Chapter 51: A Private Invitation and a Political Encounter

“Your hairstyle has changed?”

“Yes. Does it not suit me?”

Moonhwa turned her head and asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

It was a total setup for a compliment.

As if it wouldn’t suit her.

In fact, she looked the most captivating I had ever seen her.

“It suits you. So much so that it’s almost embarrassing to look directly at you.”

“That’s way too much praise. Feels like I’m fishing for compliments.”

I had only expressed my honest feelings, yet she playfully scolded me.

But her words didn’t match her expression.

A faint smile lingered on her lips.

She didn’t seem displeased at all.

The slight upward curve of her lips was unusually cute today.

“Is it still cold outside? I should’ve worn something warmer. I thought it’d be fine.”

Moonhwa muttered, lowering her gaze.

It wasn’t clear whether she was asking or simply talking to herself, but I understood her intent.

Her outfit was different from usual.

She wore a light beige dress that accentuated her curves—her full chest, slender waist, and long, elegant legs stood out.

While formal suits suited her well, this look was even more stunning.

“If you’re cold, turn up the heater. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’m fine, okay?”

Moonhwa puffed out her cheeks, then let out a small pfft sound as she exhaled.

She lifted her foot off the brake pedal, and the car rolled forward, smoothly merging onto the road and gradually picking up speed.

“Where do you want to drink?”

The number of places I could go was extremely limited.

At this point, there were hardly any people in this world who didn’t recognize me.

If I were caught drinking at night with a beautiful woman, it would become a hassle.

I had to be careful to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

“I just want to drink somewhere quiet, where there aren’t many people.”

“Is that so?”

Moonhwa gently pressed her lips with one hand and then released them, as if contemplating something.

After a brief pause, the car stopped at a red light.

“Then, how about my villa? There’s nothing around it.”

“That doesn’t sound bad… but where is it?”

“Yeongjongdo.”

“That’s quite far. It might be too tiring.”

I declined Moonhwa’s suggestion. Traveling such a long distance felt burdensome, and it would likely interfere with my plans for tomorrow. I preferred to stay within Seoul.

Was I being too picky? I wasn’t even offering a specific alternative.

Maybe I should just go along with whatever location Moonhwa suggested next.

Constantly rejecting her offers seemed rude.

She was a busy person too, yet she had come all the way to my place twice.

I shouldn’t act high and mighty in front of someone who had already made so much effort.

“Then, let’s just go to my place.”

“Shall we?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Moonhwa turned off the navigation and made a call.

Beep… beep…

The ringing tone played briefly before a young male voice answered.

“Noona! You’re already at the villa—”

“Hey, Hyeseong. I’m heading home right now.”

Moonhwa cut off the man’s words, glanced at me briefly, and continued speaking.

“I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes. I’m bringing a guest, so order some delivery food for us.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Alright.”

The traffic light turned green, and the car moved forward again.

Since it was rush hour, traffic was heavy. If it was only a twenty-minute drive despite the congestion, that meant her house was really close.

Seoul was a small place, after all.

“You don’t mind, right? That my younger brother is there. He’s really shy and quiet, so he probably won’t even come out of his room.”

“That’s fine.”

To be honest, it felt a little awkward.

A man going to a woman’s house while her younger brother was there?

In my previous world, that would have been a complicated situation.

But in this reversed world, it wasn’t as burdensome.

Actually, this might be a good thing.

Moonhwa was way too beautiful today.

If we were alone in her house, who knew what might happen?

Having someone else there might help me keep my cool.

“When did you start driving?”

“Around three years ago. I got my license when I was twenty-one.”

I glanced at Moonhwa as she drove.

Her expression was serious and focused.

Regardless of gender, watching someone concentrate on their work was always admirable.

I needed to get my own license soon.

I already had a good place to live and was earning a lot of money.

It was time to start thinking about getting a car. I wanted to buy a nice one and travel freely.

More than anything, I felt guilty about constantly hitching rides from others.

