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Psst! We're moving!
At that moment, Hyun-seo’s eyes sharpened with an icy edge.
“Stop being annoying and just move in while you still can.”
“No.”
“Consider it done. And one more thing—give me Yoon Guk’s contact information.”
“...Why? You already have his number, don’t you?”
Hyun-seo, who had been standing at a distance, took one step, then two, closing the gap between them.
“Don’t ask questions. Just hand it over when I ask.”
“Tell me the reason first.”
“Are you giving me orders now?”
“I can’t give out the number without a reason.”
Warning bells rang loudly in Hyun-soo’s mind. Her instincts screamed at her not to comply so easily.
“That bastard might be onto something because he doesn’t pick up calls from that number anymore. You must know another number, right?”
“I don’t.”
“After making me waste my breath explaining all this, are you joking? Hand over the number!”
Hyun-soo stood silently, meeting Hyun-seo’s gaze but refusing to answer. Instead, she turned around.
“I’m heading to work.”
With just those words left behind, she heard Hyun-seo snicker from behind.
“Look at her acting all high and mighty after solving one little problem.”
Hyun-soo consoled herself by pretending not to hear as she headed toward the door. She was determined to leave the room and firmly reject Guk’s offer.
But then, something flew through the air and struck her back with a thud before falling to the floor. It was Hyun-seo’s perfume bottle, heavy enough to shatter upon impact. The thick floral scent filled the air almost nauseatingly.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Know your place.”
Hyun-soo couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Know her place?
“Since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll let it slide. Go ahead.”
As if nothing had happened, Hyun-seo smoothed her hair and turned away. Her reflection in the mirror was strikingly beautiful, but to Hyun-soo, it felt like staring at a pile of filth wrapped in shiny packaging.
After standing there for a moment, Hyun-soo watched Hyun-seo ignore her completely while preparing to leave. Staying any longer would only lead to being ignored or starting another fight—neither of which appealed to her.
“Do as I say, alright? Don’t do anything stupid!”
Hyun-seo barked at Hyun-soo’s retreating back as she put on her shoes. Unable to bear it any longer, Hyun-soo hurriedly left the house.
Bang! The front door slammed shut.
Her back ached, perhaps bruised from Hyun-seo’s outburst. Ignoring the pain in an unreachable spot, Hyun-soo entered the mansion’s living room, only to stop abruptly upon encountering an unexpected figure.
“Oh, hi.”
“...”
Instead of responding, Yoon Guk sipped his water, gazing at Hyun-soo over the rim of his glass. Judging by his direction, he had just come out of the kitchen.
“What brings you home at this hour... Is it your day off?”
“No.”
“Or did you take half a day off?”
“No.”
“Then...”
“Didn’t Han tell you?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything. Why? Did something happen?”
“Not exactly.”
“Enough with the vague answers.”
Frustrated, Hyun-soo snapped. Guk raised an eyebrow and took a step closer, his eyes glinting with interest.
“Curious?”
“Yes. That’s why I said enough with the vague answers.”
“There’s a founding anniversary event today.”
“A founding anniversary event?”
“Yes.”
Such events typically required the presence of the owner family, including the chairman and his wife, as well as Guk and Han. So what did that mean for her? Was she supposed to take the day off?
“Does that mean I get the day off...”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“Did you forget that your job is to stick close to Han wherever he goes?”
“No, I didn’t forget, but I didn’t know I’d have to attend events like this too.”
“What do you think these events are?”
Guk took another sip of water, tilting the glass so the ice cubes clinked softly.
“Well...”
“People dressed to the nines gathering to pretend they’re refined while clapping politely?”
“No, I never said that. I just thought it might be a difficult setting.”
Understanding dawned on Guk’s face as he nodded. Hyun-soo cautiously observed him.
“It’s not difficult. Underneath all the glitter, they’re all the same anyway.”
In other words...
“Attend. Keep an eye on Han.”
With that, Guk turned his back, clearly considering the matter settled. Hyun-soo hesitated, her thoughts swirling, before calling out to stop him. He paused halfway up the stairs and looked back.
“Yoon Guk.”
“...”
“Can’t I just wait outside the venue? I often do that when Han meets his friends.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why should you do that?”
