Chapter 19

Leeyeon forced a bright smile, trying her best not to waver.  

“Thanks to you, Director, I’ve realized I can gain a lot.”  

“Really? Like what exactly?”  

Dokyeom asked, as if genuinely curious.  

“Just by showing that I’m continuing to date you without any issues, both Director Cha Heeyoung and Ko Junho won’t be able to treat me carelessly anymore.”  

In Cha Heeyoung’s case, she had her usual temper tantrum but ended up face-to-face with Dokyeom. As for Junho, today was the first time he revealed his true nature, and it just so happened to be caught by Dokyeom.  

So, for the time being, both of them would remain quiet.  

Dokyeom waited leisurely, as if asking whether there were any other reasons.  

“And since you’re paying me a large sum of money in exchange for sharing information about Director Cha Heeyoung, there’s no reason for me not to be proactive.”  

To uncover Cha Heeyoung’s weaknesses while staying by her side, Leeyeon had to somehow gain Dokyeom’s trust and endure.  

Even if she appeared to be a somewhat selfish woman, that seemed like the better option.  

As long as she could keep hiding the real reason she needed to stay by Cha Heeyoung’s side, she didn’t care if Dokyeom saw her as materialistic.  

Dokyeom let out a short laugh, as if her answer was unexpected.  

It was interesting that Leeyeon, for the first time, had voluntarily revealed her true feelings.  

And the fact that the content was rather greedy made it even more intriguing.  

If it had been an ordinary person, Dokyeom’s affection for them would have been cut in half after hearing such a statement, but not with Leeyeon.  

After encountering her several times like this, he began to look forward to whether Leeyeon, too, would eventually spill her desires like everyone else.  

And he found himself strangely curious about what exactly this woman’s ultimate goal was.  

People with desires are easier to handle.  

Show them what they want, shake it in front of them, and they’ll drool and jump into the fire without hesitation—that’s their nature.  

Of course, Dokyeom knew better than anyone that he couldn’t tame Leeyeon entirely just because she briefly revealed her desires today.  

Even though he was quite skilled at handling people, Leeyeon was someone who always defied his expectations, making her difficult to grasp.

Still, it was proof that the two were getting closer.  

If he pressed her further and interrogated her now, the woman in front of him might get scared and hide away in a hole.  

There was no need to rush unnecessarily.  

After all, time was on Dokyeom’s side.  

Slowly, he would let her feet sink into the mud, trapping her completely, and then peel back a layer to reveal her true face. That didn’t seem like a bad plan.  

“I’m very pleased that you’re being this proactive about our relationship, Han Leeyeon.”  

Finally, Dokyeom closed the passenger door and got into the car as well.  

“I told you to eat first. Have you had your meal?”  

It was a question he asked, knowing full well that she hadn’t eaten since she had been arguing with Junho in the emergency stairwell.  

“Yes, I ate.”  

As if to prove that her words weren’t true, a growling sound came from Leeyeon’s flat stomach.  

Surprised, Leeyeon placed a hand over her stomach and hurriedly added,  

“This is just the sound of digestion.”  

The woman who had seemed so sincere was a habitual liar.  

“Really!”  

Still, it wasn’t unpleasant because Leeyeon mostly lied about things related to herself.  

And watching her hurriedly add excuses like that wasn’t bad either.  

Her wide-open eyes and her flustered attempts to convince him were even endearing.  

“There’s still time left for lunch, so sit in front of me and report while I eat.”  

***

Dokyeom and Leeyeon entered a Korean set-menu restaurant near Jicheol Gallery.  

After being guided to a private room, Dokyeom handed a menu to Leeyeon as well.  

“No, really, I’ve already eaten……”  

“Isn’t it strange for me to order a course meal alone?”  

Dokyeom pointed to the menu with his chin, signaling her to choose something.  

“You don’t have to eat, but at least place an order.”  

“Yes, understood.”  

The server came in, and Dokyeom ordered the A course.  

