“Father, are you going to see Mother?”
A savory smell filled the mansion in Ichon-dong. It was because Chairman Yoo was making pumpkin pancakes.
Though he was over seventy years old, Chairman Yoo’s wrinkled eyes were filled with excitement whenever he made pumpkin pancakes.
Yoo Hyunja thought her father was quite the romantic. After all, decades had passed since her mother passed away, and he never looked at another woman.
“Hyunja, do you know why your mother loved these pumpkin pancakes so much? Even after our business became successful in Seoul, she preferred pumpkin pancakes over beef. Do you know why?”
Yoo Hyunja didn’t know. She had hardly any memories of her mother.
The only scene she could recall was her mother eating pumpkin pancakes with great delight, as if they were a gourmet feast. Her radiant smile was enough to remind her of her mother’s younger days.
“Your mother worked as a maid at my father’s house when she was young. She was sold to a wealthy family in Chungbuk with no one to rely on, so it must have been tough. There were many maids in my father’s household, and the young girl faced a lot of bullying. Her face was chapped in the winter cold, and her hands were always blistered from washing clothes in the stream during the summer.”
Yoo Hyunja didn’t know much about her mother’s younger days.
She only knew vaguely that her parents had a forbidden love back then.
It was no wonder, given that her mother was gentle and graceful, like a noble lady in her youth.
“She was very kind-hearted. Even when she had nothing to eat, she would share her rice balls with the street children. How could I not fall for her? During feasts, I would sneak various foods to her.”
“Was pumpkin pancakes among those foods?”
“Yes. She felt guilty that I kept bringing her meat, so she lied that pumpkin pancakes were the most delicious. That memory stayed with me even into old age. When I brought her pumpkin pancakes, she saw me not as the family’s young master but as a man named Yoo Dongyul. Even though your mother has been in heaven for a long time now.”
Every year on his wife’s birthday, Chairman Yoo would make pumpkin pancakes and pour a glass of milk, which she used to love.
As the pumpkin pancakes were being perfectly cooked, Chairman Yoo’s eyes filled with even more excitement.
“She is still alive in my heart.”
As if he were about to meet his first love.
“From John Calvin’s side?”
It was an unexpected story.
“Yes, Maestro and Vice President John know each other.”
Another vice president of Calvin Pharmaceuticals had come to visit the mansion. Moreover, he was said to be acquainted with the Maestro.
A tea time was already underway beyond the garden. Judging by Karas’ wide smile, it seemed they were more than mere acquaintances.
It was then.
Huh?
My eyes met Karas’ who was enjoying tea time beyond the garden. It was as if he was asking, “Would you care to join us?”
“Hyun, this is John Calvin, someone I cherish greatly. He was a close childhood friend of my child.”
Before I knew it,
“John, this is Hyun, a young Maestro who is creating a storm in the music world. He is one of the musicians who will lead the classical music scene in the future.”
Somehow, I ended up taking a seat at the tea time.
John Calvin was quite different from his half-brother Gerard Calvin, not only in appearance but also in speech.
While Vice President Gerard had an unrefined nouveau riche look, Vice President John had the air of a researcher, much like Dr. Tikhonov.
“I’ve already heard a lot about you, Hyun. You are world-famous as a musician and also renowned as the head of an investment company. Ah, please don’t misunderstand. Today’s visit is purely to meet the Maestro, not for business.”
Though his intentions seemed transparent, I decided to let it go. How could I not when the Maestro was smiling so brightly?
“John, thank you for always remembering Anna’s birthday.”
“It’s nothing. It’s natural to care for a friend. You don’t need to feel burdened, Maestro.”
Anna’s birthday?
“I brought the Sachertorte that Anna loved. I hope you can enjoy it with her, Maestro.”
“Thank you so much. Anna would really love it.”
It sounded as if Anna was still alive. As the conversation continued, Maya suddenly came over and whispered to the Maestro.
“Oh my, I completely forgot I had a prior engagement today. I’m sorry, but could I leave first?”
Of course, the Maestro didn’t need my permission, so I naturally stood up and saw him off.
In the garden where the Maestro had disappeared, only John Calvin and I were left, staring at each other.
It was John Calvin who spoke first.
“Once again, please don’t misunderstand. Today’s visit is truly to celebrate Anna, the Maestro’s daughter, on her birthday.”
“I understand. But may I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
Why do you speak as if Anna is still alive?
“I don’t know if you have guessed, but the Maestro believes that Anna is still alive. Ever since she passed away seventeen years ago, he has believed this. Every year, I bring the Sachertorte that Anna loved. It’s the last thing I can do as a friend.”
John Calvin’s eyes reflected memories and sadness from the past.
How much time had passed? John Calvin, having shaken off his sadness, looked at me again and asked,
“May I ask you something now, CEO?”
