Chapter 144
The housekeeper whispered while glancing toward the living room. Do-heon’s gaze naturally followed toward the living room as well.
“She arrived so suddenly that I’ve shown her in for now…”
When he had left home, it had been late dawn, but now it was already early morning. The housekeeper, who had arrived for work not long ago, seemed flustered because of the unexpected visitor.
Instead of asking who the guest was, Do-heon walked through the corridor to the living room to see for himself.
Only three people could enter this house without his permission: Cheong-yeon, Chairman Moon, and his grandmother.
Since he had just been watching Cheong-yeon sleeping, it couldn’t be him, and Chairman Moon had no interest in Do-heon’s private life, so he was excluded as well.
That left only one person.
“You still come home late, I see.”
As Do-heon had expected, his grandmother was sitting on the living room sofa. With the help of her attendant, she turned her body toward Do-heon and clicked her tongue as if she had known all along.
“I didn’t receive any notice that you would be visiting.”
Do-heon wasn’t at all surprised to see someone who should have been in an American hospital sitting in his home.
“When you’re behaving like this, how could I just stay put?”
Deep wrinkles formed between his grandmother’s brows as she observed Do-heon’s indifferent attitude.
“Should this old woman wait to die of insomnia in America first?”
Do-heon immediately recognized that her reason for coming was Cheong-yeon.
“Is that why you came all the way to Korea?”
“Foolish boy.”
Though she still needed her attendant’s help when moving, her health seemed to have significantly improved as her posture looked better than before. Her voice also carried strength.
“I’m tired right now. If you have something to discuss, please come back later.”
Do-heon ran his hand through his hair with his eyes half-closed.
Having not slept for nearly two days, he didn’t have the energy to deal with his grandmother who had suddenly appeared. Even he, as a human, was somewhat exhausted.
“Let Cheong-yeon go.”
At those words, Do-heon stopped as he was about to go up to the bedroom on the second floor.
He stared back at his grandmother, who was sitting upright on the sofa, glaring at him.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? Do you think I’ve become senile now that I’m old and near death? I have eyes and ears.”
Do-heon let out a short sigh at her words, which suggested she knew about the divorce from Cheong-yeon.
Honestly, he didn’t think his grandmother wouldn’t know. By now, it would have been stranger if she hadn’t noticed.
“This is our business. We’ll handle it ourselves. If you’re staying longer, I’ll have a guest room prepared for you.”
Drawing a line at his grandmother’s criticism, Do-heon signaled to the housekeeper standing behind him. Understanding his meaning, the housekeeper nodded slightly and quickly turned to prepare the guest room.
“Is this what you call handling it yourself? You shouldn’t have dragged innocent people into family quarrels.”
Despite the clear dismissal, his grandmother showed no sign of backing down.
“If you needed to fight, you should have settled it within our bloodline. Did you just stand by and watch while Hee-jin stirred up muddy waters, trying to shake up that weak child?”
“I didn’t want to involve Cheong-yeon like this either. I’ll deal with Moon Hee-jin and Park Jong-wook later, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Well, well. Later? What are you planning to do now?”
His grandmother asked as if she found it absurd.
“I’m going to bring Cheong-yeon back first.”
“Where to?”
“Here, home.”
“How will you bring back someone who has left!”
At her thunderous scolding, Do-heon stared at his grandmother with intense eyes.
“He hasn’t left yet.”
“No. From what I see, he left a long time ago.”
“…”
His grandmother spoke coldly.
“What good is it if his belongings remain the same? Those objects mean nothing to him.”
She then pointed to a picture hanging on the wall, criticizing Do-heon. It was something Cheong-yeon had collected when he lived in this house.
Just by observing a few scenes in the living room, his grandmother had discerned that Do-heon deliberately hadn’t removed Cheong-yeon’s belongings and had left them as they were.
“That remains to be seen.”
Do-heon answered firmly. It was close to stubbornness.
His grandmother, who had been quietly observing her grandson, turned her head and gestured to her attendant. The attendant supporting her took out a thick envelope of documents from a leather bag.
Instead of immediately opening the document envelope presented to him, Do-heon first examined it closely. The envelope’s surface had stamps on it and an address written in English, with his grandmother as the recipient.
“Cheong-yeon sent these documents through a lawyer a few days ago. I received them while in America.”
