CHAPTER 38

Taegyeom’s fickle temper had made him an an entirely unpredictable person. Even now, despite their physical intimacy, Leeseo still couldn’t truly understand Kwon Taegyeom. No, in fact, he felt even more ambiguous and complex.

But she was curious. Despite knowing that this was wrong, her intense instincts ultimately led her footsteps to the annex.

It seemed that no one could refuse a man like Kwon Taegyeom. Whenever she looked into his sensual eyes, she felt herself being stripped of all defenses and surrendering without reservation. How could one not be drawn to such an overwhelming man?

The sensation of being crushed beneath his hot, strong body was addictive and dizzying. She had to admit that she was physically attracted to this dangerous, beautiful man.

Even in ordinary, everyday moments when she wasn’t being held by him, his sensual eyes seemed to follow her everywhere.

She opened her phone’s calendar and checked the deadline to apply to return to school. With a shallow sigh, she turned off the screen.

There was a moment when she was trapped in his firm embrace, merging completely with him, and it felt like it was all she needed, and then a strange, unfamiliar emptiness washed over her that she was scared to get out of.

Leeseo picked up the dripping glass of water. She gulped down the cold water to moisten her parched throat and endured the rumbling sensation in her stomach. Unexplained anxiety and nervousness had followed her like a shadow ever since she’d started sleeping with Kwon Taegyeom, but in truth, nothing in her world had changed.

A man who lived in a completely different world from her own. Even if they mixed their bodies as if they were becoming one every day, the boundaries of their lives remained clear and everything is in place. So there was no need to make a big deal out of it.

Just as Kwon Taegyeom takes desire from her, Leeseo decided to see it as a mutual benefit and take advantage of him. If she went back to school, there was still a month and a half to go until classes started in September, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if …… she had s*x with him.

‘Is it just that again?’

The thoughts in her head suddenly drifted to memories of the night before. Unlike the first time, when their conversations had centered around dirty talk in bed, he’d been asking her strange things lately.

“Is it your pride or something that makes you go back to being deadly serious every time after s*x? Or are you just that uncomfortable sleeping with me?’

Leeseo, who was barely able to stand up after a vigorous round of s*x and was hobbling to the end of the bed to lift her panties between her damp legs, looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face, and stammered out a reply.

‘I should go back when it’s dark. It would be awkward if someone saw us.’

At Leeseo’s blunt answer, Kwon Taegyeom made a strange expression that was difficult to interpret. It didn’t seem like he found the response particularly satisfying.

‘Is it awkward for you?’

His eyes gazed intently at her. The man’s gaze was enigmatic.

Sometimes, Leeseo felt as if she were undergoing a test when he saw Kwon Taegyeom’s gaze like that. A test that she faced without any preparation. Restless and lost, she couldn’t help but feel anxious in the face of the unknown.

‘Why do you ask such things?’

Leeseo calmly inquired, and Taegyeom’s face momentarily took on an unusual blank expression. As if he couldn’t understand why he was curious about such trivial matters, his relaxed eyes blinked slowly.

Then, as usual, he lazily smiled. After satisfying his desires thoroughly through passionate s*x, Taegyeom often became more lenient than usual.

‘It’s just my curiosity.’

He had a knack for saying things that would have sounded childish in anyone else’s mouth. He approached leisurely and, from behind her, fastened the hook of her bra, then asked with an elegant and refined face.

‘Do you like the color white?’

‘What?’

‘Because it seems like all your underwear is white. Boring.’

“…”

The large hands that fastened her bra slid down to stroke her lower abdomen, long fingers snaking into the white underwear he’d described as boring. Holding her tightly from behind, he whispered.

‘Do you have any plans to try bold colors? I’ll buy them for you.’

The conversation flowed smoothly as it naturally transitioned into lewd talks but even as he continued with his vulgarity, he kept asking Leeseo trivial questions. What color she likes, what her favorite food is, and so on.

Yet, he never shared anything about himself, a topic he never seemed to want to delve into.

She wondered how Taegyeom would react if she were to tell him that she planned to return to school in September, and that whatever they had would only be until then. As always, she envisioned the man nodding his head nonchalantly.

‘Whatever.’

It wasn’t difficult to recall the words he had occasionally uttered with a grumbling expression. Perhaps he would make a bothered expression, as if asking what it had to do with him or how annoying it was.

