CHAPTER 19

 “What do you think, Gwihyeon?” 

“Grandmother mentioned it, so of course, I should check my schedule then I’ll go. “

“All right, then. Set a day to go.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Just as Chairman Jeong nodded, there was a knock, and Siyeon entered the room. Chairman Jeong looked up and widened his eyes in surprise.

“Come in, come in. So, did you meet your Mom-in-law in the main house?”

“Yes, I greeted her and came here. She’s been so busy, so I couldn’t stay for too long.”

Siyeon glanced between the three people and knelt down beside her father.

“Professor Kim and Gwihyeo, can you go out for a while? I need to talk to Siyeon separately.”

“Is it something we shouldn’t hear?”

“No, no. It’s a secret.”

Chairman Jeong replied jokingly and gestured for them to leave. But, when Professor Kim didn’t move, Chairman Jeong urged him again.

“What are you waiting for? Go out quickly.”

Following suit, Siyeon’s father and Gwihyeon reluctantly opened the door and stepped outside. After they left, Chairman Jeong spoke to Siyeon in a calm tone.

“I heard your parents sold the land in Gyeonggi Province.”

“Did my father tell you about it?”

“Yeah, he just told me. What a cunning guy.”

“They said that a suitable buyer came forward, and they wanted to sell it, so I agreed.” 

“Professor Kim mentioned giving you the money for it when you get married, but it’s not the same as having it in your hands… Were you not upset?” 

He poured warm tea into a new cup and pushed it towards her.

“Honestly, I was a little upset, but I thought that parents have the right to dispose of the property of their underage children, so I couldn’t help it.”

“Don’t be too upset. When the time comes, Professor Kim will return it. He wouldn’t dare to take away something from his own child.”

“I’ve heard promises of returning things in the future, but I haven’t seen them actually returning anything, so I don’t really know.”

After Siyeon’s response, Chairman Jeong chuckled and then spoke in a fatherly manner.

“If you were going to feel so upset, you shouldn’t have agreed to sell it. If you had told me not to sell it, I would have listened.”

“I guess I should have done that.”

Siyeon replied with a smile, but because she was not his biological daughter, she couldn’t make such demands. She considered herself more of a beneficiary of that land than anyone else. If she had been their biological daughter, her parents probably wouldn’t have even considered selling the land in the first place.

“Oh, how can I make it up to you just so you won’t be upset anymore? Whether it’s land or a building, it’ll take at least another 5 years to get it back from Professor Kim.”

“…5 years… really?”

“Yeah, your father said he won’t be marrying you to Gwihyeon soon, not for another 5 years. He even mentioned that you’re the last bloodline with the Kim family name, so we can’t be greedy anymore.”

“…” 

5 years. During Siyeon’s absence, her father had informed the Suwon Grandfather about selling the land in Gyeonggi Province and had emphasized that they couldn’t marry her off for the next 5 years. That was the reason they had come together to Suwon today.

“So, I asked Professor Kim to bring me the money from selling the land. Anyway, it would be quite impolite for me to have given it to you and then let your parents take it in between.”

“Did you really ask him to do that?”

Siyeon chuckled softly.

Her parents in Ichon-dong might have been eager to sell the land before she turned 25, but from Suwon’s grandfather’s perspective, he must not have been feeling too happy about her freely disposing of what he had handed over to her.

However, one way or another, it will become Eunhye’s property in 5 years, so from the perspective of Ichon-dong’s parents, there’s not much harm in it.

“Let’s do it this way. Giving you money looks bad, so… how about I give you stocks? I’ll give you shares of Baekya Foods, and let’s keep it as our little secret. I don’t think you’ll mind having 0.1% of the total shares.”

“You want to give me shares of Baekya Foods?”

“Yeah. Regardless of the reason, I don’t like that you’re empty-handed right now.”

“Grandfather.”

“Yes?”

Gwihyeon’s grandfather was a kind person. She heard that in her supposed to be life, Suwon grandfather sighed heavily and endured a lot of mental suffering when he learned that Siyeon had been switched with Eunhye.

If Gwihyeon had wanted Siyeon, he might have accepted her as his granddaughter-in-law. Given his personality, he might have made Siyeon his first granddaughter-in-law and arranged for Eunhye to marry someone else in exchange.

Siyeon suddenly remembered how in her past life, Eunhye had been extremely cautious about Siyeon meeting Ijun, as if she had sensed the atmosphere that Gwihyeon’s grandfather might want to arrange something between Siyeon and Ijun.

“Is it because I’m Professor Kim’s daughter that you treat me well?”

“At first, it was because you were Professor Kim’s daughter, but now, I like you much more than Professor Kim. But why are you suddenly saying this?”

“Even if I don’t marry Gwihyeon-oppa in 5 years, will you still feel the same way about me?”

“Siyeon…”

He furrowed his brow as if he heard some strange statement.

“I can’t guarantee that I’ll marry Gwihyeon in five years. Yet you want to give me shares in Baekya Foods?”

“…”

Chairman Jeong didn’t immediately respond. He simply gauged her intentions with a thoughtful look.

