Chapter 193: Living with Remembrance

Attorney Bae inserted the tape containing Grandfather’s final wishes into the cassette player and pressed play.

A slight crackle sounded before Grandfather’s voice began to emerge.

Hearing Grandfather’s voice from the days when he was still healthy made Cheon Ji-young’s eyes well up with tears.

Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su didn’t cry; they juust wore a peculiar expression that hinted at a mix of tension and sorrow.

The beginning of the tape featured a dialogue format where Grandfather introduced himself and explained the purpose of this will, mentioning the witnesses listening in.

Only after several minutes of this conversation did the real will begin.

— Ji-soon, Ji-su, Ji-young, and Mu-hhyeok.

Grandfather affectionately and slowly called each grandchild’s name.

— I love you all.

Those words pierced through the heart like a sharp blade.

Ji-young cried out, while Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su shed a few tears. II bit my lip to hold back my own tears.

— I trust you all to take care of my last moments.

Hearing him entrust his final moments not to his children but to his grandchildren left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Understanding the weight of what Grandfather might have felt, Chief Ha, who stood silently behind Attorney Bae, also donned a sorrowful expression.

There was no mention of asset distribution in Grandfather’s brief spoken will.

He simply wished for us to live well, stating that he had lived his life fully.

— It might be disappointing, but I hope everyone will respect my decision.

That was the last thing he said. With a click, the playback ended.

Attorney Bae removed the tape and paused as if to give us time to compose ourselves.

I gently patted Ji-young’s back as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Once Ji-young managed to regain her composure, Attorney Bae turned to Chief Ha, seeking his agreement.

Chief Ha nodded.

“I will now reveal the will.”

Attorney Bae unfolded the will.

“I want to inform you that this will takes legal effect from this moment on. Is everyone in agreement?”

Everyone nodded. With our agreement, Attorney Bae began to read the will.

“Then, I will announce the will of the late Chairman Cheon Tae-san.”

The sound of Cheon Ji-won’s gulp echoed in the room as he nervously swallowed.

“First, all stocks and bonds owned by me will be inherited by Kim Mu-hyeok.”

Most of the stocks and bonds had already been transferred to me. However, by stating this in the will, Grandfather clearly expressed his intentions.

Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su nodded in anticipattion of this part, showing no real reaction.

“Second, my house in Pyeongchang-dong will be inherited by Kim Mu-hyeok.”

Grandfather’s home in Pyeongchang-dong held significant meaning.

It would symbolize that I took over after Cheon Tae-san.

Of course, that house also held precious memories for me.

“Third, all real estate except those in Seoul will go to Kim Mu-hyeok; all properties in yeong-dong will go to Kim Mu-hyeok; properties in Gangam will go to Cheon Ji-won, and properties in Gangbuk will go to Cheon Ji-su.””

Finally hearing my name come from Attorney Bae’s mouth drew a response from Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su..

The real estate in Gangnam and Gangbuk included buildings and land worth a staggering sum.

Previously, Grandfather had given Cheon Ji-won two buildings in Gangnam, stating it was the last time.

So when the unexpected inheritance of the Gangnam property fell to him, Cheon Ji-won couldn’t hide his joy.

Cheon Ji-su maintained a blank expression, but his eyes flickered.

“Fourth, all domestic deposits will be inherited by Ji-young, while all foreign deposits and real estate will go to Kim Mu-hyeok.”

Grandfather left cash for Ji-young.

Although she was never greedy, it was no surprise that her eyes widened with the sheer amount she was beginning to grasp.

Having inherited buildings, Cheon Ji-won shot a sideways glance at Ji-young, his eyes betraying envy.

“Lastly, everything else will go to my successor, Kim Mu-hyeok.”

After reading all of the will, Attorney Bae set it down and closed his eyes.

Silence fell over the family waiting room for a moment.

“This is Chairman Cheon Tae-san’s last will. I hoperyone will follow suit. If any of you present here act against his wishes…”

Chief Ha, standing behind, spoke in a low voice. But his words carried a heavy weight.

“He instructed me to sort everything out. I want you to engrave this in your hearts.”

Having finished his words, Chief Ha’s face showed no emotion. He spoke with a calm demeanor, as if just doing his duty.

Perhaps because of his warning, the silence extended.

“Well then, I will take my leave.”

Attorney Bae stood and announced.

The others lost in thought remained still. When I stood to see him off, Ji-young followed suit.

I subtly shook my head to stop her and followed after Attorney Bae as he left the waiting room alone.

“Thank you, Attorney Bae, for your hard work.”

“Haha, it’s my job. Chairman often spoke a lot about you when he was revising the will at the end.”

Stopping in his tracks, Attorney Bae smiled as he spoke.

“Having seen him for over 30 years, his expressions when mentioning you were… just like those of a child.”

A childlike image of Grandfather made me chuckle for a moment at that remark.

“He acted like that?”

“Yes, I’ve never seen Chairman like that before. They say everyone turns into a child when they grow older; I never thought he would be like that.”

I tried to visualize that image in my head, but couldn’t quite imagine it, perhaps because I had never witnessed it before.

“He never showed me that side, so I wouldn’t know.”

Attorney Bae nodded. Perhaps because we were reminiscing about Grandfather, he seemed to take on a slightly more relaxed expression compared to when we were at the funeral home.

“Chairman always watched over you like a sturdy old tree. His verbal skills may have been lacking, but his love for family was genuine. He didn’t expect it to return in this way…”

In my past life, I had never understood Grandfather’s sincerity. To me, he had simply been a terrifying figure.

But in this life, observing him closely revealed he was just a regular person— a loving family man.

I thought I had distanced myself from him, but it was I who had kept my distance. It was only now that I understood.

