Chairman Han provided Gaeul and her mother an entire annex in his Hannam-dong mansion. The annex was small compared to the main building, but more than enough for the two of them to live comfortably.
He supported her in every way possible, allowing her to paint without any hindrance.
It was truly something to be grateful for, but why did a part of her feel uneasy?
“I’d like to see some of the paintings you’ve recently done.”
Startled out of her reverie by Chairman Han’s words, Gaeul quickly responded.
“Yes, Chairman. Shall I visit your study after the meal?”
“Let’s do that.”
Gaeul straightened her back and responded respectfully. Although it was a frequent occurrence, presenting her paintings to him still felt like proving her worth to stay in the house, making her inevitably tense.
Gaeul brought two of her recent paintings to the study and knocked twice on the door.
Entering the study, she placed the paintings on the brown wooden table, revealing the wood grain, and stepped back. Baekho, who had been sitting quietly in a wooden chair, now began to examine the paintings with a cool and critical gaze, different from the warmth he showed at the dining table.
“I’ve been busy preparing for the graduation exhibition, so I could only paint two pieces this month. I’m sorry.”
“Is that so?”
While Baekho was appreciating the paintings, Gaeul nervously diverted her gaze away from the art.
The study was adorned with paintings from various artists, befitting the Chairman’s love for art. Among them were a few paintings she made as a child, which fortunately matched the Chairman’s taste.
She noticed a new blue ceramic piece on a small side table.
‘I haven’t seen that one before…’
It seemed his interest had extended to ceramics. Chairman Han appreciated all things beautiful.
The conversation continues, focusing on the future and the expectations placed on Gaeul to carry on her father’s legacy in art.
Perhaps thanks to his discernment, the gallery operation, which began as a hobby, was able to firmly establish itself among other galleries with long-standing traditions.
Thanks to recognizing my father’s potential early on, he was able to gain fame through successive grand exhibitions at TS Gallery, and I know the gallery reaped substantial benefits from it.
That reminds me…
‘The two of you were… friends, right…?’
I often wondered about their relationship since I had never heard anything from my father, but the kindness Chairman Han extended was not something one would bestow on a mere acquaintance.
So, he must be taking care of me because I am my father’s daughter.
Even under the pressure to produce results, Gaeul was aware that the grace she had received was significant. The support she received as a young, talentless Gaeul was undoubtedly a losing investment. That’s why Gaeul felt burdened yet wanted to live up to Chairman Han’s expectations.
Meanwhile, Baekho looked alternately at the two paintings before him. One was a landscape depicting a shimmering lake under the moon and the other of petals scattering ethereally.
‘Oh…? Quite good.’
The moonlight subtly melted into the lake, creating a beautiful scene, and the petals used intense colors for a profound impression.
The paint was applied thickly, adding texture, making the paintings feel almost three-dimensional. Yet, it didn’t feel unbalanced.
‘My eye for talent was accurate.’
The child, who inherited talent in painting from her father, was now creating unique artwork that made one curious about her perspective on the subjects she painted.
Just like her father’s proud claims about his daughter’s paintings.
‘I like it.’
The first day he saw the paintings of the young girl, who learned only from her father without any other teachers, his eyes sparkled.
Not having a teacher played a major role. It almost spoiled her talent.
Who else could be a better teacher than that?
Contrary to his dismissal of Yoon Daeho’s pride as just a father boasting, the day Yoon Daeho first proudly showed his daughter’s paintings to Chairman Han, he decided to bring Gaeul to his gallery.
Her paintings were a spitting image of Yoon Daeho’s during his childhood.
She never once disappointed him.
“Well done. You may leave now.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
She pleased him with her paintings again.
Her work would surely be helpful to his soon-to-return grandson.
Watching Gaeul leave, Chairman Han smiled contentedly, just like Yoon Daeho used to do.
Gaeul left the study, breathing a sigh of relief.
Luckily, her recent paintings seemed to have pleased the chairman.
Though a repeated routine, she never grew accustomed to these assessments.
She still loved painting, but sometimes, a corner of her heart always felt uneasy, as if holding a brush sometimes felt like shackles.
“Sigh…”
Relieved, Gaeul exhaled deeply.
In the quiet main building, only the sound of Gaeul’s footsteps echoed.
The main building was home to Chairman Han’s eldest son, Han Daegyun, and his wife, Shin Mijeong. Their two sons currently lived their own lives: the eldest, Han Kijeong, had moved out after getting married, and the second, Han Kita, had taken over Chairman Han’s gallery business, expanding it overseas, so his room had been empty for a long time.
‘Will I run into him if I join TS Gallery?’
Among the galleries owned by Chairman Han, Hankitae, who expressed his desire to inherit the smallest one, not only expanded to eight locations within the country but was also in the process of increasing branches overseas. Having been selected as one of the six influential figures in the art world, he was well-known to many.
Becoming such a busy person, seeing his face had become as difficult as picking stars from the sky. I myself had seen him only a handful of times.
Yet, he remained vividly in my memory, especially the brief moment when I first encountered Hankitae.
The fleeting glance that brushed past me, the intense eyes beneath it, the firmly set nose, and his soft-spoken voice.
The reason that moment often comes to mind… is it because that day left a deep impression on me?
Or……
Shaking off her thoughts, Gaeul was about to leave the main building when she heard someone call her.
“Gaeul!”
Turning around at the sound of her name, she saw Mijeong coming down from the second floor. Mijeong greeted Gaeul warmly and elegantly descended the stairs to join her.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
