EPILOGUE

Taeheon’s steps were faster than usual as he got out of the car and left the garage with Yeonseo in his arms.

“Why don’t we go straight to the hospital?”

“It’s not that bad.”

On the way home, she felt a strange knot in her stomach. Since the due date for childbirth was still ahead, it didn’t seem like labor pains, but sharp pains were sporadically felt.

Since their home was just around the corner, the plan was to take a rest at home first. If it didn’t get better, then they would head to the hospital. There had been similar symptoms a few times before, and each time, it turned out to be false alarms, so Taeheon wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble.

The door leading from the garage to the living room opened. The large living room overlooking the garden was spacious and clean, like a gallery.

Yeonseo’s eyes widened as she was carried into the room by Taeheon. There were many paper bags and boxes piled up on one side of the large living room.

“What… is all this?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not worry?”

“I’ll return it tomorrow. I just put it out for a while.”

It was probably baby supplies. The baby room and the storage room already had plenty of gifts received for childcare.

Most of them were gifts sent by people related to the Sewon Group. Tired of the constant stream of gifts, Yeonseo announced one day that she would not accept any more.

“Who sent it this time? It’s not from the same place, is it?”

“My father.”

“Your father?”

Yeonseo was a bit taken aback by the mention of Leehyeok. It had been a while since they received gifts from Seonye and Taeseon too.

Seonye had crafted and ordered and gifted a baby crib and furniture, while Taeseon had presented a stroller and blankets. Although Taeheon had initially intended to return the gifts as they were, he found it too much to refuse something Seonye had personally made for Banjjak, so he accepted them.

Seonye often visited Taeheon’s office these days. She tried to make an official appointment through his secretary, hoping to mend her broken relationship with her son.

Yeonseo was honestly touched by Seonye’s efforts. Changing a stagnant relationship is not an easy task. Of course, forgiving or not was up to Taeheon, so Yeonseo didn’t want to push beyond what was necessary.

“Maybe they’re marking him as the successor.”

“Our Banjjak hasn’t even been born yet.”

“I know. So don’t worry about it.”

Taeheon chuckled at her concern.

“But still, this is too much.”

“I guess it means to look and choose. I’ll tell Mother not to do this again to prevent such incidents in the future.”

As the time for the baby’s arrival approached, they hired another aunt to help with the housework. Since the source of the gifts was the Vice President of Sewon Holdings and Taeheon’s father, the aunt probably received them without any doubt.

“She probably didn’t know. Don’t be too hard on her.”

Taeheon’s coldness spared no one. Even without looking, it was clear that he would question the aunt for not knowing the basics in a very cold voice.

“I’ll handle that. For now, lie down.”

Taeheon gently laid Yeonseo down on the large couch. The wide couch, specially purchased by Taeheon for the pregnant Yeonseo, was spacious enough for two people to roll around without falling off.

There’s a TV in front of the couch, a table at the right height, and a refrigerator within reach. The layout was so convenient that it was hard to get up once you lay down here.

Yeonseo lay on her left side and wheezed. Being heavily pregnant made even breathing difficult. Taeheon bent down and rubbed Yeonseo’s back.

“How’s your belly? Should I call Dr. Shin?”

“No. It will get better if I rest.”

“I’ll prepare a bath for you, so just take it easy.”

“Okay.”

Taeheon stood up from his position. As Yeonseo watched him go to the bathroom, taking off his jacket and tie without a care, she lay back down. It was then that she heard a popping sound from her belly.

“…Huh?”

Startled, as she tried to sit up, she felt a moist sensation flowing inside her legs. 

Could it be amniotic fluid?

“…Taeheon.”

Yeonseo muttered, turning pale.

What is this? Is it really amniotic fluid?

“Taeheon…….”

Trickling sound. More liquid flowed than before. The contemplative Yeonseo squeezed out her strength and shouted.

“Taeheon!”

Hearing her cry, Taeheon, who was at the end of the hallway, rushed over in an instant.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s weird. It’s making strange sounds. Here…….”

As Yeonseo gestured downward, Taeheon’s expression turned serious as he held up his dress.

“It’s okay. It’s amniotic fluid. We just need to go to the hospital. Are you having contractions?”

“It doesn’t hurt…….”

Panicked, Yeonseo’s reasoning was slow. It seemed that the medical knowledge she possessed was becoming less useful.

“It’s okay. Let’s get ready and go to the hospital.”

Unlike Yeonseo, who was on the verge of freaking out, Taeheon moved as if he had been prepared for such a situation.

