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chapter 15
‘I need to go back.’
It felt like she had discovered something important, but at the same time an overwhelming unease rushed in. For a hotel hallway, there seemed to be an unusual number of CCTV cameras.
Yeonseo quickened her steps, retracing her way down the corridor. She had already gone into the room, but Geum Seon-ae could come out again at any moment.
She needed to get downstairs quickly.
Creak.
Just then, the sound of a hotel room door swinging open came from down the hall.
Startled, Yeonseo quickly hid behind the nearest pillar. The click of high heels and a faint humming voice mixed together. It had to be Seon-ae.
She held a phone to her ear, looking as though she were speaking to someone.
“Yeah, you made sure that’s taken care of, right? Good job. I’m heading out now.”
Then, in the middle of her stride, Seon-ae suddenly spun around.
Yeonseo flinched so hard that the phone she had been holding slipped from her hand and thudded onto the carpet. Did she hear that?
Her face drained of color. She pressed her palm against her mouth, holding her breath, praying desperately that nothing would happen.
“Huh? Wait a second. I think I heard something weird.”
Click, click, click. The sharp sound of heels grew louder. If Seon-ae came even a few steps closer, discovery would be inevitable.
What should I do? Yeonseo trembled, barely able to breathe.
Ding—
But then salvation came. The chime of the elevator arriving echoed through the quiet corridor.
Seon-ae, now only a step away from exposing her, spoke into her phone again.
“Hmm, maybe nothing. I had called a cleaning lady earlier. Must’ve been her.”
With that, she stepped into the elevator, and the sound of her heels disappeared.
Only when the hotel hallway was quiet once more did Yeonseo allow herself to breathe. Her legs shook so badly she had to lean on the pillar for support.
Quickly scanning the hallway, she searched for the room Seon-ae had come out of. Turning a corner, she spotted a door left slightly ajar.
Her shoulders hunched as she hesitated, hand on the knob. Sweat she rarely experienced trickled from her palm.
If someone else was inside, she could land herself in serious trouble.
Wow.
The exclamation slipped out the moment she stepped inside.
The room, which she had expected to be ordinary, felt like another dimension entirely. It was vast, as if multiple rooms had been combined into one.
Exotic marble covered the walls and floor, and art pieces and ornaments scattered about the place clearly reflected Seon-ae’s taste.
Yeonseo pulled out her phone and snapped photos, all the while keeping her ears sharpened toward the hallway.
If she heard the faintest sound, she had to be ready to bolt and hide.
On the nightstand stood a half-body sculpture made of plaster—a woman with long hair. Something about it radiated a subtle aura.
‘This statue… it looks like Geum Seon-ae.’
The figure was nude, covering only one breast with her delicate hands. She looked shy, with long flowing hair, and far younger than Seon-ae’s current self.
Yeonseo photographed the statue too, then opened the nightstand drawers. Inside, velvet-lined compartments held dozens of brooches. The same was true for all the other drawers.
Picking one up for closer inspection, she noticed initials engraved on the back.
“D.L.?”
The letters bore no obvious connection to Geum Seon-ae’s name.
She wanted to search more thoroughly, but lingering any longer risked being caught. She decided to stop here and carefully erased all traces of her presence.
Then, striding swiftly, she exited the room. She avoided the elevator, fearing she might run into Seon-ae, and instead searched for the emergency exit.
At the far end of the corridor, a green-lit sign appeared. She rushed toward it, pushing the heavy metal door with all her strength.
The clang of metal rang out, followed by a sigh of relief. She darted down the worn stairwell, her heart pounding at the thought of meeting someone by chance.
Finally, she stumbled out of the building. The black luxury sedan taxi still waited where it had been before.
“Thank you for waiting. Please take me back to where I came from.”
“Understood.”
The driver seemed like a quiet man.
Most taxi drivers tended to strike up trivial conversations, but this one simply focused on his job. For Yeonseo, that was a blessing.
As the La Serine Hotel disappeared from view, she turned on her phone. The statue, the expensive-looking artwork, the brooch engraved with initials—each photograph she had taken seemed to carry a hidden message.
‘When I get home, I need to check if the brooch my grandmother left has initials on it. That could be the proof I need that it belonged to Geum Seon-ae.’
She closed her eyes, making a firm resolution.
This was the first time in her life she had done something like this.
She had always told herself she would do anything to uncover the truth behind her grandmother’s death. But once she had entered Myeongseon-jae, she had felt powerless, unable to take any real action.
Now, at last, she had begun to uncover something. Relief washed over her. But perhaps because of how deeply she had immersed herself, a chill ran down her spine.
“…We’ve arrived. Miss? We’re here.”
She didn’t know how much time had passed. The driver’s voice echoed through her fading consciousness. Yeonseo forced her heavy eyelids open.
The taxi was already pulling up toward Myeongseon-jae. Through the windshield, the now-familiar building came into view.
“Thank you so much for today.”
The driver didn’t answer. She paid with her phone and stepped out.
As the taxi disappeared into the distance, her legs nearly gave way the moment she stepped into the garden.
‘What’s happening to me…?’
Her body swayed uncontrollably, as though she might collapse right there.
Ah.
Her vision went pitch-black. In that instant, she felt someone catch her. At least that was some comfort.
‘Is it Doheon?’
She thought it was him—but then realized the scent in this embrace was unfamiliar.
Doheon’s cologne smelled of winter. This fragrance, however, reminded her of summer—fresh grapefruit with a breezy, free-spirited feel. It was completely different from Doheon’s taste.
Struggling, she forced her eyes open. A familiar face came into blurry focus.
‘…Seo Kang-jae.’
Her eyes flew open in shock. She pushed herself out of his arms, stumbling back.
“S-sorry.”
Kang-jae smiled broadly, lips stretching wide. Behind his silver-rimmed glasses, his sharp eyes glimmered, his slightly upturned pupils giving him an unusual look. His face was slim, almost delicate for a man.
“Sister-in-law?”
“Ah… hello.”
The words barely came out from her dry lips. Kang-jae extended a hand to help her steady herself.
“You don’t look well. Are you alright?”
“Oh, yes. I think I just felt a little dizzy.”
She stood without taking his hand, but he still stared at her closely. Brushing off her knees, he reached out and pressed his hand lightly to her forehead.
“Hyung?”
A familiar voice called out then.
Doheon stood a short distance away, hands in his pockets, watching. His gaze toward his older brother was far from welcoming.
“Oh, little brother. Long time no see.”
Despite the greeting, Doheon’s expression remained icy cold.
“Take your hand off her.”
He strode over, voice low and threatening. Kang-jae removed his hand from Yeonseo and chuckled softly.
“Sister-in-law, is married life giving you trouble?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Ah, I just thought… you felt so fragile in my arms, like you might break. Make sure she eats properly.”
His words came like a whisper, paired with a toothy grin. Doheon, in contrast, looked colder than ever—his glare sharp enough to kill.
“Shut your mouth.”
“That’s how you talk to the brother who saved your wife from collapsing?”
“……”
“My point is, you should ease up on the work and focus on your wife.”
“……”
“After all, it’s not like Seo-guk is something you’ll ever hold onto.”
With a pat on Doheon’s shoulder, Kang-jae walked past him.
Between the two brothers, the air was so heavy Yeonseo could barely breathe.
