Covetous Sponsorship (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Ga Eul, who had waited until he finished all his work, finally found herself sitting across from him with the contract right before her eyes.
Staring intently at the ink seeping into the signature line, Ga Eul unconsciously tapped her feet impatiently.
Her usual composure slipped, revealing a childlike innocence befitting her age.
Noticing this, he set down his fountain pen and asked pointedly,
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, it’s just…”
Ga Eul scratched her head shyly as she replied,
“I’m just really happy.”
She was overjoyed—not for anything else, but because he had acknowledged her through her art.
Yet, suddenly worried he might see her as just a naive child, she hastily drew her feet together, sat up straight, and squared her shoulders.
At that, he let out a soft chuckle, turned the fountain pen and documents toward her, and said,
“You know I don’t accept just anyone, right?”
“Yes, of course!”
“It’s not something I hand out lightly, so don’t even think about slacking off.”
“Absolutely. I won’t.”
Ga Eul, brimming with joy, obediently agreed to his words.
He slid the signed contract toward her and said,
“Go ahead, sign it.”
“…Okay.”
So this was it—the contract was finally happening.
Ga Eul reached for the contract as she accepted the fountain pen.
A rosy flush bloomed across her cheeks, and she couldn’t hide her excitement.
With utmost sincerity, she signed her name neatly in the designated space.
After Ga Eul set the pen down, he gathered the documents and stood up. She quickly followed suit. Fidgeting with her fingertips for a moment, she shyly spoke up.
“Mr. Han Gi Tae… Thank you. I look forward to working with you.”
To that, he suddenly said,
“Alright. But how long are you going to keep calling me ‘Mr. Han Gi Tae’?”
“Huh…?”
“We’ve already signed the contract.”
“Oh…”
For the first time all day, Ga Eul—who had been anxious all day—broke into a wide smile and addressed him,
“Yes… President.”
Using her new form of address.
* * *
That evening,
After finalizing the contract, she felt an irresistible urge to paint something new.
Still buzzing with excitement, Ga Eul headed toward her studio.
But her hurried steps came to an abrupt halt in front of the main building.
‘Huh? Why is it so bright?’
Normally, the area just beyond the main building should have plunged into darkness by now, yet everything was unusually well-lit. In fact, she could clearly see the outline of her studio—which usually only came into view after walking a bit farther—from right here in front of the main building.
Ga Eul lifted her head, following the source of the light.
Strings of soft-glowing lamps, evenly spaced, had been installed along the path—though she had no idea since when.
When exactly were these put up…?
While Ga Eul stood there, puzzled and staring at the lights,
“Oh, Ga Eul! Where are you off to?”
She turned around to see An San, who worked alongside her mother, stepping out from inside the main building.
Ga Eul walked over and answered,
“I was just heading to the studio—I felt like painting a bit.”
“At this late hour…? Why not paint tomorrow during the day? You should go to bed early tonight.”
“I’ll just paint for a little while.”
“But the studio’s so far away—you’ll be all alone. Won’t you be scared?”
“It’s fine now…”
Ga Eul looked up at the lights and added,
“It’s nice and bright.”
The lamps seemed to guide her all the way to the studio entrance, ending precisely there.
Truthfully, the path to her studio at night had always been a bit frightening.
“Auntie, why were these lights suddenly installed?”
Could this be another one of the Chairman’s whims? Maybe he’d noticed how dark the path was during his late-night returns.
As Ga Eul pondered this, An San replied,
“Oh, these? The second young master ordered them to be put up.”
“Really…? Why…?”
Suddenly, she remembered he’d visited her studio about three weeks ago.
Realizing that, the warm glow of the lights seemed to seep into her heart, filling it with warmth.
‘Should I go thank him?’
At the thought of him, her heartbeat—previously slow and steady—quickened slightly.
* * *
A few days later, while painting in her studio, Ga Eul received a call from Mi Jeong and headed to the main building. Fortunately, it was after Chairman Han had already arrived, so she could move about freely without worrying.
“Ga Eul!”
“Yes, Madam.”
Seeing Mi Jeong again in the main building after so long, Ga Eul offered a slightly awkward smile. Mi Jeong rushed over, clasped both of Ga Eul’s hands in hers, and shook them warmly as she said,
“It’s been far too long! Even though you’re just in the annex, we haven’t bumped into each other at all.”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
Knowing the reason for that distance lay in her own insistence on “independence,” Ga Eul felt momentarily embarrassed.
She’d been deliberately avoiding the area in front of the main building to keep from awkwardly running into Chairman Han—and as a result, hadn’t seen Mi Jeong either.
Soon, Mi Jeong waved the awkwardness away, clearly not wanting to dwell on the topic. Instead, she asked,
“Ga Eul, I heard you’ve joined Gi Tae Gallery?”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Madam.”
Ga Eul accepted the congratulations with a gentle smile.
Then, Mi Jeong smirked playfully and asked her point-blank,
“So, does that mean you’ll be seeing our Gi Tae often now?”
“Huh?”
Although Ga Eul had only asked out of surprise, Mi Jeong seemed to take it as a positive response.
Without another word, Mi Jeong pressed two shopping bags—each brimming with sealed containers—into Ga Eul’s hands and gave her a bright smile.