No, maybe he would show displeasure at the idea of her making decisions and informing him without his permission. Sometimes, he had openly revealed his possessive tendencies, which had bewildered Leeseo.

Taegyeom seemed to have no interest whatsoever in how his minor actions might be misconstrued by others. It was yet another aspect of him that seemed fitting for a man who had lived life according to his own terms.

As she thought about it, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of mockery. A dry chuckle escaped her lips and she let out a long sigh.

“Well, I guess so!”

At that moment, the side door of the quarters suddenly burst open, accompanied by a noisy commotion. Mrs. Seo and Director Yoon were entering with baskets on their hips, chatting away with sweat on their foreheads, continuing the conversation they had started outside.

“What brings you here, Director Yoon?”

The head chef asked as they entered, placing thinly sliced eggplants into the steamer one by one.

“It’s the annex. They used to hold parties there every day, but it’s been so quiet lately. The last time it was bustling, when was that again? It must have been about right before Chairman and Madam went on their trip to Namhae, right?”

At the sudden topic of the annex, Leeseo hid her nervousness and stood up from the table, taking her empty glass to the sink. As she turned on the water and rinsed the cup, she couldn’t help but overhear the staff’s conversation.

“Lately, there have been more guests going to the main building, right? I tried listening in, and they all seem to have something in common.”

According to Director Yoon, who oversees the main house kitchen, there had been some changes in the mansion since Chairman Kwon and his wife’s trip to Namhae. The atmosphere had somewhat waned during Chairman Kwon’s recovery period at the mansion, but it began to liven up as he resumed going out more often, like the melting of snow in spring.

With Chairman Kwon returning to the office more frequently, hostess. Shin Joo-ah also regained her vigor. The employees were kept busy with a continuous stream of guests being received.

“It seems like the eldest young master is looking for a wife.”

Her hand stopped rinsing the cup. Calmly, she pressed the sink faucet to turn off the water. The sound of water hitting the sink floor, which had been splashing, subsided. Director Yoon’s voice became slightly louder.

“Yesterday, the wife and daughter of the chairman of Group K came and went. Last Monday, it was Group C. It was just the wife then, but she has a granddaughter, probably around the same age as the young master. I heard she’s studying in the U.S. now.”

Chef Kim, who was at the kitchen counter but had been listening to Director Yoon with an intrigued expression on her face, clapped her hands together excitedly, reinforcing Director Yoon’s opinion.

“Then maybe that’s why the annex have been so quiet lately. Even though it’s an arranged marriage, if the man’s reputation isn’t good, it might be a problem, you know.”

“He’s the eldest son of the chairman of GK Group, and he’s just as handsome as he is. Is it a problem that the rumors are bad? Even if his face isn’t exactly a standout, there must be people lining up to marry into the family, considering his height, his voice, and the fact that he’s the Chairman’s son. Besides, with a face like his, does he really have to be conventionally handsome?”

“Definitely not. Even if he just lives off his looks, he’ll be well-fed with that face alone.”

While Chef Kim sent strong agreement to Director Yoon’s words, Mrs. Seo muttered with a hesitant face.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking that the annex has been quiet because he might have found a woman. Someone he’s seriously meeting.”

“Oh, come on, what woman? A woman… He’s not seriously meeting any woman. Mrs. Seo keeps saying things without knowing anything. Honestly, the young master’s attitude towards women, that’s, other than our Chairman, he’s not interested in anyone…!”

Director Yoon, who had raised her voice, seemed to suddenly realize something and glanced around. After confirming that the only people inside were themselves and Leeseo, she lowered her voice and continued speaking.

“Anyway, it doesn’t seem like he’s the type to settle down with one woman. He’s definitely going to leave right before the wedding, that’s for sure!”

“No, but I thought the young master wouldn’t care about all the gossipy stuff that goes on around here, seeing how he enjoys making a fuss like that. Surprisingly, even the young master seems to be aware of Chairman’s watchful eye.”

“He probably does, then. Well, if he makes even a tiny mistake, he might get kicked out to the United States again.”

Leeseo placed the cup on the countertop and looked through the small window beyond the sink, which showed the main building of the estate. The warm summer sunlight reflected off the glass, dazzlingly bright. The employees were deeply engrossed in their gossip and paid no attention to her.

A bitter, dry laugh escaped her. All the turmoil that had been disturbing her heart felt empty and disappointing.

Pathetic.

With a deep sigh, she let go of all the anxiety and restlessness that had been building up in her chest and quietly left the quarters.