Chapter 4
The Villain’s
Pure Devotion
The Woman from This Morning
“What’s this? So, you’re sayin’ you’ll work in your mother’s place? Here, at Domyeongjae?”
Ten minutes had passed since Yeonwoo met with Manager Moon Ok-rye, a woman who didn’t seem to possess a single crack in her armor. Yeonwoo had explained her mother’s condition in relatively high detail and handed over the doctor’s medical certificate.
As Manager Moon scanned the document half-heartedly, Yeonwoo stated that she wanted to work in her mother’s stead.
However, the situation did not unfold as Yeonwoo had anticipated. Manager Moon looked at Yeonwoo with an expression that suggested she found the proposal absurd and laughable. For a moment, Yeonwoo felt overwhelmed by the woman’s aura and swallowed hard.
The sharp glint firing from behind small spectacles made Manager Moon’s temperament seem even more prickly.
“Name?”
“Ji Yeonwoo.”
“Age?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Goodness. Twenty-nine.”
An unidentifiable sigh escaped through Manager Moon’s teeth. After scanning Yeonwoo’s seated posture from head to toe, Manager Moon set the medical certificate down.
“I think it’s a pity your mother got hurt, but well, we can’t exactly blame anyone else for her trippin’ over her own feet, can we?”
The distinctive accent and intonation of Moksan County felt particularly heavy today.
“Besides, no matter how short-handed we are, we can’t just bring in any ol’ person to do the work. Substitute work has to meet a certain level of class and standard, you see.”
As a flustered Yeonwoo let out a breath mixed with a lament, Manager Moon shook her head with an even more adamant expression. It was a no.
“And most importantly, you’re too late. The job postings are already out and the interview schedule is set. So, daughter, you just go on and take good care of your mother—”
“Ah, wait, Manager, just—just a moment, please.”
As Manager Moon rose from her seat, Yeonwoo hurriedly stood up and caught her. When Manager Moon’s fierce gaze latched onto her, Yeonwoo spoke quickly.
“Then what happens to my mom? Can she work again once she’s discharged?”
“Work? Once we find a replacement, that’s it. Surely your mother knows that better than anyone? Domyeongjae is a place where if a vacancy opens up, you leave without a second word. That’s been the long-standin’ promise here. Your mother knows, so go ask her.”
“Ah, but, Manager!”
As Manager Moon stepped around the sofa, Yeonwoo followed and grabbed the hem of her clothes. Manager Moon hiked up an eyebrow, looking annoyed.
“What is it now? What else!”
“Ah, yes? Oh, well…”
Yeonwoo kept shrinking back at the sharp, scolding tone of Manager Moon’s voice.
“I told you no, yet you keep pesterin’ me. Principles and rules are the lifeblood of Domyeongjae. This isn’t the kind of place where people like you can come and throw a tantrum to get your way. Do you understand?”
“I… but…”
“The people who work at Domyeongjae are handpicked by me personally. It’s not a place where you get a job just ‘cause someone asks for it. As long as I’m keepin’ my eyes peeled, there will absolutely be no exceptions. Workin’ in your mother’s place, my foot. What kind of work do you expect to do with wrists like toothpicks?”
As Yeonwoo’s face crumbled in distress and her words trailed off, Manager Moon brushed off her clothes and clicked her tongue. Then, as if the matter were beneath further consideration, she vanished, leaving a cold draft in her wake.
It seemed her mother’s termination was certain, and she had failed to gain the opportunity to work in her place.
It was the worst possible outcome for the mother and daughter.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on a grand scale, attended by a multitude of prominent figures from the political and business worlds. Starting with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, where five-colored ribbons were snipped, a sky full of colorful balloons soared upward. Carefully selected reporters clicked their shutters incessantly, and standing at the center of it all, Executive Director Nam Seongheon of Seolyang Construction received the most spotlight.
Mingling among groups with various interlocking interests, Seongheon spent nearly half the day repeating greetings. Since there were no conversations without hidden agendas, even when reciprocating gruff jokes, Seongheon used cautious language to ensure no future trouble.
“You prepared well. It was very good.”
After finishing the ceremony and returning to Domyeongjae, Seongheon walked along the trail with his aunt, Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung. Nam Yunyoung was the head of Seolyang Group and the person in charge of managing all its affiliates.
When the praise came, Seongheon gave a small shake of his head.
“The President put in more preparation than I did.”
“Even so, your cousin must have been too busy eating what you spoon-fed him to notice. I can see it clearly without even looking.”
Seongheon offered a faint smirk at his aunt’s words but remained silent.
Walking alongside Seongheon, Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung turned her gaze toward the well-manicured landscaping. Flowering quince trees with branches heavy with orange blossoms and cornelian cherry trees, yet to bear red fruit, were stained yellow, announcing the arrival of spring.
Amidst the colorful flowers, a magnolia tree with white buds rising like the pure heart of a deity boasted a simple, elegant grace, bringing a smile to Nam Yunyoung’s face.
“Your mother really loved magnolias.”
