Episode 5
“But, young master… you’re both still little kids. I can’t just leave the two of you alone,”
Haena’s nanny said in a worried voice.
“You left us alone earlier. Are you saying it’s okay to leave us when Doyoon’s here, but not when it’s just me?”
“…!”
The nanny turned pale.
Wow, Haena thought. He really knows how to use his status.
Haena stared at Baek Jaehyun with a sinking feeling.
Even at his age, he was already good at manipulating people.
He knew that if a nanny upset the grandson of the Cheongyoung Group chairman, she could be fired—and he was
using that to his advantage.
“I’m sorry, oppa.”
“It wasn’t just my nanny who left the room earlier—your nanny did too.
And Doyoon just cried over something silly, so of course my nanny’s going to be on edge.
Don’t blame her for that.”
Jaehyun looked at Haena like he didn’t expect her to say that.
“If you have something to say to me, and you want some privacy, don’t corner people like that.
Just politely ask for it.”
“You’re older than me. You should know better.”
Jaehyun’s face turned bright red.
“Miss…!”
Haena’s nanny, clearly moved, held Haena’s hand tightly.
Well, Haena thought, I wasn’t doing it for her—I just hate people throwing their weight around. But I guess no need
to say that out loud.
They’d be seeing each other a lot, so it wouldn’t hurt to earn some points early on.
Haena gave a big, childish smile.
“Ajumma, I think Jaehyun oppa wants to talk to me. Can you leave us for a minute?”
“Huh? But… if something happens, the Chairman will—”
“There’s a CCTV up there, right?”
“Does it have audio too?”
Haena pointed to the ceiling with a bright smile.
“Oh—no, it doesn’t. For security reasons, none of the house cameras record audio.”
“I figured.”
Of course. In a chaebol family, with all the secrets floating around, no way they’d record sound.
“You can just watch us from there.
And if Jaehyun oppa does anything weird or mean, then you can come in.”
“S-Still…”
“And more importantly…”
Haena paused and turned to Jaehyun.
“I know Jaehyun oppa would never do anything bad to me. Right, oppa?”
Jaehyun’s eyes widened in surprise—then softened into a gentle smile.
“Of course not, Haena.”
Only once her nanny left—clearly uneasy—did Jaehyun pull up a chair and sit next to Haena.
“Haena.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s up with you?”
…Huh?
What kind of philosophical question is that?
“What do you mean?”
“You weren’t this smart before. And you weren’t the kind of girl who could make Doyoon cry and stay calm about it.”
He smiled sweetly.
“You used to like Doyoon.”
Is this kid really ten?
He seemed way too sly for his age.
“Oppa. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘A woman’s heart is like a reed in the wind’?”
“…Huh?”
“Never mind. You wouldn’t understand love—you’re only ten.”
“…You’re seven.”
“Yeah, but girls mature way faster. So if you do the math… I’m probably mentally older than you.”
Jaehyun gave her a baffled look, but Haena just shrugged casually.
“I liked Doyoon yesterday, but maybe I don’t today.
It’s my heart. I can feel what I want, right?”
“…I guess?”
Jaehyun gave a strange little smile.
“But adults won’t think that way.
They want you two to get engaged. The matchmaking talks have already started.”
Yeah. That’s the problem.
She could easily crush little Baek Doyoon right now, but Grandpa Hong and Grandpa Baek would never take her side.
Even if she and Doyoon both screamed “We hate each other!” it wouldn’t matter to the adults.
“Well… I’ll figure that out later.”
“We’ll see… Your grandpa might let it go, but mine definitely won’t. He’ll try to lock you down for sure.”
…What?
Why me? Aren’t there tons of chaebol daughters out there?
“What do you mean? Why me specifically?”
“Your Hongil Group has a lot of businesses that Cheongyoung Group doesn’t.”
“!”
“He wants a partnership that complements each other—not just another company from the same industry.”
…Crap.
