CHAPTER 27

As if guiding her, Seungbin put his arm around Yeonseo’s shoulder and pulled her along.

“You’ve waited for a long time, haven’t you? You’ve been trying to hold back, Yeonseo, because you were worried about our grandmother’s feelings.”

“Yeonseo? Yeonseo has arrived?”

Mrs. Kang’s face lit up. In that moment, Yeonseo forgot all her misfortunes. Just making sure Mrs. Kang was okay made everything else go away.

Yeonseo made a face and took a deep breath.

“My dear Yeonseo, why are you standing like that? Aren’t you going to show me your face? Come closer.”

Mrs. Kang turned to face Yeonseo with a beaming face. Her pallor had deepened in just a few days.

Yeonseo wanted to run towards her, but she couldn’t dare approach, her shoulders shaking. Around the bed were Taeheon’s mother, whom she had seen only in photos, and Director Woo’s wife.

Her other grandchildren were present as well. It was no place for Yeonseo to be.

“Yeonseo, Grandma is calling you.”

Seungbin whispered in an affectionate tone and led Yeonseo to the bed. After being forced to sit on the bedside, Yeonseo finally opened her mouth.

“Madam…”

As soon as she opened her mouth, an unbearable pain surged through her chest. Yeonseo had to bite her lip to keep herself from crying.

In just a few days, Mrs. Kang’s cheeks had become more hollowed. Her skin had sunken into blackness, and she looked like she was on the verge of death.

She shouldn’t be crying, but despite biting her lip, tears welled up uncontrollably. She clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm. She mustn’t cry.

She should be more composed than anyone else, she was a professional caregiver for Mrs. Kang…

“I told you to take a break.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Still, it’s so nice to see your face. Were you worried about me?”

“….”

Mrs. Kang’s weakened voice made her heart ache more than before. It felt like a chilly wind was rushing in through a hole in her heart.

Without warning, tears began to trickle down Yeonseo’s cheeks.

“Mrs. Kang, please don’t leave.”

And then an unsuccessful plea burst out.

“Please let me stay with you for a long time.”

Mrs. Kang’s body heat enveloped Yeonseo’s hand. She held Yeonseo’s hand tightly, even though she struggled to raise her arm.

Yeonseo quickly held onto her hand. Mrs. Kang’s sunken eyes reflected the regret, anguish, fear, and complexity of life.

She knew she shouldn’t beg childishly for Mrs. Kang not to die, yet she found herself still shaking her head.

But it was time to be strong. She couldn’t make things more difficult for Mrs. Kang. Yeonseo finally let go of her hand, and that was the end of their greeting.

While Yoonhae took a brief rest, Yeonseo took over Mrs. Kang’s care for a while. With Mrs. Kang’s second daughter also visiting, there wasn’t much time for Yeonseo to help the madam with, but she was glad to be able to do so.

“Ms. Yeonseo.”

It was Taeheon’s mother, Park Seonye. She called Yeonseo over. Yeonseo had seen her in pictures before, so she could easily recognize her face.

Seonye was rather expressionless, too, much like Taeheon. Responding to her call, Yeonseo approached quickly and bowed her head.

“Yes, Ms. Vice President.”

“Go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare a meal in half an hour. The others should be arriving shortly.”

“Yes, Maam”

“And.”

“Yes?”

As Yeonseo looked up, the woman who had been thinking for a moment opened her mouth.

“Are you dating Woo Seungbin by any chance?”

Yeonseo couldn’t answer immediately. It was a sudden question, and with Seungbin looking at her, it felt as if a lock had been put on her lips.

Seeing Yeonseo hesitate, the woman’s gentle expression turned slightly narrow.

Meanwhile, while eavesdropping on their conversation, Seungbin was smiling. His smile carried a subtle threat that he would throw a bomb at Mrs. Kang depending on Yeonseo’s answer.

After pursing her lips a few times, Yeonseo finally gave an answer after much contemplation.

“It’s hard to say right now.”

“Oh, I see. My apologies if I overstepped.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay.”

“No, I’m sorry.”

Admitting and denying, all of it was not easy for Yeonseo. With sweat in her palms, she was struggling. Just then, there was a commotion outside.

“Oh, Mother, I’ve arrived.”

It was Director Woo’s appearance. His presence diverted Seonye’s attention from her.

Hastily, Yeonseo made her way to the kitchen to assist the aunts in preparing for the grand family dinner. Soon, the long dining table, which could seat more than twenty people, was filled with food.

Mrs. Kang’s two sons and two daughters, along with their spouses and several of their children, took their seats. Mrs. Kang had fallen asleep and was unable to join them for dinner due to her frailty.

After a final check of the table, Yeonseo sighed and stepped aside. Since Yoonhae was in Mrs. Kang’s room, she thought she could help out in the kitchen.

Though she hadn’t been instructed, Yeonseo joined the bustling work alongside Aunt Bokhee and Aunt Yeong-ryeong. Since they were moving so busily, she couldn’t relax by herself.

As she was helping, she couldn’t help but feel tired. Soon after, Taeheon, who had arrived a little later, then entered the dining room. Without even sparing a glance at Yeonseo, he found an empty seat and sat down.

