At the End of That Memory

Chapter 22

I had no intention of being romantic. I wanted it to be as memorable as Kwon Yido had been for me. I would wait for Kwon Yido in this enormous house, hoping he would remember me.

“…”

Kwon Yido, on the other hand, suddenly grew blank and blinked his eyes slowly. He pursed his lips and quietly lowered his eyes, staring at the scent that had been brushed on his hand.

“That’s…troubling.”

Troubling? I couldn’t ask him what he meant. The words that came out like breath got directly into my ears.

“I won’t be able to work now.”

“…”

I thought of him as an unduly shy person at times. How could he say anything like that with a serious expression on his face? He may or may not have realized what I was thinking, but he spoke with slightly raised corners of his mouth.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Kwon Yido’s residence was nearly three times more empty than usual. The entire area was excessively large, and the early hours were slow enough to be deemed uninteresting. I went to the greenhouse as usual, with a book in hand, and even my companion Lee Taeseong was thoroughly absorbed.

“…My salary has increased.”

Lee Taeseong spoke only one syllable as if possessed by a ghost. I was ready to ask him more questions, but then I realized why his income had increased and chose to remain silent. It didn’t seem necessary for me to mention that it was compensation for taking care of me.

Cold-cooked sea urchin roe and squid were served for brunch. It was a tad sour, but it did the job of whetting the appetite. The flat-grilled plump prawns, jeon, and delectably seasoned Yukhoe were all menu items that took my preferences into account.

I went back to my room as soon as I finished eating and vaguely spent the time. Looking at the car keys on the table, I decided to return them to Kwon Yido when he arrived. He would never bring up the subject of car keys unless I initially brought it up.

“It’s been a week…”

I sat calmly on the couch, staring into nothing. A whole week without him. It was lengthy if it was long. If it was brief, it was brief. A period of independence during which my employer, who remained as a shadow, did not interfere with me.

‘Please bring just one document.’

Work needed to be done. I had no choice but to comply with the order. This meant that it was not a matter of whether to do something like that or not, but only ‘how to do it’.

It wasn’t that I felt bad. I felt deeply sorry, but my feelings for Kwon Yido had not yet matured. Even if it was only a sincere kiss and a flirtatious exchange of words. I could reassure myself that Kwon Yido didn’t feel the same way about me.

“… Why did you have to leave the house at a time like this?”

If there was a God of timing, he would undoubtedly be a very playful being. That, or teasing me was a pastime.

I slowly rose from the sofa and tiptoed to the door, making no sound. Even though I was the only one in the room, I felt compelled to exercise caution from now on. I was leaving the room and heading to the study on the second floor, which he had warned me not to enter.

If you were to ask me why, I’d say it was just an intuition. He worked there, and he paid special attention to it. Typically, essential information was kept in such a location. Of course, I hoped that Kwon Yido, a meticulous individual, would not keep anything in a house with a stranger who was engaged to him.