Chapter 36 – Foolish Idiot

She had barely stopped crying, but her face was a mess.  

Eom So-yeon, who pressed and wiped her tear-streaked eyes with the back of her hand, asked Tae Seo-jun.  

“That day when we first met. It was less than a day. But, you said you liked me at first sight?”  

“……”  

What should I say if she asks again…?  

Without answering, Tae Seo-jun calmly took a few sips of whiskey. However, his mind was tangled and twisted beyond comprehension.  

When you give, you expect something in return. If I’ve shown my heart, shouldn’t you do the same? But instead of the angelic smile I hoped for, you showed tears. Yet even your crying face was beautiful. It made me want to make you cry again.  

But why did you cry so sorrowfully? Why? What made you so sad?  

Was it because of my confession?  

Or… did you think of that man?  

Could it be that you still long for that wretched bastard who abandoned you?  

Lost in thought, Tae Seo-jun let out a faint laugh.  

“Then, what about you? Eom So-yeon, what do you think of me?”  

His voice, which suppressed the spark of the conversation, was as calm as the night.  

“Tae Seo-jun, you’re the kind of man anyone would desire. You’re handsome and charming. So I just followed my heart. That’s all there is to it.”

So-yeon lowered her gaze and answered in a clear, firm tone.  

“Followed your heart? That’s it?”

“Yes.”  

So-yeon’s nodding attitude was resolute.  

She couldn’t bring herself to say that she loved a man she met for the first time and that even after years had passed, she couldn’t let go of him, which is why she ended up here. She couldn’t ruin the precious time with him by being swept up in the atmosphere where it felt like she could say anything.  

“Then, I’ll tell you too. I liked you. I still do.”  

“……!”  

Of course, So-yeon’s heart raced uncontrollably, and her gaze shot up. However, Tae Seo-jun’s subsequent words made her stare wander aimlessly.  

“But how long do human emotions last? Even feelings that burn as if they’ll never cool eventually grow cold. And if something happens to cause doubt in the meantime, relationships between men and women fizzle out even faster.”  

What he meant was that this had been his experience before meeting Eom So-yeon.

There was more to the story, but before he could continue, he listened to So-yeon’s rather flustered voice.  

“You’re very skeptical about emotions. Not everyone is like that…”  

There are definitely loves that grow hotter with time, even if you wish they wouldn’t.

There are people who feel so overwhelmed by their love, even when they keep it to themselves, that even their longing becomes love.

That’s me…  

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t met the person you truly love yet. True love makes you want to understand rather than doubt. It makes you want to know more. One day, you’ll meet that kind of love, that kind of person.”  

“Hah…”  

Tae Seo-jun sighed as he stared intently at So-yeon’s face.  

I’m so desperate over just you, unable to do anything, yet you’re desperately holding back your feelings for me. And with that attitude, you dare to talk to me about someone else, about true love?  

“Fine. Since we’re on the topic, how about I be a little more honest?”  

“Honest about what?”  

“I mean that, while I’m skeptical about romantic relationships, you’re the exception. This is the first time I’ve ever felt this way, the first time I’ve been so drawn to someone. But you… you seem close yet suddenly run far away. Why is that? It’s like you’re hiding something.”

“……!”  

So-yeon gasped in shock. Her previously calm heart suddenly shrank, and her mouth went dry. So-yeon, caught off guard and struck to the core, even jumped up from her chair.  

“I-I’m not hiding anything! Why, why would I have anything to hide!”  

Reacting so excessively to something that could have been brushed off, even stammering, only made it more suspicious.  

It was at that moment, as So-yeon took a couple of steps away from Tae Seo-jun.  

“Ah!”  

A strong grip pulled her wrist, causing So-yeon to fall onto Tae Seo-jun’s lap, landing on his thigh. But she couldn’t get back up. His firm arm and large hand tightly held her waist in place.  

“Don’t you think your reaction makes it even more suspicious? You really are hiding something, aren’t you? What is it?”  

“……”  

Her reddened eyes moved from side to side. Her pupils shimmered with water, sparkling transparently. However, her lips remained tightly shut, exercising her right to remain silent.  

But it seemed she was holding her breath as well because her small lips suddenly parted slightly.  

“I told you, there’s nothing like that!”  

So-yeon, catching her breath, raised her voice and spoke again with emphasis.  

“Isn’t it obvious? Tae Seo-jun, you’re not just any man. I wanted to look good in front of you. That’s why I was cautious. Where else could I find someone as amazing and perfect as you? You know that better than anyone!”  

“Really?” 

“Of course!”  

“Hah, Eom So-yeon… You really…” 

How can you argue against someone so adamant?

A great man. It was a compliment he had often heard, so it didn’t mean much to him. But coming from Eom So-yeon, it felt different. Tae Seo-jun found himself feeling strange. The soft voice that reached his ears spread like a deadly poison, quickly making his entire body feel languid.  

Tae Seo-jun chuckled softly and took a sip of the cold, sharp whiskey, rolling it on his tongue. As the liquid stimulated his throat, his alluring eyes narrowed slightly, exuding a deep masculine charm.  

Looking up at his jawline, which seemed like an A-cut photo in every moment, So-yeon swallowed dryly, relieved that she had safely passed a dangerous moment. 

“Why?”  

“No, it’s just…”  

“Do you want to drink?”  

“……”  

What’s she supposed to do when someone who had been so angry suddenly asks so gently?  

So-yeon, nodding slightly, let her gaze wander before it finally settled on the glass of liquor sitting quietly on the minibar.  

