TE 2

Never mess with a detective.

It was an unwritten rule that even the most heinous criminals avoided targeting government officials. This was especially true for those involved in organized crime—challenging the entire police force would only paint an unwanted target on their backs.

However, if you already had connections with high-ranking officials, disposing of one or two small tiers of the pyramid below you wouldn’t matter much. Particularly when those small tiers were investigating cases that could threaten their superiors’ positions.

Above all, even the Police Commissioner, who maintained an ostensibly good relationship with Moon Seok-ho, was a regular patron at “Janus.” He would thoroughly protect Moon Seok-ho’s interests, if only to avoid being implicated himself.

A young, righteous detective who didn’t know the value of his life was merely an irritant, not someone worth losing sleep over.

These days, something else was setting Moon Seok-ho’s nerves on edge.

“I’m finished with dinner. I’ll head upstairs.”

Moon Seok-ho’s gaze shifted to Seo-ha, who had just set down her fork after nibbling on perfectly grilled asparagus. Whether she was aware of her father’s intense scrutiny or not, her lifeless eyes, as always, were fixed on Seo-chan rather than her father.

“Moon Seo-chan.”

“Uh… yes?”

“Are you done eating?”

“Um…? Yeah…!”

He hadn’t finished, and his stomach was still half-empty, but the atmosphere made it impossible to enjoy a proper meal anyway. Young but perceptive, Seo-chan just nodded vaguely.

“I’ll go upstairs and help Seo-chan with his homework.”

Despite her seemingly fragile exterior, Seo-ha rarely showed fear, even towards her father who had difficulty controlling his anger. This was one of the qualities Moon Seok-ho admired about her.

“Madam, please prepare a sandwich and milk for Seo-chan’s snack and bring it upstairs.”

Only Moon Seok-ho failed to understand that this was meant to compensate for the meal his son couldn’t finish. He hadn’t even noticed that Seo-chan hadn’t properly filled his stomach.

When angry, only his emotions mattered.

As he watched Seo-ha’s retreating figure with Seo-chan in tow, Moon Seok-ho called out to his secretary, Kang Jin-ho, who stood like a shadow behind him.

“So those bastards are looking for our ‘chef’?”

“Yes, since ‘Janus’ emerged, they’ve completely lost their market share to us. They seem desperate to create a new product.”

Park Hee-jung, sitting nearby, naturally couldn’t understand the conversation’s content, but no one would feel the need to explain human matters to a doll anyway.

Moon Seok-ho clenched his thick hand adorned with a gold ring, ignoring his young wife’s anxious glances.

“Thieves… So desperate to steal someone else’s talent.”

“There’s no need for major concern. They don’t have a clue who our chef is.”

“Don’t let your guard down. These are the same bastards who’re openly hunting for our chef with such desperation. It only takes a moment of carelessness to get hurt.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. However…”

Kang Jin-ho carefully glanced at Park Hee-jung before continuing cautiously.

“I’m worried about the young miss and young master. If those thugs try to use them as hostages…”

“For Seo-chan, we can increase security, and as for Seo-ha…”

Moon Seok-ho’s mind drifted to Seo-ha’s face, which resembled a forgotten goddess. Though always appearing listless, she was quite stubborn.

Knowing his daughter disliked being followed by guards because it made her feel watched, Moon Seok-ho’s concerns deepened.

While a child’s bad habits could be corrected with force, Seo-ha was special to him in many ways.

Yes, perhaps it was a parent’s duty to accommodate even the bad manners of a precious child.

After a moment’s contemplation, Moon Seok-ho gave his instructions to Kang Jin-ho.

＊＊＊

“Sorry, noona. I actually don’t have any homework.”

The moment they entered the room, Seo-chan confessed with the gravity of someone revealing an enormous secret. While Seo-ha hadn’t really brought him upstairs just to help with homework, Seo-chan seemed to think otherwise.

He fidgeted with his sleeve nervously, as if he’d told some terrible lie when there was no need for deception at all.

