Chapter 17 : Chapter 17

"Did you report it to the chairwoman?"

Did she just say chairwoman?

Shin So-hee had that thought after hearing those words.

The combination of the words "a young, pretty child without a family" and "chairwoman" gave off an incredibly unsettling vibe.

Come to think of it, it was strange that a child without a family was living in such a mansion rather than being sent to an orphanage.

No matter how much inheritance she had received… there should be limitations on what a minor can use, right?

Although Shin So-hee didn't know much about legal matters, as she was no different from other ordinary teenagers apart from her sexual orientation.

But even if she didn't understand legal matters, she knew well how disgusting the atmosphere could be when the word "Chairwoman" was mixed with the phrase "high school girl."

Of course, neither Shin So-hee nor her friends had ever gone to meet a "Chairwoman," "President," or "Oppa," but such stories often surfaced in the news or through hearsay.

…For example, something like "sponsorship."

As that thought came to mind, Shin So-hee suddenly felt her mood plummet.

Why?

…She wasn't exactly sure.

She just felt that whoever that chairwoman was, she couldn't be a decent person.

Shin So-hee started to understand the heart of the girl who had refused a ride and chose to climb over the wall just to walk home from school.

She didn't know the full story, but that girl, Sara, must have been like a puppet held by that chairwoman.

Even the fact that she lived alone in such a large house must have been thanks to the chairwoman's wealth.

And the fact that Sara was living alone in this enormous house under such thorough surveillance—

…What am I even thinking?

Shin So-hee sighed quietly to herself.

No one had noticed her thoughts, but her face felt hot.

Such delusions must be a kind of illness.

To be imagining such strange things right in front of the person involved.

If she hadn't yet developed any affection as a stepdaughter, it would make sense to call her chairwoman.

And if she were a child of the chairwoman's friend or a distant relative, there were plenty of logical explanations she could think of, yet—

…She wanted to smack herself on the back of the head for having such wild, unfounded thoughts.

"I'll take the clothes now."

In the end, Shin So-hee blushed and felt ashamed alone until the maid spoke, taking the cardigan from her.

As a result, she unintentionally made an embarrassing sound, "Ah, um…"

The mansion was undoubtedly grand.

Wasn't this building used as a department store a century ago?

It was much smaller than the department stores you'd think of today, but it was still way too large for a single person to live in—so large, in fact, that there seemed to be more unused space than living quarters.

The interior was grand, but not overly so.

It felt a bit empty due to the lack of people, but honestly, being invited to a place like this was the kind of thing one could brag about for years.

"..."

It wouldn't be strange for someone to boast about living here, yet the girl who had been making nonsensical remarks outside, her face constantly shifting expressions, had maintained a blank expression ever since stepping inside the mansion.

When she spoke to the servants using formal language, there was a noticeable coldness, quite different from her earlier argument.

Just from her demeanor and expression, it was clear that Sara didn't like this place much.

…Once again, those unpleasant delusions started to creep up.

*

Yoo Ha-neul considered herself quite smart.

Of course, she had her reasons.

After diligently studying throughout middle school, she managed to enter Hwayoung High School as the top student.

Although the school didn't have the reputation of being particularly hard to get into, as long as you had money, it wasn't an easy task to rank first among the "wealthy students."

Many relied solely on their parents' wealth without studying much, but Hwayoung's top students had parents who showered them with private lessons and tutoring.

Yoo Ha-neul had ranked first among those students, who had practically seen the questions in advance due to their excessive tutoring and prep courses.

It didn't matter if her peers didn't recognize her achievement.

She intended to keep working hard and prove herself by surpassing those who looked down on her.

Because of that, Yoo Ha-neul had some knowledge about Ye Sara.

After making friends with Sara, she had searched for Sara's name on the internet, thinking that if the students of Hwayoung High School were from families that were truly important in South Korea's business world, Sara's name would appear somewhere online.

And her assumption was correct.

There wasn't much information about Sara herself.

The most she found were a few childhood photos circulating online with captions like "Top 1% Beauty in South Korea's Business World."

Until now, Yoo Ha-neul hadn't understood why there was so little information, but after today, she realized that it must have been the "chairwoman" controlling it.

Although she hadn't found much about Sara, Yoo Ha-neul knew plenty about the chairwoman.

Choi Na-kyung, the chairwoman of Eugene Group, the world's largest conglomerate by market capitalization.

After marrying Sara's father, who was the previous chairman, Choi Na-kyung inherited the shares of Eugene Electronics and became the chairwoman.

…Was she tormenting Sara, another heir?

Maybe Sara had climbed over the wall today because she wanted to escape from the suffocating surveillance?

Yoo Ha-neul tried to imagine.

