Chapter 13
“…!”
Aha. So this was praise for Baek Do-gyeong being the only one who sent proper trainees.
Yeon Sae-byeok and Yeon Si-ho’s expressions changed.
Only now did they realize Baek Do-gyeong’s betrayal.
“I value those who know loyalty.”
“I always keep that in mind.”
Tsk. Chairman Yeon Kangho clicked his tongue once, then waved his hand. “Everyone except those with the Yeon surname, get out.”
“Yes!”
It was a clear order to leave.
Even though it was a dismissal without the slightest consideration, not a single person objected.
If anything, they were grateful they could escape this place.
Except Baek Do-gyeong.
Baek Do-gyeong did not show it openly, but anger was mixed in his eyes.
He was clearly displeased that he was still treated as an outsider.
However, “Where do you think you’re going? You might as well have the Yeon surname too.”
“…Is that so?” At those words, Baek Do-gyeong’s expression finally eased a little.
So that man could make that kind of face too. His true love must actually be Chairman Yeon. Se-rang clicked her tongue inwardly.
After everyone left and only the family truly remained, Chairman Yeon spoke again. “When I first saw you, I did want to bring you into my company…. But I had no intention of bringing you into my family.”
Really? Se-rang looked at Chairman Yeon with surprised eyes. You opposed my engagement?
“Still, since Se-rang trusted you so much, I brought you into the family as well. So if Director Yeon’s heart changes….”
“I know, Chairman.”
As if he knew everything, Baek Do-gyeong grabbed Se-rang’s hand tightly and nodded.
Who does this damned bastard think he’s grabbing?
Se-rang desperately tried to pull her hand away, but Do-gyeong beat her to it.
“I will surely uphold your will, Chairman, and keep faith with Director Yeon. As I always have.”
…….
This feels like it’s flowing in a direction I don’t like….Se-rang felt uneasy, but she stayed still for the time being.
Chairman Yeon did not seem completely satisfied either, but since he seemed to have decided to let it pass… it would be awkward for her to ruin the mood here.
She had decided not to cut Baek Do-gyeong off immediately because she already had too many enemies around her.
Just because Baek Do-gyeong was her fiancé now did not mean he was her ally, but at the very least, he was much closer to a cooperative relationship than Yeon Sae-byeok or Yeon Si-ho.
If she broke off the engagement with Baek Do-gyeong in this situation, all she would do was add one extremely cunning enemy.
She had to wait.
Until she had cleared away the enemies around her to some extent.
Chairman Yeon now turned his head again and looked at Yeon Si-ho.
“This program. Don’t forget that I am watching it closely. Yeon Si-ho. Don’t try anything foolish.”
“Come on, Chairman. Of course.”
“If you truly want the chairman’s seat, think about the company first. Don’t just look after your own safety. Ever since you were young, you’ve always been short-sighted and shallow.”
Now that only family was present, he was truly speaking frankly.
Se-rang laughed without even trying to hold it back.
“Grandfather! When have I ever been like that?”
“Always. Always.” Yeon Kangho sighed, then finally looked at Yeon Sae-byeok. “They are your younger siblings.”
“…….”
Yeon Sae-byeok did not give any particular answer.
Chairman Yeon grew even more frustrated as he looked at Yeon Sae-byeok. “You know one thing but not the other. You too.”
“Isn’t it ridiculous to ask for family affection at this point, Chairman?”
Chairman Yeon slammed his fist down on the dining table. “I may not know about anything else, but I thought I taught you all, throughout your entire upbringing, not to ruin the company with foolish actions. I suppose I was wrong. You damaged a company project just to push out one younger sister who was the furthest behind in the succession competition!”
“If you disliked that, you should have handed the company to me long ago. Then this war wouldn’t have existed.”
“How can I entrust the company to you when you can’t even tell heaven from earth!” Chairman Yeon’s rage shook the entire house.
But Yeon Sae-byeok did not so much as blink.
Instead of answering Chairman Yeon, he turned his gaze to Se-rang.
“Se-rang, you. Let’s make your position clear while we’re at it. Are you really planning to jump into the succession competition?”
Ugh. What kind of morning drama line was this?
(Translator’s Note: Morning Drama (아침드라마) — Korean daytime melodrama, often associated with exaggerated family conflict, inheritance disputes, betrayals, and dramatic dialogue.)
Se-rang was disgusted, but she did not avoid his gaze. “Am I not allowed? Is someone like me not allowed to even dream of management rights?”
If he was going to use morning drama lines, she should answer with evening drama lines.
(Translator’s Note: Evening Drama (저녁드라마) — Korean prime-time melodrama, typically more polished but still associated here with heightened, dramatic lines.)
“If you have a conscience, you shouldn’t dream of it.”
“But it just so happens that I don’t have a conscience. I’ll keep not having one from now on too.”
Twitch.
I saw it. I saw the corner of Baek Do-gyeong’s mouth twitch.
“You really….”
“Grandfather.” Se-rang cut off Yeon Sae-byeok and looked at Chairman Yeon. “Am I not allowed? Should I not get involved at all? If you tell me not to, Grandfather, I won’t.”
“!”
At those words, the four men’s eyes flashed.
Each for a different reason.
“…….”
Chairman Yeon stared at Se-rang with a face more frightening than ever before. As if looking at her like that would allow him to read what was inside her.
“Se-rang.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
Se-rang read the emotion in Chairman Yeon’s eyes and despaired.
No.
That kind of pity was a red flag.
“It’s true that all three of these men are lacking.” He should have looked at her with disgust, like when he looked at those three men. “But that does not mean you can beat them.”
“…….”
“You have nothing. You don’t have the justification of being the eldest son like Sae-byeok, and you can’t become as vile as Si-ho. You don’t even know business like CEO Baek.”
Chairman Yeon was asking her.
“Then what do you have that makes you want to jump into a fight you can only lose?”
What do you have?
What will you use to beat these men?
Se-rang did not answer easily.
Chairman Yeon took that as surrender and opened his mouth to persuade her.
“You would be better off doing what you used to do. Spend all your grandfather’s money and play as much as you want. As long as you don’t hurt anyone, I won’t scold you even if you cause trouble—”
“You’re right, Grandfather.”
“!”
“I have none of the things these men have. I’m not the eldest son, I’m not vile, and I don’t have business skill.”
However, Se-rang had not given up.
“But I have an ability that can overcome all of that.”
“Ha!”
The one who reacted to Se-rang’s words was not Chairman Yeon.
It was Yeon Si-ho.
He openly wore a face full of mockery.
“You?” He soon erased even the mockery and ground his teeth. “At least it wouldn’t be funny if Baek Do-gyeong said something like that. But you, who are nothing more and nothing less than Baek Do-gyeong’s escalator into the Yeon family?”
Calling a person an escalator. What a rude bastard….
Se-rang lightly ignored him. “Right now, no matter how much I talk about the ability I have, you’ll laugh like that oppa over there. So I won’t say it now. Instead, I’ll simply prove it through action.”
“!”
“In this program, I’ll prove to you exactly why I should become the successor, so please give me just one chance, Grandfather.”
For the first time, every man of the Yeon family fell silent before Se-rang.
Because they felt the fighting spirit burning in Se-rang’s eyes and the anger flowing from her throat.
“I’ll clearly prove why I should become the successor instead of those men who are all talk.”