I caught my breath for a moment and continued.

“But it will be difficult to keep Elina in Iraq indefinitely.”

Choi Seo-jun looked at me with a puzzled face. I closed my eyes and then opened them slowly.

“Even though it happened in Iraq, the victim is Korean and the perpetrator is British. For Iraq, they might end up taking on a diplomatic burden for no reason by getting deeply involved in a matter that doesn't even concern their own people. They won't want to get complicatedly entangled. Even to the point of setting themselves against the UK.”

Choi Seo-jun firmly closed his lips and then spoke quietly.

“If Elina returns to the UK, there’s no way for us to do anything about it, is there?”

I rubbed my stiff eyes. After that, I continued.

“Probably so. If she returns to the UK, we will have no authority to put her on trial. Even if we tried to force it, diplomatic issues could arise. Anyway, actual punishment was a difficult task. Because the UK is very sensitive about punishment for its own citizens.”

Choi Seo-jun exhaled a long sigh.

“Then does that mean we have no choice but to sit idle like this?”

I slowly shook my head.

“We can’t just leave it like this. She is the very person who caused injury to me and my precious people.”

I was silent for a while.

Pain seeped in every time I exhaled, but my gaze was as clear as could be.

“For now, leave it as it is.”

Choi Seo-jun widened his eyes as if somewhat surprised.

“Are you giving up?”

I slowly turned my head and looked out the window.

The snow fell thickly, and the whole world was white.

“There is nothing we can do right now. More than that, we need to know who planned this.”

Separately from my calm voice, my gaze turned chillingly cold.

“This matter is not simply a problem of Elina alone.”

I turned my gaze back and looked at Choi Seo-jun.

“We should first confirm who the person was who commissioned her.”

At that moment, the air in the hospital room became strangely cool.

The corners of my mouth rose slightly.

“I will make them pay dearly for touching my people.”

***

In the Taeseong Hospital VIP ward, a rare sight was unfolding every day.

After barely passing the critical stage following major surgery, I had to stay in the hospital for several weeks.

However, there was no one who believed I would be able to quietly focus only on recovery.

The person who visited the most, besides my parents, was Chairman Lim Man-seok, the head of Taeseong Group.

He, who was renowned for his usually cold and solemn attitude, visited the hospital room, checked my complexion, and left.

Even when he came, he did not say much, but encouragement and concern were simultaneously present in his gaze.

Next was my great-uncle, Chairman Lim Man-cheol.

Every time he came, he bought a lot of things.

Once, he brought a bundle of all sorts of snacks and handed them to me.

As someone who didn't really snack, I later gave them to the children hospitalized in Taeseong Hospital.

The figure who became a particular topic among the hospital visitors was the Presidential Chief Secretary.

Although the President himself could not come, a polite consolation was delivered along with a card clearly embossed with the Cheongwadae emblem.

At that time, not only the medical staff but even the hospital director personally came out to meet him.

The person I welcomed the most was my friend, Jang Wooseok.

At first, he entered with a face full of worry after hearing the news, but he immediately became cheerful at a single joke of mine.

After that, he came to the hospital once in a while and kept me from being bored.

Of course, this was not the end. Unexpected figures visited as well.

The Iraqi Ambassador to Korea visited the hospital. He expressed regret over the terrorist incident.

“I apologize on behalf of the embassy for the fact that a serious harm occurred to you due to an unjust situation that happened within our country.”

He poured out the prepared words in a mechanical tone, bowed his head, and then went back.

Rather, to the reporters gathered outside Taeseong Hospital, he answered in detail in a more polite voice about what kind of talk was shared and then went back.

It seemed he came because he was ordered from above rather than coming to offer consolation.

Chairman Lee Jin-cheol of Hanmyeong Group also asked after me by phone, though not in person.

He delivered consolation in his usual humorous style.

“I’ll buy you something delicious once you’re discharged. I’ll buy you anything you like, so get healthy and get discharged. Your grandfather’s face has become gaunt.”

The person who drew attention following him was Jean Lemond of PREZO.

He came personally from France to Korea and visited Taeseong Hospital.

Chief Engineer Oh Young-tae accompanied him, and their visit even spread to the point of drawing interest from the foreign press.

The political circles did not stay still either.

Prominent figures considered as presidential candidates of the ruling party, including Assemblyman Jeong Yu-chan, visited my hospital room. But he had never had a contact point with me.

Perhaps since the whole nation was pouring interest toward me, his intention was to show his face and make an impression.

In some media outlets, voices of criticism flowed out, calling it lining up toward a next-generation entrepreneur.

Also, Amami Yuika, the representative of the Amami Shipbuilding Technology Research Institute in Japan, personally visited Korea.

She looked much more energetic than when we met in Japan.

She visited the hospital room and even held my hand.

If I had been younger, it could have easily caused a misunderstanding for my mother, Kang Ji-yeon.

It was fortunate that their age difference was about that of an aunt and a nephew.

Governor Min Kyung-ho of the Korea Development Bank and Manager Cho Minki also quietly visited the hospital room.

These people had treated me with great respect after what happened last time.

In this way, the inside and outside of the hospital room became a topic every day.

Reporters and broadcast cameras loitering near Taeseong Hospital daily covered who was visiting me.

In doing so, they turned everything into an article and sometimes gave an expanded interpretation even to trivial matters.

Truly, my attitude was interesting.

I was thinking of staying quietly, but even so, I did not refuse those who came.