“Then can you take these side dishes to him?”
.
.
.
Holding the side dishes from Mi Jeong, Ga Eul stared at the number displayed on her phone screen—the same unfamiliar number now labeled “President.”
“…Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?”
She found it hard to simply make the call.
After turning completely pink-cheeked and even straightening her posture, Ga Eul finally took a deep breath and carefully pressed the number.
As soon as the dial tone began, her heart started racing anxiously.
After what felt like forever with no answer, just as she was about to hang up, his voice suddenly came through.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“…President?”
Surprised he’d actually picked up, Ga Eul called out in a startled voice, prompting him to say,
“Why so shocked?”
“I guess… I am.”
Embarrassed, Ga Eul gave an awkward little laugh—and distinctly heard him chuckle through the receiver.
Though her sudden reaction seemed silly and amusing even to herself, his voice came through warmly, tinged with amusement, as he asked softly,
“So, why’d you call?”
His voice sent a tickle down her spine.
“Oh, well… Madam asked me to deliver some side dishes to you, so I was planning to drop by your officetel. I just wanted to check what time you’ll be leaving work.”
“…I already told her it’s not necessary.”
Knowing this wasn’t directed at her, Ga Eul stayed silent and waited for his reply.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate, so I’m not sure when I’ll be done…”
After a brief pause, he let out a sigh through the receiver and made a quick request.
“Could you just leave them at the gallery instead?”
* * *
Ga Eul pushed open the glass door—less unfamiliar than the first time—and stepped inside.
She went straight to the elevator and headed up to the office, where she found Director Park.
“Director, hello.”
Spotting Ga Eul, he approached her with a cheerful grin. She met his eyes and responded with a faint smile of her own.
“Ah, Miss Ga Eul—you’re here! Good to see you. Come on in.”
Ever since learning she was Yoon Dae Ho’s daughter, he’d been unusually kind to her. Ga Eul touched her cheek lightly and thought to herself,
‘I’m just his daughter…’
Her paintings couldn’t possibly become Yoon Dae Ho’s—but apparently, others didn’t see it that way. Merely being his daughter made people view her differently.
Truthfully, she had no right to complain—after all, she’d used that very fame to seal her contract. She was simply amazed that people liked her purely because of who her father was.
‘I don’t even know how I found the courage back then…’
A fresh memory surfaced—of being carried piggyback by the President as punishment for her bold lie—and Ga Eul couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle.
Director Park looked at her quizzically, as if asking why she was laughing, and Ga Eul quickly shook her head.
Still puzzled, he asked,
“What brings you to the gallery today?”
Ga Eul held up the containers of side dishes she’d been carrying in both hands and answered,
“I have something to deliver to the President.”
“Oh, in that case, just give them to me.”
Ga Eul handed the shopping bags to Director Park. Realizing they were side dishes, he neatly arranged them inside the office refrigerator.
Watching him, Ga Eul hesitated before asking,
“Um… Does the President usually come in late?”
“Yes, these days he only stops by briefly around sunset.”
She bit her lip for a moment before asking again,
“Is it alright if I wait here a bit before leaving?”
“You want to see the President before you go?”
“Yes. I also have something I’d like to tell him.”
“I see.”
She hadn’t seen him in a while, and she wanted to thank him personally for having the lights installed—it made walking to her studio at night so much easier and brighter.
Though, of course,
‘He probably didn’t do it for me specifically.’
* * *
As Gi Tae entered the gallery office, he spotted a small figure sitting on the sofa and called out her name.
“…Yoon Ga Eul?”
Hearing her name, Ga Eul—who had dozed off slightly on the sofa—slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing him look at her as if questioning why she was there, she quickly replied,
“Oh, I… I came to deliver some side dishes and also to say hello.”
“I see.”
Upon hearing her answer, Gi Tae turned and walked toward the mini-fridge outside the office. But then he frowned at the sight of the fridge completely packed with containers of side dishes.
Just how much had they sent that there was no space left?
Just then, Ga Eul, who had followed him out, spoke up.
“Please enjoy them, President.”
Her polite smile prompted him to turn back toward her—and frown again.
A vivid red mark stood out clearly on her wrist, unmistakably from carrying something heavy for a long time.
She’d clearly carried all those containers by herself.
Staring at the mark, Gi Tae found himself softening.
“Um… President? Thank you for having the lights installed outside the main building. Now I’m not scared walking to my studio at night—it’s really nice.”
Despite how heavy it must have been, she didn’t complain even once—only expressing gratitude.
She could’ve easily complained a little.
His reply came out gentler than intended.
“Is that so? I’m glad.”
At that, Ga Eul’s eyes widened briefly before she lowered her head and looked up again.
“Oh, yes…”
Her cheeks warmed slightly as she gave a shy smile and offered her final farewell.
“Well, I’ve delivered the side dishes, so I’ll head back now. Take care.”
She bowed politely, gave a respectful smile, and turned to leave.
But Gi Tae kept glancing after her—and especially at the deep marks on both her wrists.
Finally, he called her back.
“Yoon Ga Eul.”
“Yes? What is it…?”
Then he said,
“Have dinner with me. I’ll treat you.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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