“Did you only have lunch?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t stay there longer.”

Under the subtle pressure of Chairman Song Myunghwan, she immediately hardened her expression.

“…… I’m tired.”

She cut it off like that and turned around first and walked away. The restless security guard at her side followed her stealthily.

Song Myunghwan watched her walk away, as if it was displeasing. She had been like this since she was a child. She appears submissive, but she is actually doing as she pleases. That was why Chairman Song couldn’t let his guard down for a moment when it came to her.

Just as expected.

Chairman Song roared to thoroughly monitor whether she really wanted to get along well with the real Han Seungyoon, or if there was another hidden plan.

Ki Joo nodded coolly. Then, the Chairman seemed to calm down a bit and told him to go out. After paying his respects, as he was coming out of the library, he caught eyes with Eun Chae, who was coming down the stairs.

She had already changed into her home clothes, wearing a headband. This revealed her slender neck and collarbone clearly.

Seeing where Ki Joo’s eyes were fixed, she instinctively recognized it and stopped in her tracks. With her cheeks turning pink, she glared as if to ask where he was looking.

Ki Joo chuckled softly and turned around.

He had never been good at figuring out his place.

((())) ((())) ((()))

The rain falling in winter dyed the world in ash. It seemed like it would end with a short shower, but it had been drizzling for several hours already.

Chairman Song Myunghwan, who had gone out for a round of golf early in the morning, had no choice but to return due to the incessant rain.

The gentleman who had been politely laughing at the clubhouse saying that the weather was not cooperative, glared at the gloomy sky as soon as he entered the house, complaining about the wasted time. He did not hesitate to express his displeasure, smacking his bare glove against his thigh.

The household staff were on high alert due to the Chairman’s bad mood. Haman Daejbu hurriedly brought water. Chairman Song Myunghwan took the cup as if snatching it away, drank it in large gulps and grumbled as if spitting it out.

“So unlucky.”

Fearing a backlash if their eyes met, Haman Daejbu kept her gaze lowered.

“They say the dead haunt the living.”

Was that too heartless to say about his deceased wife, especially on the anniversary of her death?

It is foolish to expect such humanity from Chairman Song Myunghwan.

Ki Joo, watching the irritated back of his head, leaned back and waited. It wasn’t surprising, as he was a person who easily revealed his true nature once things didn’t go his way.

Chairman Song, about to head to his room after dusting off his slightly damp shoulders, suddenly looked up the stairs and asked.

“Why isn’t she showing her face?”

Before the order was issued, Haman Daejbu quickly answered.

“She’s been off all day. I was preparing rice water to feed her.”

At that, instead of nitpicking, Chairman Song looked at Ki Joo.

“Didn’t you say she didn’t go to the memorial service?”

Ki Joo’s relaxed hands trembled slightly.

“Yes.”

Chairman Song gave a hollow laugh as if choked.

“She’s all about showing off her dutiful daughter side, but she’s lazy on her mother’s death anniversary.”

After Eun Chae lost her mother, she didn’t open her mouth for a full year as a child, and even after she began to speak again, she cried as if her heart was breaking every anniversary. When the Chairman, aware of her grieving eyes, didn’t take her to the grave, she shut herself in the greenhouse and wouldn’t come out, as if she was protesting.

And yet.

For some reason, she locked her room today. Even when the Chairman personally knocked on her door to accompany her to the grave, there was no response.

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