Chapter 9
The Villain’s Pure Heart
An Uncomfortable Gift
The glow of the sunset pouring into the study through the wide-open window clung to Yeonwoo’s back.
“Instead of clothes that are fine to throw away, buy something that would make you upset if it got wet or splattered with mud. Several outfits would be even better.”
Seongheon pushed the credit card to the edge of the desk and withdrew his hand.
Looking down at the card, Yeonwoo’s lips parted slightly. It was a sign of her bewilderment.
“No, no, that’s quite alright.”
Yeonwoo shook her head vigorously, as if looking at something that would cause a disaster if touched. As she did, she unconsciously took a step back.
“As I mentioned, a reward really isn’t necessary. It was no big deal, truly. I’m fine.”
Her eyes were desperate to convey that she was telling the absolute truth. Her refusal was sincere, and she hoped Seongheon would yield.
Seongheon watched her. Even as Yeonwoo turned red in the face and waved her hands in distress, his gaze remained entirely indifferent.
“Uh, I’m really okay. I’m saying I’m okay because I really am. Truly. I have no intention of receiving anything.”
“I’m sorry, but whether or not you are okay with not receiving a reward is of no interest to me.”
Yeonwoo was struck dumb.
“I’m the one who wants to be okay. And I think I’ll only be okay once I’ve finished compensating you.”
“Ah…”
Realizing she had completely misunderstood the situation, Yeonwoo’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. Seongheon’s earlier words about not being able to live with a debt suddenly came to mind, and she realized he was acting solely from his own perspective.
Unable to hide her agitation, Yeonwoo’s fingertips twitched. All the while, Seongheon’s eyes never left her face.
The suffocating atmosphere seemed to thicken with every passing second. Feeling as though she couldn’t endure it any longer, Yeonwoo lifted her gaze slightly to meet his.
Overwhelmed by Seongheon’s commanding presence—the kind of aura that felt like it could accomplish anything with a mere look—she managed to open her mouth.
“Then I will take back the business card you gave me instead. I cannot simply carry around someone else’s credit card.”
Ah. Will saying this offend him too?
Her thoughts were a tangled mess even as she spoke.
“If I take it back, I’ll likely just toss it around until I throw it away.”
“Oh, no. I won’t throw it away. Absolutely not.”
When Yeonwoo spoke with emphasis, insisting she would never do such a thing, Seongheon pulled out a crisp, new business card and held it out. He had already signed it, just like before.
“If its use remains unclear, I will take it to mean you are hoping for a much larger reward.”
“Ah… Yes. I understand. Thank you.”
Yeonwoo hurriedly took the card. Just as she offered a bow and prepared to turn and leave, Seongheon’s detached voice reached her.
“How long do you plan to work here?”
“I’m thinking about three months.”
“I expect my mother will have successfully finished her rehabilitation by then.”
Though she had finished answering, Seongheon remained focused on his work without further action. Yeonwoo quietly bowed once more and slipped out of the study.
The moment she stepped into her shoes and fled Unseondang, Yeonwoo let out a heavy breath and looked down at the business card. Just exchanging a few words with Seongheon was enough to make her palms break out in a cold sweat.
‘If its use remains unclear, I will take it to mean you are hoping for a much larger reward.’
He seemed like a man who had never laughed in his entire life.
Fingering the useless business card, Yeonwoo muttered softly in a dejected voice.
“This is a problem. I can’t even go outside.”
The business card, weighing only a few grams, felt as heavy as a boulder.
For some reason, her breath kept catching in her throat.
— The number you have dialed is not in service.
“Phew…”
After failing to connect at all, Yeonwoo’s number had completely vanished today. Cha Yunseok lowered his phone, exhaling sharply as if trying to suppress his rage.
“She got rid of the number? Do you think I won’t be able to find you just because of this? Son of a…”
As time passed, Cha Yunseok became increasingly spiteful. At first, he thought Yeonwoo had gone into hiding because she was terrified of his obsession, but now he felt she was trying to screw him over, which made his blood boil even more.
“Fine. So you want to see me go crazy, is that it? You’re really putting in the effort to shove it in my face, aren’t you?”
This was why there was no need to be kind. There was no need to use gentle words. He should have known from the moment she reported him to the police…
Surging with irritation, he threw whatever was within reach, then picked up his phone again.
“Ah, where the hell do I find her? This is driving me insane, seriously.”
As he muttered to himself, the call connected.
— Yes, hyung-nim. This is Hong Seop.
“Hey, where are you? Still no news?”
Cha Yunseok, who had commissioned the search for Yeonwoo’s whereabouts to a thug he knew who would do anything for money, began the call.
The voice that echoed through the phone was so husky it was unpleasant to hear.
— Hyung-nim. I’m looking here and there, but there’s nothing. Not a trace.
“Dammit, I didn’t give you money and time and tell you to find someone just to hear that! Find her right now! Right now!”
— Just wait, hyung-nim. Who am I? Have I ever failed at something you told me to do? Never.
