Chapter 4.3

The current hot topic within HAN Motors was Managing Director Kim Seojun’s serious consideration of halting the development of new diesel engines.  

While the global trend of moving away from diesel was expected, the timing of such a decision was a subject of heated debate.  

As Seojun emerged as the most prominent candidate to succeed in Leehan Group, HAN Motors’ stock prices fluctuated wildly.  

The industry closely watched how he managed the company under scrutiny, while conservative shareholders strongly opposed him.  

They dismissed him as a rookie who had only played the piano in Russia, questioning what he could possibly achieve.  

Their concerns weren’t entirely unfounded. At his age, Seojun was still young and lacked sufficient experience to prove his managerial capabilities.  

Seojun held multiple meetings with executives daily.  

To take control of Leehan, he would need to secure Leehan Holdings.  

To dominate Leehan Holdings, he had to seize the electronics division.  

His father, Chairman Kim Seokyeong, would undoubtedly decide on the distribution of shares before his passing.  

Relatives of the chairman, including Executive Vice President Kim Seouk, as well as extended family members, were all scrambling to claim a piece of the inheritance.  

For Seojun to emerge victorious in this competition, he needed to significantly boost the company’s revenue in the second half of the year.  

Abandoning diesel at such a critical time was a challenging decision for him.  

Nevertheless, Seojun wanted to achieve both objectives. This was precisely what Chairman Kim Seokyeong would have wanted.  

To transform the company into a future-oriented leader while maintaining stability.  

He called his senior secretary.  

“Prepare the first-half sales report, along with a three-year trend analysis of domestic competitors’ revenues. Separate the data on exports and diesel vehicles.”  

Knock, knock. 

His personal secretary, Secretary Park, spoke from outside the door.  

It was already 2 p.m. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw Moonkyeong entering his office.

Gone was the graceful swan Seo Moonkyeong had portrayed just the other day. Standing before him now was the Seo Moonkyeong from five years ago, the one who used to clamor to play with him.  

Jeans and a T-shirt. Even the light bag she carried. Her intentions were plain to see, and it made him chuckle.  

Though her outfit didn’t overtly highlight her figure, for some inexplicable reason, it sent a sharp pang through his chest. It was as if stripping off those clothes would reveal traces of himself from long ago, still lingering on her body.  

Lost in this fleeting illusion, he tilted his head.  

“Is today’s concept supposed to be ‘fresh and lively’?”  

“……”  

She didn’t reply.  

It was always like this.  

Whenever she was cornered, she’d remain silent, only to suddenly lash out with claws bared when her fighting spirit surged.  

…But showing her emotions so clearly could be dangerous. That was Seo Moonkyeong.  

She acted as if she didn’t want it, but her gaze betrayed her. Did she think no one would notice? She needed to practice moderation.  

Seojun gestured briefly with his eyes.  

“Sit.”  

Moonkyeong took a deep breath.  

As he sat down on the sofa across from her, he put on his jacket and methodically tied his gray tie. His movements were swift yet precise. Pressing his temple a couple of times, as if something was bothering him, he finally spoke.  

“Go on. You must have something to say if you came here.”  

“I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”  

Her apology came before she even got to the point, and his gaze shifted.  

“There’s no way you suddenly missed me after just 48 hours. Did you change your mind?”  

His voice, laced with a cold undertone, seemed to dominate the space around them. His icy gaze made her cheeks stiffen slightly.  

“No, I haven’t changed my mind.”  

“Not good news, then. So, what do you want to say?”  

His tone, though polite, felt more like a rebuke, which irritated her. She quickly collected herself and responded.  

“I just don’t understand why Leehan insists on accepting me as their daughter-in-law.”  

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking visibly annoyed.  

“Do I need a reason?”  

“It’s just that, for an arranged marriage, I’m not a good match. With your qualifications, you could form an alliance with a much better family.”  

Seojun interrupted her.  

“If you don’t like the idea of an arranged marriage, let’s call it a love marriage instead. It’s not that complicated.”  

“Managing Director.”  

At the same time, he looked at her. His dark eyes, as always, revealed no emotion, making it impossible to read him.  

He fiddled with the corner of his mouth before raising his sharp chin. He appeared utterly indifferent to her words.  

“If you want to take your time and start with dating, let’s go on a date starting tonight. I’ll make time for it somehow.”  

“That’s not what I mean.”  

“I like you.”  

What? He liked me?  

She couldn’t decipher his intentions. 

Did he think it was normal to propose marriage after reappearing out of nowhere after five years?  

She steadied her voice.  

“Why do you like me?”  

“If someone asks why you like something, how are you supposed to answer that?”  

“You do know my name is Seo Moonkyeong, right?”  

In other words, she was asking if he knew that the delinquent ballerina he had seen in Moscow was her.  

She was also asking if he realized that the woman who had knelt before him countless times, worn out and degraded, was her.  

