Chapter – 07
Haena blurted out a heavily twisted sigh before she could even stop herself. In truth, considering the tiny age gap between the original Kim Haena and Hong I-do, calling him “mister” felt completely natural.
“ā¦?” “It is wonderful to see you after so long, Father. Have you been in good health?” “ā¦ā¦?”
Haena bowed very politely from the waist, offering a flawless belly-button bow before flashing a bright, radiant smile.
I will transform myself into the most perfectly well-mannered child, looking like I stepped straight out of a traditional confucian village school.
“Haena, youā¦”
Seeing Haena’s smile, Managing Director Hong I-do looked completely caught off guard. However, that trace of bewilderment vanished in an instant. No, it felt more like his brief flash of attention on Haena had simply dissolved. He looked as though he was merely writing this off as yet another one of Haena’s new pranks.
“Yes. I have beenā¦ healthy.”
I-do looked down at Haena with an incredibly conflicted expression.
“Are youā¦ doing alright as well, Haena?”
If that is honestly the best well-wishing inquiry a father can offer his daughter after ages apart, it is absolutely wretched.
“Yes. It is all thanks to your kind worries, Father.” “ā¦Then return to your room now.”
This man really has neither blood nor tears.
When a daughter this adorable tries to strike up a warm, affectionate conversation, shouldn’t you offer at least a bit of a reaction? If I were Haenaās mother, I would have showered her with a hundred kisses the very second I laid eyes on her. No matter how exhausted my own parents were when they got home from work, they always kissed me and held me tightly in a warm embrace before going to sleep.
“Why do you keep sending me back to my room, Father? Are you that exhausted?” “ā¦!” “If you’re really tired, just tell me so, instead of locking me away in my room. It makes me feel terribly hurt when you speak to me like that.”
Haena spoke crossly, then spun around with a sharp huff and stomped up the stairs toward her room. I don’t particularly want to hang around you here either, mister.
Even long after Haena had disappeared upstairs, Managing Director Hong I-do remained rooted to the spot in the foyer, utterly frozen.
“ā¦Hurtā¦?”
He stood there, muttering that single word under his breath.
“Oh, Managing Director!”
Just then, Eui-ryeong, the nanny, noticed him as she was walking past and approached in surprise.
“You’ve returned! If you were home, you should have called for us…! Your luggage is in the car, right? I’ll go right now andā” “No. That won’t be necessary.” “Pardon?” “I left my luggage at the hotel. I intend to stay there for the time being.” “At a hotel? Without even staying at the house?”
I-do nodded calmly.
“Haena becomes uncomfortable whenever I am around.” “What? No, that’s not true! Young Lady Haena truly cares for you soā” “She is a child who used to throw fits of absolute panic every single time she looked at me.”
I-do paused for a brief moment as he recalled Haena, who had shown absolutely no signs of panic just moments ago, but he quickly shook his head.
“ā¦She may seem fine seeing me for a brief fleeting moment right now, but if we stay under the same roof, she will become ill again. Being separated is what’s best for Haena.” “Managing Directorā¦.”
As Nanny Eui-ryeong stood there completely flustered and unable to find her words, I-do gave a detached nod and stepped further into the house.
“The only reason I dropped by today was to greet Father. Is the Chairman in?” “Ah, the Chairman is out at the moment. He mentioned he would be back for dinner.” “Then I shall return at that time.”
The exact moment I-do turned on his heel to leave without a shred of hesitation, Eui-ryeong frantically stopped him.
“Wait, Managing Director!” “?” “Please don’t leave, wait for the Chairman here at the house instead. Young Lady Haena has changed immensely these days.” “ā¦?”
I-do looked skeptical, but then he recalled the attitude Haena had displayed just moments ago. It was the first time he had ever seen Haena act that way. Previously, whenever Haena saw I-do, she would hover awkwardly, unable to even speak to him. Before long, she would inevitably burst into tears and spiral into a fit of hyperventilation or panic.
Speaking in such a clear, sharp, and bright tone was something she hadn’t done since the day her mother died. Because Haena had always looked so deeply distressed whenever she saw him, I-do had naturally come to feel a profound sense of guilt and regret regarding his very existence in her life.
Even when he tried to ask her why she was crying so intensely, she could barely answer through her heavy sobbing.
‘M-M-Mommyā¦ā¦ā¦’
That was all Haena could ever manage to utter. It was a symptom that had manifested right after her mother’s passing. When the other adults asked Haena why she broke down every time she saw her father, she would clamp her mouth shut and refuse to speak a single word.
Even when they brought in the most renowned counselors and medical experts to evaluate Haena, nothing changed. If anything, her symptoms only worsened.
