Chapter 56
She was a really strange woman. The sensation of her white, sticky hand touching my face is still vivid.
I hope this doesn't cause skin trouble. My smooth skin is one of my few points of pride.
"Young-won. Over here. Sit here, next to me!"
When I went down to the dining room on the first floor, everyone was sitting at an incredibly long table.
Yoo Dahee pulled out the chair next to her and gestured to me, looking just like a noble lady at a ball. In reality, it was pretty close to that.
On the table were antique-looking candlesticks, plates, forks, and knives, and classical music was flowing languidly from somewhere. The chandelier shined above, and there was an overall luxurious atmosphere.
For a high school student like me, it was a place that felt as ill-fitting as wearing my dad's borrowed suit, and quite awkward. Maybe that's why it didn't feel real at all.
It was also a bit funny that this kind of meal, which might be a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, was just an everyday occurrence for someone else.
I decided to start by sipping some water from the bowl.
Slurp-
It was delicious.
Is this Evian water? Soon, Yoo Dahee chuckled.
"Young-won. That's water for washing your hands."
"I know. But it tastes good. Right, Juhee?"
When I made this shameless joke, Yang Juhee, who had been drinking the water following my lead, frowned. Yang Juhee put down the bowl and looked around meekly, asking,
"So when is your grandfather coming? I feel like we've been waiting for 10 minutes already."
There's a saying that the protagonist arrives late. In that sense, Yoo Dahee's grandfather, Cheon Dae-gon, was truly the protagonist himself.
And just as they say speak of the devil and he shall appear, the large dining room door opened with a click, and a man appeared.
It was an old man leaning on a cane. His build was slightly gaunt, and his hair was all white, undyed. His eyes were sunken, giving his whole face a shadowy impression. And I recognized this face.
Self-portrait!
So this is the owner of the self-portrait that was hanging in the corridor earlier!
"Take your seats."
The old man's voice was neither low nor high. It was ordinary, and that was surprising.
It was fascinating that even an incredibly rich person could have such an ordinary voice.
Swoosh-
We all sat down, and the old man seemed to slowly examine us with his dim eyes before a gentle smile appeared on his lips. He looked like a kind grandfather.
"So you're my granddaughter Dahee's friends. Nice to meet you. I'm Cheon Dae-gon, the owner of this mansion. Just a worthless old man. Thank you for accepting the invitation today. Let's start the meal."
Cheon Dae-gon sat at what could be called the head of the table. In other words, he sat at the most prominent spot.
When he rang the bell installed in front of his table, the door opened and young women appeared from somewhere to place dishes in front of us on the table.
I was shocked.
All the women in black dresses were young and pretty, and among them was Ms. Hong Mi-ri!
"Teacher. What are you doing here?"
"Work."
I see.
Aren't teachers not supposed to have second jobs?
But then again, I wondered if there was any problem with a private school teacher working at the chairman's house.
Ms. Hong Mi-ri's real problem isn't about having a second job anyway!
Anyway. The variety of food placed in front of us ranged from Korean to Western, Chinese, Japanese, and even things I'd never seen or heard of before. I don't even know how to eat some of these, but they all smelled delicious.
For high school students in the midst of growth, this kind of stimulation was absolutely irresistible.
Swish-
Chairman Cheon Dae-gon raised his hand to start the meal, and we soon followed, albeit a bit awkwardly.
I enjoyed the meat placed on a round bowl the most.
I don't know what kind of meat it was, but it was incredibly tender and good. The spicy sauce was perfect too. Is this that lamb?
"Is there any more of this?"
I asked. Then the creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (tentative name) who was waiting near the table approached us and said in a chilling voice,
"There's more. It's so fresh you could say it was just caught. Very fresh. Aren't you curious what kind of meat it is? Hmm?"
Ugh, damn-
This is ruining my appetite. I should stop eating.
As I was thinking this, something like a hair got caught in my mouth.
"......"
What's this?
When I looked, it was a very white and long hair. It doesn't seem to be human...
"Is there a problem?"
The housekeeper asked me, but the bespectacled housekeeper's gaze was constantly on Yoo Dahee.
I remembered what happened earlier.
