Chapter 6: Villain Birth

[An arson attack occurred at an orphanage. It was a crime that targeted a gap in security, resulting in minor injuries to about ten people and serious injuries to two.]

“This is ridiculous.”

[Fortunately, no children died…]

“The nearby administrative offices will get a lot of criticism.”

Lawyer Lee Yujeong clicked her tongue while watching TV. Then, she looked at personal assistant Kim Hyerim, who was watching with her.

“That woman, is she the person Ms. Hyerim saw?”

“Yes. I never thought she would really commit a crime again…”

The personal assistant sighed and looked up at the hospital building.

The largest university hospital in Korea, backed by the Sungkwang Foundation, came into view.

In conclusion, the Sungkwang Childcare Service company covered all the hospital expenses of the orphanage victims.

Chairman Lee Jaeyeon announced that she was interested in the Haetsal Orphanage because she was looking into adoption, and she made that decision in the sense of helping them.

Public opinion was very favorable.

With this, the fact that Lee Jaeyeon had the priority right to redevelop the land near the orphanage was quietly buried.

“For the chairman, it’s nothing but profit. If the original plan of adoption is successful, it’s perfect.”

Lawyer Lee Yujeong recalled when she first met Chairman Lee Jaeyeon at the university.

So, she built up a friendship with her, and when the chairman brought up the adoption story, she learned her secret.

Chairman Lee Jaeyeon is infertile.

That fact is only known to Lee Jaeyeon’s closest aides.

The lawyer was very surprised, but the person herself was calm. And Lee Jaeyeon started looking into adoption since then.

The girl who barely caught her very picky eye was Alice, a girl from Haetsal Orphanage.

Her extraordinary mental arithmetic skills, memory, and beautiful appearance as a mixed-race child were perfect for receiving media attention. Lee Jaeyeon considered all of that and decided on adoption.

However, the child herself refused the adoption, and her plan was thwarted.

But the situation changed due to the indiscriminate crime.

Perhaps Lee Jaeyeon will demand a price from the principal for helping the orphanage.

And that price is probably adoption.

“I don’t understand. The chairman is not a person who is swayed by affection, and just because she needs a successor, she is so obsessed with adoption…”

The personal assistant’s question was valid. Lee Jaeyeon is not a woman who likes children by any means.

She may be a great chairman, but she will have a hard time being a good mother.

“Well, people change as they get older.”

The lawyer finished the conversation and got up from her seat. Now it’s time to meet the orphanage principal and vice-principal.

“I’ll be in the car first.”

At the personal assistant’s words, the lawyer nodded.

Heading to the reception room, the lawyer knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

A familiar voice was heard, and the lawyer opened the door.

Chairman Lee Jaeyeon, the orphanage principal, and the vice-principal were visible.

“How far did you talk?”

“There’s not much to talk about.”

Chairman Lee Jaeyeon tied her cumbersome hair into a ponytail.

“We are very grateful for Sungkwang’s assistance. However…”

The vice-principal trailed off and had a dark expression.

The orphanage principal and vice-principal are not fools. They thought that Sungkwang had something up their sleeve when they helped.

As they expected, Lee Jaeyeon brought up the main point.

“Please consider the adoption positively.”

“…The child’s will is the priority.”

“Yes. That’s the priority. Then shall we go and ask Alice now?”

When Lee Jaeyeon came out strongly, the principal bit her lip.

Alice is different from other children. She was intelligent enough to surprise the various teachers at the orphanage, and she was discerning.

She probably knows very well that they owe a great debt to Chairman Lee Jaeyeon and is feeling burdened.

Especially Alice saw it.

As soon as Lee Jaeyeon said a word, a boy with no connections was easily admitted to the VIP room of the hospital.

At that time, Alice’s expression looking at the boy entering the VIP room was deeply ingrained in the minds of the principal and vice-principal.

“Alice still needs more rest. Excuse me, but Chairman Lee Jaeyeon, you need to be more considerate of the child.”

