The Chaebol Family’s Youngest Daughter Doesn’t Hide Her Acting Skills - Chapter 1

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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 1

Early dawn.

-Breaking news. Ju Taeback, Chairman of Dongwoo Group and a major pillar of South Korea’s business world, passed away early this morning. Chairman Joo had been hospitalized since September 3rd, about a month ago, due to complications from a chronic illness…

Sae-i’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Tendons stood out prominently beneath her thin skin.

“…Should I turn off the radio?”

Han Junho, Sae-i’s father sitting in the passenger seat, asked cautiously.

-Chairman Joo’s funeral will be held as a private family service…

Sae-i listened intently to the radio in silence, as if she wouldn’t miss a single word of this news.

“Sae-i.”

“…Just keep it on. It’s a family that has nothing to do with us anymore anyway.”

Ju Sae-i.

The late Chairman Ju Taeback’s granddaughter and the lowest in Dongwoo Group’s succession hierarchy.

While her grandfather’s private funeral was being held, Sae-i was fleeing as if running away.

“Are you really okay with leaving like this? You were so happy about joining the theater company…”

“I guess I still prefer living like this with Father rather than acting.”

Sae-i closed her mouth after speaking. Though she said she was fine, her voice sounded dejected.

After her mother’s death—who had been the eldest daughter of the Dongwoo Group’s Ju Family—young Sae-i had to read her uncle’s moods to survive.

She acquiesced to her uncle’s words to live quietly, handed over her mother’s shares to him, and deliberately distanced herself from the Ju Family.

Even when she had things she wanted to do, she endured it. Because the moment she stepped forward, pressure would be applied.

However, if there was one thing she couldn’t give up, it was acting.

Her heart raced whenever she watched actors perform on TV.

She felt like she would die if she couldn’t act like those people, so she secretly studied on her own.

Then a few days ago, she was accepted into a renowned theater company. On her very first attempt.

It was an achievement made purely through Sae-i’s talent and effort, without any connections.

‘You’re like a monster, Sae-i. Your talent is incredible. I don’t know how many years it’s been since I’ve felt like I didn’t want to let someone go.’

When Seong Hye-sim, a middle-aged actor representing South Korea’s method acting, called her a genius, Sae-i had burst into tears from overwhelming emotion.

However, that joy was short-lived.

‘Sae-i, this is quite bewildering. You’re canceling after being accepted?’

‘I’m sorry. Something came up… I’m truly sorry.’

‘Are you being chased by loan sharks or something? Good grief…’

As soon as Sae-i heard news of Chairman Joo’s death, she called to cancel her theater company acceptance.

She had to leave before the succession battle intensified.

‘What choice do I have even if it’s regrettable? If I stay here and get caught up in it, I might die.’

I’m not regretful at all. So let’s hurry and go. Sae-i pressed the accelerator while repeating this to herself like a mantra.

At that moment.

Honk—!!!

With an ear-splitting horn blast, a freight truck charged toward Sae-i’s car with no chance to avoid it. And then.

“My daughter!”

Her father wrapped his entire body around Sae-i. Soon after, the car body shook violently.

Screech, crash!

Sae-i’s car was pushed back with a thunderous noise, crashed through the guardrail, and plummeted.

“Ugh…”

Had she lost consciousness briefly from the impact? Sae-i, who came to her senses from excruciating pain, let out a groan.

In her blurry vision, she saw a man approaching from far away.

“Yes. I’ve definitely taken care of it. Please deposit the remaining payment as well…”

As he got closer, his voice became clearer. He seemed to be on a phone call with someone.

After checking her father’s condition, he said casually.

“Ah, only this old man kicked the bucket. Miss, your life is pretty tenacious, isn’t it?”

“Please spare me…”

The man reached through the shattered car window and grabbed Sae-i’s shoulder.

After ending his call, he found an audio file and played it.

-That old man wants to transfer his shares to his granddaughter, but how can I just let that slide! I don’t want to give her even a penny, I tell you!

The recording continued from there.

It seemed that Ju Sae-i’s name being written in the will, which was disclosed only to family members immediately after Chairman Ju Taeback’s death, was the root of this incident.

Ju Suduk’s indignant voice continued.

-There’s no choice. You’ll have to take care of it. Just get rid of that worthless girl and her father.

The man who turned off the recording smiled coldly.

“You heard that, right? I have no personal grudge. This is just an important contract.”

Raising a blunt weapon above his head, he spoke in a light tone.

“So if you’re going to curse someone after you die, curse Ju Suduk, not me. Okay?”

