"Thank you for the protection, Mr Nam." Mrs Kang sat on the couch, nervously fiddling with the shroud she used to cover the child in her arms. "How can we ever repay you?" She asked eagerly. Tears sprang to her eyes. Mr Nam set down his wine glass (which he used to drink water) and looked at Mrs Kang. "That's a girl?" He asks, referring to the child in Mrs Kang's arms, who was already in a deep slumber. "I want this child." This sentence sealed the fate of the Kang family.

Mrs Kang, wife of Mr Kang (duh), mother of two—older brother Kang Seungyoon and younger sister Kang Seungji, had to give away her daughter to the Nam family for the protection their family so desperately needed. The Kang family were North Korean refugees. This meant they were very poor, and had no freedom. Thus, the decision was made by Mr and Mrs Kang to flee to South Korea to seek better lives for their children. Mr Kang was a military official. He knew, better than anyone, the escape routes and hide-outs. Alas, the plan for the Kang family to flee got found out, and Mr Kang was executed. Mrs Kang lost her husband. She did not want to lose any of her children. No, she couldn't.

Mrs Kang looked up at Mr Nam, who has already crouched down on the floor, the cheek of Seungji. "She's a pretty child." He said. Tears blurred Mrs Kang's vision, but not her sense of reasoning. She clutched Seungji to her bosom protectively. She was so taken aback by the brazen request she couldn't even utter a word. "I knew you would react this way." Mr Nam retreated back to his seat on the couch opposite of Mrs Kang. "I'm not going to sell your daughter or make her my slave. I won't take her away from you. At least, not till she turns 20." Mr Nam took a sip of water classily from his wine glass. "What do you mean?" Mrs Kang summoned her courage to ask. It took her all she could not to smash his oh-so-fancy wine glass into his face. "I want her to be married into the Nam family." Mr Nam then looked to his butler. "Get Taehyun here."