CHAPTER 28

“Did Grandma say why she switched us?”

“She said she swapped you and that child on purpose.”

“And you weren’t upset when you heard that?”

Surprisingly, Grandma told Gwihyeon the truth. It seemed like she was determined to be honest and seek Gwihyeon’s understanding rather than getting caught in a web of lies that would be revealed soon.

What surprised Siyeon was that Gwihyeon didn’t seem to mind.

“Grandma made a big decision to protect her granddaughter. Although it caused unnecessary suffering for us, losing a granddaughter forever would have been worse.”

“I guess it’s probably not a big deal for you, oppa.”

“The situation was unfortunate, but it’s not something I can’t understand. Your grandma did what she thought was best under the circumstances.”

“So, you mean to say that I should willingly sacrifice myself for her real granddaughter?”

Siyeon stared at him with a stern expression and spoke in a cold voice.

“Can you really call it a sacrifice? You didn’t grow up in a worse environment than she did, and you even received cash and a significant amount of stocks.”

Gwihyeon knew about Siyeon receiving stocks from his grandfather. His grandfather must have mentioned it, as there was no other way Gwihyeon could have known.

“Yes, I’ve received enough, but just keep quiet for now, and in five years, we’ll sort out the family relationships.”

“Of course, I’ll keep my mouth shut, but I need you to also sort out your relationship with Ijun.”

“What about Ijun?”

“Are you planning to secretly meet Ijun while playing the role of my fiancée? Do you think that’s even possible?”

For the first time, his normally calm face cracked, and he gave Siyeon a cold glare.

“Why don’t we just reveal the truth? All we need to do is not sort out the family relationship until five years later.”

“I want to maintain the current situation. Unnecessary rumors will burden Baekya Foods too.”

“Why should I cooperate? Just because I received what I more than deserved?”

Her words made Gwihyeon pursed his lips.

“If it weren’t for Baekya Foods, Yeongjin would have gone bankrupt by now. If you want to keep the same status, you’ll have to do it. You’re better off being the well-off daughter of the CEO than a fallen housemaid’s daughter.”

Gwihyeon seemed like a different person than Siyeon had known now. She found it strange how abruptly his attitude had changed after learning the truth.

“You’re blackmailing the victim, aren’t you?”

“It’s not you that is the victim here. It’s my family. My grandfather and all my other relatives genuinely believe you’re Baekya’s real granddaughter. They gave you part of our company’s stocks without suspecting anything. If they find out about the truth, they will be devastated. If they don’t pass out due to shock, consider yourself lucky.”

Siyeon recalled what past life Gwihyeon was like while drinking her coffee that had cooled down.

He had a quiet and reserved personality. Even if he just stayed still, he was given the position of the grandson-in-law of Baekya Kim Dong-han and the future head of the company. Back then, he didn’t have to make any effort, but things had changed now.

Instead of going to the United States, Ijun entered one of the best university in Korea. Although Gwihyeon also attended a prestigious university, it was not at the level where Ijun was at. Moreover, Siyeon, who used to like Gwihyeon in the past, now likes Ijun. It was not a pleasant situation for Gwihyeon anymore.

Initially, Gwihyeon had been concerned about Siyeon following Ijun, but not anymore. Since he found out about Baekya’s real descendant existence, he hadn’t shown the same interest in Siyeon.

However, he was against Siyeon secretly dating Ijun, fearing that it might expose the truth about her not being the real granddaughter.

“You’ve changed, Oppa”.

“The surrounding circumstances have changed, so I have to change too.”

“…Fine. I’ll do that. But give me some time with Ijun. If I suddenly cut off our relationship, he’ll investigate what happened.”

Although Gwihyeon frowned at Siyeon’s words, he didn’t express his disagreement. He knew better than anyone that Ijun wouldn’t just leave.

“Eunhye is off-limits, too.”

“I don’t want to either.”

In the end, Siyeon accepted Gwihyeon’s proposal. It may have seemed like she was following his words on the surface, but in reality, she didn’t want her secrets to be revealed as much as he did.

“Let’s try to make it work for the remaining five years.”

Gwihyeon finished with a neat smile as if he had completed a contract. With this, Siyeon was able to maintain peace for her Hanam-dong parents for at least 5 years.

“Aren’t you curious about the person you’ll spend your life with, Oppa?”

Siyeon asked while looking at Gwihyeon checking the time on his wristwatch.

“Why bother? We’re getting married anyway. What’s there to be curious about?”

“Have you never even thought about wanting to fall in love?”

“Not really.”

Then why had past Gwihyeon fallen in love with Eunhye at first sight when she worked at the company?

Perhaps the past him knew Eunhye’s true identity in advance but waited for time to pass without revealing it. He kept that fact hidden from everyone else.

