There wasn’t even an ordinary trolley in sight.
Ria loaded as many bottles of whiskey as she could onto a tray. She didn’t want to run into him several times.
Baek Shin-woo smoked without taking his eyes off Ria.
As she lifted the tray loaded with whiskey, her wrist felt as though it might give way, so she quietly removed a few bottles.
Ignoring his persistent gaze, she approached the elevator.
Just then, Assistant Manager Kim from the maintenance department came out of the kitchen and held out his hand.
“Ria, let me take that. I’ll carry it for you.”
He worked in the maintenance department and was a decent young man who always greeted her brightly whenever they happened to cross paths.
“It’s okay.”
“It looks heavy just looking at it. Give it to me.”
Touched by his kindness, Ria smiled brightly in gratitude.
It was awkward to keep refusing someone who was simply trying to help, so she was just about to hand him the tray when a sharp voice came from behind.
“Is Assistant Manager Kim in charge of the second floor?”
Baek Shin-woo had already approached the elevator.
At his question, Assistant Manager Kim scratched his head.
Baek Shin-woo took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke.
Then he pressed the burning end against Assistant Manager Kim’s name tag, putting it out.
A moment later, he tossed the cigarette butt onto the floor.
“Just focus on your own duties.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Assistant Manager Kim returned to his post, the elevator doors opened.
Baek Shin-woo stepped inside first and gestured for Ria to get in.
Although it was only one floor up, the short journey felt painfully long.
The oppressive silence made her feel as though she couldn’t even breathe.
With a ding, Ria practically sprang out of the elevator and hurried to the home bar, where she put the whiskey away.
After making several trips between the first and second floors and finally stocking all the whiskey, she was about to leave when Baek Shin-woo approached the home bar.
“Come sit here.”
“It’s late, so I’ll be going.”
It was clearly outside her working hours.
Even if he was the owner, she didn’t want to let what happened today slide without saying anything.
The sound of whiskey being poured into a glass came harshly through the air.
He downed a glass, set it down, and glanced at Ria.
“Is there some guy waiting for you at home?”
The sarcastic tone made her head spin.
The village employees considered him an arrogant man.
Even the manager had called her in at this hour because he couldn’t handle the situation alone.
Ria could understand perfectly well why someone in charge would want to avoid dealing with him.
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
Ria didn’t sit down. She stood in front of him.
He poured himself another glass, swirled the whiskey around, and then stood.
“You’re still loose with men.”
“…What?”
“If you came here to work, then just work.”
Was smiling at Assistant Manager Kim really enough for him to call her that?
Apparently, even seeing her smile and talk with an employee looked filthy to him.
Since he had already decided she was that kind of woman, Ria didn’t bother arguing.
“You came here to make money, not to date.”
Ria understood exactly what he meant.
After all, he had even warned her that he intended to humiliate her.
He pulled out an envelope of money and held it out.
He called it overtime pay.
Ria accepted the envelope and bowed politely.
“Thank you, sir.”
Anger flickered in Baek Shin-woo’s eyes as he looked at her.
He hurriedly swallowed the whiskey he had poured, then slammed the glass down with a sharp clack, as though he might shatter it.
Even his footsteps were filled with anger as he turned his back on Ria and entered the bedroom.
“Why did Assistant Manager Kim suddenly quit?”
“How would I know? I came in this morning and he’d already resigned and disappeared.”
“I never thought he was irresponsible. Why would he do that?”
The man who had been trying to help her just the night before had suddenly quit and disappeared.
No one knew the reason, so they could only speculate among themselves.
Only Ria thought of Baek Shin-woo.
Then she shook her head.
She decided not to believe that he had done something.
There was no reason or justification for him to do so.
As Ria was about to head upstairs, the manager stopped her.
“Ria, did something happen between you and Assistant Manager Kim yesterday?”
“…No.”
The answer didn’t come easily, but she forced the words out.
All that had happened was that he had tried to help her, and Baek Shin-woo had stopped him.
It was such an ordinary incident that Ria maintained an expression that said she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
“Okay. Good work.”
Even a simple question felt like an interrogation, leaving her uncomfortable.
