I’d Rather Live as a Villain - I’d Rather Live as a Villain chapter 62

62 He was not a rival

At that moment, Kang Young-jin saw a monster.

The call from his mother in Pyeongchang-dong.

Moon-jeong had a miscarriage, she said.

Hearing the news, he clenched his fist without realizing it and silently cheered, but that monstrous figure was reflected in the office window.

His own reflection, still cast upon the glass.

To himself, he looked monstrous.

― The mood at home is bad right now, so you should be discreet for the time being.

“Is the atmosphere really that bad?”

― It can’t be good. I haven’t seen your father yet, so I don’t know, and your grandfather has been in his study for two hours straight after lunch.

“I won’t go to the main house this weekend then.”

― Right, your mother will handle that, so just do as you’re told. After all, everyone at the company knows about Moon-jeong’s pregnancy, so don’t let the miscarriage news come from you or Yeon-hee.

Was it because he saw himself cheering over his half-sister’s miscarriage?

Was it because he saw a monster in that figure?

In this situation, Kang Young-jin smelled the same scent of monstrosity in his mother’s lack of concern for Moon-jeong or Mr. Yoon.

“So, is Moon-jeong doing alright?”

― I don’t know that either. Do you think they would call me about such a matter?

“Still, you should ask your father once.”

― You don’t need to worry about others, just take care of Yeon-hee. That’s all you need to do. And once the inheritance issue with Moon-jung is somewhat settled, start contacting the other company presidents again.

“I know that much.”

― Once it’s all out, those who’ve been floundering like bats these past few months will scramble to contact you first.

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

― Don’t sound so disappointed. Right now, it’s more important to show generosity than disappointment. Just embrace them naturally, as if nothing ever happened. You understand what I’m saying, right?

After ending the call with his mother, Kang Young-jin.

He walked over to the window and began to scrutinize his reflection overlaid with the outside world.

What was that monstrous face he had seen earlier?

Why did he look like a monster at that moment?

But such thoughts were fleeting.

The fact that Moon-jung had a miscarriage seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders, as if a nagging tooth had been pulled out.

* * *

“I didn’t expect such meticulous care.”

He filled the foot bath with water and called his wife to the shower room.

He brought down a computer chair from the second floor, adjusting it to the right height.

He seated his wife there and washed her feet in the foot bath.

“It’s just an opportunity to try this.”

“An opportunity?”

“I’ve always wanted to wash your feet with my own hands.”

“Why?”

“Because of the high heels you always wear, your feet seemed to suffer a lot. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. How many people would know that Kang Moon-jung’s feet are covered in blisters like this?”

“They are scars of honor.”

And so, I washed her feet in the foot bath until the water turned cold.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know. I’ll think the same.”

“It’s a common occurrence these days.”

“Too common. Nothing special about it. One in three early pregnancies end in miscarriage. I’ll just think of it as being one of those three.”

“You did your best. You did everything you could to have it and to keep it. I’ve seen it all.”

“I did my best. The best I’ve done in my life was in these last two weeks.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Yes, it’s settled. It’s upsetting, but inevitable… That’s how I’ll think of it.”

It was while I was pouring hot water over my wife’s feet.

“But if the same result keeps happening, what will you do then?”

“Should I wash your feet again then?”

“What if I can never have children? What will you do?”

“What do you mean what will I do? I’ll just continue living this quasi-honeymoon life with you forever.”

“You promise? Even if that’s the case, you must never regret marrying me.”

“Me? Regret? How could I?”

“You’d want to be a father too.”

That’s when I lifted my head to look at my wife and asked.

“Ah, I haven’t said that to you yet. I was mostly against marriage before I met you.”

As if thinking my words were a lie, my wife chuckled and began to tousle my hair with her playful hand.

“I didn’t have the confidence to seat someone behind me.”

“Behind? Why seat someone behind? In marriage, you seat them beside you.”

I shook my head.

“That’s what marriage was to me. Seating someone on the back of the bicycle I’m pedaling hard.”

