Episode 07
“Cheolbuji.”
Even hearing it again made her irritated and embarrassed. The name was insulting, yet she felt a certain injustice in it.
Because, despite giving up her dreams in art, despite compromising with reality, she had never lived lazily. She had lived each day drenched in sweat, battling peaches that brought both love and resentment.
Thinking back, it was unfair.
“Now you’re just saying that? Ah, I don’t know. That person… one thing I can say, he really stands out. With that face, being told to marry at home—what a waste. Even I would refuse. At twenty-nine, too, such prime age.”
“Since Chairman Go pushed for it, he probably held some leverage over Director Gojoon to sway him.”
“But… Director Gojoon —didn’t he have scandals with actresses? Or maybe there’s a woman he secretly likes?”
Yuseon tilted her head curiously, eyes sparkling with doubt.
“Besides some light scandals, I haven’t looked into Director Gojoon’s past or his relationships. Why, does he have someone?”
“No, no. He seems to have a specific ideal type. But… why are you jotting down so much on your phone?”
“Reporting to the Chairman.”
“Again? Right in front of him? Without hiding it?”
“Hehe.”
From the very first day Yuseon arrived as her secretary, she never hid her honest feelings. Always with that bright, open smile.
“Why do you need a secretary for him?”
“Hehe. Surveillance. I am the Chairman’s eyes and ears.”
Watching Yuseon scribble notes on her phone again today, she couldn’t hide her curiosity.
“How much is there to report?”
“Everything you do, my lady. Who you meet, what you say, whether you make any mistakes.”
“Wow… she really says it bluntly. Does she report all that to him? Isn’t she supposed to do it secretly?”
“The Chairman instructed it. If she knows she’s being watched, she’ll make fewer mistakes.”
It was devious, sly even, but extremely effective. The more she got to know Chairman Go, the more she realized just how formidable he was.
“Scary, isn’t he?”
“Bosses who shout outwardly are amateurs. A true master moves people with quiet charisma. Heh heh.”
“….”
“By the way, you should fix that dialect soon. The intonation is hard to change, but ending sentences with ‘hamnikka, haessnideo, haesseoyo’ might make the Chairman uncomfortable. Just changing it to ‘hamnikka, haessseumnida, haesseoyo’ will sound much better. That shouldn’t be hard for you, right?”
Yuseon was indeed a competent secretary. She analyzed her boss’s speech, suggested a solution politely without offending anyone, making it nearly impossible to refuse.
No matter how warm or gentle Yuseon was toward her, she was ultimately the Chairman’s person. Respect for him shone through everything.
No one would dare defy him or do anything that displeased him.
“Got it—ah, no, I mean, got it.”
Changing intonation was hard, but dropping the dialect endings was manageable.
“We should be arriving at the mansion in about ten minutes.”
“I have a question… There’s a room in the basement. Why is it off-limits? Why can’t anyone enter?”
When she first entered the mansion, a middle-aged woman referred to as the house steward guided her through the rooms.
Her mouth dropped more than once.
The courtyard had a fountain like something from Yongcheon City Hall. The garden bloomed with summer flowers her grandmother loved: hydrangeas, sunflowers, roses, and trumpet vines.
Behind the mansion was a swimming pool and an outdoor bath. It was a world unlike anything she had ever seen.
The steward spoke calmly for most of the tour, but her voice became cautious at the corner basement room.
“You must never enter this room. A door lock has been installed so you physically can’t, but even so, don’t take interest. Only the Chairman may enter.”
“I’m not sure either. I know that besides the Chairman, the house steward can enter, since she handles the cleaning. But it’s best not to be curious. I once tried to get a hint from her… she wouldn’t give me any. The Chairman would be furious.”
Telling someone not to look at something only made it more tempting.
“Even the Chairman’s son can’t go in, right?”
“Right. But… why call him the Chairman’s son? He’s your brother, isn’t he?”
“‘Brother’ just slips out naturally. And he clearly dislikes me, so it’s not easy to speak to him.”
True enough. Looking at her brother’s cold, reserved eyes sent a chill down her spine.
The car brought by Yuseon entered the mansion’s garage. She asked again, her dialect sharp.
“The Chairman or the director aren’t home, right?”
“They’ve all gone to work. Soon, the Pilates instructor will arrive. Get ready.”
Her upcoming class wasn’t a bridal class but rather a full humanities curriculum: art history, world history, philosophy, psychology.
Pilates was added mid-class to correct posture and build grace. The country girl was now experiencing life among the ultra-rich.
Before stepping out of the car, Yuseon asked gently:
“Have you thought about enrolling in the online university? The Chairman said you must get a degree.”
“Study? That’s long gone. I’ve abandoned thinking. Back when I went to school, I only painted. Studying was secondary.”
Her talent mirrored her mother’s, an artist. From a young age, she had been told she was gifted.
She was the best painter in her school, winning competitions at local art shows. Yet at bigger competitions, she faced repeated defeats.
No matter the organizers, the results were always the same. It was as if a giant wall blocked her path.
With no awards, she couldn’t afford proper supplies. Without recognition, scholarships were out of reach. Even moving to Seoul was impossible from her rural town.
Her mother had gone through it all, but she lacked the talent to match. After giving up, she laid down her brush, despite her teacher’s protests.
Instead, she grabbed a hoe and sickle. Occasionally, she’d doodle the peach orchard, but it had been years since she held a brush. Her skills had rusted, and her mind even more so.
Yet why did the Chairman insist on a degree? Why study art history? Had he investigated her past? Likely through background checks.
Another question bubbled up, but Yuseon opened the door, leaving no room for it.
“Anyway, the Chairman’s request is essentially an order. You need to start diligently. Let’s head upstairs.”
“Before the instructor arrives… I’d like some personal time. Please, give me some.”