Even as he exchanged a few words with his mother, Taeheon remained impassive. Yeonseo glanced at him secretly and clasped her hands together.

It was at this moment, during the introduction of simple appetizers, that the dinner began.

“Oh, right, Yeonseo, why don’t you sit here as well?”

The gaze of everyone in the room turned to Yeonseo as Director Woo spoke.

“Since you’re going to be part of our family soon, it’s a good opportunity to get to know each other and exchange greetings properly, isn’t it?”

After finishing his words, Director Woo smiled gently. His kind eyes were softly curved behind his glasses. Yeonseo’s hands grew sticky with nervousness.

“Oppa, what do you mean she’s going to be part of the family?”

Songhyeon, who had been drinking wine until her face turned red even before the meal, voiced her confusion.

“Seungbin, introduce her, Miss Han Yeonseo, the lady you’re engaged to.”

Director Woo shook his head in disbelief. It was a nuanced way of saying that he had given in to his son’s insistence and allowed him to marry Yeonseo.

The sound of a knife slipping on a plate echoed. At the same time, Yeonseo’s breathing became erratic.

What’s he talking about now? Why is he trying to involve Seungbin and me?

Yeonseo looked at Seungbin with embarrassment bleeding through her like dye, suppressing the urge to let her legs give way.

The sight of Seungbin’s smiling face made her anger rise. Director Woo had clearly been uncomfortable by the mere mention of Seungbin’s name just a few days ago.

Could it be that Seungbin managed to persuade Director Woo? There was no other plausible explanation.

The focused gazes directed at Yeonseo were far from friendly. Their prying looks dissected her piece by piece, creating a dizzying spotlight on her.

“Yes, Yeonseo, don’t just stand like that and sit next to me. I said it was okay earlier… Father, Yeonseo is really shy.”

Seungbin said, the corners of his mouth curling up. A strange atmosphere began to flow over the table.

“Really, Seungbin? Are you seriously engaged to her?”

As if seeking confirmation, Songhyeon asked. Seungbin stood up and approached Yeonseo, who was frozen, and only blinking.

A pair of large hands wrapped around her stiff shoulders and nudged her toward the table.

“Take a seat. Everyone’s waiting.”

“No, I…”

“I know you’re doing this because you’ve eaten already, but it’s okay, you can just sit.”

Seungbin’s gentle words felt as though they were brimming with affection.

Yeonseo’s pale lips trembled. As she was reluctantly drawn by Seungbin, Director Woo cleared his throat in an attempt to restore the awkward atmosphere.

“Seungbin, let her be. We must have rushed too much and startled Yeonseo. Let’s formally introduce her next time. It’s better that way, right, Yeonseo?”

The final question was directed at Yeonseo.

Since when had he dropped the formal tone and started addressing me with so much familiarly?

She almost sneered, oblivious to the multiple pairs of eyes piercing through her like arrows, ready to shoot criticism at any moment.

“Is it true, Seungbin and Oppa?”

At that moment, Songhyeon’s younger sister, Ahyeon, asked. While her voice didn’t carry explicit accusation, her underlying intentions were quite clear.

Chairman Woo’s eldest son, Director Woo Jang-hyeok with his eldest son, Woo Seungbin.

The significance of the being the eldest son in a conglomerate wasn’t lost on anyone. Even if Yeonseo denied it, they were already evaluating her as the match for Director Woo’s heir, who would carry on the Woo family legacy.

It felt as though she had been stripped bare. Though no one was openly mocking her, yet the atmosphere was suffocatingly judgmental.

But more than that…

Taeheon’s gaze was too painful. Taeheon’s eyes were cold and hard as he stared at Yeonseo.

There was something dangerous about the dry, inanimate look in his eyes. Yes, Taeheon was silently interrogating Yeonseo.

He could have been checking her, mocking her for not listening to him. She wondered if she’d gone too far when she said she didn’t want to be seen by anyone but Taeheon.

A weak laugh escaped Yeonseo’s lips as the situation spiraled out of control.

“Oh, look at her smile. She doesn’t even blink, does she?”

In response to Songhyeon’s words, Director Woo replied leisurely.

“In times like this, we should marry Seungbin to someone he likes.”

“Ms. Yeonseo looks like she’s in a tough spot.”

When Taeheon’s mother, Seonye, spoke in a subdued manner, everyone’s attention shifted. Seungbin, who still had his arm around Yeonseo’s shoulder, lowered his head and whispered.

“Did I startle you suddenly? But it’s something that had to be done someday.”

“Let go.”

Spitting out the words with hatred, Yeonseo turned her stiff body around. She couldn’t bear the blunt reprimand from Taeheon that was directed towards her.

She was afraid that she would unconsciously ask him for help.

That she would want to tell them that she was Taeheon’s lover, not Seungbin’s.

She was afraid. She had to get out of this space before she dragged herself into the worst possible situation.

“Then let’s go together. We don’t have to eat.”

Yeonseo dodged Seungbin’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and rushed out of the place.

She could feel black eyes boring into her back. She was out of breath, like a small animal being chased.