A woman wearing a mask and sunglasses entered the shrine and carefully sat down on a cushion embroidered with golden thread. As she did so, she discreetly handed the shaman a paper with her and another person’s birth data written on it across the table.

“I can see that you’re from the Yoo family. So, you’re wondering if this man is the one who will open up your fortune?”

The shaman couldn’t help but know. The dazzling aura of self-illumination revealed that she was the top actress, Yoo Jung Hwa.

Since she was already exposed, Jung Hwa removed her mask, no longer needing to hide her face. It was her first time in such a place shimmering with golden light, but the strange energy she felt since entering the shrine wasn’t so bad.

“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t write the man’s name, just his publicly known birthdate and time. Will that be okay?”

“Well, it’s all there in your fortune anyway, so it doesn’t matter much. Let’s see…”

The shaman, famous for her spiritual powers and used to dealing with celebrities, nonchalantly brushed back her glossy chignon with her fingertips as she carefully examined the paper she had received.

“Hmm… Neither of you have ordinary fortunes.”

Muttering to herself, the shaman began to shake a bell. With her other hand, she frantically continued to scatter and roll several gold coins on the table, her quick movements strange and dazzling.

Ding-a-ling… Clatter…

Jung Hwa, her heart pounding for no reason at the noisy sounds, watched the shaman’s actions with anxious eyes.

A couple of hours earlier.

After having breakfast-cum-lunch, she decided to go out for some exercise after a long time. Jung Hwa ran all the way to Banpo Park and found herself observing a family enjoying their Saturday afternoon leisure for quite a while.

The sight of a man on a picnic with his wife and baby particularly caught her eye because his sturdy build and tall stature reminded her of Tae Seo Jun. Moreover, as she tried to give up on Tae Seo Jun, an intense obsession rose up to her throat.

Unable to accept the reality that she couldn’t get him back, she ended up here, at this supposedly skilled shaman’s place.

“Tsk, why are you looking for a long-ended relationship so late? Moreover, this man has already formed a family, so what are you trying to do now?”

The shaman finally seemed to have divined something, putting down the bell and picking up a large fan as she spoke cryptically.

“Pardon? What do you mean by that…?”

Tae Seo Jun did have Eom So Yeon, but wasn’t he still single? So what family was she talking about? Is this shaman a complete fraud?

Jung Hwa made a sour face at the shaman who was saying such nonsense.

The shaman then hit the nail on the head.

“You’ve had bad parental fortune since birth. Your birth mother left home early to change her fate, and the man called your father passed his gambling debts onto his child, even committed fraud, and finally met his end on the streets? And to his own family at that…”

“W-wait a minute!”

Jung Hwa, feeling a chill down her spine, cut off the shaman’s words. As she listened, everything turned out to be true. So she became afraid that her own secrets might be revealed next.

“Th-they say it’s easy to guess the past, so why don’t you tell me what will happen to me in the future?”

Swallowing hard and hiding her embarrassment, Jung Hwa tried to appear calm as she changed the subject. But the shaman didn’t stop what she was saying.

“Really, you should have managed yourself well when your big fortune came! You should blame your eyes for seeing jade as stone, why do you torment an innocent person, why do you covet what belongs to others? With such a mindset, your miserable life will only get colder! What can be done about your barren fate where not even a blade of grass can take root! Tsk tsk tsk… Now that you’ve reached a dead end, you feel truly alone with no one to lean on emotionally, right?”

The more Jung Hwa listened to the shaman’s words, the more impassive she became. She felt no guilt or shame whatsoever. She only thought that the shaman before her was too skilled, even for a skilled one.

The shaman, staring intently at Yoo Jung Hwa, lowered her voice and spoke calmly.

“There’s no husband in your fate. Even if there is, it’s in the far future. And right now, you’re just being used by some guy.”

The only person Jung Hwa was close to at the moment was Han Seung Jae. And she was the one using him. Therefore, unable to understand the shaman’s words at all, Jung Hwa stammered:

“U-used? Me? By whom?”

“How would I know? You should know. Still, you have to go all the way now. As you go, a new path will open up. Also, that’s how the rest of your life will be peaceful.”

“You mean it’ll be better than now, right?”

At the end of the incomprehensible story, Jung Hwa’s eyes perked up as she heard what she wanted to hear the most.

“Well. It depends on what you do, but for today, just go wherever your feet take you. When you get there, you’ll find the answer to what I’ve said.”

“Today? Where should I go…”

“I don’t know! Just go where you want to go!”

Whoosh!

As if she had said all she needed to say, the shaman spread her fan wide, covering her face. It meant she didn’t want to see Jung Hwa again, so please leave quickly.

Jung Hwa didn’t remember the shaman’s long story. She only remembered the part about how the rest of her life would become peaceful.

As Yoo Jung Hwa got up from the cushion and swiftly left the shrine, the shaman grumbled irritably at her back:

“Oh my, what to do with her? That X who can’t even tell heaven from earth!”

