* * *

Noh Hwa-jin.

The afternoon of the chairwoman of Sungjin Group was nothing but serene.

She sipped her black tea, reading as usual. But for some reason, she couldn’t turn the page today.

Her daughter, Ma Soo-jung’s singing, lingered in her mind.

-I hope only for your health.

Noh Hwa-jin put down her book.

She remembered that time.

‘It was the first musical we went to.’

Noh Hwa-jin couldn’t forget the excited look in Ma Soo-jung’s eyes as she watched from the front row.

‘She said she wanted to be an actress from then on.’

Noh Hwa-jin sighed deeply.

She felt her daughter’s determination.

‘Just like her decision to become an actress, she’s determined to raise that child.’

Noh Hwa-jin shook her head.

“Still, to raise a mutt.”

Noh Hwa-jin thought of the brown-haired lion that Ma Soo-jung had brought.

-Bauu.

Noh Hwa-jin’s cheek twitched.

The brown-haired creature had such small hands. They were so small and plump that she wanted to poke them.

“No.”

Madam Noh Hwa-jin adjusted her butterfly glasses. It was undeniably cute, but it was just a mutt.

“Well, a somewhat cute mutt.”

Just like how country dogs can sometimes be cute.

“But how can it look like that?”

Having studied art and aesthetics, Madam Noh Hwa-jin knew well. The combination of the eyes, nose, and face shape was indeed rare.

“It looks like a Cupid sculpture.”

As she recalled the baby’s face she saw yesterday, the library door suddenly opened, and someone came running in.

Madam Noh Hwa-jin sighed. There was only one person in the mansion who would run like that: her second daughter-in-law, Lee Yoo-gyeong.

“Mother! Look at this!”

The daughter-in-law thrust her smartphone in front of her.

“What is it?”

“This photo! It’s for our company’s promotional materials, and it’s all over the internet!”

Madam Noh Hwa-jin glanced down. It was a photo of Ma Soo-jung holding her baby, with tears in her eyes.

“Interesting.”

Ma Soo-jung was always beautiful. But was the baby she was holding just too cute?

“It looks almost like a holy image.”

Was it because the nuns were also in the picture? Madam Noh Hwa-jin lifted her glasses.

“Show me.”

“Huh?”

“Let me see the comments.”

Her second daughter-in-law reluctantly raised the screen.
└ Wow, she’s a goddess.
└ She looks holy.
└ I know Ma Soo-jung is pretty, but who’s the baby?
└ The baby is so cute.
└ So cute it looks holy.
Lee Yoo-gyeong pouted.

“It’s obviously photoshopped. It’s different from reality, but people are so easily fooled.”

Madam Noh Hwa-jin spoke quietly.

“It didn’t capture it properly.”

“Pardon?”

“The real thing is better.”

Madam Noh Hwa-jin thought seriously. The photo’s lighting blurred the features, capturing less than half of that exasperating cuteness.

“It didn’t even capture 10%.”

The photographer’s skills were lacking. The baby was cute even in the photo, but Madam Noh Hwa-jin knew its true charm firsthand.

“That child needs to move.”

Madam Noh Hwa-jin recalled the tiny, adorable fists. The small thing wiggled so well.

“It was so cute I wanted to put it in my mouth.”

Her cheek twitched oddly again. Suddenly, a sharp voice pierced her ear.

“Mother, these are all edits.”

Her twitching cheek calmed. Noh Hwa-jin turned her eyes to her second daughter-in-law.

“Isn’t it too much? Saying the lady is a goddess. People must be blind.”

Madam Noh took another sip of her tea.

“It’s true that Soo-jung is beautiful.”

“Mother! These photos are all photoshopped.”

“Really? So you’re unhappy that Soo-jung is called a goddess?”

Lee Yoo-gyeong was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Why are you unhappy about it?”

“Uh, Mother!”

“Remember, Soo-jung is still my daughter even though she’s not my own child. So, are we done here?”

Lee Yoo-gyeong bit her lip. The purpose of her visit was this single photo that had been posted on the community.

