I Became a Villainous Character with a Limited Lifespan - Episode 94

Episode 94

‘I’d like you to help me out a bit. Would it be difficult?’

‘What could I possibly help Assemblyman Park with? If you need help, your future son-in-law…’

‘Yes, that’s exactly why I called you here. It may sound a bit ridiculous for people like us to say this, but I cherish my daughter quite a bit.’

‘……’

‘Since she’s a child I raised without any wrinkles, she easily trusts people and gives her heart. She’s not the kind of child who can act out love for necessity like us.’

Assemblyman Park handed a document to Tae-sung. Tae-sung could recognize the identity of the document at a glance. He had personally reviewed it and handed over the final version, so there was no way he wouldn’t recognize it.

‘How did you get this, Assemblyman?’

‘The governor and I are close. We sometimes ask for each other’s opinions and help each other out. I met him not long ago and briefly talked, and I got to see this. It was a good proposal. I got the impression that you grasped the essence very well.’

‘Thank you.’

He wouldn’t have called just to praise. Tae-sung asked,

‘Did you call me to tell me to take my hands off this project because it would make Director Han uncomfortable?’

‘No. It’s the opposite. It’s a good plan, and there’s no reason not to accept it.’

‘Then…’

‘Director Han knows that the governor and I are close. So he thinks B Group will take this job. But I recommended you to the governor.’

Perhaps Seung-hyun didn’t appeal to him as a son-in-law candidate. Tae-sung carefully asked,

‘Are you opposed to Director Han and your daughter’s marriage?’

‘If it was simply opposition, I could have just called off the engagement without needing to call you. But… that child wouldn’t obediently listen to me anyway.’

Seung-hyun’s intentions were clear to see, but Assemblyman Park’s daughter was quite taken with Seung-hyun. Perhaps because she was raised so freely, unlike her peers, she quickly became interested in Seung-hyun, who was polite and had a neat appearance.

She was pure enough not to know that affectionate actions under the guise of love could be acted out. That’s why Assemblyman Park thought even more that Seung-hyun wasn’t suitable for his daughter.

‘If they truly want each other, I can’t oppose it. But if not, it’s a relationship that needs to be cut off quickly. He even got engagement rings made on his own and spread rumors… a broken engagement is a hundred times better than an unhappy married life.’

‘…Then, are you saying you want to monitor Director Han through me?’

Tae-sung finally understood Assemblyman Park’s intentions. If Seung-hyun knew about Assemblyman Park and the governor’s relationship, he would internally think that Assemblyman Park would step up to prevent Tae-sung from winning this job.

Even if not, he would think there’s no way Assemblyman Park would step up to help Tae-sung. But Assemblyman Park directly met with Tae-sung, praised him, and hinted that he could win this job.

It wasn’t even a secret meeting, so this meeting could definitely be conveyed to Seung-hyun, and this would be a kind of message.

Even if he married Assemblyman Park’s daughter, don’t think about reaping the benefits.

‘Honestly, I’d like her to marry the second or third son of a moderately well-off family. I couldn’t refuse because I owe Chairman Han, but… I don’t like unnecessary rumors either.’

‘Then even if it goes to marriage…’

‘If he’s willing to get married even with the resolve not to receive help, that would mean Director Han truly loves our daughter. Then I won’t oppose it, but… well, I don’t think that’s the case.’

Tae-sung also had the same thought. Having clearly understood Assemblyman Park’s intentions, he nodded.

‘I understand. Then the reason you called me today is to let Director Han know that you intervened in this decision before the results are announced.’

‘Well, I didn’t have much to do with that decision… but it will look that way to Director Han. Don’t you think?’

Assemblyman Park spoke in a relaxed manner. It was a situation with nothing to lose for Tae-sung. It seemed like it would be fun to watch Seung-hyun become a dog chasing a chicken.

As the two expected, Seung-hyun broke off the engagement not long after. Since there was no benefit in being at odds with Assemblyman Park, it seemed he had skillfully made the fiancée’s side bring up the topic of breaking off the engagement first.

It was obvious that Seung-hyun’s pride would have been greatly hurt by this. But Assemblyman Park was too big of a figure to express dissatisfaction to, and as long as he didn’t leave this field, he wasn’t someone to make an enemy of.

