The Baby Seizes Fortune - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 2

Chaea. Those two syllables slipped into my ears and stuck there.

“You are…”

My half-uncle and aunt linked arms and looked at him with wary eyes.

The name of this handsome man who couldn’t take his eyes off me for a long time was Gu Jun-ho.

With light double eyelids and pretty brown eyes, pale skin – he was a man who naturally drew attention.

He had once been an aspiring actor but changed paths to become a manager, and Saebyeol was the first actor he was assigned to.

“Yes. I’m Gu Jun-ho, Saebyeol noona’s former manager.”

Junho patted my head once, then stood up straight and belatedly greeted the two people.

Junho, with his gentle personality, wasn’t a major character in the drama, and though his naive and frustrating nature gave viewers quite a headache, he wasn’t a villain with a vile nature like these two.

‘Rather, he was so good that I sometimes wished he would become more cunning.’

“Ha, I thought Kang Saebyeol had snagged some rich man, but that wasn’t it either.”

Saebyeol’s half-brother spoke in a sarcastic tone, furrowing his brow.

What kind of rude talk is that! Such ill-mannered people!

Junho pretended not to hear and fumbled in his suit pocket to pull out a letter, extending it to them.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a letter that Saebyeol noona left for me.”

The siblings took it and began reading the letter together.

Mom left a letter for Gu Jun-ho?

I want to read it too! I tried to get close to the siblings and stand on my tiptoes, but I couldn’t see anything.

Then Junho, who had been waiting quietly, spoke up.

“So… if the family members are okay with it, I would like to take in Chaea.”

I looked at Junho’s face in surprise.

He wore a lonely smile.

“To become Chaea’s family.”

My eyes naturally shook violently.

In the drama’s timeline, Junho would only be in his mid-twenties.

‘Is he serious????!’

“This is definitely Kang Saebyeol’s handwriting.”

“She says if something happens to her, please take care of Chaea.”

I could hear the Kang siblings having a quiet conversation.

I stared blankly at Junho.

When I was a babbling baby, he was the one who often came to our house to play with me.

“Noona is struggling so much… where is that bastard Kim Min-cheol and what is he doing.”

“It’s not much money, but use this to buy diapers for Chaea. Hand-washing is hard, isn’t it.”

“Peek-a-boo!”

“I’ll play with Chaea to my heart’s content, so noona, go out and get some fresh air. Chaea, should uncle give you a piggyback ride?”

Gu Jun-ho, who in some ways was more like a father than my dad Mincheol, whom I’d never actually seen in person.

But after he quit the management company, I couldn’t see his face. It seemed like he had been continuously contacting Saebyeol though…

But so suddenly like this?

“Well, if that’s what Saebyeol wanted, there’s nothing we can do. But Saebyeol didn’t leave a single penny of assets behind – will that be okay?”

My half-uncle’s voice suddenly rang out.

He had clearly said earlier that they would divide Saebyeol’s inheritance, but now he was playing innocent in front of Junho.

My half-aunt also shrugged and added to her brother’s words.

“Right. The money needed to raise a child is no joke. Once you decide, you can’t back out, so decide carefully. Even if you can’t raise her anymore and ask us to take her back, we won’t be able to.”

These shameless people.

“Liars…”

As I clenched my fists, hardened my eyebrows, and slowly raised my head to look at them, both people flinched as if startled.

“What, what?”

They looked completely shocked at my first reaction, having said nothing and only wiped away tears throughout mom’s funeral.

“Hey, she could talk?”

“At four years old, they usually can talk… but what is this…”

The two spoke in flustered voices.

They probably never thought I would understand. Normally, at this age, I wouldn’t even know the concept of inheritance.

But I know. I know that Saebyeol steadily prepared for the future by saving small amounts each month.

I raised the end of my eyebrow and glared at them as I took a step closer.

“Mom’s inheritance… you’re not giving it to me and only dividing it between yourselves!”

Then I pointed my finger at the two of them.

“You liars! You meanies! That’s our mom’s money!”

Even though it was an empty funeral home, many people were passing by outside the open door. At the sudden loud noise, people stopped and glanced at us.

The flustered siblings waved their hands and tried to scold me.

“You, what are you saying! Such a little thing with no manners!”

“Do you even know what inheritance is? Hah…”

Of course, I couldn’t argue logically.

I could hear people who had been looking into the funeral parlor murmuring.

“My goodness, did you hear what that baby just said?”

