CS Chapter 21

“Did you get hit by Grandpa or something?”

 

Returning home late in the evening, Minjun saw Ji Seowoo in the living room on the first floor and crumpled his brow in a frown. Her face, which had been perfectly fine, was swollen after only half a day. And her eyes were so red it was as if she had a severe allergy.

 

“It’s nothing much.”

 

“It’s obviously not ‘nothing much,’ right now.”

 

Minjun approached with long legs and gently gripped Seowoo’s chin with his large hand. Then, he slowly scanned the woman’s face.

 

Feeling a strange sense of shame, Seowoo hurriedly turned her head and pushed his hand away.

 

“…D-don’t stare so intently. I’m ugly because I cried.”

 

“You weren’t pretty even before.”

 

“…I know.”

 

She surprisingly agreed with Minjun’s words, when he thought she’d get angry.

 

Actually, Seowoo’s appearance was far from ordinary; she was a beauty. Her round eyes and pert button nose were delicately sculpted, and her distinct, deep eyes and clear gaze were impressive enough to be remembered for a long time.

 

Looking down at Ji Seowoo’s face so closely, Minjun became even more certain. The woman who would become his wife was definitely on the opposite end of his preference. However, the fact that she always felt like a cat to him remained unchanged.

 

“You look even more like a cat when you cry.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

If you look at her objectively, you will see that Ji Seowoo’s appearance is closer to that of a puppy than that of a cat. But for some reason, whenever he looked at Ji Seowoo’s face, he was reminded of a pure white munchkin cat. More precisely, a poor cat that was soaked in the rain and had been starving for days.

 

Hiding the mischievous urge to ask, ‘Want to meow?’ the man asked again.

 

“I asked you. Why did you cry?”

 

“…….”

 

“If you don’t answer, you won’t be able to go up to your room.”

 

When Ji Seowoo remained silent, Minjun’s gaze turned cold again.

 

After a moment of silence, Seowoo reluctantly opened her mouth.

 

“It’s just that… I was so grateful to Grandpa. He said so many warm things and gave me so much support, that it felt like too much, and it made me cry.”

 

“Just for that?”

 

“I cry easily over just that sort of thing. So… don’t say things like ‘ugly’ so carelessly. It hurts my feelings.”

 

As she spoke, it was as if she was overwhelmed with emotion, and Seowoo’s shoulders continuously twitched. Then, looking up at Minjun, she slowly continued.

 

“Um, Mr. Minjun, this might be presumptuous of me, but… please treat Grandpa well. Talk to him warmly, go out to play when the weather’s nice, and spend a lot of time with him.”

 

“…….”

 

“He’s family, after all.”

 

Listening quietly to Ji Seowoo’s words, the man burst out into an absurd and dumbfounded laugh.

 

“Can I go up now? Good night, Cha Minjun-ssi.”

 

Before hearing his reply, Seowoo turned her back and hurriedly climbed the stairs to the second floor. Watching the small figure of the woman as she disappeared, not a single bone seemingly broken, Minjun furrowed one eyebrow.

 

He thinks this is why young women are exhausting.

 

They needlessly cry too much, are needlessly emotional, and even dare to lecture him.

 

He picked up a cat because he felt sorry for it, but how should he correct this habit?

 

The man clicked his tongue.

 

***

 

Early morning. Jinwoong himself came to the shrine to meet the Cheonsin Bosal.

 

Despite it being a visit from the chairman of a major conglomerate, it seemed he came to deliver some top-secret news, seeing as he only brought one driver. However, as soon as Jinwoong saw the Cheonsin Bosal, he abruptly brought up the topic of talismans.

 

“Bosal-nim, please, I’d like to request one more amulet.”

 

“If it’s an amulet, what kind are you referring to…?”

 

“For my grandson’s wife. I want you to use your power so that she doesn’t encounter any problems even after the marriage.”

 

“Ah, an evil repeller one?”

 

Only then did the Cheonsin Bosal realize the meaning of his words and a smile lifted the corners of her mouth. It seemed the old man had grown fond of the evil repeller in the meantime. This could be seen from him coming here in person to ask her to ensure her safety.

 

“Hmm, an evil repeller should fulfill her duty according to the order of things… If I tamper with someone’s lifeline recklessly, the Goddess Mother will be very angry.”

 

The Cheonsin Bosal waved her hands as if it was an extremely difficult task. However, Jinwoong pleaded earnestly again.

 

“That’s why I am asking you in person like this. I’ll give you as much money as you want. Hmm?”

 

At the words, “as much money as you want,” the shaman’s lips twitched slightly. This was exactly what she wanted to hear.

 

“Chairman, you’re really something… Being a shaman is my destiny. Does a shaman do this for money? I’m hurt by you saying that.”

 

“You might have already foreseen this, but… I have about six months left to live.”

 

“W-what?”

 

“I’ve been told I have some sort of brain cancer.”

 

The Cheonsin Bosal jumped up as if she had not predicted it at all.

 

‘He’s dying? So suddenly?’

 

Staring blankly at Jinwoong’s wrinkled face, she began to sob loudly.

 

The old man in front of her was literally a goose that lays golden eggs. Despite the fact that she had received billions of won from Cha Jinwoong over the past decades, she never seemed to be satisfied.

 

She was constantly pondering how she could trick Cha Jinwoong into buying various talismans and performing even one more ritual, so his death was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

 

“Ohh my, oh my! Last night in my dream, the Mother Goddess was crying so sadly…! I thought something was off. I guess that meant I had to go see our Chairman, sob, hic!”

 

The shaman continued to sob, fabricating a dream she never had.

 

“So, please consider this the old man’s last request and grant it.”

 

The Cheonsin Bosal couldn’t calm down easily and wept loudly for a while.

 

However, even at that moment, the woman’s mind was working busily. She had a wicked heart that would take money even for the deceased’s journey.

 

‘Should I say that we should propose a ritual to extend his lifespan? He looks fine on the outside, why is he suddenly dying? Dammit!’

 

Reaching her hand under the low table where a Buddhist sutra was spread out, she pulled out several tissues. After blowing her nose with loud sniffling sounds, she looked at Jinwoong with teary eyes.

 

“Chairman… I’ll perform a ritual for your health. I won’t charge you a penny. Please consider it my final duty towards you.”

 

“It’s alright. I have already humbly accepted my fate. Since the time has come, the gods must be calling me. To be honest, I’m already excited about meeting my son and granddaughter-in-law in the afterlife.”

 

“If you put it that way…”

 

“As I said, I only have one request. Please take care of my grandson and granddaughter-in-law.”

 

His grandson and granddaughter-in-law…

 

The grandson of Jinwoong was someone she had encountered passing by when visiting the Chairman’s house.

 

Though she was briefly captivated by his handsome face, he was an incredibly ill-mannered one, not even greeting her when he saw her, but instead giving her a blatant sneer.

 

Above all, he was not someone who could be easily swayed. Even when told that he would die before forty if he did not marry, he did not even bat an eye, and instead said things that were so nonchalant.

 

“That’s nice, I’ll be dying at a similar age to my mom and dad. I can be friends with them in the afterlife.”

 

Until now, she had been able to act like a godmother of the Daehan Group because of Chairman Cha Jinwoong’s deep faith, but now that the old man’s life was on the line, she was going to lose her lifeline immediately.

 

However, if she could charm the granddaughter-in-law Jinwoong mentioned…? Perhaps she could be the second goose that lays golden eggs?

 

Her calculations were quick; the shaman grabbed Jinwoong’s hand tightly.

 

“Chairman. May I meet that child in person?”