After making sure the manager had walked away, Ria went up to his quarters.
The second floor was spacious and filled with natural light, so cleaning it took the entire morning.
There wasn’t much to do beyond clearing away the bottles of alcohol he had drunk.
There were always liquor bottles lying around.
She sometimes worried about him because he drank strong whiskey every night.
Some days it was one or two glasses.
Some days half a bottle.
And occasionally, an entire bottle.
But that wasn’t frequent.
Seeing the liquor bottles and cigarettes sometimes made Ria’s chest feel heavy.
The Baek Shin-woo from the past, who hadn’t cared for drinking or smoking, was gradually becoming a distant memory.
He was a different person now.
So Ria had to treat him like a different person too.
After finishing everything on the second floor, Ria headed downstairs.
Then she heard the employees whispering among themselves.
She stopped halfway down the stairs.
They were talking about her.
“Manager, is Maria some kind of special hire?”
“Special hire?”
“She was put in charge of the CEO’s quarters as soon as she joined.”
Everyone seemed to agree that having someone serve Baek Shin-woo personally was a privilege.
After all, he was notoriously particular.
Ria suddenly found herself the target of the employees’ resentment, and bitterness washed over her.
“She’s pretty. The CEO is a man too. I guess he wants to see a pretty face often.”
“I don’t think it’s simply because she’s pretty.”
“Then what is it? Do you know something?”
“That’s what I’m curious about too.”
Baek Shin-woo despised her.
He thought she was the kind of woman who would do anything for money, and that was why he was using that money to humiliate her.
Ria swallowed those words before they could escape her throat.
She steadied her breathing and walked toward them.
“Manager.”
“Huh? Ria. Good work.”
Silence fell the moment she appeared.
The employees who had been sitting around drinking tea began leaving one by one.
Ria was certain that if she hadn’t appeared, the rumors surrounding her and Baek Shin-woo would only have grown.
“When the CEO’s blankets and sheets come up from the laundry station, change them immediately. They have to be changed every day even if he hasn’t slept there.”
“Yes. And the light in the second-floor home bar is out.”
“I’ll contact the maintenance team.”
The manager immediately called the maintenance department.
In the meantime, the laundry arrived, and Ria loaded it onto the house cart.
The flowers that the florist had arranged that morning were brought up as well.
Baek Shin-woo had prohibited any other staff from entering the second floor as soon as he hired Ria to take sole responsibility for it.
Naturally, that left plenty of room for gossip among the employees.
“Oh, right, Ria.”
Ria had just pressed the elevator button when the manager called her again.
She turned around.
“There’s going to be an art collection party at the end of the month. You’ll be working overtime starting a week beforehand, so keep your schedule clear.”
“Yes, understood.”
After returning to the second floor, Ria contacted the caregiver.
She told her the dates and times the manager had just mentioned, then ended the call.
Whenever Ria asked Okja to look after Yoon-i, Okja always offered to watch him herself.
But leaving Yoon-i with her for an entire week was too much.
She was already grateful whenever Okja occasionally looked after him.
Ria couldn’t keep imposing on her.
Ria entered his bedroom and changed the sheets.
It seemed he had spent the previous night in the study.
She hoped he would sleep comfortably tonight.
When she finished her work and stepped outside, an employee from the maintenance team arrived.
“Hello. I’m from the maintenance department.”
“Yes, hello. The light in the home bar is out.”
At Ria’s words, he headed toward the home bar, and she followed him.
The maintenance worker climbed up, removed the light bulb, and examined it.
“The ballast is broken.”
He took a replacement part from his toolbox and changed it with ease.
The lighting in the home bar returned to its proper brightness.
“Wow. Professionals really are different.”
“This kind of thing is basic. Most men could handle it easily.”
He smiled awkwardly.
Ria smiled back and thanked him for his work.
That was when she felt a chill and turned around.
Baek Shin-woo was coming up the stairs.
Sometimes he didn’t use the elevator.
He would quietly come up the stairs and startle Ria.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“…Hello.”
Ria added her voice to the maintenance worker’s loud greeting.
But Baek Shin-woo didn’t return their greeting.
Wherever he passed, it felt as though a cold wind swept through.
