“Yoon Jeong-ho? He’s the person you’re working with.”
At Cha Han-gyeom’s words, Tae-soo, who had been staring at him, eventually nodded.
“That’s right. I wasn’t planning on hiding it anyway.”
Han-gyeom felt a bitter taste as the puzzle pieces fell into place one by one. He recalled a conversation with Seo Won about Yoon Jeong-ho.
“Yoon Jeong-ho is known to be a distant relative, but in reality, he’s a complete stranger. He’s not related at all.”
“What do you mean he’s a stranger?”
“Yoon Jeong-ho was personally selected by Grandfather from a special orphanage. He’s a backup in case all the blood relatives die. If I die, he will likely become the heir.”
Only then did it become clear why Yoon Jeong-ho was not affected by the curse. If he wasn’t related by blood, he wouldn’t be considered part of the ‘bloodline.’
Realizing this, Han-gyeom thought that Yoon Jeong-ho was in a very dangerous position for Seo Won. If Seo Won died, Yoon Jeong-ho would become the heir to the Kangsan Group. The new company under the Kangsan Group, run by Yoon Jeong-ho, had a significant presence in Korea. They had even collaborated on a major project with Seo Won’s business. Yoon Jeong-ho’s image would have been quite noticeable, as he stayed until the end and handled everything perfectly at the product demonstration, unlike Seo Won, who only appeared on the first day.
In this situation, if Seo Won died, everyone would accept Yoon Jeong-ho as the heir to the Kangsan Group without question. It wouldn’t be surprising if he became the chairman soon after.
Therefore, Seo Won would naturally be the most bothersome existence for Yoon Jeong-ho.
Seo Won was aware of this but still kept Yoon Jeong-ho close.
“Keeping him close will let me know if he extends a hand or raises a knife. Besides, because of the ‘contract,’ he won’t directly get his hands dirty.”
Seo Won didn’t provide any further details, so there was no way to know more.
But now, Han-gyeom thought he understood what that meant. He also understood why Ha Tae-soo and Yoon Jeong-ho were trying to use him.
“Yoon Jeong-ho is also bound by your ability, right? A contract that prevents him from ‘directly’ killing Seo Won.”
Ha Tae-soo, seemingly having no intention to hide anything, nodded again.
“You’re quick. That’s correct. The one who created the contract between the Chairman and Yoon Jeong-ho was…”
“Me,” a man’s voice interrupted, coming from right behind Han-gyeom.
Startled, Han-gyeom quickly turned around. Behind him stood Yoon Jeong-ho, dressed in a suit, smiling.
With an expression as joyful as a child with a new toy, Yoon Jeong-ho looked down at Han-gyeom before sitting next to him. Han-gyeom, who had never been fond of him, felt even more wary and wanted to move away immediately.
As Han-gyeom started to get up, Yoon Jeong-ho grabbed him, pulling him back down to sit even closer.
“I’m not going to hurt you, so just sit and listen to what I have to say,” Yoon Jeong-ho said.
Han-gyeom wanted to push him away and say he had nothing to hear from him, but he knew there were things he needed to listen to. He glared at Yoon Jeong-ho silently, his eyes narrowed.
Yoon Jeong-ho put on a genuinely regretful expression. “I don’t like complicated schemes and being cunning, but I have no choice in this situation.”
“So, you’re using me?” Han-gyeom asked.
Neither Yoon Jeong-ho nor Ha Tae-soo denied it.
“We have no other option. We can’t directly harm Seo Won,” Yoon Jeong-ho explained.
“Then why not hire an assassin?” Han-gyeom suggested.
Yoon Jeong-ho sighed audibly. “If we could, we would have done it already.”
He explained that their contract with Seo Won included a clause that nullified all agreements if Seo Won was murdered. This meant they couldn’t harm him directly or indirectly through hired help.
Han-gyeom realized that with such a clause, they were indeed limited in their actions. The contract, created by an ability user specializing in contracts, would ensure that any form of murder, even if disguised as an accident or illness, would be considered a breach.
“If the contract is voided, I’ll lose everything and be exposed, and Tae-soo will have to forfeit the extended lifespan he received,” Yoon Jeong-ho said.
