Episode 10
“So, when I asked them to redo it, they insisted it was an unavoidable part of the process, can you believe it?”
“And that’s why you’re late? You should have just come as it was. We were supposed to introduce Min-seon today.”
“How could I just come like this? I told you my nails were a mess! Who are they trying to fool? Anyway, we argued, and they finally re-did it, but I think they did it slowly on purpose just to mess with me.”
Su-han shook his head from side to side. Even he was powerless against her temperament.
“If it was on purpose, it would be obvious. What a strange place. Shouldn’t you report them or something?”
Only after Min-seon interjected did Su-young finally look at her.
“Exactly. Given my influence… So, you’re Su-han’s girlfriend?”
Su-young took off her sunglasses and put them down. Her sharply extended eyeliner and sparkling aegyo-sal gave her a strong impression.
Facing her after so long made Min-seon shudder with disgust, yet on the other hand, she was pleased. Things are different now.
“I’m Yoo Min-seon.”
Min-seon bowed deeply, almost excessively. She could feel Su-young’s eyes scanning her from head to toe.
“Min-seon? Hmm.”
Su-young slowly repeated the name, chewing on it.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Su-young. His old sister. I run a gallery.”
A gallery. Min-seon’s eyes sparkled at the word.
Su-young ran a gallery. She had quite a few long-term clients, and it was said to bring in a decent income. It was surprising that someone who seemed so flighty had business acumen.
Min-seon discovered that wasn’t the case around their fourth year of marriage, when she went to the gallery in Samcheong-dong on an errand for Su-young.
Su-young had tossed her a ledger and told her to organize it quickly. It didn’t take long for Min-seon to figure out from the ledger what Su-young’s real ‘acumen’ was and what was really going on.
That gallery was being used for money laundering by several high-profile figures.
“Wow, no wonder you seemed so sophisticated. Where is your gallery? I’d love to visit sometime.”
“The original location is in Pyeongchang-dong, but we’re soon opening a new one in Samcheong-dong.”
“I’d really like to see it.”
“Did he say you’re younger than Su-han?”
“Yes. By seven years.”
“Ugh, you little thief. This is why all men are the same. They lose their minds over someone young and pretty. She is pretty. You’re not offended, are you?”
“Thank you. But you’re even prettier, noona. If I hadn’t heard otherwise, I’d have thought you were Su-han’s younger sister for sure.”
“That’s such a cliché line. So trite. Well, it still feels good to hear. So, what about your parents? What do they do?”
“They run a restaurant.”
“What kind of restaurant? A fine dining place?”
“No. A Gukbap place.”
“Gukbap? Gukbaap? That soup with rice and intestines, offal, all that stuff inside? Oh my god. Yeo Woon-kyung would faint.”
Yeo Woon-kyung was Su-han’s mother.
“Sister.”
Su-han lightly tried to stop her.
“What? It’s the truth. Not that I dislike it. On the contrary, it’s good. Kids from ‘so-so’ families are more of a headache. So clueless. It’s better to have nothing at all than to be ambiguous. At least they know their place.”
Su-young was consistently rude and crass, disguising it as honesty.
A headache washed over Min-seon. Just how much of this woman’s absurd nonsense do I have to cater to?
Under the table, Min-seon’s foot tapped silently against the floor. And at that moment, glowing text appeared above Su-young’s head.
[A new target for revenge has been added!]
Reading it, she almost laughed out loud. That mission window seemed to read her mind perfectly.
[Target of Revenge – Kim Su-young
Reputation: 55/100
Wealth: 89/100
Relationships: 28/100
Total Score: 182/300]
[Revenge against the target will conclude when the total score falls below 30 points.]
It was a status window quite different from Kim Su-han’s.
Her Wealth was higher than Su-han’s, but her Reputation wasn’t. Especially her Relationships were at a pitiful level.
Just looking at that seemed to reveal Su-young’s personality and usual behavior.
Since her Wealth was particularly high, it seemed that once that was blocked, everything else would fall into place easily.
[‘Ruin Kim Su-young’s Mood!’
