Chapter 3…..
The sedan sped smoothly down the road despite its heavy body.
The air conditioning was stronger than usual, making the inside of the car feel chilly.
His body, drenched in sweat from trekking up and down a mountain-like path, quickly cooled down.
While driving, Chief Jeon kept stealing glances at Jinhyuk in the rearview mirror. He had been curious ever since Jinhyuk remained silent on their way down from the shaman’s shrine.
“…How was it?”
“She said the same thing my grandfather heard.”
Jinhyuk’s grandfather, Do Jumyung, was the chairman of HaeNam Construction.
A devout believer in fortune-telling, Do Jumyung had recently received a strange prophecy from Master Myungwoon. Since then, he had been hounding Jinhyuk relentlessly.
If Jinhyuk didn’t marry this year, then Do Jumyung—I—would die.
That terrifying prophecy turned Jinhyuk’s once carefree life into one full of arranged blind dates.
“Pick anyone. Do you really want to kill your grandfather?”
Recalling his grandfather’s words, Jinhyuk let out a dry chuckle.
“Shall I take you to today’s arranged meeting then?”
Chief Jeon asked carefully.
Instead of answering, Jinhyuk turned his gaze toward the window.
Towering skyscrapers stood tall, competing with each other to pierce the sky.
HaeNam Construction held considerable shares among those buildings.
Plastered on many of them was the logo of BelleHanam, a brand launched a few years ago by HaeNam Construction.
“Belle,” meaning beauty in French, “Heim,” meaning home in German, and “Nam” from HaeNam had all been combined into that name.
It was Jinhyuk who had spearheaded that brand launch.
And now, it was on the verge of reaching peak recognition.
Just when everything had been smooth sailing, Do Jumyung slammed on the brakes.
Because of a ridiculous prophecy.
“If you skip today’s blind date too, prepare to step down from your post!”
Recalling his grandfather’s threat, a faint crease formed between Jinhyuk’s brows.
Until now, he had managed to dodge with excuses here and there, but he had been cornered at last.
“What’s the name of Daeyang Trading’s youngest daughter, the one I’m supposed to meet today?”
After a long silence, Jinhyuk finally spoke.
This was the first time he had shown any interest in the woman set up for him.
Hearing the question, Chief Jeon’s face immediately lit up.
“Miss Kim Esther.”
“Esther, huh. That doesn’t sound like a Korean name.”
Chief Jeon, catching on to Jinhyuk’s quiet mutter, quickly added:
“She’s a devout Catholic, so it’s her baptismal name. Isn’t it better for her to have a religion than none at all?”
Because of his grandfather, Jinhyuk had come to loathe shamanism.
Knowing that, Chief Jeon emphasized the woman’s religious background, trying to recommend her.
“What month was she born?”
“Her birthday? Let me check right away.”
Puzzled by the out-of-the-blue question, Chief Jeon hurriedly checked his tablet.
“February 10th.”
At that answer, Jinhyuk’s lips curved upward.
“Perfect.”
“Then shall I take you straight to the meeting place?”
Delighted, Chief Jeon quickly tried to turn the car around when a cold voice came from the back.
“No, pass.”
“…Sir?”
Chief Jeon’s eyes shook violently.
“The shaman I met today said my partner has to be a woman with strong water energy. A name like Esther doesn’t carry water energy. And her birthday doesn’t match either.”
Jinhyuk’s expression as he said it looked almost amused.
Meanwhile, Chief Jeon’s face grew gloomier and gloomier.
Back at the office, Jinhyuk buried himself in work.
Since the morning had been wasted at the shaman’s shrine, urgent matters had piled up on his desk. There was also a mountain of documents awaiting his approval.
He skipped lunch, tackling the most pressing tasks first.
By the time his neck stiffened from sitting still too long, he massaged his tight muscles and moved over to the reception sofa for a short break.
That was when the door to the executive office slammed open.
“Do Jinhyuk, you brat! I heard you skipped again today!”
Do Jumyung stormed in, veins bulging on his neck.
Chief Jeon followed at his side, looking flustered.
“Chief Jeon, step out.”
Ordering him to leave, Jinhyuk sat down on the sofa.
“I was busy.”
Unfortunately, the timing made it look as though he was lounging at ease.
“You little—!”
Do Jumyung grew even angrier.
“Grandfather, you must be in quite a hurry, chasing me all the way here during your lunch hour.”
Jinhyuk’s calm attitude pushed Do Jumyung to the edge of exploding.
“If you want to live long, you should eat properly.”
Jinhyuk even threw in another jab, pulling the trigger.
“How am I supposed to eat when you’re holding my life in your hands?”
As Do Jumyung raged, Jinhyuk held out a slip of paper.
“Here it is. Your lifespan.”
Do Jumyung’s expression darkened as he glanced at the crumpled paper.
“What on earth is this?”
Written on it was something that looked like a child’s scribble.
“I went to see that trendy shaman, the Baby Bodhisattva, today. I wondered if there might be another way to extend your lifespan.”
Even Do Jumyung had heard of her.
Chairman Han of Shinjin Hotel had reportedly made a fortune by buying land she recommended, and CEO Kim of Geumyoung Trading had avoided a major disaster thanks to her advice.
Do Jumyung examined the paper.
The rounded handwriting and scrawled signature hardly inspired confidence.
Still, the will of the divine was not something a mere mortal could easily understand.
His voice softened.
“And? What did she say?”
Jinhyuk smirked at his grandfather’s reverent tone.
“Exactly what’s written there. Unless I marry a woman with strong water energy, the family will face multiple deaths. She stressed I mustn’t marry just anyone.”
The blood drained from Do Jumyung’s face.
“But Master Myungwoon never said such a thing.”
“Guess he’s not as accurate.”
Do Jumyung’s expression grew complicated.
“A woman with strong water energy, born in December—that’s my destined match.”
When Jinhyuk spoke firmly, Do Jumyung frowned suspiciously.
“You’re not tricking your grandfather, are you?”
“Of course not. Ask Chief Jeon if you don’t believe me. Or better yet, go see the shaman yourself.”
Jinhyuk’s confident look left Do Jumyung speechless. He rose and left the office.
Outside, Chief Jeon bowed nervously.
“Was it true? Did Jinhyuk really visit the shaman?”
“Y-yes, sir. He did today.”
“I see.”
Patting Chief Jeon’s shoulder, Do Jumyung turned away.
Cold sweat poured down Chief Jeon’s forehead, relieved he hadn’t been fired.
The door closed.
Left alone, Jinhyuk recalled the shaman’s face.
A smooth forehead, sharp nose, and clear skin—an elegant look.
Still, under different circumstances, nothing about her would have particularly caught his eye.
Yet for some reason, her big double-lidded eyes—widened in surprise when she was in his arms—kept flashing in his mind.
Unlike his grandfather, Jinhyuk didn’t believe in shamanism.
Whenever his grandfather nagged about avoiding water or mountains because of some fortune, he let it pass in one ear and out the other.
His grandfather’s obsession didn’t matter to him—at least, not until it was directed at him.
Even under constant pressure, Jinhyuk had remained calm.
But when his grandfather threatened to strip him of his executive position, he finally raised the white flag.
That was why he came up with a countermeasure: visiting another fortune-teller to get an opposing prophecy.
He had sought out the Baby Bodhisattva because she was rumored to be accurate, though she ran her shrine differently than Master Myungwoon.
But who would have thought she’d be such a young woman?
Perhaps the reason her face kept popping into his head was simply because of the surprise—how someone like her could be a shaman at all.