He placed pads on Yeonseo’s underwear, brought a towel, and laid it on the passenger seat of the car. Then, he swiftly took Yeonseo to the hospital. He handled the steering wheel casually, as if he had been driving normally.

“If you’re in pain, let me know.”

“Yeah.”

Although she said she wasn’t in pain, the discomfort that had been lingering since earlier was intensifying. When they arrived at the hospital, Yeonseo was grunting and breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Yeonseo, Han Yeoonseo.”

“Yeah, Taeheon.”

“We’re here. I’ll take you inside.”

With Yeonseo in his arms, Taeheon headed towards the delivery room. Seeing Taeheon running through the hospital stairs without waiting for the elevator, she realized they were both tense about the situation.

Taeheon’s lips were set in a straight line, and she realized he was nervous too. Yeonseo buried her face in his arms and bit her lip.

Once they entered the delivery room, a nurse who had been waiting rushed to support Yeonseo.

“Are you Han Yeonseo?”

“Yeah. It’s been like this since about half an hour ago. I’m having contractions.”

Thanks to the pre-arranged call, the medical staff promptly began treating Yeonseo. Lying on the bed in the delivery room, Yeonseo gradually lost her ability to speak due to the increasing intensity of the contractions.

“They’re going to give you an epidural.”

Childbirth was never beautiful. It was painful, agonizing, brutal, and chaotic yet desperate. Taeheon was there every step of the way, holding Yeonseo’s hand at her bedside, praying for only one thing.

For Yeonseo to be safe.

“When will the pain relief be administered? She’s hurting a lot.”

In response to Taeheon’s sharp tone, the nurse, having endured the pressure, nodded.

“She’s already far along, so pain relief might be challenging. I think she’ll give birth within an hour.”

Taeheon wasn’t sure if he should be relieved that the labor would be relatively short, or if he should be sad that she would have to endure the pain with no way to reduce it.

Whatever the case, Taeheon felt as if he couldn’t bear to see Yeonseo in pain. His blood ran dry as he watched her suffer, unable to do anything for her.

Yeonseo exerted her strength, coordinating her breath with several nurses. At such times, all Taeheon could do was hold Yeonseo’s hand.

Damn it.

Just as Taeheon’s sanity was beginning to fail him, the doctor entered the room. It felt like there was even a halo behind her. An impatient Taeheon briefly stood up and sat back down.

Despite the intense contractions, Yeonseo didn’t make a single sound. She endured the excruciating pain, clenching her teeth.

Watching, Taeheon’s heart ached. He wondered if she couldn’t make a sound because she had never anticipated making one when in pain.

It was a battle-like moment. At the end of Yeonseo’s sacrifice, the baby successfully passed through her birth canal.

Waaah. The baby’s crying echoed. A deep relief washed over like a tidal wave.

“2:21 AM, it’s a baby boy.”

Taeheon leaned down, swept Yeonseo’s sweaty hair out of her face, and pressed his lips to her forehead. He stroked the tear-streaked face wistfully and whispered.

“No more having children.”

Yeonseo, who had been squinting and struggling to breathe, smiled weakly as if her strength had drained away.

“Wait a moment.”

“A smile is coming out.”

“I’m so happy right now.”

“You’ve suffered. Really, you’ve been through a lot. Thank you for enduring all this time.”

Yeonseo nodded, tears streaming down her face. With a furrowed brow due to the pain that hadn’t completely subsided, she took a deep breath.

During childbirth, she thought of her mother as much as the safety of her baby. Her mother must have gone through such a hard time giving birth to her. She was born with her mom’s life as collateral.

She couldn’t convey that gratitude. If only she could have treated her better while she was alive. The missed time was so cruel.

Yeonseo projected the atmosphere of Seonye onto Taeheon, whose handsome eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

Seonye must have been the same. She must have given birth to Taeheon with so much difficulty.

“If you’re uncomfortable, don’t hold back, tell me.”

Taeheon never took his eyes off Yeonseo, not even once. Afterward, he asked the attending doctor a question.

“Is the mother okay?”

“Yes. Her lacerations aren’t too bad, and she’s fine. She’ll recover here, and in about an hour, when she’s stable, she’ll be moved to the recovery room.”

Childbirth was not the end. It was a new beginning. Taeheon’s eyes, knowing there was still a long and challenging journey of recovery ahead, became deeply clouded. The inability to substitute for her pain felt like all his blood was drying up.

