20.2

Seonkyung momentarily felt overwhelmed by Chaeyoon’s impassioned stance, inadvertently agreeing with her. Chaeyoon’s expression vividly reflected her feelings at the time.

“Honestly, I don’t understand what Seonho was thinking when he helped those two. I was in New York, so I couldn’t know the situation or stop it.”

Chaeyoon frowned as she recalled the past, and Seonkyung almost responded with a sympathetic “I see.”

“While it’s true that Seonho helped them get through a tough time, which I’m grateful for, it doesn’t mean all their problems are solved.”

“But the biggest problem has been resolved, hasn’t it?”

“No, this is just the beginning. She has to live in a completely different way now. Imagine, moving from an apartment where she only had her own rooms and always had servants’ help, to do everything. And now, she’s going to have to do things for herself, and it’s not going to be easy. Can you believe Joo-eun is actually cooking now?”

“No. Why would she make life so difficult for herself?”

“That’s what I’m saying. It’s a good thing Seokhyun-oppa is fairly well-off, or she wouldn’t have lasted even a few months. It’s not that easy to overcome cultural differences.”

Chaeyoon’s tone was quite sharp. She was saying the things Seonkyung wanted to say.

“And then suddenly a child, sigh. If I were closer, I could do something to help, but I’m so far away, I can’t do anything.”

Chaeyoon’s voice dripped with sadness.

“We’re in the same boat. Joo-eun’s impulsive actions have caused us a lot of trouble too. She’s someone we’ve been considering since she was very young, and now that we’re so close to finalizing the deal, we’ll have to start looking for a suitable match for Seonho again.”

“I see. In many ways, it’s not easy to find someone with conditions as perfect as Joo-eun’s and even arranged marriages require a process of getting to know someone and becoming acquainted with them. It’s a tiring process before anything is decided.”

Seeing Chaeyoon’s serious demeanor, Seonkyung was overcome with a strange feeling.

They understood each other too well. Chaeyoon seemed to deeply understand the processes of chaebol families. Given her skeptical view on Joo-eun and Seokhyun’s marriage, she probably wouldn’t welcome being in the same situation herself.

It’s not that she wants nothing to do with Seonho; she doesn’t want to be involved at all.

Suddenly, everything about Seonho and Chaeyoon’s relationship clicked for Seonkyung. It was clear now that her son was the only one enamored, afraid to even come close or confess his feelings.

The poor fool, truly suffering all by himself.

But they’ve slept together, right? Why sleep with him if she had no feelings? Huh? It wasn’t just a one-night stand, but they knew each other well enough to sleep together, and yet she claims to have no interest? Especially with Seonho, who has both looks and capabilities?

She should feel relieved that they were “nothing,” but somehow, she felt upset as if Seonho was being disregarded.

What does Seonho lack to be treated this way?

Feeling unnecessarily grumpy, Seonkyung said something she shouldn’t have.

“But I recently found out something by chance. That you’ve been meeting my son more frequently than anyone else. I stopped by on this business trip because, as a mother, I couldn’t help but be concerned.”

“You did the right thing. Misunderstandings are ultimately about mistaking nothing for something. It’s best to clear them up quickly. Wasting time and emotions on misunderstandings is the most regrettable thing. And as a Vice Chairwoman, you surely manage your time down to the second.”

Seeing Chaeyoon’s bright smile momentarily brought a surge of intense emotions to Seonkyung. 

Was it a misunderstanding? Was there really nothing going on? Was it truly nothing?

Seonkyung swallowed hard, the words almost spilling out of her mouth in excitement.

Who knew being “just nothing” could be so infuriating?

“You’re right. I was too hasty. I should have trusted Seonho’s words.”

Seonkyung feigned composure and smiled broadly.

“So, did your business trip go well?”

“There wasn’t much to gain. I’ve been looking for a hotel site in Europe, but nothing really caught my eye.”

Seonkyung made up a nonexistent issue.

How did it come to this?

“Right. You have a good eye for locations, don’t you? All the hotels and resorts you’ve chosen have been very successful.”

“You know that?”

“It’s something anyone would know just by reading the newspaper. My thesis topic was on successful branding and marketing, and one of the successful cases was SC Group’s hotels and resorts. During my research, I found that the success stories occurred while you were the CEO of the subsidiaries.”

“I see.”

At first, it seemed like mere flattery. But when backed up by evidence, even flattery can be pleasing to hear, and generally, receiving compliments makes one feel good.