Current Kim Su-young’s Mood Score: 71 points
Reward: A Fancy Dinner]
Beneath the new mission, the ‘Marry Kim Su-han!’ mission remained unchanged.
It meant she had to receive a proposal from Kim Su-han while, conversely, ruining Kim Su-young’s mood. How amusing.
This meeting had just become much more interesting. Min-seon slowly tilted her head.
“And also, hobbies?”
“I don’t have any special hobbies.”
“Good. Who needs hobbies? A woman should be devoted to her family. Right? Especially the parents. What do you think?”
“About what?”
“You’ll take care of his parents, right?”
Su-young smiled suggestively. Min-seon smiled back brightly.
Su-young was the only one in the family who hadn’t opposed Min-seon and Su-han’s marriage.
The reason was clear. Unlike Su-han’s parents, who wanted a daughter-in-law with money and background, Su-young wanted someone to take care of her parents for her.
Someone who, lacking much themselves, would obediently follow Su-han’s words, and her own.
Su-young’s influence had significantly contributed to the initially agreed-upon one year of living with the in-laws stretching out until the moment of Min-seon’s death.
Whenever Min-seon mentioned wanting to move out, Su-young was the first to come running.
‘Sister-in-law. What is this? Why are you moving out? You’re so immature. What about our parents if you leave? Huh? Do you really have to leave, hurting their feelings and making them cry tears of blood? Did you marry Su-han without knowing it would be like this?’
‘I’m sorry, noona. But from the beginning, Su-han and I agreed to—’
‘Don’t talk nonsense. In a marriage where the woman marries up, it’s natural to live with the husband’s parents. Or what, are we volunteers? If we can’t even expect this from you, why would we have brought you into the family?’
It was a remark that left a lasting wound on Min-seon.
Right. Now that I think about it, there were hints about the future unfolding even from this first meeting.
Why didn’t I see it back then? I really liked Su-han then, and I wanted to make a good impression on his family too.
Of course, that’s all in the past now. None of that matters anymore. Since I have no intention of becoming your sister-in-law anyway, I don’t care whether you like me or not.
Only one thing occupies my thoughts: returning everything I received, exactly as it was given.
“Of course. The parents should be taken care of by the eldest son, no, the eldest daughter-in-law.”
At Min-seon’s positive answer, Su-han looked even more surprised.
“Really? You said you didn’t want to when I asked you before.”
“Did I? I wonder why I said that. No. I think it’s only right for the eldest daughter-in-law to take care of them.”
The faces of Su-han and Su-young brightened. Particularly Su-young, looking very pleased, even grabbed Min-seon’s hand.
“Right? You have such proper, old-fashioned values, Min-seon. I like you very much.”
“That’s why I told my younger brother early on. ‘You and your wife will take care of our parents.’”
“Right, right. Once a woman marries, she becomes part of her husband’s family, so the son should take care of them.”
Part of her husband’s family. A phrase she’d heard ad nauseam.
“Yes. Once married, a daughter becomes part of her husband’s family. Ah, then…”
“Why? Is something bothering you?”
“No, I just never thought about it, but then I should tell my parents to leave all their assets to my younger brother.”
“What?”
Su-young’s expression stiffened.
“That’s right. The eldest son takes care of the parents, and the eldest son inherits the assets, that’s how it should be.”
It was Su-han who interjected.
“Kim Su-han, what nonsense are you spouting?”
“Why? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
Hook, line, and sinker.
Su-young and Su-han were extremely sensitive about matters of inheritance. She had seen them argue loudly over it more than a few times.
True to form, they targeted each other without an inch of deviation from Min-seon’s expectations.
“What do you mean, ‘truth’? That’s completely different!”
“How is it different? It’s only natural that rights come after fulfilling obligations.”
Min-seon leaned back comfortably in her seat. The fire is lit, now I just need to watch them fight. All while watching Su-young’s Mood Score drop in real time.
It’s 64 points now… Ah, it dropped to 63 again.
“Why are you getting so angry? You’re not seriously thinking like a robber that I should take care of them while the inheritance is split in half, are you?
