PO 18

The box that was big enough to cover half the table had high-class desserts neatly packed inside even at a glance. It was a gift that Han Jaegang gave to the people who came to the villa.

“Oh my, this looks so luxurious. He really has good taste.”

Kang Eonju, who opened the wrapped box, fussed in excitement. She liked desserts in general, but the fact that it was a gift sent directly by Han Jaegang seemed to make her even happier.

“So, how was it yesterday?”

Kang Eonju, who had been waiting impatiently for Lee Doyoung to come, asked him about what happened at the villa. On the way back in the car, Lee Doyoung had grumbled about this and that, but when he faced her eager questions, he became indifferent.

“I told you, it was nothing. I got drunk and went to sleep first.”

“Why did you drink like that in a place like that?”

“I don’t know. I just drank to match the mood, and it ended up that way.”

“Well. It’s not easy to fit in with alphas……. But what were you doing instead of stopping your hyung, when you even followed him there.”

Kang Eonju clicked her tongue at Woojeong. Even though Woojeong had tried to stop Lee Doyoung several times, he hadn’t listened, but there was no point in explaining because she wouldn’t hear him out anyway.

“You didn’t cause trouble, did you? If you go out and make a mess, that’s all disgrace to your parents’ face.”

“……Yes.”

Kang Eonju scolded him as if Lee Doyoung’s overdrinking had been Woojeong’s fault. While he was getting nagged for something that wasn’t even his doing, Lee Doyoung idly fiddled with his phone.

When Woojeong was young, Lee Doyoung had always been someone he envied. Woojeong used to watch from afar as Kang Eonju held him close and smiled as if she adored him to death. When her voice called out, “Doyoung-ah, our son!” it sounded so sweet and soft that even his own heart seemed to melt with it.

As a child, Woojeong thought that his stepmother hated him because he was always sick and frail. Unlike him, who was weak and couldn’t even attend school properly, his hyung was healthy, good at studying, and cheerful, so he thought it was natural that she loved him more. Of course, now he knew it wasn’t only because of such reasons…….

“But this time, I really think I met one of Han Jaegang’s acquaintances. Mom, you know Yeonkyung Pharma, right?”

“Of course I know. Their stock price is no joke these days.”

“That family’s brothers were at the villa too. Their youngest is the same age as him. Maybe that’s why they told me to bring him too so he wouldn’t get bored. And the son of Yongjeon Construction was there too.”

“They’re kids from families that can boast loudly anywhere. Did they treat you well?”

“Yeah, they were all kind. ……But mom.”

Lee Doyoung lowered his voice with a serious face.

“Why does it feel like Director Han is keeping me at a distance? I mean, was it even right for me to go to a place like that and spend time there like this?”

“What did you say for him to act like that? ……Hey. You, go up to your room.”

Even though Kang Eonju knew that Woojeong was only waiting for permission to go upstairs, she still shouted at him deliberately. Woojeong bowed his head politely and moved his steps toward the stairs.

“Your father will meet Chairman Han soon, so wait a little. That old man still has a tight grip on the group, so Director Han won’t be able to ignore his grandfather’s words.”

“Will father do well for me?”

“Of course. He knows better than anyone that you’re the only child in this house who’s useful.”

Kang Eonju pulled Lee Doyoung’s arm and began whispering something into his ear. Realizing that it was something he shouldn’t hear, Woojeong quickly walked up the stairs.

The room he returned to after just one day was filled with sunlight. Woojeong walked straight to the bed and collapsed face down on the blanket. Familiar air and smell……. To Woojeong, this small room was the most comfortable place in the world.

He thought he should wash up before lying down, but he didn’t want to move. The time at the villa hadn’t even been a full day, but his body felt weary, as if he had been away from home for several days.

The time at the villa left a strong impression. Especially the scenery he had seen outside the window in the early morning seemed like something he would remember for a long time. Of course, there would be no reason to go there again…….