‘It is highly probableā¦ that looking at you, Managing Director, serves as a direct trigger that reminds young Haena of her late mother.’ ‘!’ ‘It is an incredibly rare case, butā¦ it is entirely possible. The profound grief of losing her mother remains as a severe trauma, and every time it is triggered, it manifests in this specific manner.’
At the doctor’s words, I-do felt as though his entire heart had dropped into a bottomless abyss. When he asked if there was any way to cure it, the doctor merely repeated that it would require an immense amount of time and extensive therapeutic counseling.
Yet no matter how much effort they poured into her, the issue showed no signs of improving. Because Haena would literally lose consciousness from hyperventilating if she looked at him, I-do simply began to actively avoid her out of fear that the child might physically hurt herself during an episode.
Even earlier, when he told Haena to hurry up and go to her room, it was strictly because he was terrified that staying in his presence any longer would cause her to cry until she collapsed into another fit.
ā¦It has been a truly long time since weāve had a conversation that lasted that long.
Meeting her after all this time, the Haena he spoke with was lovely, intelligent, sharp-witted, and incredibly cute.
True to being my daughterā¦ she speaks exceptionally well. Quite clever.
I-do nodded quietly to himself.
“Young Lady Haena is doing incredibly well these days. She’s remarkably polite and well-behaved around the adults. Since her kindergarten is temporarily closed for renovations, she’s currently taking lessons with private tutors, and even the teachers keep praising how much brighter and more wonderful she has become.”
Seizing the golden opportunity, Eui-ryeong passionately appealed on behalf of Haena’s transformation.
“Of course, it has only been about two weeks since the Young Lady became this brightā¦ But still, everyone is overjoyed because it feels like she has finally become healthy.” “ā¦Two weeks?” “Yes! These days, she even finishes her mealsā” “Then it is still too early to deem her safe.” “!”
I-do immediately retreated back into his defensive shell.
“If it has only been two weeks since Haena began acting this bright, it is still far too volatile. We can consider having proper conversations only after it is definitively determined that she is entirely at peace and her health is stable.”
I-do hesitated for a moment before adding quietly, “In the pastā¦ we also thought she was doing fine, but the moment I tried to talk to her, she suddenly fainted and couldn’t open her eyes for days.”
There had been a time before when Haena seemed to briefly improve. Believing her mind had finally stabilized, the moment he attempted to have a proper conversation, she had dissolved into tears, suffered a massive seizure, and lost consciousness. And that wasn’t the end of itāher body temperature suddenly skyrocketed, landing her in the emergency room.
Though she thankfully recovered soon after, that incident left a deep, unshakable trauma within I-do. While he desperately yearned to be close to his daughter, Haenaās physical survival and health reigned paramount above all else. The doctorās warning that a young child suffering from a fever that severe could end up with permanent brain damage had plagued I-do with endless nights of agonizing worry.
“For nowā¦ I shall remain inside my room. Please ensure that Haena is kept away from me.”
Faced with I-do’s unyielding, resolute tone, Eui-ryeong could no longer argue. She simply nodded her head, because she understood the profound agony hidden within his heart.
“Phew. Homework, complete.”
Seriously, what kind of lunatic forces a seven-year-old child to tackle this mountain of grueling homework? Isn’t this straight-up child abuse? Are the human rights of chaebol children doing okay over here…?
The only reason I’m pulling this off with relative ease is because I spent my past life as a typical Korean corporate slave who worked until 1 AM every single night. For a normal seven-year-old child, this workload is completely unhinged.
Haena found herself suddenly plunged into deep ethical contemplation regarding the human rights of third-generation chaebols.
Looking up at the clock, she realized it was already time for dinner. Hopping down from her chair, Haena went searching for her nanny. Her name was Eui-ryeong, right? She looked so profoundly heartbroken when I told her I forgot her name… I need to make sure I memorize it perfectly.
By the way, where on earth was Haena’s dad hiding? What a cold, heartless father, returning from a long trip and not even bothering to look for his own daughter.
Inwardly, Haena couldn’t help but feel a bit slighted.
Having lived her entire past life with parents who lacked money but showered her with boundless, adoring love, becoming the daughter of a family that was the polar opposite felt significantly worse than she had imagined. No matter how much she pondered it, a warm, harmonious household with less money was vastly superior.
If her real mom and dad were here with her in this luxurious place, it would have been absolutely perfect. They wouldn’t have to worry about a single cent, they could gorge themselves on delicious food together, and they could just go on peaceful, leisurely strolls…
“I miss you guys. Mom, Dadā¦.”
As she softly whispered those words into the empty room, she suddenly sensed a presence materializing right behind her.
“!”
