***
The Country's National Exam is a nine-hour exam that will last for two days.
This is one of the most anticipated examinations that will be held annually. This exam is a prerequisite for all higher educational institutions in the country. Because of this, immense pressure had become a piece of baggage for both students and teachers alike.
The pressure surrounding this national exam is even enough to make a student commit suicide or fall into depression.
For Chaeyoung, this exam is not that hard. Aside from the fact that she has extremely high IQ, she also remembers some of the questions from her previous life.
That's why Chaeyoung is so confident to make a bet with Lisa. Although she did not attend most reviews and practice exams at her school, Chaeyoung is still confident that she will finish this exam with ease.
Of course, fate is a very funny thing. Contrary to Chaeyoung's expectations, most questions had been changed. Still, she was able to finish the exam easily. However, her confidence to beat Lisa decreased by ten percent.
After the last day of the exams, Chaeyoung immediately went home to take a rest. She is not feeling well. Both her hard work and stress had taken its toll on her body.
Chaeyoung immediately lay on her bed as her head started to hurt. For some reason, she felt like someone smashed something hard onto her brain. Shooting pain started to stab through her arms and legs as she started coughing. She then pulled the blankets closer to her neck.
'She must be really sick.' She thought before falling into a deep slumber.
....
After the exams, Lisa decided to visit Chaeyoung in the Wang Mansion. She couldn't hide her excitement. This is of course because of her bet with her beloved. This is going to be her biggest chance of making Chaeyoung say yes.
For Lisa, a lifetime is not even enough to prove to Chaeyoung that she is sincere. And that her feelings are true. She can always do that after Chaeyoung becomes her girl. And even double her efforts after they got married.
The thought of marrying her made Lisa more and more enthusiastic. She asked Jin to buy some tulips for Chaeyoung so she can give it to her. She even bought some of her favorite sweets.
When she arrived at the Wang Estate both Grandpa Wang and Jackson was still not around. Even Taehyung is currently not in the estate. She asked one of the maids to tell Chaeyoung that she is here to visit. However, the maid informed her that Chaeyoung is not answering her door.
This made Lisa a little worried. She knows that Chaeyoung had been working so hard these past few days. She immediately asked the maid to guide her to Chaeyoung's room.
This is the first time that Lisa will enter someone's bedroom, so she is a little nervous. She decided to take some time before knocking at the door.
After a few knocks, there is still no answer from Chaeyoung. She immediately asked the maid to bring the master key, so they can open the door and check on her.
When the door opened, Lisa hastily entered the room and checked her bed. There, she saw the pale Chaeyoung wrapped in a thick blanket. She furrowed her brows trying to calm her worried heart.
She then put her palm into Chaeyoung's forehead to feel her temperature. Only to be welcomed by her scorching hot skin.
Lisa frowned as she signaled the maid to call Wang Guiren. She also stepped outside of the room and called a doctor.
When the doctor arrived, Grandpa Wang was already in the Mansion. Both Jackson and Taehyung are out of the country so only Wang Guiren was able to rush back home.
Tests were immediately performed and after three hours of waiting, the doctor concluded that it was just a simple flu that must have been caused by fatigue.
Before leaving, the doctor gave Chaeyoung some medicines that will aide her cough and fever.
....
When Chaeyoung woke up, it was already dawn. The feeling of fatigue immediately showed its sign. Her head is not that painful anymore but for some reason, she felt like her body had been thrown from the second floor of the building.
She slowly tried to get up but quickly realized that her body seems to have a mind of its own. Disagreeing with her every action. Making her winced not from pain but from too much discomfort.
Before she could lay back onto her bed, someone set foot in her room without even knocking. She looked at the woman standing next to the door staring at her, face full of concern.
For some reason, Chaeyoung is not surprised to see that it was Lisa.
"Hey," she quickly said trying to ease the weird atmosphere inside the room.
"Hey... I... am... I prepared some Chrysanthemum soup for you." Lisa said, then she awkwardly walked towards Chaeyoung with a bowl in her hands.
"It's almost morning. Why are you still here?" She asked.
"I was worried you would get hungry when you wake up. So, I volunteered to stay."
"I'm surprised grandfather let you inside my room."
"I... No one else can take care of you. Your uncle and your cousin are out of the country. And grandfather is too old to do that, so he gave me his permission." Lisa explained. Of course, she did not tell her how she refused to leave.
Grandpa Wang even tried to call the guards to intimidate her into leaving but it was useless. Lisa just sat beside Chaeyoung without saying anything. The helpless Grandpa Wang had no choice but to let the young woman stay while cursing inwardly. This young woman is too abnormal ah.
"Hmm... You know how to cook?" She asked convinced by Lisa's explanation.
"I just learned. Here, give it a try." Lisa then carefully helped Chaeyoung as she put the tray with the soup in Chaeyoung's bed.
Lisa was about to feed her when Chaeyoung sent her a glare making Lisa let the spoon go.
