The soft light from the lanterns hanging on each pillar illuminated the Unseondang, without any flashy lighting.

Ji Yeon Woo, who did not understand a word of Nam Sung Hun’s meaning, turned her body a little more towards him and stood up straight.

Favor and impulse purchase. Not knowing how to respond to such puzzling words, she hesitated, and Nam Sung Hun continued.

“I have a favor to ask of you, Ms. Ji Yeon Woo.”

Favor. As the unexpected word popped out of Nam Sung Hun’s mouth, Yeon Woo’s eyes widened. It was hard to believe even after hearing it clearly.

“A favor? From me? Ah, yes. A favor.”

Although Nam Sung Hun was the one trying to ask for a favor, it was Yeon Woo whose posture became more humble.

She had been the first to ask for a favor, to work at Domyeong. So she quickly thought that it would be difficult to refuse his request.

However, she then thought that hopefully it would be a favor within her ability to grant.

‘What kind of favor could it be?’

Yeon Woo waited silently.

A faint smell of alcohol came from Nam Sung Hun, who was holding back his words after a brief pause. He didn’t seem drunk, but he had definitely been drinking.

“I’d like you to spare some time this coming weekend.”

“Pardon?”

She asked back in a slightly louder voice than before. At the request for her time, her heart dropped without knowing the reason.

Nam Sung Hun added, as if to explain to avoid any misunderstanding. It was a dry tone, devoid of the vaguely warm speech he had earlier.

“Some architecture-related people are coming from France, and it might be a bit overwhelming alone.”

“Ah…”

“I need someone to smile on my behalf.”

Yeon Woo lowered her eyelids with force and then raised them.

Needing someone to smile. Once again, she was at a loss for words on how to respond.

“You need someone to smile, to smile on your behalf, sir.”

“That’s right.”

“This weekend?”

“That’s right.”

Yeon Woo wore a hesitant expression. It wasn’t easy to respond, like someone running out of things to say. It was even unclear whether she should ask more questions or give an immediate answer.

She gathered courage and raised her gaze. Nam Sung Hun’s obvious gaze seemed to urge her to say something, anything.

Yeon Woo, having made up her mind, opened her mouth in a relatively low voice.

“I’d like to accept since it’s a request from you, sir, but I think you’ve misjudged me.”

“…”

“As you can see, I’m not really a person who smiles well.”

Nam Sung Hun tilted his posture slightly.

“That’s not true. You smiled well.”

“…”

“Like someone who had regained a lost country. You smiled really well.”

I smiled well? Me?

It was an absurd answer. She couldn’t remember ever smiling in front of this man, and she couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

“Perhaps you’re mistaking me for someone else? It doesn’t sound like me.”

“It is you I’m talking about.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever smiled.”

“Of course, it wasn’t in front of me.”

And that’s the infuriating point.

Nam Sung Hun swallowed the rest of his words and shoved his hands into his pockets. Yeon Woo’s gaze, which had turned profound, seemed to say that this was nonsense.

In fact, he had seen her with her cousin. She smiled well. It was unforgettable, and he had kept it in his memory.

Explaining felt petty. Nam Sung Hun exhaled briefly and opened his lips.

“Favors come with a price. A favor asked without considering the price one must pay is nothing but selfishness.”

It meant that since he had granted her request, she should not refuse his.

Yeon Woo, who immediately understood the meaning, tightly closed her lips. There was nothing wrong with his words, so she had no grounds to object.

Nam Sung Hun, reading the answer from Yeon Woo’s deflated expression, looked down at her with his chin raised.

“I’d appreciate it if you could consider this as part of your work duties. I’ll compensate you adequately, in various ways.”

Intending to end the conversation, Nam Sung Hun started to move. Yeon Woo, looking at his back, hastily added words.

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t think I’m the right person for this, sir.”

Nam Sung Hun let out a short breath.