As if used to the shouting, the man continued calmly. Cha Yunseok, exhaling only breaths of fury, swallowed hard as if suppressing the curses filling his throat.
“So, where are you now? Still in front of the house?”
— Yes. The girl’s hometown. Moksan County. I heard her mother lives here, so I’m waiting it out for now.
“And?”
— I’m watching the address, but not even an ant has passed by. For now, I’m in front of the house, hyung-nim. I’m thinking of meeting the mother.
“And if you do?”
When asked what he intended to do upon meeting Yeonwoo’s mother, the man laughed with a raspy sound.
— You know how it is. If I say a few words to the mother, she’ll nag the girl until she calls me back in no time. Don’t worry, hyung-nim.
“Fine. Keep an eye on it until something comes up.”
— Yes, yes. I’ll call you if I catch anything. Don’t worry and get some rest, hyung-nim!
Cha Yunseok lowered his phone, his eyes bulging.
“Moksan County. Moksan County, huh.”
His anger subsided immediately at the news that the house where Yeonwoo’s mother lived was being watched. His mood improved rapidly at the thought that he might discover Yeonwoo’s whereabouts before long, and a moment later, a thin laugh escaped him.
Cha Yunseok knew very well how Hong Seop, who was searching for Yeonwoo, operated. He also knew well that if Hong Seop met Yeonwoo’s mother, she would be scared out of her wits.
Hong Seop, a former wrestler, had a massive build and a shaved head that gave him a menacing look; furthermore, he was covered in tattoos, which made him a walking threat.
Cha Yunseok was certain he would find Yeonwoo soon. True to his background as an athlete, the patient Hong Seop wouldn’t budge until he found her.
However, there was something both Cha Yunseok and Hong Seop didn’t know.
Just before Hong Seop arrived in front of the house, Yeonwoo had already started working at Domyeongjae. And Yeonwoo’s mother, Shin Sunmi, was currently hospitalized.
“Just wait until I catch you. I’m grinding my teeth just like you wanted. Yeonwoo.”
Therefore, no one would be coming to that house for the time being.
Perhaps for a very long time.
The next morning dawned. Yeonwoo, who had stood night watch alone until Manager Mun arrived at 4:00 AM, managed a quick nap before heading to the Main Hall.
Domyeongjae was subdivided into departments much like a modern luxury hotel. Among them, there were five employees in charge of the direct housekeeping of the Main Hall, and one of them was Yeonwoo’s mother.
Normally, the rule was to finish work at 7:00 PM. However, if any member of the Nam family stayed at Domyeongjae, the Main Hall staff took turns standing night watch. Like any night shift, it was grueling work, staying up all night waiting for a potential call.
As long as Seongheon was staying, there would be night shifts, and as Manager Mun had mentioned at the start, it became Yeonwoo’s responsibility.
“Let’s see, the newbie is here?”
A staff member from the Main Hall, spotting Yeonwoo who had returned to work after only a brief rest, spoke up. When Yeonwoo, dressed in her uniform, bowed her head in greeting, the staff member looked her up and down.
“My goodness, you could go straight to a Miss Korea pageant like this. It’s the same clothes, so how can it look so different?”
The staff member speaking was Do Eunja, who turned sixty-eight this year. As Yeonwoo hesitated and kept her words brief, Eunja poked and prodded at Yeonwoo’s uniform.
“Did you take in the waist on purpose?”
“No. I just wore it as it was given to me.”
“What’s the size? Is it a 66? I’m an 88.”
“Uh, I’m not sure, just the smallest one…”
Eunja’s gaze, which had been fixed on the slender waist in fascination, moved a bit higher. “My, my,” another exclamation escaped her.
“Pardon?”
“Are they yours?”
“I mean, are both those lumps yours?”
She was referring to her chest. As a startled Yeonwoo nodded hurriedly, Eunja looked her over once more with pure envy.
“Sunmi spent every single day bragging about how pretty her daughter is, and I guess she wasn’t lying. That’s not a masterpiece that could come from Sunmi’s looks. Do you take after your father?”
Eunja looked at Yeonwoo again through her own uniform. A waist that looked like it could be spanned by a single hand, glossy hair, and fair, clean skin.
Envy lingered in her eyes. Eunja put on a prickly expression to hide her inner thoughts.
“You shouldn’t be putting stuff on your lips. Who are you trying to look pretty for with all that powder on?”
“I didn’t put anything on.”
“Liar. They’re so bright red, how can you say you didn’t put anything on? Don’t do it. Just barely wash your face and walk around. Understand?”
“Yes.”
She had come out after only washing her face because she was so sleep-deprived, yet Eunja picked at her with a biting tone. Eunja knew that Yeonwoo, having stood the night watch, could have rested a bit longer before coming out, but she had no intention of making things easy for her.
“Um, what should I do now?”
“Yes, yes. There’s plenty to do. I was just thinking about what job I should give you so people will say I assigned it well.”
Eunja, whose jowls hung unpleasantly like a bulldog’s, gestured toward Yeonwoo with her head.
“Follow me then.”
Yeonwoo nodded.
