TRIPLE 30

Although he asked as politely as possible, the answer didn’t come immediately. The young servant only moved their lips, so the middle-aged woman raised her head instead. Perhaps it was because she worked in a mansion owned by Beom Yisu, but she seemed to be the type of person whose inner thoughts were hard to read from their expression alone.

“The glass bottle just broke. The area is dangerous, so it would be better not to come any closer.”

She replied with a voice similar to her appearance—soft, yet with a tone that drew a line firmly.

“Ah.”

But unlike the calm middle-aged woman, the young servant who had caused the accident made more noise. As if trying to handle the situation, the servant hurriedly bowed, only to cut their palm.

“Stay still. Don’t move unnecessarily.”

The middle-aged woman stopped them immediately, but red blood had already beaded on the skin. It was a small wound, yet the servant’s face turned even paler. It was probably not because of the pain, but out of fear of being scolded.

“Shouldn’t you disinfect that first?”

Seeing the wound, Siyeon frowned without realizing it.

As Siyeon intervened between them, the middle-aged woman’s gaze lingered on him. Siyeon shrugged one shoulder deliberately under her scrutinizing gaze, which seemed to be weighing his intentions.

“Mister Junghee, go get that treated first. I’ll clean this up.”

The middle-aged woman put down the dishcloth and turned toward the young servant. Only then did the servant bow and retreat.

Siyeon shifted his gaze to follow the doorway through which the woman had exited into the kitchen. He noticed the floor worn smooth by the numerous footsteps between the counter and the sink where people moved about, and then, a side door caught his eye.

It looked locked, but the wall-mounted card reader was unusually shiny. It meant it was a place frequently touched. It was highly likely to be a passage used by the servants who moved about the mansion unseen.

As Siyeon’s gaze lingered on the door, the middle-aged servant opened her mouth quietly, as if anticipating him.

“You cannot go out that way.”

He felt stung by her words for no reason. Ah, she’s sharp as a tack. She didn’t seem like an easy opponent, just as she looked. The middle-aged servant was already sweeping up the glass shards with a face that suggested nothing had happened.

“Pardon? Go out?”

“Access records are kept.”

He had tried to play it off as if he had no bad intentions, but a calm explanation was returned. It probably meant: Don’t go getting into useless trouble.

Instead of digging further, Siyeon stepped one pace closer to her.

“I’ll help you, too.”

“That is fine.”

It was the answer he had expected, so Siyeon didn’t back down.

“I don’t really have anything to do right now anyway. It would be even more awkward if I just stood here while you cleaned it up alone.”

Siyeon crouched down naturally and reached out, avoiding the sharp edges of the broken glass. Of course, stepping forward to help her wasn’t out of pure goodwill. The calculation that showing his face at a time like this might be useful later was the primary motive.

However, his attempt to build favor was met with a firm refusal.

“If you cut your hand, Mister Hong Siyeon, we are the ones who will be in trouble. Staying still is helping us.”

It would have the opposite effect if he insisted any further, right?

‘This is difficult….’

Siyeon clicked his tongue inwardly. Usually, even a little bit of affection would loosen the atmosphere with people of this age. It seemed that wasn’t the case today.

He had no choice but to pull his hands back obediently and naturally change the subject.

“You’re the one who always prepares the meals, right?”

Siyeon beamed.

“I’ve been eating so well every time. I wanted to thank you once.”

At those words, her gaze lifted for a brief moment. Judging by her expression, he had hit the mark. If so, the woman in front of him must be that ‘Mrs. Park’ he had heard Beom Yisu mention. The person who managed the overall daily life inside the mansion.

In the original work, her role wasn’t significant. Her name was just something that passed by a few times. However, there was one scene that remained very hazily.

An episode where the protagonist was escaping the mansion to avoid the eyes of the servants. Someone had deliberately looked the other way while Hong Siyeon was hiding in a pile of luggage in the warehouse, holding his breath.

Her face didn’t appear, and she had no name. The protagonist only said it was a familiar female voice. There was a strong possibility it was Mrs. Park, rather than an extra without even a name.

Faint as it was, since there had been a reaction, Siyeon naturally continued the conversation.

“What should I call you? I feel like I might have things to ask of you as I stay here.”

“You may call me however you feel comfortable.”

Do as I please? You’ll regret that. Siyeon curved the corners of his lips slightly. He deliberately crinkled his eyes a bit more prettily.

“Hmm… then, can I call you Noona?”

At Siyeon’s provocative title, the servant’s expression stiffened slightly. It was natural. She was around the age of Siyeon’s mother at a glance. It was a disrespectful title, if one were to call it that.

Of course, Siyeon didn’t miss that reaction. Why? Because that was what he had been aiming for from the start. To act light, mindless—someone not even worth being wary of.

