Secret Cohabitation Love (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16

Flabbergasted, Eun Seo helplessly watched the now-invisible gosiwon through the rear window, then turned her head again, fidgeting impatiently.

“Why on earth are you doing this? I told you I have that part-time job starting today.”

“…….”

“Hey, Kwon Tae Ha, you said you could hear me clearly, right?”

“I can hear you.”

“Then could you at least tell me why you’re doing this?”

“Let’s live together.”

Tae Ha replied lightly as he made a U-turn. His lips closed neatly, not a single hair out of place.

I must have heard wrong. Of course I heard wrong.

Should I ask, or not? Eun Seo, nervously pressing her ten fingertips together, finally asked.

“What did you just say?”

“I said, let’s live together.”

She hadn’t heard wrong after all.

Her eyelids blinked incessantly, her mouth agape and utterly unable to close.

As if sensing her bewilderment, Tae Ha glanced briefly at Eun Seo and then spoke again.

“I don’t mean as a married couple. Don’t get scared just yet.”

Haa. Eun Seo’s eyelids slowly lowered with a soft sigh, somehow conveying relief—and for some reason, that made Tae Ha oddly irritated.

It felt exactly like he’d just kidnapped her.

“First, my place is better than that gosiwon. You paid in advance? I won’t take any money from you. Just stay. Not forever—I mean only until you save up enough to be independent.”

“Kwon Tae Ha, do you even know there are multiple grounds for annulment of marriage?”

“Second.”

Tae Ha cut her off.

“That part-time job? You seem to need work, so I’ll provide it.”

“I’m really grateful, but why go this far for me?”

“How much were you supposed to get? A hundred? Two hundred? I’ll give you three hundred. Work under me.”

Three hundred. Eun Seo’s shoulders slumped. At this point, she genuinely couldn’t fathom his intentions.

His kindness toward her had long passed ordinary generosity. At this level, unless he was a scammer, she might as well consider him her savior.

“How about three hundred with room and board included?”

“I really don’t understand. Back when you first brought me to that house, fine—I could assume it was because you’re a scammer and didn’t want me running off—so you needed to keep me close. But why now?”

“I’m going to figure out why I’m doing this, starting now. Honestly, I don’t really know myself yet. Until then, just call it pity. You said you respected that feeling. Then go ahead and respect it.”

Pity. Yes, compassion. Eun Seo weighed that emotion—so fitting for this bizarre situation—and spoke again.

“But I still need to know what this job actually is…….”

“It’s reviewer work. Not official, just temporary. I currently have three secretaries assisting me. You know Team Leader Choi, right? He’s extremely busy right now. And one of them is going on leave soon—for parental care. You’ll split the work of those two.”

“I dropped out of university.”

“Then go back to studying. Use your salary to cover tuition.”

“That’s not what I meant. Whether temporary or not, your colleagues might not accept me. Besides, I don’t even know what this job entails.”

“Everyone starts somewhere. Does anyone begin with experience?”

“I know that.”

“Did you say you got published?”

“How do you know that?”

“I looked into it. I figured you’d anticipated something like this. If it bothers you, I’ll apologize.”

“Since I expected it, it’s fine. But what does being published have to do with working under you?”

“I’m an extremely busy person, so I barely have time to read books or newspapers or attend performances. But due to my position, I need substantial knowledge across all those fields. When meeting people from various backgrounds, certain conversations become necessary.”

She vaguely understood what he was saying. For some reason, it reminded her of the high-society social chatter she’d read about in novels.

Be it literature, politics, or music—anything at all.

“You’ll handle that for me. Don’t do it half-heartedly. Even when reviewing a single book, you must grasp the author’s core philosophy first. Personal opinions can be summed up in brief notes. Different newspapers present the same story with different tones—read them all and extract the key points for me. Smooth out interview drafts too. Soon, you’ll also take on general secretarial duties. That’s the job.”

Honestly, Eun Seo even wondered if this position was genuinely necessary or just hastily invented. But the tasks he described actually suited her well, and she calculated she’d still have plenty of free time.

With that time, she could prepare to re-enroll in university or take on translation work.

“Well? If you refuse, you’d be proving yourself an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot.”

Maybe you’re the idiot, Kwon Tae Ha. Whether he sensed she wanted to say that or not, only then did Tae Ha’s lips finally relax into a faint smile.

“Take the chance while it’s offered. I don’t know when I’ll come to my senses.”

* * *

Jiiiiing—the parking gate opened, and Eun Seo stepped out of the car again, just as she had the first time she came to this house.

Only now, there was no “Bluebeard” here. Only an “archangel” possessing immense wealth and boundless generosity.

While Tae Ha unloaded two suitcases, Eun Seo waited quietly in front of him.

“Let’s go.”

Tae Ha picked up both suitcases, one in each hand.

“Let me take one.”

“It’s fine. Just hold onto your bag properly.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tae Ha stepped through the arched structure, with Eun Seo trailing beside him.

“Um… where will I be staying now?”

“What do you mean, ‘where’?”

He wore an expression as if he’d just heard the strangest thing.

“I heard everyone who works here stays in the annex.”

“Just use the guest room. We don’t get many visitors anyway—it’s practically empty.”

Tae Ha placed the suitcases inside the room. When he drew back the blackout curtains, crimson sunlight poured in without spilling a single speck, settling warmly onto his broad shoulders.

