“Even if a child speaks like this, it’s unfilial, but I’ll be honest. Father doesn’t have much time left. Yeah. It’s selfish, I know, but the company is the goal and hope of my life.”
“…….”
As expected, her expression softened slightly.
“I never said I wanted you by my side for a lifetime. I know better than anyone that there’s nothing good about having you by my side, and I can’t ask you to be tied down by my life. It’s just a contractual relationship between you and me.”
Even as he spoke, his mouth felt bitter.
“I hope you think about it once more. Yeah, it’s natural for you to think, ‘Why bother?’ I’ll do it as quickly as possible, but just stay by my side for one year. Then…”
He felt like he was going crazy because of his shamelessness. He felt self-loathing.
“I’ll give you everything. Between you and me, it’s just a contract.”
Yes, even if you accept my proposal, this is just a contract.
The reason for repeating the term “contract relationship” several times was simple. Even if she stands by my side, don’t mistake it for sincerity; it was a warning Jaehyuk gave to himself.
“If you hand over VAN Group to me, I’ll give you anything else you want. Anything, so just stay by my side.”
So don’t reject it now.
After silence, she spoke.
“If interference in my private life is off-limits, does that mean I can interfere with Mr. Ban Jaehyuk’s life?”
In response to her question, he nodded with a faint smile.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you.”
But somehow, with her following words, Jaehyuk felt uneasy again.
“Don’t expect too much. Just because I’m thinking doesn’t mean I can’t reject.”
Before hearing her answer, she stood up.
“I’ll leave first.”
“…Thanks for coming out today.”
Arin nodded instead of replying.
Jaehyuk couldn’t stand up until all the ice in the lemonade she was drinking melted and turned into water.
⭐⭐⭐
A few days later.
Arin headed to the hospital where Choe was admitted. Once again, the person who informed her of Choe’s location was Jooyoung, a close friend of Kyungsook.
[She lived a luxurious hospital life in a VIP room, but now she needs money. Moved to a cheaper hospital. Kyungsook is making a fuss, saying they don’t treat her well. Arin, I know you’re upset, but the relationship between parents and children doesn’t break so easily, right?]Juyoung’s words echoed in her mind.
Parents and children? Do you still think that way?
How shameless can you be?
You’re not even a bit sorry to me.
Arin vigorously shook her head to dispel her thoughts. They were irrelevant people now, anyway.
“Enough.”
Having quickly erased her thoughts, she walked towards the reception desk.
“I’m here for Choi Chul-soo. What’s the relationship?”
Relationship?
What relationship should I say?
“…….”
Arin hesitated to answer the question. In the past, she would have said ‘daughter’ without hesitation, but now she couldn’t.
It had been a long time since she had concluded that there was no family in her heart.
Arin, whose lips were only budding, spoke.
“……Someone I know.”
There were times when she wished it was someone she knew. If that were the case, she thought things might not have completely fallen apart like they have now.
“Someone you know?”
The gaze of the employee became stern at the mention of ‘someone you know.’
“How do you know each other?”
“We’re just acquainted.”
The employee’s tone was rigid, and it seemed like an interrogation.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before?”
“I came to inquire about her health after hearing she was sick. Do I need to explain how we know each other at the hospital?”
Was it necessary to interrogate an outsider who came for a hospital visit like this?
The words weren’t polite, and her response wasn’t gentle either. Arin’s voice gradually became more assertive in response to the uncomfortable response from the receptionist and the nurse, who were probing into her personal business.
“Our hospital rules are like that. Your full name, please.”
“My name?”
“Yes, your full name. Other than the guardian, no one is allowed into the patient’s room. If you say you’re not family, you won’t be allowed to visit. We’ll confirm it with the guardian first, so please have a seat.”
Mrs. Choi was admitted to a small hospital with few patients, and the staff and nurses knew most of the patient information, sharing and knowing it to some extent.
That’s when it happened.
“Hey, you.”
A familiar voice came from behind Arin.
“The guardian of patient Choi Cheol-soo!”
The employee, who had been in conflict with Arin, stood up with a voice that seemed to say, “When did this happen?”
“Even without that, I was going to contact you. But since someone who knows you came, could you please confirm?”
With quick footsteps approaching, her body turned abruptly with a strong force.
“Do you know how many times I tried to contact you? Why aren’t you answering Mom’s calls?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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