Lights Don't Go Out in the Annex - Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
His gaze swept over the pair of eyes that stared back at him, moved downward past the reddened tip of her nose, and then stopped on her firmly pressed lips. It lingered there long enough to make her feel strange, and rose again to her own eyes. Then, he rubbed his forehead halfheartedly.
“Can’t sleep?”
“…….”
“You told me not to drink. If I can’t drink, there’s nothing but sex left. The only thing that can put me to sleep.”
“I don’t like casual guys.”
“Hmm. Well, can’t help that then .”
As if on cue, the grip on her wrists loosened in an instant, leaving only a throbbing red mark where he’d clutched them.
Without any lingering, Tae-gyeom quickly lost interest in Leeseo. He picked up the bottle of strong liquor on the table and brought it to his lips.
Lifting his head, he gulped down the potent alcohol as if it were water. Leeseo frowned as she watched his throat bob up and down, visibly swallowing.
The liquor trickled down the side of his cheek. He wiped it away roughly with the back of his hand and said,
“What are you looking at?”
The words that came out of his lips were nothing short of childish, and Leeseo couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Get out, if you’re not going to put me to sleep.”
“…….”
“If you’ve changed your mind, take your clothes off and lie down.”
He tapped the side of his own bed. Leeseo placed the glass of alcohol she had snatched from him on the table with a thud and got up from her seat. Formalities were a luxury. Without a word, she left the room just like that.
A deep sense of exhaustion washed over her. She no longer wanted to be deeply entangled with this strange man anymore. The emotional drain had been too much.
Leeseo ran out of the annex like she was running away from a sticky swamp. The bright moonlight lit the way back to her room.
* * *
“Leeseo, could you come here for a moment?”
Leeseo, who was picking vegetables in the vegetable patch, looked up. Chief Gong Jihoon was beckoning her over from the entrance of the vegetable patch, his hand gesturing in her direction. Leeseo walked over to Chief Gong with the basket of vegetables at her side
“Yes, Chief. What can I do for you?”
“Put that down here and follow me.”
At his words, Leeseo set the basket down in a shaded area. Jihoon headed toward the main building without further explanation.
It was the first time Chief Gong had called her aside for something since he’d handed her the employment contract a few months ago. She was curious about what it could be, but instead of asking, she quietly followed Jihoon as he walked ahead.
The garden, transitioning into early summer, was covered in lush green grass. A sprinkler ran nonstop on top of it, spraying water. Without a word, Chief Gong passed through the garden and entered the main building through the marble-floored entrance.
The marbled foyer led to a long hallway. The old-fashioned, lavish interior, with its bright colors, gave off an almost intimidating aura. It was a stark difference in taste from the decor of the annex, which were stylish and simple, furnished with neutral-colored furniture.
The paintings on the walls and the ornaments lining the hallway were all from Chairman Kwon’s prized collection. Chairman Kwon, known for his love for art, had established a cultural foundation under his own name, which was still actively operating.
Many of the works of art that adorn his mansion, including the collection housed in the foundation’s museum, are national treasures that he acquired over the years, some of which had been transferred abroad before Chairman Kwon purchased them back. He had recently announced his intention to gradually donate his art collection to the country, receiving favorable responses from the public.
At one point, he was publicly criticized after a stock market rumor that he had thrown out his main wife in favor of a young actress. Since then, Chairman Kwon had made continuous efforts in charitable endeavors to rebuild his image.
Few people often remembered that GK Group’s current positive reputation, at the forefront of social restoration, and giving back to the community through its large-scale welfare foundation actually stems from its founder’s image laundering.
In fact, the vast amount of capital that Chairman Kwon used to build GK Group came from his father’s family business, Shinhae Financial. But when the national financial crisis hit two decades ago, Shinhae Financial, which had been attracting investments like pouring water into a leaking container, found itself at a crossroads of survival.
At that time, Chairman Kwon relocated his headquarters to the United States, as if cutting off a tail. Superficially, it was to accompany his young son’s path of studying abroad, but at that time, but by that time, the chairman’s seed was already in Shin Joo-ah’s belly.
Chairman Kwon’s consistent image-renewing efforts shaped GK Group into the company it is today. A national company receiving the greatest support from the public. From cell phones to home appliances, clothing to cars, it’s hard to find someone around who doesn’t own at least one GK product.