“…”

“Before I met you, my share of the bicycle wasn’t that great. It was a bicycle without gears. So, when climbing even a slightly inclined hill, I had to nearly stand up and pedal with all my might just to move forward. I was scared to seat someone new behind me on a bicycle that was already hard enough for me to move forward alone.”

Against marriage?

It wasn’t really true, but it was a fact that my life was too busy to even consider marriage.

“My mother was already seated behind me.”

The hand that was tousling my hair had now reached my cheek.

“But to seat someone new there, and then to seat a child made with that new person… I wasn’t confident. The bicycle of marriage isn’t just about me falling over and ending it. But after marrying you, for the first time in my life of constant uphill roads, there appeared flat and downhill paths.”

I began my embarrassing confession.

“Don’t worry about anything. There’s no place as warm and safe as the seat beside you, so there’s no way I could regret this marriage.”

It was right then.

― A registered vehicle has entered. A registered vehicle has entered.

It seemed that Mr. No, the parking attendant, had arrived.

My wife tilted her head in confusion at the sudden announcement of a registered vehicle entering.

“It must be Chief Noh.”

“Chief Noh?”

“I asked Chief Noh for a favor.”

* * *

The dinner table was set with the dishes Mom Noh had brought.

“What’s all this?”

My wife, surprised, stood wide-eyed in front of the table I was setting.

“Mom’s braised ribs, Mom’s green onion kimchi, wow, is this dried radish too? Sit down. Even if you’ve lost your appetite, have a spoonful out of respect for the effort Chief Noh and I put into this.”

“Who said I lost my appetite? I haven’t eaten anything all day. I’m starving.”

I laid out the side dishes and was about to serve the warm soup to my wife when she said,

“I’m sorry.”

I hadn’t noticed, but in that brief moment of preparing the soup, my wife had started crying.

“I can’t help but feel it’s my fault.”

“Sigh… No, it’s not.”

“I haven’t felt truly happy for even a moment.”

I didn’t quite understand what she meant.

“I’ve been constantly anxious. What if I miscarry, what if I inherit the family health issues my mother had… I’ve been plagued by these negative thoughts.”

“Do you think you’re the only one?”

I said, lightly embracing my wife from behind as she sat in the chair.

“Every expectant mother is cautious and sensitive just like you. It’s absolutely not your fault.”

“I feel so sorry towards you right now.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“But what if, just what if. If we try several more times and it still doesn’t work, then you should just meet someone else.”

The tears of a woman named Kang Moon-jung.

They’re quite precious.

Tears not easily shed.

I had to understand that she had completely broken down in front of me.

“Ah, it’s too late for that. I’ve already torn up the contract. It’s a huge loss for me. It’s as if I’ve burned 5 billion with my own hands.”

Even in the midst of this, my wife looked at me with an expression that said, ‘Are you joking now?’

I wanted to bring a smile to her face.

“Don’t talk to me about that unless you’re introducing me to a woman prettier and wealthier than you. And there’s something else you don’t know.”

“Huh… What?”

“I’m Yoon Tae-sik. Do you know why everything I do succeeds?”

“Why?”

“Because I keep going until I succeed. That’s the kind of man I am. And you think I can’t create the one thing you’re so desperately wanting? Don’t worry.”

Only then did dimples appear on his wife’s face.

From noble mtl dot nete

“And today, I suddenly became as desperate as you. Until now, I wasn’t too moved by the idea of becoming a father. But after losing something precious, I think I understand what it meant to me. So, let’s eat. We don’t have time to be sad right now. A person in the know acts like this. You have to finish a bowl of rice with this braised ribs. After eating, let’s go for a walk. A bit of fresh air and a stroll might lift our spirits.”

His wife had just filled her spoon with rice and brought it to her mouth when her phone rang.

She pushed the food in her mouth and checked her phone.

“Huh?”

“Why?”

“Is it from my great-aunt?”

* * *

Saturday morning.

His great-aunt had come to their house.

In one hand, she carried a box from the herbal medicine shop, likely containing some tonic.

“I thought about rushing over after your grandfather called me yesterday, but I knew my niece wouldn’t be so down over something like this, so I took my time.”

“What’s this?”

His wife asked.