“Well, look at how I’m dressed...”
She knew everyone else would show up dazzlingly dressed, and she didn’t want to stand out awkwardly like a misplaced sack of barley. Growing up constantly compared to Hyun-seo made such feelings painfully familiar—but familiarity didn’t make it hurt any less. Each new wound layered over old scars, reopening the pain every time.
Seeing Hyun-soo’s faltering confession, Guk fully turned around and openly scanned her from head to toe, making her feel self-conscious.
“You look fine. Why the fuss?”
His dismissive comment stung. Dressed in black pants, a light blue blouse, and her hair tied tightly back, she wasn’t much different from her usual work attire—but it certainly wasn’t formal enough for such an occasion. Still, he insisted she was fine.
Either he was overly generous or genuinely indifferent to her appearance—it had to be one of the two. There was no way he could honestly think she looked appropriate.
“But I really don’t feel comfortable. Can’t I just stay outside...”
Hyun-soo trailed off as Guk suddenly pulled out his phone and dialed someone. Setting the glass down on the stairs, he slipped his hands into his pockets and approached her.
“This is Yoon Guk. I think we’ll need a dress for a woman.”
Hyun-soo’s eyes widened, wondering if he was arranging something for her. By the time he reached her, he was looking directly into her eyes.
“The style? I don’t know. Work out the details with the person involved.”
He then handed her the phone. Flustered, Hyun-soo stared at him.
“Why are you doing this? I never said I needed a dress.”
“You’re on the line. Answer it.”
“Yoon Guk. Seriously...”
“It’s rude to keep the other person waiting.”
Guk waved the phone again. Biting her lip, Hyun-soo reluctantly took it.
“Hello...?”
-Hello, this is Choi Yeon-ji. Please feel free to share the style you’re looking for.
Introducing herself as Guk’s personal shopper, she gently asked for Hyun-soo’s preferred style and body measurements. Though she suggested visiting the store in person, she refrained from pressing further upon realizing time was short.
“I don’t have any specific preferences... Color? Anything’s fine. As long as it’s not too short... Sorry, this is all so sudden.”
Sweat trickled down Hyun-soo’s neck as she struggled to answer each question. Why was this so difficult? Ironically, she didn’t even know her own preferences—perhaps because she’d never had the chance to consider them.
Glancing nervously at Guk, who stood watching her intently, she swallowed hard. Rejecting his gesture now might ruin that smooth, unreadable face of his.
“Um, actually...”
After some thought, Hyun-soo decided to propose a compromise.
“Instead of a dress, could we find something more formal but simple? I’d prefer it not to be flashy. Yes. What? Why?”
But the personal shopper caught her off guard with an unexpected question, persistently suggesting bold, eye-catching designs. Clearly, Hyun-soo’s requests puzzled her.
Hyun-soo licked her dry lips and glanced at Guk before whispering quietly, turning her body slightly away.
“I don’t want to stand out. At all.”
Finally understanding, the personal shopper agreed. The selected outfits would be delivered to the mansion within two hours.
Not entirely sure what was happening, Hyun-soo muttered a vague “Okay” and handed the phone back to Guk. He took it, his gaze steady on her.
“Get her what she wants. Send it as soon as possible.”
He ended the call. Unsure of what to say, Hyun-soo chewed her lip before finally mustering the courage to speak.
“Thank you. I didn’t expect this kind of help.”
“Of course not. You’re not the type to scheme or calculate.”
Hyun-soo’s eyes wavered slightly, but Guk’s remained unwavering, firm and direct.
“Just do your job. I’ll support you in whatever you need.”
“Got it.”
“Oh, Miss Hyun-soo, you’re here!”
A cheerful voice interrupted the moment. Turning around, Hyun-soo saw Madam Jeon approaching enthusiastically.
Guk glanced briefly over his shoulder to confirm the newcomer before heading upstairs. With long strides, he retrieved his glass and disappeared onto the second floor.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, something like that.”
“What were you discussing with the young master?”
Hyun-soo redirected her gaze from the stairs to see Madam Jeon’s curious eyes brimming with questions. She seemed eager to know what Hyun-soo and the notoriously difficult eldest son had talked about. But Hyun-soo couldn’t exactly mention the dress.
“Just various things.”
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