FC 03

Chapter 3

On the way out of Seoulheon.

He never dreamed that he would arrive alone and leave with someone else.

Sung-hyun tightened his grip around the tiny, wriggling fist in his palm. The little thing twisted her body, trying to pull her hand free as though offended that he was holding it.

“I can walk without holding hands!”

“Yeah.”

“I said don’t hold it!”

“Okay.”

He answered but didn’t let go, causing the six-year-old to puff out both cheeks.

Pretty but stubborn, Lee Ria.

Cute but ill-mannered, Lee Ria.

Adorable but utterly exasperating, Lee Ria.

She took after her mother, Joo Hae-young, and despite being so young, she was already completely incompatible with him.

He looked down at the child who was protesting by swinging her arm.

A headache began to creep in.

With a hastily manufactured smile, Sung-hyun squeezed his niece’s sharp little fist even tighter.

“When is your mom coming back from America?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re my uncle, not my mom’s sister.”

Ha. Listen to the way she talks.

He let out a disbelieving laugh, but then she continued with something even more irritating.

“She said she’ll be back in three months.”

“What?”

“Are your ears broken, Uncle? Threeee! Monthsss!”

“Crazy…………….”

“Yeah, I was about to say a bad word.”

“No.”

“It’s true, though.”

“I said no.”

Sung-hyun had been about to ask her several more questions, but after staring endlessly into those wide-awake eyes, he could only let out a hot breath.

What crime had the child committed?

All she had done was follow her mother, who had divorced and returned from America.

Ria had only been living in Korea for eight months.

She was still so young that she had barely seen her relatives growing up, so simply hearing her properly call her aunt and uncle was something to be proud of.

She had a prickly personality and was difficult to deal with, but she was his only niece.

He couldn’t take his frustration out on a child.

“Ria, you don’t have to come to Uncle’s house—”

“Where’s your house, Uncle? I’m so annoyed. I’m only going because Grandpa asked me to. So listen to me properly! Open the car door already.”

She was a tyrant in a child’s body.

Sung-hyun, who had felt sorry for her even if only for a moment, rubbed his face.

Why is this happening? How did things come to this?

[I’ve already told Da-bin. The two of you can take care of Ria together and—]

Dong-hwan’s words from earlier suddenly flashed through his mind.

This arrangement was undoubtedly Dong-hwan’s doing.

Jung Da-bin.

The only daughter of the current ruling party leader, and someone who had once almost become Sung-hyun’s fiancée.

Sung-hyun’s opposition had killed the marriage talks, but the two families were still close.

Perhaps Dong-hwan, unable to stand watching his son remain indifferent to women and romance, had pulled out an old card.

But of all people, it had to be Jung Da-bin.

Was he hoping they’d fall for each other while raising a child together?

A scoff escaped him.

“Lee Ria, get in the car.”

He opened the passenger-side door while hurriedly calling Min-seok.

Sung-hyun was normally as composed as his grandfather, but not now.

The ringing that continued for several seconds irritated him.

Why isn’t he answering? What the hell is he doing?

Just as his eyebrows tightened, Min-seok finally picked up.

—Yes, Vice President.

“Find me someone immediately.”

—Pardon? What kind of person……………?

“Someone to look after a child.”

—A child?!

Sung-hyun put Ria in the back seat and sat in the driver’s seat.

He looked at her through the rearview mirror.

The adorable little thing was pouting her lips, looking more than a little offended.

“The contract is for three months. They have to live in. Starting tomorrow…………… No, starting this evening. As for the pay, offer whatever they ask. We’re in a hurry, so give them whatever they want.”

“Uncle! Don’t talk about things like that when I’m here.”

“………………Let’s hang up for now. Hurry.”

Min-seok, sounding just as bewildered as Sung-hyun, shouted something in response, but Sung-hyun ended the call.

“Lee Ria, don’t unbuckle your seat belt while we’re driving.”

“I won’t. Just drive properly.”

“If you don’t want to go, tell me now. I’ll explain it to Grandpa—”

“But I’m going. I have to go to Uncle’s house so I don’t have to attend kindergarten. Grandpa said he’d take my side.”

Ria had stayed at Seoulheon ever since returning to Korea.

Hae-young had tried to send her to kindergarten, but Ria stubbornly refused to attend a Korean kindergarten.

Dong-hwan seemed to have taken advantage of that and lured his granddaughter into the arrangement.

She’s young, but she’s already so cunning.

“Uncle.”

“Yeah.”

“Start driving. I’m not getting out.”

Sung-hyun rested his head against the headrest for a moment.

The absurdity of it all made a laugh escape him.

[About the live-in arrangement…………….. I can come to work early and leave late without a problem, but perhaps we could adjust—]

[We need someone who can immediately take care of the child even if she wakes up in the middle of the night.]

The employer had followed that with a firm statement that this particular condition was non-negotiable.

Ji-won readily agreed.

A live-in babysitter.

It was a job posting she’d stumbled across while searching through kindergarten positions on a recruitment website.

Perhaps her life had become so desperate that she’d finally developed some luck.

The moment the posting went up, she clicked on it, and apparently she was also the first person to call.

They had abruptly asked her to come for an interview, which caught her off guard.

But then she heard the pay………………

Why would I be flustered?

It was enough money to make her run there immediately.

I’d be an idiot to turn this down.

How much money did they have to be this generous?

Did they even understand the value of money?

It would have been perfect if it weren’t a live-in position, but she wasn’t completely shameless.

She decided to overlook that one condition.

[But does the live-in arrangement really have to……………….]

Ji-won was about to ask, Do I have to start today?

But she hesitated, wondering what excuse she would give Young-ja.