In fact, looking at it in a way, the act itself of visiting him and offering words of consolation in such a situation was an expression of interest.

At a time like this, my uncle Lim Do-hyun did not come except for the first day.

I didn't exactly hope for them to come, but I couldn't help the bitter feeling.

The HJ Partners employees also went in and out of the hospital room very frequently.

Immediately after the news that the representative was hospitalized was delivered, a procession of employees entering and exiting for business purposes continued for the first few days.

“Representative, are you really okay? It’s a great relief that it ended at this. And this is a settlement document, so please sign here….”

All of them offered sincere consolation while subtly taking out and handing over files containing settlement documents.

I nodded and signed while barely raising only my upper body.

Unlike usual, my hand holding the pen didn't have strength, but no one made an issue of that.

“It’s quite hard to write the letters.”

“Not at all, you are a master calligrapher.”

“This is?”

“Hahaha. Of course.”

The handwriting was crooked as if a worm had crawled, but awkward praise was exchanged.

Watching that situation, my mother, Kang Ji-yeon, would turn her head to hold back her laughter.

I let it slide for a day or two, but looking at the employees coming to the hospital because of work, I gradually got a strange thought.

Every time they came for a sickbed visit, they came with something without exception.

No matter how much I told them to come empty-handed, they didn't listen.

High-end fruit baskets, health supplements good for the body, herb tea sets, or even drinks.

I was grateful for each of their sincerity, but it was also burdensome for me.

Some days, that sincerity overlapped.

They would buy several identical fruit sets in a row at the same time.

On some days, there were even instances of buying the same kind of food.

Because of that, according to rumors, it is said that a vote for sickbed visit items circulated among the employees.

An event occurred where they said let’s decide in advance who will carry what this week, and even a notice was delivered that the same thing is absolutely prohibited.

I had no way of knowing such inner details, but from a certain moment, seeing that the gifts the employees brought did not exquisitely overlap, I subtly took the hint.

I was already at the point of feeling sorry just for them coming for a sickbed visit, and it only felt like I was giving them a burden for no reason, so I was more concerned.

A few days later, I gave a firm instruction.

“From now on, no one will come to the hospital room. Meetings will be conducted only through video. For documents, please organize and send them by email.”

After that, the familiar faces I had frequently run into in the ward hallway were cut off all at once from a certain moment.

Instead, the tablet and laptop did not leave my hands.

Video meetings were held one after another, real-time reports continued, and data analysis materials and reports continued to occupy my inbox.

The medical staff and family members dissuaded me from being engrossed in work, but I could not stop.

The appearance of presiding over a meeting with earphones plugged in while leaning half-way on the bed did not suit the space called a hospital room, but it was a more-than-natural daily routine for me.

Like that, a busy day passed and another day continued.

The doctor often nagged me.

“If you don't rest like this, your recovery will be delayed.”

It wasn't that I didn't know that fact, but I also couldn't just sit idle.

Before I knew it, I was soaked in fatigue and often fell asleep as if fainting while working.

After that, Choi Seo-jun gave instructions sensibly.

“Please report matters that must be handled urgently to me first. And for things that the representative must check, let’s report them all at once at a set time.”

After that, my resting time increased a bit. I got to the point where I could enjoy leisure while looking out the window occasionally.

For a while, I spent my time lying on my sickbed without being able to move, but after a certain amount of time passed, I moved my body and did simple exercises.

Perhaps thanks to that, or perhaps thanks to my age being in a growth period, the recovery speed was exceptionally good.

While looking at my recovery power, the doctor in charge also felt a desire to research while being fascinated on one hand.

However, since I was not a subject he could research just because he wanted to, he could only smack his lips.

The person who welcomed my recovery most, even more than my family, was Choi Seo-jun.

His workload was a lot even usually, but while I was hospitalized, there were many tasks he took charge of.

Because of that, his appearance going around with his eyes sunken and becoming lifeless eyes soaked in fatigue every day was like a half-corpse.

A familiar face entered the hospital room, but I burst into laughter while being somewhat surprised.

“The patient is not me but you, Director Choi.” 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Choi Seo-jun only nodded his head, perhaps having no energy to even answer.

His complexion was pale, the areas under his eyes were hollowed out, and he looked at me with eyes that had no focus.

Looking at his wrinkled shirt and hair that stuck out as it pleased, it was certain that he had stayed up for several nights.

“Oh boy. Director Choi, since you’re already at the hospital, shouldn’t you be admitted?”

When I threw a joke, Choi Seo-jun forced the corners of his mouth up and laid his body on the chair.

“Stop teasing me. Even so, would it be as bad as you, Representative, who are actually hospitalized?”

I burst into a small laugh. In fact, although I spoke playfully on the outside, I also had a feeling of being sorry toward him on the other hand.

“What is the thing you want to do most once you are discharged, Representative?”

I gathered my hands over the blanket and then answered with a quite desperate gesture.

“Coffee mix.”

“Coffee?”

“The hospital said to abstain from caffeine intake for the time being. So I’m going crazy right now.”

Choi Seo-jun let out a chuckle as if it were absurd.

“Other people say they want to eat something delicious when they are discharged from the hospital…. To think it’s just coffee.”

I corrected him firmly.

“Not just coffee, but coffee mix. That’s the best.”

“Sigh. I understand. Once you are discharged, I’ll buy you the biggest one at the mart as a celebratory gift.”

The corners of my mouth rose slightly.

Since the short joke was over, it was now time to share a serious story.

“What is it today?”