“Noona, what’s the side dish for tomorrow? The braised galbi from last time was really delicious. Ah, of course, I like fish too.”

As Siyeon chattered on smoothly, the servant finally opened her mouth as if she couldn’t win.

“Call me Mrs. Park. And… tomorrow is lamb chops. Tell me in advance if there is any food you avoid.”

“Lamb chops? I haven’t tried them, but I want to.”

Siyeon smiled a little brighter on purpose. If he was going to pretend to be empty-headed, he had to be thorough. Once his calculations were read, a scheme was no longer a scheme, but a suspicious act.

“You must be very talented, Mrs. Park. Everything I’ve eaten so far has been delicious.”

At those words, the corners of Mrs. Park’s mouth softened ever so slightly. It wasn’t a full smile, but that was enough for now.

“Then, Mrs. Park, I look forward to working with you.”

Mrs. Park looked at the smiling Siyeon for a moment before giving a short nod.

“There may be remaining shards, so be careful not to step here.”

With that final word, she left, carrying the tray containing the glass pieces. He had gained a lot from just a short conversation. He had struck up a conversation with Mrs. Park, who managed the mansion. And he had found out that the employee entrance kept card records.

‘An unexpected gain.’

Siyeon turned his body naturally. This time, he didn’t let his eyes wander and headed straight for the archives, his original destination. As he opened the door and entered, the high bookshelves were the first things to catch his eye. The black wooden shelves stretching near the ceiling and the spines of books packed tightly together.

At first, it was a space that was merely intimidating, but now it looked different. Not as decor placed inside a prison, but as a treasure trove hiding the blueprint of the prison.

“Now, let’s see.”

Siyeon stood in front of the section he had been organizing until yesterday.

It was a zone packed with stacks of documents, such as founding anniversary commemorations, the history of Beom-young Group’s leap forward, and global partnerships. Being a large conglomerate, the public relations materials stamped with the Beom-young logo were all flashy.

In a place where cringeworthy titles glittered with gold leaf, Siyeon’s hand stopped on one of the exceptionally thick books.

『Nakwon District Urban Improvement Project Report』

Nakwon? Don’t tell me it refers to Nakwon-dong.

Wasn’t it a name too familiar to be a coincidence? Siyeon carefully stroked the spine of the book. As a thin layer of dust smeared onto his fingertips, he felt his heart beating faster and louder than before.

‘Let’s not be impatient. There is still time.’

He couldn’t be sure yet. Still, starting with this book, at least… he felt like he knew the direction of where he had to dig.

∞ ∞ ∞

At the time when Siyeon was moving busily in his own way, moving between the study and the archives. The conference room on the top floor of Beom-young headquarters, made of floor-to-ceiling glass. Beom Yisu was also in the middle of handling business until late afternoon light permeated the windows.

As if to prove that fact, the lingering scent of the fifth long black he had already emptied wafted gently through the conference room.

“CEO. This is regarding the cleanup of the Nakwon district.”

Beom Yisu, who accepted the file handed to him by a secretary, flipped the pages immediately. Swish— swish— his fingers brushed the edges of the paper, making a dry sound for a long while.

“…Clean.”

At the indifferent words, the secretary’s shoulders stiffened slightly.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well.”

Beom Yisu turned the last page slowly. The eyes of those conversing remained fixed on the documents.

“If there is a problem, it’s that there is no way Director Yoon’s side would stay this quiet.”

The secretary did not answer.

There was no way he didn’t know the reason why Beom Yisu stopped his hand despite having the perfectly organized documents in front of him. The problem was likely that it was organized too perfectly.

The Nakwon-dong area, scheduled for development, was one of the neglected regions. In reality, it was no different from a shantytown; there was no way the bond settlement could end in this manner.

There were middle-man brokers involved, and there were residual rights of private money lenders remaining. There should have been humans trying to shake the board and inflate prices ahead of the lottery that was redevelopment.

At least once, it should have turned into a mud fight to be normal.

It was clean, without a single problem, as if someone had picked out and removed only the dirty parts first.

“It would be good to check again if there are any omitted parts.”

“Yes. I will relay that.”

“No.”

Beom Yisu closed the file. A dry voice cut through the conference room briefly.

“This time, Secretary Han, you do it yourself. Or pick only people you can trust and track it secretly.”

The secretary seemed to understand immediately what those words meant. Secretary Han nodded quietly.

“Understood.”

It was then.

“Wait a moment, if you go in like that….”

“It’s fine. Why worry again.”

Along with the buzzing, the conference room door opened. It was a familiar voice. Beom Yisu did not lift his head. He didn’t need to confirm who it was to know.

Secretary Han bowed immediately.

“Greetings. …Director Yoon.”