Perhaps the employer mistook her hesitation for another concern, because the man quickly spoke.

[All right. Ms. Seong Ji-won. I’ll raise the pay by another five hundred thousand won! You have experience as a kindergarten teacher and you have a pleasant impression, so I’m offering an absurd amount. At this rate—!]

[I’ll do it! Of course I’ll do it! You won’t find someone as suitable as me!!]

They had increased an already generous salary by another five hundred thousand won.

She couldn’t believe her luck.

She felt like she had struck gold.

Thank you! Kind, naive employer! I’ll work until my body breaks!

And that was how she arrived here:

High-End Palace Royal Apartment.

What a ridiculously long name.

Ji-won firmly pulled up the strap of the eco-bag hanging from her shoulder and looked up at the skyscraper.

Even when she tilted her head all the way back, she couldn’t see the end of it and almost fell backward.

He looked so ordinary, though.

The man she’d met during the interview had looked more like an ordinary office worker than a rich man who could live in a place like this.

I guess you really can’t tell by appearances.

People who were truly wealthy probably didn’t show it through flashy extravagance. Instead, they displayed their generosity in other ways.

Only after arriving did Ji-won realize she hadn’t been given any information about the child she’d be looking after or the man’s wife.

But whatever.

It didn’t matter.

She would do well regardless of the environment.

Every time she thought about three months’ worth of salary, she felt so pleased that she simply let everything else slide.

[We have to let your father rest before his knees get any worse.]

Young-ja’s sorrowful words as she wiped the room.

[If those bastards catch you, we’re all dead, you know? Damn it. Even the accumulated interest is more than what your body is worth, pretty girl.]

The harsh reality she had to endure despite her fear.

As always, Ji-won repeated her mantra.

Mom only has me. Me. Me…………….

After that, strength would return to her.

Even when tears threatened to spill, she became stronger.

Gripping her bag strap more tightly, Ji-won bravely pressed the call button at the building’s main entrance.

After a while, a woman with a warm voice opened the door.

Is she the wife?

The woman kindly told her to come upstairs.

Reassured, Ji-won entered the lobby.

The inside of the building was even more extravagant than the exterior.

Everything was so polished that she felt almost guilty stepping onto the mirror-like marble floor.

She caught her breath in front of the gold-colored elevator, which looked suspiciously like it might actually be gold.

What kind of place is this?

With facilities that were practically indistinguishable from those of a luxury hotel, Ji-won suddenly became self-conscious about her clothes.

Her reflection in the elevator showed her wearing slightly fitted jeans, a white shirt, and an ivory cardigan.

She worried that she might have dressed too casually for her first day, but the outfit was appropriate for taking care of a child.

She would have to return tomorrow to collect her belongings anyway.

She could take whatever her employer required then.

I dressed fine. It’s okay.

Encouraging herself that she’d made the right choice, Ji-won stepped into the elevator and tapped the card key she’d received beforehand.

The people who lived at the very top of even this luxurious apartment complex.

Could I live even remotely like this in my next life?

She smiled foolishly as she watched the numbers climb rapidly.

Around the tenth floor, she remembered the one billion won principal on the private loan.

The rapidly changing digits reminded her of the interest multiplying like a snowball.

The queasy feeling in her stomach brought back the disgusting face of the man who had told her he would forgive all her debt if she married him.

Maybe.

If there really is a god, and if that god finds my desperate struggle to survive admirable, perhaps I’ll be given an opportunity to work here for longer than three months.

She had even been praised at the kindergarten for her excellent attendance and diligence.

If only it hadn’t been for those loan sharks…………….

Ji-won shook her head, trying to forget those terrifying faces.

“Seong Ji-won, do your best.”

In the end, the person she needed to impress wasn’t God.

It was her employer.

After even shouting Fighting! to herself, Ji-won looked solemnly beyond the elevator as the doors opened.

The entrance appeared only after she walked down a long corridor.

There wasn’t another door along the way.

Which meant that this entire top floor existed for just one household.

This is insane.

Her mouth fell open at this world that seemed to exist on another level entirely.

She barely managed to regain her composure before pressing the doorbell with her index finger.

She quickly fixed her hair so her first impression on the screen would look neat.

Then she silently practiced her greeting.

Hello, my name is Seong Ji-won.

It’s nice to meet you. I’m the babysitter you hired today.

Madam! It’s such a pleasure to meet you…………… No, that’s too much.

She tried various expressions, smiling and frowning, until something felt strange.

There was no response.

And yet, she had the distinct feeling that someone inside was watching her.

Surely not.

Ji-won raised the corners of her lips while waiting for that kind woman’s voice from earlier.

Click.

The door suddenly opened.

She had expected them to answer through the intercom first, so her shoulders jumped in surprise.

Ji-won stepped back toward the doorway, then quickly put on a bright smile.

“Hello. My name is Seong Ji-won.”

She politely bowed at the waist.

“I hope I’m not too late.”

She had started off smoothly with a calm greeting.

She was certain everything was going smoothly.

But the moment she raised her head, she froze.

A tall man whose height required her to look up for quite some time.

Features so beautiful that they seemed almost unreal.

And beneath them, a solid, well-built body that was the complete opposite of his delicate appearance.

Her mind automatically recognized the man standing before her.

No.

It was her wildly beating heart that recognized him first.

“Sung-hyun…………….”

A lie-like memory of recognizing him instantly even after ten years.

A fate-like encounter, meeting again one day without warning.

The ties between people………

“………………Seong Ji-won?”

Perhaps their connection had been more than simply brushing past each other.

They had shared something deeper, something that kept them from ending as an ordinary connection.

The two of them.