“Why did that monk say that Eunhye had to be sent away as another family’s child in order to survive? It’s hard to believe and understand your grandmother for believing in that. If she had been unlucky, her real granddaughter could have grown up in an unhappy family environment.”

The rest of the conversation was casual. Siyeon calmly expressed her thoughts while sipping her remaining coffee.

“Before Eunhye was born, Ichon-dong mother had several miscarriages. Grandma went to famous fortune tellers across the country, and they all said Ichon-dong mother wouldn’t have a child under her. From what I heard, Grandma even did some rituals multiple times. Anyway, considering the twists and turns the family had been through, that monk’s words didn’t sound empty and meaningless. It may not be scientific, but I think there’s a possibility.”

Siyeon continued further.

“But you’re receiving special treatment in the family as the heir, do you really need the accessory of being Baekya Kim Donghan’s in-law?”

Now that they both knew everything, therhouseholde were no questions off-limits.

“If I were the only fourth-generation heir, maybe I wouldn’t have needed it. But I’m not.”

“Are you concerned about Ijun? But he’s not interested in the business, even planning on to live in the United States.”

“But he didn’t go. And, he chose the same major in business administration as me.”

“So what?”

She asked nonchalantly, but her question felt like a cold chill down his spine. It reminded him that Ijun had initially intended to major in computer science. In my previous life, Ijun had indeed studied computer science.

“Maybe Ijun has developed his ambitions?”

He’d be disappointed if he heard that. He really admires you, Oppa.”

“But we’re not biological siblings.”

“What?”

Siyeon froze, her eyes wide open. Hearing that Gwihyeon and Ijun were not biological brothers felt as shocking as the first time she learned about the switch between her and Eunhye. It sounded like an unbelievable statement.

“My biological mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me. My father was 24 years old at that time, the same age I am now. He became a young widower at 24, too young to spend his life alone. He consulted a fortune-teller in the village, who unanimously recommended Ijun’s mother. She was from a prestigious family and raised well in a household. They had been happily married immediately after the matchmaker introduced her to my father. As soon as they married, she had to raise a child that wasn’t hers, and she did it without any complaints. She was a great person. I genuinely respect and love her.”

“…I didn’t know.”

Siyeon could only manage to say these words with great difficulty.

“I didn’t know until a few years ago either.”

“Does Jun…know about this?”

“I don’t know. We’ve never discussed it. It’s not a pleasant topic.”

“But you’ve been living fine without any issues until now.”

“Yeah, we’ve been fine, to the point where I feel guilty about Ijun. There hasn’t been a problem.”

Gwihyeon gave a bitter smile for a moment, but it quickly disappeared.

“You’ve been fine so far, but why is it suddenly a problem if you’re not biological siblings?”

“Our father was the only third-generation heir. That means he didn’t have any close relatives around him.”

“But why is that a problem?”

“There’s two of us now.”

Finally, Siyeon understood why Gwihyeon was wary of Ijun. Even though they had grown up as if they were true siblings, they had reached a point where they had to make a choice.

“So, you don’t want to tell Ijun that Eunhye is the real one.”

He wanted to hide Eunhye’s existence from Ijun, fearing that they might have a conflict over her.

“That’s right. I don’t want to get into a rivalry with Ijun over her.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better for me to date Ijun instead? It would make it easier for you, wouldn’t it?”

“The bond you’ve built with our family for the past 20 years won’t disappear overnight. Even if Grandfather finds out you’re not the real one, he won’t be able to cast you aside easily. No matter what makes you become in our family, it will make Eunhye uncomfortable if you stay in our house.”

After achieving the intended purpose of the conversation, Gwihyeon calmly spoke about his desire for Siyeon to disappear completely from their household. His voice was so soft that someone listening might mistake it for a casual conversation.

“It seems like we haven’t built any kind of bond over the past 20 years, Oppa. You’re concerned about Eunhye, whom you have never seen, and hoping for me to disappear completely from your life.”

“Unless you’re Mr. Baekya Kim Donghan’s real granddaughter, there’s nothing else to be done.”

“Still, I sincerely wished that you would marry the person you love and live happily. I still feel the same way.”

In this life, Siyeon hoped that Gwihyeon would live a long and healthy life without dying. She also hoped that he would fall in love at first sight with Eunhye, and would marry together and live a long and healthy life. Gwihyeon would never know that her only wish in life was for him and her biological parents to live a healthy life.

“I’m satisfied with my life. I plan to cherish Eunhye and live happily for a very long time.”

“Then I guess we won’t be seeing each other’s faces anymore.”

“I’ll have to see your face, still. To assure Grandfather that we’re getting along.”

Gwihyeon smiled, his eyes creasing at the corners.