While Seo-chan got along well with Park Hee-jung, his father’s live-in girlfriend who could disappear at any moment, he always seemed awkward or scared around Seo-ha. This despite the fact that, unlike their father, Seo-ha had never raised her voice or been violent towards him…

Though Seo-ha understood why her brother had started avoiding her at some point, it sometimes hurt that he seemed to find her as uncomfortable as their father.

“Then do something else. I’ll spend some time in your room before leaving.”

“Okay…”

Though she said this, there wasn’t much for Seo-ha to do in her brother’s room. Their father wouldn’t find it strange even if she left immediately after claiming to help with homework. Still, Seo-ha looked around Seo-chan’s rather colorfully decorated room, fitting for a child.

Her eyes fell on some origami paper on the desk.

“What’s this?”

The paper-folded fox, elephant, frog, car, and pinwheel weren’t particularly difficult to make. However, it seemed unlikely that Seo-chan, who usually only played games in his spare time, would do origami voluntarily.

“Did you make these with auntie?”

“A-auntie was there, but…”

“Was someone else there too? Who?”

Besides Park Hee-jung and herself, there was no one in this household who would spend time with young Seo-chan. Increasingly puzzled, Seo-ha stared at Seo-chan, patiently waiting for an answer.

“The new uncle who came in…”

“Uncle?”

With each repeated question, Seo-chan seemed to shrink further into himself.

The “uncles” Seo-chan referred to were their father’s new employees. Most new hires either died or ran away, unable to handle the job, being replaced several times over. As such, Seo-ha had never paid much attention to new subordinates. Therefore, she had no idea who this new “uncle” Seo-chan was talking about.

But an unsettling feeling crept up her spine, bringing unwelcome thoughts.

Surely, that crazy woman Park Hee-jung hadn’t…

“Tae-beom unc-“

“T-Tae-beom-ssi!”

How dare she bring a man she was seeing behind father’s back into the house? And even played house with Seo-chan?

Seo-ha wasn’t aware of her current expression. But judging by Seo-chan’s reaction, gradually turning into a sad one, it couldn’t have been pleasant.

“N-noona… Did I do something wrong…?”

“You, that.”

“Huh…?”

“About auntie playing origami with ‘Uncle Tae-beom.'”

Memories of another past “auntie” her father had brought into the house flashed through Seo-ha’s mind.

“Don’t ever tell father about this.”

Their father was not a man to be trifled with when it came to thrilling affairs. It would be fortunate if he sought revenge only within legal bounds. Knowing he was capable of cruel retribution outside the law’s boundaries, how could she be so bold?

A small headache began forming as she looked at the origami pieces piled on the desk.

“N-noona! Are you okay?”

Just as her chronic headache was about to hit at the worst possible timing.

Knock knock, a gentle knocking sound came at the door.

“Come in.”

Seo-ha answered on behalf of Seo-chan, the room’s owner, as the housekeeper entered with a tray containing sandwiches and fruit.

Ignoring her still-throbbing headache, Seo-ha forced herself to stand straight, removing her hand from her head.

“Young miss, you look unwell… Are you feeling ill again?”

“I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy.”

The housekeeper looked worriedly at Seo-ha’s pale face, but concern was unnecessary. The long-standing headache wouldn’t improve with anyone’s worry, and light concern from others only served to make her more self-conscious.

Though aware that Seo-chan was watching her anxiously, Seo-ha left the room without looking back, offering no reassurance or comforting words.

More than indifference, she simply didn’t know how or what to say.

Even after his sister’s fleeing figure disappeared behind the door, Seo-chan stared at where she had been for a long while before letting out a small sigh between his chubby cheeks.

Fortunately, his sister hadn’t opened the sketchbook on the desk.

Alone after the housekeeper left, Seo-chan carefully opened the sketchbook.

The rectangular sketchbook was the boy’s small box of hearts.

A box containing his feelings and memories that he couldn’t share with anyone.

On the first page was a mass of particles that seemed to bury people, filling half the drawing paper.

And there was an evil-looking witch with a white face creating those particles.

It was Seo-chan’s portrait of his sister.

