After cooling myself down with cold water, my secretary returned, face slightly flushed. Apparently, he had forgotten something midway.
‘At this rate, he won’t be able to dress me.’
Shaking my head, I called for another attendant. This time, of course, it was a woman.
–Tok.
“Good, mm. There too....”
I heard the soft sound of fabric brushing against smooth skin. Some might call it wasteful, but honestly, once you set aside a bit of shame, it’s wonderful having someone else dry your back and dress you all the time.
Women’s clothes are different from men’s anyway; the buttons are usually sewn in the opposite direction. Back in the day, noblewomen had maids help them dress, and the buttons were designed that way to make it easier for others to help.
So, I’m just respecting the tradition. There’s no reason for me to struggle with these inconvenient clothes when they were meant to be put on by someone else.
Yes, that’s it.
It’s absolutely not because I enjoy these moments.
Watching the beautiful woman in the full-length mirror being dressed, I smiled faintly before rising with a soft sigh.
“Phew... Now, hand me the documents. You said there was another important message this time....”
Time to get back to work.
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
In the past, maybe not, but these days, plenty of people want to meet me.
No, even in the past, there were many—but most were men trying to get me into bed. Now, people approach me for my money.
These days, invitations pile up like spam mail. “I’m a mayor, a congressman, a chairman... lend me just a bit of money, and I’ll repay you handsomely.”
What’s truly amazing is that these aren’t scams. Real politicians contact me, so I can’t just ignore them....
–Sarak.
I scrolled through the list of “important contacts” who wanted to meet me, then froze for a moment.
Something cold and sinister seemed to seep from the name.
[...Yoo Jin-ha]
Oh, well, well.
So, Uncle is finally making his move.
‘But what can he even do?’
Hmm....
I’m not sure.
***
The Daehwa Group chairman succession battle? I’ve already won.
I mean, think logically. I’m wealthy and capable—of course the chairman’s seat is mine.
It might feel a little anticlimactic, but in warfare, starting a battle you’ve already won is the best strategy.
People who enjoy dramatic fights and clever last-minute solutions are never truly great generals. A good commander only fights battles they’re sure to win {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and never fights losing ones.
This has been the fundamental truth of military strategy across time and cultures, though strangely, very few follow it.
Well, it’s like dieting—everyone knows eating less and exercising works, but the failure rate is still sky-high.
–Glance.
Feeling a little guilty, I looked down at myself.
‘But... my chest feels like it’s getting too big.’
Ugh, I’ve always preferred a slender figure. Breasts like Lee Si-hyun’s are nice to touch, sure, but they don’t suit me.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Shaking off the distracting thoughts, I crumpled the invitation in my hand, vowing to exercise next time.
The invitation with Yoo Jin-ha’s name rolled across the floor like trash.
“So, Si-hyun, what do you think? What’s Uncle planning?”
I teased as I poked the soft, perky mound in front of me.
“...Please don’t poke me like that.”
I erased the old writing on a slightly worn sign and rewrote: ‘(Congrats) No Betrayal – Day 1,’ then hung it around her neck.
“So, turns out you read that letter first yesterday? You didn’t tell me right away, so take your punishment.”
“But I did say it was important! You ignored me, Young Miss!”
Si-hyun grumbled, but I ignored the excuses of this “shameless traitor.”
“Anyway, what do you think? Did Secretary Lee Hak-cheol say anything?”
Yoo Jin-ha calling me isn’t that strange.
Honestly, it’s weirder that Yoo Jin-seok hasn’t spoken to me privately at all.
“Hmm... Uncle didn’t say anything specific. Judging by how inactive he’s been lately, I think he’s getting ready to retire and take an honorary president title.”
“Oh, because Grandfather’s about to retire, so he’s stepping down too?”
“Yes. His authority as chief secretary only exists because of his superior. Once the chairman retires, his position will become awkward, so maybe he’s choosing to bow out cleanly.”
I see.
That wasn’t how it happened in my previous life.