“I don’t feel empty. Just knowing that you thought of me is enough.”

She was grateful for Suwon grandfather’s words, but if he were to give it to her as Baekya’s great-granddaughter, she had no reason to accept it. Ultimately, it would only add to what she had to return once it was revealed that she wasn’t Baekya’s great-granddaughter.

“Do you mean that you don’t like Gwihyeon?”

Suddenly, a deep concern filled his face. Siyeon slowly tilted her head.

“From my perspective, it’s difficult to find someone as well-rounded as Gwihyeon-oppa. If I weren’t my father’s daughter, why would Gwihyeon-oppa look at me with regret?”

“Then what’s the problem? Gwihyeon naturally considers you his match!”

“I think that’s because he has heard that from the time he was born. And… to be honest, I like Ijun oppa more than Gwihyeon-oppa.”

“Ijun?”

“Yes. But I hope you keep this a secret.”

As soon as he heard Siyeon’s words, Chairman Jeong furrowed. He naturally had the intention of having Gwihyeon and Siyeon together due to Gwihyeon’s birth order.

Gwihyeon was treated as the heir by the elders of the Jeong family, and although the naive elders adhered to norms, they surprisingly favored Ijun, who was more of a troublemaker, over the rational and exemplary Gwihyeon.

If Gwihyeon was diligent, exemplary, and rational, Ijun was unpredictable and independent. However, Ijun had the ability to attract people and lead them. As they grew up, the differences in the two brothers’ personalities became more pronounced.

If Gwihyeon and Ijun had switched places at birth order, how nice it would have been. But regardless of this and that, in the end, Gwihyeon was the eldest grandson, and Chairman Jeong had intended to match Siyeon with him from the very beginning. Giving her strength and supporting her as a symbol of Baekya.

“First of all, as you know, Gwihyeon is a stickler for never doing anything without a proper reason. I can guarantee that he won’t look at anyone else while he has you.”

His words were not wrong. Ultimately, Gwihyeon would choose the real great-granddaughter by justification.

“And the reason I have chosen you as Gwihyeon’s match is to give him strength as the eldest grandson. Since Baekya Foods started with Teacher Baekya, it makes sense that the last descendant of that person, you, should be by Gwihyeon’s side. But now, you tell me you have feelings for Ijun, and it surprises me.”

“I must have said something unnecessary. Don’t worry, Grandfather. Gwihyeon-oppa will definitely get the person he wants.” 

Suwon grandfather held her hand and patted the back of it with a smile, interpreting her words differently. Siyeon meant that Gwihyeon would marry the real great-granddaughter, but to him, it likely sounded like she was telling him not to worry because she would marry Gwihyeon. 

“1% sounds good.”

“What?”

“Your stocks.”

“Grandfather.”

Siyeon looked at him as if she couldn’t refuse any longer and then smiled faintly.

“This 1% is yours, regardless of Gwihyeon, for bringing me joy over the past twenty years. Even if they’re your parents, I wouldn’t forgive them if they touched it. You can use this 1% however you like, I don’t mind.”

“Grandfather…”

Siyeon could only make an awkward expression and couldn’t refuse any further.

***

A man working at their house informed them that it was mealtime.

When Siyeon came out with Chairman Jeong, her Ichon-dong father, and Gwihyeon were sitting on the porch, engaged in conversation. The two men stood up as they saw Chairman Jeong and soon moved towards the main building together.

Gwihyeon’s grandfather and Siyeon’s father started walking quietly, conversing, and Gwihyeon and Siyeon followed them a few steps behind. Gwihyeon spoke to Siyeon in a hushed voice.

“What did you talk about with Grandfather?”

He had a curious look, eager to know what Siyeon had discussed with his grandfather.

“He asked me if I was upset when Mom and Dad sold the land that he had given me. He also told me not to worry because Dad said he would give it back later.”

“Are you upset because it feels like they took something away from you?”

“It’s okay. They will return it to the rightful owner anyway, so what’s the point.”

Siyeon only brought up the part that Gwihyeon already knew.

There was no need to discuss the stock matter. Grandfather had insisted that no one else be informed of that fact.

“Did he talk about anything else? It seemed like you were talking for quite a while.”

“He expressed regret that marriage would be off the table for the next 5 years.”

“Is that all?”

“What else could there be? Did Dad and Grandfather discuss a lot of other things when I wasn’t around?”

Siyeon asked, but Gwihyeon only smiled meaningfully without answering directly.

“Is it something you don’t want to talk about? Or something you’re not allowed to talk about?”

“Which one do you think it is?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, oppa.”

She bit her lower lip. She felt a pang of guilt, but she couldn’t bring herself to discuss the stock matter that Suwon grandfather had insisted on keeping confidential.

“Yeongjin.”

“Yeongjin…? What do you mean…?”

But what Gwihyeon was curious about wasn’t that. He surprised her by bringing up a topic she had never expected.

“Yeah, Yeongjin. Your father asked about Yeongjin.”

“…”

Siyeon’s face turned cold in an instant.