CHAPTER 36……………………………………………….
Chohi, unable to casually push away an adult’s hand, sat quietly.
“Thank you for staying by my son’s side.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am.”
“Really, thank you. I don’t ask for much. I just want my son, and the woman my son has chosen, to live happily and build a family. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. As time passes, you realize that’s what matters most.”
Living happily and building a family… needles seemed to jab Chohi’s conscience.
It wasn’t easy to deceive someone who only wished for their child’s happiness.
Even if it was a contract with Dowoon, Chohi, who had always lacked a family, could not help but be weak before someone like a “mother.”
What would Madam Na’s reaction be if she knew it was all a lie, a contract?
“After that day, I gave up everything. I realized that the people my son associated with were disloyal, and that’s why they were executed. Since then… I’ve always worried that my son might lose his mind.”
Chohi felt her blood run cold.
Disloyal? Executed?
“My comrades died because of me.”
So the comrades died… meaning they were independence activists who were executed?
Chohi struggled to steady her trembling hands.
If she, listening to the story, was shaking like this, how devastated must Dowoon have been?
Her heart sank at the thought. Dowoon, who had lost all his comrades and endured crushing loneliness, was unbearably pitiful.
He must have continued to be haunted by that nightmare, and no one had been there to wake him from it.
When her father abandoned the family, when her mother died of tuberculosis, grief had consumed her body as if it were being torn apart.
Chohi imagined that Dowoon must have gone through that same grief—or perhaps was still enduring it now.
“I don’t know if I can make Dowoon happy.”
She replied in a voice lacking confidence. Yet Madam Na still smiled.
“Just being by his side is enough.”
“……”
“And you already seem happy anyway. So stay by him.”
Chohi wanted to strike her lying lips.
Not a wife or family, but if she stayed by his side as a comrade, maybe Dowoon would find some comfort.
That’s why this mission had to succeed.
“It would be great if we succeed and get the information this time.”
“That would be good.”
At Dowoon’s response, Chohi smiled and firmly squeezed the hand she held.
The next day.
Chohi, armed with the information she got from Dowoon, headed to the cabaret the Hiranishi family frequented.
“Mrs. Hiranishi goes to the cabaret on the first floor of the Ritz Hotel every Tuesday. The place you went with Madam Na.”
“Hm, she didn’t seem to like cabarets though.”
“It’s not for the cabaret itself, but a place to listen to people’s conversations.”
Fortunately, she had been there before, so it wasn’t unfamiliar. Chohi entered naturally, as if she came there often, and quickly observed the guests.
In the middle table, she saw Mrs. Hiranishi had come with her party to enjoy cabaret drinks. Jackpot.
Chohi pretended not to notice, but took a seat not far from her table.
She was in a place where Hiranishi couldn’t see her well, but conversely, Hiranishi could observe her clearly.
Sure enough. From a side glance, she saw Hiranishi covering her face with a fan and leaning toward a woman, whispering something. Clearly, Hiranishi had noticed Chohi.
Good. The stage setup was complete.
Now, it was the actor’s turn.
Chohi raised her hand to call the waiter.
“Could you prepare all the teas on the menu here?”
She deliberately spoke in a loud, clear voice.
“All the teas, madam?”
“Yes. I want to choose one that perfectly matches the teacups I brought from England. I’ll taste them all to find the one that tastes exactly like the tea I had there.”
She repeated “brought from England” intentionally. It seemed Mrs. Hiranishi heard it because she stopped fanning her face.
“Yes, madam. I’ll bring them all.”
After the waiter left, Chohi exhaled deeply, muttering to herself, as if hoping someone would overhear.
“Even choosing a tea is difficult. If only I had remembered the names of the teas I drank in England…”
She repeated this fake lament. If Hiranishi heard it, it would surely pique her interest.
Soon, the waiter returned with a huge rolling cart filled with small teapots. They had brought all the teas from the menu.
The waiter placed the teapots on Chohi’s table. Satisfied with the full table, she opened a lid and inhaled the aroma.
“Hm… black tea. Not quite the scent I expected…”
She hesitated and opened the next lid. After several rounds of smelling and tasting, she continued.
In truth, Chohi, who had never been to England, couldn’t distinguish the teas by scent.
