The photo from Uncle Hong Jin-Hoo looked unremarkable to anyone else.
Just a simple picture of my family with Uncle Hong, and a painting visible in the background.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Just another photo.
But to me, it was anything but ordinary.
‘Why is that there?’
My focus was locked on the painting. It dominated one wall, its massive size equivalent to five people standing side by side.
It was one of the masterpieces I’d painted in my previous life.
I knew it was in Korea, being managed by the state, and I hadn’t given it much thought since. But now?
‘Did S Group pull some strings? Or was it the chairman?’
Whatever the reason, I now had a clear purpose to head to the banquet.
I stopped by home to grab a few essentials and quickly left.
The location of S Group’s headquarters was in Gangnam-gu.
‘Ugh, what a hassle.’
Thankfully, I managed to hail a taxi quickly and headed straight to the banquet venue.
As I sat in the cab, I began organizing my thoughts.
First, the masterpieces from my previous life.
If I were to list them:
7. Lucifer, Fallen Angel of Pride – Angel
That’s right. All seven masterpieces shared the same overarching theme: demons.
Within the title of "demon," the works were divided into the seven deadly sins, each inspired by the principal demon associated with that sin.
As I’ve said before, a masterpiece doesn’t merely hold life—it embodies an existence. Each of these masterpieces carried a life within them, and in many ways, those lives were fragments of my own past self. Perhaps even the lives of the demons themselves.
Take, for instance, the emotion of wrath.
If I became overwhelmed by anger due to my circumstances, I would pour that emotion into my painting. That anger would layer and layer onto the canvas until I eventually completed the masterpiece Dragon.
Of course, that’s just an example. My first masterpiece was actually Gumiho.
‘Well... not that it really matters anymore.’
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the time pass.
Before I knew it, the taxi had pulled up to the building where the banquet was being held.
"Thank you. Drive safely!"
Now, I had to head inside and confirm things for myself.
What could possibly go wrong?
***
"What kind of building goes up to 20 floors? How long will it take to get there?"
I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the banquet floor.
The venue was on the 13th floor, and the luxurious interior was enough to catch anyone’s attention.
‘Why the hell is the necklace case made of gold?’
Everywhere I looked, gold. Gold on this side, gold on that side.
What was this, really?
Even for a corporation as wealthy as S Group, this level of extravagance seemed unnecessary.
‘Come to think of it, why are they hosting this banquet?’
Was today some special occasion? Maybe it was the birthday of S Group’s chairman’s daughter?
‘Tsk. Maybe I should’ve brought a gift.’
Pointless thoughts swirled in my head as the elevator chimed.
[13th floor.]
The robotic voice accompanied the opening of the doors.
I stepped out of the elevator and strolled down the corridor, checking my phone.
[05:47]
It was almost 6 p.m. Normally, my family would have already been home by this time. But tonight, all of them were in this building.
‘Why is this place unnecessarily huge?’
I felt like I was walking in circles. The same tiled patterns, the same long hallways.
‘Surely, I’m not going to get lost here, right?’
I wasn’t my mom, after all. There was no way I’d get lost in a building.
After wandering around for a while, I finally found the banquet hall doors.
"Wow. This isn’t France, is it? This feels wrong."
The doors looked like something out of Stairway to Heaven.
I paused to gaze at the massive doors before stepping closer.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
"Excuse me, do you have an invitation?"
At that moment, a burly security guard approached and asked me.
"Oh, an invitation..."
Of course. A banquet would require an invitation.
What was I supposed to do now?
"Sorry, but without an invitation, you can’t enter."
His expression was like he was looking at a lost child, wishing I’d just leave quietly. From their perspective, I probably seemed like someone who had wandered in cluelessly.
"Hmm."
But I wasn’t here by mistake.
Bzzzz.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Uncle Hong Jin-Hoo.
[Where are you? You’re running late.]
"I want to come in, but they won’t let me through without an invitation."
[Ah, the invitation.]
How could he forget something that important?
[Wait right there. I’ll come out.]
With that, the call ended, and shortly after, Uncle Hong opened the doors and stepped out.
"Haha, sorry about that."
Chuckling, he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke to the guards.
"He’s my friend. Let him in."
"Oh, we didn’t realize you were a guest of Mr. Tae-Yang. You’re cleared to enter."
