Dual Persona

The air in the room felt different the moment the lawyer entered. The laughter and chatter from earlier quickly died down, replaced by an expectant silence. Sungjun, still half-smiling, straightened as the attorney stepped forward, the weight of the moment suddenly became obvious.

The lawyer, a man in his mid-fifties with neatly combed hair and glasses that reflected the dim light, opened the envelope he'd been holding.

After exchanging pleasantries, he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as per the wishes of the late Mr. Han Dong Hyun, I will now proceed with reading the will regarding his estate."

The room was completely still. Sungjun's thoughts drifted momentarily as he remembered the late billionaire—Han Dong Hyun, a man of immense wealth and influence. His company, his name, his legacy—all of it was about to be divided among the family. And from what he knew of his father, nothing in his will would be simple.

"Mr. Han's total net worth," the lawyer continued, "is valued at approximately 18 trillion KRW (12.5 Billion USD) by the time of his death."

The numbers hung in the air, heavy with significance. Everyone in the room exchanged quick, uncertain glances.

"The first beneficiary of the will," the lawyer continued, "is Mr. Han Dong Hyun's eldest son, Han Jae-soo. He shall receive 5.43% worth of Orion group shares, which is amounting to roughly 2 trillion KRW (1.4 billion USD) by the time of his death."

There was a brief, respectful silence as everyone processed the news. Ji Hoon, the eldest son, was currently missing and no one knows where he was, or whether he was even alive or not. But the fact that he only received 2 trillion won out of 18 trillion won secretly made the two daughters-in-law happy, and Han Tae-jin to some extent. Little did they know that the late billionaire had different plans.

"The second son, Han Taejin," the lawyer continued, "will receive one trillion KRW in cash, as well as assets valued at approximately 700 billion KRW, including a fleet of private jets, a private car collection, a luxury yacht, and the entire shipyard operated by the family business."

Tae-jin leaned back in his chair, his face went stiff. His wife, Kim Seol-ah's face was also darkened, realizing that her husband was receiving even less than the eldest child. Then, who is going to benefit the most? She couldn't help but glance at the remaining children.

"The third son, Han Ji-hyun…" The lawyer paused as if measuring his words. Ji-hyun sat straighter in his seat, though his face remained impassive. "He will receive one point two billion dollars in cash."

Sungjun's eyebrows raised slightly at the sum that his third brother was receiving. It was just like he expected of his father. The amount was decreasing from eldest to youngest and that means there will be a large chunk of wealth left behind, by the end. And what would become of it? Sungjun became curious.

As for the recipient, Ji-hyun, he looked calm as he expected that much. However, his wife, Seo Eun-ji, had her face crumpled even more, not because her husband was getting lesser but because he was way lesser than the second eldest.

"The daughter, Kang Sae-ri," the lawyer continued, "will receive a collection of high-value assets, including jewelry, paintings, watches, and other items, totaling approximately 200 billion KRW in value. Additionally, she will be granted 500 billion KRW in cash and an apartment complex in Gangnam-gu, valued at approximately 220 billion KRW."

Sae-ri, sitting at the far end of the table, nodded in acknowledgment but her face remained composed.

"And lastly," the lawyer said, drawing everyone's attention once more, "the youngest son, Han Sungjun, will inherit 600 billion KRW worth of real estate property. The Genesis Entertainment Town, which covers approximately 28 acres, shall be transferred to his name."

Sungjun processed the will in his brain. "Genesis Entertainment Town, huh? That's land I cannot sell to any private individual or entity because of regulations from the ministry. But, I still have to pay over 200 million USD as inheritance tax within six months after the property claim… Did Dad think he could punish me with such a stupid will and these stringent Korean inheritance laws? Did he think I would be forced to sell it to the government and face backlash from the public? Oh, Dad, you underestimate me…" He smirked inwardly while calmly gazing at the document in the hands of the lawyer. "… a lot."

*

The room fell into an unsettling silence. Everyone, still processing the grand scale of the inheritance, now had to contend with a stark reality. The lawyer cleared his throat again, his eyes flicking over the words of the will as he flipped the document to the next page.

"That's for the inheritance but it comes with a certain set of conditions," the lawyer said, his voice more measured than before. "The conditions outlined in Mr. Han Dong Hyun's will must be fulfilled in order for any of the inheritance to be acquired."

A murmur rippled through the family. "As expected. Dad has conditions. Why am I not surprised?" Sungjun mumbled with a nod. The air seemed to tighten around them as if the very space they occupied was now a battleground.

The lawyer continued, unperturbed by the shift in everyone's gazes. "The first condition is that within three days after the announcement of the will, the family must move into the Orion estate. You must all live there at least until the first anniversary of Mr. Han's passing. Regardless of your work commitments or businesses, you must spend at least twelve hours each day in the house to be considered as staying home. And, to qualify for an inheritance, you must collectively spend no less than 200 days in the estate over the course of the year."

Everyone blinked in surprise.

Tae-jin, who had been listening intently, furrowed his brows. "Wait… so you're saying we have to live together at the estate for a year?"

The lawyer nodded. "Yes. You and your families are required to reside there for at least twelve hours a day. Anything less than twelve hours is considered as absent. This isn't optional."

Ji-hyun scoffed. "That's absurd!"

"I know, this is impossible for me too. Sometimes, I barely stay like six hours at my own home due to a tight schedule," Sae-ri nodded, a little more harshly than she intended, "But is it really just about living in the house?" She couldn't help but voice aloud.