Covetous Sponsorship (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
Three weeks ago, Gi Tae, who had been pulling all-nighters like they were meals due to overwhelming work upon returning to the department store, left the office late at night and slipped into the back seat of a black sedan.
Earlier, Gi Tae had told the driver to head to his officetel, but now he opened his heavy eyelids again and changed his mind.
“No, let’s stop by my family home first.”
“Yes, sir.”
It was because she suddenly came to mind.
I wonder if Yoon Ga Eul is doing alright.
He’d casually suggested she enter the design competition, then left her to her own devices for nearly two months—spring was almost over.
He hadn’t meant it as an empty remark; he’d simply been too busy to follow up. Still, it nagged at him enough that, despite his exhaustion, he decided to detour.
What had she drawn, and how much? Surely, two months had been enough time.
His grandfather had mentioned Yoon Ga Eul so often that Gi Tae already knew there was a studio for her behind the main building.
Still, this would be his first time visiting her studio or seeing her work in person.
She’s probably asleep by now.
He hadn’t intended to meet her—just planned to sneak a quick look at her paintings and leave. Maybe offer some advice if her work seemed off track.
“Should I call ahead and let them know the president is coming to the main house?”
“No, I’ll be out soon.”
“Ah, yes, sir.”
He rarely visited his family home, yet here he was, sneaking in at night—all because of Yoon Ga Eul.
He chose this late hour to avoid unnecessary trouble. Facing his grandfather, who had been in a foul mood since the gallery incident, would surely earn him a scolding—no doubt about it.
Soon, the familiar building came into view. Before stepping out of the car, Gi Tae instructed the driver.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, President. Take your time—I’ll wait here.”
Gi Tae stepped out of the back seat with a soft thud and walked toward the dimly lit house.
Since no one usually walked this way, the rear path was even darker. Carefully navigating the rough, rocky trail, he finally reached the end—and stared curiously at Ga Eul’s studio, from which light was softly spilling out.
He gently pushed the door open and found her still inside.
“Yoon Ga Eul.”
However…
“Hmm….”
She was fast asleep.
‘Has she been living here this whole time?’
He’d assumed she’d been sleeping in the annex, but there she was—slumped on the floor, face buried in a chair, wearing a paint-splattered apron and arm sleeves.
Because she’d rested her cheek against the paint-stained arm sleeves, a tiny patch of red paint now sat prettily on her other cheek.
Gi Tae let out a quiet chuckle, then tore his gaze away from her and quickly scanned the canvases lined up along one wall. Sketchbooks, filled to the brim with drawings, lay scattered haphazardly at his feet.
Picking up one of the sketchbooks, Gi Tae flipped through every page from cover to cover. He also carefully inspected each canvas standing neatly against the wall—some still damp with fresh paint, others fully dried and perfectly finished.
She’d mentioned majoring in Western painting under Yoon Dae Ho, and indeed, her landscapes and floral pieces were quite impressive—delicately rendered like fine embroidery.
He’d assumed they were simply to his grandfather’s taste, but clearly, her talent went beyond that of a mere rookie fresh out of college. Gi Tae stared at Ga Eul’s paintings for a long while.
‘Huh. Guess I didn’t need to worry after all.’
He’d worried for nothing.
Making sure Ga Eul could rest undisturbed, Gi Tae quietly turned off the studio light and left without a word.
Back in his car, he settled once more into the rear seat.
Silent as a shadow, the sedan slipped noiselessly away from the Hannam-dong family estate.
In the deep hush of late night, when everyone else was asleep, his secret visit had taken place.
* * *
Apologize?
Instead of answering, Ga Eul bit her lips tightly together.
If his frustration stemmed from the commotion, in truth, Chairman of Daelim Construction had done most of the shouting. Ga Eul had been too busy calming him down and explaining herself.
But if he took issue with the fact that the incident nearly damaged the reputation of the gallery he cherished… she had no defense. After all, she’d been the one to cause the whole mess.
