Chapter 38: The Secret Room.
Midway through the term break, amidst the flurry of activities, Ji-woo found herself engaged in a fervent game of Scrabble with Eun-kyung.
"Yes, I have won once again!" Ji-woo exclaimed, leaping onto the bed to celebrate her victory.
Eun-kyung, slightly irritated, pleaded, "Can we stop playing now?"
Realizing they had other plans, Ji-woo agreed, "Yes, let's go see what Ga-ram has prepared for lunch!" She made a dash for the door, but Eun-kyung intercepted her, blocking the way.
"You promised that I could show you something after the game," Eun-kyung reminded her.
"Ah, right! After that, we'll go for lunch," Ji-woo corrected herself, and they hurriedly left the room.
Guided by Eun-kyung, they descended the stairs and passed through a corridor until they reached a door. Ji-woo looked at Eun-kyung in astonishment as she announced, "This is my father's study."
Eager to discover what lay inside, Eun-kyung stated, "Well whatever I want to show you is behind this door."
"Unfortunately, it is locked," Ji-woo admitted.
"No need to worry, we can ask Ga-ram to open it for us," Eun-kyung suggested.
But Ji-woo's quick thinking surprised Eun-kyung as she confidently declared, "No, I can do it." Retrieving a hairpin from her own hair, she skillfully picked the lock, successfully opening the door. Eun-kyung gazed at Ji-woo in awe and entered the study, with Ji-woo promptly locking the door behind them.
Taking in the sights, Ji-woo marveled at the shelves lined with books on the side walls, a couch and a glass table were at the centre of the study while a mahogany table and chair was at the end of the study in front of a large window that was covered with a curtain.
Ji-woo drew the curtain aside letting light to pass through the window too the study. With everywhere now being seen clearly, Ji-woo looked towards her father's table and found a diary on it.
Opening the diary to the last entry, Ji-woo learned that her father had planned a grand ball to introduce her and her brother to society. Sadly, the ball never came to fruition, as her father passed away before it could take place.
"I apologize for interrupting your moment, but what I want to show you is concealed behind that shelf," Eun-kyung remarked, pointing towards the left side.
Setting aside the diary, Ji-woo joined Eun-kyung's side and inquired, "You mean like a secret pathway?" Her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Yes, exactly," Eun-kyung affirmed with a nod.
Considering the possibilities, Ji-woo proposed, "Perhaps removing a book might hold the key." She meticulously examined the titles of the books lining the shelves.
Suddenly, her search came to a halt. "Oh my goodness," she gasped.
Curious, Eun-kyung appeared behind her. "What is it?" she asked anxiously.
Ji-woo's voice filled with nostalgia as she held up the book she had stumbled upon. "This is the very book my father used to read to me and my brother before bedtime when we were young."
Eager to press on, Eun-kyung urged Ji-woo, "We don't have time for that right now. Let's continue searching for any suspicious signs." However, as Ji-woo replaced the book on the shelf, she noticed a small brown button nestled in the space where the book had been. It was easily overlooked if one didn't look closely enough.
Eun-kyung, observing Ji-woo's discovery, exclaimed, "You found it!"
Ji-woo then pressed the button and to their astonishment, the shelf slowly swung open, unveiling a hidden staircase.
"Amazing!" Ji-woo exclaimed, placing the book on the nearby couch before descending the stairs, using her phone's torch to illuminate their path.
As they made their way down the narrow staircase, the air grew colder, and an inexplicable sense of anticipation enveloped their beings.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Ji-woo couldn't help but inquire, "Eun-kyung, do you have any idea what lies ahead?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Eun-kyung confessed, "I only discovered this stairway recently. I didn't have the chance to explore further."
Teasingly, Ji-woo remarked, "Looks like someone is afraid of the dark."
"No, I'm not," Eun-kyung retorted, defending herself. Ji-woo chuckled, finding amusement in their lighthearted banter, as they continued their descent down the stairs.
Gradually, they reached a dimly lit passage that seemed to stretch endlessly before them. Undeterred, fueled by their shared curiosity and determination, they pressed on.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at the end of the passage. To their surprise, before them stood a hidden room, and even more surprisingly, the room was not locked.
"My father must not have locked it the last time he was here. We need to activate the wall torches," Ji-woo deduced, searching through the nearest table until she discovered a box of matches. Carefully, she lit the torches one by one with eager anticipation. As the room gradually illuminated, both Ji-woo and Eun-kyung gasped in awe.
The room was adorned with ancient artifacts and remnants from civilizations long gone. Fascinated, Eun-kyung couldn't help but ask, "How old was your father? Was he an archaeologist?"
