Lights Don't Go Out in the Annex - Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
It had been less than a day since she had sworn not to get involved with that eccentric man anymore, but there was no way she could refuse such an order.
Joo-ah pretended to be oblivious to Leeseo’s puzzled expression.
“If you don’t do that, he won’t realize how precious his body is and just leave it be. What if something unfortunate happens to him? From his perspective, I’m sure he’ll think of me as an overbearing parent, but I can’t just leave him be.”
“No, it’s not like that, but…”
“Of course, I’ll adjust the work for you. Director Gong.”
Lady Shin called in Director Gong, who was waiting outside the dining room. Jihoon walked in and bowed politely.
“Yes, Madam.”
“Leeseo here, I hope you can adjust her morning schedule. I have a special request.”
“No, there’s no need for that. I can handle it.”
The corners of Joo-ah’s eyes twitched as Leeseo interjected.
“While you’re at it, it would be nice if you could prepare breakfast for him as well, because from what I’ve heard, Taegyeom told the staff that he doesn’t need breakfast prepared for him but I’m concerned for him, I’m not sure he is even eating properly in the annex by himself.”
“Ah…”
Leeseo remembered the refrigerator that was filled with alcohol in Taegyeom’s place. The state of the refrigerator on the first floor didn’t seem much different. She couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to maintained his large physique and strong muscles with just alcohol.
“You see, Koreans are supposed to have a hearty breakfast. It’s understandable since he never had anyone take care of him in the U.S., but now that he is back home, it’s not right to just leave him alone like this.”
Cupping her cheek with one hand, Joo-ah sighed heavily.
“I’d really like to take care of him myself, but Taegyeom doesn’t like it, and I have to consider his feelings.”
A bittersweet smile appeared on Lady Shin’s elegant face, which was always held high. Not knowing how to respond, Leeseo lowered her gaze and took a sip of her tea.
“If you’re uncomfortable with me asking you to do this, just tell me, I’m not trying to force you. Taegyeom can be a bit blunt, so dealing with him might not be easy. Even though I’m his mother, it’s not comfortable for me either. How can I expect others to be different?”
Although she was speaking as if she’s providing options, Leeseo felt a gentle coercion in Lady Shin’s calm smile. She was expressing it elegantly, but she was aware that it wasn’t just a request.
“I’m not asking you to do it indefinitely; just until his hand heals to some extent.”
Reluctantly, Leeseo nodded with her head lowered.
“….Yes, I understand.”
Lady Shin smiled and held out the bowl of refreshments to Leeseo.
“Thank you, now make yourself comfortable, drink some tea and eat some of this. It came as a gift, and it’s not too sweet.”
“….Thank you.”
The sunlight pouring in through the dining room window highlighted her fair complexion. After completing her business, Joo-ah had no intention of staying longer and stood up, pushing her chair back.
“Well, take your time with the food and leave when you’re ready. I’ll leave first.”
She left, leaving Leeseo alone. As she informed her departure and walked away, Leeseo lowered her head and greeted her.
***
“Since I don’t know what the young master likes, I prepared various things. I’m not sure if he’ll enjoy it. When you go today, try asking him what he likes, alright?”
The next morning, Leeseo went to the annex with the food the chef had prepared. As she was arranging the food on the table, she sensed a quiet presence. Leeseo paused, hands frozen with food still in her grip, and looked up.
Kwon Taegyeom was descending the stairs with his trademark leisurely and unhurried steps. When he noticed Leeseo, he stopped in the middle of his descent.
The man’s neat appearance in a form-fitting suit was unfamiliar. He was usually seen either drunk or disheveled, so his current refined appearance was quite surprising to see.
Kwon Taegyeom, the managing director. Leeseo quietly echoed the title that employees used to address him in her mind.
She thought that the title of managing director didn’t suit a man like him, who live life recklessly, but surprisingly, she didn’t feel any discomfort with him now. She considered that perhaps he might be showing a completely different side at work compared to how he lived here.
His pristine white dress shirt, well-fitted suit pants that smoothly enveloped his long legs, and his wrinkle-free attire made a stark contrast to the disheveled and carefree appearance she was used to seeing. His hair was perfectly combed with not a strand out of place, and his forehead, revealed beneath the neatly styled hair, was smooth.
