Chapter 30 – Tae Seo-jun’s Magic  

The plane that took off from Incheon Airport arrived at Malaga Airport in southern Spain.

After a 15-hour flight, the four people immediately left the airport and moved to their accommodation in a limousine. Park Seong-ho and Manager Bong, who followed Tae Seo-jun like shadows, sat in the front driver’s and passenger seats, while Seo-jun and So-yeon sat side by side in the partitioned back space.

A quaint village embracing the Mediterranean. A beautiful place one might dream of visiting for a honeymoon, even without a partner. The pastoral scenery, which she had only seen in pictures, quickly passed by.

As they drove along the coastal road, looking out the car window, So-yeon couldn’t help but let out exclamations of “Wow” as the reality of being in a foreign country set in.

Just yesterday, she was in a gray city with only a forest of buildings in sight.

Yet suddenly, she found herself in an extraordinary place that could be called paradise. Even though it took more than half a day, So-yeon felt as if she had been teleported here in an instant. As if she had fallen under Tae Seo-jun’s magic.

If I was Alice in Wonderland, would that make Tae Seo-jun the White Rabbit?

No, no matter how whimsical her imagination, comparing him to a rabbit was too much…

Pfft!

So-yeon diluted her absurd thoughts with a small smile and immersed herself again in the view of Malaga, not taking her eyes off the window.

Perhaps her ever-changing expressions were so amusing because Seo-jun was openly watching her face, completely captivated. It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say he was mesmerized. With her lightly made-up, delicate face and small, plump lips that moved ever so slightly, he couldn’t help but chuckle quietly every time.

With a face like a sculpture so close beside her, how could she not notice? How could she not feel excited? Unable to endure his gaze, which seemed to lick her skin, So-yeon turned her head sharply towards Seo-jun and asked,

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

“This place is always the same, to the point of being dull, but you, Eom So-yeon, are endlessly entertaining.”

Seo-jun offered an appropriate answer to her sudden question and smiled slyly.

“Does that mean you’ve been here often?”

“As you know, I couldn’t come during the years I was tied to the country.”

“Oh, I see…”

Suddenly, So-yeon felt she knew too little about this man. A part of her chest felt inexplicably lonely and kept rustling.

Even if they were only meeting for work, there was nothing to know or not know, she thought, trying to soothe her empty heart, but it was no use. Outwardly pretending to be calm, So-yeon couldn’t suppress her growing feelings.

While it was still spring in Korea, it was a hot summer here.

As the blazing sun reached the center of the Spanish sky, the car, running along a sun-drenched road, turned into a tree-lined path. It didn’t take long before it stopped.

A large iron gate with a dignified emblem blocked the road, but soon the gate swung open on both sides, and the car started moving again.

As soon as they entered, a vast lawn and forest unfolded before their eyes. The next thing that caught So-yeon’s view was the sea bordering a sandy beach and a grand mansion with majestic splendor.

Her large eyes filled with admiration and curiosity at the same time.

“Don’t tell me… this is where we’re staying?”

“……”

Just by looking at its elegant and imposing exterior, it was clear this mansion wasn’t a place one could stay with a simple reservation. Knowing this, So-yeon hastily asked, and Seo-jun only nodded once.

“When you said we were going to our accommodations, were you referring to this extravagant mansion?”

“Why, are you surprised that the accommodation is a mansion?”

“Well, I mean…”

What else could you call a place you stay in but accommodation? Seo-jun added, and the somewhat flustered So-yeon sealed her lips, having nothing more to say.

The limousine circled a large fountain and stopped in front of the stairs directly connected to the entrance.

As So-yeon stepped out of the car, Seo-jun held her hand. His gentlemanly demeanor, as if escorting a princess, quickly turned her pale cheeks a rosy pink.

Their hands remained clasped until they entered the mansion.

***

It was dusk.

However, the sky, heavy with dark clouds, was stingy even with the colors of twilight.