Of course,
“Why didn’t you sell your shares to Vice President Gerard?”
“Is that what you are so curious about?”
“Yes, I wasn’t originally going to ask such things today, but I took the opportunity. Surely, Vice President Gerard’s offer was better than ours.”
John Calvin’s expression still showed he didn’t understand. Of course, it was a well-known secret that he was significantly behind Vice President Gerard in terms of capital.
But my reason for refusing was simple.
“Because he was arrogant.”
Gulp.
Manager Kim Sang-guk realized that the person sitting across from him was excessively nervous.
It was understandable, given that the renowned VH Company had requested a meeting.
“Your company is developing lithium-ion battery safety, correct?”
“Yes, but we are not yet at a stage where we can call it development…”
“We are aware of that.”
The young venture company CEO looked like a freshman in college.
He had indeed dropped out of college to start his venture. Ever since Bill Gates of Microsoft succeeded, there had been a boom of college dropouts starting ventures, and the CEO in front of him was one of them.
“How many employees do you have?”
“Just three, including myself.”
“Are they college friends?”
The curly-haired CEO slowly nodded.
Manager Kim Sang-guk still didn’t understand. Based on their development progress, they were more like a university club than a company. It was more appropriate to call them a club rather than a company. However,
“We will provide all the funding and facilities for your research.”
“Pardon?”
“Please take a look at the contract.”
The CEO’s eyes widened. The numbers in the contract were ones he had never seen in his life.
Moreover, the contract terms were quite favorable to them. If Manager Kim Sang-guk weren’t from VH Company, he would have suspected fraud.
“I don’t understand. If our company doesn’t produce proper development results, VH Company will incur significant losses, won’t it?”
“Yes. If your company fails in the research and development of lithium-ion battery safety, VH Company will lose both its investment and opportunity costs. Conversely, if your company succeeds, VH Company will gain immense profits.”
“I really don’t understand. Does VH Company trust us that much?”
Of course, they were just rookies who hadn’t been established for even a year.
Manager Kim Sang-guk shook his head internally. It wasn’t because he trusted the curly-haired man in front of him. The man didn’t seem suited for business at all. However,
“Our CEO has full faith in your company.”
By now, Manager Kim Sang-guk would be meeting with the young CEO of Dreamsa.
They would later succeed in developing lithium-ion battery safety. Though they started in a shabby place like a container house, their end would be grand.
How do I know them?
Their success in lithium-ion battery safety development had echoed around the world for days in my past life.
I never expected to meet them in their youth in Austria. It was like luck falling into my lap.
‘Manager, don’t worry. This isn’t a losing deal.’
Manager Kim Sang-guk had been so worried that he spent hours persuading me.
But it wasn’t like I could say, ‘I saw them succeed in developing lithium-ion battery safety in my past life.’
Of course, from Manager Kim Sang-guk’s perspective, it would be akin to charity work. Then,
“Oppa, I really saw a child!”
There she goes again. Yooha was spouting nonsense.
She had said a few days ago that she saw a child in room 0703. She must have mistaken the sobbing Maestro for a child.
“Yooha, you were so startled that you saw things.”
“I’m serious.”
“Yooha, today is your first lesson with the Maestro. Let’s talk about it later.”
Son Yooha still shook her head and puffed her cheeks.
She looked so cute that I wanted to pinch her cheeks, but there was no time. It was the first day of my direct lesson with Karas.
“Hyun, come on in.”
Interestingly, the place for the conducting lesson was a forest facing the garden. I had expected a studio filled with musical equipment like a piano, so this was an unusual location.
At that moment, Karas picked up a stick that had fallen in the forest.
In that instant,
Swoosh.
As if the tip of the stick sliced through space, the forest resonated.
It was a simple conducting motion, but the resonance sounded like music, digging into my ears as if casting a spell.
They didn’t call him the legendary Maestro for nothing. It was Karas’ conducting, which I had never seen even in my past life.
From his shoulders, flowing through his fingertips to the baton, it was a different style of conducting than I had ever known.
I had heard that he hadn’t conducted for a long time. However, Karas’ skill had not only not deteriorated but had reached a level that was unbelievable.
Only then did I remember the words of the eternal Maestro, Gustav, who said that the pinnacle of the 20th century was not himself but the Empress Karas.
Then,
Karas clenched his fist in mid-air as if the conducting had ended.
At that moment, the forest resonance stopped as if the conducting had ended.
Karas turned to me and said,
“Hyun, do you remember my movements just now?”
How could I forget? It was etched in my mind like the highlight of a movie, making me feel as if I were dreaming.
When I nodded affirmatively, Karas smiled and continued,
“Do it ten thousand times the same way.”
