and Tae Eun.”

It was a warning. A chilling warning to stop meddling.

The air around became heavy at the stern voice without wavering. The surprised Ji Eun was in a state where she couldn’t even close her mouth that she had opened to speak.

But Young Ja’s warning did not end there.

“Hearing this, it’s too much. You say you raised her like your own daughter, but you draw a clear line every time, calling yourself a stepmother and stepsister.”

It was a short but clear fact, so the impact was beyond imagination.

Ji Eun’s startled face turned bright red. Not only Min Kyung Hoon next to her but also Ji Hoon showed intense agitation, unable to find a place to put their eyes for a moment. Then Min Kyung Hoon hesitantly opened his mouth.

“Th-that’s not it, this person just….”

It was to naturally take Ji Eun’s side as usual, but Young Ja did not allow even this.

“Just? It sounds like words you used too naturally even usually.”

“….”

“By calling yourself a stepmother and drawing a line as a stepsister, Tae Eun feels like an extra in the family. As if Tae Eun is an outsider outside the boundary of being family.”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Ji Eun hurriedly apologized, but Young Ja gently lowered her gaze and pointed out as sharply as a knife with an unwavering voice.

“You should apologize to Tae Eun, not me.”

In her words that hit the bullseye without any excess, a stern but elegant dignity could be felt. As expected of Seo Young Ja of the Wooseong family.

Ji Eun clenched her hands on her lap until her knuckles turned white. She felt a stinging sensation on the back of her neck due to shame. But she did not want to apologize to Tae Eun at this meeting. She could never do that even if she died.

As the atmosphere became even heavier due to Ji Eun’s hesitation, Young Ja showed the generosity to properly cut it off.

“It was just a presumptuous remark. I also know well how much those words can unintentionally hurt children because I raised our Woo Jin.”

“Oh, of course. Of course.”

Ji Eun nodded as if agreeing.

Watching that, a brief elation flashed in Chairman Jung’s eyes. It was because if Young Ja had not done it, he might have done it himself. Seeing his daughter, who resembled him the most, refreshingly handling another matter today, Chairman Jung shifted his gaze and looked at Tae Eun.

Although there were twists and turns on paper, he thought she had grown up politely in a strict family because her smile was just pretty, but it turned out she was a child who had grown up well on her own.

They covered it well with their excellent acting skills, but their attitude that unintentionally showed was more than enough to guess how Tae Eun had been treated while living in that house.

Chairman Jung’s eyes looking at Tae Eun like that had become even gentler.