9. Your father... (3)

He left himself to me.

Depending on how you hear it, it was a bold statement that could be easily misunderstood.

I stared at Go Yoon-ah fixedly.

Even before I grew up, I was quick-witted.

Whether it's an innate temperament or due to the environment I grew up in, I can't say for sure.

Anyway, I had a knack for reading the atmosphere, and I could easily sense what kind of person someone was with just a few words, even if they were a stranger.

Most of the time, my instincts were correct.

But this woman, Go Yoon-ah, was someone I couldn't quite figure out.

A person who could appear cold as a machine but also had the warmth of a human with a normal body temperature.

A person who could fluently use formal language but also say random things.

She was like a conductor playing a variation piece with skillful technique.

Even as I stared at her intently, there was no change in Go Yoon-ah's expression.

Suddenly, I thought of Choi Ye-ri's face from the drinking party.

Back then, just meeting my eyes for three seconds would make Choi Ye-ri's face turn red as if it were on fire.

"Mr. Yeong-su. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well... I was thinking about what it could mean that Chairman Jang Yeong-bok left me as a lawyer. I was pondering on that."

"Ah..."

Go Yoon-ah paused, lost in thought.

"I see. It seems my choice of words wasn't appropriate. Chairman Jang Yeong-bok has transferred our employment relationship to you, Mr. Han Yeong-su. The words I used were meant to convey that."

"I know. I saw it in the will. That it will be passed on to me... No, to be precise, I don't qualify as an heir, right? Born out of wedlock? Inheritance, yes. Inheritance. Chairman Han Yeong-su will handle all matters as my representative until the inheritance is finalized."

I handed a document over to Go Yoon-ah.

"So, here in this Power of Attorney, I've signed in my name and affixed my seal, haven't I?"

"From today onwards, that is, even after the inheritance is settled... You can think of me as Attorney Han Yeong-su's representative. Until my lawyer's license is valid."

"I see."

Han Yeong-su, you're really being clever for nothing.

I've never felt so foolish in my life.

All day long, I've been questioning and asking.

"Chairman Jang wanted me to become Attorney Han Yeong-su's advisor. He has already provided compensation commensurate with that. So, you can entrust me with any legal issues, including civil and criminal cases, until the inheritance is settled."

"So, you're saying that Attorney Go will become my exclusive attorney?"

"Well, I'm officially affiliated with a law firm, so the term 'exclusive' might not be appropriate. However, for your convenience, you can think of it that way. Of course, if you don't want me, you're free to dismiss me anytime."

There comes a moment in life when you definitely need a lawyer.

In fact, law is directly or indirectly involved in all aspects of the world, even if we don't consciously realize it.

I had no reason to refuse.

No, I'm more inclined to be the one asking for help here.

By the way, Chairman Jang Yeong-bok.

Did you really prepare this much for me?

For a conglomerate as big as Taesang, there would surely be a team of lawyers with impressive resumes within the company.

Yet Chairman Jang Yeong-bok chose to have Go Yoon-ah, who looks barely older than me, by his side.

That's undoubtedly proof that she's an exceptional lawyer.

From what I've seen through the media, Chairman Jang Yeong-bok seemed like a rationalist.

He wouldn't have hired her just because of her beauty or her prestigious university background.

"I understand. There's no reason for me to refuse. Please take care of me."

"Yes. Then, as you've agreed to this, I'll briefly explain my background. I was born in 1992 and earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Seoul National University. I passed the 57th Judicial Examination, and after completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, I studied at Cornell University in the United States..."

"Wait a moment."

She really is an unpredictable woman.

"Background details are fine. Are you saying that I have something to verify about being an attorney from the top law firm in Korea? Furthermore, having worked alongside Chairman Jang Yeong-bok."

"Chairman Jang... It seems like you still can't bring yourself to call him 'father.'"

"I only found out that he was my father a few hours ago. And even when you know a fact, there are things that are hard to accept. Frankly, can I even call Chairman Jang Yeong-bok my father? I'm not sure about it."

"I understand completely. And perhaps, that might be better for you, Yeong-su. But let me say this: Chairman Jang Yeong-bok... He wasn't as ruthless as the rumors make him out to be. Personally, I've received a lot of help from him. Putting those things aside, he was a figure who deserved respect on a human level."

"While I listen to your story, it seems like you have a special relationship. The help you received. Can I ask what that is?"

"That... I'm sorry. It's hard for me to talk about my personal matters. But one thing is clear and certain: if Chairman Jang Yeong-bok hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here in this position either."

*

"Then, I'll make sure to have everything sorted by next week. I can't guarantee, but I'll try to resolve it by Monday if possible."

I parted ways with Go Yoon-ah and returned home.

As they say, even a weightlifter who lifts heavy weights and trains hard eventually gets tired. But now, I'm not even sure if this could happen.

I threw off my shoes and collapsed onto the couch like a limp laundry.

The fortune I had never dreamed of, the riches that were unimaginable, were now in my hands.

Even if I only considered the deposit, I was already proud, but now I also had an apartment in my name.

And not just any apartment, a luxury apartment worth over 3 to 4 billion won in Gangnam.

Could such a transformation happen, even if the heavens opened up?

No, why an apartment?

There's no reason not to buy one, given that it's a world where capitalism reigns and I am an elite citizen.

There's no one who could point their finger at me even if I danced around the sky in celebration.

Even if I'm so excited that I do a crazy dance, who could criticize me? I'm a victim who was hurt.

I didn't choose to be born, and I wasn't abandoned because I did something wrong.

What about Chairman Jang's inheritance?

I never asked for it, and I never wished for it.

When I entered the living room, I placed the letter from Chairman Jang on the table without saying a word

.

I sat on the couch, not uttering a sound, and stared at the letter for a long time.

In this silent battle of wills with the letter, it seemed like my eyeballs were going to pop out.

By the time I regained my composure and sat up, the sun, which had been floating overhead, had moved its body to the western horizon, and the house that had been bathed in sunlight was now filled with darkness.

"..."

I lit the light and carefully opened the seal of the letter.

Inside the envelope were a letter and a photo of a woman.

She was a beautiful woman.

In the photo, she was smiling so brightly, as if she were genuinely happy.

Although I didn't recognize her at first glance, she didn't seem like a stranger.

Trembling, I put down the photo.

The woman in the photo looked exactly like me.

No, it's more accurate to say that I looked like her.

There was a hunch, but I started reading the letter first.

"If you're reading this letter, I'm no longer in this world." The letter began with this line."