Chapter 3.1

The sky, once a vivid blue, was now entirely dyed in shades of orange. Only then did In-wook’s drastically reduced schedule come to an end. It was a completely different outcome from what had been planned around lunchtime. 

“You’ve worked hard, Chief Kim.” 

Before they knew it, they were in front of the house. In-wook looked at Chief Kim with a face full of considerable apology. 

He had intended to minimize Chief Kim’s assistance while in Hallstatt, but on days like today with long travel distances, there was no helping it. 

Chief Kim, who had just finished parking, turned around. 

“No, it’s fine. I can go back and rest now, but for you, CEO……” 

Trailing off, Chief Kim’s gaze suddenly shifted outside the car window. The lights of the second house where In-wook was staying were brightly lit. 

For a moment, Chief Kim’s eyes were deeply colored with worry. However, In-wook himself wore an unperturbed expression. 

“The meeting with Henry seems likely to be resolved more easily than expected, so that’s good enough.” 

In-wook shrugged his shoulders. At the same time, his lips, which had been twitching, curved upward into a smile. 

This sudden face-to-face with Henry was something entirely outside of In-wook’s plans. Moreover, could he have ever imagined encountering Yoon Hae-soo, face-to-face with Henry, in Hallstatt? 

<“Secretary Yoon.”> 

<“Secretary Yoon……?”> 

Calling Hae-soo ‘Secretary Yoon’ while she was with Henry was a decision akin to instinct. It was a situation where he should have sought Hae-soo’s permission first, but there was no other choice. 

For In-wook, who had been planning to make contact with Henry, that moment was nothing less than a heaven-sent opportunity. 

Though the title of ‘Secretary’ seemed to discomfort her, he shamelessly met Hae-soo’s gaze. Her delicate, dark brown eyebrows twitched with dissatisfaction. 

For a moment, he almost burst into laughter. Even knowing he absolutely shouldn’t laugh in a situation he had caused without seeking her consent, he couldn’t hold back and let out a faint chuckle. 

He simply couldn’t restrain himself. Why did she look so adorable in that moment? If it hadn’t been in front of Henry, he might have gently pinched her soft cheeks without hurting her. 

<“You look like something’s wrong. What’s the matter?”> 

<“Huh? Oh…… it’s not exactly a problem. I bumped into this little lady here and was apologizing.”> 

Hae-soo’s voice carried a hint of sullenness. Moreover, her expression was filled with discontent, but it seemed she had quickly grasped the unique nature of the situation. Even though she was reluctant, she cooperated in this way. 

Thanks to that, In-wook could immerse himself further into the scenario. He needed Henry Price to truly believe that his relationship with Hae-soo was that of a CEO and a secretary. 

<“I see. You said you were going to buy coffee, but seeing as you’re empty-handed, it looks like you haven’t bought it yet. Since we’re here, why don’t we go into the cafe together?”> 

In-wook kept his eyes fixed on Hae-soo the entire time. The audience for this charade was none other than Henry. Therefore, it was right not to spare even a glance in his direction. 

Though his attention was entirely on Henry, In-wook acted as if he had not the slightest interest in him while tending to Hae-soo. 

For today, that was enough. Just having made this acquaintance meant there were countless ways to approach Henry naturally while staying in the same village, under the guise of casual encounters. 

Fortunately, not a trace of suspicion could be felt from Henry. Everything was flowing perfectly in his favor. 

Except for one thing—Hae-soo’s face, which was becoming increasingly crumpled. 

“She must be quite upset……” 

In-wook muttered to himself in a low voice, almost instinctively. Chief Kim’s worried gaze, which had seemed to ease slightly, immediately followed. 

As if nothing had happened, In-wook composed his expression and bid farewell to Chief Kim. 

“Chief Kim, you can head back now.” 

“CEO.” 

“I’m fine, so don’t worry.” 

“But…… that lady’s expression earlier didn’t look good at all.” 

Chief Kim’s concerns continued one after another. Seeing even someone as businesslike as him react this way, Hae-soo’s expression around lunchtime must have been quite bad. 

Even so, there was nothing to be done. The deed was already done on his own accord. 

“Since I called her ‘Secretary’ out of the blue without asking her opinion, it’s true that I was rude. So, it’s only right that I take responsibility for it.” 