A short while later, the prepared Korean set meal was served all at once on the table.  

As the delicious aroma of the food wafted through the air, Leeyeon’s clueless stomach growled again.

Because the room was so quiet, it was clear that Dokyeom had heard it too, but he didn’t mention it.  

Glancing at the food, Dokyeom picked up his chopsticks.  

“There’s quite a lot to eat alone. If there’s a dish that interests you, Han Leeyeon, have some.”  

It was a remark made knowing full well that Leeyeon hadn’t eaten.  

Therefore, there was no point in holding out and refusing to eat any longer.  

“Thank you for the meal.”  

As Dokyeom watched Leeyeon begin eating, he also slowly savored the food.  

Leeyeon, who had been eating quickly, eventually put down her chopsticks and started to speak.  

“Today, Director Cha Heeyoung……”  

“Let’s hear the report in the car on our way back to the gallery after the meal.”  

“Understood.”  

Come to think of it, all Leeyeon had to do was deliver the report, but Dokyeom had to carefully absorb and analyze every detail.  

He would also need to deeply consider aspects of Cha Heeyoung’s relationships that Leeyeon might not have noticed.  

If she had handed over a written report, it might have saved him the trouble, but since Dokyeom was extremely averse to leaving any traces, there was no choice but to devote more effort to verbal reporting.  

“Aren’t you going to eat more?”  

Dokyeom asked quietly, looking at Leeyeon, who had already put down her chopsticks.  

“I’m full.”  

Of course, if she tried, she could eat more, but strangely, she couldn’t get herself to do so.  

Dokyeom briefly glanced at the nearly untouched bowl of rice and fixed his gaze on Leeyeon’s face.  

“Do you usually eat so little?”  

“I don’t really like the feeling of being overly full. If I eat too much, I feel sluggish in the afternoon.”  

That was part of the reason, but for some reason, she couldn’t comfortably eat when she was with Dokyeom.  

It felt like every action she took in front of him was being evaluated.  

Dokyeom might just be looking at her, but whenever his dark, obsidian-like eyes focused solely on her, she became unnecessarily tense, and her lower stomach tightened.  

Even though she knew he wasn’t looking to judge her, she couldn’t help but be conscious of it, and as a result, she felt uneasy, making it hard for her to eat properly.  

“Do you really get enough energy eating like that?”  

It sounded like a question born out of concern for her.  

But there was no way that was the case. It probably meant something more like, ‘Can you properly observe Cha Heeyoung in the afternoon after eating so little?’

Leeyeon nodded with a faint smile on her lips.  

“I’ll make sure to keep a close eye on Director Cha, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.”  

***  

After the meal, Dokyeom personally drove Leeyeon back to Jicheol Gallery.  

Since lunchtime was nearing its end, Leeyeon felt pressed for time.  

The story she had to deliver today about Cha Heeyoung was quite long, so it seemed she needed to report quickly.  

“This afternoon, Director Cha……”  

What interrupted Leeyeon’s words was someone knocking on the window of Dokyeom’s car from outside.  

Startled for no reason, Leeyeon shrank back slightly and turned her face toward Dokyeom.  

Even though the windows were heavily tinted and it was impossible to see inside from the outside, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, especially since she had been about to have a conversation with suspicious undertones with Dokyeom.  

In the meantime, the person knocking on the passenger-side window, receiving no response, placed both hands on the glass and leaned their face closer.  

As the figure outside came closer, Leeyeon’s face grew even more pale, and without realizing it, she instinctively thought she needed to avoid them. Her body leaned further toward Dokyeom.  

The distance between the two narrowed in an instant.  

Because she had unbuckled her seatbelt while sitting, Leeyeon’s body swayed momentarily.  

In an attempt to grab onto something—anything—to avoid falling into Dokyeom’s arms, Leeyeon stretched out her hand. But, unfortunately, the place where her hand landed was none other than—  

“……”  

Dokyeom’s thigh.