Munjeong - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 

In a low, whispering voice, Chaeon bit the inside of her lip hard. The pain felt suffocatingly intense, as if the blow she had barely managed to recover from not long ago had struck the same spot again.

 

This is why I didn’t want to do this.

 

Of course, it wasn’t as if he could have foreseen this happening, but the situation, which felt like being struck by lightning for briefly enjoying something beyond her means, caused her resentment to flare in unexpected directions.

 

As Chaeon looked up at him with reddened, reproachful eyes, Taeha simply looked back at her in silence.

 

Even that rainy day, when she sat at the bus stop with her swollen cheek and bleeding lips, Chaeon had never once let out a cry. Rather than showing any sign of her pain, she had begged him not to let it show and tried to hide it.

 

And even now.

 

Unless she was born indifferent… Taeha’s gaze, as he traced through the possibilities forming in his mind, sank into deep darkness. Back then, it was just a suspicion; now, it was certainty. She had grown used to enduring violence. And to having her emotions gradually eroded.

 

As he stared at Chaeon’s tear-filled, reddened eyes, Taeha began to speak, only to stop. He slowly removed his hand from where it had been holding her chin.

 

Meanwhile, Son Ju-ah, who had been staggering, breathed heavily as she glanced around. Then, she grabbed a golf club from a corner near the entrance to the living room. She had completely lost her composure and was about to swing it at the piano.

 

“Mother!”

 

A sudden, sharp exclamation interrupted. Both Taeha and Chaeon turned their heads at the same time. Standing at the center entrance, Yeonjun had a look of utter disbelief on his face as he took in the scene before him.

 

“…”

 

Yeonjun’s cold, sinking gaze lingered on Taeha for a moment before moving to Son Ju-ah and then to Chaeon, one by one. It seemed he had already grasped the situation from a quick glance. Letting out a long sigh, he tilted his head back and strode toward them with large steps.

 

“Mother. Put that down.”

 

“H-h…”

 

“Give it to me.”

 

“U-uh…”

 

“Give it to me. Now.”

 

Yeonjun, who seemed utterly exhausted, pressed a hand to his temple and extended the other toward her. Son Ju-ah, who had been resisting with strange, choking noises, handed him the golf club with a crestfallen expression, as though she had just been scolded.

 

“This is…”

 

Such chaos was unheard of in this mansion. The confusion was evident on Chairman Jang’s face as he entered, following behind Yeonjun. However, his face quickly hardened with anger.

 

“What is all this ruckus?”

 

“A-ah…”

 

At last realizing what she had done, Son Ju-ah collapsed to the floor like a limp rag. Chairman Jang, who had approached with a sharp glare, cast a brief glance at Chaeon before turning to Taeha.

 

“I was only gone for three hours. What on earth is this?”

 

“I heard from Secretary Gwak over the phone. Did you have a good trip?”

 

Despite the chaotic situation, Taeha’s response was calm. Chairman Jang replied with a displeased expression.

 

“Yes, the trip went well enough, but…”

 

The commotion, which disrupted what should have been a peaceful afternoon, put Chairman Jang on edge. Most of all, the fact that Son Ju-ah was at the center of it all seemed to deeply unsettle him. Sensing this, Taeha lightly grasped his grandfather’s hand and quietly responded.

 

“Movers came to transport the piano, and the tuner as well.”

 

“The same tuner who’s been visiting Song Baek-won to work on Ha-yeon’s piano?”

 

“Yes, the tuning went well. Afterward, I asked the woman, who’s the daughter of the housekeeper who recently came back, to test the piano. A bit of a commotion broke out during that.”

 

“And then?”

 

“That’s all.”

 

Taeha set a clear boundary and glanced at Secretary Gwak, who immediately caught on, slightly bowed his head, and approached Chairman Jang.

 

“Chairman, there’s a minor matter regarding the expansion of the department store annex that I’d like to discuss briefly.”

 

“Wait a moment, Secretary Gwak. Right now, this mess…”

 

“Grandfather.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ll handle it.”

 

“You, Taeha…”

 

“You should rest.”

 

Taeha gently placed a reassuring hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. Subtly steering him toward Secretary Gwak’s direction, Chairman Jang reluctantly walked away, muttering about how his grandson must be tired of listening to his nagging.