“A photo taken with that mutt going viral is a disgrace to our Sungjin Group.”

“Promotional photos are meant to be shared. I didn’t know I had to explain this to you.”

Madam Noh waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.

“You’re noisy. Leave.”

“Mother! You’re too lenient with the lady. She acts recklessly. What if that mutt gets shares?”

Madam Noh turned back to her English newspaper.

“I said leave.”

“Mother!”

“You’re noisy. I know you’re jealous of Soo-jung, but don’t show it.”

Madam Noh spoke clearly, sipping her tea.

“It’s unbecoming.”

Lee Yoo-gyeong bit her lip.

“And there’s no need to show it in front of me.”

“Mother!”

“My dear, didn’t I say you’re noisy?”

It was an order to leave. But Lee Yoo-gyeong didn’t leave.

“What do I have to envy about Miss Soo-jung? Who envies someone who killed their own child?”

Madam Noh’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I won!”

Lee Yoo-gyeong sneered.

“Well, carry on, Mother.”

The second daughter-in-law of the Sungjin Group turned on her heel and walked away. Madam Noh watched and muttered, shaking her head.

“You’re still jealous.”

As soon as the door closed, Lee Yoo-gyeong muttered softly.

“Senile old woman.”

She had come to fan the flames and get rid of the mutt, but all she got was strange talk.

“What? The photo didn’t come out well?”

Lee Yoo-gyeong looked at her smartphone screen again. The photo was the same.

Ma Soo-jung was crying. Despite the scene, her striking features gave off a slightly holy vibe. Lee Yoo-gyeong sneered as she scrolled down.

“Her face is somewhat tolerable.”

It was the only redeeming quality.

“She’s just a mediocre celebrity.”

She couldn’t compare to her position as the second daughter-in-law of the Sungjin Group.

The comments had already multiplied. Lee Yoo-gyeong scrolled down.

└ I knew Ma Soo-jung was pretty, but this is amazing.

└ But who’s the baby?

└ Wow, it’s like an angel.

└ Must be photoshopped.

└ I saw other photos, and it’s not.

└ Honestly, it’s amazing. It looks like Mary and baby Jesus.

└ Maybe because the nuns are there.

Lee Yoo-gyeong clenched her teeth. She unknowingly left a comment.

└ I heard Ma Soo-jung adopted this baby?

Three seconds after she posted the comment, replies flooded in.

└ Ma Soo-jung got divorced and adopted a baby?

└ Didn’t she say her own child went to her ex-husband?

└ There’s still an article about it. Here’s the link.

└ Wow, really? Lol.

└ Did she really adopt that baby?

She was delighted by the enthusiastic reactions. Lee Yoo-gyeong quickly wrote another comment.

└ It’s true. Doesn’t it look like she adopted it because of its face?

Comments started pouring in again. Lee Yoo-gyeong checked them with a smile.

└ No way.

└ Is the adoption real?

└ Yes, but if she adopted it just because it’s cute, that’s a bit much.

└ It’s not like it’s a dog.

└ Or a cat.

└ Excuse me. Don’t speak lightly of dogs or cats. Pets are family too.

└ But since Ma Soo-jung is rich, it’s fine.

└ Oh, she’s the third daughter of Sungjin Group.

└ If you have money, what’s impossible with money?

└ I’m jealous. I should’ve been adopted by a family like that…

“No, no! This isn’t how it should go!”

Lee Yoo-gyeong left another comment.

└ Does she even have the right to raise a child? Her own daughter went to her father. What did she do to lose custody? Her biological daughter must have said she didn’t want her.

└ Oh, that’s true.

└ Yes, that’s right.

└ So, did Ma Soo-jung’s daughter go to her father because there’s something wrong with Ma Soo-jung?

└ Right?

└ Wasn’t it an amicable divorce?

Now there was a frenzy about Ma Soo-jung’s divorce. Lee Yoo-gyeong closed the window with a sense of satisfaction.

“How holy.”

Living off her pretty face, thinking she’s something special. Humming, Lee Yoo-gyeong walked away. Unlike Ma Soo-jung, she had other important things to do.

* * *