Munjeong - Chapter 21

 

“…….”

 

Taeha slowly opened his eyes and murmured in a low voice.

 

“Jang Yeonjun, to Yoon Chaeon’s school.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What did he do there?”

 

“It seems he met one of the male students at that school. I’m not exactly sure what they talked about.”

 

“The exact timing?”

 

“That’s…”

 

Listening quietly to the continued report, Taeha let out a hollow laugh. There was a vague picture coming together in his mind. He had already planted Im Sunho with the intention of keeping Jang Yeonjun and his mother in his grasp, but thanks to that, he had come across an unexpected piece of information.

 

No matter what kind of interest Jang Yeonjun was beginning to have in Yoon Chaeon, digging into it in detail might lead to some rather shocking discoveries.

 

“Secretary Kim.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Investigate that boy Jang Yeonjun met.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

“Everything about his relationships.”

 

“Everything, you mean…?”

 

“His friendships, his romantic relationships, things like that.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

“About Yoon Chaeon as well.”

 

After a brief silence, Secretary Kim once again responded quietly, “Understood.”

 

“Good work. You may go now.”

 

With a gesture marked by fatigue, Taeha dismissed him.

 

As the study door closed quietly, a meaningful smile deepened on his lips. It seemed he had stumbled upon a rather interesting trail.

—

 

“Reframe… to reconstruct. Entrepreneur… entrepreneur. Elaborate… intricate.”

 

Plop. A leaf fell onto the vocabulary book spread open on her lap. Immersed in memorizing words, Chaeon flinched and looked up.

 

The air brushing past her nose was growing dry. Autumn had quietly arrived at Songbaekwon. The season when the trees, which had thrived under a lush green canopy, began shedding their leaves. Though the branches were withering, the warmth of summer lingered, and fortunately, the afternoon sun was still gentle.

 

“…….”

 

Chaeon picked up the leaf that had fallen on her vocabulary book and smiled unconsciously. It was so perfectly heart-shaped that she wondered if someone had cut it to look like that. The veins etched on the leaf were vivid.

 

How fascinating. I should definitely show this to the young master later. Feeling as though she had made an extraordinary discovery, Chaeon stared at the special leaf with a contented smile before tucking it between the pages of her notebook and standing up.

 

It was a rare leisurely weekend. With the college entrance exam just around the corner, she felt guilty about indulging in such peaceful moments, but the sight of autumn layering itself over the summer landscape of Songbaekwon, filled with the scent of grass and morning dew, naturally calmed her heart. In the distance, the Mokasan mountain ridge surrounding Munjeong City was already tinged with golden and reddish hues.

 

Lately, Chaeon often studied in the garden in front of the staff quarters to soak in such scenery. After filling her mind with words and solving practice problems, her temples throbbed. Deciding she needed a short break, she pulled out her phone.

 

[Are you in your room? If you’re busy, no need to reply.]

 

When she returned from school, it had become a routine for Chaeon to help Heejung with some chores before grabbing her notes and heading to Yeonjun’s room. Those aware of Chaeon’s occasional visits to his room assumed it was simply because the college-educated young master was kind enough to tutor the servant’s daughter.

 

Thanks to his clear and patient explanations, Chaeon’s math scores had significantly improved, a stark contrast to before. Every time she happily mentioned how well she was doing, Yeonjun would smile along with her in that gentle way of his.

 

Her phone vibrated briefly in her hand, signaling a message.

 

[(Photo)]

 

“Oh?”

 

To her surprise, the message from Yeonjun was a photo of beautifully sliced figs arranged on a plate.

 

[Want to come and have some figs?]

 

And beneath that, a warm question. It was as if his tone came through even in the text. Smiling so brightly that dimples appeared, Chaeon quickly replied.

 

[I’ll be right there.]

 

As always, a soft, warm feeling spread through her chest. Just as she started walking toward Yeonjun’s room, her steps faltered at the sight of a group of people gathered in the distance.

 

‘The eldest master’s friends are visiting today, so try to avoid that area. They might not like being disturbed while they’re enjoying themselves.’

 

She vaguely remembered hearing Mrs. Kwon instructing some staff early that morning, and sure enough, the pool in the main house’s garden was lively and noisy.

 

On one of the loungers by a table, a woman in a swimsuit with a strikingly elegant figure reclined alongside Taeha. The swimsuit wasn’t overly revealing, yet it highlighted her curvaceous silhouette, and her pale, radiant beauty was remarkable.

 

“Who’s that?”

 

The woman, biting into a Florentine cookie served with a cocktail, gestured toward Chaeon with her chin, prompting Taeha to turn his head toward her slowly. Wearing a dark robe, his hair and face were damp, glistening with drops of water.

 

Caught off guard by the glimpse of sculpted muscles revealed through the slightly open robe, Chaeon quickly lowered her gaze. Everyone else was scantily clad as well, leaving her unsure of where to look. Embarrassed, she bowed her head and tried to pass quietly, but a man swimming toward the edge of the pool suddenly emerged from the water.

