Chapter 1 (Part 1)

Seo-hye, having finished her class, entered the office while taking off her paint-stained sleeves.

The sharp gaze of Director Han, who was sipping coffee in the corner by the door, swept over Seo-hye’s back as she headed towards the window, finally landing on her long neckline.

At that moment, coincidentally, Seo-hye untied her hair that she had pinned up.

Feeling unnecessarily flustered, Director Han cleared his throat and called Seo-hye.

“Teacher Seo-hye.”

Realizing belatedly that Director Han was in the office, Seo-hye quickly corrected her surprised expression and turned around.

“You said you can’t come to work next Monday?”

“…”

“Is that not true?”

“Oh… yes. I was going to tell you, but it seems you’ve already heard from my grandfather.”

“I didn’t hear the details. Why can’t you come to work?”

Director Han’s sharp voice was full of the implication that she should explain in more detail herself.

“The person my sister is going to marry is visiting our house.”

“Oh my! Is your sister getting married? Which family is he from? Surely, since you’re the granddaughter of Painter Lee Hwa-woong, it must be a very good family, right?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly. All I know is that he’s the grandson of the Chairman of the Seonghan Group. It’s not like they have just one or two grandsons.”

In fact, she knew that the person her half-sister Hae-mi was marrying was Won Do-jin, the Managing Director newly assigned to Seonghan Hotel, but she didn’t bother to share such details.

Director Han was merely a monitor, tasked by her grandfather Hwa-woong, to watch whether she was showcasing her painting skills or not.

“Wow! That’s amazing, becoming in-laws with the Chairman of the Seonghan Group! Well… hmm, I’d be happier if it were you getting married instead of your sister.”

Seo-hye looked at Director Han with dry eyes and forced a smile.

“Thank you for at least saying so.”

“Anyway, I understand you won’t be here next Monday, so go ahead and finish for the day.”

After saying goodbye, Seo-hye moved to leave the academy building.

As soon as she stepped out of the building entrance, the bitter cold air touched the tip of her nose. She stopped and quietly lifted her head.

Autumn had already seeped into the short distance from the back gate of the old apartment to the academy building.

“Staying at home and just painting is driving me crazy. If this continues, I won’t be able to paint anything.”

It felt like just yesterday that she had asked Hwa-woong last fall to help her get a job at a small academy run by his disciple.

Time was slipping away so fleetingly…

“Miss?”

But before she could even feel her daily life, Chief Kim’s voice interrupted.

He opened the car door parked by the roadside and gestured with his chin.

“Please get in.”

…What daily life? Being under surveillance had been my daily life for nearly 10 years.

***

Arriving at the Cheongun-dong house, Seo-hye hesitated as she entered the entrance.

It was because of the mysterious sea painting hanging on the entrance wall, whose depth was immeasurable.

On the lower left corner was the seal “Lee Hwa-woong.”

Hwa-woong, her grandfather, was a master of Oriental painting, yet he was a popular painter who excelled in various fields, including Western painting.

He was already famous, but after an accident 10 years ago that left his hand crippled, his painting style changed, and he gained even more sensational popularity.

Famous figures in political and business circles were desperate to own his paintings, so a large company like Seonghan valued him highly and proposed a marriage alliance.

It was possible because they didn’t know that Hwa-woong had been stealing his granddaughter Seo-hye’s paintings since his hand became crippled.

Even the sea painting in front of her was actually Seo-hye’s.

Looking at the painting made her heart feel more tattered, so she quickly entered the living room.

“Hey.”

But before she could even head upstairs, Hae-mi, who was lying on the sofa, called out to Seo-hye.

“Even a small fish has its tricks, and now you’re finally earning your keep, huh?”

Seo-hye looked at Hae-mi, who was gradually closing the distance, with emotionless eyes.

“Grandfather gave a painting to the Chairman as a gift. To boost his eldest granddaughter’s spirits.”

One of Seo-hye’s eyebrows slowly raised.

She hadn’t recently been asked by her grandfather for a painting, so what was gifted?

