Chapter 3
Seonghyeon looked at him suspiciously, which left Juwon feeling baffled. With an annoyed expression, Juwon stared at the woman.
However, little by little, Juwon’s eyes narrowed as he openly scanned the woman from head to toe.
Yoon Jaei?
His questioning gaze landed on the woman’s face.
With Juwon standing in the middle of the living room, Jaei walked around him in a slow circle before returning to her original position.
No matter how many times she looked at him, he was nothing like the man she had pictured in her mind all this time.
The person named Kang Juwon whom she expected to meet was supposed to be an elderly man with white hair, wrinkles, and a dignified old age.
“Are you really Mr. Kang Juwon?”
Those were the exact words Juwon wanted to ask her.
Why on earth was she here?
Although she was old enough to have graduated from university, to him she still looked like the immature teenage girl from the photograph.
It was the first time someone had ever stood him there like an item on display and examined him so thoroughly.
Moreover, the woman’s gaze moved over him as if she were evaluating his worth.
Since he had never experienced anything like this before, Juwon was extremely uncomfortable.
He glared at her with the coldest expression he could manage, putting on his usual intimidating gaze, but apparently it had no effect on her at all.
Rather, it was him who flinched slightly under the woman’s fearless stare.
Until now, no one had ever looked at him so shamelessly and openly right in front of him.
“How did you even know about this place…?”
Juwon’s deep voice was quickly drowned out by Jaei’s voice, which was an octave higher.
“How old are you? Actually, I’m a little confused. I came here thinking you would be an elderly grandfather. But… are you married? Do you have a wife? If I came here without thinking and caused trouble because you already had someone…”
“If I did?”
Was she saying she would simply go back to where she came from?
Juwon still could not believe the existence of the woman standing before him.
Meanwhile, Jaei seemed fascinated by his existence, examining him as though she were dissecting him.
Juwon’s eyes followed the direction she moved.
“You’re making me dizzy. Why don’t you sit down?”
The moment she heard the faint sound of Juwon’s eyes moving after her, Jaei suddenly became quiet.
Then she obediently sat down on the sofa.
Strangely enough, Juwon found her behavior even more irritating and uncomfortable.
“The only one allowed to ask questions is—”
His words were interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach.
Juwon’s thick eyebrows twisted slightly like a diagonal line.
Realizing that her body had made the embarrassing sound on its own, Jaei’s face turned bright red.
As if he had used up all his remaining energy dealing with this woman, Juwon suddenly felt exhaustion wash over him.
“It’s late, so let’s stop here for today.”
The impatience in Juwon’s voice made it clear that he wanted to leave this place immediately.
More precisely, he wanted to escape from the woman’s relentless gaze.
“Excuse me, mister!”
The moment Juwon turned around, he froze at the way she addressed him.
Most people called him “President,” and even those closest to him always added a respectful title after his name.
Not once in his entire life had anyone ever called him mister.
The person who was more startled than anyone else was Manager Jung, who had been standing at the side of the living room watching the two of them.
Manager Jung had been managing Juwon’s household in every aspect for nearly twenty years.
“I’ll take care of things here.”
After briefly nodding toward Manager Jung, Juwon turned and walked up the stairs.
He could feel Jaei’s gaze clinging to the back of his head, but at this point, Juwon had no desire to deal with anyone else today.
It felt as though the small woman, who did not even reach his shoulders, had drained all his energy.
Yet the ominous feeling spreading through his mind grew stronger, and he had no idea where it came from.
Why had Yoon Jaei come here?
Until the moment he fell asleep, what occupied Juwon’s thoughts was not her sudden return to Korea, but the eyes that had looked at him so clearly in the darkness.
The woman’s eyes, darker than the blackest night yet shining with a strange clarity, and the vivid red lips that stood out against her makeup-free face, continued to disturb his thoughts.
Within only a few minutes, Jaei stared at the beautifully prepared meal before her with amazement.
This was her first time seeing such a luxurious Korean traditional meal.
She had visited Korean restaurants before, but most of the time she survived on simple instant food at home.
The helpers working in the kitchen, led by Manager Jung, watched the unexpected guest carefully.
Even so, Jaei showed no sign of shrinking back. She simply licked her lips and picked up her spoon.
Tasting every side dish one by one, Jaei widened her eyes in amazement and openly expressed how delicious everything was.
A faint look of satisfaction spread across the face of the helper who had been watching Jaei cautiously.
“How do you even make food taste this good? This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.”
Jaei gave the helpers watching her a thumbs-up.
“But… what exactly is your relationship with our president…?”
Unable to hold back her curiosity, one of the helpers finally asked.
Manager Jung subtly signaled for her to be careful, but he also looked as though he was waiting for Jaei’s answer.
“President? You mean Mr. Kang Juwon? That man is a president?”
Manager Jung let out a short laugh before quickly composing himself.
She really knew nothing about Juwon.
His curiosity toward this unexpected guest only grew stronger.
“Anyone who gets to eat food like this every day must be really happy.”
Jaei smiled warmly while looking at the helpers and Manager Jung.
“Can I have another bowl of rice?”
She tilted the empty rice bowl she had finished in the blink of an eye and showed it to the helper.
The helper quickly filled a new bowl and placed it in front of her.
“It’s so good!”
Repeating how delicious it was, Jaei replaced her thanks with a bright smile toward the helper.
“I’ve never eaten anything like this before.”
At those words, Manager Jung’s curiosity deepened even further.
What kind of relationship did she have with Kang Juwon that he had allowed this woman into his home?
Manager Jung did not know every detail of Juwon’s private life, but until now, he had never brought a woman into the house.
Perhaps because he had grown up watching his father’s complicated relationships with women, Juwon had never caused a single issue regarding women.
He was a man known as a workaholic, completely absorbed in his career, with no apparent interest in dating or marriage.
Despite reaching the position of president at a young age, he possessed perfect looks and lacked nothing.
However, whenever women showed interest in him or approached him, he firmly and coldly drew a line between them.