“I was considerate enough. To the extent that I covered the hospital expenses of all the victims.”

At Lee Jaeyeon’s smooth words, the principal closed her mouth again.

“And…”

When Lee Jaeyeon turned her gaze out of the door, a sound of someone hurriedly running away was heard.

Lee Jaeyeon confirmed the appearance of the blonde girl who was briefly caught in her sight.

“Eavesdropping already. If I adopt her, I’ll have to educate her thoroughly.”

Contrary to the content of her words, Lee Jaeyeon’s expression was bright. It was an expression filled with the conviction that things would eventually go her way.

The VIP room was smaller than I thought. No matter how special a special room is, it seems to be the limit of a single room.

‘Thanks to that, I’m recovering well…’

I looked down at my left arm, which still didn’t move properly.

According to the doctor, many nerve bundles were damaged, and it may become uncomfortable to move due to spastic shock. How it will be in the future is up to me.

‘It’s rather fortunate.’

I rushed at a crazy arsonist, and if it ends with my arm being slightly uncomfortable, it’s a good deal. Besides, I was able to save Alice.

‘In the original, did Alex become a villain because of this incident?’

I still don’t know.

Did Alex suffer a major aftereffect in the original? Did that cause his personality to be twisted?

Still, I felt a certain kind of conviction.

‘Alice in this world will be different from the original.’

Although she experienced a major incident, it was resolved somehow. Soon, everyone in the orphanage will be discharged safely, so a normal daily life will begin again from then.

Wake up in the morning and detach Alice, who is clinging to me.

Watch Alice munching on steamed potatoes.

Help Alice, who is diligently looking at the calculation workbook.

Stand side by side in the washbasin at night and brush our teeth.

Crawl back into the blanket and fall asleep.

A normal daily life, which feels more precious after experiencing crime, will resume.

But on the other hand, I also had this thought.

Now, wouldn’t it be okay for Alice to be adopted by Chairman Lee Jaeyeon?

The incident was overcome well, and wouldn’t it be better for her to be raised as Lee Jaeyeon’s only daughter than to live in a cramped orphanage?

I wonder if my desire for her to spend a normal daily life with me might become a shackle to her.

Tick, tick.

The sound of the hospital room door opening was heard. I turned my head and saw a familiar girl with blonde hair and blue eyes approaching me.

I opened my mouth with a welcome sign.

“You’re walking around sooner than I thought?”

“……”

She was still silent. She seemed like a different person from Alice, who was crying and holding my face at that time.

I decided to throw a joke because I felt awkward.

“You apologized well to me at that time. I told you to speak like that time.”

“…Do you like me?”

“What?”

I was stunned by the sudden straight ball. Even if I looked at her as if to say it again, she just closed her mouth and looked at me.

“Like, what do you mean?”

“The literal meaning.”

“Well, we’ve been together for a long time, so I like you. But why.”

“Will you be sad if I leave?”

“……”

I was silent. I was lying in the hospital room, so I didn’t know how the situation was going, but I noticed the current situation from Alice’s words.

“The chairman… wants to adopt you?”

“Answer me. Will you be sad if I leave?”

Alice closed her eyes tightly and took a step closer to me. I could see my reflection in her blue eyes so close.

“Please… give me conviction. Conviction to me…”

I stared blankly at Alice’s trembling pupils.

Originally, I wanted to respect her will.

If she wants to be adopted, I respect that will, and if she doesn’t want to be adopted, I don’t want her to leave either.

But she seemed to have an answer she wanted to hear from me.

And I intuitively realized what that answer was.

“Personally… I don’t want you to go.”

Alice’s blue eyes trembled.

“Ah…”

‘Of course, if you get adopted, you’ll be able to live in a good environment.’

This was something I had thought about just a moment ago.

Rather, because I was fond of Alice, I wanted her to grow up in a better environment. But at the same time, I also had a feeling that I didn’t want her to leave.

Alice’s lips trembled.

“The orphanage is in a very difficult situation. Especially Maru, your hospital bills were very high.”

