I Became a Villainous Character with a Limited Lifespan

Episode 65

“When do you plan to return to the company?”

The spacious room was divided into several tables, and Seung-hyun’s family occupied one table all to themselves. Taehyeop asked in a voice that wouldn’t be overheard at other tables.

“Even you should have at least a minimal level of thinking. I think that’s enough time to clear your head.”

Perhaps because of the watching eyes, his hand didn’t rise and his voice didn’t get louder, but a quiet anger could be felt in his chilly voice.

“I told the Chairman that it’s not about quitting completely but needing time to cool off. Did you want to upset me on purpose?”

It was simply because he was too lazy to talk further that he had given a deadline he couldn’t return by, but to think it would reach Taehyeop’s ears this quickly. Seung-hyun slightly frowned, feeling bothered.

“Answer.”

Taehyeop’s eyebrows shot up as if he didn’t like that look. Well, he came to have this conversation anyway.

“I didn’t have such intentions.”

“Three months was it? I think this much rest is enough. Now just…”

“I’m not that interested in what father thinks. I never considered how you would think.”

“…What?”

Taehyeop put down the utensils he was holding on the table. He had a face that doubted his ears about what he had just heard.

“I came out today to conclude that story. Because you all couldn’t believe what I was saying. I thought if I declared it in front of many listeners, you might believe me at least.”

“Are you crazy?”

Seung-hyun’s mother said with a shocked face. She certainly disliked her son to the point of hating him, but at least she didn’t think he had no resemblance to her and her husband. 

It was the tenacious obsession with power. A fervid born between a dominant and super-dominant. An existence that deserved to be mocked just for existing, one that should be ashamed of his constitution, but still he didn’t try to give up. 

That’s how he was taught, and instinctively that’s how the child was. One who knew well the value of having his existence recognized, so sometimes he could look more vile.

In that aspect, they were a family whose interests aligned, so the couple couldn’t let go of the lingering attachment to achieving their unfulfilled goals through Seung-hyun.

He’s lacking but at least has the tenacity, so wouldn’t he be better than that dirty bastard child the Chairman reluctantly picked up? If Seung-hyun was detestable, they hated Tae-sung so much they wanted to kill him if they could, so they couldn’t just hand over HJ to him meekly.

Yeah, that was the one thing they never doubted for a single moment. But…

“No. I’m completely sane. So sane that… I feel very refreshed.”

“Then you say such things? How can you do that?”

Forgetting even her place, Seung-hyun’s mother was glaring at him, unable to calm down as her angry voice leaked out little by little. If it wasn’t a place where Chairman Han was present, she would have more than enough reason to scream and slap him across the face like that day.

“How can you…”

“You speak as if there was some great bond between us, mother.”

“…What did you say?”

In fact, he didn’t intend to go this far. He only thought of Seung-hyun’s family relationship as reaping what you sow and never thought deeply about it.

But acknowledging that he had become ‘Han Seung-hyun’ and looking into his life… it was true that he felt a bit of injustice.

Since he became Han Seung-hyun, the original him must have disappeared from this world. Even if you say the body has changed, Ahn Seung-hyun is clearly dead, so he has become a person who doesn’t exist anywhere.

But these people, who only needed a successor to put forward, not a son, couldn’t even properly notice his change and only yelled asking if he was crazy.

This was his own way of revenge. I don’t know if Han Seung-hyun would have wanted it, but now that he found out, he didn’t want to just let it slide.

‘I wanted to stay quiet, but they’re the ones who provoked me too.’

“Isn’t it funny that you speak as if you know me well, mother?”

That her son had become a different person. It’s not something easily predictable, but at least if a person suddenly changes a lot, you would think something happened and try to have a conversation.

“That I’m a fervid. And that I’m your son. Do you know anything other than those two things?”

“What are you trying to do now? Are you trying to argue right and wrong at this point? Are you protesting now? How old are you?”

“You’re speaking as if you would have listened if I was young.”

