Kim Seo-yeon woke up at 7 am sharp. She bathed and dressed in a dark green dress. The bubble skirt of the dress gave her a youthful look, and the upper part of the dress had floral embroidery that looked delicate. She paired the dress with a pair of two-inch black high heels. Together with her cold aura, she seemed like a mix between vitality and coldness.
She sat at the table in the dining area and greeted Kim Min-ho and Kim Myeongju.
"Seo-yeon, how are you dear?" Kim Min-ho asked in his baritone voice.
"I'm okay. Did you sleep well?" Kim Seo-yeon asked with a smile and sipped from her cup.
"Yes." Kim Min-ho nodded.
"Kim Harang... She's not joining us for breakfast?" Kim Seo-yeon asked and raised her head.
"Oh no. She doesn't come down. But you can go up to her after we're finished." Kim Myeongju said.
When they were done, Kim Seo-yeon grabbed a tray with the food, and walked up to Kim Harang 's room. She knocked on the door, but there was no response.
She pushed open the door and went in. The room was pink themed. It had a bubbly princess atmosphere that reminded Kim Seo-yeon of Yeon Ji-a. Kim Seo-yeon dropped the tray on a table. Kim Harang was not in the room. She was probably in the bathroom. So, Kim Seo-yeon decided to wait.
She sat at a chair and the door of the bathroom opened.
Kim Harang stepped out, wrapped in a towel, looking pale and frail. She looked at Kim Seo-yeon who was seated at the other end of the room, her eyes red.
"What do you want?" Kim Harang asked in a hoarse voice.
"I brought your breakfast up to you."
"I don't want it. Leave."
Kim Seo-yeon's lips lifted up in a smirk. "Alright, I'll tell you what I want. By now, you must know that I and Park Tae-yong are married." Kim Seo-yeon said as Kim Harang's fists balled up. "I made a deal with him that I'd help him get the Crown Prince position when I became the Duchess. But mother and father don't like Park Tae-yong and they're going to make my mission difficult. I want you to get over him." Kim Seo-yeon stated flatly.
Kim Harang laughed out loud. She had been recuperating for some time now and her mental state was better than before. She did not feel the urge to self-harm or suicide, but she couldn't get over Park Tae-yong.
"Get over him? Who are you to tell me what to do?" Kim Harang shouted, the vein on her forehead throbbing.
"I'm no one. I'm just giving you a way out." Kim Seo-yeon said and stood up. She walked to the window and stared out at the gardener tending to the bushes. "Yesterday, when I came, your therapist, Joo Man Jun, seemed off to me. Kim Harang," Kim Seo-yeon turned to look at her. "I haven't been here long enough to know much about your relationship, but mother thinks the same as me. Joo Man Jun is in love with you." Kim Seo-yeon said bluntly.
Kim Harang who was about to scream out, paused, stunned. She hadn't noticed anything at all. She thought that since he was her therapist, it was normal for him to care for her. She cried on his shoulders, told him her deepest secrets, and even on the rare occasions that she went out, they held hands on the streets. When she wasn't thinking about Park Tae-yong, they joked and laughed and talked for long periods of time. She'd never realized that perhaps he thought of her in that way.
Kim Harang shook her head, telling herself that she only liked Park Tae-yong. He was hers. She wouldn't let this woman take him away from her.
"How about you? Why don't you let go of Park Tae-yong? Let me marry him and I'll become the Duchess. Since he only cares about the Duchess position, he wouldn't mind." Kim Harang said with cold eyes.
For a while, Kim Seo-yeon didn't know what to say.
"Or do you think I can't be heiress because I'm adopted?" Kim Harang asked with squinted eyes.
Kim Seo-yeon took in a deep breath. "Kim Harang, there's no use tying yourself to a man who doesn't want you."
"And what about you? Does Park Tae-yong want you?" Kim Harang shouted.
Kim Seo-yeon remained silent.
"You should never have come here. You've torn our family apart and taken away my brother's rightful position. Go back to where you came from!" Kim Harang shouted and started screaming hysterically.
Kim Seo-yeon stared at her strangely. Kim Harang was running around her room, looking like she was frantically searching for something. Her towel had loosened and fallen to the ground, but she didn't seem to notice. Kim Seo-yeon went to her side to hold onto her, but she pushed her away and scratched at her face, leaving two thin bloody lines behind.
The door was pushed open, and Kim Myeongju and two servants ran in to restrain Kim Harang. They quickly pushed her on the bed and sedated her. Kim Harang pushed and thrashed for a while, before closing her eyes weakly.
"Call Dr. Joo." Kim Myeongju said to a servant who nodded and went out.
"Seo-yeon, please, don't push your sister too hard." Kim Myeongju turned to Kim Seo-yeon and said.