His sharply defined face left afterimages wherever he stood, and his untamed bangs rippled in the sunset light with each of his long strides.

For some reason, he felt fresher than winter wind, and Eun Seo couldn’t look away.

“Why are you staring like that?”

Tae Ha turned around and met Eun Seo’s fixed gaze.

“The sun.”

Everything around them was bathed in red.

* * *

Eun Seo had fully settled her belongings into Tae Ha’s house.

The room had already been cleaned spotlessly, and all the men’s clothes previously in the walk-in closet had been removed.

[Take any clothes you like. The owner’s not coming back anyway.]

Even after unpacking all four seasons’ worth of clothes from her suitcase, she still couldn’t match the quantity—and above all, the quality—of what remained in the wardrobe.

Eun Seo hung her clothes in two separate groups, just in case Tae Ha changed his mind and kicked her out.

Having been told dinner would start at six, Eun Seo headed to the bathroom. Packing and unpacking had stiffened her shoulders, and fatigue washed over her.

Only after calling both the gosiwon and her would-be workplace did she finally sink into the bathtub.

Prrrrrrrr.

She pinched her nose and submerged herself completely—then the world fell utterly silent.

Kwon Tae Ha. Tae Ha, Tae Ha.

She rolled his name softly on her tongue, then blew out a breath and popped her head back above water—because his name had tasted sweet.

And that felt wrong.

After washing away every trace of that flooding name, Eun Seo changed her clothes.

Tae Ha had suddenly gotten busy, so they ate separately. Madam Ahn, heading to the annex, asked Eun Seo to make coffee for Tae Ha.

Woo Young was still on a business trip, and Jung Woo had an appointment. In the end, only two people remained in the main house.

Eun Seo turned on the coffee machine in the kitchen, her back to the Han River shimmering under multicolored lights. Following Madam Ahn’s instructions, she brewed a full cup of Tae Ha’s preferred coffee—bright and full of acidity.

Once it finished brewing, worry crept in.

Should she bring it to his room? Or wait until he came out?

If she went in, she wasn’t sure she could even bring herself to touch the doorknob. But if she didn’t, the coffee would get cold.

[President always drinks coffee at seven. Since you’ve decided to live here, why don’t you give it a try today, Eun Seo?]

Maybe she shouldn’t have said “okay.”

Still indecisive, Eun Seo stood there pondering—when gentle piano notes drifted through the air.

Must be a relative visiting.

With one more person now in this vast house, she felt oddly at ease. Seeing this as an opportunity, Eun Seo stepped out of the kitchen toward the living room—after all, she was now officially part of this household.

But she couldn’t find Jung Woo anywhere. The piano music continued, though.

What was going on?

She quickly scanned the area around the piano. Finding the player wasn’t difficult.

It was Tae Ha.

His black bangs swayed rhythmically—whether from pressing the pedal or striking the keys, she couldn’t tell.

Tray in hand, Eun Seo froze as if spellbound. She held her breath, then slowly, ever so slowly, began stepping forward.

Afraid even the slightest sound would make the music stop.

Then, through the gap between the black lid and its support, their eyes locked.

Her steady heartbeat halted with just one glance.

Tae Ha’s fingers stopped too. Within the narrow triangular frame of the piano, their gazes remained quietly trapped.

No sound. No time. Not even breath.

After a long moment, Tae Ha lifted his hands from the keys and walked calmly out from behind the piano. Ever since their eyes met, he hadn’t been able to press another key.

And if he thought carefully about why—well, it was because of her.

Like now—freezing him in place.

“What piece is this?”

“‘Je Te Veux.’”

“That’s the title?”

“Yes.”

“It’s French.”

Watching Tae Ha slowly approach, Eun Seo understood the meaning of the title—but deliberately kept silent. If she said it aloud, it might actually come true.

Seeing Eun Seo take one step, then another toward him, Tae Ha answered for her. Maybe it already had.

“It means, ‘I want you.’”

At those words, Eun Seo’s foot—of all things—caught on a wing chair, throwing her off balance.

“Whoa!”

The tray slipped from her hands, and the mug’s coffee sliced through the air. Tae Ha, turning toward the spill, took the full brunt of the hot liquid and toppled backward, Eun Seo crashing right onto him.

“Oh! It’s hot!”

Or maybe it made things scorching.

“What do I do!”

So startled she shot upright, Eun Seo instinctively plunged her hands under Tae Ha’s cream-colored knit sweater, frantically sliding them up his chest.

If he’d been scalded by that hot coffee on his stomach, it could be serious.

“Take your hands off. Now.”

But he might as well not have spoken. Still straddling his waist, Eun Seo was utterly focused only on peeling off his sweater.

She didn’t seem to notice the firm pressure low on his abdomen—more tormenting than the burn of hot coffee.

“You have to take this off! Hurry! Look—it’s turning red!”

“I told you to take your hands off.”

But Eun Seo, panicked, didn’t hear his muffled words.

“What’ll we do? If you don’t take this off right now—”

In an instant, her body was lifted and flipped.

Now pinned to the floor by her wrists, she found herself trapped between Tae Ha’s knees as he knelt over her.

“That’s exactly why I warned you. Me.”

“…….”

“You really want me to take it off?”

“…….”

“If I do… can you handle it?”