Once my MCN contract and music release were settled, I’d look into a driving school.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Huh? Oh… You just look beautiful. And your outfit suits you perfectly.”

Had I been staring too obviously?

Moonhwa noticed my gaze and shot me a side glance.

Caught off guard by her sudden question, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“You sure took your time saying that.”

She huffed in mock annoyance. Then, a cheerful hum escaped from her full lips.

[I’ve finished editing the video from yesterday’s broadcast. ]

I sent an email to Yuseong after completing the video edits.

I considered calling but decided to just send a message instead.

Since I had already announced a break today due to personal matters, he might be busy.

I didn’t want to disturb him.

[Thank you! Great work.]

He replied immediately.

If I had known he’d respond so fast, I would have just called.

I stood up and changed my clothes.

Since I was about to meet someone, I had to dress appropriately.

I put on a neat suit, adjusted my attire, and stepped out of the room.

“Has Assemblyman Im eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then bring a meal for me as well.”

I walked down the hallway and descended to the first floor.

As I opened the door to the reception room, a stunning middle-aged woman sat on the sofa.

Im Seongryeong—former representative of the National Party, current four-term assemblywoman, and a powerhouse in politics rumored to be a presidential candidate.

Despite having waited for three hours, she looked surprisingly composed. I had expected her to glare at me in anger. But as expected of a seasoned politician, she didn’t let her emotions show easily.

“Have you been waiting long? You could have just left.”

“That wouldn’t do. It’s been four years since I had the chance to meet you alone.”

“Meeting alone? That’s too generous a description.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Such empty flattery.

If she had truly valued me, she wouldn’t have ignored me for so long.

She used me when it was convenient and cast me aside when it wasn’t.

Now that I was useful again, she was changing her attitude.

Disgusting, no matter how I looked at it.

I sat on the sofa and gazed at her for a moment. There was no need for me to show my emotions first.

“Shall we eat first?”

“Yes.”

The door opened, and a staff member brought in the food. I cut into my steak and brought a piece to my mouth.

“Have you made your decision?”

Unable to hold back, Seongryeong finally spoke. I took a sip of wine and nodded calmly.

“Why else would I have come to meet you?”

“When can you start helping us? The opposition is putting up a stronger fight than expected.”

“Politics is ultimately a battle of resources. They’re being overtaken because they don’t have enough.”

“Which is precisely why we need you, Eunseo.”

Yeah. That’s why they keep clinging to me. Meanwhile, the opposition keeps watching and keeping me in check—relentlessly, to the point of exhaustion.

I’m tired of living in seclusion.

I’ll end this fight and reclaim my freedom.

Then, I’ll meet the person I like without having to be cautious.

I’ll establish an autocratic system and maintain my power. That’s the path I’ve chosen.

“It starts now. Listen carefully. You know that Strategic Committee kid, right?”

“Are you talking about Gayun?”

“Yes, the assemblyman’s daughter. Give her the nomination for Seoul’s 13th district and have her run. She’s not the type to sit around pushing papers. Understood?”

“But there’s already a designated candidate…”

“Tsk—!”

The knife slicing into the steak was abruptly slammed down.

With a deep sigh and a furrowed brow, I glared at Seongryeong.

“That was a slip of the tongue. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

“Yes… Please hurry. Also, track down every funding source of the Open National Party and report back to me.”

This is my area of expertise.

It’s also why those pests fear me the most.

I had made it clear that I was retired, and in reality, I had been staying quiet, locked up in my room.

But you people forced me to pick up the knife again.

“I’ll cut off all their resources.”

So Moonhwa lives just a stone’s throw away.

Crossing the Hannam Bridge and taking the Olympic Highway, I soon arrived at a massive apartment complex.

If there hadn’t been any traffic, it wouldn’t have even taken ten minutes—a ridiculously short distance.

The Pentcastle. What a peculiar name.

I wonder what kind of place Moonhwa’s apartment is.

I’m a little excited to see it.

“Let’s go in.”

“Okay.”

We got out in the underground parking lot and took the elevator up to the 7th floor.