But she had to pretend to know, so she acted extremely meticulous in choosing.
Finally, one teapot emitted a faint citrus aroma. Chohi’s expression softened at the familiar scent.
The aroma was delightful.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Hiranishi still watching her with keen interest.
Good. This should be enough.
Chohi smiled brightly in satisfaction.
“Ah, this is it! The tea from England.”
She called the waiter and quietly ordered a large amount of the citrus-scented tea, ensuring Hiranishi couldn’t hear.
Almost done.
Chohi stood, wearing a victorious smile, and sensed Hiranishi’s gaze as she headed outside.
Back at Gwanganga, Chohi laid out the clothes for a final check.
In the living room, with the teacup set and clothes in front of her, she frowned.
Now, she just needed to package it nicely…
“Hmm. Does it look too empty?”
She had procured the most ornate box she could find, but it still seemed lacking.
“Is there a way to make it more decorative?”
As she pondered, a voice broke her concentration.
“The living room looks bright.”
It was Dowoon, entering the room, eyes scanning the flowers and vases arranged throughout.
Ah, so that’s why the house smelled of flowers the past few days.
“Yes, it has brightened up the room.”
“I see.”
Dowoon stared at her, eyes expectant.
Curious, Chohi gestured for him to sit.
“Come here. I want to show you something.”
As Dowoon approached, Chohi pointed to the clothes in the box. His gaze dropped from her face to the garments. His brow furrowed.
“What is this?”
“Guess what it is.”
“Women’s clothing… isn’t it?”
Dowoon’s displeasure was obvious.
“You should have told me if you needed clothes. Why buy such shabby things?”
“Shabby? How can you be so oblivious? You can see at a glance that these aren’t modern clothes.”
“Is that so? I wouldn’t know.”
Men… Chohi shook her head.
“This is the key to opening Mrs. Minamoto’s heart.”
“Quite a unique key.”
“This is the Empire dress from Pride and Prejudice.”
Dowoon raised an eyebrow, silently asking her to explain further.
“I’m giving this dress to Mrs. Minamoto as a gift. I’m sure receiving it will soften her heart a little.”
“Is this the method you mentioned?”
Dowoon still sounded unconvinced. Chohi felt slightly disappointed by his reaction but continued spiritedly.
“I know you don’t trust me, but there’s nothing to lose. Trust me once. If it works, we can persuade Mrs. Minamoto to forgive us and return to the gathering. If it doesn’t, well, what worse could happen here?”
After her earnest explanation, Dowoon chuckled, a strangely persuaded expression on his face.
“Alright. But where did this come from?”
Dowoon pointed to the clothes again.
“Old-fashioned clothing, right? Not sold at Obokjeom, I assume?”
“I had my ways.”
Chohi felt proud she had done this alone, without Dowoon’s help. Doing her part in Sinuiju with no connections felt very satisfying.
“Actually, I had a chance to help someone before.”
“So that’s how you got help?”
“Yes. That person works at a company in the concession area, so they helped me find the dress.”
“How?”
“Did you know there are huge warehouses in Andonghyeon?”
“I do. Various companies use them as storage.”
“One of them had everything imaginable! It felt like an entire city from England had been transported there!”
Chohi excitedly recounted the adventure. But Dowoon’s expression gradually hardened.
“…You followed a stranger inside?”
“She wasn’t a stranger. It was broad daylight, and there were many people on the street—”
“So you followed her?”
Dowoon’s icy voice stopped her in her tracks. He was angry.
“It wasn’t dangerous.”
“And how do you judge that?”
“I can judge that much myself.”
“No, you can’t.”
Chohi bit her lip at his restrained anger.
True, she had followed someone unguarded, obsessed with finding the dress.
But it wasn’t something to be this angry about.
“Sinuiju is a gateway to the continent. Don’t you know all sorts of suspicious people come here?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not that naive either.”
Chohi needed to calm his anger. She bravely clenched her fist and shook it before his eyes.
“Remember? I even threw punches at you. If you had tried anything reckless, I wouldn’t have held back either.”
Dowoon watched her fist, then laughed as if exasperated, running a hand across his face.
His gaze flickered in a way she couldn’t imagine from the usual Dowoon. Chohi couldn’t tell what emotion it was.