Given that his goal had been a successful exhibition, his irritation was perhaps only natural.
Realizing this, Ga Eul instinctively glanced at him, trying to read his mood.
Knock knock.
Just then, a sharp knock shattered the silence. Ga Eul, who had been absentmindedly tracing floor patterns with her eyes, quickly looked toward the door.
‘It’s the director.’
Recognizing Director Park’s face—whom she’d briefly seen on exhibition day—Ga Eul immediately tugged her hat lower over her eyes.
Director Park entered the office already wearing a bright, cheerful smile and thrust a cup of iced tea with a straw toward Ga Eul, greeting her warmly.
“You’re Ga Eul, right? Here, have this.”
“Yes… Thank you, Director.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
How on earth did he recognize her even with the hat pulled so low…?
She hadn’t expected to run into him like this, so Ga Eul gave an awkward, sheepish smile.
Still beaming, Director Park—who had been staring at Ga Eul with delight—now turned toward his president.
Then, cautiously addressing the man who was still poring over documents, he asked,
“You came in a bit later today, President. Was work at the department store especially heavy?”
“Partly that, and partly because I had to go fetch Yoon Ga Eul.”
“Oh? Ah, I see… You went to fetch Ga Eul.”
Seemingly taken aback by the reply, Director Park quickly recovered and continued with practiced ease,
“Did you bring her—er, fetch her—because of the contract matter, perhaps?”
His emphasis on the word “contract” was unmistakable. Even Ga Eul, who’d been nervously stirring her iced tea straw out of embarrassment, suddenly lifted her head to look at Gi Tae.
The fountain pen in Gi Tae’s hand stilled mid-motion. He looked up and glanced between the two of them before letting out a sigh, as if deflated.
Of all people—here was the director, whom he’d asked to bring a drink, now barging in with questions, and Yoon Ga Eul, who’d caused a scene yet was looking up at him again with hopeful, expectant eyes.
Gi Tae didn’t address the director who’d asked the question; instead, he fixed his gaze solely on Ga Eul.
At that, Ga Eul flinched, quickly looked away, and hunched her shoulders.
She’s been avoiding my eyes like that ever since she saw me.
The corner of Gi Tae’s mouth twitched upward—a rare smile, though his eyes remained utterly cold.
“Honestly, what am I supposed to do with that brat?”
That infuriating little brat.
* * *
Recalling the paintings he’d personally seen three weeks ago, Gi Tae watched Ga Eul sitting there with an innocent expression and crooked one side of his mouth upward.
‘I’d planned to accept whatever she submitted, thinking it wouldn’t matter—but…’
Her style bore clear traces of Yoon Dae Ho’s influence, which Gi Tae actually appreciated, as he admired the older artist’s work. Her paintings aligned well with his own taste.
However, none of the pieces he’d seen that day matched the paintings sold at the exhibition. If it had been part of the “Rose Garden” series, he certainly would’ve recognized it.
The vivid red roses, bursting with life against a faded gray wall—that painting, Yoon Dae Ho’s most expensive work ever sold, remained crystal clear in his memory even after more than ten years.
Watching Ga Eul closely, Gi Tae asked quietly,
“Yoon Ga Eul, why did you submit the ‘Rose Garden’ series for the competition? You could’ve easily presented something else instead of that specific piece, couldn’t you?”
Caught off guard by his sudden question—she’d been mindlessly chewing her straw—Ga Eul startled and quickly replied,
“Since it was my first time showcasing my work publicly, I wanted to debut the series I’d promised my father to complete. The deadline we’d set was drawing near, and I wanted to confidently show both him and everyone else how much I’d grown.”
Though Ga Eul spoke logically and calmly, his next question followed immediately.
“Was that truly your only reason?”
“…Huh? Of course it was…”
“Are you sure?”
“…”
His sharp tone left her momentarily speechless. After a pause, she gathered herself and continued calmly,
“It’s a piece I resolved to finish someday, ever since making that promise to my father fourteen years ago. I simply decided to paint it now.”
