Chapter 39
Without knowing why, Iseo’s face turned beet red as she was carried in Taeseok’s arms toward the outside.
The anxious expression on the assistant’s face, who had been watching them like a dazed person, lingered in her mind and only made the heat on her cheeks burn even more intensely.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I told you, there’s something more urgent than lunch.”
“Just put me down for now. What if someone sees us?”
The more she struggled, the tighter Taeseok held her in his arms.
“Okay, fine. Just put me down, please.”
“I don’t care who sees us. I’m carrying my wife—what’s the problem with that?”
Iseo’s protests merely brushed past Taeseok’s ears, having no effect at all.
“What if the elders see us like this? Hey, Han Taeseok! Are you even listening to me?”
Taeseok’s lips curled up into a faint smile, completely oblivious to her panic.
“Isn’t that President Han over there?”
As a car entered the spacious garden and the couple headed toward the annex, Hyejeong’s gaze locked on them.
“Looks like it, doesn’t it?”
Her pupils widened in disbelief as she stared, clearly not trusting her own eyes.
“No matter how newlywed they are, that’s way too passionate.”
At Jitae’s sarcastic remark, Pilsun turned to look at Taeseok. The moment she saw Iseo in his arms, her face hardened instantly.
Pilsun clenched her teeth to suppress the curses rising to her throat, the veins in her temple bulging visibly. Hyejeong’s lips also twisted into a crooked sneer.
The car came to a stop, and Pilsun stepped out with a stone-cold expression, striding forward briskly.
“Madam, welcome.”
A startled assistant came rushing over to greet Pilsun and Hyejeong.
“What on earth is going on here? I told you exactly what to say.”
“Th-the thing is…”
“Speak clearly.”
“I told him exactly what you said, but then the president suddenly came… and he left with the young madam.”
“So why?”
“He said there was… something more urgent than lunch.”
The atmosphere turned icy cold. The assistant, too scared to mention that the eldest madam had to handle the prep herself, avoided Hyejeong’s piercing gaze and swallowed hard.
“Great. Just wonderful. How disgraceful.”
Pilsun trailed off and slammed the door hard enough to rattle it.
“Is that really the Han Taeseok we used to know? Don’t you think so, Mother?”
Hyejeong bit her lip, a deep frown creasing her forehead.
“So this is how he wants to play? I was trying to be nice, but maybe I need to reconsider my approach.”
Hyejeong’s expression shifted as if she had come up with a new plan.
Taeseok only set Iseo down once they were inside the annex.
“Seriously, what’s going on with you?”
While Iseo was flustered by his sudden action, Taeseok remained utterly calm, his expression unchanged.
“This isn’t right. I didn’t even finish prepping the ingredients—I should go back.”
As she turned to leave, Taeseok quickly grabbed her wrist.
“Are you serious? Wouldn’t going back now be even weirder?”
The anxious look on the assistant’s face flashed through her mind, and Iseo shook her head.
“Then at least give me your mother’s number.”
Ignoring her, Taeseok tugged at the strings of her apron, smoothly undoing the knot.
“You said you have to start work again tomorrow. You must be tired—get some rest.”
“Taeseok.”
“They’ve managed just fine without us until now. No need to fuss over it.”
Taeseok couldn’t sit by and do nothing when he knew exactly where all the anger and blame would be directed now.
Despite Iseo’s repeated pleas, he turned away, his thoughts tangled like a knotted thread.
She knew that Min Hyejeong wasn’t Taeseok’s biological mother, but what on earth had happened between them to make their relationship so hostile?
Stuck in a dilemma, Iseo could only feel helpless.
Taeseok gave her a gentle push toward the bathroom.
“Stop worrying about the housework. Go wash up.”
“Do you even hear yourself?”
“Things won’t change just because you’re upset. I’m not sending you back there.”
Giving in to his insistence, Iseo stepped into the bathroom. For some reason, a vague sense of unease twisted in her gut, and she found herself biting her lip nervously.