Suddenly, a notification sound came, and Woojeong reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. It was a message from Yoon Ijun. The message only had the word “photo,” but several photos were attached.

Most of the photos captured the villa’s scenery and the bonfire. Only near the very end came a picture of Yoon Ijun and Woojeong together. Woojeong, who had been smiling with a flushed face from drinking, enlarged part of the photo with his finger.

Han Jaegang was in the photo. Standing a little behind the two who sat by the bonfire, he was looking off somewhere far away. His blurred figure, out of focus, was something Woojeong couldn’t look away from.

•••

The car driven by Joo Yeongmo entered the mansion’s parking lot. It took a little longer than usual to park between the vehicles that had already arrived. Confirming that there was still time, he decided to give Han Jaegang, who sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, a little more time.

It would have been good if he had slept a little while they were on the move. But Han Jaegang was probably still awake. Since it hadn’t taken long to get here, there was no way someone with that sensitive nature could have slept peacefully.

Joo Yeongmo sometimes suspected that Han Jaegang had some secret way to recover stamina apart from sleep. During their last business trip to Canada, he had been so exhausted that he even asked Han Jaegang if he had any special medicine he could share.

The process of negotiating with Ontario’s government, about the wind and solar power project hadn’t gone smoothly from the start. Unlike the usual method where a company issues an order and then the project goes through bidding and construction, this time Hansae Trading’s energy division had taken the unusual step of making the proposal first.

To win the contract, they had to prove in clear terms Hansae’s competitive edge over rivals from China and Japan. The negotiation team quickly compiled a list of provincial officials, industry figures, and key contacts they needed to approach, and after review, they concluded that it was essential to check the local conditions in person.

Han Jaegang decided to fly to Canada himself. Even among executives, for someone expected to lead the company in the future to step forward from the start carried special meaning.

He had braced himself for it on the plane, but the reality exceeded anything he imagined. To carry out local tasks early in the morning, he had to prepare documents until dawn, and when night came, more work piled up.

The team members who accompanied him on this trip gave up sleep to present a vision and expected profits convincing enough for the negotiating side. Even Joo Yeongmo, who was used to Han Jaegang’s work style, fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow as if he had passed out.

In the middle of all this, the only one who maintained normal condition was Han Jaegang. Joo Yeongmo once again felt the overwhelming physical and mental abilities of a dominant alpha.

On top of that, his immaculate face, his build that matched Westerners without falling behind, and his confident and courteous demeanor could all be counted as part of his business assets.

“Let’s go in.”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

At exactly five minutes before seven, without any alarm, Han Jaegang opened his eyes and stepped out of the car. He fastened his jacket buttons and brushed the back of his neck once, and he was instantly tidy again.

Joo Yeongmo, who was worried because he didn’t look as well as usual, set aside his concern when he saw him walking. Even if his condition were bad, if Han Jaegang decided not to show it, no one would ever notice.

•••

“Welcome, Jaegang-ah.”

“Have you been well?”

The butler came out to the front entrance to greet him. The elderly gentleman was like Chairman Han’s hands and feet, someone who had been with the mansion for a long time. He patted Han Jaegang’s shoulder with joy.

“You look well, that’s a relief. The elders are waiting. Come inside.”

After moving his residence to the Snow Reflection Residence, Han Jaegang only came to the main house when there was a particular reason. Today was the regular dinner that Chairman Han held only with his direct descendants.

Chairman Han had two sons. At these gatherings where his elder son’s family, with his wife and their children, came despite their poor marriage, Han Jaegang always attended alone.

“Jaegang-ah.”

Han Jaegang’s brow twitched at the sight of Han Jaehee, who sat across from the elder uncle’s family facing off against them. She waved to her younger brother with a smiling face as he stopped in front of the dining table.

Han Jaegang glared at Han Kyunghoon. With a wineglass in hand, he smirked.

“I realized it’s been far too long since I last saw Jaehee’s face. So I told them to bring her. Families should see each other once in a while like this, don’t you think?”