“What’s the content?”
As Do-heon finally opened the envelope to check the documents inside, his grandmother added:
“It’s a waiver of inheritance rights.”
“…”
Do-heon’s eyes wavered and shook. He hurriedly unfolded the documents and began reading.
Although it had been written by a proxy lawyer, it clearly expressed Cheong-yeon’s intentions. And as his grandmother had said, it indeed contained a statement renouncing the inheritance of property.
Why? That was the first question that came to Do-heon’s mind.
The shares and amount that his grandmother had promised to bequeath were by no means small. So he had never once thought that Cheong-yeon would give this up.
It wasn’t a conditional inheritance, nor was it obtained unfairly. Since his grandmother hadn’t demanded anything in exchange for the inheritance, there was no obligation for Cheong-yeon to relinquish it or fulfill any duties for it.
It meant that money that an ordinary person might never see in their lifetime would simply roll in if he just sat still.
Due to the public opinion warfare launched by Gyuseong Daily, if Cheong-yeon received the inheritance, he would inevitably face criticism, but public opinion always changes. That was a minor issue.
Cheong-yeon must have known that Do-heon could cover up such things as needed.
Nevertheless, Cheong-yeon had expressed his intention to relinquish the inheritance.
And he did so during the period when the scandal was at its loudest. While not contacting Do-heon at all, he had made this decision on his own and sent the documents to his grandmother. This was beyond Do-heon’s comprehension.
It could only be interpreted as his willingness to sever ties with this family, even if it meant giving up this money.
In truth, rather than saying “this family,” it would be more accurate to substitute it with “Moon Do-heon.”
“He left in his heart a long time ago. It seems he has no intention of coming back, no matter how much you offer. If you have any conscience left, clean up the noisy media with your own hands and let him go.”
At the words “left in his heart a long time ago,” Do-heon’s hand holding the documents tightened.
“No.”
“What nerve. After enduring three years in this house just for you, you plan to make him repeat it?”
His grandmother snorted at his stubborn answer.
“With Cheong-yeon’s will this firm, I wonder how he managed to pretend to get along with you all this time. I can clearly imagine what you must have said to keep that child by your side. I should have noticed earlier.”
“As I said, this is our business. How I keep Cheong-yeon by my side is my decision. And grandmother, you also want Cheong-yeon to return to this house, don’t you?”
Despite seeing the paper being miserably crumpled, his grandmother didn’t even blink.
“Your method is all wrong. There’s nothing more foolish than putting a price on something you cherish.”
Do-heon put the documents back into the envelope as if he hadn’t heard a word.
He wanted to somehow collect his intensified emotions, but the intersecting feelings of displeasure and anxiety didn’t disappear; instead, they consumed him more rapidly.
To avoid being completely overwhelmed by emotions, he clenched his molars so tightly that tendons appeared on his jaw muscles.
“It’s time for your medication.”
At that moment, the attendant broke the tense atmosphere by announcing the medication time.
Do-heon watched her take out medicine from her bag, then turned to go upstairs.
“I’ll be going up now.”
“You’ll only regret it if you keep being stubborn like this.”
“You must be tired from the flight, so it would be best for you to rest. I’ll have someone guide you to your room soon.”
Do-heon unilaterally ended the conversation and came up the stairs. Once he entered the bedroom, closed the door, and was alone, the deep sigh he had been suppressing finally escaped.
He placed the document envelope he had been clutching on the table, then stared at the mirror on one side of the room.
Though he thought he had been concealing his emotions well, a man who had lost his rationality stood in the mirror. He appeared to have no composure left at all.
‘You’ll only regret it if you keep being stubborn like this.’
His grandmother’s words gnawed at his heightened nerves.
Do-heon was already regretting, but he didn’t know how to stop.
Putting a price on something you cherish is foolish?
No, the more you cherish something, the higher the price it deserves. It was only natural that higher value commanded a higher price. That’s how the world worked.
The reason Cheong-yeon had married him, and the reason he had to continue meeting him even after divorce, was because Do-heon could pay such a price.
Do-heon had lived his entire life within these principles, and his principles had never failed him.
‘Do-heon. You should sit up straight.’
As he was lost in thought, his mother’s voice from long ago seemed to whisper in his ear.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