“……That’s true, but.” 

“She’s a good person. That’s why, even in a situation where I was abruptly rude, she played along with tact. Since she’s a friend full of consideration, don’t worry too much.” 

In-wook closed the case of the tablet he was holding and gave a light nod of acknowledgment. Then, he quickly got out of the car, leaving no chance for Chief Kim to say more. 

He could feel Chief Kim’s persistent gaze following him as he, too, got out of the car. Because of that, In-wook couldn’t help but hasten his steps toward the house. 

As he entered the garden, In-wook took a deep breath. Though he acted as if nothing was wrong, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t at all nervous about the impending confrontation with Hae-soo. With each step, a subtle tremor ran through him. 

There was far too little data on Yoon Hae-soo. In a situation like this, he couldn’t predict how she would react or what to expect. 

Normally, he wouldn’t trust anything not based on factual data, but this time, he had no choice but to rely on probability. 

As he had told Chief Kim, he hoped Hae-soo would be someone overflowing with consideration, perhaps even excessively so. 

* * * 

“Ha, I can’t believe this. The more I think about it, the more absurd it feels.”

Hae-soo, who had been sitting on the living room sofa, let out a sigh. 

It had already been nearly four hours since she returned home in vain, abandoning the outing she had embarked on with excitement, yet Hae-soo couldn’t regain her shaken composure at all. 

“‘Secretary Yoon’? ‘Secretary Yoon’?? Ha, why am I that person’s secretary? Except for shopping, I’ve never even been near Taeseon Department Store. Since when was I a secretary, exactly?” 

Her voice, speaking to herself, was quite agitated. For four hours, she had stayed in the same spot, mulling over the same thoughts, and only one thing occupied her mind. 

“This is really ridiculous.” 

She slammed her tightly clenched fist down on the sofa. Then, she recalled the utterly infuriating person responsible. 

“Dare to tug at the whiskers of a sleeping lion? Just try coming here. I’ll tear into you with everything I’ve got.” 

Hae-soo crossed her arms firmly and stared at the clock on the wall. For an average office worker, it would already be past quitting time, but since the person in question was Baek In-wook, she couldn’t be certain. 

Well, that didn’t really matter. Though she was displeased that the wait might drag on, this was, after all, an opportunity for her. 

A golden chance to claim this house from In-wook! 

“Indeed, even the heavens are on my side.” 

Her lips, tinged with a fiery spirit, curled up triumphantly. It was a smile that didn’t match at all with the anger she had seemed to harbor just moments before. 

In truth, Hae-soo wasn’t as angry as one might think about In-wook’s sudden behavior. No, rather than anger, she was much closer to being thoroughly flustered. 

The job of a secretary was something she had never once dreamed of in her life. Moreover, even if In-wook didn’t know, hadn’t Hae-soo come to Hallstatt for a vacation? 

Yet, before she could even properly start her trip, her status as a legitimate tourist had transformed into someone’s secretary, leaving her utterly dumbfounded and bewildered. 

“If I use that as leverage to talk, even Baek In-wook won’t have any other choice.” 

Hae-soo muttered to herself in a rather meaningful tone. 

That was her plan. She intended to challenge In-wook to a duel once he returned home shortly. 

She wasn’t particularly angry, but that didn’t mean she had the slightest intention of letting the series of events she had experienced slide. 

Her justification was that he had turned her into his subordinate without any prior explanation. 

Of course, from his perspective, there must have been a clear reason why he had to do so, but that was purely In-wook’s circumstance. 

Whatever the reason, if he intended to abruptly treat someone as a secretary, it would have been proper to offer at least a brief explanation beforehand. 

On any other occasion, she might have just demanded a reasonable excuse and let it go, but this time, she couldn’t. 

Didn’t she have something she absolutely needed to secure? The second house of Taeseon Group, situated in the beautiful village of Hallstatt. 

Hae-soo clenched both hands tightly once more, reaffirming her resolve. It was at that very moment that a clear, tinkling sound of the bell on the front door echoed through the quiet house. 

Hae-soo’s gaze, fixed on the sofa all day, turned toward the inner door. Soon, In-wook appeared. 

“…….” 

“…….” 

As if they had been waiting, their gazes intertwined. The tense atmosphere between them refused to tilt easily in either direction.