CHAPTER 54

“Mrs. Seo has been curious and agitated about what’s going on since earlier.”

“Where did the madam go?”

“Oh, she went to the spa and said she’d be back after getting her hair done. Did you hear what you’re in charge of today? You’re supposed to handle the main dining room, living room, and even the entrance decorations.”

“Yes, I got the message. I’ll start setting up the dining room.”

Ms. Ko laid a vinyl covering on the floor and set down her belongings. Mrs. Seo, who had just finished preparing the ingredients, pushed Ms. Yoon’s shoulder in frustration and demanded an answer.

“So, what’s going on? Why is there so much fuss, but nobody’s telling me anything? They just give me tasks. Besides the staff, who else is there to tell?”

Oh dear. Ms. Yoon chuckled awkwardly, furrowing her eyebrows as if in trouble. Then, after casually looking around the interior of the main house, where it was empty of employees, she lowered her voice and said,

“It seems that the chairman and his wife from the Songwoon Group, along with their eldest daughter, are coming for dinner tonight. It coincides with the day when the eldest youngmaster is returning from a business trip. What do you think could that mean? Huh?”

“That? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ms. Yoon rolled her eyes in frustration.

“No, Mrs. Seo, you’re asking so many questions, but you’re being so clueless. Can’t you tell? Can’t you sense it? It’s a formal introduction, a formal introduction!”

Mrs. Seo’s eyes widened.

“A formal introduction? Already?”

“What do you mean ‘already’? It’s been more than two months since the eldest young master returned to Korea. It seems the chairman called him back with the intention of getting him married right from the beginning.”

“I thought they just started talking recently.”

“They’re going to marry if it’s in their mutual interest. What’s the point in waiting? They’ll do it if the conditions are right. Songwoon Group, despite having a relatively shorter history compared to our GK, is within the top ten in the rankings of Korean business in terms of company size.”

There was a subtle pride in Ms. Yoon’s tone when talking about their employer. Just like Leeseo’s parents, many employees who had worked at the mansion for an extended period considered themselves fortunate to have received kindness from Chairman Kwon and his wife.

The working environment and salaries were relatively good, and whenever an employee had a difficult time, Chairman Kwon would be generous with his support.

For Chairman Kwon, who put a lot of effort into building a friendly image, it was a caution not to neglect the management of the employees who served the family in the closest proximity. The most effective way to control them was through money.

“With that level of reputation, it’s reasonable enough, and above all, it would be a great help to the position of the eldest youngmaster within the company. Frankly, I was a bit surprised when I saw the Madam going to such lengths to choose a bride for the eldest young master.”

Ms. Yoon’s voice became even more secretive. As if she hadn’t been guarded enough, once she opened her mouth, she didn’t stop. Instead of joining the conversation, as if she was used to this, Ms. Ko smiled coyly and went about her business.

“To be frank, since he’s not even her own son, I thought she might not want him to be tied to such a prestigious family. I thought she might not want to link him to a family that’s too good. Even countries can act that way if they feel their position is threatened. But this time, I felt that our Madam’s disposition was different.”

“Is that so?”

“And their eldest daughter is truly a beauty. Why, when she came with Lady Songwoon the other day to have tea and left, I saw her briefly, and it seemed like she was brought up quite elegantly. Even her way of speaking was refined, and she had a charming smile. Truly, well-raised young ladies are different.”

In response to Ms. Yoon’s words, Mrs. Seo burst into laughter.

“How can you tell all that from just a brief encounter?”

“Why not? One look is enough to tell. Even to us working folks, she was so polite. Anyway, I hope things go well between her and the young master. If the two get married, how beautiful would the child born between them be? A perfect son and daughter meeting each other.”

“Now, we’re just getting ready for a formal meeting, and you’re already talking about having children. Anyway, Ms. Yoon, you’re quite the romantic.”

Shaking her head and heading back to the kitchen, Mrs. Seo spotted Leeseo, who was helping Ms. Ko pack up her things, and said as if she suddenly remembered.

“Wait, isn’t today your day off, Leeseo?”

“Oh, everyone seemed busy, so…”

“It’s your day off, why don’t you go meet your friends or get some rest? What are you doing here? It’s not like we’re short-staffed or something.”

“Oh, you were on a day off?”

Ms. Ko, who had been casually accepting the equipment from Leeseo, widened her eyes in surprise. A look of apology appeared on her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was your day off.”

“No, it’s just for a moment, really.”

Leeseo smiled and shook her head quietly.

