THICA 7

Chapter 7

A subtle tension filled the living room. A neatly organized stack of documents lay on the coffee table.

Each family member looked at them with a different expression.

“Now that everyone is here, I’ll show you the documents.”

Despite the tight deadline, Seoyeon had prepared a great deal of material for her. The financial reports had been organized meticulously and were flawless.

“I’ll start from the beginning. These documents cover the period before Mother’s marriage became an issue. As you can see, the workshop has never received any investment from SH Group.”

Her voice was as firm as an unbreakable wall of ice.

Yejin flipped through the documents rapidly and dropped one onto the floor.

Her face was filled with anxiety as she reached down to pick it up.

“But your husband is from SH Group. Are you saying you really haven’t received a single investment from them? That can’t be right.”

Yejin searched through the financial reports, desperately trying to find some trace of SH Group.

But there was none. Yeseo watched her quietly before speaking in a calm voice.

“Mother wanted to run the workshop independently of SH Group, and I feel the same way. That’s why there are no records of any connection between them.”

However, SH Group’s publicity strategy had been the opposite. The company emphasized its image as a group that invested in traditional culture while subtly highlighting its relationship with Yunseok Pottery Workshop. Her mother had probably allowed it because she wanted to support her husband.

Since Yeseo had believed it was her mother’s wish, she had also let the rumors continue.

Yeseo took a deep breath.

“If I had known something like this would happen, I would have corrected the rumors a long time ago. Please look at the next set of documents.”

The next set concerned the inheritance.

A notarized will, an heir verification certificate, and documents issued by the relevant authorities had all been arranged in order.

“When did you prepare all these documents in advance?”

“I thought this was an issue that would eventually have to be addressed.”

Sanghyeok looked at Yeseo with curiosity, surprised by how different she seemed from her usual self.

She had always prioritized Mihee and Yejin over herself whenever he asked her to look after Yejin. Now, she seemed like an entirely different person.

“These documents prove that Mother left the workshop to me personally.”

While Sanghyeok examined the papers, Yejin spoke in an agitated voice.

“Shouldn’t there be proof that these documents were notarized?”

“I’ve already prepared the notarization documents from the lawyer who notarized the will.”

Yeseo added one final clarification.

“Yunseok Pottery Workshop is entirely my mother’s property, and I inherited it.”

Silence fell over the living room.

One by one, the family members developed complicated expressions.

Yeseo spoke one last time.

“Please stop SH Group from using the workshop in its publicity when the two have no actual connection. I don’t want this to happen again.”

Her stepmother sighed and folded her arms. A mocking smile appeared on her lips.

“Isn’t it a little harsh to treat your own family like this?”

Without even turning her gaze away, Yeseo replied calmly.

“This is what happens when I let things slide. I can’t allow it to happen again.”

Her voice was as sharp as shards of broken pottery. She was nothing like the person they were used to seeing.

At that moment, Sanghyeok looked at her.

This was the first time he had seen this side of Yeseo.

And it was the first time she had ever made a demand of him.

Sanghyeok took a short breath.

“All right. I’ll tell the PR department to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Yeseo smiled faintly at his answer.

“Thank you for taking care of it.”

Just like that, she established ownership of the workshop in front of her family.

Yeseo slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again. It felt as though a heavy stone that had been weighing on her chest had finally disappeared.

She had protected her mother’s inheritance and her own life this time.

It was the moment when she finally accomplished what she had set out to do after returning to the past.

And it felt as though the painful wounds she had suffered in the past were finally beginning to heal.

This time, I protected it.

The next day, when Yeseo arrived at the office, Seoyeon came over to her.

“How did it go? Were the documents I prepared helpful?”

“Yes. They really helped me persuade them.”

“Then did you resolve the problem you were worried about?”

When Yeseo took a moment to answer, Seoyeon grew anxious and pressed her for an answer.

“Yes. It’s all been resolved. And SH Group won’t be able to use the workshop in its publicity anymore.”

“Had you kept letting them do it just because they were family?”

“The misunderstanding that caused this whole incident started with that issue, so I corrected it.”

Yeseo spoke with a bright expression.

“You really must have changed. You’re suddenly so different.”

“I’m going to live for myself now. I must have been frustrating to deal with all this time, right?”

“Absolutely. It was like watching a documentary.”

Seoyeon shook her head as if even thinking about it was exhausting.

Seeing her reaction, Yeseo wondered if she had really been that bad. Then she decided it was time to focus on work.

“What happened with the results of our previous meeting? What about the pottery school?”

“We’ve decided on the grading criteria and the number of people to recruit.”

Seoyeon, who had been full of jokes just moments earlier, changed her attitude as she gave her report.

She then briefed Yeseo on the progress made so far.

Many potters had joined the pottery workshop, drawn by her maternal grandfather’s reputation. They had more experience than potters at other workshops, so if they were to be put to good use in the business, unnecessary tasks needed to be taken off their hands as much as possible.

“If the newly recruited potters handle errands, more people will be available to work on the pottery.”

“Do you have a new business idea in mind?”

It was about time for them to hold another brainstorming session.

Many regular clients had commissioned pieces after seeing the pottery displayed in part of the office.

