Chapter 2
A week later.
Yoo-eun still hadn’t regained consciousness, but her physical condition had improved significantly.
During that time, Ye-eun had finished preparing to become Yoo-eun. It hadn’t been easy.
She had to imitate her older sister, who bore no resemblance to her except in appearance.
Ye-eun knew Yoo-eun’s situation and the work she did, but becoming Yoo-eun was a different matter entirely.
She was confident she could mimic Yoo-eun’s personality, but she couldn’t guarantee she could handle her responsibilities flawlessly.
No matter how perceptive and quick to adapt Ye-eun was, there were clear limits.
She not only had to enter the tiger’s den herself but also handle lodging and meals.
The tiger’s den—Chaseokjae. It was a sprawling mansion where the Yeongjae family and several staff resided. Yoo-eun stayed there specifically as a painter affiliated with the Yeongjae Gallery.
Up until a year ago, Yoo-eun had worked in the Chaseokjae studio while taking care of her meals and lodging. But now, she had additional duties.
This meant Ye-eun would have to manage Yoo-eun’s work, meals, and sleep at Chaseokjae.
As if fate hadn’t been cruel enough, Ye-eun found Yoo-eun’s work log in her modest bag.
The log briefly detailed Yoo-eun’s daily routine and information about Chaseokjae.
For a week, Ye-eun memorized the log and familiarized herself with the flow of tasks.
Of course, gaps were inevitable.
So Ye-eun also prepared plausible excuses for any oversights.
Yoo-eun’s phone was broken and unusable. Ye-eun had contacted Chaseokjae with another number and arranged for a week-long sick leave.
Finally.
“It’s huge.”
Ye-eun arrived at Chaseokjae. Stepping out of the taxi, she couldn’t stop herself from marveling.
It was far larger and more luxurious than she had imagined.
The main building housed the Yeongjae family, surrounded by a sprawling garden. Nearby, an annex was where Yoo-eun and the staff came and went.
It was a mansion worthy of its reputation.
Feeling a momentary sense of awe, Ye-eun adjusted her posture. Her bare nape still felt unfamiliar.
Entering the annex kitchen, all eyes turned to her.
“…H-Hello.”
Ye-eun greeted slowly, her expression tinged with quiet melancholy.
She quickly scanned the kitchen, committing the staff members to memory.
There were five in total: three seemed indifferent, one looked pleased to see her, and one appeared displeased.
“Cha Yoo-eun, come here for a moment.”
The displeased staff member called her over. Ye-eun followed quietly.
At the kitchen door:
“I heard you had a severe fever. How bad was it to take an entire week off?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You should be. You know that if one person is absent, someone else has to cover for them, don’t you?”
Ye-eun lowered her head and quickly checked the name tag. Yang Young-sook—the head housekeeper.
“…I apologize.”
Ye-eun pressed her lips together and cast her eyes downward.
“Sigh… I never thought you’d be like this, Cha Yoo-eun. Frustrating as it is, the work…”
At that moment, the kitchen door opened.
“Enough, unni. That’s never happened before. She must have had her reasons.”
The pleased staff member stepped out, speaking in Yoo-eun’s defense.
“Reasons? No matter how sick, I would never have allowed it.”
Yang Young-sook’s sharp glare made Ye-eun’s scalp tingle. She quickly noted the other staff member’s name tag.
“Yoo-eun, go and get to work.”
Kim Jeong-won, apparently a long-time staff member closely allied with Young-sook, was another key figure. Both were influential.
Given Young-sook’s fiery personality and hostility, she probably disliked Yoo-eun’s usual slow pace.
If Ye-eun moved slowly while learning tasks, it would only increase their resentment.
Then…
“Yoo-eun, what are you doing? Move quickly.”
“Well… I had a high fever and lost some memory…”
Better to take the blame with an excuse than be labeled incompetent.
Young-sook and Jeong-won’s eyes widened.
“…Was that unbelievable?”
A longer silence than expected followed. Ye-eun glanced up subtly to gauge their expressions.
They didn’t seem suspicious.
“Cha Yoo-eun!”
Young-sook called sharply.
“Yes?”
“You should have told us!”
“Unni, why are you yelling again?”
Jeong-won scolded Young-sook.
“She’s just surprised! That’s all.”
“But Yoo-eun must have been more startled.”
They bickered quietly. Ye-eun covered the corner of her mouth with her hand, feigning distress.
