Yeonwoo covered my face with both hands.
The hands that had covered my face for a while now felt rough after a quick dry wash.
Yeonwoo’s complexion, as he raised his head, didn’t look good at all.
In his usually delightful eyes, there was a mixture of worry, regret, and self-blame.
The conversation I had with Gaeul continued to linger in my mind.
The way she looked at me, rejecting my confession outright, and the disappointed gaze as she listened to the conversation about the painting.
She seemed rushed to escape as soon as she heard my confession, and in my impatience, I made a big mistake.
Originally, I intended to return the painting and confess my feelings…
But in my impatience, I used the painting as an excuse.
The eyes that seemed hurt, disappointed, or perhaps both, poked and stabbed at my heart.
The nervous Yeonwoo, who had been fidgeting for the past few days, suddenly stood up.
I didn’t know if she would accept it, but I desperately wanted to apologize for causing her pain.
Gallery staff came to Gaeul’s studio.
They were people I had seen a few times and had become somewhat familiar with.
They carefully wrapped Gaeul’s paintings to prevent any damage and skillfully loaded them onto the vehicle.
“Are both pieces going today?”
“Yes, there were some sent earlier.”
Gaeul answered with a broad smile. The staff member who loaded the paintings also smiled widely in response.
“I see. Then, we’ll be going.”
“Yes, thank you. Take care.”
The vehicle of the gallery staff who carried my paintings moved away from the studio.
Without realizing it, Gaeul turned her back to the now distant vehicle and returned to the studio.
After sitting for a few days, her whole body felt stiff, as if it had become twisted.
Gaeul stretched herself as if untangling the tension in her body.
Then, she looked around the studio.
“…I should probably clean up.”
She didn’t think about cleaning, only focusing on her work, and the air in the studio began to feel stuffy.
Gaeul opened the window wide for ventilation and swept the empty studio floor that had become dim with a broom.
“Ah, refreshing.”
Looking at the tidy studio, she suddenly felt like she had overcome another big mountain.
Gaeul wiped the sweat on her cheek and, pushing the easel to one side, finished cleaning.
Holding her phone, she left the studio.
‘I wonder what the boss is doing?’
Gaeul called Kita.
Having completed all the work for the exhibition, she wanted to spend time with him. She wasn’t sure if he would have time for her, given the tight exhibition schedule.
It was just a busy time with the exhibition and the gallery work simultaneously.
-Hello.
While Gaeul was lost in various thoughts, he answered the phone.
Gaeul spoke with a bright voice, “What are you doing, boss?”
“Boss! Are you busy right now? I wanted to have a conversation with you.”
No, I’m not busy.
“Really? That’s a relief…”
Various noises flowed through his handset as he answered that he wasn’t busy.
Gaeul momentarily listened closely to those sounds.
Take your time talking and come over, Director. I’ll be waiting.
Gaeul let out a small laugh.
He said he wasn’t busy, and she thought he was taking a break, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Yoon Gaeul?”
The noises disappeared unnoticed, and he seemed to have escaped to a solitary space.
Was it okay to take a break like this during work…?
Gaeul, responding to his pleasant voice calling her, asked with a smile, “Is it okay for you to take a break like this during work? If you had something to do, I could have called you later.”
Then he casually replied, “No, I wanted to take a break.”
Gaeul chuckled at his response.
“The meeting was incredibly boring, so your call was perfect.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So, Yoon Gaeul, why did you call?”
“Oh, um…”
Like a child who wanted to receive praise, Gaeul suddenly spoke to Kita.
“I completed the painting today and sent them all to the gallery!”
“Good job. Well done, Yoon Gaeul.”
“Hehe…”
Feeling good with his indifferent praise, Gaeul, with a careful smile, asked, “Boss, I wanted to ask you about something.”
“Yeah?”
“Now that all the exhibition preparations are done for today, and I want to be with you… Are you busy today, boss?”
In response to my question, he gave a friendly answer, releasing a pleasant laugh and immediately replied, “No, I’m not. Even if I have a schedule, I can cancel it. Yoon Gaeul finally has some free time.”
After going to the annex, Gaeul washed up and dressed up.
They planned to have dinner at a restaurant and spend time together at the apartment.
Therefore, tonight is an overnight stay.
“Mom, I’ll be sleeping at a friend’s place tonight.”
“Okay.”
After briefly stopping by the main building to greet her mother, Gaeul left the main building.
When Gaeul’s steps took her to the main gate, she suddenly stopped.
She encountered Yeonwoo, who was wandering outside.
“… Mr. Shin Yeonwoo.”
“Ms. Gaeul!”
“How on earth did you find out and come here…?”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