 

Only after ensuring that his grandfather and Secretary Gwak had disappeared down the hallway did Taeha brush his hair back and survey the scene once more.

 

“H-h… My son, what have I done…”

 

“How much did you take?”

 

“I… I don’t know…”

 

Supporting the weeping Son Ju-ah, who looked utterly drained, Yeonjun, rubbing his face with his hands, gestured to a servant standing nearby, visibly distressed.

 

“Yes, young master.”

 

“Escort Mother to her room.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“From now on, monitor how much medication she takes—morning, afternoon, and night—rotating shifts if necessary.”

 

“Understood.”

 

The servant, helping the staggering Son Ju-ah, gave a quick bow and hurriedly left the room. Watching this, Taeha smirked slightly.

 

Hah. Even now, she couldn’t bring herself to say she would take her there personally. Normally, she would’ve been all smiles, lovingly tending to her mother. But the sudden shift in her demeanor… It must be because of something this house now had that it didn’t before.

 

“Chaeon…”

 

“Jang Yeonjun.”

 

Yeonjun’s voice was drowned out by Taeha’s. His steps toward Chaeon came to a halt, and the two men’s gazes met mid-air once more. Taeha, casually nudging the golf club at Chaeon’s feet aside with his toe, spoke bluntly.

 

“You’ve been given the vessel you deserve.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t think of escaping.”

 

Staring directly at the light brown eyes that had sunk coldly, Taeha gently pulled Chaeon’s wrist, just as Yeonjun had done not long ago. As if waiting for this moment, her expression stiffened noticeably. Taeha twisted his lips into a faint smile.

 

“There’s nothing here in Song Baek-won that belongs to you.”

 

It was Taeha’s way of warning both Son Ju-ah and Yeonjun to be cautious with their actions. But could it really end there? There was an odd sense of dissonance lingering at the edges. Before long, Chaeon was completely obscured behind Taeha’s figure, entirely out of view. Yeonjun clenched his teeth silently.

 

Ignoring Yeonjun’s gaze fixed on him, Taeha led Chaeon out of the lobby without looking back.

 

Feeling the persistent gaze following him, Taeha was finally certain. Jang Yeonjun, no matter the direction of his emotions, held an interest in Yoon Chaeon.

 

Undeniably so.

 

—

 

The place where Taeha led Chaeon was the dining room located in the staff quarters. The family members of Song Baek-won rarely visited the staff quarters, so the employees, who were taking a brief break, were startled nearly out of their wits by Taeha’s sudden appearance, scrambling to greet him.

 

“Y-young master, what brings you here…?”

 

“If you needed something, you could have just called for us.”

 

The staff had been sharing a box of luxury cookies recently received as a gift along with a wedding invitation from the head of a certain company. At a subtle glance from Kwon, the most seasoned and experienced among them, the flustered employees quickly bowed and filed out of the dining room one by one.

 

But as always, the family’s eldest young master was indifferent to the abruptly chilled atmosphere, merely looking around the dining room as if searching for someone. Kwon’s pupils trembled slightly as she tried to guess why someone so highborn would bother walking into a place reserved for the staff.

 

“Mrs. Kwon.”

 

“Yes, young master. Is there something I can assist you with?”

 

At Kwon’s eager inquiry, Taeha silently pulled Chaeon, who had been standing almost completely hidden behind him, out into view.

 

“Oh my goodness, Chaeon. Why is your face…?”

 

Rushing toward Chaeon in shock, Kwon looked up at Taeha with a distressed expression. Taeha glanced at Chaeon before offering an explanation.

 

“The lady of the house, in her state of heightened nervousness due to medication side effects, happened to notice her.”

 

The lady of the house? He had clearly referred to her as “Mother” not long ago… Pretending not to notice the subtly altered title, Chaeon quietly lowered her head, while Kwon frowned deeply, sighing in pity.

 

“Oh dear, I see. You must have been so startled. But why would the lady of the house, who’s usually asleep at this hour…”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Fine? Hardly.

 

Despite having been slapped outright, Chaeon’s demeanor was calm, as if nothing had happened. This made Taeha furrow his brow.