Sitting across from him, Hyun Seo neatly placed her hands on her lap and lowered her head.
Both of them just stared at the beverages on the table without touching them.
Hyun Seo lowered his head further towards Chairman Chae, who sat in front of him.
“I’m sorry. Father, I have nothing to say.”
“No, it’s not that. You’ve been through a lot. I was too indifferent and caused you trouble. I’m sorry.”
“No, not at all. I’ve always been grateful for your considerate care. But I cannot accept this.”
Hyun Seo carefully held out a envelope to Chairman Chae.
“Do Ha will take care of you, but this isn’t for you. It was a gift that the grandfather wanted to give to the grandchild. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to hurt you. It’s stocks I had intended to give to Seo Ha, so it’s only right that you, her mother, accept it.”
Chairman Chae’s eyes reddened as he mentioned Seo Ha.
He was a stern and blunt man who seldom showed his weak side, but how much pain must he have been in to shed tears.
After Seo Ha’s funeral, Chairman Chae, who had never mentioned his granddaughter until now, spoke her name for the first time.
“Our Seo Ha, I’m really sorry for not being able to protect her.”
Hyun Seo knew that he was a stern yet deeply affectionate and thoughtful man.
How much his heart must have ached.
Chairman Chae, who commanded a corporation, was a fiery character that many people feared.
Hyun Seo realized more than Do Ha, his own son, that he often showed a kind expression as a grandfather in front of his granddaughter.
He cherished Seo Ha so much.
Only now did he realize that he had failed to consider his fatherinlaw’s pain while he was concerned only with his own.
Unable to look at his fatherinlaw’s reddened eyes, Hyun Seo bowed his head. He too felt like he was on the verge of tears.
“Even so……”
“Take it. It’s the last token of a grandfather’s affection. Don’t refuse.”
Hyun Seo really didn’t want to accept anything. However, it was difficult to refuse when his fatherinlaw spoke of his profound love for his granddaughter.
With no other choice, Hyun Seo nodded.
“I will gratefully accept your feelings, father.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I just ate.”
Chairman Chae, seeing the sullen face of Hyun Seo, wanted to at least make sure he had eaten a meal.
But judging from Hyun Seo’s expression, it seemed like he would have refused even if he hadn’t eaten, so the chairman gave up and got up.
“I should go now. Contact me anytime if you have trouble. You can contact me without Do Ha knowing.”
“Yes, father. Thank you for your words.”
Hyun Seo also got up and bowed slightly.
“The tea is still warm, finish it before you go.”
“Yes. Take care on your way.”
After Chairman Chae left, Hyun Seo sat back down.
He stared blankly at the document envelope on the table, unable to bring himself to touch it.
A few days ago, Chairman Chae had sent an envelope through driver Park.
He didn’t want anything and had intended to return it at this meeting, but it had come back to him with Seo Ha’s name attached.
“Baby, this belongs to your sister in heaven.”
Tears flowed down his face without his realizing, but Hyun Seo picked up the envelope.
He decided to forget about everything for a while and focus only on the baby in his belly.
The house was utterly silent after Hyun Seo left.
Young Suk, who was alone at home, had no one to talk to and spent the whole day waiting for the phone to ring.
“When Hyun Seo was here, I never lacked for conversation… I want to eat the cool eel soup that Hyun Seo made, but the storebought kind just doesn’t taste the same.”
Young Suk found that Hyun Seo’s absence wasn’t as pleasant as she had thought. It had been a few days since he left……
He was always like an extra set of hands and feet, and without him, it was incredibly inconvenient.
At least she had plans today. For some reason, her younger son and daughterinlaw, who hadn’t visited because of the strain from the baby, called in the morning saying they would come over today.
They had mentioned bringing the baby’s pictures a few days ago. They must be bringing them now.
That insignificant little guy had only cared about his wife and asked her to prepare food good for a pregnant woman.
“Hyun Seo was excellent at housekeeping……but strangely, he couldn’t manage to keep people.”
She had already hired and then let go of several people.
With Seosan’s wife alone, she couldn’t handle the household chores, so the house was a mess.
“Seosan’s wife. Prepare to grill some abalone and Korean beef when the kids come.”
Young Suk didn’t know how they made pictures of the baby in the womb, but she was in a great mood knowing she would be able to see her grandchild’s picture.
.
.
.
Ju Hyuk and Hye Mi, who said they would come early in the morning, came with tired faces long after lunch.
“Why are you so late? If you were going to come at this time, why did you make me wait all day?”
“I’m sorry, mom.”
“Where is the baby’s picture?”
As Young Suk looked for the baby’s picture, Ju Hyuk cheerfully pulled out a small piece of paper from his suit pocket.
“What is this?”
“That’s a threedimensional ultrasound image, our daughter. Look, isn’t she pretty?”
Ju Hyuk trembled a little as he watched Young Suk’s expression. Young Suk furrowed her eyebrows as if doubting her ears.
“Daughter?”
“Yes! It’s a beautiful princess.”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