She called Yoo Dahee a thieving cat. She seemed to hate her immensely.
Even this seemingly problem-free rich household has various issues, I guess.
With that feeling, as the meal was ending and desserts were starting to be placed on the table.
"The mayor's son. Jung-seok. It's been a while since I've seen you like this? I think you were about five years old then. Time flies so fast. Kids grow up so quickly."
"Hello. I'm glad to see you're in good health."
Jung-seok, who was already acquainted with Chairman Cheon Dae-gon, started the conversation first.
Jung-seok might be a coward, but he was actually a bit of a silver spoon kid as the mayor's son.
"Your grandfather and I were close friends. It's quite regrettable that he passed away first because he didn't take care of his health. Is your father doing well? I hear the preparations for the upcoming election are going well?"
"I'm not sure about the election. My father doesn't really talk about such things."
"I see. That's possible. Well─ Tell your father that as long as he doesn't cause any major problems, this election should be fine too. I'll try to use some of my influence."
It sounded like he was saying he could control the election, and it didn't seem like he was just boasting. Is this how conversations between those in power go?
Soon, Chairman Cheon Dae-gon took a deep breath and closed his mouth.
About 10 seconds. Could it be age-related illness?
As I was getting slightly tense, the chairman slowly opened his lips.
"You resemble her. You really do. Blood doesn't lie after all."
What on earth is he trying to say? All the ordinary high school students were tense at this moment.
"Yang Juhee, was it? You look just like your grandmother when she was young. Junko... no, Soonja, I owe her a lot from when I was studying in Japan. She was a very capable friend."
I see.
Yang Juhee's grandmother was a shaman that this man brought from Japan. The relationship between the chairman and Yang Juhee's grandmother was a bit special─ is that how we should see it?
"When your grandmother was young, she was very popular. Everyone who passed by would look at her and ask her out for a drink. It seems like you, Juhee, might be quite popular too?"
"Just average."
Yang Juhee answered awkwardly, fidgeting. She's like a cat borrowed from someone else's house.
So even Yang Juhee can be made this docile by an incredibly rich person.
Now the chairman's eyes turned to Bong Ji-yeon.
"Who are you?"
"I-I'm Bong Ji-yeon. I haven't been friends with Dahee for long... I used to do track and field. I don't know if you remember... you even put a medal around my neck back then..."
"Ah. About two years ago. The girl who ran, right?"
"Yes! That's right!"
As Bong Ji-yeon was very pleased, the chairman cleared his throat.
"You ran very well. I thought we might see you at the Olympics, but it seems you quit track and field."
"Well, I injured my leg..."
"Ah. That's a shame."
The old man spoke as if it was regrettable. From the conversations so far, he seemed like a typical grandfather curious about his granddaughter's friends.
But I clearly noticed that even though this old man sometimes had a smile on his lips, his eyes never smiled once.
He's a sly old man. Maybe he's harboring some dark intentions while looking at these high school girls. If I were a rich old man, I would. Anyone would.
"So, who are you?"
Now the grandfather looked at me. I said simply,
"I'm Ha Young-won."
"Ha Young-won. Your name has many circles in it. I heard from Dahee that she's been imposing on your family a lot. If there's anything you want, tell me. I'll grant it if it's within my reach."
Is he offering compensation for Dahee staying at our house? Saying he'll grant anything within his reach… I'm not sure of the scale here.
"Um, how far does your reach extend?"
"Tsk. Ha Young-won. Is that any way to speak to the chairman?"
The one who answered my question was Ms. Hong Mi-ri, who was listening to our conversation from behind.
Of course, the chairman waved his hand towards Ms. Hong Mi-ri.
"It's fine. Children should have lots of curiosity. That's the educational goal and philosophy of our Yeongji Foundation. To make them curious. Curiosity is important. Even though that curiosity might sometimes kill the cat."
Swish-
Just then, the chairman looked at his phone. He stood up from his seat and said,
"I'm sorry. An urgent appointment came up. I'll be leaving first."
***
Vroom-
The car carrying the chairman left the mansion. That's how the dinner ended.
Thinking about it now, it was much easier than I had been nervous about.
"Guys. Do you want to stay over tonight? We have plenty of spare rooms."