“Oh, well, you can stop helping me, I can do it by myself, thank you.”

“All right, then. Go inside quickly! If you don’t have any plans, rest in your room and just come over for lunch later!”

Ms. Ko, Mrs. Seo, and Ms. Yoon, together, ushered Leeseo out. As she stepped outside, the warm midday air enveloped her.

Looking up, she gazed at the cloudless, clear sky before lowering her gaze. In the well-maintained grassy garden, sprinklers were creating a faint rainbow as they rotated.

It was a peaceful day. Everything was in its designated place.

Nothing had changed. I started this relationship knowing it would end, and the end was just around the corner.

But why does it feel like this?

Leeseo bit her lip, looking away.

There was no great reason for her attraction to him. Kwon Taegyeom was a gorgeous, charming man, and s*x with him feels undeniably pleasurable.

Leeseo considered herself just using him, much like how he was taking advantage of her to relieve his needs. She believed that the intense pleasure he provided would lift her from this suffocating lethargy, and that was all that mattered. So, she used just enough of her emotions, nothing more.

It was an uncomplicated relationship with no promises or commitments. Calling it an end was almost absurd, considering there was nothing to begin with. Even setting a deadline was an unnecessary luxury.

Leeseo gazed at the rising heat waves in the distance, and let out a sigh of laughter. However, the dry laughter didn’t last long. Her mouth felt parched.

She thought it was just a one-time relationship that wouldn’t hurt because she had no expectations, and she felt foolish for thinking that.

As the employees talked, a turbulent wave arose as if a large rock had been dropped in the center of her chest. She felt unbearably pathetic for standing just there, frozen and didn’t know what to do.

She was well aware that his feelings were wavering. She knew he was a man who treated relationships lightly. Selfish, troublesome, and calculative—that’s what he was.

Despite repeating and repeating, diligently working to dull her feelings like tempering hot iron, her heart had softened and continued to soften. The poorly constructed defense line had no strength at all.

Leeseo bitterly laughed and strode on. The scorching sunlight poured down on her from above.

[See you tonight.]

Suddenly, she remembered the text from Taegyeom.

Had he just finished meeting with the woman he was going to marry and casually walked over to the annex to embrace me?

Leeseo couldn’t help but laugh.

What a man.

She genuinely thought that. She didn’t want to be sarcastic or cynical but what had she been thinking, trying to handle such a man? Her own arrogance felt foolish.

It hurt like hell, like something sharp had sliced through her chest. She exhaled a long sigh, erasing the dry laughter hanging on the corners of her mouth.

The water in the sprinkler swished and spun regularly. Leeseo, who had been lost in thought for a moment while watching it, took out her phone from her pocket.

She found her friend Jieun’s name at the top of her inbox and pressed the call button. Jieun had recently sent her a message complaining about how studying was tedious. She lived alone in a one-room apartment near the school.

The waiting tone rang for a while, and not long after, Jieun answered with a lively voice.

• Oh, Leeseo. What’s up? You called first.

“What are you doing?”

• At the library. I’m bored to death.

“Did you eat?”

• Why? Are you coming to school?

“Yeah, I was thinking about it. Want to grab lunch?”

• Sounds good. I’m with Yoonmi right now. How about the three of us eat together?

Leeseo knew that Yoonmi, like Jieun, lived on her own. Jieun had left the dormitory because it didn’t suit her, and Yoonmi had moved out of the dormitory because she took a leave of absence in the middle of the semester.

Since the dormitory rules state that you can’t move back in once you’ve left, Leeseo, once she resumed her studies, would have to find a place to live near the school. She counted the days in her head. There were less than three weeks left until September.

She glanced at the clock on her phone screen. Both Jieun and Yoonmi lived on their own around the school, so she thought she could seek advice from them about finding a place to live. After being bombarded with unknown gifts at the dormitory, she couldn’t just stay anywhere.

“Sure. But it’s going to take me a while to get to school. Is that okay?”

• Oh, I ate a lot in the morning, so I was planning to eat a bit later anyway. Let me know when you’re about to arrive.

After making plans with Jieun, Leeseo put her phone back in her pocket. Sweat had started to bead on her forehead due to the hot weather outside. Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, she continued walking, running through the list of things she had to do in her mind.

Unable to pick up the heart she had already let go of, she needed to build a dam to prevent it from hitting rock bottom any further.

Pull yourself together.

Leeseo walked through the garden quietly, murmuring to herself. What she had lost was merely her heart.