“……Yes. That’s right.”

“You must be hungry. Jaegang, sit down quickly.”

Han Jaegang went to his seat and sat down. Fixing his eyes on his uncle’s family, whom he had no choice but to face once a month, he spoke to Han Jaehee.

“You should have called me.”

“Why? When you’re so busy. Uncle sent a car, so it was comfortable to come.”

Han Jaegang looked at his sister with worried eyes. Her complexion wasn’t good. She was frail, so it was no surprise that she looked worn after traveling this far by car.

All through the meal, their grandmother looked after Han Jaehee at her side. It seemed she felt tender toward her granddaughter, who lived far away on her own. It looked like regret, as if she felt that being out of sight had made her neglectful in heart as well.

“Our Jaehee should hurry and recover her health and live by grandma’s side. It hurts my heart to think of her living alone.”

“I’m comfortable there. I can just come see you like this from time to time.”

While listening to his sister’s calm voice, Han Jaegang looked indifferently at his uncle’s family across the table.

The cousins, who sat in good positions where they could earn results just by staying still thanks to their greedy parents, wore faces full of arrogance.

Regardless of their own ability or business achievements, the fact that they had healthy parents backing them seemed to fill them with pride, and their expressions clearly revealed that they looked down on Han Jaegang.

“But it’s a relief that you look well.”

“Father. Since we’re all gathered, I should say this. Isn’t it time Jaehee got married? If Sunghoon and his wife were alive, would they have left her alone like this?”

“Should I look for someone? If I step forward in my brother-in-law’s place, it would save face later.”

“Jaehee, you know Yukyung, right? You used to be close when you were little. She graduated school, worked at the New York branch, and met someone good there, and now she’s getting married. She kept saying she would hurry and have children.”

At the words of his uncle and aunt, a cold expression appeared on Han Jaegang’s face. With gentle, kind smiles, they were stabbing at Han Jaehee’s wounds.

Han Jaehee had once had a fiancé. One day, when she was filled with happiness ahead of marriage, a car driven by a drunk driver crossed the centerline and collided with her car. Her fiancé, who sat in the passenger seat, died in the crash, and she was left unable to walk.

Han Jaegang, who had been staring coldly at Han Kyunghoon, quietly lifted his chopsticks. He scooped up rice and ate, then picked up a side dish as well. Then he met his grandmother’s eyes and smiled.

“Grandma. The food is delicious. You don’t like fishy dishes, but you even grilled fish for noona?”

“Yes. Ever since she was young, Jaehee ate so well when I grilled fish for her.”

“Anything you make is the best.”

When he changed the subject to something that would please their grandmother, the couple who had presumptuously spoken up about his sister fell silent awkwardly. In this setting, Han Jaegang deliberately raised a new topic he had not intended to mention so that his grandparents’ attention would turn entirely toward him.

“So the Guam project being successful worked out well.”

“Yes. It became a very good example. Because of that, Qatar was able to make their decision quickly. If we finish the solar power project well this time, the lead in the low-carbon energy business will definitely come to us.”

“Competition is fierce in the industry. Aren’t you being too optimistic?”

Han Jaegwan, who had been listening with a disapproving look, suddenly cut into the conversation between Han Jaegang and their grandfather. His remark was nitpicking.

“Optimistic is a word used for people who sit idle waiting for fruit to fall into their laps.”

“My brother means you should prepare for all possible cases. Don’t get overconfident and mess things up later.”

“I will. Thanks for worrying.”

When the meal ended in a sour mood, dessert and fragrant tea were set on the table. As he lifted his teacup, Han Jaegang suddenly asked Han Jaegwan.

“Hyung, nothing special going on these days?”

He spoke lightly, as if he was only asking about his well-being, but his intention was different. The fashion business his uncle’s children managed wasn’t large in scale, but it was one where a certain level of sales was guaranteed without much effort.

