Chapter 6.5

After the meal, while the men gathered separately to discuss matters of the group, Moonkyeong followed Shin Jueun to the annex.  

If Nam Leehyun had prepared the breakfast, the light desserts and tea seemed to have been arranged by Shin Jueun.  

Unlike the main house, which emphasized traditional Korean beauty, the annex was extravagantly opulent, resembling the palace of Marie Antoinette, who had met her end at the guillotine.  

“You, come with me for a moment.”  

At Shin Jueun’s words, Moonkyeong quietly followed her.  

As soon as they reached the second floor, Shin Jueun’s sharp hand struck Moonkyeong’s face. The makeup she had applied that morning was instantly ruined.  

More than the ruined makeup, the stinging slap left Moonkyeong dazed.  

“…Director.”  

“How dare you act so arrogantly? If you speak to the Chairman at the dining table again, I’ll let this slap slide for now. But next time, I’ll make sure to ruin that face of yours!”  

“I was only—”  

“Don’t talk back to me. What kind of upbringing did you have to cut off an elder while they’re speaking? Just because you’re an orphan who married into a chaebol family, does the world look easy to you? Know your place. You’re full and warm now, so the world must seem amusing to you. I must’ve been crazy to even consider tying someone like you to our Seouk!”  

“…”  

“There’s only one way for you to survive here. I will trample on you countless times. And each time, you must not so much as flinch. If you do, at least you won’t be kicked out. So keep that cheap mouth of yours shut. Do you understand?”

What came out of her mouth was not words but a blade, a weapon that stabbed at others.  

Though she could guess the reason behind such anger, the way Shin Jueun demeaned others left Seo Moonkyeong feeling deeply wronged. She had never been treated this way, not even by Do Hyeran, and it left her flustered. Still, she bit her lips tightly.  

“Yes, I understand.”  

She had no intention of stirring up trouble on New Year’s Day. As Shin Jueun had said, staying still and unresponsive was her specialty—perhaps she had found her calling.  

The cheek Shin Jueun had slapped began to throb belatedly. As Moonkyeong tidied her disheveled hair, Shin Jueun leaned in and whispered softly.  

“Are you planning to tell Seojun?”  

Moonkyeong replied in a dry, expressionless tone.  

“No.”  

“Good. That’s for the best.”  

As Shin Jueun quickly descended the stairs with short, hurried steps, Moonkyeong let out a hollow laugh.  

I already knew it was a mess, so why am I surprised? Worse things will happen in the future. Did I think 20 billion won would just fall from the sky? I managed to endure the grueling world of ballet, so this should be no problem. I just need to grit my teeth and hold on.

Moonkyeong entered the bathroom to fix her appearance. The redness swelling on her cheek worried her, but she figured it would fade with time.  

She was determined not to let Seojun find out about this. No matter what else happened, this was the one thing she didn’t want him to know.  

The sound of Shin Jueun slapping Moonkyeong on New Year’s Day had been loud enough for the women downstairs to hear. Yet, no one voiced concern or took her side.  

When the two descended the stairs together, everyone’s eyes landed on Moonkyeong’s reddened left cheek.  

Lee Heejin sneered at her with a gloating expression, while the others averted their gazes as if uninterested.  

“You, sit over there.”  

At Shin Jueun’s deliberate instruction to take a corner seat, Moonkyeong simply replied, “Yes,” in a short tone.  

At the wide table set up in the annex, the women engaged in endless chatter. Even amidst their mutual hostilities, they found a way to bond—united in their disdain for Moonkyeong.  

It was as if the entire family had decided to ostracize one person openly.  

For Nam Leehyun’s two daughters, Shin Jueun, who had tormented their mother all her life, was detestable. But now, they despised Seojun even more, as he threatened their positions within the family.  

They hated that he shared their bloodline, despite being an outcast since childhood. They found it even more humiliating that his biological mother had been a Japanese woman who sold her body.  

Naturally, Moonkyeong, who had come as part of the “set” with Seojun, was also an eyesore.  

Moonkyeong remained silent, waiting for the ordeal to end. Occasionally, she felt Lee Heejin’s hostile gaze from across the table but chose to ignore it.  

At least with her, Moonkyeong was determined not to get entangled further. She had heard that hierarchy within the Leehan Group was of utmost importance.  

Whether Lee Heejin was from the Jeesung Group or not, as the first daughter-in-law of the Leehan family, Moonkyeong outranked her.  

I’ll never bow to you.  

While Moonkyeong sipped her tea with perfect posture, the others continued their conversations.  

From gossip about a certain corporate chairman to critiques of the interiors of luxury hotel suites abroad, the topics varied.  

Lee Heejin and Nam Leehyun’s two daughters, who had all learned horseback riding since childhood, seemed to bond easily over shared experiences.  

“You traveled by private jet every summer vacation?”  

