Chapter 72
Though she’d planned to call a taxi right away and return to the gallery, she decided to walk the streets for a moment.
If she returned like this without calming herself, she might make a mistake.
‘Byeolnaeri village… Surely… it couldn’t be someone I know.’
It wasn’t a problem if she knew them.
The problem was that it might be someone who knew her.
Chairman Kwon Soon-yeol said he would permit the marriage despite knowing she was illegitimate.
Solely to avoid wasting the precious time of Kwon Si-heon, who had been promoted to executive.
If her illegitimacy was exposed, the marriage wouldn’t proceed, and perhaps they might even face retaliation for wasting their invaluable time.
Naturally, her peaceful future with her aunt would also burst like a bubble.
‘That absolutely can’t happen.’
Haah. If only she could at least know who was coming to the wedding from Byeolnaeri village.
As she let out another small sigh, she heard a buzzing vibration from inside her bag.
When she took out her phone, a name appeared on the screen.
[Kwon Si-heon ssi]
Thinking she should change it to just ‘Si-heon ssi’ in case someone saw it, Ga-eun answered the phone.
“Hello?”
[Have you eaten lunch?]
At his low, deep voice, Ga-eun lightly bit her lower lip.
Why did it make her feel so reassured, really.
It was just asking if she’d eaten – the most common of pleasantries.
It seemed that while falling asleep and waking up in his arms, some feeling had been growing bit by bit inside her.
Clearing her throat, Ga-eun managed to answer.
“…Yes, I have.”
[Alone?]
“No.”
[Then?]
“I ate with the Artist. The one I was supposed to meet yesterday.”
Si-heon’s voice instantly dropped.
[I thought you were working at the gallery today.]
His displeasure was clearly felt even in that brief moment of silence.
Without realizing it, Ga-eun raised her hand to touch near her throat.
She felt her breath constrict, just like when she sat across from Chairman Kwon Soon-yeol.
[You went to Nam-hee-dong again. And alone at that.]
“No, I met them in Insadong. They said they were in the area.”
Si-heon let out a low “hmm.”
[Do you have any other outings planned?]
“No, none. I’ll be working inside the gallery.”
[Good, don’t go outside until I come to pick you up.]
“I won’t.”
[Think about what you want for dinner.]
The call ended like that. Ga-eun let out a long breath she’d been holding.
Her heart was still pounding, partly from tension, but also likely because beneath his cold voice lay concern for her.
Then Ga-eun scoffed at herself.
‘Concern might be too strong a word.’
For that man, it was simply that if something happened to her, it would disrupt the marriage, and he disliked wasting time that way.
‘It’s just been so long.’
Being asked to think about what to eat – it had been so long since she’d heard those words.
When immunity is weak, viruses easily infiltrate.
Since leaving Byeolnaeri village and moving into Gye Young-cheol’s house.
Ga-eun hadn’t been able to decide anything for herself, and no one had asked for her opinion.
After living that way for so long, even this cold man’s casual words made her heart flutter like this.
“…”
Ga-eun quietly looked down at Si-heon’s name on the ended call screen.
She used to always volunteer for overtime because she didn’t want to go home.
But today, somehow, she was looking forward to leaving work.
That scary, arrogant man… she wanted to see him.
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