She knew even without looking at the birth chart.

That Yoo Jung Hwa, who lived without fear of heaven and wielded her flesh recklessly, was the worst kind of human.

The sun was starting to set.

People alighted from cars that arrived in a line in front of the annex of Hotel Estella, just in time for the engagement ceremony.

As it was a private event, the movements of the security guards around the annex were extremely strict. The invited guests were also frequent acquaintances and very close friends and relatives who could keep secrets.

Cha Yeo Jin was overwhelmed with bewilderment as soon as she entered the grand and majestic hall.

Her sister, with a graceful smile, greeting guests while having an adorable and handsome little boy firmly seated on her lap. Along with her, Professor Eom and his wife seated side by side at a long table set with formality.

Although she came knowing this was already a place for the two families to unite, Cha Yeo Jin, still unable to accept this reality, only exchanged eye greetings with her sister and moved to her designated table.

It was shortly after all the invited VIPs had taken their seats. Lights were lit on silver candlesticks and soft music began to play gently. Then, Tae Seo Jun, leading his fiancée by the hand, appeared in the large hall and stood on the stage with Eom So Yeon.

Seo Jun proudly announced to everyone that Eom So Yeon was his fiancée and Hyun Woo was their son.

Following this, Seo Jun and So Yeon moved to a table set for just the two of them, amid thunderous applause that coincided with the end of the greeting and cake-cutting ceremony.

Seo Jun slightly pulled back the chair and seated So Yeon there with a polite gesture. It was an elegant movement, made even more graceful by its fluidity.

“Oppa, please sit down too.”

As So Yeon urged with a bright smile, Seo Jun also smiled languidly and briefly looked around.

His father and mother, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law were smiling proudly as they looked at Hyun Woo.

Also, Director Yoon Ji Wan was clapping his hands high, sincerely congratulating the couple. Next, when his eyes met with Gu Won Hoo, he winked at them while taking an affectionate pose with Yeo Do Soon.

But why did he suddenly want to see Eom So Yeon so badly? Even though she was right next to him.

Seo Jun, his gaze fixed on So Yeon’s face, which looked even more shy with its reddish tinge, grinned refreshingly.

“You’re dazzling. You’re shining so brightly today that I can’t take my eyes off you, what should I do?”

“Me? All of a sudden?”

So Yeon’s cheeks turned even redder at Seo Jun’s sudden words.

“I can’t think of anything but taking you to the room right now.”

“Surely not now?”

“Yes, now.”

As if to prove that ‘surely not’ can kill a person, Seo Jun nodded shortly with a mischievous smile.

Aha! So that’s why he was standing there without sitting down?

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, So Yeon grabbed Seo Jun’s arm and forcibly sat him down in the chair.

“Please, stop thinking unnecessary things and just sit here quietly!”

She even bit her lower lip threateningly, in her own way.

“Heh…”

Seo Jun, finding Eom So Yeon’s attitude nothing but lovable and cute, chuckled. At this, the VIP guests who were closely observing the two, being today’s main characters, burst into laughter.

Though they weren’t sure exactly why, the sight of the proud Tae Seo Jun already firmly caught by his woman and unable to move was unexpectedly fascinating and amusing.

Hyun Woo, who had rushed to So Yeon at some point and then smoothly moved into Seo Jun’s arms, monopolized people’s affectionate gazes and attention.

The party that started to celebrate the engagement became more lively as time passed. As fast waltz music echoed through the hall, young people danced to the music, while those seated at tables continued their meals with champagne and pleasant conversation.

It was around that time.

Cha Yeo Jin, who had finally realized what today’s gathering truly meant, still couldn’t part her tightly closed lips.

Wasn’t it her sister who had refused to even mention Eom So Yeon, saying it was impossible to have an actress as a daughter-in-law? After being so serious about it, she’s becoming in-laws with that family so quickly just because she’s Professor Eom’s daughter and out of desire for a grandchild?

What kind of absurd change is this!

Yeo Jin kept chewing the tender steak meat as if it were tough, unable to swallow. She felt as if a large stone was stuck in her throat, finding this gathering not just disagreeable but unbearable.

Does a hunter have deep feelings for the beast they hunt? They simply aim, shoot, and enjoy what they’ve marked as their target from the start. However, when hunters fail in their hunt, they become irritated with the frustration of losing their prey.

Cha Yeo Jin felt exactly the same, her neck aching from the intense dislike of having to continue seeing Eom So Yeon as her nephew’s wife. However, there was another presence right in front of her that further grated on her already raw nerves.

Gu Won Hoo had brazenly appeared at the engagement ceremony with his arm affectionately linked with Yeo Do Soon’s.

And he introduced Do Soon to Chairman Gu and Cha Yeo Jin as the person he was dating with the intention of marriage, before sitting at the same table facing them.

Cha Yeo Jin’s patience was on the brink of running out as she took in the sight of Yeo Do Soon, who looked pretty enough but still fell short of her standards.

