Jin Sung felt like he had found his true calling for the first time in 25 years. He should have been a detective, not a chauffeur.

A few days ago, Seong Jun gave him a strange assignment to investigate the power struggles between the daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law of the Han Kyung Group.

The reason it seemed strange was that while Seong Jun didn’t hesitate to instigate competition among family members to secure an advantageous position in the Han Kyung Group’s succession plan, he always treated their spouses with respect and courtesy.

Even if they deliberately opposed Seong Jun, if the subjects were daughters-in-law of the Han Kyung Group, he would often concede even in situations where he might lose out.

So suddenly asking to investigate their power struggles? This was completely out of character for Seong Jun.

Jin Sung decided to put his curiosity aside and get moving. He had to carry out the given mission, so now was the time to act.

Fortunately, since Jin Sung was born and raised in Gyeongwonjae, he knew all the servants working at the main house.

Thanks to this, the investigation went smoothly. When he visited with famous desserts from Cheongdam-dong, they readily shared the stories he was curious about without much effort.

“Among the Han Kyung family’s daughters-in-law, the one with the most influence is the second young lady. Why do you think that is?”

“Because her family background is strong and she’s the oldest?”

“Correct. But the more decisive reason is that she’s the daughter-in-law the chairman acknowledges the most.”

“The chairman acknowledges her the most?”

“You probably don’t know this, but about fifteen years ago, the second son of this house messed up a merger and acquisition, causing massive losses to an affiliate. At that time, the second young lady’s family helped out. She was recognized for that contribution.”

“I see.”

The servant made a meaningful face, as if about to share a secret that others shouldn’t hear.

“She’s so strict with the subordinates. Without her permission, the other daughters-in-law can’t even speak to the chairman. Once, a granddaughter-in-law who didn’t know the rules tried to act cute to impress the chairman, made a verbal mistake, and was banned from entering the main house for six months.”

Jin Sung covered his mouth with both hands, unable to hide his surprise.

“Is that true? Wow.”

It was fascinating. On the surface, everyone seemed kind and caring for each other, but to think such a hierarchy existed. Why hadn’t he known about this world before?

It was as if he had seen the raw side of the chaebol family’s ladies, who appeared peaceful and elegant but were full of schemes and power struggles behind the scenes. Jin Sung, whose eyes had been opened to this new world, asked excitedly.

“What about our young lady? Which side is she on?”

He was so curious if Seo Yeon, who had always been kind and gentle to him, also had a side he didn’t know about, if there was some incredible twist hidden.

“That pretty young lady?”

Feeling oddly proud, Jin Sung raised his nose and said.

“Yes. The prettiest young lady in the Han Kyung family. The one who used to play the piano.”

As Jin Sung made a gesture of playing the keys, he saw the servant clicking their tongue.

“She’s so pitiful!”

Jin Sung’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

“Pitiful? Why?”

“Haven’t you heard? About how that green young Min Ji tried to slap her mother’s face at the last formal dinner?”

“What?!”

The people of the Han Kyung Group were generally kinder and gentler to employees compared to other chaebol families.

They didn’t use abusive language or make unreasonable demands. There was only one exception, and that was Min Ji. They thought she was only ill-mannered towards them, but to think she acted that way towards Seo Yeon too. It seemed like a complete disregard for hierarchy.

“You think that’s all?”

“There’s more?”

Excited by Jin Sung’s shocked reaction, the servant spilled all the details of what had happened.

Ignoring her greetings and not acknowledging her.

Changing meeting places or times without informing her, making her take wasted trips.

Mocking her by asking if she was going to a funeral when she wore dark-colored clothes.

Ridiculing her by asking if she was a celebrity when she wore bright-colored clothes.

Criticizing her for being gloomy and unpleasant to be around when she was quiet, yet still refusing to return Seo Yeon’s greetings.

Later, even Hwa Young stepped in, treating Seo Yeon like a personal assistant and making her run errands.

“…This can’t be.”

The more he heard, the more Jin Sung shook his head in disbelief at the absurd situations. He pressed his forehead as if getting a headache.

“Sister. My head hurts now.”

The servant snorted as if finding it ridiculous.

“How can your head hurt already? This isn’t even the end of it.”

“There’s more?”

After that, Jin Sung could hear in detail how childish and cruel the chaebol family’s ladies, with their high social status and reputation, could become towards one person if they set their minds to it.