***

The lounge bar at the El Stella Hotel was filled with soft classical music.

Sitting at the long bar, their heads close together, were none other than the hotel’s president and vice president.

“Seo-jun, I heard he’s at the estate in Spain right now.”

“The youngest? Why is he there?”

“I don’t know. Apparently, there’s a shoot happening there. Maybe he stopped by while he was at it. He’s always liked that place. But I heard he didn’t go alone?”

“That guy, he’s with a woman!”

“From what I’ve heard, yes. If it’s just the two of them there, it must be something like that.”

“Where did you hear this?”

“Where else? From Father’s secretary’s office. I’m sure Father was the first to hear about it.”

“That kid better be careful. Acting is one thing we can’t stop now, but Father was saying the other day that he should at least get married soon.”

“Well, remember when the incident happened in the Middle East? Father was so furious that he even called the commander’s office. He was pale with fear, thinking he might lose his youngest son on the spot. But Seo-jun’s not someone you can control so easily. He’s the only one who can match Father in a battle of wills.”

“Ha, out of all of us siblings, Tae Seo-jun is definitely the strongest.”

“Still, it’s not like Father is only keeping an eye on Seo-jun. You and I are in the same boat.”

“Oh? Look, there’s Won-hoo.”

As they chatted, Lee Joon and Yong-joon turned their attention to the tall man walking into the bar.

“Am I late?”

“You already know the answer.”

“Sorry, brothers.”

As Go Won-hoo sat down at the bar alongside his two cousins, a waiter approached them politely and placed a glass of whiskey on the table.

“Your company’s idols, huh? They’ve conquered everywhere, from Europe to America. Aunt used to sing about how it would all collapse soon, but it seems your company’s doing just the opposite.”

“The company started under my parents’ curses, so now we’ve got 100% immunity. The El Stella Hotel isn’t bad either. Thanks to you brothers’ management skills, you’re already building your third new hotel.”

“Oh, Italy? That’s under Chairman Tae Seok-ho’s orders for expansion. I’m flying out tomorrow to check on the situation there anyway.”

“Wow, wow. Even if it’s not Uncle, when both the vice president and president appear together, the executives over there must be feeling quite pressured.”

Lee Joon, Yong-joon, and Won-hoo, reunited after a long time, chatted joyfully and clinked their glasses louder than usual.

However, at a table behind them, a woman sat quietly with her back to the three men.

No, rather, she seemed to be lowering her head excessively, as if trying to hide herself as much as possible. The dim lighting of the bar worked in her favor. The effort she had put into concealing herself—pressing a baseball cap low over her head and pulling up the hood of her hoodie—was not wasted, as it effectively obscured her presence.

She was intently listening to the voices of the three men.

Earlier today, Yoo Byung-hwan, who had been declared irrecoverable by the hospital, had his oxygen mask removed.

But to everyone’s surprise, he began breathing on his own and even opened his eyes. Although it was a faint recovery and nothing more, Yoo Jung-hwa’s father, who had lived a harsh life, proved to have a tenacious will to survive.

Jung-hwa, who had been secretly pleased, also felt uneasy. She pitied herself for being so desperate for her wretched father to die quickly, as though he were standing on the guillotine. To calm her unsettled mind, she had come to the hotel bar.

But what was this situation she was now facing?

Was this divine grace allowing her to climb higher? Or was it divine mockery, urging her to look back at what she had missed and feel regret?

When she first heard the familiar name from behind her, she thought, 

No way.

Tae Seo-jun… Could it be the Tae Seo-jun I know? Then those two men must be…

Being so close, the voices of the two men behind her reached her ears clearly. As she hesitated in uncertainty, it was Go Won-hoo’s appearance and their relationship that confirmed Tae Seo-jun’s identity as part of a practically a royal family.

Had he ever mentioned his family, let alone siblings? Of course, not once. While Tae Seo-jun may not have outright lied, the fact that he never mentioned it during their relationship was essentially a form of deception.

It was only now that Jung-hwa learned that Tae Seo-jun and Go Won-hoo were cousins, and for a while, she couldn’t even blink.

She was too shocked by a truth she hadn’t even dreamed of. She couldn’t believe that she hadn’t realized Tae Seo-jun was the youngest son of Chairman Tae Seok-ho, one of the wealthiest men in Korea.

Her hand, gripping the cocktail glass, trembled.

The liquid in the glass rippled with her shaking.

Overwhelmed by shock, Jung-hwa could do nothing. All she could do was quietly set down the glass in her hand and quickly leave the bar.

Once she stepped out and got into the elevator, Jung-hwa, unable to press the button for the first floor, pounded her chest with her fists, overwhelmed by frustration. She had let an enormous fortune that could have been hers slip through her fingers, so it was understandable.

No wonder! No wonder he never seemed intimidated, no matter where he was! No wonder his noble demeanor was no joke! Of course, it was all because of that! His appearance and attitude were all backed by immense wealth! And I didn’t even realize it—what was I thinking…?

There had been plenty of opportunities to notice while they were dating. If she had spent a little less time worrying about others and paid more attention to him…

“Ha! I’m such an idiot, such a fool!”

A real, real fool!

Jung-hwa, frustrated at herself for being greedy for something else without even knowing what she already had, couldn’t even laugh bitterly. Amid all the chaos in her mind, she had only one thought.

It wasn’t too late.

Even if it was, she would turn back time no matter what.

No matter what it took, she would make Tae Seo-jun hers again.

Even if she had to sell her soul to the devil, she was determined to take her man back.