Leaning back lazily, Seojun tilted his head as if to say, ‘Why are you asking something so obvious?’

“You’ll have to quit ballet eventually, so you might as well get married.”  

“……”  

“Did you really think I’d push for this marriage without knowing anything about you?”  

Her hatred for ballet was a secret she had kept from everyone. She had worked harder than anyone else and endured with sheer determination.  

Even her fellow dancers hadn’t suspected it, so there was no way this man could know.  

Moonkyeong lowered her gaze, as if to steady her breathing.  

“How did you know I hate ballet?”  

“Isn’t that why you hung out with me every Wednesday? To enjoy yourself before heading to the practice room. You made it pretty obvious you didn’t want to go.”  

That couldn’t be. Even if she had shared an intimate relationship with him in hotel rooms, there was no way he could have noticed such emotions.  

Moonkyeong instinctively felt the need to end this relationship as soon as possible.  

“I’ll say it again. I don’t want this marriage.”  

“I just said I like you, didn’t I?”  

“Managing Director Kim Seojun.”  

He seemed busy, glancing at the watch on his wrist. Even at a glance, the watch was a luxury item worth as much as an apartment.  

Moonkyeong raised her eyes, now tinged with melancholy.  

I can’t be a good wife. Once I’ve repaid my debts, I want to disappear to a place where no one knows me and start over.  

I want to abandon the name Seo Moonkyeong and return to my original name. That’s why I can’t marry you.  

Checking the time again, he rubbed his eyebrows. Perhaps annoyed by how much time this was taking, he seemed slightly irritated.  

“Wouldn’t this be a win-win? I don’t care about matchmaking or dating. But if I get married, I can finally escape the nagging from all those old folks. You can quit ballet and live however you want. Isn’t it easy to just pretend for the sake of appearances?”  

“Are you suggesting we become a show-window couple?”  

“Did you seriously think I had feelings for you?”  

“……”  

“Seo Moonkyeong, you’re so naive. Listen carefully. The reason I decided to marry you is that you know your place. You don’t pry into my business, you don’t try to find out more, and you certainly don’t cling.”  

It was the same reason Lee Heejin had kept her as a friend for so long.  

A person who knew her limits. Someone who wouldn’t overstep boundaries. That was the reason.  

“So, what you’re saying is that I’m like a scarecrow, standing in the middle of nowhere, knowing my place. Is that it?”  

“If you understand, you can leave now.”  

His words, spoken without a hint of hesitation, wiped the faint smile off her face.  

Ah. What had I been expecting? Did I think Kim Seojun had given me even a sliver of his heart?  

Kim Seojun was a man as cold and icy as ever. Snap out of it, Seo Moonkyeong.  

Standing up abruptly, she grabbed her eco-bag with frustration.  

“I must’ve come to the wrong place. I should’ve gone to Director Nam Leehyun instead.”  

“Do you think she’ll listen to you?”  

“Yes. If I say I’m rejecting the almighty heir of Leehan Group, do you think she’ll still push for this marriage?”  

Seojun laughed loudly, as if he’d just heard a joke on a comedy show.  

At the dinner meeting the other day, Moonkyeong had assumed her adoptive mother, Nam Leehyun, held more power because she had quietly listened to everything without objection.  

“There’s no one pressuring me to get married, least of all that old lady.”  

His words, referring to Director Nam Leehyun as “that old lady,” were laced with arrogance.  

Moonkyeong widened her eyes, wondering if she had heard him correctly.  

Seojun stood, retrieved his phone from the table, and returned.  

Dialing a number, he placed the phone in front of her.  

The screen displayed the name “Director Nam Leehyun” along with the green call button lit up.  

The call was on speaker, allowing the conversation to be heard clearly.  

After a few short rings, the other party answered. Unlike the composed figure she had seen the other day, Director Nam Leehyun’s voice was unusually curt.  

– What do you want?

Seojun leaned slightly forward, ensuring his voice was captured clearly on the phone. His low, resonant tone carried an almost chilling authority.  

“Cancel the condition that the newlyweds must live in the Do Hyowon Main House for a year after marriage.”  

There was a brief silence on the other end, possibly from surprise. Nam Leehyun seemed like someone who always organized her thoughts before speaking.  

After the short pause, her calm voice emerged.  

– Shouldn’t she learn the family customs? She’s going to be the first daughter-in-law entering Leehan.  

“Family customs? You mean the custom where the wife and the mistress live under the same roof and eat together?”  

– Kim Seojun, watch your words. What does she know? There’s so much she needs to learn and be cautious about in this world. You’re not the one to teach her that.  

“And why not? Because she’s a girl who rolled around in Russia?”  

– …… 

“Call the other side within two hours. The newlyweds will live in my villa in Samseong-dong.”  

A deep sigh, as if the weight of the world had been exhaled, escaped from the other end. However, Nam Leehyun did not voice any objections.  

It was proof that Seojun’s words carried more weight.