“B-But…”
“Even if you say no to Doyoon, they’ll probably offer me up next.
That’s the kind of man my grandfather is.”
“…!”
“We barely have any boys in our family.
It’s just me and Doyoon. That’s why they even let me into the family.”
Oh.
Haena was surprised by how casually Jaehyun talked about such a dark topic.
Jaehyun was the son of CEO Baek Hyunwoo, but technically… he was illegitimate.
Born not from the wife, but from an affair.
The only reason he was even accepted into the Cheongyoung family was because they didn’t have enough sons.
Bet the chairman’s wife was furious.
…Kinda sad, from the kid’s point of view.
But wait. They’d give up Doyoon and still try to marry her off to Jaehyun?
“Well, I don’t want to marry you either. I hate both of you.”
Sorry, Jaehyun.
That’s one more rejection added to your list.
“I didn’t want to marry you either.”
“I know. I just wanted to make that crystal clear.”
Haena smiled brightly.
So don’t forget, and never bring it up again.
“…But why?”
“What?”
“Can I ask why you hate me?”
Whoa. He really looked hurt.
So even this sneaky second male lead still had a soft side at age ten?
Or was it just an act?
“Because you’re sneaky and you manipulate people behind their backs.
Isn’t that bad behavior?
Trying to steal your younger cousin’s fiancée?
What is this, a trashy morning drama?”
“I wasn’t trying to steal anyone…
Wait, morning drama?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t your family watch morning dramas?”
“My stepmother does, but I don’t.”
Oh… he doesn’t call her Mom. Just “Stepmother.” That’s a little sad.
“Well, you should watch one. You’ll see tons of guys like you on those shows.
Learn something from them.”
“Learn… what?”
“The bad guys in those shows at least try to impress the girl.
If you want to propose, you should at least bring jewelry or something!
You didn’t even bring me a single gem. Rejected.”
“…I wasn’t trying to propose…”
Welcome to the real world, kid!
If you’re going to suggest a marriage arrangement, you better bring a 10-carat diamond from X-brand to even get
my attention!
“So, if I did want to propose… jewelry would be enough?”
“Wait—didn’t you say you weren’t thinking of proposing?”
“…Just answer. If I brought jewelry, would you say yes?”
“Uhh…”
Not quite.
That would still be a bad deal.
“Nope.”
“What? But you just said—!”
“Marriage is a huge life decision. My grandpa says that too.
How can a cute, immature little girl like me make such a big choice?”
“…You didn’t seem immature a second ago.”
At least he didn’t deny the “cute” part. Hong Haena is cute, after all.
“Hey, have you read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms comic?”
Do kids these days still read that?
When I was young, those comics were everywhere.
“I did.”
Good. Looks like chaebol families really do have a lot of books.
“Then you remember what Liu Bei did to recruit Zhuge Liang?”
“…Recruit?”
“Ever heard of ‘Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage’?
He visited three times—three—just to get an advisor.
You think I’ll fall for someone who shows up once and talks big with empty hands?”
Jaehyun looked totally lost, but Haena smiled proudly.
“I’m the only heir to Hongil Group, you know.
My grandpa says, if you’re going to make a bad deal, don’t make it at all.”
…She thinks she read that in a novel somewhere, but it still sounds cool.
“If you really want to propose, then write up a proper proposal.
Something my dad and grandpa would both nod at.
Then maybe I’ll think about it.”
Of course, that’s never going to happen.
Jaehyun was an illegitimate son with slim chances of ever inheriting Cheongyoung Group.
His position and Baek Doyoon’s were totally different.
“That’s easy.”
“Huh?”
No, it’s not.
“Adults always want the same thing.
More money, more power.
As long as I give them that, they’ll agree.”
Wait… that’s considered easy?
Suddenly, Haena felt poor again.
“But Haena.”
Jaehyun looked serious for the first time.
“I know that’s what adults want.
But you’re just a kid.”
“…Aren’t you a kid too?”
“Then what do you want?”
