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Hae-in woke early in the morning and began bustling about.
It was the first time since her marriage that she would have a family meal with all the relatives at the main house. She had been informed beforehand that everything would be prepared at the main house, so she only needed to show up.
Thanks to the modest wedding, Hae-in hadn’t given separate gifts to her in-laws. However, feeling awkward arriving empty-handed, she had prepared simple gifts for them.
Even though they were from a large conglomerate family, anything she prepared might not impress them, but her intention was simply to show sincerity.
[Please take care of me.]
She carefully examined the gift sets, each containing a handwritten card. The contents were chosen after consulting with Director Seok, prioritizing rarity over price. They were handmade tea and tea sets produced in limited quantities by a renowned artisan.
The workshop rarely engaged in commercial sales, so Hae-in had personally visited multiple times to secure them. These items were priceless and impossible to find on the open market.
[Go ahead and wait for me there.]
She reread the brief text message from Soo-hyun. It would have been nice if her indifferent husband showed some consideration and stayed by her side today. But he had never been there for her since their marriage, so this expectation was futile from the start.
Still, she couldn’t help but hope and anticipate, only to be disappointed repeatedly.
‘Why do I keep setting myself up for these pointless expectations? How foolish.’
A sigh escaped her lips as she arranged the gift sets.
The hired staff loaded the gifts into the car trunk. Hae-in followed them out of the house. Unbeknownst to her, the seasons had changed, and it was now deep winter. Her breath fogged in the cold air.
Her chauffeur, who had shed his rookie demeanor and grown more seasoned, had preheated the backseat. As soon as she sat down, her body relaxed into the warmth.
Wiping the condensation from the window, she watched office workers rushing through the morning commute.
If she hadn’t married Soo-hyun, or if her younger brother hadn’t fallen ill, she might have been among those pedestrians, hurrying to work like any ordinary office worker.
She could have been one of those people grumbling about not wanting to go to work, then pondering what to do after returning home—a completely ordinary life.
Perhaps because her thoughts were tangled, her gaze lingered on the people walking along the road.
Ordinary life felt like a distant dream, something she might never experience again.
‘I never had grand ambitions for my life.’
Hae-in sighed deeply, fiddling with the ring on her finger. Despite its impressive carat weight, the diamond ring never felt like hers.
All of this rested precariously atop the sandcastle of a pregnancy contract—a mirage.
Would there ever come a day when she wouldn’t have to sigh?
Shaking off her melancholic thoughts, Hae-in closed her eyes and drifted off.
________________________________________
The main house, visited after so long, was tranquil, almost as if snowflakes could be heard falling.
Though instructed to arrive empty-handed, Hae-in arrived early in the morning as she used to. After placing the gifts for her in-laws in one corner of the guest room, she headed to the kitchen.
“Good morning.”
“Oh my, Young Madam. What brings you here?”
Aeran, who had been working in the kitchen, waved her hands dismissively and stepped out.
“I brought some traditional Korean sweets for dessert after lunch. Could you please serve them?”
“Oh dear, you shouldn’t have gone through the trouble. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.”
After exchanging pleasantries with Aeran, Hae-in glanced over the food prepared for breakfast. Normally, the dishes should have been set out by now, but today they were nowhere to be seen.
“The Chairman’s breakfast tray isn’t out yet?”
“It seems the Chairman hasn’t been eating much lately. We’ve just been serving porridge.”
“Oh, is something… wrong?”
Hae-in cautiously inquired. Aeran glanced around before lowering her voice.
“Lately, the Chairman hasn’t been sleeping well at night.”
“Is there something worrying him?”
“He’s getting older… Rumor has it he’s been having nightmares.”
“Nightmares?”
“Yes, it’s said that the late Mistress—Soo-hyun’s mother—has appeared in his dreams.”
Thanks to the rapport Hae-in had built during her frequent visits to the main house, Aeran shared gossip circulating among the staff.
“So he’s been a bit sensitive lately.”
Hae-in nodded, understanding the situation. Even though harsh words were his usual style, today seemed like a day to brace herself mentally.
“Young Madam, we’ve already prepared lunch. The Chairman takes a short nap after breakfast, so why don’t you rest in the guest room?”
“Oh, alright. Thank you.”
Everyone was scheduled to gather at 1 p.m.
Following Aeran’s suggestion, Hae-in made her way to a secluded guest room deeper inside the main house.
The guest rooms were nestled against lush gardens thick with trees. Opening the window revealed dense foliage right outside.