“What are you doing? In a place where the Chairman is present.”

Taehyeop calmed his wife whose voice had risen a little. But he also found this situation absurd.

“Your mother is right. I don’t know what you mean by bringing up past things at this point.”

They say conglomerates and politicians are no different. Unlike his mother who couldn’t hide her anger, Taehyeop maintained a calm tone and an even voice. He looked so serene it was chilling.

“The important thing is that the company is going in the wrong direction now. Are you saying you want an apology at this point? If that’s what you want, I can do that much for you, so stop with the useless stubbornness and return.”

But unlike his tone, the content wasn’t very serene. After catching his breath for a moment, he spoke as if he thought the whip wasn’t the only answer.

“You may not have wanted to be born as my child, but HJ clearly means a lot to you too. Longing for a higher place is human instinct. Weren’t you the same?”

His pretense of being kind was quite disgusting. Seung-hyun wondered what he was trying to say and listened quietly without refuting.

“No one would deny that you are sincere about HJ. So you too can’t tolerate the company being handed over to Executive Director Han, can you?”

“Is Executive Director Han some kind of monster?”

“…Everything went wrong since that bastard child entered the house. I don’t understand the Chairman who brought him into the house for such a petty reason in the first place…”

“That’s not something for you to say, is it father?”

Seung-hyun smirked. For such a petty reason. He knew what he was talking about. It was about bringing in the secretly kept illegitimate son of his legitimate children because he had no dominant alpha grandson.

He may not be a bastard child, but he probably isn’t Chairman Han’s legitimate child either. Noticing the implication, Taehyeop’s face noticeably distorted.

“…I only had a proper deal with the Chairman. It’s not something to be compared with the likes of Executive Director Han.”

“Yes. Well… I’m sure that’s the case.”

Unless it’s the side of Tae-sung’s father’s legal wife, the reason he’s getting so heated is just because of a fight over the rice bowl. It was tiring how he packaged it. Seung-hyun roughly nodded.

“Since childhood, didn’t you have a sense of responsibility that HJ was your company? So in times like this, you need to get your head on straight. I didn’t raise you to be someone who runs away.”

“That’s right. You didn’t raise me properly.”

“Are you trying to play word games with me now?”

Eventually, even Taehyeop’s calm voice contained a bit of anger. Seung-hyun just nibbled at the food in front of him, whether he heard it or not.

“No, never mind. That’s not the important thing. I understand you don’t have good feelings towards me or your mother, but there are things more important than personal feelings. You know that much, don’t you?”

Soon, Taehyeop, who had calmed down, tried to persuade Seung-hyun again. I tried listening to see what he would say, but it was neither fun nor moving.

Now he really felt like he needed to end this boring conversation. Seung-hyun spoke in a calm voice.

“If it’s not important.”

“What are you…”

“There are things more important than personal feelings. But to me, HJ is not such an existence. The ones clinging to it are you, father and mother. I don’t care what happens to it.”

“You…! Do you even know what you’re saying now?”

Finally, as even Taehyeop raised his voice, people who sensed the strange atmosphere began to look at the table of the three one by one.

“I told you I don’t care at all if this damn company goes bankrupt. Was it a difficult thing to understand?”

Seung-hyun spoke in a clear voice as if to make them hear. At his words, silence lingered for a moment to the point where not even breathing could be heard. Regardless, Seung-hyun ate without even giving a glance to the eyes looking at him.

“…What did you say just now?”

The one who broke the silence was Chairman Han. Chairman Han was originally not the type to be easily surprised, but this time he couldn’t maintain his composure.

“This damn company. I said I don’t care if it goes bankrupt.”

“What were you talking about that led to this?”

“You asked me what HJ means to me.”

While Seung-hyun, who was actually answering, had an indifferent face, every time he spoke, the sound of surprised breaths being drawn in could be heard from here and there.

Seung-hyun spoke emphatically once again.

“I won’t take it even if you give it to me, so don’t expect me to return.”