Walking slowly along the neighborhood where he once lived with his wife and daughter, Yoo Byung-hwan found himself standing in front of a crosswalk on a main road.

Unaware that the rain, which had been drizzling all day, had stopped, he folded the umbrella he’d been carrying like a cane and looked across the street.

“The meeting place was a pojangmacha at the three-way intersection downhill? That must be it.”

(Pojangmacha [Korean: 포장마차] is a South Korean term for outdoor carts that sell street foods such as hotteok, gimbap, tteokbokki, sundae, dak-kkochi [Korean skewered chicken], fish cake, mandu, and anju [foods accompanying drinks].)

While confirming the meeting place with his eyes, the green light turned on.

The pojangmacha where he was supposed to meet his daughter was right next to the road. The outdoor tables on the pavement were empty due to the bad weather. Yoo Byung-hwan, taking a seat at one of them, ordered soju and udon and leisurely looked around the roadside.

The place had changed a lot, just like the years that had passed. It used to be just a wild mountain, but even the park next to it had transformed into a decent public rest area.

Slurping down the noodles the pojangmacha owner served and downing a glass of soju, Yoo Byung-hwan felt as if he could fly, despite the damp weather. It was understandable, as he was about to receive a fortune he couldn’t have even imagined earning in his lifetime.

He hadn’t lived a life chasing empty dreams.

Though he had engaged in unethical activities, he only did what he could do diligently. And though all his efforts became futile due to bad luck, he had no regrets.

A poor man couldn’t afford to be picky about his opportunities.

It was all for the sake of living well with his family, but his good wife suddenly betrayed him and ran away. Still, he couldn’t hate her too much since she left their daughter, his life’s insurance, behind.

Yes, let’s forget everything! Let’s shake it all off! Living better in the future is all that matters, and that’s my only goal.

But why had his daughter, who was usually so mindful of appearances, chosen to meet here? She was his daughter, yet he couldn’t fathom her thoughts.

“Sigh… By the way, what time is it now…”

Muttering and brushing off various thoughts, Yoo Byung-hwan looked at his wristwatch.

With about ten minutes left to wait, he decided to make use of the time. Taking out his phone, he touched the screen and brought it to his ear.

“Hello, President Hwang.”

-Oh my, isn’t it President Yoo? You sound bright. Is there something good happening?

“Haha, there is, there is! The building I pledged as collateral when I needed quick cash. I’m thinking of retrieving the documents tomorrow.”

-I heard rumors you were ruined by a paper company scam. Wasn’t it true?

“It did cause me quite a headache. But who am I? Now that everything’s resolved, I’m calling you, President Hwang. So tomorrow, don’t move from your office. I’ll even buy some expensive drinks.”

-You said your daughter helped you last time. Did she do it again?

“Why wouldn’t she?”

Proud of his daughter, a warm breath puffed out from Yoo Byung-hwan’s flared nostrils.

“Though my only daughter has a cold personality, she can’t stand seeing her father in trouble.”

-Nowadays, it’s rare to find such a filial daughter.

“That’s not all. She inherited my looks, is outstandingly beautiful, and has a knack for making money, so the price of one building is nothing. I’ve kept it quiet until now due to circumstances, but if you knew who my daughter is, President Hwang, you wouldn’t be able to stay upright.”

-And who might she be? Let’s hear it.

“But you must promise to keep this between us, President Hwang.”

-Of course.

Until now, Yoo Byung-hwan had never revealed his daughter’s identity to anyone. It was the only way he could maintain control over her finances. However, he could no longer suppress the urge to speak. He was swept up in his elated mood.

“I’ll tell you quietly, so listen carefully…”

Finally, as his itchy lips began to part.

Brmmm, splash!

“Ah…!”

A delivery motorcycle splashed the puddle water as it passed by Yoo Byung-hwan.

“Oh, Sir…!”

The young man who stopped the motorcycle and approached looked at Yoo Byung-hwan’s stained suit pants with distress and didn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry. I was in a hurry and made a mistake…”

“Delivery isn’t an easy job. It’s fine, just go.”

