"I don't think we should give it to her."

"We shouldn't give it to her?"

Seong-ho Kim answered as if there were nothing to consider. Tak-hyeon Lee cocked his head.

"Why? Is the amount too big?"

"Ten million dollars isn't small money, but it isn't more than we can handle, either."

"Then… is it because it's illegal?"

Seong-ho tilted his head.

"Whether bribing North Korea is actually against the law or just falls outside it, I honestly couldn't say."

"Then why answer as though it weren't even worth thinking about?"

"The problem is getting tangled up with North Korea."

"North Korea's the problem?"

"That's right."

It wasn't because it was Jeong-eun, he made clear. He went on with his reasons.

"From the very first step, this has had nothing to do with Ilhyeon. As you know, Chairman, the Blue House asked me to be envoy, but once the North wanted my sister-in-law, Ilhyeon naturally dropped out of the picture. Stepping in now, when the summit talks are in their final stretch, wouldn't be wise."

"Hmm…"

"And there's one more reason."

"What's that?"

"We have to think about what happens if Shinpyeong takes the next government."

"The next government?"

"The election is less than a year away. If Shinpyeong takes power instead of Mincheong, do you think they'll just sit back and watch?"

"What do you mean?"

Gyeong-eun Lee, sitting beside him, looked startled.

"This is all about getting along with North Korea. Why would Shinpyeong object, just because it takes power?"

"There's no knowing. Reunification would be a good thing, but it doesn't have to happen right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at it from Shinpyeong's side. What if real talk of reunification starts now, whatever direction it takes? They've lost power twice, and they haven't gotten a finger into anything to do with reunification."

Gyeong-eun understood it with her head, but she couldn't accept treating reunification as a calculation.

Tak-hyeon, though, took it in stride.

"Right. There's a presidential election at the end of the year."

He nodded.

Gyeong-eun turned to him.

"Father. If Shinpyeong really takes power,…