With GK firmly established as one of Korea’s most iconic companies, Shin Joo-ah began to take a more active role outside of the company a few years ago, serving as the director of the group’s sponsorship foundation. Recently, she gained attention from the public through a documentary filmed by a public broadcasting station, revealing her genuine self.
A female entrepreneur dedicated to child welfare and social restoration. After a few articles praising her passion and good looks, the attention generated a new wave of interest, creating an issue of its own. GK Group’s fashion division’s performance skyrocketed, as Joo’s elegant and sensible fashion became the talk of the town on various social media.
“Welcome.”
Leeseo spotted Shin Joo Ah coming down the stairs and bowed her head in a gesture of greeting. She flashed her a quick smile, then turned and headed for the dining room. Although Leeseo couldn’t ascertain the reason why the mansion’s hostess had called her separately, she maintained a composed expression and followed her.
The mansion’s main dining room was separated from the living room by arched columns. As she walked towards the inner dining room, she felt the man on the living room couch jump in surprise.
“Mom, what is this? You surprised me….”
Jin-gyeom, who had been sitting cross-legged and engrossed in a mobile game, dropped his phone with a thud and stared blankly at Leeseo. His expression seemed quite bewildered, as if he hadn’t expected to encounter her in the main building.
Joo-ah, who had been walking ahead, stopped in her tracks and glanced once in Jin-gyeom’s direction, then back at Leeseo. The cautious gaze of the hostess seemed to be weighing something and gave off an uncomfortable atmosphere.
It was Jin-gyeom who first broke the awkward stillness between the three of them.
“Hey!”
He stood up from the sofa with an inexplicable irritability, giving Joo-ah a defiant look. Then, with thumping footsteps, he disappeared to the upper floor.
“That guy…”
Joo-ah clicked her tongue as she looked in the direction where Jin-gyeom had disappeared in a huff, then back at Leeseo.
“Please, have a seat. I called you here because there’s something I want to discuss.”
The dining room seemed to have been prepared in advance, as there were tea cups and refreshments laid out. Joo-ah took a seat the head of the table and picked up a beautifully patterned teapot. She poured tea into her cup with a gentle, steady hand.
“Last night, you went to the annex and treated Tae-gyeom’s injured hand, right?”
She held out a cup of warm tea, with steam rising from it, towards Seo. Leeseo stared at the cup, her face stiff. It hadn’t even been a day since the incident in the annex last night, and yet the news had already reached Lady Shin.
For a moment, she thought of Mrs. Seo. This must be why she had been avoiding her gaze and seemed uneasy since morning.
Leeseo wrapped her fingers around the teacup and steadied her trembling fingertips. The treatment had been a simple one, hardly worth calling it a “treatment.” Besides, she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings with the mistress of the mansion.
Leeseo didn’t know what misconceptions Lady Shin might already have about her for having summoned her this far. She felt the need to explain, defend herself, or say something. Slowly, she parted her lips, carefully choosing her words in her mind.
But before she could say anything, Joo-ah let out a shallow sigh and spoke in a wistful tone.
“I don’t know why, but ever since Tae-gyeom lived in the United States, he’s developed a strong aversion to hospitals. Even though he’s not a child I bore, but I don’t think any parent would be happy when their son is sick, you know what I mean?”
Pouring tea into her own cup, Lady Shin picked it up with graceful fingertips. The rich aroma of camellia flowers wafted through the dining room.
“I called you because I wanted to express my gratitude for stepping in to help, even when it wasn’t your working hours. Knowing Tae-gyeom’s personality, I don’t think he would have been able to express his gratitude properly to someone who helped him out of kindness.”
“It was nothing. I only provided basic first aid.”
At Leeseo’s response, Joo-ah let out a soft chuckle. It was a graceful and noble smile, yet somehow carried an underlying hint of something unsettling. Their conversation was taking a different direction than what Leeseo had anticipated.
“Well, here’s the thing. I was hoping that you’d take a look at the wounds every now and then until they’re somewhat healed.”
“Me… take a look at the wound?”
Leeseo repeated, her expression hard to conceal. The situation was becoming awkward.