“I’m not confident. It seems like an important occasion, maybe you should find someone else…”

“There is no one else.”

Nam Sung Hun turned back and looked straight at Yeon Woo.

“I have no intention of looking.”

“…”

“And I don’t want to look for anyone else.”

After a brief bow, Nam Sung Hun entered the Unseondang. Yeon Woo stood there blankly, only biting her lips.

*

The next day.

Nam Sung Hun, having finished his preparations for work, entered the main building. Yesterday’s breakfast, prepared for Nam Sung Hun who had some drinks, was a hot and refreshing codfish soup.

Nam Sung Hun took a spoonful of the hot soup. It would be quite hot if not blown on, but Nam Sung Hun continued his quiet meal without making a sound.

Moon Ok Rye, who was always thinking about meal preparations whether awake or asleep, assisted Nam Sung Hun with his meal. Meanwhile, Yeon Woo, who had gone to the main gate to fetch the mail, returned to the main building.

She had hurried to bring it back today, fearing she might end up walking alongside Nam Sung Hun like yesterday.

“Where’ve you been when the sir is havin’ his meal?”

Do Eun Ja, who always found fault with everything, asked grumpily as Yeon Woo put down the mail. Then Eun Ja turned away, hinting with her eyes for Yeon Woo to go into the dining room quickly.

Yeon Woo entered the dining room with hesitant steps. Nam Sung Hun was finishing his meal, and Moon Ok Rye was pouring lukewarm water.

After drinking the water and wiping his mouth, Nam Sung Hun looked at Moon Ok Rye.

“Manager Moon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nam Sung Hun’s gaze fell on Yeon Woo.

“Ms. Ji Yeon Woo will be unavailable for work this weekend, so please handle it accordingly.”

At this sudden statement, Moon Ok Rye was surprised, Yeon Woo lowered her gaze, and Eun Ja made a stern expression in surprise.

Moon Ok Rye glanced at Yeon Woo before looking back at Nam Sung Hun.

“Yes, I will do so.”

“Ms. Ji Yeon Woo will be away for the weekend. She’ll be accompanying me on business.”

“Yes, I understand, sir.”

It was a matter that required neither questions nor reasons. If Nam Sung Hun said so, then that was how it would be.

Having habitually strung together questions and cut off others mid-sentence, hadn’t Moon Ok Rye recently received a cold response from Nam Sung Hun? Moon Ok Rye finished his response without further comment. It was then that:

“What business could the sir have with a newbie that…”

Eun Ja, whose words always seemed to come out before her thoughts, muttered. Moon Ok Rye glared at her to be quiet, but it was already too late.

Surprisingly, Nam Sung Hun responded.

“There’s a dinner meeting with overseas architecture personnel, and I need someone to assist me.”

“Ah, yes. Assistance.”

Eun Ja gave a lukewarm response, oblivious to the situation. It would have been better if she had stopped, but Eun Ja muttered again.

“But what kind of assistance can a newbie who just washes dishes provide…”

Moon Ok Rye nudged her arm, urging her to be quiet, but this too was too late. Nam Sung Hun leaned back in his chair and looked intently at Eun Ja.

Feeling his gaze, Eun Ja cleared her throat unnecessarily and turned her head. Though not a tiger, the flash in his eyes was so intense that it naturally made her avert her gaze.

But even at moments like this, her lips moved on their own, and words that shouldn’t have been said spilled out.

“With just one call from you, sir, there’d be plenty of employees comin’ down from Seoul.”

“…”

When Nam Sung Hun didn’t respond, Eun Ja raised her head, thinking she had misspoken. It seemed she would never stop regretting her words until the day she died.

“I mean, I was just worried that a newbie might not be much help for your important work, sir, so please don’t mind…”

“Ms. Ji Yeon Woo has previous experience working as a secretary at her former company, which I took into consideration.”

The work history discovered in Yeon Woo’s resume, which she had left behind yesterday, served as a good excuse.