“Even though you’re a lowly girl, you inherited the family’s blood, and you’re showing all your skills for your sister’s wedding. I’m thankful for the first time.”

Something clicked in Seo-hye’s mind as she listened to Hae-mi’s sarcasm.

“!”

With a pale face, she rushed upstairs and flung open the door, her voice seething with anger.

“…You… crazy… old man…”

The landscape painting she had been secretly working on every dawn to keep it from being taken by Hwa-woong was nowhere to be found.

“Seo-hye, before I die, I want to see the landscape painting my daughter drew once more… It’s what my daughter paints best…”

She hurriedly ran down to the first floor.

As she flung open the door to Hwa-woong’s study, Hwa-woong, who was wiping an orchid with a cloth, clicked his tongue innocently.

“Tsk, such a reckless girl. So now you’re not even bothering with the basic courtesy of knocking?”

“What kind of painting is it that you gave it away as a gift without permission—”

“Ah, the painting that was in your room?”

Seeing the old man showing no signs of remorse, Seo-hye looked at her wrist.

…Should I just cut it off? Then I wouldn’t have to paint for him anymore.

She began to feel a terrible impulse.

“You claimed you had no talent for Oriental painting, yet you audaciously deceived this old man for so long.”

Without even lifting her gaze, she muttered in despair.

“Why would I… for whom did I paint that…?”

It’s what I’m best at. It’s what I love the most.

She didn’t want to lose even that, so she always refused, saying she wasn’t confident, when ordered to paint Oriental paintings using Hwa-woong’s specialty ink wash technique.

She had barely hidden her skills by only providing Western-style paintings and those using different techniques, and she brought them out for her dying mother.

But how could he steal even that?

“From now on, only paint Oriental paintings. People will be delighted, saying my skills from my prime have returned. Above all, the Chairman of Seonghan will be the most pleased.”

“……”

“Oh, and your landscape painting. The Chairman said he would display it at the hotel to commemorate our future grandson-in-law’s return. It’s the Seonghan Hotel, the Seonghan Hotel. You should be honored—”

“Aren’t you ashamed to pretend it’s your painting?”

“…What did you say?”

“I asked if you’re not ashamed to secretly gift something that’s not even your painting. Especially to the man who will be your beloved granddaughter’s husband.”

“You, you, you insolent girl! I’ve been holding back, and now this! You wicked girl! Where did you learn to speak like that!”

With his face grotesquely twisted, Hwa-woong quickly approached and began to mercilessly strike Seo-hye’s slender shoulders and back.

The dull sound of her thin skin hitting against bone drove her sanity to its limits.

“I’ve been paying your mother’s hospital bills for nearly 10 years! Where do you get off acting like you’ve done something special just by painting a few pictures! If only you hadn’t ruined my hand like this!”

Seo-hye let out a bitter laugh.

She found out she was the illegitimate child of Hwa-jun, Hwa-woong’s son, when she was in high school.

Her mother, Hyo-young, started to get sick, and she tried to send Seo-hye to Hwa-jun.

Hwa-jun already had a family, and Seo-hye resisted going, but Hwa-woong, coveting her artistic talent, forced her into the Cheongun-dong house.

And five days later, Hwa-jun got into a car accident. He died instantly, and Hwa-woong, who was riding alongside, was lucky to survive but ended up with a crippled hand.

That’s when it started.

Seo-hye became the unlucky girl who “ate up her father.”

Hwa-woong pretended to embrace Seo-hye while making her paint for him, as he could no longer draw like before due to his crippled hand.

He even threatened her with her sick mother’s hospital bills.

“Have you lost your mind? Where do you get off smirking?”

Knowing about the dirty theft and enduring it for nearly 10 years, she couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“You would have coveted my paintings even if your hand was fine. Grandfather, you always wanted them more than me…”

Seo-hye turned away.

“You were never good at painting anyway.”

An ashtray flew from behind and struck her back.

A groan escaped, but she forcibly swallowed it and calmly left the study.