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chapter 06
“Then should I write a resignation letter, President?”
Taeheon hurriedly brought his hand to his mouth, about to speak. That won’t do. Now that she’s in my arms, I won’t let her go until the day I die.
“If I quit, it’ll be easier for Secretary Han, right? Just brush it off, and it’s over.”
“…You told me to take responsibility.”
So what exactly was I supposed to do? Saying sorry isn’t enough, and a resignation letter won’t solve this either.
With no other options, Eunse bit her lip in frustration.
BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP—
A loud alarm started blaring. It was time for Taeheon’s meeting.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Sometimes it’s better to take the punishment quickly. She wanted to have him deal with it immediately, but there was no other way. Eunse could only nod.
Taeheon contacted her just before leaving work.
And it was via text. A simple message with the name of the hotel restaurant they had been to yesterday and a time.
After work, Eunse headed to the hotel.
Passing through the revolving door with a face full of nervousness, she saw a gigantic Christmas tree right in the center of the lobby.
How drunk had she been yesterday? She stopped for a moment, bewildered by a scene she had no memory of.
The warm air, the grand and extravagant tree, people taking commemorative photos with happy faces… She gazed blankly, when a deep, heavy voice landed by her ear.
“If you’ve come, then come in.”
“Ah, President!”
Turning her head, a fresh, invigorating scent wafted to her nose. It smelled like the cold winter air.
“I just… came myself.”
I’m here. Eunse muttered awkwardly, gripping her bag’s handle tightly.
Taeheon, in a tailored gray wool coat, looked better than she had ever seen him.
The epaulets on his shoulders made his already strong frame appear even more commanding. The long legs that stretched from under the coat, clad in matching pants, reminded her of a sculpture displayed in an art museum.
Because of this, all the questions she had held onto moments ago—what responsibility she had to bear, whether yesterday’s hotel payment hadn’t gone through, whether someone had seen her she shouldn’t have—vanished entirely from her mind.
Asking why he had called her to the hotel should have been her first priority, but she didn’t even think of it.
The sparkling Christmas tree, people passing by with cheerful faces, and Taeheon, somehow blending into the scene so perfectly, made Eunse momentarily forget reality.
“I made a reservation at the restaurant. Let’s go upstairs.”
“Y-yes…”
Eunse, still dazed, followed Taeheon.
On the 30th floor of the hotel was a fine dining restaurant that had been trending recently.
The staff immediately guided them to a private room.
“President, but may I ask why you called me here…?”
“I only had a light lunch. Let’s eat first, then talk.”
At his words, Eunse could only nod again.
Taeheon was busy today as well. Though it was called a lunch meeting, he was likely more focused on work than the food.
Worried that such a strong man had gone almost the entire day without eating, Eunse suppressed her curiosity.
The server pushed in a cart.
“Here’s the steamed crab with wasabi vinegar and the cypress-steamed celery.”
Lifting the lid revealed a dish so exquisite it looked like a work of art.
“Eat comfortably, Secretary Han.”
Taeheon spread a napkin over his thigh, picked up a fork for the appetizer, and, clearly hungry, began eating without hesitation.
Though his movements were rather bold, they seemed natural and elegant, as if he were entirely at ease in this space. Eunse picked up her fork awkwardly.
Yet, when she tried to eat, it felt like chewing sand. She was in the mindset of a guilty person waiting for punishment.
“Artichokes, fried Iberian-style, served with beluga chutney.”
Though it was in Korean, she couldn’t understand a word. After barely touching the dish, she turned to Taeheon, looking embarrassed.
“Um… President.”
“What? Don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not that… Could I have a drink?”
She couldn’t swallow the food soberly, but not touching it would also be rude.
After some hesitation, Eunse decided to rely on alcohol.
“Champagne okay?”
“Yes.”
Taeheon nodded and called the server.
A chilled champagne basket was placed on the table.
Holding the glass in front of her, Eunse closed her eyes and took a gulp.
The cold, fragrant liquid slid down her throat, warming her stomach. Feeling her tension ease, she took another sip.
At this point, Eunse didn’t realize that the effects of yesterday’s drinking were still lingering… or that the alcohol would hit her so quickly.
“President.”
She never imagined…
That she would relive a once-in-a-lifetime embarrassing moment, two days in a row, right in front of Taeheon.
She merely held her glass with a tense expression, sipping cautiously.
“You’re drinking too fast.”
Eunse had gulped her glass quickly, and Taeheon gently stopped her.
“What if you get drunk again?”
“I’m fine. This is nothing.”
Eunse’s lighthearted answer left a rare hint of surprise on Taeheon’s face.
Just one glass and she got tipsy? She thought a couple of glasses of champagne would be okay, but yesterday’s drinking was still affecting her.
He clicked his tongue and removed the glass, but Eunse was already feeling the alcohol’s warmth.
“President. I’ll take responsibility for what happened yesterday.”
She declared boldly, then quickly added,
“But… I had my reasons too.”
Her eyes drooped pitifully, like a cat in an animation.
Normally, Taeheon would never tolerate this—drunken complaints in front of him? How dare she.
“I… didn’t want to go home.”
Yet at this moment, Taeheon listened more seriously than ever. It was as if Eunse’s voice was the only sound in existence.
“Why not? There must be a reason.”
His genuine attention touched a deep part of her heart.
“I didn’t want to be alone…”
“Was there anyone you could call?”
“No. No one. My teacher isn’t around anymore… There’s no one I can visit now.”
“You mean your teacher… from the orphanage you mentioned yesterday?”
She nodded. Her big eyes quickly filled with moisture.
“Secretary Han is from that orphanage.”
Because of Eunse’s plain voice and expression, Taeheon didn’t seem surprised or pity her.
His calm reaction opened her heart wide.
She wanted to reveal everything she had never told anyone, right in front of the most difficult man in the world.
She had been abandoned in front of the orphanage on a snowy day, with only a note bearing the name Han Eunse.
The teacher she had been close to had recently passed away from illness.
“When I get paid, I want to buy pretty clothes for you, come to places like this… and eat something delicious together.”
She swallowed back tears that threatened to spill.
“Your birthday must be in winter.”
Taeheon, who had been listening silently, asked. Trying to shift the topic so she wouldn’t cry, but Eunse’s expression darkened further.
“Yes. Well…”
She disliked her birthday. Though she had been found in winter, she wasn’t even sure it was her actual birthdate.
Birthdays only reminded her of loneliness. It was a day she’d rather forget.
“When exactly is it?”
“Huh?”
Eunse lifted her head and met Taeheon’s gaze.
“So, when is it? Secretary Han’s birthday.”
“It’s today…”
Caught off guard by his question, Eunse admitted the truth.
Taeheon frowned and rubbed his temple with a displeased expression.
Even the coldest president must feel uncomfortable giving a termination notice on someone’s birthday, she thought.
“Is there anything you want?”
“Huh?”
“Anything you want to have?”
“What do you mean…?”
“It’s your birthday. It feels wrong to just let it pass. If you want something, tell me.”
Eunse couldn’t understand his words.
She had expected punishment, yet here she was being treated to an expensive dinner and offered a birthday gift.
Was it a joke? Or pity?
The more she thought about it, the more confusing it became.