The room was overly dry, so Hae-in cracked the window slightly to let in some fresh air. The chill seeping into the warm room felt refreshing. She settled onto the floor and inadvertently drifted off.
Half-dozing in the cozy warmth, she suddenly heard whispers outside.
“…I missed you so much.”
“I’m sorry. I should have come to see you before you arrived.”
“The Chairman suddenly called, so I rushed here.”
“Ha, no one ever comes here.”
“Mmm…”
After exchanging a few suspicious lines, the man and woman began making lewd noises. Wet smacking sounds and strange moans drifted through the window.
‘…Who could it be? Out here in this cold weather…’
Curious, Hae-in cautiously approached the window. Peering outside, she spotted two silhouettes moving among the trees.
“Oppa, your hands are so cold.”
“Warm me up. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hold you. Lift your clothes a little higher.”
“Ah, not here. Let’s go somewhere else. There are plenty of rooms here.”
“Ha, Se-Young, I can’t hold back anymore.”
“Neither can I.”
Listening to their conversation, Hae-in instinctively covered her mouth with her hand. Like a scene from an adult video, the couple was shamelessly groping each other beneath the trees.
It was 11:30 a.m., broad daylight even in winter.
Their obscene sounds continued faintly. Whoever they were, their audacity to engage in such acts in the middle of the Taesung estate aroused Hae-in’s curiosity.
Carefully, she leaned closer to the slightly opened window.
The window was slightly elevated, allowing her to peer down at the figures rustling between the trees in surprising detail.
The woman was unfamiliar, but the man was Soo-hyun’s cousin who had attended the wedding as a guest.
‘Wasn’t he sitting with another woman at the wedding…?’
Hae-in strained to recall the fleeting memory from the wedding months ago. He had indeed come with a wife, but the woman he was embracing now was clearly different.
His hand was inside her coat, and she was fervently sucking on his lips while nestled in his arms.
Buzz.
[Where are you? I heard you’ve arrived.]
Startled by the vibrating phone in her hand, Hae-in quickly lowered her head and exited the room.
[I was briefly in the guest room.]
[I’ll be there shortly.]
Following Director Seok’s summons, Hae-in stepped outside into the courtyard. Seok entered and respectfully bowed once to her, then turned to greet someone else.
“Hello, Director Seok. Long time no see.”
Turning toward the voice behind her, Hae-in recognized the man who had been fondling the woman under the window earlier. Beside him stood the same woman, now elegantly clad in a chic brown coat.
“Miss Se-Young, it’s been a while.”
“Yes, Uncle. Have you been well?”
“I ran into our Se-Young while taking a walk after arriving early…”
The man stammered an excuse, coughed awkwardly, and pretended not to notice Hae-in as he swiftly disappeared beyond the courtyard. The woman, smiling uncomfortably, followed him.
“Who were they?”
Hae-in asked Seok about the identities of the pair who had just vanished. His answer was startling.
“The man you probably know, and the woman is Mr. Im Wooshik’s granddaughter.”
“What’s their relationship?”
“Those two?”
Seok looked at Hae-in quizzically.
“They have no relationship whatsoever. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I thought I saw the man at the wedding, but I don’t recall seeing the woman with him.”
“Ah, Miss Se-Young… she’s actually been studying abroad for a long time. She’s only been back for a few days.”
“So those two really have no connection?”
“Of course not. Director Jung Dae-Ho has only been married to the second daughter of Han Kyung Ilbo for a year.”
Seok trailed off, realization dawning on his face as he noticed why Hae-in had asked.
“Surely you didn’t think…?”
“Oh no, it’s nothing. I just asked a silly question because I saw them together.”
Hae-in lacked the courage—or the right—to report every detail of what she had just witnessed, even to Seok. Whether Soo-hyun’s cousin was having an affair or indulging in forbidden love, it wasn’t her place to intervene.
“Director Seok, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
Eager to change the subject, Hae-in redirected the conversation.
Director Seok, who had worked in Taesung’s Strategic Planning Department for years, possessed sharp observational skills. Prolonging the conversation risked spilling everything she had seen and heard.
“I wanted to brief you on the family dynamics before today’s luncheon.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Despite listening to Seok’s explanation, the image of the adulterous couple groping each other in broad daylight kept resurfacing in Hae-in’s mind.
Forcing her gaze away from the courtyard where the pair had disappeared, she focused on Seok’s words.
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