*

Upon returning to the company, Jin Sung immediately went to Seong Jun’s office. He relayed the story he had heard to Seong Jun without adding or omitting anything. Seong Jun had been silent since Jin Sung started talking.

His face was so expressionless that Jin Sung couldn’t guess what his superior was thinking. However, his eyes, listening quietly with a tense face, looked colder than usual.

“Shall I continue?”

“Go on.”

Jin Sung nervously swallowed at the flat voice.

“The lady from Seongbuk-dong apparently called the young lady to her house almost every week. And used her as a personal assistant. But not only that, she even bullied her with insulting words.”

After hearing that far, Seong Jun called Secretary Kwon through the intercom. He was Seong Jun’s personal secretary who managed not only company-related matters but also personal schedules. Shortly after, Secretary Kwon entered the office in a suit.

“Cut off all support to Seongbuk-dong starting today.”

Secretary Kwon’s eyes widened as if he had heard surprising news.

“Yes, understood.”

But like a capable employee, he composed himself, bowed politely, and left the office to carry out his assigned task without any questions.

Left alone in the office, Jin Sung covered his mouth with both hands.

The house where Hwa Young lived, various memberships, living expenses, luxury expenses, and so on. All of these were things she could enjoy with money supported by Seong Jun.

To order all that support to be cut off in one stroke. Jin Sung was newly frightened by Seong Jun’s cold personality, and he was already afraid of the aftermath that would follow, imagining how much the vain Hwa Young would cry and make a fuss.

The more he talked, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that the situation was exploding like a bomb. But it would be right to faithfully complete the assigned task.

“Shall I continue?”

“Go on.”

After that, Jin Sung spilled out in detail all that had happened, which he had obtained with the desserts bought in Cheongdam-dong. Seong Jun’s lips, which had been tightly pressed while listening intently with an angry face, curled up at some point. It was a self-deprecating smile.

“Park Jin Sung, you do say the right things sometimes.”

“Huh?”

“I see that I was on the verge of getting divorced, just as you warned me back then.”

“…No. That was just a joke.”

He wondered about his wife’s incomprehensible inner thoughts, why she refused to date but wanted a child. The answer was surprisingly simple. It was because she didn’t have enough affection for him to want to start dating.

Damn it.

The moment he found the answer to the behaviors that always came with a question mark, Seong Jun was furious at himself for being so ignorant. But the situation wasn’t that desperate yet.

His wife didn’t want to date him, but she wanted a child. That ironic situation, which was previously incomprehensible, was telling him that there was still hope.

He decided to think in a way that was comfortable for him for now, because if he didn’t think that way, anxiety would rise to the point where he couldn’t even focus on work.

Seong Jun’s face returned to its cold state.

“Before that, I should pay back what I owe.”

Saying that, Seong Jun picked up the receiver.

*

Construction was the affiliate with the worst financial situation among those managed by Hyuk Kwon. The market’s assessment was that it wouldn’t be strange if it collapsed at any time. But he couldn’t give up either.

It was construction that had grown Han Kyung, which was just an ordinary medium-sized company, into the current global corporation. If he were to say he was giving up on the construction side, the label of an incompetent son would follow him until death from Seok Hyun.

What stood out amid the serious financial crisis was Seong Jun.

Seong Jun was the man with the most disposable personal assets among the Han Kyung Group’s owner family. Unlike other owners whose personal assets were mostly tied up in real estate, he placed importance on liquidity, which made this possible.

A month ago, Hyuk Kwon had secured a promise from Seong Jun to invest his personal funds in Han Kyung Construction.

It was a promise difficultly obtained after catering to his much younger nephew’s whims for six months, along with the uncomfortable condition of giving up a significant portion of the profits.

“Withdraw the investment? No, what kind of crazy talk is this! Does that make any sense?”

The secretary explained with a troubled face to Hyuk Kwon, who couldn’t hide his agitation.

“Since they didn’t even sign a contract in the first place and only verbally said they would consider it, their position is that there’s no problem even if they withdraw the investment.”

“This is insane!”

An enraged Hyuk Kwon kicked the desk.

As if that wasn’t enough, he had felt uneasy when he heard the news a few days ago that his foolish daughter, who was like his enemy, had tried to raise a hand against Seong Jun’s wife.

It was he who had said that since Seo Yeon’s brother had turned everything Seong Jun had built up into bubbles, it wouldn’t be strange if he got divorced right away, and when his wife gossiped about Seo Yeon’s position, saying that since he wasn’t divorcing, there must be some inside story. His concerns had become reality.