She continued speaking with a slightly agitated look.

“The principal and the vice-principal look very tired. Besides, the orphanage building was burned down. They need a lot of money and manpower.”

‘In fact, the orphanage can only recover with the help of Sungkwang’s assistance if Alice accepts the adoption.’

So, should Alice accept the adoption? She doesn’t want to in the end?

It was a cruel dilemma.

If I choose to be with Alice, Sungkwang’s support will be cut off, and the orphanage will surely fail. Then what will happen to the children and teachers who have nowhere to go?

But if I choose the future of the orphanage, a girl named Alice will suffer. Even if it’s a good environment, an unwanted adoption will be her shackles.

Silence passed for a while. The hospital room was as quiet as a mouse.

I felt like a long time had passed, so I raised my head and saw Alice, whose eyes were red, looking at me.

“If I hadn’t woken you up at that time…”

“…….”

“If I had been sleeping quietly without waking you up, you would have been safely rescued by the teacher, right?”

“It’s not your fault. In the end, I also agreed to your suggestion. You don’t have to feel guilty.”

“Even now, every time I see your face, guilt weighs heavily on my heart.”

Alice’s eyes trembled.

“I’m sorry for pushing you today. You did nothing wrong.”

She seemed determined and continued speaking.

“I’ll be adopted.”

“……”

“…That’s right. For the sake of the orphanage.”

“……”

“It’s greedy for me, who hurt you, to stay by your side.”

Alice turned around, her blonde hair swaying. An optical illusion seemed to occur as sparkling teardrops fluttered in the air.

Those teardrops.

The moment I saw the fragments of emotion that Alice showed.

My wavering heart finally reached a conclusion.

“Alice.”

When I called her, she stopped walking.

“If you don’t want to go, don’t go.”

Alice’s shoulders trembled. She turned around and stared at me. I could see the tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Of course, if you refuse the adoption, the orphanage’s future will be dark. But that’s not a reason to force you to be adopted.”

I can be sure of this.

No one has the right to force Alice to sacrifice.

“I’ll think of a way.”

Alice closed her eyes tightly.

“If I can’t do it alone, I’ll discuss it with the teachers.”

“……”

“We have to try the methods we can do first. So don’t cry.”

Alice sobbed and inhaled for a while.

She wiped her face with her sleeve and left the hospital room.

With that conversation, there was no longer any human voice to be heard in the hospital room.

And that was my last conversation with Alice.

Tall buildings pass by quickly outside the car window.

Alice sat quietly in the back seat and stared at the scenery outside the window without moving.

Driving, personal assistant Kim Hyerim checked the girl’s complexion in the rearview mirror.

‘Something’s different.’

When I first met her at the orphanage, even though her appearance was cold, a childlike warmth could be seen slightly.

But not now.

The warmth at the orphanage disappeared without a trace, and only a doll-like stiffness that matched her cold appearance was felt.

Her blue eyes no longer sparkled, and it was a deeply submerged color as if it represented a dark abyss.

Personal assistant Kim Hyerim recalled the conversation Alice had with Chairman Lee Jaeyeon.

‘I’ll be adopted.’

‘Did you finally change your mind? Was there any trigger?’

‘…I decided after hearing Maru’s answer. It’s right for me to go.’

‘Did that child tell you to leave? Did you choose adoption because your relationship went bad?’

‘It’s the opposite.’

Kim Maru would be troubled by dilemmas.

Nevertheless, he gave an answer considering Alice’s heart, so Alice also made a choice to consider Kim Maru.

‘Promise me instead. To cover Maru’s hospital bills and assist Haetsal Nuri Orphanage until the end.’

‘If you become my family, that’s not difficult. Do you think I won’t even do that for my daughter?’

Chairman Lee Jaeyeon smiled satisfactorily and stroked Alice’s head. Alice’s expression being stroked was chillingly cold.

“Sigh.”

The personal assistant tried to hide her complicated feelings and focused on driving.