TEW 16

chapter 16

The three of them entered Myungseonjae in a cold, heavy silence. As Kang-jae stepped inside, the servants who had been busy with their work all stopped and gathered in the living room.

The oldest servant stood at the front and bowed.

“Welcome back, Young Master Kang-jae.”

The others followed with formal bows. Kang-jae didn’t lower his stiffly raised chin even a little.

“Where’s Madam?”
“Ah, the lady of the house went out earlier this afternoon.”
“As expected, our Madam Geum can’t seem to stay home. Even on the day her son returns to the country. Don’t you agree?”

Even though Kang-jae’s words sounded like a casual joke, the servants forced out nervous, unnatural smiles.

“By the way, my sister-in-law doesn’t look too well. Prepare some nourishing porridge or herbal medicine for her.”

With his hands shoved in his pockets, Kang-jae gave his orders. At once, the servants bowed and hurried off to their respective duties as though they had been waiting.

“Do-heon, depending on how your wife’s condition looks, take her to the hospital if necessary.”

Kang-jae glanced around the living room with an air of composure, then flicked his chin toward them.

Yeon-seo, who had been watching all this from beside Do-heon, quickly waved her hands.

“I really am fine. It just feels like a slight cold.”
“Alright then, just rest well until you’re fully recovered.”

Kang-jae gave her a gentle smile.

Yeon-seo realized that what she had heard about Kang-jae and the impression she was getting from him in person didn’t quite match.

He seems like a nicer person than I expected…

Then she recalled what Do-heon had told her back at the hotel:

“Seo Kang-jae is the one you need to be most careful around. He’s my half-brother, but he has a dangerous personality. Best to keep your distance.”

Of course, he did act harshly toward Do-heon, but perhaps “dangerous” was just Do-heon’s subjective opinion. After all, as a half-brother and rival, maybe even Kang-jae’s good points seemed distorted in his eyes.

Still, since he’s Geum Sun-ae’s biological son, I should stay cautious.

Do-heon remained silent, supporting Yeon-seo without a word.

A sudden thought crossed her mind—maybe he was angry. She had let her guard down around Kang-jae, despite Do-heon’s earlier warning. That might have irritated him.

By the time they finally reached the bridal room, Yeon-seo sank onto the edge of the bed, struggling to hold on as her mind grew faint.

Even then, she felt his piercing gaze and looked up. Do-heon stood opposite her, staring down with heavy eyes.

“Where did you go?”

She couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth.

She had acted impulsively. Nothing bad had happened in the end, but she had nearly been caught by Geum Sun-ae. That would have been no different from breaking their contract. There was no benefit in confessing.

“I just… wanted some fresh air. I took a taxi and rode around here and there.”

For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to flicker.

Yeon-seo realized he hadn’t liked her answer. Did he already know she was lying? A sharp anxiety squeezed at her chest.

“You went out just for some fresh air, in this condition?”

A sigh escaped between his clenched teeth.

“Ha…”
“There were times I felt suffocated staying here at Myungseonjae. After going out and getting some air, I felt better.”

It pricked her conscience, but it wasn’t entirely a lie. Living in Myungseonjae really had felt suffocating at times.

“…Alright.”

His eyes softened noticeably.

Relieved by the shift in atmosphere, Yeon-seo still felt she should apologize. She didn’t want to owe him anything, no matter how small.

“I’m sorry. For doing something that wasn’t part of the contract.”

Without a word, he stepped closer and placed his hand on her forehead. His dark eyes, like the winter night sky, felt deep enough to swallow her whole.

“You’ve got a slight fever. Rest well for now. And…”
“…”
“Seo Kang-jae—once again, I’m telling you to be careful. Nothing good will come from being entangled with him. If anything dangerous happens, call me immediately.”

Yeon-seo just nodded, eager to end the conversation and rest. He laid her down, tucked the blanket over her, and left the room.

As her tension eased, her eyelids began to fall shut.

How long had she slept?

Yeon-seo pressed her fingers against her brow as she slowly sat up. The room was dark except for a single dim lamp by the bed.

It seemed she had fainted right after speaking with Do-heon. She couldn’t recall exactly when she had fallen asleep.

Did Do-heon turn the lamp on?

She had thought everything after lying down was a dream, but perhaps it had really been him.

‘Eat a little something before you sleep.’

The memory of him trying to wake her, coaxing her to eat a spoonful of porridge even while she was half-unconscious, surfaced vividly.

‘Stay still. I’ll take care of you.’

She remembered him carefully wiping her fevered body with a damp towel.

Her dress had vanished, replaced with a thin cotton nightgown.

Yeon-seo’s cheeks burned hot.

Did he… see everything?

Never once, in all the times she had been in his arms, had the lights been on. She had always thought her body paled in comparison to his, unworthy of being seen.

“Ah… honestly…”

A groan slipped from her lips.

Another fragment of memory—uncertain if dream or reality—floated back.

‘…I don’t want you to see me.’

She distinctly remembered murmuring that, just after he had pulled down the zipper of her dress.

‘Why not?’
‘Because… I’m not attractive. Too thin…’

After a long silence, he had muttered quietly:

‘You must not know what kind of state I’m in right now. You must not know how insane your husband really is.’

It had been impossible to understand. The more she tried to figure him out, the more it felt like she was wandering into a maze.

She tried to recall more, but nothing else surfaced.

Did he go back to work?

The clock showed it was past midnight. Once again, she was alone in the room. Still, after sleeping so deeply, her body felt much lighter.

Yeon-seo padded softly into the bathroom. She removed her nightgown and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin looked duller than usual, no doubt from the illness and not eating properly.

As she pulled her hair back, preparing to wash, one last fragment of memory sparked to life.

Do-heon’s voice.

‘You won’t believe me if I say this, but you’re beautiful. Sometimes so much that I can hardly keep my sanity.’

In the parched depths of her heart—dry since her grandmother’s passing—a faint light flickered to life. Trembling, Yeon-seo repeated his words silently to herself.

The chime announcing breakfast at Myungseonjae rang. Yeon-seo dressed neatly in a charcoal-gray dress and headed toward the kitchen.

“Not only do you bring in some girl with no background into Myungseonjae, now you want to give her an executive position? And to me, you throw an unwanted gallery like it’s nothing. Father, this is too much!”

The shrill, furious voice spilled out from the kitchen doorway. It could only be Geum Sun-ae.

“Please, say something! Since Kang-jae and I moved into this house, have I ever known peace of mind? You still resent me, don’t you? You still can’t fully accept me!”

“My dear, don’t raise your voice to Father over an executive position. You have Kang-jae and me, don’t you? Even Do-heon trusts and follows you.”

After Seo Jin-bae, Do-heon’s father, spoke, Chairman Seo’s coughing followed.

Yeon-seo hesitated at the entrance, unsure whether to step in, then turned silently toward the front door instead.

Even though the conversation was about her, she had no place to speak up. She had no authority in any of these decisions. All she could do was watch the conflict unfold helplessly.

As she stepped outside, the fresh dawn air filled her lungs.

“At least you’re here… thank goodness.”

The plants alone brought her comfort.

What if this place had no garden?

The fact that her grandmother had spent years cultivating this space in front of the house kept Yeon-seo from withering away entirely.

“The daylilies have bloomed already.”

The daylilies she had planted in the yard were also called forget-worry grass because they were said to ease sorrow. True to their name, just looking at them seemed to lift her burdens.

They had been her grandmother’s favorite flower. Blooming in sequence, they opened in the morning and faded by evening, making the time spent with them feel special.

Yeon-seo steadied her breath, gazing at the delicate flowers glowing with color.