But the fact that their results dropped year after year was the outcome of Han Jaegwan’s foolish insistence on his own opinions, and Han Jaegang wanted to point that out.

“What could possibly be going on with me?”

Han Jaegwan smirked with his plump face. Both siblings were hopeless, but compared to his sister, Han Jaegwan was an even bigger troublemaker. He caused frequent problems with money and women, and he often made the news for violent incidents.

Even after being summoned by Chairman Han and warned that if he caused another scandal in his private life he wouldn’t be forgiven, nothing had changed.

“Is that so?”

After sipping the fragrant tea, Han Jaegang set his cup down quietly. Even knowing that everyone around the table was waiting for him to speak, he showed no sign of haste.

“That’s a relief. I must’ve worried for nothing after hearing useless rumors.”

“What rumor is going around this time?”

The grandfather reacted immediately and pressed the matter. Han Jaegwan, who had something to be guilty about, opened his eyes wide, and beside him, his uncle and aunt exchanged puzzled glances.

“No, grandfather. I brought up something pointless.”

“Hey now, what’s the matter? Jaegang, speak quickly.”

“I heard hyung is delaying his marriage. They said there was some problem with his fiancée’s brother. But since hyung hasn’t spoken of it, it must not be serious.”

“You, tell me exactly what happened with Jaegwan.”

Han Jaegang tossed the topic out and then withdrew. There was no need to explain the details with his own mouth.

Chairman Han was skilled at pressuring others, and Han Jaegwan was the type who would run his mouth wrong and dig his own grave. As expected, before many words had been exchanged, he began confessing his mistakes himself.

Han Jaegwan, while hanging around filthy places, encountered his fiancée’s younger brother there, and the two of them got into a brawl. Since he did the insane thing of hitting his future brother-in-law with a chair, there was a high chance he hadn’t been in his right mind. Maybe he had taken drugs, or maybe he had simply gone mad that day. They were keeping it quiet, but it was bound to be revealed soon anyway.

“I’m sorry, grandfather!”

Han Jaegwan fell flat and lowered his head. As the elder’s voice grew louder, his figure became more and more pitifully crumpled. Han Jaegang craned his neck and watched him indifferently.

Han Jaegwan still didn’t seem to realize what he had done. He was displeased with the family of the fiancée arranged by his grandfather, thinking they were insignificant, but that was nothing but ignorant talk.

Geoyoung Textiles was at the very top of the industry. Not only did it produce high-quality fabrics, but its independently held printing technology had been recognized worldwide and had long left competitors in the dust.

Chairman Han had been planning collaboration with this company for a long time. He had arranged a marriage between Han Jaegwan and the daughter of Geoyoung’s president for that very reason. But now, because of Han Jaegwan’s senseless behavior, those plans were on the brink of collapse.

As Chairman Han raged and scolded him, Han Jaegang’s eyes met those of his uncle, who glared at him like he wanted to kill him.

“…….”

The simple mindset of attacking others first while believing nothing would happen to oneself was ridiculous. If he hadn’t meddled with Han Jaehee, Han Jaegang wouldn’t have cared whether his cousin’s engagement broke off or not. Han Jaegang lifted the corner of his mouth and added words he didn’t mean.

“I’m sorry, uncle. I only thought it was a baseless rumor. I never imagined there really was such an incident. If you had given me a hint, I would have kept my mouth shut quietly.”

“Enough!”

“And thank you for looking after my sister. But in the future, if you have anything to say, tell me directly. As you know, I have a nasty temper, and I really hate when things happen outside of the plan.”

Chairman Han, who had heard the details from the butler, slammed up from his seat in anger. His uncle’s family bowed their heads and followed behind him one by one. Thanks to that, the noisy dining room fell silent at once.

Han Jaegang quietly rose from his seat and gently embraced the shoulders of his grandmother, whose face was full of worry.

“Please don’t worry too much, grandmother. We’ll leave quietly. Take good care of grandfather. He needs to be careful with his blood pressure.”