Moreover, having to maintain her dignity to the utmost in consideration of the eyes and ears of the people gathered here, she was unable to act or react, causing her insides to boil and bubble as if about to burst.

These people, right now!

“Sigh… This is really driving me crazy!”

As Cha Yeo Jin muttered to herself in exasperation, finding nothing to her liking, Chairman Gu asked:

“Why are you like that again?”

“It’s nothing. Just a sigh of frustration, don’t mind it.”

“Do you think I don’t know your personality? You’re like this because there’s something you don’t like, right?”

“If you know, then please be quiet! I’m barely holding back my anger right now!”

“Always so picky…”

Chairman Gu let out a shallow sigh, his gaze moving from Cha Yeo Jin to Yeo Do Soon.

This girl is apparently the second daughter of Assemblyman Yeo, from a family of generations of politicians. Chairman Gu had heard this fact from her own mouth just moments ago, and since then, his eyes had softened.

“I knew Assemblyman Yeo had two daughters, but it would have been nice if you had told me in advance that you two were dating. Then we could have avoided the awkward situation of arranging a blind date with this child’s older sister.”

“Honey, that’s already in the past, so what’s the use of mentioning it now? Why don’t you ask about this child’s alma mater and major?”

Although Do Soon was clearly listening, Cha Yeo Jin deliberately avoided direct conversation. She felt uncomfortable exchanging words unnecessarily with someone she disliked.

“I majored in Journalism and Mass Communication at S University.”

“If you majored in Journalism, shouldn’t you be working at a media company? How come you’re working at our Won Hoo’s company…”

As Do Soon answered without hesitation, Yeo Jin quickly asked with an expression of interest. It seemed quite unexpected that she was a graduate of a top university, regardless of her major.

“Excuse me.”

Eom So Yeon was in the middle of greeting the elders of both families along with Tae Seo Jun a little distance away. Do Soon pointed her finger straight in that direction and spoke without reserve.

“I’m working as Eom So Yeon’s manager.”

“…!”

Good gracious!

Cha Yeo Jin’s expression immediately crumpled.

Now Yeo Jin understood why the Yeo Assemblyman’s family had only promoted their first daughter, famous as an overseas-trained pianist, while treating the second daughter as if she didn’t exist. She gulped down cold water, naturally feeling furious just because the girl was associated with Eom So Yeon.

“Huh, you’re her manager?”

As Cha Yeo Jin asked again in disbelief, Gu Won Hoo answered:

“She’s now a team leader, Mother. She’s quite good at her job in the company.”

Do Soon had recently been promoted from manager to team leader. As the number of staff supporting Eom So Yeon, whose popularity had skyrocketed, increased dramatically, Yeo Do Soon became the person in charge of managing them as well.

With Won Hoo stepping in to answer what Yeo Do Soon should have said, Yeo Jin’s already furrowed face scrunched up even more severely. Even after properly grasping what Cha Yeo Jin’s expression meant, Do Soon spoke confidently without backing down at all:

“I can see you’re disappointed, but I eat well with what I earn, Mother.”

“M-Mother?”

Even though their relationship hadn’t been approved yet. Yeo Jin wondered what this tomboyish girl was, already trying to wedge herself in.

“It feels a bit odd to call you ‘ajumma’.”

“What? A-ajumma?”

“Why? You’re not a grandmother yet.”

“G-g-grandmother?”

Oh my, my head…!

Yeo Jin, her blood pressure skyrocketing, finally grabbed the back of her neck.

Pfft…!

At that moment, Won Hoo let out a small laugh. As if he had already anticipated his mother’s reaction to Yeo Do Soon’s bold personality.

“Eat slowly… I didn’t know you liked cake this much.”

Won Hoo went a step further and wiped the whipped cream off the tip of Do Soon’s nose with a tissue. His hand had moved naturally before he even realized what he was doing.

“What difference does it make if you know? Are you going to buy me cake every day?”

“Of course I will.”

“Oh, really? Then I want chocolate cake!”

“Heh, alright.”

Watching her son chatting happily with a woman she found unsatisfactory right in front of her, Yeo Jin was dumbfounded. She was utterly appalled. She was so angry that she was on the verge of losing her sense of dignity and reason.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing!”

As Cha Yeo Jin suddenly shouted loudly, Won Hoo instead spoke softly.

“I should take care of the person I’m going to marry. Who else would?”

“Huh…!”

They’re having such a good time!

Perhaps feeling she had reached her limit of patience, Yeo Jin, pressing her dizzy forehead firmly with her finger, rose from her seat, pushing her chair back forcefully.

“Darling, I simply can’t stand this headache anymore! Let’s go home quickly!”

In all her life, she had never encountered such a reckless and willful girl. No matter how good a family Assemblyman Yeo’s daughter came from, Yeo Do Soon was unacceptable.

Above all, Yeo Jin knew one thing.

If she allowed such a person to become her daughter-in-law, she would surely not live out her full years.