“Manager Kang.”

“Assistant Manager Moon. And who is the person behind you?”

“There’s an employee who meets the qualifications for the interpreter position you urgently requested, so I brought her here. Though… she’s still a probationary employee.”

Manager Kang’s sharp gaze slowly swept over Yeon-ha from head to toe.

The blouse was neat, and both the length and color of her skirt were modest and appropriate. Her low-heeled shoes were simple in design, yet clearly a well-known handmade brand.

Because she kept her head lowered, her face was difficult to see properly, but even without heavy makeup, her complexion looked clear and refined.

If there was anything remotely displeasing, it was perhaps the glasses that did not suit the shape of her face.

“Raise your head. And take off your glasses.”

Her clear eyes shifted uneasily to the side.

Watching Yeon-ha timidly remove her glasses, a quiet exclamation escaped Manager Kang’s lips.

“Oh.”

She was beautiful.

With a slight change to her hairstyle and proper styling suited for a party, her appearance would be flawless no matter where she went.

“What’s your name?”

“My name is Ji Yeon-ha.”

“Hah…”

The fact that someone this beautiful had been hiding in their department left Assistant Manager Moon utterly stunned.

Yeon-ha quickly put her glasses back on.

Even though the prescription did not match and blurred her vision, wearing them made her feel safer.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll speak to the president.”

“Yes…”

The closer she came to the goal she had finally gathered the courage to pursue, the harder her heart pounded, as though it might burst.

The owner of the president’s office—the man Manager Kang had just entered to see—was someone Yeon-ha had only ever been able to admire from afar.

“Ms. Ji Yeon-ha. Why have you been hiding such a pretty face all this time?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What is there to apologize to me for? I’m telling you to stop wearing those strange glasses. It’s a waste of your looks.”

She never wanted anyone to see her face.

Yeon-ha’s mother was a famous 1990s actress. Even by the standards of the entertainment industry, she was a beautiful woman. Yeon-ha had inherited her breathtaking appearance — the kind that had once captivated countless men — in its entirety.

This was precisely why she hated revealing her face.

If someone recognized her, it would only cause trouble.

There was only one person she wanted to recognize her, though: the man who had once saved her life.

That was why she had applied for the position of simultaneous interpreter.

***

One hour earlier.

“Everyone checked the company-wide email, right?”

Assistant Manager Moon entered while patting his thick stomach, his gaze sweeping across the employees of the management support department.

“Anyone here speak Arabic?”

The internal email seeking someone to assist the simultaneous interpreter at tomorrow’s event listed fluency in English and conversational proficiency in Arabic as the basic requirements.

Tomorrow, Yuseong Mirae is hosting a large-scale event.

The World Automobile Collection Festival is set to bring together renowned figures from around the globe. The wealthy elite, who have more money than they could possibly spend, have arrived in large numbers, along with distinguished guests of every nationality and profession, all prepared to indulge themselves without restraint.

Seong Tae-moo, the president of Yuseong Mirae and a key figure within the vast Yuseong Group, had surpassed the market value of Yuseong Electronics.

This marked the second consecutive year that a project personally led by him had achieved overwhelming success. Consequently, the highly sought-after Tier 1 gold badge would be awarded to only a select few.

“The position is the president’s personal secretary. Well, they call it a secretary position, but really, you’ll be staying by the president’s side and attending to Tier 1 clients.”

Following last year’s event, the badge holders were selected again, this time through a process of shortlisting guests who had spent significant amounts, regardless of their status or background.

The idea was simple: to create a visible sense of distinction and quietly encourage competition among them.

Initially, there were concerns that the idea would be met with harsh public criticism. Instead, it was met with overwhelming praise.

Tae-moo himself had devised the entire strategy.

He possessed an instinctive talent for business and an extraordinary ability to handle crises. He embodied every quality expected of the future heir to the Yuseong Group not to mention a face that women could not help but admire.

Female employees who had missed the chance to see his face up close could only let out quiet sighs of disappointment.

“No one?”

When nothing but lamenting sighs answered him, Assistant Manager Moon scratched the wrinkles on his forehead.

“…I-I’ll apply.”

“Oh, who— …M-Ms. Ji Yeon-ha?”

The moment the small face hidden behind glasses entered his sight, Assistant Manager Moon’s eyes widened dramatically.

“You speak Arabic?”

“Yes.”

Assuming it was nothing more than the overconfidence of a probationary employee, Assistant Manager Moon looked unconvinced as he questioned her further.

“How skilled are you exactly? You can’t embarrass the president. Basic conversational ability won’t be enough.”

“My Arabic FLEX certification grade is 1A.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“…Manager Kang will need to assess you personally, so Ms. Ji Yeon-ha, come with me to the president’s office.”

She would have to undergo a skill evaluation by Manager Kang, one of Tae-moo’s closest aides.

The moment the quietly rising Yeon-ha left the department, the employees finally gave voice to the gossip they had been itching to share.

“No way! Ms. Ji Yeon-ha actually volunteered. What brought this on?”