I still remember it vividly—Secretary Lee Hak-cheol sided with Yoo Jin-ha, helped spark a coup, and lived well off the rewards until his death.
I wonder what Si-hyun’s role was in that timeline. She probably didn’t suffer as much as some, but I imagine the mental strain was bad.
...Or maybe not. Probably worked less than she does now. The bigger issue is...
“Young Miss?”
“Yeah, I’m listening.”
What does Si-hyun think of family, anyway...?
I stared at her for a moment, realizing belatedly how unfair I’d been before.
“Si-hyun, are you close to Uncle?”
“Huh? N-no! Absolutely not!”
“...You can be honest. I won’t tease you about it anymore.”
“Uh... honestly, no. Not at all. I mean, thanks to you, Young Miss, I’ve even grown distant from my own brother lately, let alone Uncle....”
Ouch.
“Well, he’s good with kids.”
“They’re adults now; they don’t need to be ‘played with.’ You should spend time with your cousins, Young Miss. You’ll regret it when it’s too late.”
“....”
Hmm.
Maybe she’s right.
“I should still meet him, though.”
Historically, rulers often purged their relatives for power. Like Taejong, the “Crusher of In-law Factions,” or Yeongjo, the ‘SSS-tier Rice Chest Owner’...
‘Well, Yeongjo’s case was a bit different.’
Anyway, history makes one thing clear—if your power base is solid, you don’t need to purge relatives at all.
The infamous prince who locked Taejo away and usurped legitimacy spilled plenty of family blood, but kings with strong legitimacy didn’t need to.
Who’d want to kill relatives if they weren’t insane? Aside from the fact that most pre-modern kings were at least a little insane, overwhelming power solves almost every tragedy.
“Shall I schedule a meeting?”
“Yeah. Might as well visit Grandfather too.”
I haven’t forgotten that saying: Family shouldn’t fight; even if they can’t help each other, they shouldn’t harm each other.
That’s why I’ve earned so much money. To end the fight in one decisive move—before it ever really begins.
***
When I finally saw Yoo Jin-ha again, he looked older.
He resembled the “Chairman Yoo Jin-ha” from my past life more than the “Uncle Jin-ha” I’d seen as a child.
At fifty, with strands of gray hair and faint wrinkles, he fit the 20th-century idea of being quite old. Unlike the 21st century, men his age didn’t bother much with dye.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has, Uncle.”
We shook hands lightly, and I could feel how much older he’d become.
He used to be rather handsome. He still aged well, but...
“I heard you became a grandfather recently. Congratulations.”
It feels strange, thinking of Uncle as a grandfather already.
“Haha, thank you, Ha-yeon. At first, I thought Ji-won was rushing things, but he insisted—said all his relatives married young. I couldn’t refuse him.”
“Mhm, well, that does seem to run in the family. I don’t mind; I get to meet my nephew earlier.”
“Oh, right. I heard you’re not planning to marry?”
“Yes.”
I nodded reluctantly. Yoo Jin-ha wouldn’t openly push me to marry early, but hearing the question still made me twitch involuntarily.
He smiled that same warm, relaxed smile as always.
“A good choice.”
“Phew... Anyway, let’s get to the point. Why did you call me, Uncle?”
“The point? I’ve been talking about the point the whole time.”
“...Wait a second.”
A bad feeling crept over me.
Right, this kind of thing.
Maybe because he’s older now, or maybe he’s just changed strategies, but...
Lately, Uncle’s grown shameless.
“Hmm, from what I see, you’re trying to take over Daehwa Trading, aren’t you? Since there’s no direct heir, why don’t we split things nicely? You take half the group, and I’ll take the other half.”
“...Honestly, Uncle, don’t you think that’s shameless? You weren’t always like this. You used to scheme from the shadows—why the sudden bluntness?”
“Hahaha. Well, the group’s going to your cousin anyway. I’ll take care of the rest. Wouldn’t it be better to get familiar with my share early, since it’ll be divided sooner or later?”
...As if that’s going to happen.
And how the hell did he even figure out my goal?