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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Ma Gongja
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You didn't need to see the child to know what kind of background it had.
Lady Na Hwajin looked out the window. Her dogs were playing energetically in the yard.
‘Those dogs are all purebreds.’
Lady Na Hwajin had always raised only the smartest and most carefully selected pedigrees.
She clicked her tongue.
“What does she plan to do, bringing home a mutt?”
How filthy must the child be. The mere thought of it made the house feel dirty.
“I hope it doesn't become a bad influence on our Shin.”
She knew all too well that those of lowly birth were impossible to rehabilitate.
‘Should I start looking into the annulment process for the adoption?’
She clicked her tongue again and stood up.
It was all so tiresome. Her third daughter, still causing trouble even at her age, was pathetic.
* * *
Lee Yugyeong, the second daughter-in-law of the Seongjin Group's owner, stood up. She had just downed the coffee her mother-in-law had left behind.
“It tastes just fine.”
Honestly, her mother-in-law was just so damn picky.
‘We'll see how long you can keep looking down on me!’
She ground her teeth, seething.
‘As if you don't secretly think the same thing!’
Was it because of the cold coffee? Her stomach churned. Lee Yugyeong set down the coffee cup and crossed her arms.
“Anyway, this is all my sister-in-law’s fault!”
Was it from anger? Her left eyelid twitched. Now, even that was getting on her nerves.
She pouted and crossed the living room.
“Let's go have a look at that face!”
I have to see what kind of mutt she brought home to cause all this fuss!
Fuming, Lee Yugyeong strode toward the annex.
* * *
“Bbooppabba, bbooppabba?”
Is this… a house?
Excuse me. If this is a house, then what was the place I’ve been living in all this time? A chicken coop? And that chicken coop was damn expensive…
‘In my past life, I struggled my whole life just to get that one chicken coop.’
How moved I was when I finally achieved my dream of owning a home.
‘But this is a real house?’
It’s so big.
I blinked. Mom adjusted her hold on me and spoke.
“Gongja. This is the house we’ll be living in.”
Wow, Mother.
“Bboobba!”
Wow.
‘This has to be Seoul, right?’
The lot alone looked incredibly spacious.
‘Come to think of it, they say all the fancy houses in Korea are in that one neighborhood…’
Could this be the place? The one I’d only ever heard of but never visited!
“Bboobyaddo?”
Seongbuk-dong?
Then, Mom shook her head.
“No. I misspoke.”
“Bboobya, yoobboobyabbi?”
It’s not Seongbuk-dong?
‘Wait, more importantly, do you understand what I'm saying, Mother?’
Is this the power of a mother? I looked at her, amazed, but she shook her head.
“Gongja. Let me try again. It's true that this is the house we'll live in.”
Mom pointed her finger at the large mansion.
“But it's not this one.”
“Bbya?”
Huh?
I rolled my eyes and looked where Mom was pointing.
It was a huge mansion with a magnificent gray exterior.
‘How many floors is that?’
I counted the windows vertically.
‘One, two, three, four?’
At this point, isn't it just a villa disguised as a house?
‘But we're not living here?’
Mother, where are we living then?
My beautiful mother, Ma Sujeong, smiled brightly and said,
“We’re living over here!”
Mom pointed to the left. There stood a small house that looked like it had been broken off from the main mansion.
“Bboobba bboobiyoo?”
Over there?
Mom nodded.
“Yep. It's our own paradise, separate from that evil mansion.”
I looked at the place we would be living. It looked like a cookie that had been broken off from the huge mansion.
‘Well, this way or that, what does it matter.’
This is an expensive neighborhood, isn't it?
‘An office worker could save for ten years and still not afford a single room here.’
Ah, my homeland, the empire of real estate.
Mom looked down at me anxiously.
‘Hey, why are you so nervous.’
I smiled brightly and clapped my hands.
“Bbyabbyabbyabbya! Bboobyaya!”
It's great, Mother!
“Oh, Gongja. Do you like it?”
“Bboobbooppabba!”
Of course!
Mom smiled as she adjusted her hold on me. Then she strode forward energetically.
“That mansion is hell, Gongja.”
“Bbyabboobboobboobbi?”
Is that so?
‘Well, I guess she doesn't get along with her family.’
My mom, the third daughter of the Seongjin Group.
‘Thinking about it, this family was quite something.’
I recalled the Seongjin Group.
‘Didn't the owner's family have a rather dark atmosphere?’
I remembered all sorts of incidents and accidents.
‘In the first place, didn't my mom also pass away in a car accident?’
I furrowed my brow.
‘With the Seongjin Group, it was always car accidents.’
Come to think of it, it wasn't just one or two people who died.
“Bbooooong.”
This is serious.
I looked up at Mom. My beautiful mother's cheeks were slightly flushed.
‘She must be really happy that I'm here.’
I nuzzled my face into Mom's embrace.
“Bbya!”
No way!
‘I can't just let her get into a car accident.’
“Kkyaabbya! Bboobbooya, bbooyabboobboobboo, shashyeobboo, bbawoobbawoo, bba!”
I'm planning to be a filial son! You have to live a full 120 years!
Mom took my hand and shook it gently.
“Are you excited, my Gongja? I guess the garden is pretty. It’s the only decent thing about that evil mansion.”
Unaware of my thoughts, Mom adjusted her hold on me and showed me the surroundings.
“Bbyaaa.”
It's pretty.
‘But how can I even take that in right now?’
Neither the huge mansion nor the well-kept garden impressed me. The only thing that mattered to me now was my mother's long and healthy life.
“Bbyaaaaa!”
I'll stop it.
I'll stop it, no matter what.
‘How do I do that?’
Just then, as if on cue, a subtitle appeared.
