Chapter 5

He looked at her as if licking her with his gaze. Unlike before, his lips were set in a hard line, his brow slightly furrowed in disapproval.

She’d exchanged words with him a few times, but never had she felt so on edge. She knew he was cold and thorough, but he’d always been gentle with her. Her body trembled, and she tried to steady herself, but he sighed and spoke harshly.

“Straighten your back. Fix your clothes.”

Only then did she remember she was wearing her mother’s oversized uniform blouse. It was passable when standing straight, but bowing had probably exposed her underwear and skin through the loose blouse.

She grabbed the blouse with shaking hands and quickly stood up. Showing him that was mortifying—she wanted to die of embarrassment. Her ears burned red as she tugged the blouse up.

“S-sorry…”

“Go.”

“Yes…”

She bowed her head in a hurry and slipped past Ryu-il, almost fleeing his room. She couldn’t calm her pounding heart and ran across the rear garden, back to her room. On the way, she remembered the kitchen lady’s words to stop by, but she couldn’t bring herself to return to Ryu Gil-jae.

She forced herself into bed, wondering if Ryu-il had seen her running through the garden from his window. It was a pointless worry. Ryu-il was a busy man; he wouldn’t spare even a moment for someone like her.

* * *

She didn’t see her mother until the next afternoon. Her mother should have finished work at 6 a.m., but didn’t come home until after 5 p.m. It was Saturday, so after one tutoring session in the morning and another in the afternoon, Hee-won had just opened her textbook at home.

“You’re late. Where were you?”

Nervous from what happened yesterday, she asked, and her mother looked startled for a moment, then smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, just… had an appointment.”

“What kind of appointment lasts all day?”

“And… I stopped by Ryu Gil-jae…”

“Ah.”

Was it because of yesterday? Had her mother been fired? Hee-won’s face hardened, and her mother quickly added, flustered,

“I-I was with Kim Po-daek. Just listening to her talk.”

Kim Po-daek was another staff member at Ryu Gil-jae, living alone in one of the staff quarters like them. Judging by her mother’s expression, it was probably a hasty lie, but Hee-won wanted to believe it was true.

“Is something hard going on for Aunt Kim Po-daek lately?”

“Well, people like us have it tough every day.”

Her mother brushed off the question and lay down on the bed, looking at her phone. Hee-won, sensing something was off, tried to sound casual.

“Then I should talk to her more warmly when I see her. She gets lonely…”

“Don’t. Don’t.”

Her mother waved her hand urgently.

“Ryu-il, Young Master is here, so it’s hectic. His business trip went really well, so he’s resting at Ryu Gil-jae for two days. Kim Po-daek will be busy, so don’t bother her.”

Two days meant just the weekend, but for someone so busy, it was rare for him to rest even for two days at home. With such an important person staying, the staff were bound to be tense.

Did that mean… nothing had really happened? Had Ryu-il let it go?

“Okay.”

Hee-won nodded, a bit hopeful, and slowly closed her textbook. Whether her mother knew or not, she decided she needed to tell her about yesterday.

“But Mom, when I went to the Senior Executive Director’s room yesterday…”

As she turned away from her book, her mother, who’d been looking at her phone, jumped and quickly turned off the screen. Hee-won frowned and blinked.

A brief silence fell between them.

Her mother had definitely been looking at a real estate site. She’d glimpsed the search criteria—her mother was looking for a small room for two people.

“Mom, why… why real estate all of a sudden?”

Her mother looked awkward. Before Hee-won could say anything, her mother quickly sat up.

“Hee-won.”

She avoided her daughter’s gaze, fixing her hair and touching up her makeup.

“I’ll go help Kim Po-daek with work before my shift. See you later.”

“Mom, wait…”

“Later.”

Her mother brushed past her, went to the entryway, and put on her shoes. Despite trying to hide it, her face was full of embarrassment.

“Later… we’ll talk later, okay?”

“Mom.”

“There’s actually something I need to tell you… just give me a little time.”

Before Hee-won could say anything, her mother hurried out, crossing the rear garden toward Ryu Gil-jae. Even for her own mother, that was the one place Hee-won couldn’t follow.

* * *

Even late at night, her mother didn’t return. Her shift was supposed to start at 10 p.m., so it made sense. Hee-won sat with her textbook, unable to turn the page, lost in thought.

Real estate, real estate…

Her mother was the last person she’d expect to be searching those sites. She always said, “I’ll be buried at Ryu Gil-jae.” Even when Hee-won suggested moving out after graduation and earning money, her mother never listened.

Where else would pay so much and cover food and housing? Rent in Seoul was outrageous; why leave? She even clicked her tongue as if Hee-won didn’t understand the world.

“She must have been fired.”

That was the only conclusion Hee-won could reach.

“She was fired because of what happened yesterday. I’m sure of it.”

So many staff had been fired for less. Honestly, she didn’t know how she’d gotten out of it yesterday, but if it had happened in Chairman Ryu Won-jong’s room, she’d have been told to leave Ryu Gil-jae immediately.

Given Ryu-il’s famously cold temperament, he’d be even harsher. He probably sent her away first, then called her mother to deliver the dismissal. Even that was a kindness, given their childhood connection.

If her mother was suddenly looking for a place for two, and didn’t want to talk, it all made sense. She was probably avoiding a fight about whose fault it was.

Living together in a cramped space, even close mothers and daughters couldn’t help but clash. After years together, they’d learned how to keep the peace.

When emotions ran high, they avoided conflict as much as possible.

If something happened, they’d each calm down alone before talking. This time, it seemed to fit that pattern.

Her chest felt tight. Only now did she realize that, at twenty-eight, she still relied on her mother’s labor for her life.

What about living expenses, this month’s interest…

But if it was Ryu-il’s decision, there was no way to resist. By Ryu Gil-jae’s standards, she’d definitely made a mistake, so even begging not to be fired would be shameless. The Ryu family never forgave, no matter how much you pleaded.

In the darkness, her gaze fell on the notebooks he’d given her.

“Thank you so much. I’ll use them well and return them to you when I’m done.”

“Okay.”

It was over ten years ago, but he’d definitely answered, “Okay.”

With a confused heart, she gathered the notebooks she’d read over and over.

“If I’m kicked out, I should apologize properly. It’s my fault.”

Yesterday, she’d been so flustered she only managed to stammer and embarrass herself.

If she left Ryu Gil-jae, she’d never see Ryu-il again, but it was sad for that to be her last impression.

“No matter what anyone says, the Senior Executive Director was always kind to me, so I should apologize properly. And return the notebooks.”

Even if it was just an excuse, the notebooks weren’t hers. It felt like the heart she couldn’t keep to the end.

She packed the notebooks and stood up. Hesitating at the closet, she chose the dress her friends always said looked nice. It was a cheap one, a little worn, but neat and suited her well.

Thinking this might be her last impression, she even sat at the vanity for the first time. Her mother’s cheap makeup was scattered there.

“When did she buy so much makeup?”

She tilted her head, picked the prettiest lipstick, and dabbed it on. She noticed a peach blusher, looked up how to use it online, and tapped it onto her cheeks. With trembling hands, she awkwardly drew eyeliner. Except for a few tries with lip gloss, it was her first time, so she couldn’t tell if it suited her.