“Yes. I like having plenty of space, even on airplanes.”  

“I heard rumors. Doesn’t Jeesung sometimes hire male flight attendants for their private jets?”  

Lee Heejin waved her hands in denial, glancing at her future mother-in-law, Shin Jueun, for approval.  

“No, absolutely not.”  

Shin Jueun, aware of Lee Heejin’s notorious private life even before the marriage, frowned slightly.  

From her distant corner, Moonkyeong spotted Nam Leehyun sipping tea alone with an air of dignity.  

Nam Leehyun reacted to none of the conversations around her, focusing solely on her tea.  

Do Hyeran had repeatedly warned Moonkyeong that Nam Leehyun was not someone to be underestimated. She had also advised her to be particularly cautious in her presence.  

Though Moonkyeong had practiced tea etiquette diligently since childhood, her fingers trembled slightly, worried she might offend Nam Leehyun.  

Why bother trying to be liked by people who will never see me favorably?

But then, she remembered her promise to Seojun.  

That night in the hotel, when she held his hand, she had made a vow:  

[I’ll do my best to fulfill my role as your wife. You must keep your promise too, Managing Director.]  

As she clutched her skirt and nervously fidgeted with her nails, Nam Leehyun, who had been silent until now, suddenly addressed her.  

“Daughter-in-law.”  

Her voice, though nearing seventy, was clear and commanding, like that of a young woman.  

Moonkyeong stiffened but quickly raised her head to respond.  

“Yes, Mother.”  

“Seojun is getting older, and you’ll be thirty next year. Don’t you think you should have a child this year?”  

Moonkyeong swallowed dryly, holding her breath. She hadn’t anticipated this turn of conversation.  

The idea of having a child with him was unthinkable. But she couldn’t outright say she had no plans for children, not in this situation.  

She simply nodded.  

“Yes.”  

“I’ve scheduled an appointment at the OB-GYN for Monday.”  

“…”  

It was a blatant move to scrutinize her body for childbearing suitability.  

Though framed as a concern for her health, Nam Leehyun’s true intentions were transparent.  

Moonkyeong could already foresee the relentless pressure to conceive after the medical checkup.  

She had intended to avoid provoking Nam Leehyun in any way, but the situation was already wearing her down.  

Should I ask him for help? Would he even listen?

There was no affection between them. Still, she believed he would oppose the idea if his mother wanted a child.  

After tea time ended, Moonkyeong and Seojun returned to the car driven by Chief Secretary Yoon.  

Though they appeared affectionate as they left, Seojun’s face remained cold and domineering once inside the car.  

As he opened his tablet to check his work, Moonkyeong hesitated, trying to find the right words.  

“…Um.”  

“…”  

“Seojun.”  

Even in private, she had always referred to him as “Executive Director.” This was the first time she had called him by name.  

He glanced at her with mild curiosity.  

Her left cheek felt warmer than usual. She desperately hoped he wouldn’t notice its heat.  

“Do you have something to say?”  

“Mother asked me to visit the OB-GYN on Monday.”  

“And?”  

“What?”  

As if disinterested, he returned his gaze to the tablet.  

“Go.”  

Moonkyeong quickly asked again.  

“Are you telling me to just go, as if it’s nothing?”  

“Is there a problem?”  

“What?”  

She felt deeply offended.  

It sounded as if he were accusing her of having questionable past relationships during her time in Moscow.  

‘Is there a problem?’ felt like a veiled insinuation.  

Frustrated, Moonkyeong raised her voice.  

“There’s no problem. But your mother wants us to have a child!”  

He snorted, laughing through his nose. His reaction only made her feel worse.  

When his laughter abruptly stopped, his face, like a sculpture, cracked slightly.  

Whenever he looked at her with that piercing gaze, Moonkyeong found herself unable to breathe.  

Just as she was about to close her eyes to escape her reflection in his eyes, his cold voice enveloped her.  

“Seo Moonkyeong.”  

“…”  

“Do you really think we could have a child? What are you worrying about?”  

Moonkyeong closed her mouth, unable to reply.  

He wasn’t wrong.  

What was I even worried about?

He tilted his head slightly, delivering a sharp rebuke to Moonkyeong for her unnecessary worries.  

“If you’re just going to imitate, don’t get confused and stick to what you should be doing.”  

His hand briefly touched Moonkyeong’s left cheek before gently brushing over it. Fearing that he might notice the slap she had received from Shin Jueun, Moonkyeong quickly turned her head away.  

“Fine.”  

A chill lingered between the two. Moonkyeong, who had believed Seojun would naturally help her, felt even more isolated by his coldness. She couldn’t understand why he was suddenly angry.  

Both turned their gazes to the world outside the window. A small child, holding tightly onto his parents’ hands, walked with a face full of happiness.  

It was a dreamlike scene, one that existed neither in her memories nor in his.