Chapter 60

And surprisingly, nothing significant happened during the remaining weekdays.

Of course, saying that nothing significant happened doesn’t mean that nothing at all happened.

Perhaps because of the reaction from the student council president last time, the disciplinary committee didn’t launch any additional attacks on us.

Sometimes, when we made eye contact in the hallway, they would flinch and quickly turn away, walking off in a hurry.

…There was no need to act like that, though.

Could it be that they heard the full story from the student council president?

In fact, I didn’t even know if this disciplinary committee member was a character from the original work.

At least, they didn’t appear in the main screen where the major characters were drawn.

So, it was hard for me to guess what this disciplinary committee member was thinking.

Were they a truly good character who felt ashamed after learning the truth, or were they feeling fear after finding out what the president had done?

They didn’t seem like the type to be frightened.

If they were, they wouldn’t have been so quick to get angry with me and think of bringing me before the disciplinary committee based on one-sided misunderstandings.

…Well, considering I hadn’t even fully grasped the behavior of the three characters who appeared in the original work, it was only natural that I didn’t know about other characters.

Even the maid, Yang Hye-in, subtly changed her attitude.

Until now, Yang Hye-in had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor in front of me, but lately, she would avert her gaze whenever our eyes met.

A few times, I even noticed her eyes shaking.

I could understand why her heart might be shaken.

After all, soon the chairwoman was really going to come.

Eugene Group’s chairwoman, Choi Na-kyung.

The person who was Ye Sara’s stepmother and the one who completely ruined her.

And from the chairwoman’s perspective, Yang Hye-in, who had been subtly helping me, was certainly an eyesore.

Most of the recent incidents… were primarily caused by me, but the chairwoman would likely see them as happening because Yang Hye-in failed to control me properly or let me go too freely.

There’s no way that Yang Hye-in herself hadn’t thought of these things.

…A job that pays 500 million won annually may seem like a great job on the surface, but it could also be a trap that’s hard to escape from.

It would probably be difficult for someone who has worked as a maid to find another job after leaving.

Of course, with the money she’s saved so far, along with her severance pay, she might just have enough to live off for the rest of her life, but…

Yang Hye-in is still young.

For someone diligent, the idea of spending the rest of their life without any sense of purpose might seem burdensome.

I thought about rehiring her myself, but that’s something I decided to consider again when the time comes.

Although Yang Hye-in was the most reliable of the servants, I couldn’t fully trust her.

And… as expected, Ha-neul, Lee Soo-ah, and Shin So-hee also slightly changed their attitudes towards me.

“…Hey, guys.”

It was now Saturday, the second week of March.

The three of them had gathered at the mansion early in the morning, sticking close to me.

They weren’t clinging to my arms.

Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah were each hugging my waist from either side, while Shin So-hee was stuck behind me.

Even though I was sitting on the sofa, which made it incredibly awkward for Shin So-hee to hug me from behind, she still maintained that position.

Although it was mid-March, and the weather could almost be described as the end of winter, it was still chilly outside.

In fact, the heating in this mansion wasn’t very efficient in rooms other than the ones I frequently used, such as my bedroom or the dining room.

No, even in the room I stayed in, the heating was only effective because I poured money into it, despite its poor efficiency.

Since the guest rooms had just had the heating turned on, they weren’t particularly warm yet, but my body had already begun to warm up thanks to the body heat of the kids clinging to me.

“There’s still plenty of time before the chairwoman arrives.”

The chairwoman was scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m.

It was only a little past 10 a.m.

“If we start clinging later, it’ll just look awkward.”

Ha-neul responded sharply.

“I feel the same way.”

Shin So-hee’s voice came from above my head.

“…”

Lee Soo-ah just hugged me silently.

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Just as I was about to protest, the door to the guest room opened.

“Miss.”

I almost turned my head but stopped just in time to avoid burying my face in Shin So-hee’s chest.

Fortunately, I realized it before I fully turned, so I managed to stop.

I felt more like I was living the life of a corrupt official or a hypnotist villain rather than that of a chaebol’s daughter.

Not that I minded, but it was hard to maintain the line in many ways.

“…You need to change your clothes before the chairwoman arrives.”

“Ah, if it’s just for a little while…”

Thinking she was talking about my sweat-soaked clothes, I responded that way, but Yang Hye-in shook her head slightly.

“…No, the chairwoman sent over an outfit. As usual, when meeting the chairwoman, you must wear that attire.”

…There was an outfit like that?

Could the chairwoman be the type of person who cares deeply about appearances?

Come to think of it, it seemed plausible.

Villains like her often care excessively about their appearance, according to the usual clichés.

The kids, overhearing my conversation with Yang Hye-in, hesitated before letting go of me.

The parts of my body that had been drenched in sweat suddenly felt cool when they came into contact with the cold air.