With a polite nod, the guards stepped aside. I followed Uncle Hong into the banquet hall.
My first impression upon entering?
‘Wow, they poured a ton of money into this.’
It looked exactly like what I’d imagine a high-society party would be.
"Where’s my family?"
"Over there."
Uncle Hong pointed to a group of about five or six people.
Among them, I spotted my parents. Both of their faces were slightly flushed—clearly tipsy.
‘I was worried because they weren’t answering their phones. Turns out they couldn’t hear it over the noise and were drinking.’
Now, where was the youngest member of our family?
I scanned the room, letting my gaze wander across the banquet hall.
‘There she is...’
Yoon-ah was enthusiastically enjoying a tea party with some rich kids. One of the boys, in particular, seemed overly interested in her.
‘Should I kill him?’
That thought came to me as an instinctive reaction.
Thankfully, Hong Ye-Hwa was nearby, and her presence reassured me. She was level-headed enough to handle any trouble.
At least, I hoped so.
"Does my family know I’m here?"
"Nope."
"...?"
What? Why wouldn’t you tell them?
Reading my expression, Uncle Hong scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, did I really need to? You’re going to see them soon anyway."
"How on earth did you end up in a high-ranking position at Atlantis?"
Between Teacher Lee Ah-Reum and Uncle Hong Jin-Hoo, what was up with these people?
Well, whatever. I’d see them soon enough. For now...
‘Oh. She noticed me.’
I had been about to head toward the painting when I made eye contact with Hong Ye-Hwa. Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing me.
I gave her a small nod and a faint smile before turning my gaze elsewhere.
Perhaps noticing Uncle Hong next to me, she didn’t approach, likely assuming this was a private matter.
-See you later. And keep an eye on my sister for me.
Mouthing the words, I saw her give me a soft smile in response.
-Okay. I’ll wait.
She mouthed back silently.
Crossing the noisy banquet hall, I stopped at the stairs leading to the second floor.
"You’re here because of the masterpiece, aren’t you?"
"...Well, yeah. Did you know?"
"Of course. I’ve been around long enough to figure these things out."
Uncle Hong’s eyes reflected the weight of experience as he looked at the painting.
"A masterpiece is different from a great work of art. It’s on a level higher than something that merely influences the mind."
I remained quiet. After all, I already knew all this. I was the one who coined these concepts, and only my damn master knew about them.
"What do you think a masterpiece is?" he asked suddenly.
"Why ask? It’s just a painting. Nothing particularly special."
"Not special? Yet you came all the way here for it?"
"..."
As I kept silent, Uncle Hong chuckled and pointed to the painting.
"It’s strange, isn’t it? You don’t feel anything from it. To most people, it would just seem like an ordinary painting you’d find anywhere."
"True. It doesn’t exude grandeur like a great work."
"But still, there’s a reason it’s called a masterpiece."
He gently touched the transparent case encasing the painting.
"The masterpiece in Korea is Siren. The painting before us now is also Siren."
"I see."
I gazed at Siren with an indifferent expression. Uncle Hong, however, looked at me with a strange expression.
"Don’t you feel anything?"
"Not really. Unlike great works, it doesn’t show me any illusions or anything."
"...You’re lying."
His discerning eyes saw right through me.
Fine. I’ll admit it.
The Siren, locked in its case and kept nearly a meter out of reach, didn’t radiate anything like a great work would.
But as I looked at it, its "life" played out in my mind like a movie.
‘Tsk. This is my limit.’
In this life, my body was too weak to fully embrace the Siren.
But it didn’t matter. I already knew its life.
After all, it was my creation. If I didn’t know it, who would?
"The artist is unknown, as with all masterpieces scattered across the world," Uncle Hong continued.
His words went in one ear and out the other.
Later. I’ll come back for you. When that time comes, let’s talk.
I muttered inwardly, believing Siren would welcome me when the time came.
"But why is it here? I thought it was under state management."
At my question, Uncle Hong scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I have no idea. I was just another invited guest."
"What do you know, exactly?"
"You’re being too harsh."
My question was unexpectedly answered by a third party.
"It was I. I brought Siren here."
Hearing the voice from behind, I slowly turned around.
There stood an elderly man in a gray suit, leaning on a cane. Everything about him screamed, I’m the chairman.