What if they displayed their pottery in a public space instead? That could attract new customers.

“We’ve never had our own gallery before. That sounds good.”

“First, please check the inventory of pottery pieces we have ready.”

Her maternal grandfather’s pottery was being kept in careful storage.

The pieces usually displayed in the office were works created by her maternal grandfather’s students.

Even those works had already given the workshop greater recognition than other pottery workshops among people familiar with the field.

If they could promote themselves properly, they would be able to open up a new business opportunity.

Drawing on her experience preparing a VIP gallery at the hotel, Yeseo began making plans for a general gallery.

The pieces to be displayed in the gallery would be selected through a competition.

While she was preparing to open the gallery, she received a call from Dogyeom.

He wanted to go with her to choose their wedding attire.

Soon, Dogyeom arrived at the office, and they headed to the bridal salon.

“Welcome! We have many dresses prepared for you.”

“Since Ms. Yeseo has good posture and is tall, please show us designs that highlight those features.”

After discussing various options with Dogyeom, Yeseo chose a semi-mermaid-style dress made of satin.

“But let’s add embroidered lace to the exposed shoulder area.”

“That would make the dress more elaborate and might overshadow the bride herself.”

“I don’t think that would happen to Ms. Yeseo. Let’s see how it looks.”

When the designer added the embroidered lace, it became a beautiful accent to the otherwise simple design, giving the dress a more elegant and radiant appearance.

Just as Dogyeom had said, the lace made Yeseo stand out even more.

“Let’s go with this.”

They chose the dress much faster than expected and then headed to the wedding venue.

“Since the dress is rather elegant and understated, how about giving the venue a graceful atmosphere?”

Dogyeom meant that he wanted the wedding venue’s atmosphere to complement Yeseo.

It was also a way of saying that he wanted her to stand out on a day that would be more than just a wedding. It would be an event for the business world.

“Is there any particular flower you would like?”

“Lisianthus.”

Lisianthus was her mother’s favorite flower. Yeseo thought that if the wedding venue were filled with lisianthus, the flowers might serve as a substitute for her mother’s presence.

Afterward, she and Dogyeom headed to their newlywed home. The Zenith was located between Yunseok Pottery Workshop and Jeongseong Le Château Hotel.

We’ll be living in the same place.

When they arrived at The Zenith, they went up to the penthouse on the top floor.

“I considered preparing a mansion, but I chose this place because it would make commuting easier.”

“I also prefer somewhere that’s convenient to travel to and from.”

He’s being more considerate than I expected.

The penthouse they entered had two floors.

“I haven’t furnished the second floor yet. It’s intended for guests, so you can decorate it to suit your taste.”

“So the first floor is the main living area.”

“I’ve prepared two studies so we can each have a space for work, as well as a bedroom.”

“Then, are we going to… sleep separately?”

Considering Dogyeom’s personality, she had assumed they would share a bedroom. Just then, Dogyeom spoke.

“We’ll use the shared bedroom. Did you think we would sleep separately?”

“I did think… that might be the case.”

“By default, we’ll sleep in the same bed every night. And you can change the interior of the house to suit your taste.”

This was unexpected.

From their conversations, Yeseo had thought Dogyeom was the type who liked to take charge of his own affairs.

Yet he was accommodating her preferences, from the wedding preparations to their newlywed home. One surprise after another.

“I’ll let you know if I need anything. Please feel free to tell me what you want, too, Mr. Dogyeom.”

“I’ll do that.”

Afterward, they went to a restaurant and enjoyed their meal while talking about small, everyday things.

During the meal, Yeseo paid close attention to the restaurant’s tableware.

“The VIP gallery produced better results than we expected.”

“I’m glad our pottery was able to contribute to that success.”

Dogyeom’s reaction was even more positive than Yeseo had anticipated, making her certain that the VIP gallery had been a success.

She suspected that the recent increase in custom orders from prominent business families was the result of the publicity the VIP gallery had provided.

This project had become a good opportunity not only for Jeongseong Le Château Hotel but also for Yunseok Pottery Workshop.

“The collaboration has been effective, so I was thinking of pursuing other projects as well.”

“Let’s see how things go after the wedding before deciding on that.”

“Then I’ll keep that in mind.”

For now, managing both the VIP gallery and her own gallery seemed like more than enough work. Still, it was a good opportunity, so she decided to revisit the idea later.

As they continued talking, they finished their meal.

After dinner, Dogyeom saw Yeseo off.

As soon as Yeseo entered the house, Yejin stopped her.

“Were you out meeting him until late again today? Don’t you care what people think?”

“We’re preparing for the wedding. And it’s not even that late.”

“You always get whatever you want, don’t you, Unni? You’re always so lucky.”

“It’s not luck. It’s a choice. I’m dealing with a lot more than you realize.”

Yejin tried to find something else she could use to get under Yeseo’s skin, but nothing came to mind.

Since the charity party, Yeseo had no longer been busy looking after her mother and herself.

Yejin had once again made a mistake at a party that day and had come home humiliated.

Perhaps that was why she wanted to provoke Yeseo even more.

“I’m going to bed now. You should get some sleep, too.”

Yeseo left Yejin behind without a second thought and went into her room.