.

I also nodded with a stiff face. That was what I thought just now too. Considering that Yi Ruda was the only person left for the position of Yi Jenny’s successor, Jooin’s assumption was indeed reasonable.

However, an unanticipated response returned.

“No. The day before the last test, Yi Jenny suddenly declared that Ruda was her only successor even without everyone taking the remaining test.”

What? I recalled Yi Jenny’s cold and imperturbable face. She treated Ruda, her son, with a perfunctory, business-like attitude, which even revealed a slight annoyance.

“Why did she do that?”

Lucas shrugged his shoulders cheerfully at Yeo Ryung’s question. Suddenly shifting his atmosphere, Lucas spoke in a light tone.

“Well, perhaps Yi Jenny also couldn’t overcome the love for her family? Maybe, there could be other reasons too. However, it was something very unexpected that everyone was struck dumb when she announced her decision.”

Changing his sitting posture, Lucas kept on speaking, “Yi Jenny has said that she will give the first primacy to the overall outcomes and evaluate the candidates stoically without injustice to anyone. Besides, Ruda’s test results were actually remaining in the mid-lower ranks.”

“Really?” I asked. I could hardly imagine Ruda being incompetent among the candidates. Throwing a glance at the look of my face, Lucas adjusted his words, “Oh, it isn’t that Ruda wasn’t smart or athletic. Compared to his age, he was, instead, superior in those abilities. However, the issue was his age.”

“Oh…”

“Among those kids competing for that position, Ruda was the youngest. No matter how athletic he was, Ruda couldn’t overcome the physical difference during the growing period. Therefore, he naturally became the mid-lower ranker. Well, it was amazing that he didn’t belong to the lowest group.”

Lucas then unfolded his hand.

“However, as long as she declared that she would eliminate applicants with very strict evaluation, and selected candidates were drafted in to compete for the position even though she had a son, Yi Jenny should have played her cards right until the end. Her final decision, therefore, made her lose faith.”

When Lucas’s voice disappeared, the car was enveloped by a weird silence for a moment. Glancing out the window, Lucas added, “That’s all I know.”

After his last words, the three of us were lost in thought. Even I, who had in mind that Ruda would have gone through quite an abnormal past, stiffened my face too.

I murmured to myself, ‘If Ruda had to get trained and compete while being surrounded by kids older than her during her childhood for the sake of that un-wanted successor position, she would definitely shudder at Yi Jenny. Besides, Yi Jenny even declared Ruda as her successor regardless of the test results and without asking Ruda’s opinion.”

Why on earth did Yi Jenny do that? Did she change her mind simply due to her love for her family? I only met Yi Jenny once, but I was convinced that she wasn’t a person who would be carried away by such a reason like that. Besides, canceling the announced test came down to a question of credibility, the most significant virtue of a leader.

‘Hmm, everything’s such a mystery,’ as soon as I had that thought in mind, Jooin, sitting beside me, detached his lips. I turned my head aside.

“I understand roughly about what happened to Ruda hyeong; still, a mystery exists the more I get to hear about his story.”

Resting his elbow on the windowsill, Lucas asked with a smile, “What would it be?”

“Are you really just Ruda hyeong’s friend?”

“Hmm…”

Instead of a response, Lucas just let out a dubious sigh. Looking severe, Jooin pressed him for an answer.

“That’s what I wonder. How can just a friend know so deeply about the internal affairs of Reed Enterprise?”

Lucas then shrugged his shoulders and asked Jooin with an unaffected attitude as if he couldn’t understand him at all.

“Why not? Friends can talk about something like that. Childhood stories are a subject we often share in our conversations. Don’t you think so?”

Jooin replied like a roar, “I don’t think Ruda hyeong is reckless enough to bring up such a story like that.”

“So?”

“And there’s another mystery.”

“What’s that?”

Lucas looked up at Jooin with his mirror-like sky blue eyes. While a moment of silence prevailed in the car, Jooin responded, “Didn’t you expect that we would doubt your honesty or identity once you spoke about those things?”

“Hmm…”

“You could have made up some lies or given us some evasive answers if you wish to do that since none of us will further argue on your remark in this urgent situation.”

As if driving a wedge in his question, Jooin then added. “Regardless of all that, why are you confessing everything?”

Lucas replied with a shrug, “Is it wrong to tell you guys everything I know? What’s so bad about keeping no secrets between us when you’re all cooperating with me? Isn’t it something to be praised instead?”

Jooin then closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. Lucas’s response sounded nominally perfect, but even I thought that he had no reason to confess everything to us. With that being said, Jooin’s question was indeed reasonable.

What on earth was his intention then? He wouldn’t travel overseas and make a fuss here to save someone who wasn’t his friend.

I rambled those thoughts in my head while staring at Lucas’s profile face. A small voice then slipped from Yeo Ryung’s mouth, who was looking outside the window.

“There it is.”

At her words, the three of us looked forward simultaneously. What Yeo Ryung just said, the huge skyscraper of Reed Enterprise that I once saw appeared over the sight beyond the bridge in front of our car. Checking the fact that we’re almost approaching the building, I switched my gaze to the view inside the car. The suffocating air of hostility still prevailed between Jooin and Lucas. I felt a little dizzy.

That was when Jooin broke the ice out of the blue.

“Mama, Yeo Ryung, let’s get off. We’ll drop this plan. This is bull**.”

‘What’s wrong again?’ Leaving Yeo Ryung aside, who was very bewildered, I quickly asked him, “Now? Why?”

Biting his lips, Jooin scowled at Lucas, who was sitting behind me.

“Getting into that suspicious building with that suspicious bastard doesn’t seem to be a good idea.”

“That’s…”

Jooin cut in my words, which seldom happened. Still glaring at Lucas, he quickly continued, “He’s such a professional in disguising himself as a woman and breaking into places; besides, he’s bold in action and knows so well about Yi Jenny’s successor thing. He, however, says that Ruda hyeong is just his friend, and he’s here to save hyeong. Do you think that makes sense?”

Speaking to that extent, Jooin gasped for breath then added, “Above all, honestly, so far from what I’ve seen, I can’t understand why he brought us here. Why does he need us when he says that he can handle everything and even adjust the security system? Our existence will only disturb him. Hey, why did you bring us here in the first place?”

Instead of a response, Lucas just perked the corners of his lips upwards subtly. I felt a slight headache at their strained confrontation.

I wouldn’t deny that I also had the same thought as Jooin. Reading so many web novels had made me have a hunch of these things. Although I wasn’t Mr. Sherlock, even I thought in the same way too; therefore, Jooin would have definitely assumed such things.

We, however, didn’t speak further but just remained silent. The reason was simple.

We wanted to trust that helping Lucas would save Ruda. Back then, when we found out that we weren’t enough to save Ruda by ourselves, Lucas appeared in front of us like a miracle. Therefore, we couldn’t help but trust Lucas at this point.

Jooin, on the other hand, placed his priority on our safety although he still felt sorry about Ruda. Since we recently had been abducted, it was natural for Jooin to think in that way. Having these thoughts in my mind, I touched my temple and heaved a sigh.

I turned around to look at Lucas. I wished he could tell us the truth around this moment. However, checking the look on Lucas’s face, I opened my eyes wide in surprise. Eh?