“I thought you were now managing the headquarters and not involved with the hotel business anymore.”

“It’s more of an advisory role.”

One lie begets another. Seonkyung, with an impassive expression as if her face was made of steel, continued to lie.

“How about trying something different with hotels this time?”

“What kind of hotel?”

Although Seonkyung had stepped back from the hotel business, it was a topic she was passionate about, which naturally piqued her interest.

“There are unique hotels, like the one in Africa where you can stay with giraffes. Something thematic like that.”

“A themed hotel? It does have a quirky charm.”

“I had a plan when I came here to study. To travel often while studying. Searching for hotels during my planning, I came across ones operated by wineries or those that had renovated castles. They aren’t cheap. I found that many newlyweds recently chose such places for a unique honeymoon destination. But compared to the scale of SC Hotels, they might be too small.”

“It might be a nice hobby to take up in retirement. If the conditions are right, buy some land nearby, grow vineyards, and make wine. I always wanted to run such a hotel when I was younger.”

A soft smile appeared on Seonkyung’s lips as she reminisced about the past.

“Really?”

“I’ve always been interested in hotels. One reason I decided to marry my husband was that he offered me the management of a hotel.”

Seonkyung’s family did not traditionally grant women the right to manage. Driven by ambition, Seonkyung chose SC Group, which allowed her to participate in management; essentially, she married into SC Group.

“It seems Seonho not only has your looks but also inherited your business acumen, Vice Chairwoman.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Looking at the car subscription program that Seonho recently launched, his style seems similar to yours. Seeing opportunities where others might not, and being aggressive once he’s set on something—he has a bit of a gambler’s spirit. Usually, Seonho seems so laid back.”

“You knew about the car subscription in advance?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“He asked me what I thought about it when we were in Jeju. It seemed promising when I heard about it. I suggested that, in addition to the premium tier, creating a ‘choice’ tier might attract more members. And just a few months later, he started it.”

“Does Seonho often ask for your opinion?”

“We haven’t been close for long, only since Jeju. Since then, he occasionally asked for my opinion. Sometimes I share ideas if they come to mind during our chats. It’s just light conversation, but you know how chatting can sometimes lead to solving blocked issues.”

Chaeyoon spoke as if it was nothing significant, but to Seonkyung, it was quite meaningful. Not everyone generates ideas just by chatting.

“It’s gotten quite late. Are you sure you’re going to make your flight?”

Chaeyoon asked, checking the time.

“I leave the day after tomorrow.”

“Then, since you’re here, would you like to explore London a bit? Oh, have you ever been to a preview for an auction?”

Chaeyoon asked in a cheerful manner.

“The previews before the auction? I’ve never been there myself. I usually have agents handle necessary purchases.”

“I see. There’s a jewelry auction the next day. Would you like to come see it with me? I came out early today to see the preview.”

“A jewelry auction?”

Seonkyung regularly bought high-value art for investment purposes. But she had never known there was a jewelry auction because she wasn’t interested in it.

“Yes. There are a lot of different types of jewelry: antique jewelry that’s over 100 years old, discontinued pieces from famous brands, celebrity collections, rare gems… It’s just as collectible as art, but you can actually wear it. Or have you been to Bond Street? There are shops that have been in the family for generations that deal in antique jewelry, and it’s really interesting.”

Unlike when she was talking about Seonho, Chaeyoon’s eyes sparkled like jewels when she mentioned the subject of jewelry.

Seonkyung sighed inwardly.

A woman who loves her work often puts her job before love. No matter how much better the world has become, it’s still a disadvantage for women to combine work and love.

Chaeyoon clearly was of the same sort as herself. More likely to give up love for work than the other way around.

“I haven’t been to either. We probably won’t have time for both, so which one would you recommend?”

Seonkyung had a good eye for recognizing talent. Her greed for talent is also exceptional, and it’s starting to kick in.

She felt compelled to find out more about Chaeyoon and made an impulsive decision. After all, she had nothing to do until tomorrow.

“Definitely the preview, since it’s not something that happens all the time. Last time my mom was here, unfortunately, there wasn’t a jewelry auction, but there’s still plenty of time to look around.”

Chaeyoon’s expression was carefree, unaware of Seonkyung’s ulterior motive to scrutinize her further.

Seonkyung pondered if Chaeyoon, though bright and business-savvy, might be less adept at navigating political landscapes. Perhaps it was just youthful inexperience.

With this in mind, Seonkyung decided to follow Chaeyoon’s lead.