Under normal circumstances, he would have scolded him, but Yoo Byung-hwan waved his hand to let the young man go and continued his call. Today was a day when even bad luck didn’t feel like bad luck.

“President Hwang. Are you listening?”

-Please, go ahead. I’m dying of curiosity.

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell you especially, President Hwang. My daughter is, well, Yoo…

But once again, Yoo Byung-hwan couldn’t finish his sentence.

Vroom…

Crash! Bang!

A large truck, speeding from somewhere, suddenly crashed into the table where Yoo Byung-hwan was sitting.

Before he could say his daughter’s name.

Before he could meet the daughter he had been waiting for.

***

She only intended to close her eyes for a moment, but when she woke up, it was evening.

The yellow lights from several Art Nouveau-style wall lamps elegantly illuminated the old-fashioned interior like golden fan ribs.

The room, made to feel taller and larger by the arabesque patterns on the ceiling and white molding walls, was a room given by a middle-aged white gentleman who seemed to be the mansion’s butler.

So-yeon, who rose from the mahogany wooden bed that seemed like it could have been used by a 19th-century Spanish noble, stared at the fireplace for a moment.

The region had a large temperature difference, with scorching heat during the day and coolness at night. Reflecting this, the gentle warmth from the embers left in the ashes wrapped the room in a cozy embrace.

Getting off the bed, So-yeon stepped barefoot on the zebra-patterned rug and approached the arched window. The exotic buildings connected to the mansion and the open natural scenery deeply touched her clear eyes.

The emerald sea she had seen during the day had turned a deep cobalt blue, as if it had swallowed the night’s darkness. Taking that as the last sight, So-yeon moved away from the window and entered the bathroom attached to the room.

A while later, having finished her shower and sitting in front of the vanity decorated with gold, So-yeon once again realized she was in an unfamiliar space.

Even without knowing the language well, the weight of the dignified emblem patterns engraved on every item in the room and bathroom was enough to make her guess how immense Tae Seo-jun’s wealth was.

Moreover, hadn’t he mentioned it himself before she came to this room?

He said this mansion was used as a vacation villa by his family. So, he suggested staying here comfortably until the filming started and then moving to the filming location according to the schedule.

How rich must his family be to own such a large mansion overseas?

And is it really okay for me to be here?

Flying from Korea to here, following Tae Seo-jun without a second thought, required immense courage. But since arriving, So-yeon couldn’t help but feel a greater distance from Tae Seo-jun, who lived in a world entirely different from hers.

Knock, knock.

Lost in thought for a while, So-yeon heard a light knock on the door.

Soon after, a young woman who appeared to be in her early thirties entered the room. The neatly uniformed white woman was the servant who had organized the clothes from her suitcase into the dressing room during the day.

“Está preparada la cena. (Dinner is ready.)”

Her tone was gentle. Even though she didn’t know Spanish well, So-yeon, who roughly understood the meaning, nodded, and the servant withdrew from the room with a warm smile.

She knew where the dining room was, having had tea there as soon as they arrived at the mansion. So-yeon needed an outfit suitable for dinner. Even though it was a meal with just the two of them, she wanted to maintain a certain level of formality.

After much deliberation, she chose a long-sleeved black dress and left the room with the script in her hand.

‘We should practice kissing.’

‘K-kiss?”

‘I meant practice, but it seems you thought of something else?’

‘N-no! Of course not! I was thinking of practice too…’

Ugh! Why did I blush for no reason…

Recalling the conversation she had with Seo-jun while having tea, So-yeon cringed involuntarily. Her steps quickened as she hurried down the stairs connected from the second floor to the lower floor. But halfway down, her pace slowed and eventually stopped.

Straightening her back, So-yeon slightly lifted her head and looked up at a certain spot. What caught her gaze was a family portrait hanging on the stairway wall.

In the painting were three young boys and two adults presumed to be their parents.

“……!”

In an instant, So-yeon’s eyes widened as if she recognized someone.