Chapter 7
As the weather grew warmer, Yeoreul knew she had to go there.
“It’s not exactly the countryside. More like the outskirts of Seoul.”
She smiled faintly and nodded at Young as she answered.
“Aren’t you basically going to be trapped there?”
Yeoreul gave a bitter smile.
“They said we’ll have separate rooms, at least. So… that’s something.”
Young snorted.
“‘Something’? That’s already depressing.”
“It’s better than making things awkward. At least I’ll be able to sleep comfortably.”
“What if they make you work like a maid?”
Oddly enough, Young seemed far more worried than Yeoreul herself.
“I don’t think that’ll happen. They said there are lots of employees.”
“Well… I guess that’s true. Still, you’re living with your in-laws. You’ll be constantly conscious of them.”
“They actually live in a different building. I heard they both come home late, so we probably won’t run into each other very often.”
“A different building? What does that even mean? It’s the same house but different buildings?”
Yeoreul laughed awkwardly.
“Honestly… I haven’t been there yet either, so I don’t really know.”
I just wanted to get away from my father as soon as possible.
Young clapped her hands together.
“Let’s think positively instead. Your fiancé really is unbelievably handsome. I’ve never seen someone that good-looking.”
Resting a finger against her chin, Young replayed the man’s face in her mind.
“He didn’t even look real. More like a character from a comic than an actual person. Is he really that handsome in real life?”
“Yeah.”
Yeoreul answered without hesitation.
Then she frowned.
“Huh? But… how do you know what he looks like?”
Young shrugged casually.
“He shows up online.”
She held out her phone, displaying Ahan’s profile on a portal website.
“Oh… right.”
Young scrolled through several photos attached to news articles.
“He seriously looks like some aristocrat.”
Yeoreul quietly nodded.
So other people think so too.
“At least he’s handsome. They say if you’re arguing with your husband and he’s ugly, you just get even angrier.”
“Who says that?”
“My mom.”
Yeoreul burst into laughter.
“That’s awful. I look exactly like my dad.”
Without warning, the image of the man who had never once changed his expression in front of her surfaced in her mind.
“…Young.”
Young, who had been grumbling while they walked, turned to look at her.
I don’t think we’ll ever even fight.
I think we’ll spend our whole lives living like strangers.
Yeoreul pressed her lips together.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
“Aww. I still can’t believe my baby Yeoreul is getting married.”
Young wrapped both arms around her in a careful hug.
“I’m not a baby.”
“You are to me. Even after you’re married, we’ll still stay this close, right?”
As Yeoreul smiled softly, Young’s expression suddenly became serious.
“You’re not dropping out of college, are you?”
Her eyes demanded an immediate answer.
“…No.”
Yeoreul smiled so innocently that it only made Young’s heart ache.
I hope she never has to cry.
Thinking that, Young shrugged dramatically.
“Good. Marriage is one thing, school is another. Besides, when it comes to your field, you’re always reliable. Even this big sister isn’t worried.”
“I’m the one who’s worried.”
Yeoreul giggled.
“You’re graduating with me, right? Because your grades last semester were…”
“Hey! Seriously, Lee Yeoreul! That’s just mean!”
The two of them burst into laughter.
As though they were people with not a single worry in the world.
The bus pulled away in a cloud of dust, leaving Yeoreul standing alone.
“I’m here.”
She stretched one hand toward the bright sunlight.
Everything about this place felt unfamiliar.
It was the middle of June, when the sounds of deepening summer filled the air. Their wedding was scheduled for late August, two months away.
A strange marriage where she had almost nothing to prepare.
Like any other guest, all she had to do was show up as the bride.
The estate where Ahan lived stood in a place so isolated it could almost be mistaken for the countryside. There were hardly any people, and even fewer large buildings.
Spring forests.
Summer forests.
Autumn forests.
Winter forests.
Today, the woods were wrapped in lush summer green.
Maybe…
This is where I’ll spend the rest of my life.
Holding the large suitcase that reached her waist, Yeoreul crossed a brick bridge over the riverside.
After walking for a while, she spotted an elderly man fanning himself against the heat. Hoping to ask for directions to the house where she would soon be living, she approached him timidly.
“Um… excuse me… could you tell me where Mr. Woo Ahan’s house is?”
Sweat dampened her forehead as she spoke.
She had been told that around here, simply asking for “Mr. Woo Ahan’s house” would be enough.
Still, she had worried someone might snap back,
How am I supposed to know with such a vague question?
Fortunately, the old man reacted as though everyone naturally knew where Ahan lived.
He simply pointed down the road.
“Keep going straight. Just keep going.”
Yeoreul bowed politely.
“Thank you very much.”
The wheels of her suitcase rattled crisply over the ground.
She entered a forest path beside the road.