Around 9 PM.
It's late if you consider it late.
Yoo Dahee suggested staying overnight at the mansion.
"That sounds great!"
Bong Ji-yeon was the first to accept.
Yang Juhee narrowed her eyes as if to say, "Another night away from home?" Soon, Jung-seok spoke quietly so that only I could hear.
"We didn't find out much from the conversation earlier, but if we stay overnight here, we might be able to discover various things. I think staying over is fine."
"Okay."
It's not like I'd be doing anything but sleeping with cockroaches if I went home alone anyway. If that's the case, it's better to stay at Dahee's house, which is as good as a hotel.
With that thought, we all decided to stay over. Since the mansion was incredibly spacious, there were plenty of rooms.
Jung-seok and I in one room. And Yoo Dahee, Bong Ji-yeon, and Yang Juhee decided to sleep in the same room.
Of course, it was a bit early to go to bed right away, so we decided to play the "Game of Life" that Yoo Dahee brought out.
"The previous housekeeper gave this to me as a gift, and I really like it. Let's all play together!"
Yoo Dahee seemed happy at the thought of playing the Game of Life with her friends. She's quite modest for a rich granddaughter.
"Are you confident? I'm really good at the Game of Life."
I, Ha Young-won, was good at all dice-rolling games. It's because I've played a lot with my mom since I was young.
However, Yang Juhee won the game.
"I became a lawyer. Jackpot. I'm making tons of money."
Yang Juhee chose a high-income profession and hit all the money-making spots. She bought a house, got married, had kids, and was on a smooth sailing path.
"Boring."
After coming in last place for several rounds, I flopped down on the soft floor.
It was already 10 PM.
Just as I was thinking we should start getting ready for bed, Yoo Dahee kept looking around.
"What's wrong?"
"No. I haven't seen Baekseol for a while. Baekseol. Meow meow."
Yoo Dahee looked around imitating a cat, probably trying to call for the white cat, Baekseol. But as Yoo Dahee said, Baekseol was nowhere to be seen.
Where could she have gone?
Jung-seok said,
"It's a cat, so isn't it just hiding somewhere? The house is big, so there must be many places to hide."
"No. Baekseol rarely goes outside my room. Especially since the new housekeeper came, she hardly ever leaves my room..."
The disappearance of the white cat, Baekseol. As we were wondering what happened, Bong Ji-yeon got excited.
"Dahee! I'll find her for you! It's a bit early to go to bed anyway!"
All day long, Bong Ji-yeon had been acting desperate to become friends with Yoo Dahee. And the problem was that Jung-seok was playing along with Bong Ji-yeon.
"Right. If we all search together, we'll find her quickly."
Looks like we're about to search for a cat in this mansion.
But... thinking about it coolly, exploring the mansion wasn't a bad opportunity for me. Using the excuse of looking for the cat, I could roam around various parts of this mansion.
Step-
With that feeling, we all scattered. I decided to wander around the first floor, but unfortunately, that scary housekeeper was on the first floor.
"You. What are you doing? You're not allowed to wander around the first floor after 11 PM. Go back upstairs quickly."
Is there a curfew for each area? I said to the ghostly creepy housekeeper,
"Um. I'm looking for a cat. A white cat. Baekseol."
"That cat?"
The housekeeper laughed sinisterly, "Kuhehehehe-"
Soon, she said,
"You ate that cat earlier at dinner. Very deliciously."
"...!"
Ugh-!
I felt like I was about to throw up immediately, and my whole body itched!
To think that what I ate for dinner was cat meat! Damn it! This really was a fucked-up mansion! So the white hair I found in the meat earlier was cat hair!
"I'm joking."
"......"
No. What kind of housekeeper is this?
I was angry.
"Why would you tell such a lie?"
The housekeeper said to me,
"I find it most amusing in the world to scare cowardly kids like you."
She was a very twisted person.
Is this what happens to people when they work in a huge mansion?
"A cat has gone missing, you say... I'll look for it on the first floor, so you all go upstairs. And no matter what sounds you hear from the first floor after 11 PM, absolutely do not come down before 5 AM."
"Why?"
"Absolutely do not come down. Tell all your friends too."