Chapter 6

A week had already passed.

Life in the penthouse was more peaceful than I had expected, but at the same time, it was intense.

Every morning, I woke up at 5 a.m., prepared a breakfast that felt like a battlefield, and switched into my “royal food taster” mode for Executive Director Kang.

“Today, it’s kimchi stew.”

“…Thank you for the meal.”

Our conversations were short, but the results were obvious.

At first, Kang Seo-jun would barely pick at his food with his spoon.

But one day, he even mixed his rice with the spicy pork sauce and ate it all.

In the end, even the palate of a third-generation chaebol heir was equal in the face of the irresistible combination of sweet and salty flavors.

Maybe that’s why?

The reaction at the company was also unusual.

“Doesn’t Executive Director Kang look healthier these days?”

I heard female employees whispering in the break room.

I was making instant coffee, but my ears immediately perked up.

“Exactly. His complexion used to be so pale, but these days his skin is practically glowing.”

“Is he taking some kind of herbal medicine? Or is he dating someone?”

Pfft!

I almost spit out my coffee.

Dating? What dating?

It’s all thanks to my cooking, you fools.

MSG, red pepper powder, and carbohydrates. That’s the power of good food.

I’m kind of proud.

The face of the employer I’d been “raising” was glowing.

It made me feel relieved that I seemed to be earning my 300 million won.

But that peaceful life didn’t last long.

As usual, after finishing breakfast, Executive Director Kang went into his dressing room.

I cleared the dining table while waiting for him to come out.

I could wash the dishes after work, but I couldn’t miss the carpool to the office.

“Phew…”

A deep sigh came from inside the dressing room.

Normally, he would come out immediately, but five minutes had passed and there was still no sign of him.

What’s going on?

Did he get an upset stomach?

Was the stir-fried squid I made too spicy?

I cautiously approached the dressing room.

The door was slightly open.

“Executive Director? Are you finished getting rea—”

I stopped before I could finish.

In front of the full-length mirror, Kang Seo-jun was struggling with his tie.

Two ties were lying scattered on the floor.

“Damn it.”

He yanked at the knot in irritation.

His usual razor-sharp appearance was nowhere to be seen.

His hair was slightly messy, and his brow was deeply furrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked quietly.

He was startled and turned around.

“Ah. Assistant Manager Lee Da-eun.”

He cleared his throat and grabbed the end of his tie.

“I have an important meeting today, but the knot doesn’t look right. The dimple keeps disappearing.”

A dimple.

The small fold beneath the tie knot, like a dimple on someone’s cheek.

It was a detail considered essential to completing the look of a suit.

Apparently, he was having trouble getting it right.

“Should I call Secretary Kim?”

“No. He’s probably already waiting in the parking lot. I’ll just do it roughly and go.”

He seemed resigned as he tried to tie it again.

But his fingertips were trembling slightly.

For a perfectionist like him, that sloppy knot would probably bother him all day.

The moment I realized that, my body reacted before my mind could.

“Wait a moment.”

I walked straight over and stood in front of him.

“I’ll do it for you.”

“What?”

“Just stay still. I’m good at this.”

I instinctively grabbed the tie around his neck.

Back when I had been taking care of my ex-boyfriend, I had tied his tie hundreds of times before his job interviews.

It was the unfortunate result of my early training.

With familiar movements, I loosened the tie and tied it again.

Wide end over the narrow end.

Wrap it around once.

Then tuck it neatly inside.

“Could you lift your chin a little?”

He obediently raised his head.

I slightly rose onto my toes and tightened the knot.

I pressed the center of the knot firmly with my index finger to create a dimple, then pulled the tie upward.

“Done.”

It was perfect.

The dimple was deep and elegant enough to belong in a textbook.

I felt strangely proud.

“How is it? Perfect, ri—”

The moment I smiled with satisfaction, I suddenly couldn’t breathe.

We were too close.

The back of my hand holding the tie brushed against his firm chest.

I could actually feel his heartbeat through the thin shirt.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

I was flustered.

I slowly raised my head, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Our eyes met.

It wasn’t an ordinary moment of eye contact.

It felt as if the air itself had stopped.

“……”

Even our breathing seemed to disappear.

The only sound was the ticking of the clock in the living room.

His cold, sharp eyes seemed to grow strangely deeper.

His gaze moved from my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, and finally settled on my lips, which were slightly parted without me realizing it.

His pupils had become dark and intense, like a predator staring at its prey.

His Adam’s apple moved noticeably.

My heart pounded.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

This was dangerous.