“Those people seem to be trying to steal the baby’s inheritance… tsk tsk…!”

“How wronged must that little one feel to speak so clearly…”

Those shameless people who would take a motherless baby’s inheritance deserve to be cursed.

“Chaea…”

I heard Junho’s surprised voice.

I crossed my arms and walked firmly to his side.

Certainly, Junho would be a better choice for me than being raised by those crazy siblings or going to an orphanage.

The visibly flustered siblings seemed busy racking their thick skulls to find a way to handle the situation.

“So then, in that case, three-way split…”

“Give me mom’s money.”

At my voice that flowed out, the siblings startled.

Junho also looked down at me in surprise.

‘Anyway, that money isn’t much…’

Though my heart ached, this was the right decision.

Saebyeol was hardworking but an unsuccessful actress who barely managed to feed me.

So I knew there couldn’t be much inheritance.

Rather than inheriting a small amount in this situation…

“Instead, promise properly!”

I looked up at the siblings with cold eyes and said.

This was definitely a better decision for my future.

“From now on, absolutely never… interfere with Chaea.”

A moment of deep, chaotic silence passed, but having taken my first step into a shrewd childhood, I twisted my lips.

“In writing.”

* * *

After mom’s funeral ended, with the cooperation of my half-uncle and aunt, the process of confirming that I was Junho’s biological child was completed.

My half-uncle, being someone who did illegal work, easily forged the documents, and the court entered me into Junho’s family registry without much suspicion, since I had no father listed on my family registry.

‘Come to think of it, this is before the abolition of the family head system.’

In September 1997, I became the daughter of twenty-five-year-old Gu Jun-ho.

Well… this was probably only possible because this was an era when analog was still mainstream.

“Where on earth did you learn such difficult words?”

Junho, who had gotten off the old bus with me in his arms at the bus stop, asked as if amazed.

“When mom practiced her scripts!”

I held Junho’s hand and spoke spiritedly.

If Detective Conan had his brother Doyle, I had memories with my mom.

“Chaea was curious, so Mom told me! And also….”

Saebyeol had appeared in dramas of various genres, even if they were minor or supporting roles, and she always practiced scripts at home, so it was a sufficient excuse.

“Mom told me to do this if something happened to her!”

“Ah….”

At that moment, tears rolled down from one of Junho’s eyes.

“Ah, why am I like this? How foolish of me.”

When I stared at him with wide, surprised eyes, Junho forced a laugh and patted my head.

“You look like Saebyeol noona and you’re pretty, plus you’re smart too. Our Chaea.”

I could feel deep longing and affection in Junho’s eyes as he looked at me.

“Now Chaea doesn’t need to worry about anything. What Chaea needs, now… this uncle will take care of everything. So Chaea won’t have to struggle alone.”

I had not only completed the adoption procedures, but also obtained written pledges from my half-aunt and uncle stating they had become complete strangers to me, Kang Chaea, and would never interfere in my life.

“Write on paper! I, so-and-so, abandon Kang Chaea!”

The siblings who were like leeches even in the drama had clung to Mom trying to leech off her when she became an actress, only to tuck their tails and run when the male lead appeared….

There was no guarantee they wouldn’t try to drag me down later.

‘Five million won from the inheritance was cheap.’

When they try to become obstacles for me, this handwritten pledge I obtained in exchange for my share of the inheritance will prove its worth.

I held Junho’s hand and climbed up the winding alley.

‘Still, it was money Mom worked hard to save… so it does feel regrettable.’

When thoughts of Mom came to mind and my eyebrows drooped sadly, Junho stopped walking for a moment.

“Our Chaea, shall I carry you?”

“Yes!”

I didn’t refuse and stretched out my arms.

Junho, wearing a gentle smile, scooped me up.

Held against his solid body, I rested my chubby cheek against his shoulder.

The swaying view of the slum looked somehow pitiful.

Junho, who became my guardian at twenty-five without even having children of his own, also seemed pitiable.

‘Are you even married…?’

Torn wallpaper here and there, yellow linoleum flooring, a fat and ugly television. Old furniture.

Junho’s stuffy and damp rooftop apartment, even more shabby than the monthly rental room I lived in with Mom, was waiting for us.

By now, the Kang Siblings must have divided up Mom’s inheritance and happily returned to their daily lives.

But I smiled with relief. Because….

‘…I protected Mom’s insurance money.’

A whole 100 million won.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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