Kim Seo-yeon stood up and dusted her hands. "Is she going to be okay?" She asked instead.
"Yes. We've sedated her. Dr. Joo will stabilize her when he arrives." Kim Myeongju said. She picked up the cotton wool from the first aid kit the servant presented her, and lightly dabbed at the scratch marks on Kim Seo-yeon's face.
The antiseptic stung, but Kim Seo-yeon's eyes looked distant.
…
In the patio,
"I've stabilized her condition. It's important you don't agitate her again before she completely recovers." A handsome man dressed in a pair of white pants, white shirt and a red wool sweater said as he sat down.
He didn't dress like other doctors, who wore lab coats wherever they went.
His gaze on Kim Seo-yeon was not very friendly.
"You wanted to see me." He said and picked up the teacup, sipping from it. He looked dignified and noble with that simple action.
"Dr. Joo, I wanted to know if there are any abnormalities in her condition due to my appearance." Kim Seo-yeon said.
"She's depressed. That is an abnormality in itself." Joo Man Jun said, his voice cold, his eyes looking off into the distance.
Kim Seo-yeon smirked. "Dr. Joo, you should know better than anyone else that work should be separated from personal affairs. As a family member, I have the right to know what her condition is." She said coldly.
"Ms. Kim, you can rest assured that if there are any problems, Madam Kim will be informed." Joo Man Jun said and dropped the teacup.
"Well, since you're uninterested in the small talk, I'll get to the point. Park Tae-yong is my fiancé. I need you to find a way to make Kim Harang forget about him." Kim Seo-yeon said.
"What do you think I've been doing all this time?" He asked, as he poured some more tea for himself.
"Dr. Joo, if you really are in love with Kim Harang, you should be able to do this quickly." Kim Seo-yeon said.
Joo Man Jun's hand on the teapot shook slightly, but he remained composed. "Harang is obsessed with him. There's a limit to what I can do. Some things need to be done by him." Joo Man Jun explained with a cold expression. "But I'm sure Ms. Kim doesn't want her fiance getting involved with another woman, hmm?"
"Dr. Joo, I have no reason to explain what my relationship with Park Tae-yong is like to you. You're a psychologist, you should be able to tell the truth." Kim Seo-yeon said.
"I don't care if you and him are really together or not. Harang is affected by your marriage."
"The fact that you're still talking to me shows you have a way." Kim Seo-yeon said and leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.
Joo Man Jun stared into Kim Seo-yeon's eyes. There was a little cunning in it, contrasting with the professionalism in his.
"He has to apologize and make her happy. We need her to return to her former self momentarily, so we can slowly make her let go." He looked away, tapping his knee as he sipped the tea.
"I've known that man long enough. He'll never humor a woman." Joo Man Jun said with certainty.
Kim Seo-yeon's hands around the cup tightened. It was indeed going to be very troublesome. Park Tae-yong would not agree to this.
There was only one option left. To take over O-yeong, without her parents' support. This would require her to absolutely put them under her and take over. That would be very difficult.
"Is there any help I can offer?"
"The only help you can offer is staying away from Harang." Joo Man Jun dropped the teacup. He stood up and left immediately.
Kim Seo-yeon sighed, grabbing her head in contemplation.
…
The stylists were running about, frantically going through racks of clothes. Kim Myeongju had notified them on such short notice, they had to work with what they had.
Kim Seo-yeon's brows furrowed as the hairstylist pulled at her hair.
She hadn't gotten a call from Park Tae-yong, and she hadn't gone over to see him. She didn't mind that his grandmother would feel insulted.
Kim Seo-yeon sucked the smoothie from the straw, her eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror. Despite how impressive her facial features were, she found herself increasingly unfazed by them. More like bored. She thought. She was good looking, yes. But she looked like every other woman who had ever modeled for Victoria's Secret. Perfect and boring.
"Ms. Kim, if you would please lean backwards." The hairstylist said softly. Kim Seo-yeon grunted and rolled her eyes. This hairstylist was not very gentle.
Her phone rang and she took the call without looking, thinking it was Park Tae-yong.
"Kim Seo-yeon. Did you think you could do away with me so easily?" The raspy voice that only belonged to the hooded figure came through.
"You don't have anything to offer me. Am I supposed to hang around?" Kim Seo-yeon asked coldly, a mocking smile on her face.
The manic laughter of the man rang from the other end of the phone. Kim Seo-yeon's eyes narrowed. Park Tae-yong could instill a slight fear in her because of his dominant aura, tone and demeanor. This person, on the other hand, had a sinister aura. It was dark and evil.
He continued to laugh cynically and Kim Seo-yeon almost heard him wheezing.
"Kim Seo-yeon, have fun at the party. I've prepared a nice gift for you." He said sinisterly.