She then took one spoonful of the soup and tasted it. "Hmm... this is good." she nodded in approval.
"Why did you learn cooking? You must have a lot of people who can cook in your place." Chaeyoung asked curiously. Then she took another spoonful of the soup. This soup is truly delicious. She is quite impressed by Lisa's skills in the kitchen.
"I just learned cooking last week. I learned because I believe that the best way into a woman's heart is through her stomach." Lisa answered seriously.
Chaeyoung didn't know if she wanted to cry or to laugh after she heard Lisa's statement. Isn't this Lisa a little too... sweet?
.....
Chaeyoung's 18th birthday is going to be a big celebration.
Her grandfather and Jackson personally managed all the arrangements. From the venue to the color motif. To the food and invitations. Chaeyoung's role is just to show up for the dress rehearsals and food tastings.
Since her body was not well, Chaeyoung had no choice but to sit inside her room and wait for the seamstress for the dresses that she will wear for her party.
Chaeyoung wanted a simple party, but her grandfather insisted on having it grand. Wang Guiren had two reasons for doing this.
First, he wanted to let everyone know that Taehyung and Chaeyoung will be the heirs of the Wang Group.
And the second is to show everyone how much he dotes on his granddaughter.
Wang Guiren even chose a Western Style party with a 6 feet five-tier fondant purple and gold cake made by one of the most famous pastry chefs abroad.
The party will take place in a five-star hotel in the City, and all of the country's elites were invited. That includes the other 3 prestigious families in the country.
For Chaeyoung, this is completely unnecessary. In her previous life, she requested for a grand party from her grandfather. Of course, her grandfather complied. However, she ended up ruining it.
She still remembers the details of her previous life's debut. She mistakenly wore a piece of Jewelry that was said to be Yuri's. Jacob personally gave the necklace to her just before her party started. He then said it was her mothers.
And the fool Chaeyoung was so happy she even asked her grandfather if it was really Claire's necklace. She decided to wear it even though it did not match her clothing.
At the party, Hyuna, Yuri's cousin then told everyone how Yuri lost a necklace that looks exactly like Chaeyoung's. Hinting to everyone that she stole it from her sister.
Since everyone was already aware of Chaeyoung's competitive nature, they eventually believed Hyuna.
Of course, this made Chaeyoung furious. She eventually created a ruckus and slapped Yuri in front of everyone.
This incident earned her the nickname "stupid heiress" and created problems for the Wang Group. Most shareholders tried to question her aggressive attitude and competitive nature.
In the end, her grandfather relinquished his previous statement. Making Chaeyoung a laughing stock in the whole country.
She could not blame her grandfather's action. After all, almost all major shareholders stand against her grandfather's decision in making her a part of the company. They even threatened to withdraw their shares, putting her grandfather in a very big dilemma.
This incident became so big that it was in the news for the next few days. Chaeyoung tried to tell everyone that it was her father who gave her the necklace. But no one believed her. All they did was ridicule her. The stupid heiress who would steal just to compete with her sister.
Chaeyoung can't help but shake her head as the memories came flashing in her head. Her father, Sunmi and Yuri all contributed to her previous life's action. But for some reason, she does not blame them.
She felt that she was just too stupid to react the way she did in her previous life. This allowed people to manipulate her.
The incident in her previous life is also one of the reasons why she did not want to have this party. She really does not like to associate herself with other rich and prestigious family.
She remembers how they praised her like a deity when she was in her best state but left and laughed at her during her darkest days.
These people are all hypocrites. They will treat you well if you can benefit them and leave you in the dirt when you are at your worst.
"Young Miss, this dress suits you perfectly, what do you think?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the middle-aged woman beside her. She is none other than the Wang family's personal seamstress.
Chaeyoung stared at her reflection in the full body mirror in front of her. She is currently wearing a mermaid style gown in peach. The color of the dress highlighted her pale and flawless skin.
"Hmm... I don't like mermaid dresses. I find it really hard to move around. Do you have the black Trumpet Dress? The one that I designed?" She inquired. Mermaid and Trumpet dresses are almost the same. Except for the flares of the two dresses.
Mermaid and Trumpet dresses will perfectly fit someone's body. However, mermaid dresses have their flares below the knee making it harder to move or even walk.
On the other hand, the flare of the Trumpet dress is mid-thigh. Although it is not as dramatic as a Mermaid dress, it is very comfortable and easier to handle.
Chaeyoung decided to draw a black trumpet dress and asked the seamstress to make it for her. Although black is a very unconventional color for a birthday, she believes that black is a very good color for her 18th birthday.
For some, black symbolizes negativity and sadness. But for Chaeyoung, black is a symbol of power, mystery, and sophistication. Black is the color that perfectly suits her after the rebirth.
The seamstress then gave her a black strapless trumpet dress full Swarovski crystals. Chaeyoung lets out a smile while looking at the dress. "This is perfect!" She beamed.