Ga Eul believed she’d convinced him completely. But with a faint scoff, he leaned in and said pointedly,
“Don’t lie. You’re saying this decision suddenly came to you three weeks before the submission deadline—when you hadn’t even considered it until then?”
“What?”
“Wasn’t it because you lacked confidence and leaned on your father’s fame?”
“What are you—”
“I visited your studio three weeks ago—to see what you’d painted, how, and how much.”
“…!”
Ga Eul’s face went pale.
She never imagined he already knew… Now understanding exactly why he was angry, she had no choice but to confess.
“…You’re right. Honestly, if I’d had more time, I would’ve waited until my skills improved further—painted it later, not now.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Because I had to meet the condition… I didn’t have a choice.”
She looked away, bracing herself for a scolding.
Sure enough, his voice followed instantly.
“That painting surely had its own proper time. It wasn’t meant to be revealed at this exhibition.”
Biting her lip in silence for a moment, Ga Eul finally burst out, her voice filled with wounded pride,
“But it wasn’t just because of that! That painting is precious to me—I could never afford to ruin it! I wasn’t trying to ride on my father’s name without skill of my own…”
Her voice grew smaller, tinged with dejection, as she continued,
“But… if you think I cheated… I’ll accept it. I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”
At her sincere apology, Gi Tae fell silent for a moment.
Then, his tone shifted completely from before.
“It would’ve been possible even without that painting. What I meant was, you’d have had the chance to paint the series whenever you truly wanted to.”
“Huh…?”
Stunned by his words, Ga Eul’s eyes widened in disbelief.
But he wasn’t finished.
“I also acknowledge how you cleverly drew people’s attention, and that you submitted work mature enough to take responsibility for your choice.”
Seeing Ga Eul just blinking in shock, he spoke softly,
“That’s enough. Come to TS and show us what you’re capable of.”
After dropping that hint, he called his secretary—ordering her to prepare the contract.
“We’ll sign after work hours, so stand by.”
“…Yes!”
Jolted out of her daze, Ga Eul quickly replied.
He was saying it would’ve worked even without her father’s series…
She still couldn’t believe he’d seen all her paintings—and accepted them. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, swelling with emotion.
* * *
Inside a private room of a renowned Korean restaurant, a dinner gathering of chaebol chairmen was underway.
Han Baek Ho, arriving last, was ushered into the room by a staff member and immediately greeted by several voices.
“There you are, Chairman Han.”
Among them, Shin Min Cheol, Chairman of Daelim Construction, was clearly the most enthusiastic.
“Please sit right across from me. Let me pour you a drink.”
“Heh heh, gladly.”
A delicate ceramic bottle was filled with aged liquor, which Shin Min Cheol poured generously into a blue celadon cup. Watching Han Baek Ho down the drink in one gulp, Shin Min Cheol burst into hearty laughter.
Then, as if he’d been waiting impatiently for just this moment, he spoke the instant Baek Ho set his empty cup down.
“Do you know who I saw recently?”
“Who was it?”
“Painter Yoon Dae Ho’s daughter! Haha—must’ve taken after her father; she paints remarkably well.”
“Oh? Is that so…?”
Han Baek Ho briefly quirked a smile at Shin Min Cheol’s words, popped a slice of grilled beef into his mouth, and took another sip of liquor.
For some reason, the alcohol tasted especially good tonight—it was going down smoother than usual.
‘Han Gi Tae, you sly dog. Said you didn’t want her, but you knew I’d react like this.’
Her talent was truly exceptional.
He’d always believed she’d one day raise the gallery’s prestige as much as Yoon Dae Ho himself—but he hadn’t expected news of her to reach him so soon, and through Chairman Shin, no less.
To Baek Ho, Ga Eul was the perfect protégé to showcase—especially with the added appeal of being Yoon Dae Ho’s daughter.
He’d summon her back to the main house soon.
Hahahahaha!
Baek Ho’s booming laughter echoed loudly through the hanok.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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