“……Father.”

Yuri, meeting Congressman Chae’s gaze, spoke cautiously.

“Do you by any chance know the reason why Jeho and Minwoo harbor such hostility towards each other?”

Unexpectedly, Congressman Chae’s brow furrowed at the question.

“You should ask the parties involved directly. I’m just making guesses; it’s not certain. Did you come here early in the morning to ask about that?”

“It’s partly because of that…”

After a brief silence, Yuri cautiously opened her mouth again.

“I’ve thought about it for a few days. Initially, I thought it was because of me, but…”

Congressman Chae listened silently, without changing his expression.

“No matter how much I think about it, it seems like it was because of Yoori, not me. If Yoori didn’t like Minwoo, Father wouldn’t have cared whether Minwoo installed a wiretap device in the penthouse or not. Right?”

“Hmm.”

Instead of answering the question, Congressman Chae turned his head toward the garden.

But that action would likely serve as some kind of confirmation of her speculation. Otherwise, he would have denied it immediately. As expected, a blunt voice came from Congressman Chae.

“Why suddenly ask about that?”

“I don’t have any particular intention. I’m just curious about what kind of existence I am to Father.”

“What a strange thing to say. What kind of existence?”

At that moment, Mrs. Ahn, holding a tray, walked out onto the terrace. Placing coffee cups in front of the two, she asked Yuri with a smiling face.

“Yuri, are you going to eat breakfast?”

“Is it okay?”

“What are you talking about? Of course. Get ready soon.”

After Mrs. Ahn went back inside, Yuri carefully picked up the coffee cups she had left behind.

“I sometimes have this thought. ‘What if I knew nothing until the end?’ I wonder if it would have been better for both Father and me, causing each other less pain.”

Although not expressed precisely, Congressman Chae could understand what Yuri was saying. If they had lived without knowing about the affair or the fact that Yoori was an illegitimate child until the end, their relationship as a father and daughter would not have become so twisted.

Until Yuri learned about the affair, the two women were quite close. That’s why Yuri could endure the difficult election campaign without much complaint.

“Well, there’s no eternal secret in the world. No matter how thoroughly you hide it, someday, someone might find out.”

Congressman Chae took a sip from the coffee cup with a bewildered expression.

“In a little while, we’ll be entering into serious discussions within the party about the presidential candidate after the election. Probably, before that, we need to send Yuri abroad again. This time, given the stakes for the presidential candidacy, Yuri’s overseas stay might be a bit longer. It might even be several years, not just one or two.”
“Other than that, Father. Setting aside the election issue…”

Yuri, about to refute something, closed her mouth instantly when she met Congressman Chae’s cold gaze.

She wondered what use there was suddenly having this conversation. In Congressman Chae’s mind, elections always took precedence over family matters.

“No, it’s okay.”

Even more bewildering was that Yuri herself couldn’t assert that family was a priority over anything else. Had she ever treated family affectionately as they didn’t accept her as family?

Sighing softly, Yuri took a sip of her coffee.

Perhaps the bitter taste she felt today from the seeping coffee was due to her mood.

Although it was very early, the walking path was crowded with nearby residents who came out for weekend exercise.

Jeho, wearing a hood, ran silently. Just ten years ago, his father and grandfather were always with him during morning exercises. The three would have various conversations while walking and running, sharing the simple warmth of family.

But now, all of that was just faded memories, and he was alone.

The scattering of the family was no one’s fault. However, the reason they couldn’t come together again was because of the stubbornness of someone.

Maybe the three generations wouldn’t walk together again. It was bitter, but it was a reality that he now had to accept with humility.

“Heuk, heuk.”

At the end of the walking path, Jeho, having reached the top of the mountain, stopped in front of the octagonal pavilion.

“You ran all the way here without resting again? Anyway, impressive.”

Bending at the waist, catching his breath, familiar voices reached him. Lowering his hood and looking up, Woo-gyeol was smiling, holding a water bottle in his hand.

“Heuk, heuk. Did you take the bus again this time?”

As Jeho asked breathlessly, Woo-gyeol laughed as if it was obvious.

“Yeah. I took the first bus.”

“Hoo.”

After Jeho took a long breath, he opened the cap of the water bottle and drank it down. After a moment, closing the half-empty bottle, he asked briefly.

“What about Minwoo?”

“He seems to have urgently fled outside of France. It looks like he can’t stay in one place for long and keeps moving.”

“And the authorities, the police?”