In this vast world, surrounded only by the people the chairwoman had chosen, only ever seeing their faces, unable even to choose her own way home…

A life where the only people she could trust were a few friends from school.

When she thought of it that way, even this huge mansion felt like a cramped birdcage.

"I'll take the clothes now."

Deep in thought, Yoo Ha-neul was startled when someone suddenly spoke from behind.

When she turned around, she saw a maid in a crisp uniform, coldly watching her with Sara's neatly folded coat in her arms.

Although the maid appeared polite, something about her gaze didn't seem entirely courteous.

It felt as if the maid was suspicious of her.

Yoo Ha-neul had felt this sensation before—when someone's gaze would send a jolt through her.

She was often quick to pick up on others' negative emotions toward her, and although it happened sporadically, she had never once been wrong when she followed her instincts.

"Ah, um, I can… do it myself…"

Never having experienced someone taking her coat for her, Yoo Ha-neul instinctively reacted, but after seeing the maid's piercing gaze, she quietly turned away.

It seemed best to follow the rules while inside this place.

After all, there weren't many people here who felt familiar.

Not just the maid, but the men in black suits keeping an eye on them from the mansion's entrance also radiated prickly gazes.

…Had Sara been living in this sort of ice-cold environment all this time?

Yoo Ha-neul thought, watching Sara's impassive face.

One day, if Sara ever asked to escape from this place, Yoo Ha-neul resolved that she would lend her whatever little strength she had.

*

Admiration stems from ignorance.

A child who dreams of becoming a firefighter often doesn't know the death rates or working conditions firefighters face.

People who envy corporate workers may admire their salaries but are unaware of the social injustices they endure.

Those who aspire to become prosecutors or judges are often shocked by the ugly truths they learn after actually getting the job.

The same goes for money.

Those who don't have it often envy those who do, but they can only guess at the downsides that come with wealth.

Lee Soo-ah was no different.

It was easy for anyone, even the most oblivious, to sense that something ugly was happening behind Ye Sara's life.

Just from what her father had mentioned, Lee Soo-ah could guess what that "chairwoman" Sara had spoken of might be doing.

Of course, she didn't know the full details.

Adults, including Lee Soo-ah's father, didn't seem to want to discuss the more serious or explicit matters in front of their children.

But children aren't entirely without thoughts.

Especially children raised in wealthy circles, where they pick up on the "less explicit and less provocative" stories adults let slip and piece together what's happening.

So, like many problems in their world, Sara's issues likely stemmed from money.

After the chairman remarried and then passed away, the inheritance was split between his daughter and his wife.

Since the daughter was still a minor, someone had to manage the assets she inherited.

Following this line of reasoning, it was highly likely that Choi Na-kyung, chairwoman of Eugene Group, was targeting her stepdaughter Ye Sara's wealth.

Though Lee Soo-ah didn't know exactly how this led to Sara's isolation.

But judging by the current situation, that plan had completely failed.

Even in such circumstances, Sara hadn't lost her confidence.

She always acted boldly.

She even seemed indifferent to the kids who ostracized her.

And now, the wall that had surrounded Sara was slowly crumbling.

Of course, no one knew if that wall would completely collapse, or if it would rebuild itself even more strongly, swallowing up the few people who had managed to get close.

Perhaps Lee Soo-ah herself might end up trapped inside that wall.

In fact, ever since she had started hanging out with Sara, her relationships with friends from middle school had begun to fade.

Her parents hadn't noticed yet, but if she continued to stay by Sara's side, they might soon pull her aside for another warning, like they had before.

…Admiration always begins with ignorance.

Lee Soo-ah didn't yet fully understand how harsh and difficult Sara's life had been.

She didn't know how lonely it must be to live alone in such a large mansion.

But she admired Sara for holding onto herself despite it all.

Unlike herself, who had been frightened by a few words from adults and had agreed to isolate a single child, Sara always faced her fears head-on, without hesitation.

To Lee Soo-ah, that was incredibly cool.

That's why she decided to admire her a little longer.

To follow her.

"I'll take the clothes now."

Though not as naturally as Sara, Lee Soo-ah confidently handed over her clothes, trying her best to imitate Sara.

She could feel the maid's eyes glancing over her face.

Was she showing a nervous expression?

She was probably nervous.

It would probably take much longer before she could become as composed as Sara.

Honestly, she didn't know how long she could keep following Sara.

If she experienced even half of what Sara had been through, she might want to run away.

But

Lee Soo-ah hoped.

She hoped that one day, she could confidently face Sara and repent for the things she had done.

Right now, as Sara followed behind the maid without any expression, what could she be feeling?

*

Ah, I used too much energy today.

With all the exercise, climbing over the wall, and wandering around lost for so long.

It was far too exhausting for Ye Sara's body.

…Maybe I'll have room for one more piece of steak today?