Feeling a warm sensation in my throat, I cleared it awkwardly.

“I truly will take my leave now. I’ll return for the funeral.”

“Thank you for your services.”

“Not at all. It was an honor to convey the last words of the Chairman.”

With those final words, Attorney Bae got in his car and left the funeral home.

As the car disappeared from view, I turned around. Manager Ma, who had been waiting, approached.

“Chairman Song contacted me. He just arrived at the airport and wanted to know if visitation was allowed.”

“Please tell him to come tomorrow. I think we need to sort things out first today.”

I appreciated Chairman Song’s willingness to come right after finishing the North-South Summit and arriving in Seoul.

However, I wouldn’t be able to receive visitors today.

We needed time to organize both the funeral home and Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su..

And I needed to have a word with Chief Ha as well.

“What about the people from Il-sung?””

“The seriously injured were sent to the hospital, and the others were sent home. I conveyed Chief Ha’s warning to a person who seemed to be their team leader.”

After all this, they wouldn’t dare disrupt Grandfather’s last journey.

Chairman Seo well understood Grandfather’s terrifying presence, as well as the unwavering loyalty of Chief Ha towards him.

Though he had quietly kept watch over Grandfather for years, he hadn’t really changed as a person.

“Hah… For now, call the staff and clean up around the funeral home. Please re-order the wreaths and have them installed with the names of the senders intact.”

“Understood.”

There were so many eyes on us that rumors would likely spread quickly.

Nevertheless, we had to begin receiving visitors again starting tomorrow.

Looking at the condolence banners sprawled on the floor, muddied, I recalled Cheon Su-man.

Even thinking back, I still couldn’t grasp why Cheon Su-man acted that way.

‘What was he thinking? Surely, he wasn’t unaware it was reckless behavior.’

We had plenty of time to take action after all the funeral procedures were completed.

Yet, rather than act discreetly, Cheon Su-man made a blunder by driving me out of the funeral home. He acted as if fleeing something.

Re-entering, I noticed the family waiting room was quiet as everyone seemed lost in thought.

Only Ji-young was glancing nervously at Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su, who were deep in ccontemplation.

“Chief Ha, why don’t you sit down for a bit?”

I told Chief Ha, who remained standing, to take a seat as I settled down myself.

My mind was a jumble, with many things to sort out.

“Cheon Ji-won, Cheon Ji-su.””

I softly called them. Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su looked at me..

“Leave thinking for later. If you want anything, keep watch over Grandfather’s funeral. No, genuinely receive guests so as not to tarnish his name.”

Cheon Ji-su nodded in agreementt, but Cheon Ji-won still looked at me with irritation, perhaps still not grasping the situation.

“What do you think gives you the right to boss me around?”

Even a beast would regain its senses after being struck; he clearly didn’t even measure up to that.

I had to crush him thoroughly so he wouldn’t dare speak back like that again.

I shot Cheon Ji-won a glare filled with murderous intent.

“I’m serious. Thinking about what you did to Ji-young makes me want to kill you, but I’m doing my best to hold back. If you don’t want this to turn ugly, don’t provoke me again.”

I felt I had acted far too leniently until now. That’s why something like today had happened.

I intended to show them exactly what happens when I made my mind up.

“Watch closely. Observe how Il-sung crumbles. If you sttep out of line, you’ll find yourselves meeting the same fate.”

Today, they received a pardon, not from me but from Grandfather.

But I wouldn’t show them leniency again. Surviving from this point forward would depend entirely on their actions.

“If you wish to protect what you have, then stop getting involved with me. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

From now on, I had no qualms about using any means necessary.

Public opinion? Strict laws? To hell with all of that.

“Once the funeral is over, be like a dead mouse and keep your mouth shut. If you plan to cross me again, be prepared to face the consequences.”

Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su had vastly differennt reactions to what I said.

While Cheon Ji-won’s face turned red with embarrassment, Cheon Ji-su closed his eyes, seeemingly deep in thought.

“…If you plan to take down Il-sung, can’t you give me something in return?”

In the midst of all this, Cheon Ji-su displayed his own ggreed.

“Take what you can to the best of your ability. I won’t interfere.”

“Sure. I won’t contest Grandfather’s will. I’ve already gotten my fair share.”

Wondering if it was a satisfactory answer, Cheon Ji-su actually smiled sliightly.

This time, I turned to Cheon Ji-won, who had been silently listening since the warning. His expression seemed a bit calmer after hearing my warning.

“Cheon Ji-won, what about you?”

“…I have no intention of contesting Grandfather’s will either.”

That was sufficient. I nodded slightly.

“Since you’re the eldest grandson, you’ll welcome guests in the mourning hall. I’ll oversee the funeral proceedings from behind. Is that doable?”

“Got it.”

Cheon Ji-won was clueless and arrogant, but he was also timid. It seemed my warning had struck a chord.

“Ji-young, just keep doing what you’re doing. Can you manage?”

“Yeah, Oppa.”

Given the somber atmosphere, Ji-young answered awkwardly with a smile.

I chose not to ask her if she had any objections to Grandfather’s will. Given her reaction while reading the will, it seemed unnecessary.

“The staff will handle organizing the surroundings. Go eat and rest today. We’ll begin welcoming guests again from tomorrow morning.”

Cheon Ji-su was the first to riise from his seat.

“Ji-young, do you want to sleep with me?”

Ji-young nodded and got up to follow Cheon Ji-su..

Left alone, Cheon Ji-won hesitated before finally standing up and leaving the waiting room.

In the family waiting room, only Chief Ha and I remained.

“Chief Ha, we have some organizing to do, right?”

I addressed Chief Ha, who had been quietly listening to our conversation.