Seung Ho lowered his head. His breath was so close that Ji Hyun cast her eyes down.

“Don’t go out without my permission.”

Ji Hyun’s face twisted at the absurd command. Seung Ho, reading the anger on her face, felt a little better about the messy afternoon he had.

“Ji Hyun went out,” Kim Sil Jang said, sweating profusely with an embarrassed look on his face.

It wasn’t what Seung Ho wanted to hear. He hadn’t expected her to go out. He couldn’t understand his own bewilderment.

Clearly, Ji Hyun was not an official employee, just a part-timer. Perhaps it was natural for her to be free on weekends, but the feeling in his chest was not that.

The anxiety and perplexity felt when something that should be in its place was missing were much greater than he thought. He paced by the window leading to the annex all afternoon.

But Ji Hyun did not show up. As time passed and he felt suffocated, Seung Ho picked up a thick wool cardigan.

Usually unable to stand boredom, Seung Ho uncharacteristically stood like a fixture, staring at the end of the alley.

On the path where not even a shadow was visible, Seung Ho controlled his boiling insides. In his perfect world, he loathed anything that deviated from expectations, and for that reason, he thought it natural that Ji Hyun’s absence would also displease him.

And as time passed, the anger and anxiety-stained emotion was directed at Ji Hyun, who had yet to show up.

Gnashing his dry lips with his teeth, Seung Ho recalled what he had said in front of people not long ago.

“She’s my servant.”

Did he really want Ji Hyun to simply be a servant working at the mansion? Or…

As he ran his fingers through his hair with a complicated mind, a familiar figure appeared between them.

It was Ji Hyun, whom he had been waiting for. Her thin hair turned red in the sunset glow. Her long, fluttering hair as she walked, her downcast eyes as if thinking of something, the slight upward curve of her lips scratched at his twisted mood.

‘What is she smiling about? Is she happy to leave this place?’

Seeing her, Seung Ho got angry again.

Ji Hyun unconsciously rubbed her right wrist. It was the wrist that Seung Ho had grabbed.

“Let me give you some advice. Stay in your place as much as possible. That is your duty as an employee.”

Glaring eyes, a low and cold voice. The oppressive and suffocating words seemed to still ring in her ears.

“Ji Hyun, what do you like?”

“Huh?”

At Mi Ri’s question, Ji Hyun broke away from the thoughts swirling in her head.

“Which do you like among the return, possession, or reincarnation?”

“What is that?”

“You know, the essential elements of web novels. Return, possession, reincarnation. Which one do you like?”

“Well, I’ve never even thought about it…”

“I’m going to be possessed.”

Mi Ri’s eyes sparkled.

“I’m going to become the villainess in the novel and go meet the duke in the north.”

“Here she goes again.”

Ha Jun clicked his tongue as he listened quietly.

“Come to your senses. Won’t even the northern duke run away if he sees your report card?”

“Ha, Kim Ha Jun, don’t bring reality into my dreams!”

Mi Ri, who flared up, sank back into her fantasy.

“Come to think of it, Shin Seung Ho seems to have the qualities of the northern duke. Handsome, cold, smart…”

“Ha, have you properly looked at Shin Seung Ho?”

“No, I haven’t seen him closely. I have a big illusion because I don’t know.”

Ji Hyun, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, smiled bitterly. The Shin Seung Ho described by Mi Ri matched the appearance she was familiar with seeing. However, the arrogant and capricious anger he showed at the mansion was unfortunately clearly unknown.

“Ji Hyun, do you want to go eat tteokbokki today? I have some time before going to the academy.”

Mi Ri waved her wallet. It meant she would treat. Ji Hyun shook her head somewhat regretfully.

“Sorry, I have something to do today, so I can’t. Let’s definitely eat together next time.”

“What? Is it something that can’t be postponed?”

“I really can’t today.”

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Seeing Mi Ri’s disappointed face, Ji Hyun swallowed her desire to go with her. She wanted to ditch everything and go eat tteokbokki together, but today was the day she promised to help with the work at the mansion. Ha Jun just stared at Ji Hyun without adding any more words.

“All ready?”

Ji Hyun, who was lining up the jelly set in a small crystal glass, looked at Kim Sil Jang, who had entered the kitchen. She was the one who had persuaded Ji Hyun, who firmly refused to do the helper work at the mansion.

“We don’t have anyone to work right now. The guests will be arriving soon, so what should we do? I’ll pay you double the hourly wage, so please just do it for today, okay?”

Swayed by the double hourly wage, Ji Hyun eventually helped the mansion’s exclusive chef deliver desserts for the guests. The guests visiting today were Seung Ho’s friends.

What naturally came to mind were the people she had met on his errands. People from a completely different world than her, who nodded and laughed at the word servant, flashed through her mind.

‘I shouldn’t have agreed to do it.’

Ji Hyun blamed herself for being swayed by the high hourly wage, but it was already water under the bridge. She picked up the tray with the most composed face possible and moved her steps to the 2nd floor reception room used by Seung Ho.

There, Seung Ho’s friend Min Woo, who often came to the mansion, and some other friends were chatting excitedly.

‘I must never look at their faces.’