＊＊＊

Meanwhile, Seo-ha was deep in thought.

About Park Hee-jung’s surprisingly bold affair and her partner.

Park Hee-jung was quite fond of young Seo-chan but felt uncomfortable around Seo-ha, despite their small age difference.

But Seo-ha rather liked Park Hee-jung. Though Park Hee-jung seemed to pride herself on being fox-like, to Seo-ha she was the most innocent and normal among all the women their father had been with.

Someone who knew how to properly manage father’s moods and be a comfortable presence for Seo-chan.

If this household needed a mistress, Park Hee-jung was the most suitable candidate. That’s why Seo-ha hoped she would stay in this house for a long time. Even if she left, it should be because father tired of her, not because she disappeared from this world due to her own mistakes.

If not for herself, then for Seo-chan’s sake, whose shock would be immeasurable.

But, but…

To bring such a dangerous man into the house?

“Young miss.”

As Seo-ha was putting on her shoes at the entrance, without even gathering simple belongings like a bag or wallet, she encountered Kang Jin-ho.

“Did you have plans today?”

“I didn’t, but now I do. I’m going out for some air. It’s stuffy in here.”

“Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you yet.”

Just when she wanted to escape this suffocating house, Kang Jin-ho tactlessly held her back.

“Our competitors’ movements have been concerning lately. A more reliable new hire will be serving as your driver for the time being…”

“Fine.”

“Pardon?”

“I said it’s fine.”

Even Kang Jin-ho seemed quite taken aback by her uncharacteristically irritable response.

Seo-ha couldn’t even remember the face, let alone the name, of the employee who had been her driver until yesterday. A change to someone new wouldn’t make much difference to her.

Leaving Kang Jin-ho, who seemed to have nothing more to say, behind, Seo-ha opened the door leading to the underground parking garage instead of the one to the garden.

There was no need to call ahead.

Her driver, who was on standby from lunch until evening, was smoking outside the open garage door. When she deliberately knocked on the car hood, the man stubbed out his cigarette with his foot and came over to open the back door.

Without even checking the face of the supposedly new driver, Seo-ha got into the car, making no attempt to hide her deeply furrowed brow.

Finally, the driver sat in the driver’s seat and started the car.

“Where would you like to go?”

“Just start driving.”

Though she found his unusually deep bass voice particularly irritating, Seo-ha felt no need to check the driver’s face.

As the car left the quiet residential area, she immediately lowered the window. She needed to feel the cool breeze, as her thoughts made her increasingly suffocated.

Everything was irritating beyond endurance. Park Hee-jung, who fearlessly brought a man into the house even after Seo-ha had turned a blind eye to her affair. Her brother, who innocently enjoyed origami with that woman’s lover.

And the impending collapse of the household’s superficial peace due to this foolishness.

Everything was absolutely infuriating.

The September breeze coming through the window was lukewarm, making Seo-ha even more uncomfortable as she tried to sort out whether she was angry or frustrated.

And another irritating addition…

“Just answer if it’s not an important call. It’s been ringing for a while now.”

She pointed out the man’s phone vibration that had been going off for some time.

When Seo-ha mentioned the vibrating sound with a sullen expression, the man pressed the call button without reply, not even bothering to put in earphones.

Seo-ha tried not to pay attention, assuming it would be a brief call.

However, her head, which was about to turn back to the window, stopped at the man’s conversation she had tried to ignore.

―Tae-beom-ssi.

The voice coming through the speaker was one Seo-ha knew well.

The owner of that voice, and the name addressing the other party.

Once again, the afterimage from the church flashed in her mind.

And only then did Seo-ha check the man’s face through the rearview mirror. Though the small mirror couldn’t capture his face entirely, meeting those sharp eyes was enough.

The gaze that had seemed to glare at her while embracing Park Hee-jung.

“…Tae-beom.”

It was the same man from that time, when Park Hee-jung had called out his name in ecstasy.

I’ll translate this while maintaining and enhancing the narrative style, preserving the tense atmosphere and psychological elements.