Chaeyoung will change her outfit three times during the party. Aside from the black gown, she also decided to wear a red dress for her piano presentation. And a curve-hugging modified A-line gown for the rest of the night.
She is quite satisfied with the Wang Family's seamstress for making her all the dresses she wanted. Even the red dress was carefully handcrafted to perfectly fit her.
After the seamstress left, an attendant asked her to taste all of the cuisines to be served in the party. To Chaeyoung's surprise, all of which are exquisite cuisines from all over the world.
After the food tasting, Chaeyoung was left alone in her room. Her grandfather forbade her from using any computers, so she can relax and not do any work before her birthday.
Chaeyoung let out a long sigh before sitting on her bed with a book in her hand. She is bored. Extremely bored but she will not disobey her grandfather now. She knows how much effort the old man put into this party.
Her grandfather wanted to impress her and show everyone how excellent his granddaughter is.
She was about to start reading a book when she suddenly heard another knock. Thinking it was one of the people for the party she immediately opens her door.
To her surprise, it was Lisa. Today she is wearing a Light blue Shirt paired with jeans and Black sneakers. Her outfit made her look both casual and dressed up at the same time.
"Hi." Lisa gives her a somewhat boyish grin. The thought of Chaeyoung checking out her outfit is making her a little embarrassed for some reason.
"Hey. Come in." She gestured Lisa to come inside her room. By now, she is almost used to being around her. When she was sick days ago, Lisa stayed by her side the whole time and took care of her.
This gesture made her feel special. A feeling that she did not feel before her rebirth. And she would be lying if she would say that she didn't like it. Because she did. She honestly did.
"So ahm..." Lisa started. Her voice was a little gloomy. "Our branch outside the City was in some kind of emergency, and my father asked me to take care of it."
Chaeyoung looked at her solemn expression. "So, you won't be able to come to my birthday tomorrow?" She directly asked Lisa. She wondered why the thought of her absence was making her heart feel an unwarranted sadness.
Lisa nodded. "At least for the most part. But I will be back before the night ends. I will still be able to attend the party just not for the beginning."
"Hmmm... Okay. I hope everything is alright with your company." She said. Chaeyoung felt her heart skip. At least she will still see her. The thought of seeing Lisa tomorrow was somehow making her happy. She wondered if her heart is slowly melting towards the young woman.
"I want to give you my gift ahead of time." Lisa said. Then she handed her an exquisite black box. "Open it. I want you to open it now and promise me that you will wear it tomorrow." Lisa said after Chaeyoung accepted the box.
Chaeyoung didn't say anything as she continued to look at the box. The box is carefully handcrafted with some flowers. It looked antique and expensive. She opened the box and let out a gasp.
"This..." Chaeyoung was speechless. If her eyes are not deceiving her then she is looking at the most beautiful Jadeite necklace in the world. It is composed of translucent jadeite beads with a clasp made of white gold and caliber cut rubies and diamonds.
"How did you get this? I thought this piece of jewelry disappeared in the '80s?" She bombarded Lisa with questions. It is said that this necklace disappeared after an auction in the '80s. According to the rumors, this necklace cost more than the smallest country in the world.
Chaeyoung recognized the jadeite necklace from her mother's pictures. Her mother is obsessed with this piece of necklace. She even spent a quite amount of money to find the current owner of the necklace. But her mother died without knowing the actual location of this iconic jewelry.
For Lisa, Chaeyoung's reaction is considered perfectly normal. After all, this Jadeite necklace is one of the most expensive jewelry ever seen in an auction. Her grandfather purchased this piece of jewelry as a gift for her grandmother.
"Do you like it?" Lisa asked her. Clearly disregarding her inquiries. She knows that Chaeyoung will reject the gift if she knows the history behind this piece of Jewelry.
"Yes. I... where did you get this?" She asked Lisa for the second time.
"From our family's vault. Don't worry I asked for my father's consent. He would love for you to wear it tomorrow night." Lisa is actually telling the truth. When she mentioned that she will give it to Chaeyoung for her 18th birthday, her father immediately agreed.
Her father already knows Chaeyoung's complete background. He also quite likes the girl that his daughter fancies. Aside from having a good family backing her, Chaeyoung's achievement abroad is also not to be taken likely.
"This is from your grandfather isn't it?" She asked. The Manoban Family is one of the oldest families in the country it is very easy for Chaeyoung to piece everything together.
"..."
"Did he buy this for your grandmother?" This necklace disappeared in the '80s and that is when Lisa's grandfather became the head of the Manoban Family.
Still, Lisa did not answer. This time she can feel the sweat forming in her back. Her beloved is too smart.
"Are you afraid that I will reject your gift?" Again, Chaeyoung did not receive an answer from Lisa.
Chaeyoung burst out into laughter. Ah... she seemed to like the flustered Lisa.
"Don't worry Young Miss Manoban I will not reject your gift. In fact, I will treasure this forever." She said as her face turned serious. Then she gives Lisa a sincere smile. "Thank You." She continued.
.....