Chapter 2

She was sure she’d stayed at the library late after class, but she couldn’t remember a single thing from the books. Only Kyung-won’s words kept ringing in her ears.

“The client is Hanju Distribution’s daughter, Lee Min-hee. You know there’s talk about her getting engaged to Ryu-il, right?”

“How would I know that?”

“Anyway, that’s the story. But even during Ryu-il’s years studying abroad, he never hung out with women at all, so Lee Min-hee’s side is worried.”

“Why is that a problem? Isn’t it a good thing?”

“You’re so naive. He’s never been swayed by all those temptations, so of course Lee Min-hee’s side is worried. What if there’s a problem with him having children?”

“…….”

“Hey, how could someone like you guess what goes on up there? Just accept it. For those people, marriage is just business. If they pick a spouse and can’t have a child to inherit all that wealth, it’s a huge problem. So among similar candidates, it’s better to choose a man who can definitely sleep with a woman.”

“I don’t get it. If they’re worried, why not check themselves? Aren’t they getting engaged?”

“Lee Min-hee’s in the UK right now, and she’s got a local boyfriend she likes. If the engagement goes through, she’ll probably see Ryu-il’s face for the first time at the engagement ceremony.”

“…….”

“Anyway, they just want to check a few times if he’s capable in bed. Think of it like… a court lady who tested the king, you know, like a ‘gimi sanggung.’” 

T/N: A Gimi Sanggung (기미상궁) was a court lady in the Joseon Dynasty whose specific job was to taste the king’s food first before it was served.

“What are you talking about? Besides, even for Senior Executive Director, sleeping with someone like me wouldn’t be easy….”

“There you go again, knowing nothing. You’re always stuck at school, what do you know? For people like them, this is nothing. Sleeping with someone like you, with no strings attached, is probably worth less than a meal.”

She couldn’t understand the reason at all, but the phrase ‘gimi sanggung’ was especially shocking.

It was after 10 p.m. when she finally got up like a ghost and packed her bag. She took the bus in the pitch-black night, standing the whole way because it was crowded. To make matters worse, it started to rain.

Her reflection in the bus window, blurred by city lights, looked utterly exhausted.

With no umbrella, she trudged home through the rain.

After getting off at the bus stop, she had to walk uphill for quite a while to reach her ‘home.’ Actually, it wasn’t really her ‘home’—it was Ryu Gil-jae, the place where she stayed.

This huge mansion belonged to Ryu Won-jong, Chairman of Wigang, a conglomerate with many subsidiaries. The house, surrounded by high walls in a location where public transportation was never considered, was named ‘Ryu Gil-jae.’ The place was so grand, its name seemed even bigger than hers.

As she stood in the rain, staring at the high walls and the moon overhead, headlights flashed toward her. Startled, she pressed herself to the wall, hiding in the darkness. A black sedan slid to a stop at the front gate of Ryu Gil-jae.

A graceful man stepped out of the car. With long legs, a sharp suit, and a cold, sculpted face, he radiated authority even in front of the imposing mansion. It was Ryu-il.

A secretary holding an umbrella quickly followed behind him.

“Senior Executive Director, you’ve arrived.”

The gate opened, and several people rushed out with umbrellas, bowing their heads. She blended in with them, bowing her head as well.

Ryu-il, 32 years old, Senior Executive Director of Wigang Construction.

One of Chairman Ryu Won-jong’s grandsons, he had lived at Ryu Gil-jae ever since his parents died in a car accident when he was a child, together with Chairman Ryu Won-jong. Since the chairman was always busy, Ryu-il was essentially raised by the staff.

She had played with Ryu-il a few times as a child. Her mother was the only staff member who lived there with her child, so she was the only one of Ryu-il’s age in the mansion, which made them close.

She and Ryu-il played hide-and-seek in the vast Ryu Gil-jae, and sneaked into the kitchen to steal chocolates. Looking back, they were four years apart, so it was more like Ryu-il was playing with her than the other way around.

But she got in big trouble when she was eight.

“Don’t hang around with Young Master anymore.”

“Huh? With Ryu-il-oppa?”

“Don’t call him that anymore. He’s not your brother, he’s the Young Master. Don’t use informal speech. Got it?”

Until then, people let her be because Ryu-il was lonely, but now they said it was time to keep some distance.

Ryu-il must have heard something similar, because after that, they just greeted each other awkwardly. Even when she suddenly started calling him ‘Young Master’ and using formal speech, he didn’t react.

It was as if this was natural from the start, or maybe as if he’d been waiting for it.

He was four years older, and maybe he knew much earlier that this day would come. Looking back, he was a boy who became an adult very quickly.

Under Chairman Ryu Won-jong’s neglect, Ryu-il grew up too well without parents. Then, at twenty, he got into the best university on his own, finally drawing the chairman’s attention.

After that, he stood out among the third generation, being recognized for his abilities and even mocking the relatives who tried to keep him in check.

She wasn’t an employee of Wigang Group. She was just the daughter of one of the many staff working at Ryu Gil-jae. At twenty-eight, she’d taken so many leaves of absence that she was only now in her final year of university, and since her major was pharmacy, she didn’t know much about how things worked in Wigang or any other company.

So this was all she knew.

Ryu-il’s eyes, after getting out of the car, scanned the staff indifferently and then stopped on her. With an icy air, he spoke in a low voice.

“You’re late.”

It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her.

Startled, she looked up at him. Her worn sneakers, faded hoodie, and the huge backpack stuffed with books suddenly felt embarrassing.

“It’d be great if you could stick to him every day, but looking at you, even two or three times will be tough….”

She couldn’t figure out why Kyung-won’s words came to mind at that moment, but she shrank in front of him. Her hastily tied hair and bare face felt especially shabby, and she looked like a drowned rat from the rain….

“What are you doing? Answer quickly.”

One of the men next to her whispered quietly, snapping her out of it. She finally answered, feeling foolish.

“Ah… I was at the library, so I’m a bit late.”

“It hasn’t been long since the semester started, right?”

“It’s m-my graduation semester….”

She stammered, feeling utterly pathetic, and the secretary behind Ryu-il spoke.

“Senior Executive Director, the Chairman is waiting for you.”

Ryu-il turned his gaze away from her. Then, he tossed out a careless remark.

“Give Hee-won an umbrella.”

Her heart pounded helplessly at hearing her name from his lips. They’d kept their distance for twenty years, but neither had forgotten their childhood together. That faint bond always made her feel unsteady.

The secretary quickly signaled to the driver, who brought a new umbrella from the car.

By the time she received the umbrella with trembling hands, Ryu-il had already disappeared inside Ryu Gil-jae. She stood there for a moment, opening the big umbrella with a pop, even though she was already soaked through.