As Nam Sung Hun continued in a low voice, Eun Ja just blinked her eyes as if she hadn’t known. Nam Sung Hun, who had risen from his seat, stood noticeably in front of Eun Ja.

“The head office employees prioritize work-life balance, so it’s difficult to call them in on weekends. It’s a world where the lowest-ranking employees are the most feared.”

“Ah, yes, well…”

Nam Sung Hun’s gaze briefly scanned Eun Ja’s name tag. Then he raised his eyes again to look at Eun Ja.

“It’s unfortunate, but what can we do? I can’t take Manager Moon, and I certainly can’t take you, Ms. Do Eun Ja.”

“Oh my, what could I possibly do? It’s obvious I’d be more of a hindrance than help.”

“That’s what I mean. Even if not much help, one shouldn’t be a hindrance.”

“…”

“Don’t you agree?”

For the first time, Eun Ja kept her mouth shut.

Nam Sung Hun, who had been looking at Eun Ja as if suppressing her stubborn spirit, turned his gaze to Moon Ok Rye. Then his eyes caught Yeon Woo, who was staring intently at the floor.

Although she knew they were talking about her, Yeon Woo stood there expressionlessly, as if a completely unrelated conversation was taking place.

“Manager Moon, please arrange suitable formal attire for Ms. Ji Yeon Woo.”

“Sir, by formal attire, do you mean…”

“Something she’s never worn before and likely won’t be comfortable in.”

“I understand, sir.”

As Moon Ok Rye quickly answered, Nam Sung Hun left the main building.

After finishing their greetings, and only after Nam Sung Hun’s footsteps had faded far away, Eun Ja grabbed the hem of Moon Ok Rye’s clothes.

“Elder brother, what’s that thing Seoul employees consider important so they can’t be called? Wolla? What’s wolla? Do Seoul people learn to dance on weekends?”

Moon Ok Rye sharply pulled back the hem of his clothes that Eun Ja had grabbed and clicked his tongue.

“You won’t die a natural death unless you put a padlock on that mouth of yours. You’re just asking to get beaten up somewhere.”

“Oh my, our elder brother’s words are harsh this morning. Very harsh. I’ve lived like this my whole life, you think it’s something that can be easily fixed?”

As Moon Ok Rye and Eun Ja returned to the dining room, Yeon Woo was clearing away the dishes.

Eun Ja, who had plopped down in the chair the owner had left, looked at Yeon Woo’s back and muttered weakly.

“Hey, newbie.”

“Yes?”

“You worked as a secretary in Seoul? Did something cool?”

“No, it just happened briefly.”

Yeon Woo trailed off and hurriedly cleared the plates.

Everyone’s cool except me. Eun Ja let out a long sigh and looked at Moon Ok Rye.

“By the way, elder brother, what kind of clothes did he say to prepare? Should we search the foothills of Yeosong Mountain to find some heavenly maiden’s winged dress?”

Yeon Woo, who seemed embarrassed, quietly went back and forth clearing the table, her earlobes reddening. Moon Ok Rye, who had been watching silently, tapped the table and called Eun Ja.

“Hey, make a call. Tell them to come to Domyeong today.”

“Where? Ah, there?”

As if the thought had connected, Eun Ja pulled out her phone.

“Right. That place was there. Oh my, our elder brother’s mind still works so well at that age. How did you think of it so quickly?”

“Is there anywhere else that sells clothes like formal wear?”

“That’s right, that’s correct. It’s the pride of Moksan County, of course. Ah, newbie! You should know you’re blessed! Thanks to elder brother Moon, you’ll be living it up in a winged dress!”

Eun Ja, having found the business card saved in her phone’s photo gallery, awkwardly dialed the number.

A moment later, Eun Ja’s loud voice rang out.

“Hello? Is this Domyeong Costume Shop? This is Director Hong Geum Soon’s cell phone, right?”