“Taeheon, the baby.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to see our Banjjak.”

Only then did Taeheon turn his attention to the baby. Wrapped in a medical sheet, the baby was being brought closer by the nurse. The child cried softly.

“His fingers and toes are complete. Everything is fine. Go ahead and hold him.”

The nurse placed the baby beside Yeonseo. Yeonseo’s face brightened as she looked at their baby.

“Oh my God, he’s so tiny.”

“It hurt you to have this little thing come out.”

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, my baby.”

Yeonseo whispered gently. Remarkably, the crying gradually subsided.

Is a newborn baby really this beautiful?

Already, with his eyes closed, the baby looked like an angel in Yeonseo’s eyes.

“Banjjak, it’s Mommy.”

As she called out softly, the baby seemed to understand the voice and completely stopped crying.

“He looks like you.”

Taeheon, looking at the baby, offered his observation.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll take care of him now for some tests, but if you want to see him, you can come to the nursery and ring the bell.”

It was a brief meeting. Unfortunately, the nurse took the baby away. Watching the baby move away, Yeonseo cautiously spoke.

“Taeheon, take a picture of Banjjak for me.”

“Sure.”

“And what do you think about sending a picture of Banjjak to your family?”

Taeheon fell into a brief silence. He pulled a blanket over Yeonseo’s stomach, a somewhat annoyed expression on his face.

“I mean, I want my child to be loved.”

All of Taeheon’s movements froze as if hearing such talk for the first time.

“I hope our child becomes one who receives love from many people.”

Yeonseo had expressed her reluctance to become part of Sewon to Taeheon before. However, since Taeheon was a part of the Sewon Group and destined to be the leader, Yeonseo found it challenging to completely sever ties with them.

In reality, it was a bit of a tantrum. Now that she had become Banjjak’s mother, it was time for Yeonseo to gather the courage for the sake of her child.

She was determined to step into Taeheon’s world. Once her body recovered, and the child grew a bit, she planned to start studying to become someone who could fit into his world.

“I’ll do as you wish.”

“And thank you for making me a mother.”

Taeheon was at a loss for words. His eyes seemed to redden momentarily.

“Did you see earlier? Our baby could become a celebrity. He’s so beautiful.”

Taeheon lifted a trembling hand and stroked Yeonseo’s cheek.

Calling a newborn, still wrinkled baby, a celebrity was a bit much., but since Yeonseo said so, he let it slide.

Well, the baby was indeed beautiful.

“Yeah, he looks like you.”

***

Last night, Yeonseo came down to Yongin. Taeheon had taken a long summer vacation, so they planned to stay at the Yongin house for three days.

After a morning walk, Yeonseo showered and headed to the living room. Like the Seoul house, one side of the living room here had become a large window. The view overlooked a vast plain, bathed in sunlight.

She finished her juice and headed out to the garden, where the swing was still in place.

Out of habit, she sat on the swing, moving to the rhythm of the passing breeze.

From somewhere, she heard a chattering voice. The sound of two voices at the bottom of the stairs made her smile.

It was Taeheon and Eunho, who turned three this year. They were on their way back from the city mart after buying snacks.

“Candy.”

“Eun-ho, what don’t you like? Then, would you like two candies and get a stomachache?”

“Candy. Two! Two!”

The short voice of the child, pleading for two candies, was cute, making Yeonseo involuntarily smile. Holding the child in one hand and a black bag in the other, Taeheon noticed Yeonseo.

As always, his gaze towards Yeonseo was deep and intense, like a dark well. Within it, affection and danger coexisted.

Enchanted by that distant affection, Yeonseo couldn’t live a day without him.

Taeheon was a refreshing shade for Yeonseo. In the deep shadows cast by Woo Taeheon, there was rest, security, and peace.

“Mommy!”

Eunho spotted Yeonseo and reached out with his tiny hands. His facial features resembled Yeonseo, but his slender frame resembled his father. With his fair skin and doll-like appearance, people often asked if he was a girl.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

As Eunho screamed, Taeheon gently lowered the child. Eunho clumsily walked towards Yeonseo.

Sitting on the swing with Eunho in her arms, Yeonseo felt her heart full. The warm and soft body of the child made her smile every day. There was no room for unhappiness.

While holding the child, Yeonseo kissed his cheek. Eunho snuggled against her chest.

Behind the swing, Taeheon quietly pushed the ropes. He became a cozy shadow enveloping Yeonseo and their child.

It was the fourth spring since they met.

<End of “Runaway Secretary”>