I couldn’t dismiss it as simple attraction.

It was an instinctive warning.

The alarm of a herbivore standing in front of a predator.

An overwhelming feeling that I might be eaten.

I need to get away.

My mind was screaming a warning.

But my feet wouldn’t move.

I couldn’t move at all, as if his gaze had trapped me.

“…You’re good at this.”

His voice sounded deeper and more restrained than usual.

The vibration seemed to travel all the way down to my collarbone, sending chills through me.

“You must be good with your hands.”

“Ah, yes. Well… I practiced a lot because of my ex-boyfriend.”

I’m insane.

Lee Da-eun, why would you bring up your ex-boyfriend in this atmosphere?

I wanted to bite my own tongue.

His eyebrow twitched sharply.

The heated atmosphere instantly dropped below freezing.

As if someone had poured cold water over him, he stepped backward, almost knocking my hand away.

“I see. So you’re experienced.”

The strange tension between us seemed to shatter completely.

“We don’t have time. Let’s go.”

He grabbed his jacket and left the dressing room.

A cold wind seemed to blow from his back.

I rubbed my trembling chest.

What was that just now?

Why did the atmosphere suddenly change like that?

Chaebol people really were impossible to understand.

Their moods changed from good to bad so quickly.

It was more of a roller coaster than an actual roller coaster.

I forced strength into my shaky legs and followed him.

Inside the elevator, suffocating silence filled the space.

I secretly looked at my reflection in the mirror.

My cheeks were bright red.

I’m crazy. Why is my face so red?

Maybe it was just because a handsome man had been standing so close to me and my body had reacted automatically.

Or maybe my blood pressure had risen because I’d been startled by that frightening intensity earlier.

Don’t misunderstand this.

That man isn’t my husband.

He’s a huge “money source” holding 300 million won and an apartment.

The moment I mixed emotions into this relationship, I would truly become the weaker party and end up being dragged around by him.

Get a grip.

It’s just business.

I shook my head to cool myself down.

When we reached the underground third-floor parking lot, I saw the black sedan Secretary Kim had prepared.

“Get in.”

He didn’t even open the rear door for me.

He simply got in by himself.

What terrible manners.

I opened the opposite door and got in.

Secretary Kim glanced at me through the rearview mirror and greeted us.

“Executive Director, your tie looks great. It’s a little different from your usual style.”

He was clearly trying to lighten the cold atmosphere.

But Kang Seo-jun only looked out the window and answered bluntly.

“Someone else did it.”

“Who? Your wife?”

“…Just drive.”

He hadn’t confirmed it.

But he hadn’t denied it either.

I awkwardly rested my head against the window and pretended to sleep.

The car smoothly left the parking lot.

It would take about 30 minutes to reach the office.

I had to endure this awkward atmosphere for the entire ride.

After we’d been sitting in that frozen silence for some time, our usual routine began.

We were about 500 meters from the company.

“Stop here.”

The car stopped at the entrance to an alley.

“I’ll go in first.”

I quickly opened the door like someone who had been caught stealing.

If anyone discovered that I was commuting with Kang Seo-jun, my career at the company would be over.

So, like I was carrying out a spy mission, I ran the remaining 500 meters at full speed and scanned my employee ID while sweating heavily.

This is the price of receiving 300 million won and an apartment.

Just endure it…

“Assistant Manager Lee Da-eun.”

I was just about to close the car door when he called me.

“Yes?”

He was still looking out the window with his chin resting on his hand.

His reflection showed an expressionless face.

But his fingertips were repeatedly touching the dimple I had made in his tie.

“That thing earlier wasn’t bad.”

“…What?”

“The tie.”

He spoke as if casually throwing the words at me.

“Do it again tomorrow.”

“I’ll count it as part of your working hours.”

I stared blankly at his profile.

The tips of his ears, warmed by the morning sunlight, were red.

Just like the day he ordered kimchi stew.

My heart dropped again.

…What’s this?

That was almost… human.

The man who always seemed like a robot had reacted like that over something as simple as a tie.

Maybe he was simpler than I thought.

“…Yes. Understood.”

I answered quietly and curled the corners of my mouth into a smile.

Tomorrow morning’s menu was already decided.

Refreshing beef radish soup.

And an additional option:

Tie-tying service.

Good.

I think I know how to handle him now.

For some reason, I suddenly felt hopeful that I could successfully complete this one-year project.

“Have a good day!”

I cheerfully closed the car door and started running.

The sound of my dress shoes behind me felt much lighter than yesterday.