Seongheon, who had been watching Yeonwoo while holding the bedroom door open, stepped inside first. Only then did Yeonwoo exhale the breath she had been holding, slowly turning to look into the bedroom.
The sight of Seongheon retightening the belt of his robe, ensuring it wouldn’t come undone, filled her vision. Without realizing it, Yeonwoo bit her lip hard and stepped inside.
In the evening, when the sunset was fading, this was a place she had entered countless times to air out the room. She knew every spot where a window opened by heart. But the panoramic view of his bedroom now, with the sun completely gone, was nothing like the atmosphere of the times she had come to ventilate it without a second thought.
A quiet bedroom with low light. A bed that felt so large it seemed to swallow the space.
Yeonwoo kept her gaze lowered as she set the tray down on the tea table. His relaxed air, which felt strangely defenseless, only made her feel more tense.
She wanted to brew the tea skillfully, but there was no strength in her fingertips. No, rather, she was putting too much force into them. *What does it matter if the master of the house is wearing pajamas at night?* Yeonwoo argued to herself as if forcing a brainwashing while she steeped the tea in the teapot.
It wasn’t intentional, but Yeonwoo glanced at Seongheon while pouring. Finding him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at a tablet screen, she felt a sudden sense of relief.
The master of the house must have truly wanted a cup of tea. Whoever was on duty would be brewing it here regardless.
Her heart calmed down, little by little. She brewed the tea just as Manager Moon had taught her and poured it into a snow-white bone china cup.
“An arrest warrant for the Namsong Industrial Development family side was issued today.”
“Pardon?”
Yeonwoo raised her head at the news that struck her suddenly. Startled, she flinched while still holding the teacup, and hot tea sloshed over her fingertips.
*Ah.* Barely swallowing the moan that threatened to escape, Yeonwoo narrowed her brow. It was so hot that her fingertips felt like they were swelling and about to burst.
She carefully gauged Seongheon’s reaction. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice she had burned her fingers.
“Then… will they be taken into custody?”
Seongheon nodded instead of answering.
Placing the cup on the saucer, Yeonwoo walked toward him. She set the tea on a small table near where he was sitting and stood with her hands clasped together.
It seemed her task was done, but they were still in the middle of a conversation.
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes. Then please rest well, Managing Director.”
But Seongheon did not continue with any further instruction. Thinking he just wanted to let her know that Cha Yoonseok had been arrested, Yeonwoo finished her greeting and added one more thing.
“Thank you for helping me.”
“Ji Yeonwoo.”
Her mouth went dry before any other reaction could follow. Inside his bedroom, thick with the scent of cypress, an exotic tea aroma mingled in, creating a mysterious fragrance. Thinking that was all there was, what pierced through it and spread subtly was none other than the scent of Seongheon, who had just finished a shower.
“Yes, Managing Director.”
Even as she answered, she felt as if she would be swallowed by the scent. Consumed by his fragrance bit by bit, the cypress and tea notes vanished, leaving only his body scent lingering at the tip of her nose.
After a moment, Seongheon took his eyes off the tablet screen and looked at her. While he usually revealed his coldness through the way he controlled everything around him, the Seongheon of now gave off a different atmosphere, as if such times had never existed.
Beneath eyebrows that looked as if they had been drawn with a fine-tipped brush, his gaze was intense. Even just looking at him quietly, it was so deeply drenched in sensuality that her throat went dry from the mere eye contact.
She didn’t want to be caught. Fearing that Seongheon might hear her racing heart or the sound of her swallowing, Yeonwoo let out a dry cough.
She had answered when he called, but he just stared at her for a long time without saying a word.
After a while, Seongheon checked his phone, tossed it onto the bed, and opened his lips.
“Cha Yoonseok will be arrested, but there is still a process ahead. Aside from the company’s corruption, Ji Yeonwoo’s case will also be included in the reinvestigation.”
“…”
“Cha Yoonseok will try to reach a settlement with you. Soon.”
“Ah…”
As Yeonwoo sighed softly, Seongheon rubbed his forehead as if shaking out his bangs. He seemed bothered by his unstyled hair covering his face.
“That’s why I’m asking. If you have any intention of settling with Cha Yoonseok.”
“…”
“Cha Yoonseok will offer a larger sum and more compensation than you might think. He doesn’t have the mental capacity to carry your issues on top of his own right now.”
