She filled the child’s ink-black pupils.

“Auntie?”

Yeonsu’s shoulders flinched at the unfamiliar address called out in a clear voice.

Before she could react, Yeonsu was pushed back.

Looking down, she found Siwoo nestled in her arms.

“You’re Auntie Yeonsu, right? Siwoo knows you.”

Siwoo’s innocent voice seemed to slowly disperse through the surrounding air.

Her pupils trembled as she looked at the child who barely reached her waist.

“Auntie?”

Eventually, Siwoo, who had been nestled in her arms, looked up.

Only then did Yeonsu feel the child’s hands fidgeting around her waist.

And that she had been frozen for quite some time.

Despite Siwoo’s gaze waiting for an answer, Yeonsu’s lips wouldn’t easily part.

Only her heartbeat raced, accelerating in speed.

It was then—

“Siwoo, you know Auntie Yeonsu?”

It was none other than Ms. Jung who broke the frozen atmosphere.

She had approached the two and pulled Siwoo away.

“I heard a lot from Mommy.”

“Really? You recognized this auntie even though you’re seeing her for the first time?”

“Yes.”

Only after Siwoo moved away did Yeonsu exhale a shallow breath.

Only then did she feel her distant mind gradually awakening.

As her scattered reason returned, her frantically pounding heartbeat also began to calm down bit by bit.

Yeonsu carefully opened her lips.

“…So you’re Siwoo.”

And as she managed to speak with difficulty, Siwoo turned back to her.

Yeonsu slowly bent her knees to meet Siwoo’s gaze.

“Yes! Moon Siwoo, five years old.”

Siwoo spread out all five fingers to show Yeonsu while flashing a mischievous smile.

Yeonsu couldn’t take her eyes off the child.

His ink-black eyes and dark hair seemed to have swallowed the world’s darkness.

Though small, his features stood out with a definite presence.

When Siwoo smiled, his eyes folded gently, making him exceptionally pretty.

“My name is Seo Yeonsu.”

“Yes! I know! Auntie, Siwoo has a favor.”

“A favor?”

Yeonsu asked.

“Will you eat with me?”

Siwoo’s eyes curved gently as he made a request that was difficult to refuse.

※※※

Yeonsu had to head to the dining room with Siwoo.

Even without Siwoo, Yeonsu found children of this age difficult.

That’s why she couldn’t bring herself to refuse when faced with the child’s intent gaze.

As she walked into the dining room, she scanned her surroundings.

Unlike the various sumptuous dishes laid out on the table, there was only one place setting prepared.

Siwoo went to sit in what was apparently his usual seat.

Thinking about Siwoo eating alone in this huge space made one corner of her heart ache.

“Auntie, sit here.”

He pointed to the empty seat across from him.

His excited voice revealed how worked up the child was.

“Will you eat too, Auntie?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m just here to keep you company.”

Ms. Jung, who had been about to prepare a meal for Yeonsu, turned away.

As the dining room door closed, silence fell again.

Despite the lack of conversation, Siwoo’s expression remained bright as he continued eating.

Yeonsu rested her chin on her hand as she watched the child.

As her gaze carefully examined him, she began to see Siwoo’s face clearly for the first time.

It was fascinating. Thinking of Sehee, Siwoo hardly resembled her at all.

But recalling Director Moon Gijun, there was quite a resemblance. Siwoo seemed to have inherited Gijun’s characteristically cold, sharp eyes.

Moreover, his ink-black hair color made him look unmistakably like a descendant of the Taeseo family.

Suddenly, Yeonsu’s thoughts turned to Huimang.

If her child had been born healthy, what would he look like now?

‘Would he have resembled me?’

Or would he have looked more like Seonjae?

If only he had been born healthy.

Being all alone in the world, she needed family ties more than anyone.

Even with Sehee’s family, there was an unquenchable thirst that couldn’t be filled because they weren’t blood relatives.

A bitter smile spread across her lips.

Though she knew such thoughts would only bring pain, she couldn’t stop them.

Yeonsu shook her head, trying to shake off her contemplation.

Siwoo was munching on a croquette with his small lips.

She could see the minced shrimp inside the half-split croquette.

He had already eaten two of the four croquettes that were initially on his plate.

“Do you like croquettes?”

Siwoo suddenly looked up at Yeonsu’s question.

“Yes. They’re yummy.”

“I see. The housekeeper makes good croquettes.”

“Have you tried them too, Auntie?”

Siwoo paused from eating and looked at Yeonsu.