“It’s goat. There’s nothing better than goat to cleanse toxins from a woman’s body. It’s a whole one, freshly butchered. It’s a fortnight’s worth, so even if it’s a bit strong, make sure to take it twice a day.”

She slowly looked around the house and then sat down on the sofa, saying,

“You’ve made a nice home for yourself.”

Then, suddenly, she firmly grasped his wife’s hand.

“It’s okay. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right. Whose niece are you, to be fazed by something like this? I knew you were tough, but you’re even stronger than I thought. I almost feel slightly wronged for worrying since last night.”

She was indeed a spirited woman.

“But in this house, don’t you even prepare a cup of coffee for your guests?”

So I quickly got up from the sofa and said,

“There wasn’t a moment to take your order. Shall I prepare some coffee for you, auntie?”

“Sure.”

“What would you like me to prepare for you?”

“A latte, perhaps?”

“Of course.”

My wife chimed in from the side.

“His coffee-making is national team level.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know you had such a talent.”

“Talent? If being persistent is a talent, then sure.”

At my wife’s words, my aunt tilted her head in curiosity.

“He’s incredibly persistent. That coffee machine over there. He’s been trying to sell it to our distribution side for months, making coffee with it right in front of me. So how could his coffee-making skills not improve?”

While my wife and great-aunt were chatting, I quickly prepared a cup of coffee with care and presented it to my aunt.

“Mmm… This really is good coffee. Tastes just like the lattes at professional cafes.”

She didn’t show it outwardly, but her expression was full of things she wanted to say to me and my wife.

Perhaps my wife noticed the look on my aunt’s face too.

To avoid any unnecessary consolation, my wife quickly shifted the awkward atmosphere to business talk before any stories about inheritance could come up.

“Auntie. I heard from him that Yoo Sung Cosmo bought a huge amount of Mulsan stocks?”

“They had to.”

“Had to?”

“It’s going to be Daeyoung’s top-performing stock.”

At my aunt’s words, I found myself unconsciously furrowing my brow.

My wife asked my aunt.

“Mulsan?”

“Yes. Do you think Mulsan has ever had such a grip on distribution in the last 20 years? No. Mulsan holding distribution. In other words, distribution with Mulsan. It’s the best synergy among all the business groups Daeyoung currently has.”

My wife and I focused on my aunt’s words.

“That’s what you think, Auntie. What was the landlord in Pyeongchang-dong thinking, sending our Yoon son-in-law to Mulsan…”

“That was something I asked Grandfather to do.”

But my aunt opened her mouth with a meaningful smile.

“Really now?”

My wife and I couldn’t help but raise a question mark above our heads.

“Do you think so too, Moonjung?”

“What’s that?”

“Because your aunt is a woman, a daughter, that’s why she was excluded from the succession competition with your father, your uncle, from the start.”

It was the moment his wife’s eyes narrowed.

“I thought as much.”

“Then you still know nothing about your father.”

“About Dad…?”

“About me as well.”

“……?”

“If you think just because she’s a woman, a daughter, she was immediately excluded from the succession without a chance to compete… Do you think your aunt accepted such unfairness without any complaint, Moon-jung?”

Is that a no?

“Even after being excluded, do I look like someone who lacks guts to you, buying up Daeyoung’s affiliate stocks with my own hands and continuing to invest in Daeyoung?”

“Is that so?”

“From the beginning, I was never your father’s competitor. I knew that.”

My wife and I were at a loss for words at the same time.

“It wasn’t that I was excluded; I gave up. I could have caught your uncle somehow, but no matter what I did, your father was unreachable. It was embarrassing to feel inferior to my younger brother and pretend otherwise. So, I gave up on my own. Moon-jung. And Mr. Yoon.”

“Yes.”

“When your father was promoted to vice president of electronics, you and Young-jin weren’t even born yet.”

What does she want to say……

“Young-jin’s mother had no ties to Pyeongchang-dong either. Your grandfather isn’t that old-fashioned. Continuing the lineage? It’s important. But if it was absolutely crucial, he would have entrusted the succession to your uncle, right?”

“……”

“Don’t be too obsessed with that.”