“Seriously. Guess her nickname ‘office ghost’ officially died today.”

“I still can’t believe it. She’s always the type to stay quiet and keep to herself. Who knew she had ambitions for promotion?”

“Let’s call it what it is. It’s not ambition for promotion—it’s ambition for a higher social status.”

At thirty-five, Tae-moo was the kind of son-in-law every chaebol family with daughters could not help but covet.

The current chairperson of the Yuseong Group was married to Seong Go-taek, the eldest son of the group’s founder. However, the son they had together passed away while he was still attending university.

From the moment his rival disappeared, Tae-moo’s future had already been decided.

He was a man perfectly qualified to become the business partner desired by both political and financial circles.

Rumors spread almost every month about women who had confessed their love to him, only to be rejected and left heartbroken for weeks afterwards.

“Do you think she has a chance?”

“Who knows? How many people can actually speak Arabic? If her skills are good enough, maybe she’ll at least get to see the president up close.”

Snickers and laughter filled the management support office.

“Pfft, she’ll probably get rejected the moment he sees her face.”

Because she always wore slightly oversized glasses and kept her head constantly lowered, none of the employees had ever seen Yeon-ha’s face properly.

To those around her, she was just someone who was vaguely remembered as looking awkward.

Nobody could have imagined that she would become President Tae-moo’s assistant.

***

“Ms. Ji Yeon-ha, come in. Assistant Manager Moon, you as well.”

Yeon-ha clasped her hands together in front of her stomach.

Stepping through the open door, she tried to steady her breathing as the door quietly closed behind her.

Feeling nervous, she gently bit down on her lower lip and tasted the faint hint of lipstick.

“Greetings, President. My name is Ji Yeon-ha.”

Yeon-ha parted her trembling lips and bowed deeply.

The first thing she saw when she looked down was a pair of long legs.

As she slowly stood up straight, his broad frame gradually came into view.

The sharp, inverted triangle of his physique was striking. Even beneath his clothes, his broad shoulders and solid chest were unmistakable.

The man lazily uncrossed his arms, which had been resting on his abdomen, and when his face came into view, Yeon-ha’s breath caught.

His black hair and dark eyes were made even more striking by skin so pale and flawless that it seemed untouched by sunlight. He was the kind of man who could make even monochrome colors feel entirely his own.

His overwhelming presence tightened around her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Before she realized it, Yeon-ha lowered her head once more.

It felt instinctive.

Not out of habit, but because the weight of his gaze alone forced her head down against her will.

“Raise your head.”

His low, husky voice carried the lingering scent of cigarette smoke.

As the faint scent drifted towards her, Yeon-ha cleared her throat and slowly raised her head.

Though he appeared calm, his eyes were anything but gentle. They resembled violent waves lurking beneath the surface of still water; they could engulf her at any moment.

The sheer force of his presence overwhelmed her, making her heart beat even faster.

{Smile for me.}

“…Pardon?”

{I heard you can speak Arabic.}

His cynical expression made it seem as though she would be thrown out the moment she stammered another word.

So Yeon-ha hurriedly answered in Arabic.

{I apologize. Like this?}

She lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile, as he had asked, but it felt unbearably awkward.

It had been so long since she had smiled properly that she had forgotten how.

As the unfamiliar strain tugged at her facial muscles, she searched her memory for how she used to smile.

“At times like this, you’re supposed to say thank you. While smiling.”

A memory from over ten years ago.

For a moment, she could almost smell the damp air again.

After being pulled from the water, she smiled at the man who had saved her.

What was the man, who had unwittingly awakened this treasured memory, thinking now?

‘Do you remember me?’

The urge to ask, ‘What if?’ niggled at the back of Yeon-ha’s mind.

An unbearably awkward silence passed.

Just as the smile on her lips began to fade—

{That’s enough.}

As though sensing something strange and unsettling, Tae-moo narrowed his brows slightly.

Yeon-ha hurriedly dropped her smile and bit her lip in embarrassment.

{How do you think automobiles will change in the future, in 2025?}

It was a difficult question that required careful consideration.

Unlike the strange and incomprehensible request he had made earlier, however, this was something she could answer easily.

Without hesitating, Yeon-ha shared her thoughts in fluent Arabic. The conversation continued, shifting into topics far more complex than everyday discussion, and she responded smoothly every time, without faltering.

After speaking continuously for so long, the inside of her mouth had grown dry.

Still holding her gaze, he suddenly rose to his feet.

His body was lean and perfectly refined, utterly free of excess. Like a sleek male leopard closing in on its prey, he moved towards her in slow, deliberate steps. Yeon-ha swallowed nervously.

His shadow fell over her face.

Unable to withstand his intense gaze, she lowered her head once again.

Then his fingers slipped beneath her chin.

Startled, her eyes trembled as he tilted her face firmly upwards.

They were so close that their breaths mingled together.

The man she had only ever admired from afar was now right before her, close enough to fill her entire field of vision. His proximity made her head spin.

“Cry for me.”