But now that he seemed to have no lingering attachment to HJ, it was just convenient gossip to drag Tae-sung into the mud. It was a convenient tool to simultaneously deal a blow to Tae-sung, Assemblyman Park, and even Chairman Han, who often received help from Assemblyman Park.

“I’ve never done anything to be ashamed of. But if there’s someone who can have this much dissatisfaction about this matter and even prepare materials, I know them well.”

“Seung-hyun…”

Tae-sung sighed as he saw Seon-hu’s expression darken a bit. For some reason, Seon-hu had a good impression of Seung-hyun.

Tae-sung couldn’t understand at all in what aspect he thought that rascal was a good person.

‘Being positive and kind is good, but… trusting someone like Han Seung-hyun who has nothing to trust.’

“But it might not be, right?”

“The secretary who gains the most from this used to be Han Seung-hyun’s closest aide. We have no choice but to think that the information was passed from that side.”

“Then, if he was Director Han’s closest aide, it means he knew the story, so the information could have been passed from somewhere else…”

“I really can’t understand why you think Han Seung-hyun is a good person. Seeing the positive side of people and not giving up. It’s good. It’s good. But… I know Han Seung-hyun well.”

Tae-sung interrupted Seon-hu’s words. If it were someone else, he might have supported Seon-hu’s good intentions. But Tae-sung knew too well who Han Seung-hyun was and what kind of person he was.

“I know best how much Han Seung-hyun hates me. …It’s not incomprehensible. But we’ve come too far to turn back now, and the current Han Seung-hyun is someone who wouldn’t be able to bear seeing me do well even if he died tomorrow.”

“…I can’t say I know him better than you do. I only met him a few times. But… I might know the recent him better.”

Seon-hu said, looking at Tae-sung. They were solid eyes showing his straightforward personality that Tae-sung liked. It was just frustratingly lacking now.

“You think you know Han Seung-hyun well, so you have no interest in what kind of face he’s making now or what kind of attitude he’s showing.”

“Of course, because it’s obvious even if I don’t pay attention.”

Tae-sung didn’t deny Seon-hu’s words. The fact that Seung-hyun and he hated each other, and what Seung-hyun wouldn’t be able to let go of even if he died.

“I don’t know anything about the Han Seung-hyun you know. So I saw that person without any prejudice, and the person I saw…”

“Looks like a very kind person? Or someone with a story?”

“Don’t be sarcastic. I told you I don’t like it when you talk like that.”

Tae-sung closed his mouth at Seon-hu’s words. Seeing his habit of being sarcastic, which had been quite fixed while living with Seon-hu, come out again, it seemed he was quite excited.

“He looked like someone who had given up everything. So as if he had nothing to fear.”

Seon-hu spoke seriously, but Tae-sung barely held back another sarcastic remark that was about to slip out. Give up? Han Seung-hyun? It was so unfitting that it was almost laughable.

“I can see that the Han Seung-hyun you’ve seen and the one I’ve seen are very different. But… even if it’s just once, look at that person without any preconceptions. You’ll definitely see a different side than before.”

“…Yeah.”

But Tae-sung didn’t want to fight with Seon-hu over this, so he just nodded without saying more.

“Alright. I’ll think about it again too. So don’t worry about unnecessary things. Don’t worry. It won’t be resolved in a day or two… but since there was no exchange, it’ll all come out if investigated.”

Tae-sung comforted Seon-hu and headed to his study, saying he had things to take care of. The project he had prepared for months had gone to waste, but since many tasks had been passed to Tae-sung after Seung-hyun quit the company, there was no time to spare.

‘Han Seung-hyun and giving up. It’s really an unfitting word even thinking about it again.’

After looking at the documents for a while, Tae-sung recalled what Seon-hu had said and sneered. It was a ridiculous thing to say even thinking about it again.

Look at Seung-hyun without any preconceptions. But how could he think about him apart from the past when he knew too well what kind of person Seung-hyun was?

“Come to think of it… why did I come to think of him as the worst?”

But for some reason, those words kept circling in Tae-sung’s head. In the end, Tae-sung became immersed in past memories without being able to fully review the documents he was holding.