 

“Phew!”

 

“Ah!”

 

Startled by the man suddenly surfacing, Chaeon practically jumped, dropping her vocabulary book and collapsing beside Taeha’s lounger. The man, brushing water off his face as he sat on the deck, grinned at her.

 

“Who’s this? Don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

 

For a moment, Chaeon froze in place, unable to move. She could feel the warmth of someone who had just finished intense physical activity and Taeha’s distinct scent next to her.

 

“Hey there, kid.”

 

The man, glancing her up and down, playfully extended his hand. Chaeon let out a small sigh and ignored his gesture, lifting her head instead, only to meet Taeha’s peculiar gaze directed at her.

 

“…….”

 

Drops of water continued to fall from his slightly damp hair, slicked back, and his gaze, sunken and indifferent, pierced through her. Her heart pounded wildly as Chaeon swallowed dryly and hastily picked up the vocabulary book that had fallen at her feet before standing up abruptly.

 

“She’s pretty,” the woman sipping her cocktail next to Taeha remarked in a casual tone, drawing the curiosity of another man leaning his arms on the pool deck.

 

“Indeed. Who’s the kid?”

 

As the man lazily asked, Taeha, who had been quietly observing Chaeon, finally opened his mouth.

 

“A servant.”

 

“…….”

 

His curt reply was like a sharp prick to her chest, leaving a stinging ache.

 

“Huh? Isn’t she a bit too young to be a servant? Do they even employ kids that young?”

 

“If she’s living here as the daughter of a servant, then she’s a servant too.”

 

“Ah, in that sense?”

 

The unfamiliar man burst out laughing as if he found it amusing. While not incorrect, her chest throbbed painfully at the harsh truth. Just as Chaeon turned to leave, no longer wanting to stand there any longer, she was stopped by the sound of her name.

 

“Yoon Chaeon.”

 

The low voice uttering her name sent her heart sinking as if it had dropped. When she turned back, Taeha lightly flicked his empty glass with his finger, a soft ting resonating, and met her gaze with his languid eyes.

 

“Could you bring me some water?”

 

It wasn’t the dry, commanding tone he usually used but a foreign and unfamiliar request. Strangely, this made Chaeon feel even more flustered. She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t some maid to be ordered around at his convenience, but his words became a chain. As the daughter of a servant, doing what the household requested was her reality, no matter how she felt.

 

“Yes.”

 

Fearing even the slightest touch, she carefully accepted the glass, held by his slender fingers. Just then, the woman beside him shook her own empty glass.

 

“Oh, could you get mine too—”

 

“No.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“One glass is enough.”

 

“…….”

 

“Fill it to the brim with ice, too.”

 

The woman awkwardly withdrew her hand, and Taeha’s dark gaze lingered solely on Chaeon. Biting her lip, she bowed her head slightly and walked toward the dining room with her back to them.

 

Clink. The ice dispensed from the refrigerator filled the glass, and water flowed over it until it was full. The clinking sound of the ice in the transparent glass was refreshing, but her chest felt oddly heavy.

 

Returning to the poolside, Chaeon caught sight of the woman by Taeha’s side feeding him a cookie. He accepted it with a slight parting of his lips, indifferent as always. A surge of inexplicable irritation tightened her chest as Chaeon averted her gaze and approached them.

 

“Here’s the water you asked for.”

 

“…….”

 

Taeha accepted the glass from her and glanced at it briefly before turning to the woman beside him.

 

“The cup.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Looking puzzled, the woman handed over her empty cup, which Taeha then passed back to Chaeon.

 

“Could you fill this one too?”

 

“…….”

 

It was still warm enough for sweat to form lightly on her forehead. Chaeon stared at him in frustration. If this was the plan, he should’ve accepted when the woman offered earlier. Then she would’ve only had to make one trip. Resisting the urge to frown, she accepted the glass and bowed slightly.

 

Returning to the dining room, she filled the second cup with ice and water, but an unsettling emptiness grew in her chest. Why did she, of all people, have to serve water to a woman she’d never met before?

 

Chaeon looked up at the high ceiling, taking a deep breath to suppress her annoyance, before heading back to them.

 

“Here’s the water.”

 

“You could’ve just asked her to bring both glasses at once, Taeha. The girl had to make two trips for no reason.”

 

The woman, less irritating than Taeha, made a fair point. However, Taeha, wearing an unreadable expression, simply glanced at Chaeon and muttered in a low voice.

 

“True.”

 

“…….”

 

Go ahead, spill it while you’re drinking, she thought bitterly. Determined to avoid being called back, Chaeon quickly added, “Then I’ll be on my way now—oh!”

 

It all happened in an instant. Just as the glass was being handed over to Taeha, it tilted mid-air. Half the water spilled onto Chaeon’s T-shirt and shorts, and the ice tumbled down with a clatter.