Chapter 4 (Part 2)

They arrived in front of the Cheongun-dong house.

“Take care. Make sure to call sometimes.”

“Goodbye.”

Seo-hye hurriedly got out of the car. Without looking back, she pressed the bell and hid herself inside the open gate.

Do-jin watched the spot where Seo-hye disappeared through the window.

Even after she entered through the gate, she didn’t appear on the stairs for a long time. She would have to take the stairs to reach the entrance.

What on earth was she thinking, hiding inside the gate?

He was very curious about what kind of expression she might be wearing.

He wondered if he should get out and check or should he just bring her back.

Unwilling to send her into that house, Do-jin might not have realized he was clenching his teeth.

“Managing Director, shall we depart?”

“Let’s wait a little longer.”

He felt he could only be at ease once he saw Seo-hye enter the house.

And a few seconds later, her slender figure finally appeared in his line of sight.

She climbed the stairs weakly, then paused for a moment.

Then she turned around, looked down the path in front of the gate, and hurriedly ran up to open the front door.

Watching the empty stairs where she had disappeared, he let out a small chuckle.

Why is she showing it so obviously? Showing it like that makes it confusing whether she likes it or dislikes it.

Still, it would be nice if it were the former.

“Secretary Yoo, let’s go.”

“Yes, Managing Director.”

Seok-young drove the car smoothly. Then he glanced at Do-jin through the rearview mirror and spoke.

“Managing Director, you asked me to look into Seo-hye. Her story is quite unfortunate.”

Do-jin gestured for him to continue.

“She was exceptionally talented in art until middle school. I had a brief conversation with someone who was her homeroom teacher at that time.”

Do-jin straightened his posture and listened more intently.

“She was a prodigy in painting. She was so talented that her homeroom teacher often consulted her about attending an art high school in Seoul. But one day, she suddenly came with her mother, saying she would transfer, and they left in a hurry. It was so abrupt that it left a lot of regret.”

“That was around the time she entered Lee Hwa-woong’s house.”

“Yes, that’s correct. She was fifteen, in her second year of middle school. Sadly, just five days after Seo-hye entered Lee Hwa-woong’s home, her father, Hwa-jun, passed away.”

Do-jin naturally recalled what Seo-hye had said.

‘……It’s just that. Whenever I try to do something, nothing good ever comes of it. As soon as I was forced to come to this house, the man they call my father passed away. I feel like if I leave this house and go somewhere else, my mother might pass away too.’

The warmth that had been in Do-jin’s eyes when thinking of Seo-hye turned cold once again.

“She was an illegitimate child, not brought in as a baby, but rather when she was old enough to understand. Imagine how uncomfortable she must have felt, how well she could sleep with such an uneasy mind. And sure enough, five days later, her father died. Imagine the contempt and abuse she must have faced from the legitimate wife, Hae-mi’s mother. It seemed like a situation worse than a morning drama.”

“So how did Seo-hye’s father pass away?”

“It was a traffic accident. It happened while returning from a studio in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, early in the morning with Lee Hwa-woong and the late Hwa-jun. The accident was caused by Hwa-jun’s drinking. Because of that, Lee Hwa-woong also injured his hand severely and began to limp. However, from that point on, his painting style changed significantly and gained more popularity. Perhaps this is what they mean by the artistry that stems from an artist’s misfortune.”

Do-jin acknowledged the information but couldn’t shake off a rather uneasy feeling.

As Seok-young mentioned, there seemed to be no reason to bring a fifteen-year-old child, not a baby, into a house where there was a daughter born between the legitimate wife and the husband.

“What did Hwa-jun do during his lifetime? Did he paint like Lee Hwa-woong?”

“No, he managed Lee Hwa-woong’s office. Unfortunately, it seems the son didn’t inherit the talent for painting. You know, there’s a theory that talent skips a generation.”

That makes it even more peculiar. Frankly, for Hwa-jun, who had no talent for painting, a child born outside would have been even more of a blemish.

Unless there was some inexplicable paternal love.

“Also, I managed to meet with a former servant who worked at that house, and they said that when Hwa-jun was alive, there were many servants in Cheongun-dong. After he passed away, they were all dismissed. Oh, that’s not the main point. Strangely enough, it was the grandfather, not the biological father, who brought Seo-hye in.”

“Lee Hwa-woong brought Seo-hye himself?”

