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chapter 11
Yeon-seo forced a faint smile and replied in a bright tone.
“I’m fine, Grandfather. What matters most is Seo-guk doing well.”
Chairman Seo clicked his tongue and set down his spoon.
“That brat’s completely married to his work. Looks like he won’t be coming back until the contract’s signed. What can I do? Even if I called him, he’d let it go in one ear and out the other.”
Seon-ae, who had been quietly eating, asked Yeon-seo.
“Are you in touch with Do-heon?”
Yeon-seo curved her lips gently.
“Yes, Mother. It seemed like his work was wrapping up well, and I think he’ll be home soon.”
“Well, no matter how difficult Do-heon can be, men are simple creatures. As long as a woman supports him and acts sweet, he’ll do anything. You’re doing that, right? Aigoo, I miss my son so much.”
Yeon-seo nodded along.
“…Of course. You must really cherish Do-heon, Mother.”
“Of course~! Both Kang-jae and Do-heon are my precious sons.”
But her tone was excessively high-pitched. Yeon-seo, who was used to her mother-in-law’s calm voice, noticed the exaggeration immediately.
‘A lie. Even Yeon-jae’s tone used to go up when she lied.’
Yeon-seo pressed her lips together and observed her mother-in-law closely.
‘Just how complicated is this family’s history?’
On the surface, they acted as if they cared for one another, but it felt like they were always ready to cut family off if it benefited them.
‘Distrust, contempt.’
Those emotions peeked out from behind their smiling faces. Because Yeon-seo herself was acting, she could glimpse their hidden feelings.
‘I was a happy person thanks to Grandmother.’
Her grandmother’s love was pure truth, free of calculation.
But these people, who lived together while pretending to care yet ready to stab each other in the back, she couldn’t understand them at all.
People who wouldn’t bleed even if cut. And now she was part of them. The thought suffocated her.
“I’ll excuse myself now.”
Yeon-seo bowed politely and left, wanting to clear her cluttered mind.
Back in her bedroom, she sat at the edge of the bed with a faint sigh, thinking carefully about what she needed to do.
‘I need to learn as much as I can about Geum Seon-ae, but she’s so hard to see.’
So far, Yeon-seo had only learned a few things in Myeongseon-jae.
Even this morning, when Seon-ae had joined them at the table, she was rarely home. Always dressed up, always going somewhere.
Yeon-seo thought about sneaking into her room, but there were too many watching eyes.
She also heard that the servant who had once tried to expel her from Myeongseon-jae—when she came asking about her grandmother’s alibi—had quit recently due to personal circumstances.
It bothered her, but she decided not to dwell on it. People come and go easily in a household like this.
Just then, a cautious knock sounded at her door.
Reflexively, she answered, “Yes.”
“I thought you weren’t eating well, so I brought some abalone porridge. Please try it.”
It was Mrs. Paju, one of the maids.
On her tray sat a steaming bowl of porridge. Yeon-seo managed a weak smile.
“Thank you for thinking of me. I’ll eat it well.”
A rich sesame oil aroma rose from the abalone porridge. Mrs. Paju looked at her with pity as she spoke softly.
“Living with your in-laws can be very hard, right? The previous madam also couldn’t eat much, so I used to look after her. It reminds me of those days.”
“The previous madam… do you mean Mother?”
The maid waved her hand quickly, as if recalling something.
“Oh no, I mean Master Do-heon’s real mother. She passed away suddenly in an accident. He cried so much… She was such a graceful, kind woman. Seeing you, I can’t help but think of her.”
‘Ah, she meant his biological mother.’
Do-heon had never mentioned this before.
Yeon-seo thought she needed to get closer to this maid. If she had been serving since his birth mother’s time, she must know many things about what went on in Myeongseon-jae.
Mrs. Paju continued.
“Shall I keep bringing you food until you adjust? You’ve lost a lot of weight. You’re not ill, are you?”
Yeon-seo glanced at her arm. It was thin as a winter branch. She shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you, Mrs. Paju, and also…”
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Is there anything you’re curious about regarding Myeongseon-jae?”
Yeon-seo hesitated. She didn’t want to ask about her grandmother’s death right away. If her true purpose was revealed, it could reach Seon-ae’s ears and ruin everything.
So instead, after a pause, she asked:
“I want to know more about Mother.”
“You mean Madam?”
“Yes. Do you know what she usually does?”
Yeon-seo needed to learn as much as possible about Geum Seon-ae. Perhaps a clue would appear.
“Hmm, that’s what you’re curious about?”
She sounded puzzled. Yeon-seo put on her brightest smile to avoid suspicion.
“It’s nothing serious. I just think I should know her preferences better. I can’t figure out what she likes or dislikes.”
“Ah, true, it never hurts to stay on your mother-in-law’s good side. She can be a bit difficult, right?”
“…She’s a good person. I just want to make a good impression.”
“Well, as far as I know, she manages a gallery, so she often goes there for work. Otherwise, she goes shopping, to the spa… Oh! And she often says she’s meeting an old friend. She always dresses up especially for that.”
‘An old friend?’
Probably someone in high society, like the Seo family’s usual circle. An old friend would certainly know much about Seon-ae. Yeon-seo thought it best to learn more.
“An old friend?”
“Yes, you should see how beautifully she dresses up for it. Sometimes she looks like she’s barely in her forties.”
“I see. That helps. May I ask again sometimes like this?”
“Of course! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must prepare something for the Chairman.”
The maid hurried out.
Silence returned.
Yeon-seo opened her vanity drawer. Inside lay a brown leather notebook. Beside it was the feather-shaped brooch, gleaming softly.
She opened the notebook and wrote down what she’d learned about Seon-ae.
‘Feather-shaped brooch. Seo Do-heon. Geum Seon-ae. Grandmother… I need to find the connection.’
She had to uncover everything about the Seo family before Do-heon announced the end of their contract.
Eventually, he would demand divorce. If she had discovered nothing by then, she would lose her chance forever to learn the truth about her grandmother’s death.
That thought made her uneasy as she glanced at the clock, its hands steadily ticking forward.
Night fell before she knew it.
There was still no word from Do-heon.
‘Is he not coming home tonight either?’
Yeon-seo stepped out into the garden. She listened to the wind brushing the leaves, the insects’ calls, the stillness of the night settling in. The garden at night heightened her senses and reminded her she was alive.
She walked to the back of the estate, where a small garden stretched out, filled with trees her grandmother had planted. Entering it, she felt her mind empty of thoughts.
She gently touched a rough patch of bark. It felt like her grandmother’s hand.
‘This was the place, wasn’t it? Where I first saw him.’
There was no Endless Summer hydrangea glowing blue like the sea, but she was sure this was it.
She could picture her grandmother proudly introducing little Yeon-seo, her greatest treasure, to the son of a wealthy family who had everything. And that unreadable look on his face.
“You look rather relaxed.”
Lost in memory, she almost didn’t believe the familiar voice.
She turned slowly. Do-heon was standing by the stone wall, watching her.
‘How long has he been standing there?’
He didn’t take his eyes off her as he walked forward, his shoes rustling on the grass. Her heart pounded like a guilty child caught misbehaving.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
His low voice brushed directly past her ear, catching her off guard.
“Did you have dinner?”
He spoke casually, as if nothing had happened.
‘The man who hasn’t come home for half a month.’
A sudden wave of sorrow welled up inside her.
Even if this was only a contractual partnership, the complete lack of contact felt unbearably cold. And wasn’t he the one who had said they had to stay close, so others wouldn’t find out?