“Please spare me…”

Crack.

Without giving her time to process the situation, the man struck Sae-i down with the blunt weapon.

Twenty-five years old. Her humble life came to an end like that.

***

‘…I thought I had died like that.’

I let out a deep sigh.

Beyond having a tenacious life, I had actually returned to the past. To when I was eighteen years old, in my room.

In novels, people who return to the past usually save their parents. But in this case, my mother had died long ago, so I didn’t even have a chance to save her.

Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, there was still plenty of time until I turned twenty-five.

I recalled the recording that the man who killed us had played.

‘He said he was hired by Ju Suduk. Because I was supposed to receive Chairman Joo’s… shares.’

My uncle, Ju Suduk.

As soon as Chairman Joo passed away and they confirmed the will with my name written in it, he immediately had me eliminated. Even our father too.

‘The shares didn’t seem that significant. He just didn’t want to give me even a penny.’

I had obediently listened to my uncle’s words all this time and thought I’d be safe if I distanced myself from the Ju Family.

‘That was purely my misconception.’

Even though I had quietly stepped aside, my uncle’s greed killed us.

‘I must never trust my uncle again.’

In my previous life, I had handed over the shares my mother left me to him, but fortunately, I still had those shares intact now.

My uncle would try all sorts of schemes to get those shares from me. Just like he did before.

‘I need to desperately hold on and survive. I have to save Father too…’

Thinking of Father, who had desperately embraced me in those final moments, made my heart resolute.

‘To hold on, I need an ally.’

Someone who could stop my uncle on behalf of my powerless father and me, a minor.

A name came to mind just then.

My grandfather, Chairman Ju Taeback.

I had naturally thought he would hate me since I hadn’t shown my face at family events, wanting to distance myself from the Ju Family, but what if that wasn’t the case?

‘It’s strange that he wrote my name in his will.’

In my previous life, Chairman Joo had ultimately not cast me out.

So what if I took the initiative this time and made him my ally?

‘I’m glad I read his autobiography.’

After Grandfather collapsed from his chronic illness worsening, Dongwoo Group published his autobiography.

Who would have thought that buying and reading it out of curiosity, since he was my grandfather after all, would be helpful?

I couldn’t remember everything written in the book, but the most impressive passage came to mind immediately.

[Growing a business has become tiresome. For several years now, I have been secretly building a business to honor my late wife.]

[Nurturing brilliant artists with my hands, intuition, and money. This is a secret I haven’t even told my children.]

Grandmother had been an artist from a theater company. A woman who contributed the money she earned from acting to her beloved man’s great enterprise.

Perhaps because of this, the chairman and his wife often went to see plays together.

After his wife died, Chairman Joo began nurturing actors through intermediaries to honor her memory.

The reason I remember this is… because it was revealed not long after the autobiography was published that the agency Grandfather established was the famous ‘Waveactors’.

And I too had acting in my heart. Still, being family, perhaps I was drawn to acting because of that. I briefly entertained such thoughts.

Acting. My only talent and dream that once earned me praise as a genius through self-study alone, but which I had to abandon.

What if I use this to become famous in this life?

I could rise high enough that Uncle wouldn’t dare kill Father and me.

I could spread my name so widely that even if he tried to erase it, he couldn’t.

If everything in the autobiography is true, Grandfather should already be preparing to establish his agency by now.

Waveactors, the agency that would later ghostily scout and nurture only those actors who would make their mark in Korea’s acting world.

I intend to board Grandfather’s business venture.

When I casually turned my head, I saw the calendar.

‘Grandfather’s birthday is coming soon.’

Every birthday, he would clear his entire schedule and have dinner with his close associates at the main house.

Since I had to live quietly, I never showed my face even when invited…

But this time, I’ll force my way in even if no one invites me. I’ve decided not to live like I’m dead anymore in order to survive.

I’ll find a way to visit and show him my acting.

Since every actor Grandfather raised was called an acting genius, he surely has a good eye for talent.

Even if I can’t satisfy him with my acting, I need to at least capture his interest.

To prove that I can become his winning card…

‘I definitely need that script.’

A script that could win Grandfather’s heart. To obtain it, there’s a place I must go.

Right next to Jaedamjae, Chairman Joo’s mansion and the main house of the Ju Family, stands the Dongwoo Museum, which houses items containing the history of Dongwoo Group.

Uncle was the person in charge of all access to the Dongwoo Museum.

I took a deep breath.

I’m going to Jaedamjae.

Now it was time to face Uncle, who had killed Father and me.

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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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