Maybe it was her heightened body temperature, but the water trickling down her back felt unusually hot.
Thinking she should be ready in time for tomorrow morning’s tea ceremony, Iseo quickly finished her shower.
A little later.
Taeseok’s gaze locked on Iseo as she stepped out.
Her hair, still damp from the shower, clung to her pale skin, making her seem even more delicate and fair.
“Sit.”
“Huh?”
“Here.”
He tapped the chair in front of a small vanity.
“What for?”
“I’ll dry your hair.”
“I can do it.”
Taeseok gently pulled her hand, guiding her to sit. A faint smile played on his lips.
“We’re close enough for this, aren’t we?”
The words “we’re close” made her cheeks flush even hotter.
Her damp hair danced in the breeze from the dryer, releasing a sweet and subtle fragrance that tickled Taeseok’s senses.
As he ran his fingers gently through her hair, Iseo’s cheeks turned a deeper red.
“I can do it.”
“I want to do it for you.”
Their eyes met in the mirror, and her heart pounded wildly. The gentle smile on his lips made her head spin.
“You should shower too, Taeseok. You must be tired from driving.”
Unable to handle it anymore, Iseo stood up abruptly.
“Hurry.”
At her urging, Taeseok finally headed into the bathroom. Only then did Iseo collapse into the chair.
No matter how calm she tried to act, her heart always reacted to Taeseok alone. Her flushed body showed no sign of cooling down.
When she heard the water running and saw Taeseok’s faint silhouette through the frosted glass, her cheeks felt like they were burning up again.
Turning her gaze away quickly, her eyes landed on the bed.
At least they were far enough away from Pilsun’s quarters. Still, the fact that she and Taeseok were alone in the same space made her chest tighten with emotions she couldn’t name.
Just then—
The bathroom door opened, and Taeseok stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist.
His well-defined chest and sculpted muscles radiated a powerful presence.
Iseo quickly averted her gaze and blurted out with a red face,
“Can you do something about that body?”
Her whole face was flushed from her chin to her forehead, and she avoided his eyes as best she could.
“What’s wrong with my body?”
“Just put some clothes on!”
She stood up and handed him a robe.
“I told you—I sleep in the nude.”
“You’re not sleeping yet, so at least wear this—”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.
“You’re the one who tempted me first.”
“Wh-when did I do that?!”
“How am I supposed to resist when you look at me like that?”
As he slowly leaned in, his lips brushed her forehead in a soft kiss. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Iseo woke up two hours earlier than usual and quickly got ready. Careful not to wake Taeseok, she tiptoed out of the annex and headed to the dining room.
Despite the early hour, the lights were already on.
The young assistant who had arrived earlier greeted Iseo.
Because of what had happened the day before, the assistant awkwardly avoided eye contact and focused on preparing ingredients.
Everyone knew about the rumors surrounding Hyejeong and Taeseok, and the assistant knew she wouldn’t get off lightly if she ended up on the wrong side. She was just as stuck between them as Iseo was.
“I heard I need to prepare tea today. Can you teach me? It’s my first time.”
At Iseo’s request, the assistant quickly helped her prepare the tea.
A short while later, Iseo took a deep breath and gently knocked on Pilsun’s door.
“Um, I brought your tea.”
There was no response.
She hesitated, then tried again. Still no reply.
Carefully, she opened the door.
“Madam, your tea—”
But Pilsun, who had been sitting like a ticking bomb, turned her cold, piercing gaze on Iseo.
“What do you think you’re doing? Do you think this is a place you can just enter at will?!”
Her harsh voice rang through the room, freezing Iseo in place.
Just then—
“Madam, it’s been a long time.”
A quiet voice spoke as someone else stepped into the room and bowed politely.
“H-how did you get here…?”
Pilsun’s pupils shook as she stared at the woman now standing beside Iseo.