“Yes, and it caused a storm in the house. The daughter-in-law cried every day, demanding a divorce, and even the biological father opposed bringing Seo-hye in. Lee Hwa-woong and Hwa-jun fought daily over it, and then, adding insult to injury, the accident happened.”

A clear picture of the cunning old man’s intentions began to form in Do-jin’s mind.

“Please look into Hwa-jun’s death in more detail. Find out who the prosecutor in charge was at the time and whether they are still in office.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Also, organize Lee Hwa-woong’s art activities chronologically. Include both the prosperous and less prosperous periods of his career as an artist in detail.”

“Yes, I’ll hurry to find that out as well.”

Do-jin’s sharp gaze slowly turned to the view outside the window.

***

As they entered the house, Hae-mi, who was about to eat an apple, stopped and looked at Seo-hye.

She quickly scanned Seo-hye with a piercing gaze, then stomped over.

“Did you go to the meeting without putting on makeup?”

At the sharp question, Seo-hye’s heart began to pound.

Of course, she had worn light makeup since it was an important occasion. The problem was that after spending the night with Do-jin and washing up, all the makeup had washed off.

“Well, it’s not like it was a formal introduction.”

Seo-hye quickly made an excuse and brushed past Hae-mi.

However, her head was suddenly jerked back. It was because Hae-mi had grabbed and pulled her hair.

“Ah!!”

“Hey. You don’t use this shampoo.”

Hae-mi tugged her hair a bit more roughly and sniffed.

“Ah, why are you doing this! I used what I always use! Let go, it hurts!”

Seo-hye spoke as clearly as she could, trying not to show her embarrassment. However, the suspicious look in Hae-mi’s eyes didn’t disappear.

“Don’t tell me.”

Hae-mi suddenly tried to take off Seo-hye’s coat.

In the process, a cubic on Hae-mi’s nail painfully scratched Seo-hye’s neck.

Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in strength due to the pain, the coat slipped down to her forearms.

Hae-mi, like a madwoman, tried to lift Seo-hye’s blouse.

The marks left by Do-jin during the shower were significant.

Just as Seo-hye was terrified at the thought of being discovered, Mr. Kim from the kitchen and Chae-seon from the room rushed out, asking what the commotion was.

The moment Seo-hye saw Chae-seon, she instinctively pushed Hae-mi hard. It was better to push Hae-mi and get scolded than to have the two of them try to undress her.

“Why are you pushing my child!! Huh?!”

Chae-seon approached and hit the back of Seo-hye’s head hard.

As she tried to hit her again, Seo-hye, without realizing it, twisted her upper body and grabbed Chae-seon’s wrist.

“You, you wench…!”

“What did I do to deserve being hit! She was the one who pulled my hair and tried to take off my clothes first!”

“No, Mom!! I just wanted to check because it seemed like she went out and did something stupid! That girl is suspicious! I think she met Do-jin!!”

Chae-seon’s face seemed to become even more ferocious, and like Hae-mi, she ruthlessly tried to strip Seo-hye of her clothes.

Seo-hye gathered all her strength to swat away Chae-seon’s hands and threw her bag at her.

“Go through the bag! All the meeting materials are in there! What nonsense are you accusing me of doing! Please stop blaming an innocent person!”

Chae-seon picked up the bag again and struck Seo-hye on the crown of her head.

As the violence intensified, Mr. Kim finally intervened.

“Madam! Please stop! The artist will be furious if he wakes up!”

“Let go! Where do you get off! That girl needs to be crushed now so she knows her place!!”

“Miss, please go upstairs quickly!”

Mr. Kim was always watching her on behalf of Hwa-woong.

But upon reflection, he only watched; he never used violence or treated her poorly like the others in the household.

Whenever Hae-mi and Chae-seon tried to be excessively violent towards her, it was Mr. Kim who intervened.

“Hurry!”

At Mr. Kim’s urging, she quickly grabbed her bag and ran up to the second floor.

Her heart pounded painfully against her chest. She took deep breaths and locked the door.

She wondered why Mr. Kim helped her, why he didn’t dislike or ignore her.

“Ah…”

Her scratched neck stung so much that she approached the desk to look in the mirror.

There was a long nail mark down the center of her neck, with bright drops of blood forming above it.

“…At least it’s not my face. If it were my face, he would be so….”

She stopped herself from speaking further.

Unbeknownst to herself, she was thinking about Do-jin.

It was the beginning of an emotional change.