The Ilhyeon family gathered at Pyeongchang-dong as they always did, but the mood was unlike other days.

Sang-jong with his flushed, worked-up face, Jeong-eun full of expectation, and Mun-jong looking satisfied — together they made for a complicated atmosphere.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"What about me?"

"You genuinely don't know?"

"It doesn't matter now. Not anymore."

Jeong-eun shook her head as though it were no concern of hers and said,

"I've already signed, and next month Ilhyeon Card formally merges with Mirae Card. Saying more will only wear my mouth out."

"You…"

Sang-jong started to say more, then stopped.

And, turning his head, he looked at Tak-hyeon.

Because in the end what mattered was how Tak-hyeon regarded the matter, and he wanted to check his reaction.

"Can you answer for it?"

Tak-hyeon, who had been glaring quietly at Jeong-eun, spoke.

"If this goes wrong, can you take responsibility for it — that's what I'm asking."

At the heavy word responsibility, Jeong-eun nodded as though she found it welcome, if anything, and said,

"Yes. I'll answer for it."

Thinking there would be nothing to answer for in any case, Jeong-eun replied quickly, with a confident face.

"Whatever happens, I'll take responsibility for all of it, so please trust me."

"The responsibility I speak of is not so simple a thing."

Tak-hyeon's voice had sunk cold.

Sensing danger in that voice of Tak-hyeon's, Yeong-su Cha tugged at Jeong-eun's sleeve.

With his eyes he conveyed to Jeong-eun that this was dangerous and they should withdraw.

But she had no intention of withdrawing here.

I'm already up on the tiger's back. There's no getting off now.

Jeong-eun told him with her eyes that the situation could not be changed.

She had already signed to acquire Mirae Card.

And from Ilhyeon Card's standpoint, there existed no plan for a world in which it had failed to acquire Mirae Card.

Every plan was something that would be carried out after acquiring Mirae Card, which made the acquisition an indispensable precondition of Ilhyeon Card's future.

Jeong-eun gave the anxious-eyed Yeong-su Cha a look telling him to…