Then he asked brightly with an innocent smile.

“Yes, many times. Auntie used to live here for a long time.”

“Really? Then I’ll give you this!”

He tried to push his plate toward Yeonsu.

“No, I can’t eat that croquette. You eat a lot, Siwoo.”

Yeonsu couldn’t eat anything containing shrimp.

Besides, there would be a separate dinner time.

Siwoo’s eyes gradually widened as he looked at her.

“Auntie also……”

Just as Siwoo was about to speak—

The dining room door swung open, and Sehee appeared.

Yeonsu’s gaze met Sehee’s steadily.

A flash of displeasure crossed her eyes and then disappeared.

“Why are you two together?”

She asked, looking alternately at the meal set on the table and at Yeonsu and Siwoo.

“Siwoo asked me to. He didn’t want to eat alone, I guess.”

“Again? Siwoo, it’s a problem if you can’t eat without your nanny or adults around. And you’re not planning to leave food, are you?”

Siwoo’s shoulders hunched at Sehee’s criticism.

“Can’t I stop eating now?”

“No. Eat it all.”

Sehee spoke with a deliberately stern look at Siwoo.

Then she gestured to the household employee outside.

“Where is Ms. Jung?”

“She’s preparing the meal in the garden.”

“Then please watch Siwoo finish all his food.”

“All of it? That seems a bit…… The child seems to have eaten quite a lot already.”

As the housekeeper trailed off, Sehee pulled up one corner of her mouth.

“It’s not good to keep leaving food. Please make sure he eats everything. Understood?”

Sehee smiled at the housekeeper, her eyes forming gentle crescents.

With a resolute look that would brook no further objection, the housekeeper finally nodded.

“I understand.”

“Moon Siwoo, good children listen well. You know that, right?”

Siwoo reluctantly nodded and hung his head low.

“If you keep disobeying, I’ll send you back to America with your nanny.”

“I’ll eat it all.”

He could be seen fidgeting with his spoon, head still bowed.

Despite how pitiful he looked, Sehee’s expression remained indifferent.

“Yeonsu, dinner is ready. Let’s go.”

Yeonsu stood up from her seat at Sehee’s words.

The sound of the chair being pulled back echoed through the dining room.

Her eyes met with Siwoo’s, who was still hanging his head.

When Yeonsu shifted her gaze, it fell on Siwoo’s rice bowl, which was still more than half full.

Initially, when the child asked her to stay with him, she had planned to leave at an appropriate moment.

But seeing the dejected Siwoo, she found it difficult to walk away.

Just as Yeonsu stood staring at the child—

“Seo Yeonsu?”

Yeonsu looked up at the voice echoing in her ears.

Sehee was looking at her while holding the dining room door.

Her slightly furrowed brow revealed her discomfort.

“Alright.”

Yeonsu withdrew her gaze from Siwoo. Then she left the dining room and followed Sehee.

As they walked through the living room toward the outdoor garden where dinner was set up, Yeonsu stopped.

“Sehee.”

Sehee, who had been walking ahead, also stopped and turned at Yeonsu’s call.

Their gazes tangled as she looked at Yeonsu questioningly.

“Never mind. Let’s go.”

As she left the dining room, her eyes had met with the housekeeper’s.

She could tell they were thinking the same thing.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it outright.

She knew it would be disrespectful to Sehee. Everyone has different parenting methods.

“Were you going to talk about Siwoo?”

Yeonsu stopped at the voice as she was about to walk ahead.

She saw Sehee standing with her arms crossed.

“You can tell me.”

Yeonsu’s lips moved slightly at Sehee’s pressing gaze.

“Well, it might seem a bit harsh to others. He’s still so young.”

Yeonsu found it difficult to speak her mind directly, so she spoke indirectly.

“If I give in to everything, there’s no end to it. His nanny can only be indulgent. I have to be the strict one at home.”

It seemed her discomfort had been conveyed to Sehee.

She uncrossed her arms and approached Yeonsu.

“Siwoo has been sickly since birth. If I don’t do this, I’m afraid I’ll become soft without realizing it.”

Her drooping eye corners looked so desolate it was pitiful.

Enough to make Yeonsu regret the negative thoughts she had briefly harbored about Sehee.

Yeonsu shook her head.

“No, you’re right. I think I overstepped.”

It wasn’t her place to interfere in the first place.

Only when Yeonsu agreed did Sehee’s expression brighten.

“As expected, only Yeonsu understands my heart.”

She quickly approached and linked arms with Yeonsu, burying her face against her.