“Bboobya, bbobboobyabya?”
So it's the coins?
Then, how do I collect them?
“Bboobboo! Bboobyaibbyabbya.”
I need an audience.
In the end, I was back to the same problem.
‘I hope there are a lot of people here…’
While I was lost in thought, Mom had already entered the annex. A clean, white-themed entrance came into view.
‘It's bigger than I thought.’
Mom patted my back and said,
“Gongja. This is our home.”
“Bbyaayoo!”
It's wonderful!
My mom really gets happy over the smallest things.
‘Then I should show her something even cuter.’
I flapped my arms. Then I smiled brightly.
“Bbyawoo!”
“Oh my! You like it too, my Gongja.”
Mom patted my back as she stepped inside. As soon as the sensor light turned on, a middle-aged woman came running.
“Miss, you’re here.”
“Yes. Our Gongja came with me.”
“You really brought him.”
What. ‘Really’? Did she think I wouldn't be brought here?
“What’s with that, Ansan-daek? I told you I was bringing him.”
“Aigoo. But still. Raising a child isn’t easy. My goodness… So this is the child?”
The woman who worked here didn't seem very welcoming.
‘Then again, considering Mom's situation, that's to be expected.’
Even I would probably try to stop a beautiful actress from bringing home a child.
‘Still.’
I'm already on the family register!
‘So, since Seongjin Group is a chaebol, does that make me a golden spoon?’
But I'm not related by blood…
‘Then I'm not a golden spoon.’
What should I call it then?
‘A gold-plated spoon?’
I was tilting my head slightly when the woman called Ansan-daek looked at me.
‘A new audience member.’
She might not be friendly, but I needed to collect new coins.
I put my heart and soul into giving her a bright smile.
“Bbyabbya, bboobboobboobboo!”
Let's get along!
I even held out my arms to look cute. For a moment, the woman didn't even flinch.
“Oh, oh my?”
“Ansan-daek, isn't our Gongja pretty?”
“Is… is that a human?”
“What are you talking about?”
For Ansan-daek's sake, I kept wiggling my arms.
‘This is the time to let out a good babble.’
Rise, my coins!
“Bbya!”
Ansan-daek took a step back. Then she blinked her eyes frantically.
“G-Good heavens… How can a baby be so handsome?”
“Right? Isn't our Gongja pretty?”
“I mean, my goodness! I thought he was carved from jade.”
She's saying I'm like a jewel.
‘I suppose I am pretty cute.’
Though I haven't been able to see just how cute with my own two eyes.
‘I haven't had a chance to look in a mirror.’
I'd like to see for myself.
‘That way I'll know my best angles. No matter how handsome you are, there's always a best angle.’
Ansan-daek took two steps back and said with a start,
“Ah, Miss? Did you perhaps bring the baby home because he's so pretty?”
“Oh, Ansan-daek. Who brings a child home just because they're pretty?”
“I know, but he's just so cute.”
Her reaction was incredible.
‘A rather successful first meeting.’
Then, I should do more.
I let out another cute babble.
“Bboobbooya!”
“Aww, so cute!”
Mom took my hand and said,
“See. Gongja is happy to see you too, right? Ansan-daek, say hello. This is our Gongja.”
“Uh, oh. I mean, what's the point of saying hello? Does a baby understand us?”
“But our Gongja is saying hello.”
She had a very good point. I opened and closed my fists as if to say hello.
“Bbya!”
Hello!
Ansan-daek took a few more steps back. This time, it seemed a bit too far.
But my mom was persistent. She strode forward, closing the distance Ansan-daek had created.
“Ansan-daek, say hello.”
“Ah, yes. H-hello, baby.”
“Bboobboobboobboo!”
Hello!
Ansan-daek covered her mouth with her hand. Then she took a deep breath in and out.
“…Oh, Namu Amitabha.”
Her religion must be Buddhism. I'm an atheist.
“So when you said you were bringing home a child… this was the one.”
“What do you think?”
“Well, he's cute. Very cute.”
Ansan-daek glanced at me, then looked away.
“He's so pretty I can't believe a child like this exists.”
“Huhu. Gongja. Ansan-daek says you're cute.”
“Oh my goodness! He's smiling. Look at him smile. Oh, dear gods and spirits.”
Huh? A moment ago it was Buddhism, now it's gods and spirits?
“Ansan-daek, want to hold him?”
“Ah, yes.”
Mom passed me to Ansan-daek. Perhaps she had a lot of experience with childcare, as the woman held me comfortably.
I kicked my legs.
“Bbyaaa!”
“Oh my.”
Ansan-daek swallowed hard.
“He-he really is cute.”
“Isn't he?”
“I-I think he might be the cutest baby in the whole country.”
Ansan-daek carefully took my hand. I gripped her hand and gave it a little shake.
“Bbyaaaaa!”
Please take good care of me!
Ansan-daek let out another groan.
“Aigoo, Bodhisattva.”
She's back to Buddhism again.
She must be really moved. The number of coins I got was no joke.
“I-I’ve prepared it. The baby’s room.”
“Thank you.”
“No. You already did everything, Miss. I just cleaned. But, my goodness…”
Ansan-daek stared at me intently again.
“Is… is the baby’s name Gongja? Is that right?”
“Yes. It suits him, don't you think?”
“Hmm, since his last name is Ma, that makes him Ma Gongja. Normally it would sound strange, but…”
She patted my bottom.
“Maybe because he’s so cute, it suits him well.”
“Huhu. Right?”
“But Gongja is a boy’s name. He’s not a girl, is he?”
“No. He's a boy.”
Ansan-daek looked at me, bewildered, and said,
“Oh my, Miss! But you picked out everything for the baby’s room in pink.”