A couple of buttons at his collar were undone and his tie was roughly tucked into his suit top pocket, revealing the only hint of his casual demeanor.
He stared in disbelief at Leeseo, who was standing in the kitchen, and then burst out laughing.
“Am I dreaming right now?”
Kwon Taegyeom muttered to himself as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was early in the morning, so his voice was low and heavy, like echoes in a cave. Leeseo put on a nonchalant expression and greeted him.
“Good morning.”
The sneer on his face deepened at her nonchalant greeting, as if she’d been here yesterday and the day before that.
“Or maybe I’m not sober yet.”
He approached her with confident strides. In an instant, the distance between them closed. Leeseo took an involuntary step backward.
The Irish-style table, which had bumped against her hip, blocked her retreat. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grasped her chin, leaving her with no escape. Her head, firmly held in the strong grip, tilted upward. Her gaze followed suit as it rose, meeting the eyes of Kwon Taegyeom.
“I thought you were never going to show up again after that day.”
Taegyeom said, brushing her cheek lightly with his thumb. She could feel electricity rising at the nape of her neck, and her hair stood on end. His slanted eyes swept slowly over her, scrutinizing her intensely.
“Ms. Hyun Leeseo, you’re quite fearless. Your appearance doesn’t match your fearfulness.”
“…”
“It seems you lack awareness as well.”
His strong fingers pressed down on her cheek, molding it like a toy. The way he did it was amusing, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Let go of me.”
Leeseo turned her head to free herself from his hand. Surprisingly, Kwon Taegyeom withdrew without resistance. The spot where he had pressed down felt uncomfortably cold when his hand that had held her chin let go.
“Don’t touch me so casually.”
“Did I upset you? I’m sorry. My habits are rather messy. When I see something beautiful, my hands tend to move on their own, and reach for it. Touching you seems to relieve my nerves.”
His apology was as light as a feather. His arrogant way of speaking that could make people flustered remained unchanged.
It was obvious that trying to argue with him any further would only make her more tired. Even her will power to argue back at him had withered away. Giving up on a normal conversation, Leeseo turned her body and brought the first aid kit she had prepared closer.
“I came to treat your wounds. I was concerned since, considering your personality, you might have left them carelessly.”
“What do you know about my personality?”
Leeseo opened the case of the first aid kit and briefly glanced at his bandaged right hand.
“…You don’t seem normal.”
Kwon Taegyeom chuckled, finding her words amusing. He didn’t seem too offended, though, which indicated that he acknowledged that his temperament was abnormally unpleasant to some extent.
Leeseo took Taegyeom’s hand and unwrapped the bandage with a calm touch, and she could feel the sting of his gaze on her. The bridge of her nose tingled, and her senses were heightened wherever the man’s eyes traced a path. She tried to ignore that subtle feeling as she disinfected the wound.
“After-service? Is this what it’s like? You’re overly kind.”
There was a hint of laughter in his voice, and though his tone was casual, he was mocking her. The sound of Taegyeom’s voice churned her stomach.
Leeseo deliberately rubbed his wounds painfully. Judging from the state of the wound, which hadn’t healed yet, a normal person would have screamed out in pain, but he didn’t even bat an eye and remained composed.
It made her wonder if there was something wrong with his sensory system, why he could be so insensitive to pain, unless he had a great deal of patience.
Leeseo raised her eyes and her gaze met his impassive, expressionless face devoid of any trace of a smile. For a moment, it felt as if time had frozen, and the surrounding air between them stood still.
His hazel eyes were unusually pale in color and glowed with an uncanny light. They reflected the sunlight streaming in through the window, giving his pupils an almost golden hue.
She felt like she was being sucked into those sparkling eyes, like a calm, deep lake. His pupils, sunken so low that she couldn’t see the bottom, were like a sticky swamp. Once you fell in, it would relentlessly pull you down, and there would be no escaping.
There was indeed something strange in his eyes. Like a noose, they tightly bound a person, rendering them unable to move or look away.
“Be gentle.”
Breaking the strange silence between them, Taegyeom’s low voice carried a mischievous tone. He raised one eyebrow in a slightly annoyed manner.
“You were so gentle with me last time, why do you seem so angry today?”
His sharp eyes, which had been piercing, suddenly softened as he traced an alluring curve.