When Moonhwa opened the door and stepped inside—wow, it was practically a palace.

How big is this place? It’s got to be at least 100 pyeong (roughly 3,500 square feet).

The living room alone is as spacious as a sports field, and the ceiling is so high it looks like they removed the entire second floor.

The panoramic view through the full-width windows was simply breathtaking.

So, this is how people with money overflowing from their pockets live. A real cultural shock.

One particularly unique feature was that, aside from the living room, the space was divided into different levels.

Like a scene from a movie, a long staircase led up to the second floor.

Click!

A door upstairs opened. A young man stepped out into the hallway and stood by the railing, looking down at us.

So that’s Hyeseong. Blood doesn’t lie—he really resembles his sister, Moonhwa.

He’s quite pretty-looking, at least compared to most men in this world.

“You’re home, sis?”

“Yeah. Have you eaten? It’s a little early, though.”

“I ate.”

Hyeseong turned his head toward me.

His eyes widened in shock, and then—he bolted back into his room.

What’s with that reaction? Does he not like having guests over?

His unexpected response caught me off guard.

“I told you earlier, right? My little brother is really shy.”

“Yes.”

“He’s actually a big fan of yours, Yuseong. He must be embarrassed seeing you in person.”

“I see.”

That explains a lot.

It’s kind of surprising, though.

You’d think that as Moonhwa’s brother, growing up with wealth and privilege, he’d have turned out spoiled.

But instead, he’s this timid? I would’ve expected him to be cocky and self-centered.

“He’s a pitiful kid. If he were born a girl, he’d be competing with me for succession. But because of that, he’s faced discrimination since childhood and carries a lot of scars.”

Moonhwa’s expression darkened.

I could tell she truly cared for her brother.

That’s probably why she took him in even after moving out.

“He’ll find something he wants to do soon enough. He’s your brother, after all.”

“You think so? Thanks.”

I just said something positive out of formality.

Honestly, I didn’t think he was pitiful at all.

What’s there to worry about when you have Moonhwa as your sister?

“But… succession? What do you mean?”

Moonhwa’s an office worker, right?

Succession is usually something that comes up when there’s a big family business.

My curiosity was piqued.

“I’ll explain later. For now… what should we do? The delivery food hasn’t arrived yet.”

“True.”

Moonhwa dodged the question. If she didn’t want to talk about it, I had no reason to pry. I let it slide.

To pass the time, I wandered around the living room.

Surprisingly, there were no art pieces.

The walls were completely bare, without a single decoration.

Eventually, I stopped in front of a massive sliding screen.

“What’s this?”

“A screen golf booth.”

“Wow, aren’t these usually only in stores?”

“Generally, yeah.”

Moonhwa walked over and turned on the machine.

The screen lit up, displaying a game interface.

She grabbed a remote and set it to practice mode.

Judging by the time settings, this was definitely not a standard home model.

“Are you good at golf?”

“Just average. I learned enough to play a round without embarrassing myself. Want to try? I can teach you.”

“Sure, but show me a demo first. I want to see you play.”

“It’s a little embarrassing, but… okay.”

Moonhwa picked up a golf club and stepped next to the ball.

She positioned herself with her hips slightly back and her waist slightly bent.

Wow, she really has a great figure.

With her long, slender limbs, she looked elegant just by standing there.

And those sleek legs… absolute perfection.

“Yuseong?”

“Yes?”

“Are you even paying attention?”

“Of course, I’m watching closely.”

Moonhwa shot me a glare, then tugged down her slightly raised skirt before repositioning herself.

Raising the club behind her back, she swung down.

Whack!

The golf ball struck the screen with a powerful impact. Damn, that was intense—like a full-force baseball swing. I expected her to be delicate, but when she played sports, she had some serious power.

“That was impressive. I didn’t know you had this side to you.”

“Really? Want to see more?”

“Yes.”

Moonhwa, clearly enjoying herself, kept swinging.

I rested my chin in my hand and leisurely admired her captivating figure.