"No, he was not," Ji-woo replied, her gaze wandering around the room, taking in the historical treasures.
The walls of the room were adorned with meticulously crafted maps, delicate trinkets, and skeletal displays, creating a harmonious blend of intrigue and reverence. Shelves, intricately carved into the rock, held books and scrolls that contained years' worth of research and findings.
In the center of the room, a large table served as a workspace, cluttered with ancient maps, magnifying glasses, and brushes. Papers etched with scribbled notes were scattered about, revealing Ji-woo's father's unwavering dedication to unearthing hidden truths.
As Ji-woo and Eun-kyung marveled at the attention to detail, they discovered ancient pottery placed alongside weathered, leather-bound journals, each telling stories of long-forgotten civilizations.
Every corner of the room had its own allure. A glass case exhibited delicate jewelry, a testament to the craftsmanship of a bygone era. Towering bookshelves, housing ancient tomes and volumes, seemed to sag under the weight of accumulated wisdom.
"Your father is really something, we should open this as a museum. Your father's work needs to be made known" Eun-kyung suggested to Ji-woo who only laughs as she headed closed to the walls.
The wall was adorned with ancient tapestries whispered tales of empires and battles, and one of them caught Ji-woo's eyes
"Eun-kyung you need to see this," she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. She beckoned Eun-kyung to join her, urging her to take a closer look.
Eun-kyung obliged, raising her gaze to meet the tapestry on the wall, only to stumble back in surprise.
"I was shocked too. Could there really be an ancestor who had your face in this world?" Ji-woo pondered, inching closer to the intricately woven fabric.
"An ancestor with purple hair? Pfft, what a joke," Eun-kyung chuckled, dismissing the notion, "The civilization who painted this should be quite rich considering the purple dye," she continued.
"It says Ishtar," Ji-woo whispered as she pointed at the name inscribed on the tapestry.
"Ishtar? What does that mean?" Eun-kyung inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Unfortunately, there's no network here maybe when we get back up, I will check it out," Ji-woo informed, before quickly adding, "What if I search for more clues?" Her eyes sparkled with determination as she walked towards the table at the center of the room.
Examining her father's journals, Ji-woo opened them and began perusing their contents. Lost in the pages, she suddenly exclaimed, "Eun-kyung! I knew it. My father wouldn't simply choose archaeology as a hobby. He did all of this for U-jin's great-grandfather. It was a debt he was supposed to repay, and I was used as a substitute if he couldn't pay."
Eun-kyung's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "So you're saying that if you send all this to U-jin's great-grandfather, you can free yourself from getting engaged to U-jin?" she asked, seeking clarity. Ji-woo nodded earnestly, affirming her plan.
"But I still don't understand why your father was in debt in the first place." Eun-kyung questioned again.
"He borrowed a significant amount of money from him to establish his companies across all seven continents," Ji-woo explained, her voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and understanding.
"Your father was indeed greedy," Eun-kyung remarked, adopting a sympathetic tone.
"Don't say that, at least he worked diligently to repay the borrowed funds. Without the loans, he wouldn't have been able to finance his endeavours and acquire all these treasures," Ji-woo retorted, defending her father's actions. Eun-kyung, understanding her point, raised her hand in surrender, conceding the argument.
Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed through the hidden room, startling both Ji-woo and Eun-kyung. They turned towards the entrance, only to see Madam Hyun entering with three men in tow.
"Aww, would you look at that? My daughter was so joyous that she's now talking to herself," Madam Hyun laughed heartily, mocking Ji-woo's excitement.
Through gritted teeth, Ji-woo managed to ask, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, why not? After all, these belongings rightfully belong to my late husband," Madam Hyun replied, moving around the room with a sense of possession.
"Don't you dare even think about it," Ji-woo scowled, her expression filled with determination.
"What? Taking all these treasures away?" Madam Hyun pouted, feigning innocence.
"It's to repay the debt my father owed to U-jin's great-grandfather," Ji-woo explained, her voice filled with resolve.
"Couldn't you just marry U-jin instead? Besides, if we were to auction all this, we would become extremely rich," Madam Hyun suggested, her motives clear.
"Not a chance. I won't allow you to get away with this," Ji-woo firmly stated, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Then you leave me with no choice"
With a snap of her fingers, Madam Hyun signaled one of the men to approach Ji-woo. Before Ji-woo could flee, a napkin was swiftly pressed against her mouth, causing her to lose consciousness. In her final moments of awareness, she heard her mother instructing the men to search for her father's will.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
CelesteVega
CelesteVega I don't post on Sundays but I wanted to post today to make up for last week. Ishtar is a goddess associated with love, fertility, and creation in Mesopotamian mythology.
Thanks for reading.
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