As Nam Yunyoung added those words, taking a deep breath as if to catch the scent, Seongheon stopped in his tracks.
“Your father planted all these magnolia trees around here because your mother liked them. There was never a devoted husband quite like him.”
Having lost his parents in an accident during his childhood, Seongheon had grown up under his aunt’s care.
“If your father and mother could see you today, they would have been so proud. Wouldn’t they?”
Gazing at the magnolias with a touch of longing, Nam Yunyoung half-turned to look at Seongheon.
Seongheon had been four years old. His parents had died instantly in a car accident.
At that time, Seongheon was too young to understand it all and grieve. He had thought that Heaven, where his parents had gone, was a distant country on the other side of the globe like America, and so he thought they would return if he just waited.
“I’m sorry. I brought up unnecessary things on such a good day. It’s just that your aunt is so proud of you today.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. I don’t feel much of anything hearing these stories.”
At Seongheon’s indifferent voice—responding as if he had just heard a story about a stranger in a corner of a newspaper—Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung looked at him for a long moment.
His height was enviably tall, his features perfectly balanced, and the prominent curve of his Adam’s apple served as the finishing touch to his masculine charm. His closed lips, which did not easily grant a smile, somehow drew people in.
“You’ve grown up so well, my Seongheon. Having you here makes me feel so reassured.”
As she smoothed down the suit of her nephew, whose broad shoulders completed the fit, Nam Yunyoung smiled softly, finding him dependable and trustworthy just by looking at him.
It was then.
A manager with her graying hair neatly pinned back stood before them. It was Manager Moon Ok-rye, who was responsible for the household affairs of Domyeongjae.
“Here you both are.”
Manager Moon spoke with her hands clasped politely. She briefly explained the accident that occurred in the morning and mentioned that the kitchen maid’s sick leave would likely be long.
“That’s something Manager Moon should handle on her own. It’s not a matter that requires my permission, is it?”
“When I’m alone, perhaps, but when the Chairwoman is visiting, I must seek approval. That is the law of our Domyeongjae.”
As Manager Moon explained, Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung nodded quickly. It didn’t matter to her. Staff management was a problem for Manager Moon to handle.
While the trivial conversation passed between Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung and Manager Moon, a young woman was walking beneath a magnolia tree laden with white buds some distance away.
Seongheon, who had been silently listening to the conversation between his aunt and the manager, fixed his gaze there. It didn’t take long for him to recognize who she was.
It was the woman he had seen at the bus stop this morning.
“That’s a face I haven’t seen before?”
Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung, who had noticed Yeonwoo just as Seongheon had, muttered while casting a casual glance. Manager Moon glanced back to check Yeonwoo and replied.
“Yes, she’s the daughter of the employee who got hurt earlier. She’s on her way out after bringing a doctor’s certificate.”
“Ah. The employee’s daughter.”
At the mention of her being the injured employee’s daughter, Seongheon’s eyebrow twitched minutely. Yeonwoo, unaware of the gaze on her, continued her slow pace, and Seongheon’s eyes followed her.
His aunt and Manager Moon exchanged a few more words, but they sounded distant. The woman, who had changed out of her mud-splattered clothes into something neat, was walking listlessly with hollow eyes.
Though she was clearly of a vibrant age, her movements were utterly devoid of energy. Was it her nature, or was it not? Once again, a useless curiosity rose within him, and his gaze did not pull away until her back was far from view.
“Oh, Manager Moon. I had something to tell you but I forgot. Let’s talk for a moment. There’s an event at Domyeongjae next month.”
“Yes, yes. I was actually about to ask you about that myself.”
At the end of Manager Moon’s words, Seongheon raised a hand slightly.
“Then I’ll leave you to your conversation.”
“Alright, Seongheon. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung turned toward the main building with Manager Moon. Seongheon stood still for a moment, then shifted his gaze back toward the direction the woman had gone.
By the time Chairwoman Nam Yunyoung and Manager Moon disappeared into the main building, the woman had barely moved a few steps. As if she were carrying heavy weights, she would walk a step or two and stop, then walk another step or two and stop again.
With his hands shoved into his pockets, Seongheon watched her before taking a step forward. His leather shoes followed a straight line as he rounded the lakeside, and it didn’t take long to reach her.
The polite sound of his footsteps was close, but she didn’t seem to notice his presence. Seongheon stepped up close behind the woman, who looked as though she could be fully gathered up with a single arm.
“If you go that way, it will take you much longer to find the exit.”
Under the magnolia leaves that had just begun to burst, the woman turned around.
…Wait. For just a moment.
Time stood still between the two of them as if the world had stopped.
The weeping willows, hanging like an old man’s beard, cast shadows that swayed by the pond in the excitement of spring. Swaaaa, as the wind blew, the sound of leaves rustling randomly echoed loudly, and only then, as if waking from the frozen time, Seongheon slowly closed and opened his eyes.
Still with his hands in his pockets, Seongheon continued.
“If you are lost, I will help you.”
It was a guide he would not normally offer.
