“Trying to bring up the matter we decided to bury, even going so far as to marry Minwoo forcibly?”

Yuli quickly turned her head towards Congressman Chae.

“Father, is what Aunt says true?”

Congressman Chae remained silent with a stern expression, not providing an answer.

“Father, is it true?”

At Yuli’s repeated question, Congressman Chae reluctantly responded, touching his forehead with his hand.

“It’s just one possible solution. It’s not confirmed yet…”

“What solution? Just leave it at that.”

Miyeon interrupted, pulling a flash drive from her bag.

“Yuli, can you connect it to the TV? It seems like something Congressman Chae should see as well.”

“If this is some kind of threat with a strange video…”

“Don’t be scared. It’s not that.”

Miyeon, once again cutting off her words, gestured to Yuli to hurry up and play the video.

“It’s the last recording before my sister died.”

At Miyeon’s words, both Yuli and Congressman Chae showed surprised expressions.

“Sometime before this kind of incident happened, my sister recorded it before she died. If nothing happened, no one would have seen this.”

With the mention of a video left by their deceased mother, Yuli pressed the play button with trembling hands. With a buzzing noise, the dark screen gradually brightened.

Soyeon, leaning against the bedside, was facing the camera, looking straight ahead.

“…Mom.”

Remembering her mother, who had always been healthy until now through photos, Yuli’s eyes reddened at the sight of her pale face in the video, bringing back painful memories.

Seated as if it was burdensome, Soyeon, with great effort, took a slow breath and spoke.

―Honey, I’m sorry I can’t go first. I… I wanted to support you by your side until the end, but… things didn’t go as planned.

Up until then, Congressman Chae had an affair, bringing a child home, but Soyeon sincerely loved and raised Jung Yuli, born of that affair.

Unlike her biological daughter Yuli, who had never once opposed her, Soyeon had never had a problem with her. Congressman Chae knew it, Madam Ahn knew it, and Miyeon knew it too.
“If a problem arises, and you find yourself in trouble, say that our father forced you into marriage with me. We were just a formal couple. Since I never stayed by your side until the end, your married life was difficult, and in the midst of that, let’s say I betrayed you first. Honestly, Assistant Kim liked you since our college days. So, let’s say I’m the one who separated you two.”

Soyeon turned her gaze to Miyeon, who was momentarily silent, recording the video.

“Miyeon, stop here. The next video is about me betraying my husband…”

“Betrayal? What betrayal? How could my sister betray her husband!”

Although her face wasn’t visible on the screen, Miyeon’s angry voice could be heard. Soyeon, looking at her upset younger sister, had a sad expression.

“Miyeon… I’m struggling. Can’t you help without saying anything?”

Even though it was an incident from a long time ago, Miyeon, as if it happened yesterday, got up and glared at Congressman Chae.

“What should we do? Should we continue watching the video? The next video is about my sister falsely confessing to people that she was having an affair.”

Before Congressman Chae could respond, Yuli quickly pressed the stop button. She couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

“…Why go this far?”

Congressman Chae, with a confused look, alternated his gaze between Miyeon, Soyeon on the TV screen, and couldn’t understand why she was making such an effort in the moment when his beloved wife was dying.

“Really, do you genuinely not know and are asking about it?”

Miyeon asked with an incredulous expression.

“It’s because of love. To protect her husband, whom she loved even in death.”

“What are you talking about? Love!”

At the words ‘loving husband,’ Congressman Chae furrowed his brows.

“Why like this? Did you really not know that my sister loved you?”

“That can’t be. In Soyeon’s heart, there was only Jung Taehyuk.”

“Ha, even after watching that video, you still say that?”

Miyeon spat out a bitter laugh with an angry face.

“To my sister, Jung Taehyuk was just a comrade in the struggle. She never once thought of him as a man.”

At that statement, Congressman Chae blushed and stood up abruptly.

“Don’t lie! I still have evidence that they were lovers. I still have it all.”

“What evidence? Love letters exchanged between the two? Emails?”

“Yeah. If you don’t believe me, I can show you.”

“Wow, Cha Hyeong-sik, you’re truly hopeless. A prosecutor who used to boast about flying high, and now, are those love letters in the eyes of the noble gentleman? Not an exchange of codes between comrades in student movements?”

“What?”

“When investigating others, you wouldn’t accept the excuse of love letters, but now, why are you acting like this?”

Shocked by Miyeon’s words, Congressman Chae’s face turned pale. Until now, he had never doubted any document as a code. However, the moment he heard Miyeon’s words, his heart sank.