It was refreshing, but also uncomfortable.

I felt a bit sorry for the three kids who had acted this way despite their embarrassment, but I was somewhat glad that I could change my clothes before meeting the chairwoman.

“Alright, then.”

I stood up.

*

“…Miss.”

I had entered the nearby dressing room prepared for me, and Yang Hye-in called out to me.

“Yes.”

I thought she was calling because she had brought the clothes, so I answered.

But then she asked a question that I hadn’t expected.

“Do you have any thoughts on the chairwoman?”

“…”

I thought the chairwoman was a villain, unjustifiable in any way.

Even if she claimed that everything she had done was for Ye Sara, the chairwoman was still an evil person.

Whether her actions stemmed from good intentions or thoughtlessness, the fact that she could do something so unreasonable without a second thought showed that she wasn’t normal.

But I couldn’t say that in front of Yang Hye-in.

Nor could I say the opposite.

I didn’t know what Ye Sara had thought about the chairwoman.

All I had was a suicide note.

Ye Sara had written that she loved the chairwoman, but I didn’t know if that was sincere or if it was just a desperate attempt to hurt her as much as possible.

“…”

So, I chose not to answer.

“…”

Fortunately, Yang Hye-in didn’t press further.

She just silently took down a felt suit case that had been hanging on the wall.

*

“…Did the chairwoman really tell me to wear this?”

I looked down at the clothes I was wearing and asked.

Yang Hye-in slightly bowed her head and answered.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

And apparently, she requested this attire ‘every time we meet.’

I didn’t ask again.

To do so would be like admitting that my memory wasn’t functioning properly.

I just stayed silent and checked myself in the full-length mirror in the dressing room.

The person reflected in the mirror—

Or rather, Ye Sara, was—

Wearing something that could only be described as a ‘wedding dress.’

Of course, it wasn’t as elaborate as a real wedding dress.

In a liberal household, this might even be considered appropriate attire for a young couple’s wedding.

…Or it could have come from a fetish illustration in the middle of a harem comic or a heroine’s cosplay photo book.

A white tube-top dress.

Made of glossy white fabric, like a wedding dress, with a modest amount of frills that added a touch of elegance.

The design left the shoulders and cleavage exposed, but since Ye Sara was flat-chested, it wasn’t really cleavage, just a small bump.

The skirt length was slightly shorter than the school uniform.

At least the shoes weren’t high heels.

“Is there no bouquet?”

I joked without thinking, but I was surprised when Yang Hye-in gave a strained smile.

Yang Hye-in opened the door to the dressing room.

Waiting outside were several servants.

And,

“Miss. The chairwoman has arrived.”

…One of the servants nearest to the door bowed respectfully and said.

*

Although she had gathered all three of the kids the chairwoman didn’t look at them at all.

She didn’t glance once in the direction of the sofa where they were seated, her chair pointed only toward the door, as if she had been waiting for me to enter.

It was my first time seeing her in person, not in a photograph.

My first impression of Choi Na-kyung, the chairwoman of Eugene Group, was that she was ‘beautiful’.

How old was Choi Na-kyung again?

She wasn’t as old as I had expected.

People on the internet often referred to her as a young businesswoman.

Her hair was neatly styled in waves, gathered and tucked behind her ear.

Her well-maintained black hair flowed softly down her back.

She wore a simple black dress, sleeveless, without any frills or embellishments.

When she saw me enter the room, Choi Na-kyung rose from her chair.

And she stretched out her arms toward me.

“My daughter.”

At those words, my heart—

No, Ye Sara’s heart, began to thump.

Once, twice, three times…

The more my heart raced, the louder it grew.

“My lovely daughter.”

Her sweet voice.

Now my heartbeat was so loud that it rang in my ears.

My vision narrowed drastically.

I couldn’t see anyone beside me, only Choi Na-kyung, the woman right in front of me.

“Come here.”

I thought.

Why am I feeling like this right now?

Perhaps it was because I wasn’t ‘Ye Sara’ that I was able to think like this.

What would I have felt if I were looking at Choi Na-kyung?

In reality, I might not have felt much of anything.

Maybe after talking to her, I would have thought she was a disgusting person.

But I didn’t have enough information to feel anything significant toward someone I was meeting for the first time.

The emotions I would have felt toward Choi Na-kyung were likely mild disgust, anger, and rejection.

It wasn’t enough to make my heart pound like this.

My feet—

No, Ye Sara’s feet, took a step forward.

And then, I was finally able to judge.

The emotion I was feeling now.

Separate from the disgust, anger, and rejection, this overwhelming sensation rising from my heart—

A childish desire to run over and be embraced by her—

And an extreme hatred, a desire to run over and—

Strangle her, tear apart her beautiful face, scratch her and rip her body to shreds—

This was probably not my own emotion.

But Ye Sara’s.