The quiet trail was pleasant to walk. Summer had painted the entire forest a vivid shade of green.
Looking around, all she saw were trees and grass.
Separated from the nearby village, the place felt like a private world hidden away from everyone else.
She continued toward the beautiful residence.
The rich greenery flourished around her.
Following the broad avenue lined with towering trees—wide enough for one or two cars to pass—she eventually arrived before an enormous mansion.
She had expected it to be large.
But…
“No matter how rich someone is… this is…”
Beyond the wrought-iron gates stood an elegant mansion that carried the same refined dignity as its owner.
Even the place he lived was graceful.
Yeoreul shook her head, trying to banish the pointless thought.
Then she craned her neck toward the gate.
“How am I supposed to get inside?”
Just then, the black iron gates slowly opened.
A woman who appeared to be in her fifties stepped out.
“Excuse me… is this Mr. Woo Ahan’s residence?”
When their eyes met, Yeoreul asked cautiously.
“Yes. We’ve been expecting you.”
The woman inclined her head neatly before introducing herself.
“My name is Park Inhye. I’m the head administrator of the estate. I oversee and manage everything here.”
“Hello.”
Yeoreul bowed politely.
“I’m Lee Yeoreul. I look forward to being in your care.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. The feeling is mutual.”
After exchanging greetings, Inhye turned and began walking.
Yeoreul hurried after her, constantly glancing around.
The driveway leading to the mansion had been landscaped with romantic elegance.
Because cars traveled along it, the walk from the entrance gate to the house itself took quite some time.
“It’s incredibly spacious.”
I’m really going to feel trapped here.
Her admiration was quickly followed by concern.
She probably wouldn’t be leaving much during summer vacation.
But eventually she’d have to go out regularly.
Well…
At least I’ll get plenty of exercise walking.
She found herself seriously considering the matter.
“Do you have a driver’s license?”
As if she had read Yeoreul’s practical concerns, Inhye suddenly asked.
“Yes.”
Yeoreul answered as Inhye looked back.
“Do you own a car?”
“No.”
“Are you a confident driver?”
Yeoreul bit her lip sheepishly.
“A little… Actually, not really. I’ve only ever driven a friend’s car.”
“I see.”
“But I do enjoy driving.”
Inhye extended a folding key fob for a luxury imported car.
“Director Woo asked me to give you this. You may use it whenever you need to go out.”
Yeoreul’s eyes widened.
“Oh! That’s really not necessary.”
“No. He said you would need it and insisted I give it to you even if you refused. It was an extra vehicle with no owner anyway.”
“Ah…”
As Yeoreul hesitated, Inhye snapped her fingers.
“Actually… perhaps we should assign you a chauffeur instead. I can arrange that immediately.”
Yeoreul instantly accepted the key.
“N-No, that’s alright. I’ll use it carefully. Thank you very much.”
Truthfully, she wanted to ask if there was something less expensive.
But somehow, she had a feeling that if she did, they would simply buy her a brand-new car instead.
Better to just drive this one carefully.
“Would you like me to begin the tour immediately? Or would you prefer to rest first?”
“If it’s alright, I’d like the tour now.”
Inhye nodded and resumed walking.
Yeoreul followed.
Soon they arrived at the front entrance.
Standing behind Inhye, she climbed the short flight of steps.
The massive front doors swung open.
The moment she stepped inside, her entire body instinctively tensed.
Then she looked up…
…and froze.
The entrance hall was filled with classical European furnishings.
A grand staircase rose before her.
To one side, sunlight poured through enormous arched windows.
It felt less like entering someone’s home and more like stepping into another era—one where servants bustled through great estates while horses and carriages carried luggage across the grounds.
Even the way Inhye directed the staff with a simple tilt of her chin radiated practiced authority.
Moments later came the synchronized sound of orderly footsteps.
The mansion’s employees moved with disciplined precision, as though such grace had been ingrained into them from birth.
Several attendants quietly approached.
“We’ll take your luggage to your room.”
“Thank you.”
Yeoreul handed over her suitcase and politely bowed to each member of the staff.
“The weather is lovely today, so I’ll show you the grounds first. Please follow me.”
Yeoreul walked beside Inhye.
Every new view made her instinctively look around in amazement.
Good heavens…
“How can a house like this even exist?”
No matter how she looked at it, the mansion resembled something built in the Rococo style.
She could only stare in disbelief.
“This building used to operate as a hotel many years ago, but it is now used as a private residence.”
Smiling gently at Yeoreul’s astonishment, Inhye continued her explanation.
“It was inherited from the chairman of the J Group, so it now belongs to Director Woo Ahan. Not only the mansion, but the forests stretching along both sides, lined with those tall trees, are all private property.”
No wonder, Yeoreul thought.
The roads had been so perfectly maintained from the moment she’d arrived.