Determined, Ji Hyun placed the sparkling drinks and desserts she brought in front of each person without raising her head.

Min Woo was leading the conversation in a familiar way, and Seung Ho was just leaning back on the sofa, looking at Ji Hyun who was serving the food.

“The water in London must be different after all. Look how pretty Bo Ra has become.”

“Bo Ra was always a bit different.”

“Is that a compliment?”

The girl called Bo Ra smiled brightly. As if not hearing their conversation at all, Ji Hyun, who was setting up the glasses silently, saw a white hand with fancy nail parts enter her field of vision.

“This is non-alcoholic, right?”

At the refreshing voice, Ji Hyun unconsciously raised her head. The slightly upturned eyes and the sandy-colored hair close to silver looked like a fairy. Before Ji Hyun could answer, someone burst out laughing.

“Bo Ra, does non-alcoholic have any meaning to you?”

Bo Ra threw her hair back and raised her chin.

“It’s important or not, you have to maintain dignity.”

“Dignity… Yes, I acknowledge it if it’s you.”

Min Woo nodded playfully and raised the glass with the sparkling juice. Ji Hyun looked at Bo Ra, who snorted and blew her nose. Despite the hair being bleached multiple times, the texture was glossy.

Her feline eyes exuded an intelligent charm, and even at a young age, dignity oozed from her words and actions.

Looking at Bo Ra, who showed signs of being preciously raised in a wealthy family, Ji Hyun thought that if the female lead image Mi Ri talked about in web novels existed, wouldn’t it be this person?

“But why is Seung Ho like that today?”

Bo Ra’s gaze turned to Seung Ho as she brought the glass to her mouth.

“Like what?”

Min Woo took over her words.

“He’s unusually quiet.”

“Hey, when has he ever been talkative?”

Min Woo glanced at Seung Ho and tapped his side as if to tell him to get a grip. However, Seung Ho still didn’t open his mouth, not caring about the reactions around him.

“I don’t like it when the person who will become my husband is too taciturn.”

At Bo Ra’s words, spoken in an indifferent voice, Seung Ho slightly turned his head. The gazes of Min Woo and the others were also directed at her.

Bo Ra calmly accepted the attention focused on her and continued.

“To be honest, aren’t we a strong candidate?”

“…For what?”

Her provocation was effective. Seung Ho’s voice, speaking for the first time, was cold.

“For engagement.”

Ji Hyun, who had been keeping her head down, also slightly raised her eyes and looked at the two alternately at the word engagement. Visually, they were a perfect match without any flaws, but judging by his raised eyebrows, Seung Ho’s thoughts seemed different.

“Nonsense.”

Unlike him who scoffed, Bo Ra, who was examining the shrimp canapé, seemed unfazed.

“Chairman Shin and my father have been meeting frequently these days. You don’t think they’re planning to pair me with your elder brother, do you?”

Crunch, after eating a bite of the canapé, Bo Ra slightly turned her mouth with her hand and continued.

“If they’re thinking of my engagement partner, it would naturally be you.”

“Stop with the boring jokes.”

“It wouldn’t be a losing deal for you either, right? Not lacking in wealth. Outstanding beauty. Even smart… Chairman Shin will probably think the same.”

Her words oozed with the confidence of someone who had never experienced rejection in her life.

Ji Hyun found herself holding her breath and listening to the conversation at some point. Despite being the same age, their way of weighing each other’s families and forming ties was intriguing.

“Mm, this is delicious.”

Although Seung Ho’s brows furrowed at the mention of engagement, Bo Ra didn’t seem to care and focused on the canapé.

“Hey, why is the atmosphere so gloomy? Haha.”

When even the group couldn’t say anything, taking cues from Seung Ho’s mood, Min Woo finally stepped in. He laughed and gently rubbed Seung Ho’s shoulder.

“We gathered after a long time, so let’s keep it pleasant.”

“…You can get engaged yourself.”

At the unusually sharp words, Min Woo’s mouth twisted.

“Haha, Seung Ho, please…”

Seung Ho brushed off Min Woo’s hand that was clinging to him and strode over to Bo Ra in a few steps.

“What’s the reason a great person like you wants to marry me? There are plenty of families like this.”

It was a cold attitude that could freeze the other person, but Bo Ra looked at him calmly as if she was used to it.

“You’re going to Switzerland this winter break, aren’t you?”

“So what?”

“I’m going to Switzerland too. With you.”

Seung Ho’s eyebrows rose.

“Don’t come.”

“Is this just my own intention?”

Amidst the sparks flying between the two, Min Woo changed the subject in a tired voice.

“Hey guys, shall we go to Switzerland too? Let’s ski to our heart’s content.”

Ji Hyun clicked her tongue as she placed the empty glasses on the tray. It seemed that she would never get used to the conversations in the world they lived in.

“Wait…”

Seung Ho stopped Ji Hyun as she was about to turn around.

“Yes?”

Surprised that the attention was on her, Ji Hyun looked at Seung Ho. She swallowed her saliva as her eyes met his angry black ones.

As she made eye contact with him, the wrist that had been grabbed on the weekend afternoon ached again.