Seongheon’s voice spread very low. It was a monotonous tone that matched perfectly with this dawn when everything else was asleep.
“So, he will struggle to settle by any means necessary. It’s a natural process.”
“Yes.”
“Do you intend to settle?”
Yeonwoo remained silent.
“As I said before, Cha Yoonseok’s lawyer will offer a large sum. If that isn’t enough, he will likely guarantee any amount you desire. He will do anything if he can just get a settlement. That side is staking everything on it.”
“…”
“Receiving compensation is not bad. It is also a way to make him pay the price. Cha Yoonseok will be arrested regardless of your situation, so you can answer honestly and comfortably.”
It was okay to demand a lot of money. That wasn’t a bad outcome either. Seongheon gave realistic advice and waited for Yeonwoo’s answer.
The amount Cha Yoonseok’s lawyer would throw out as a settlement would likely be significant. Because the lawyer would focus solely on the ‘settlement,’ it was clear that he would proceed boldly to achieve his goal.
Considering the circumstances of Yeonwoo’s past and future, it wouldn’t matter if she chose the money. Money was just money; the value of the currency didn’t change regardless of whose pocket it came from. It was fine to call it consolation money for time that had been so painful.
“I don’t… want to settle.”
It was a long moment later.
Her voice was lower than the darkness pooling in the room.
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to do that.”
“…”
“A settlement is forgiveness. It means I’m going to forget. If it means I won’t blame or resent him anymore, I don’t want to do that.”
As Yeonwoo shook her head and confessed her feelings, Seongheon closed his eyes for a long time before opening them to look at her. Just as her face began to flush, tears began to fill Yeonwoo’s eyes.
“How could I forgive him? How… how could I possibly settle? I don’t think I can. I feel like I can’t do it even if I die. I can’t forgive… I won’t, I…”
Although he felt his insides grow hot and his vision darken at her voice, which was filled with tears, Seongheon tried to regain his composure.
He urged himself several times to remain calm. He couldn’t let himself be consumed by rage alongside her. If he let down his guard for even a moment, it would be difficult to just watch her, who was already brimming with tears.
“I don’t need money. I’d rather starve to death. I just… I just want him to receive every punishment possible…”
“Hoo…”
Seongheon let out a heavy breath. He realized only then that he had been clenching his fists tight.
Watching Yeonwoo, who muttered over and over while shaking her head that she could never forgive him and that there would be no settlement, he finally stood up.
In a few steps, he reached her. Looking down at Yeonwoo, who had her head bowed and her earlobes dyed red, he cupped her face with both hands and slowly lifted it.
The tears that had welled up fell in tracks, streaming onto his hands. Seeing Yeonwoo’s weeping—a sight he felt he would never get used to no matter how many times he saw it—Seongheon finally lowered his face.
He pressed his lips to hers as if biting them. With his hands holding her face, he wiped away her tears.
As Yeonwoo’s shoulders shook with startled gasps, he pulled her waist and held her close.
It felt as if he could not stop.
Seongheon, whose emotions had exploded from being locked away, hugged Yeonwoo tightly. He preciousy held her neck, which had looked flushed, and kissed her again and again as if sharing his breath.
Seongheon slowly pulled his lips away and looked at Yeonwoo. Then, he said while gently wiping her face with a tender touch.
“I understand, so don’t cry.”
How are my days, my nights, these days?
“Our lawyer says they need your statement; I want you to help if you can, even if it’s emotionally difficult. You can do that, right?”
Yeonwoo nodded without a word. Seongheon let out a long breath and stroked her hair.
By day, I cannot work because of you.
By night, I lose sleep because of you.
Under such feelings, it is easy to become a human who lives only for today, not looking at tomorrow.
“We have to leave for the headquarters tomorrow, so go get some rest for now. I’ll talk to Manager Moon.”
But I knew a day like this would come eventually.
The only difference was that I didn’t know I would devote my heart so futilely back then.
“Tomorrow… Yes.”
“Let’s go together.”
The tea she had brewed remained untouched and grew cold.
Seongheon grabbed the hand she had burned earlier and examined her fingers.
“Don’t get hurt. And don’t go anywhere alone.”
Today, her world was overturned and sucked into a realm she had never lived in.
“From now on, stay by my side.”
He had finally found his place.
oemji 😅