“…I’m sorry.”
Her face evoked sympathy.
“For what?”
“For what you’re apologizing for?”
Both Young-sook and Jeong-won exclaimed simultaneously.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yes… aside from some memory gaps, I’m fine.”
Ye-eun answered with a gentle smile.
“If you lost memory, you wouldn’t really be fine.”
“Then why get angry first?”
“Well… if we forgive once, they’ll do this repeatedly.”
“Yoo-eun wouldn’t do that.”
They continued their quiet squabble. Ye-eun listened silently.
“Mm, mm! Anyway, I’m sorry. I was a little sensitive.”
“That’s okay. It’s a natural reaction.”
Ye-eun waved her hands timidly. So far, so good.
Since they interacted frequently, their lack of suspicion was a sign she was mimicking Yoo-eun well.
“But, Yoo-eun… how much do you remember? You came here, so you haven’t forgotten everything…”
Ye-eun recited parts of the memorized work log, carefully inserting minor gaps.
Items whose locations weren’t in the log… small details.
“…My memory should gradually return.”
“That’s fortunate. There are parts we can help with.”
Jeong-won’s words earned a subtle nod from Young-sook.
“Well, until your memory returns, ask us anything.”
Ye-eun would have said “Thank you!” heartily, but Yoo-eun might hesitate.
“Still… I don’t want to trouble you two too much…”
“Doing things on your own without asking is more troublesome.”
Young-sook, though still prim, no longer showed hostility.
“…Then, thank you.”
Ye-eun’s eyes conveyed gratitude.
“But now, the time…”
“Oh! Already! Go quickly. Yoo-eun, ask us if you don’t remember anything.”
Young-sook and Jeong-won dashed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Ye-eun headed to a small room beside the kitchen to follow Yoo-eun’s routine.
According to the log, Yoo-eun prepared coffee instead of a weekday breakfast.
Her supervisor apparently drank coffee instead of a meal.
Breakfast with just coffee—it felt unusual for a Korean.
Having double-checked through Young-sook and Jeong-won, Ye-eun had no reason to hesitate.
The cups were here… four espresso shots, then to the far-right room on the second floor of the main building.
With her barista skills and experience from multiple part-time jobs, preparing coffee was easy for Ye-eun.
Everything was going surprisingly smoothly. She shrugged slightly, feeling she could handle this.
…That feeling didn’t last long.
Ye-eun arrived at the far-right room on the second floor—the study of Yoo-eun’s supervisor.
Her nerves spiked. Deceiving the staff was easy; the supervisor was different.
No, wait.
They didn’t know Cha Ye-eun existed. There was no reason to suspect another person identical to Yoo-eun.
That thought eased her tension somewhat.
She knocked twice, and was allowed in.
“I am Cha Yoo-eun. I am Cha Yoo-eun.”
Repeating it in her mind, she stepped in with a professional smile.
“Good morning.”
She had to suppress the awe rising in her chest.
Cha Do-kyung, grandson of the Yeongjae Group chairman and executive director of the group.
Yoo-eun had been his secretary for six months. The log suggested her duties were minor.
The person likely responsible for putting Yoo-eun in a difficult position remained uncertain. Ye-eun had to stay alert.
But…
“Wow… he’s really handsome.”
Had he just woken up? His shirt was perfectly tucked, hair immaculately neat, facial features sharp and commanding. His smooth skin reflected the light.
By far the most striking person she’d ever met.
Her heart began racing as she moved the tray, his gaze following her every motion.
“Are you feeling well now?”
His low voice resonated in the room.
“…Yes?”
“Being on sick leave for over a week suggests it was severe.”
Ye-eun tried to read his expression—it was difficult.
“…Ah, yes. I’ve recovered a lot.”
“I see.”
He still didn’t break his gaze.
Was he urging her to leave quickly?
As she reached his desk,
“Have you ever heard that people change after a severe illness?”
Another cryptic remark.
“Haha… yes, there’s such a saying.”
A chill ran down her spine. A bad sign.
As Ye-eun prepared to set down the cup and leave,
Do-kyung grabbed her wrist.
“…W-What!”
She tried to pull free, but he didn’t budge.
“Left hand on the coaster, right hand on the handle.”
Locking eyes with him, she froze.
“You’re holding it completely wrong.”
Facing those dark pupils, Ye-eun couldn’t move.
“Who… who are you?”
