Chapter 16….
When she stepped out into the courtyard, a staff member of the mansion came looking for Seung-ah.
“Ms. Choi Seung-ah, right? The young master sent me.”
Oh my. Someone had been sent from the orphanage.
With her guardian now in place, Seung-ah was guided straight to Ilbong’s study.
As soon as she opened the door, a neatly wrapped box was laid out on the table directly in front of her.
Seung-ah asked the staff member who followed her in,
“Is this it?”
“Yes. He said it’s a porcelain doll.”
She gently lifted the lid of the wooden box, and through the gap, a pair of round ears peeked out. It was an adorable bear-shaped doll.
“Wow. It’s so cute!”
“I can’t believe the chairman made this himself. He’s always so absorbed in work,” the staff said.
“Really? He always seemed happy when working in the studio,” Seung-ah replied.
For a moment, the staff looked at Seung-ah in amazement. The image of Ilbong they each had was very different.
Seung-ah hugged the gift closely and stepped out of the study.
The mansion was structured like several buildings connected by passageways, almost like walking through an art exhibit.
The staff led Seung-ah to the back building. The tall hall leading there was decorated with famous artworks, making it feel like a museum.
So grand!
But somehow, it felt like they were going deeper and deeper into the mansion.
Seung-ah asked the staff,
“Aren’t we going out?”
“The young master said to guide you to the room so you can rest comfortably,” the staff replied.
“I see. Well, then I should properly unwrap the gift once we get there.”
Following the staff, Seung-ah stopped upon entering the room.
“This… is a bedroom?”
“Yes. Well then, please make yourself comfortable.”
“Well then”? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but the staff disappeared with a polite bow.
This doesn’t look like a guest room at all.
Shelves were lined with picture frames of all sizes, showing a person’s life story, from childhood to young adulthood.
Seung-ah recognized the person immediately.
It’s Han Yujin.
A little child posing in a swimsuit at the beach, a boy at a birthday party with friends. His skin was fair, his features distinct—he was handsome from a young age.
As she continued, most of the photos were from his time studying abroad, showing exotic backgrounds.
So Yujin even played American football.
While running her hands over the football on the shelf and scanning the photos, something seemed off.
In his childhood, there were many photos with his family. But as time passed, the number of people gradually decreased.
In the earliest photos, both parents and Ilbong appeared. Then his mother disappeared.
Later, even his father was gone, leaving only Ilbong beside him.
Eventually, even Ilbong stopped appearing, leaving only friends in the photos.
Yujin did say he didn’t want to be tied down by his family and wanted to live freely…
But seeing people disappear one by one from the photos felt unnatural. It was as if once someone left Yujin’s side, they never came back.
Until now, Yujin had never mentioned his family at all.
Seung-ah picked up a photo of Yujin with his entire family.
Little Yujin, with chubby cheeks, wearing a birthday hat and smiling brightly.
What had happened after this? She couldn’t even imagine.
Then a deep voice interrupted.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah!”
Startled, she turned around. Yujin was smiling, the corners of his mouth lifted smoothly.
“Don’t be so surprised. Were you stealing something?”
“I’m just… just looking.”
When had he come in? She hadn’t even noticed the door while being absorbed in the photos.
Seeing her holding the frame, Yujin shrugged casually, as if it were of no particular value.
“My grandmother had me put up these photos,” he said.
“She must be proud.”
“Well, I’m independent now. I don’t really need to use this room anymore anyway.”
“You lived here? Yujin?”
He nodded.
It was Yujin’s bedroom. The tastes she had noticed in other parts of the mansion seemed reflected here in subtle ways.
“It’s a pretty room.”
“Now it’s all outdated stuff. Even what you’re holding.”
He tapped the frame lightly with his fingernail.
“Now it almost looks like an ancient artifact.”
“You don’t really like this kind of thing?”
“Just means these are photos I’ll never appear in again.”
Yujin swiped his finger across a photo, stopping at a young woman on one side.
“That’s my mother. She divorced when I was young, so I never saw her again after that.”
He then pointed to a young man beside her.
“My father passed away.”
“Ah…”
So that explained why each person had disappeared.
In Yujin’s elementary school graduation photo, the only person beside him was Ilbong. His father had passed away when he was just a child.
At such a young age…
Seung-ah remembered how the world seemed to collapse when she lost her father. She had been a high school student, yet the future felt bleak.
She couldn’t imagine Yujin’s feelings, having lost his mother first and growing up only with his father.
“That’s… sad,” she murmured, her face downcast.
Yujin smiled faintly.
“It was a long time ago. So, what do you think of my childhood face?”
“My thoughts?”
Seung-ah pointed to the young Yujin in the center.
“He was cute back then?”
“Aren’t I cute now?”
“Only then.”
“That’s strange. I’m still very cute now.”
He tilted his head. The boy in the photo had grown into a man with striking, mature features, and Seung-ah felt herself drawn close.
A scent enveloped her—it was slightly unfamiliar, perhaps a different cologne for the party, but it suited him perfectly.
If he looked at her with those deep eyes while exuding that scent, most women would fall.
Seung-ah pretended to scold him.
“You have to act cute to be cute.”
“I just did, but it didn’t work.”
“Don’t pout. It doesn’t suit you.”
Yujin lowered his head and pretended to be disappointed, yet even that looked like a scene from a movie.
His hair was neatly styled for the party, and his slightly more elaborate suit made him stand out. The sunlight streaming through the window accentuated his already high nose bridge.
How did such a cute boy become this man? Growth is truly remarkable.
Even as she stared at his face openly, Yujin was looking at her, examining her hair.
“Why is your hair like this? The back is down.”
“Oh. It got caught on a branch in the courtyard earlier.”
She had stumbled over it multiple times while trying to find a path. She had tried to pin it back neatly, but without a mirror, it was slightly messy.
“Come here.”
Yujin spoke as if he was certain she wouldn’t refuse. Seung-ah, like any ordinary person, followed his command.
Standing close, he removed the pin holding her hair and carefully gathered the stray strands.
She couldn’t help but notice the gentle touch on her neck.
The room was quiet. With both of them silent, only their soft breathing could be heard.
And then, the sound of their hearts beating louder.
Ugh… heart, calm down…
She tried to stay still, but a warm sensation touched her neck.
It was clearly not fingers.
It was lips.
Seung-ah shivered involuntarily. Yujin’s arm wrapped around her waist.
He pressed his lips softly to her exposed neck and whispered,
“It’s red. Even your neck.”
Then he kissed her again, making a soft smack.
“Your skin is so fair, it keeps catching my eye.”
His husky voice brushed against her ear. Seung-ah slowly turned around.
Yujin looked at her as if seeing the most beautiful thing in the world.
This was the first time she had been alone with him after getting ready for the party.
Perhaps now she really was in a state worth being admired.
This was completely different from their last kiss. Back then, she had been sad and vulnerable after being hurt by Tae-jun.
Thinking that way gave her a bit of confidence.
Seung-ah lightly grabbed Yujin’s jacket.
Even in heels, she had to rise onto her toes to reach his lips.
As their lips met, Yujin pulled her into a tight embrace.
His warm tongue quickly entered her mouth.