Han-gyeom glanced at Ha Tae-soo, whose expression darkened at the mention of losing his extended life.
“We’ve had to be extremely cautious, constantly checking on Seo Won to ensure no one else kills him. We even had to visit him regularly,” Yoon Jeong-ho admitted.
This explained why Seo Won allowed Yoon Jeong-ho’s frequent visits; he knew Yoon Jeong-ho couldn’t harm him and was, in a way, protecting him.
“Would you have been happier if he died from the curse? If that had happened, the entire Kangsan Group would have been mine. But I never imagined he had a replacement heart ready…” Yoon Jeong-ho mused.
Jeong-ho trailed off, glancing sideways at Han-gyeom. His eyes flickered with a mix of emotions.
Deliberately evoking the image of Song Yeon-woo in Han-gyeom’s mind, Yoon Jeong-ho suppressed a smirk. As expected, any mention of Song Yeon-woo was effective in stirring Han-gyeom’s emotions.
Yoon Jeong-ho casually asked, “Don’t you hate it? The way he acts like he’s your true Imprint?”
Han-gyeom pressed his lips tightly together. He did hate it. Seo Won, with Song Yeon-woo’s heart, using his ESP, and resonating with him as if it were natural… it was infuriating.
But Han-gyeom also hated himself just as much. Seo Won’s heart, his ESP, their resonance… over time, he found himself accepting these as part of Seo Won, not Song Yeon-woo. It made him feel disgusting.
Perhaps it was because they had been so close for months, or maybe his own Imprint had begun to accept Seo Won. Either way, it was unsettling.
The one thing that kept him going was his desire for revenge—his urge to kill Seo Won. That was the sole driving force keeping him alive.
Yoon Jeong-ho wanted to exploit that drive.
“You have the ability to kill him regardless of the ‘murder’ clause,” Yoon Jeong-ho said, his eyes curving into a sly smile. “If he’s gone, Tae-soo will bring Song Yeon-woo back to life. Don’t you want to see your beloved hyung again?”
Han-gyeom’s hands trembled. Yes, he wanted to see him, but not a fake created from Song Yeon-woo’s data.
Han-gyeom closed his eyes tightly, trying to erase the image of Song Yeon-woo from his mind. His emotions surged, but his mind quickly grew cold and analytical.
He thought of Seo Won, standing alone. ‘You’re so unpopular, Seo Won.’ Everyone around him seemed to want him dead. Even Chairman Seo, who was supposed to protect him, looked frail and close to death.
Besides those paid to guard him, who truly cared for Seo Won? Despite his wealth, power, and abilities, he was a pitiful loner with no true allies.
Han-gyeom imagined Seo Won standing alone, and a strange sense of pity washed over him. He silently cursed Seo Won—not out of hatred, but with a mix of resentment and unexpected sympathy.
Neither Ha Tae-soo nor Yoon Jeong-ho harbored personal emotional grudges; they were merely seeking the rewards promised by their contracts. To them, Seo Won was nothing more than an obstacle, neither more nor less.
Han-gyeom briefly wondered if it would be better if they were driven by a desire for revenge like him. Seo Won’s isolation wasn’t his fault, which made Han-gyeom feel a twinge of pity for him.
‘Who’s pitying whom?’ he thought bitterly. Han-gyeom himself had experienced loneliness and suffering at the research facility for reasons beyond his control, which perhaps made him empathize with Seo Won’s situation.
Opening his eyes, Han-gyeom calmly organized his thoughts. ‘Yoon Jeong-ho knows I hate Seo Won. Maybe I should use that to my advantage.’
Pretending to be honest might work better than trying to hide his feelings.
“I understand that you’ve been building up my resentment towards Seo Won,” Han-gyeom said. “But if I kill him, wouldn’t that still count as ‘murder’?”
“Normally, yes,” Yoon Jeong-ho replied with a knowing smile, mimicking the bright smile of Song Jae-woo, which Han-gyeom found irritating. “But you have a different plan, don’t you?”
Han-gyeom was too focused to be bothered by Yoon Jeong-ho’s mannerisms. His heart sank as Yoon Jeong-ho continued.
“You plan to make Seo Won ‘commit suicide,'” Yoon Jeong-ho said.
