IDMPYU 08

8. Without My Permission

Seungho bowed his head. His breath was so close that Jihyun lowered her gaze.

“Don’t go out without my permission.”

At such an absurd order, Jihyun’s face twisted mercilessly. Seeing the anger on her face, Seungho’s mood, which had been ruined all afternoon, slightly improved.

“Jihyun went out.”

Sweating profusely and with an awkward expression, Manager Kim’s words were not what Seungho wanted to hear. He had not expected Jihyun to go out. Seungho couldn’t understand his own embarrassment.

Jihyun was clearly not a full-time employee but just a part-timer. Perhaps it was natural for her to have freedom on weekends, yet the feeling rising in his chest was not that simple.

The anxiety and bewilderment felt when something that ought to be in its place is missing were much bigger than he had imagined. He spent the entire afternoon pacing by the window leading to the annex.

But Jihyun did not appear. As the suffocating feeling tightened like a noose with time, Seungho grabbed a thick wool cardigan.

Seungho, who usually couldn’t stand boredom, surprisingly stood still like a statue staring down the alley.

On the street where not even a shadow was visible, Seungho repeatedly tried to calm the boiling turmoil inside. In his perfect world, anything unpredictable was detestable, so it was natural that Jihyun’s absence irritated him.

As time passed, the direction of his anger and anxiety stained with frustration was still aimed at the unseen Jihyun.

Biting his dry, chapped lips tightly, Seungho recalled the words he had recently spoken in front of others.

“She’s my servant.”

Did he really want Jihyun to be nothing but a simple servant working in the mansion? Or…?

Lost in the complicated thoughts crowding his mind, a familiar silhouette appeared between his fingers as he washed his face.

It was Jihyun, the one he had been waiting for all along. The thin strands of her hair reflecting the sunset had turned a reddish color. Her long hair shimmered as she walked, her eyes lowered as if deep in thought, and her slightly upturned lips irritated his mood.

What could she possibly be smiling about? Maybe she’s happy to be away from here?

Seeing her again made Seungho angry once more.

Jihyun unconsciously touched her right wrist. The same wrist Seungho had grabbed.

“Here’s a piece of advice. You better stay in your place. That’s the duty you, as an employee, must keep.”

His burning eyes, low and cold voice—those forceful, suffocating words still seemed to echo in her ears.

“Jihyun, what do you like?”

“Huh?”

Miri’s question snapped Jihyun out of the swirling thoughts in her head.

“What do you like among reincarnation, possession, and transmigration?”

“What’s that?”

“You know, essential elements in web novels. Reincarnation, possession, transmigration. Which one do you prefer?”

“Well, I’ve never really thought about it…”

“I’m going to possess someone.”

Miri’s eyes sparkled.

“I’ll be the villainess in the novel who goes to meet the duke living in the north.”

“She’s starting again.”

Hajun, who had been quietly listening, clicked his tongue.

“Get a grip. Wouldn’t the northern duke run away if he saw your grades?”

“Ha, Kim Hajun, stop dragging reality into my dreams!”

Miri snapped back angrily and drifted into her fantasy again.

“By the way, Shin Seungho really seems like duke material—handsome, cold, smart…”

“Ha, have you really looked at him properly?”

“No, I haven’t looked closely. That’s why my imagination is big.”

Listening quietly to their conversation, Jihyun smiled bitterly. The Shin Seungho Miri described matched the image she had seen many times. However, the arrogant and selfish temper tantrums he showed at the mansion were something Miri obviously didn’t know.

“Jihyun, do you want to go eat tteokbokki today? I have some time before I go to the academy.”

Miri shook her wallet, meaning she would pay. Jihyun shook her head with a somewhat regretful expression.

“Sorry, I can’t today. I have work. Let’s definitely eat together next time.”

“What? Is it an urgent thing?”

“Today, I really can’t.”

“Well, can’t be helped.”

Watching Miri’s disappointed face, Jihyun swallowed the desire to go with her. She wanted to quit everything and just eat tteokbokki together, but today was the day she had promised to help with the mansion’s work. Hajun just stared at Jihyun silently without adding anything.

“All set?”

Jihyun, lining up jelly molded in small crystal glasses, looked at Manager Kim who had come into the kitchen. She was the one who had convinced Jihyun, who had firmly refused to help with the mansion chores.

“There’s no one else to work now. The guests will be here soon. What will you do? I’ll pay double the hourly wage, just for today, okay?”

Tempted by the doubled wage, Jihyun ended up helping the mansion’s exclusive chef serve desserts to the guests. She was told today’s visitors were Seungho’s friends.

Naturally, the people she had met while running errands for him came to mind. People from a completely different world, who had nodded and smiled when called servants, flashed through her mind.

I shouldn’t have agreed.

Jihyun blamed herself for being swayed by the high wage, but it was already spilled water. She carried the tray with a composed face and headed to the reception room on the second floor, which Seungho used.

There, Seungho’s friend Minwoo, who often came and went from the mansion, and several other friends were chatting excitedly.

I must never look at their faces.

Determined, Jihyun placed the sparkling drinks and desserts in front of each person without raising her head.

Minwoo was leading the conversation warmly, and Seungho was casually leaning back on the sofa, just watching Jihyun serve the food.

“Looks like London water really is different. Look how pretty Bora’s gotten.”

“Bora was always a bit different.”

“That’s a compliment, right?”

The girl called Bora smiled sweetly. Their conversation didn’t reach Jihyun, who silently set the glasses. Suddenly, a white hand decorated with fancy nail art appeared in her view.

“This is non-alcoholic, right?”

At the clear voice, Jihyun unconsciously lifted her head. The slightly upturned eyes and silvery, almost white hair made her look like a fairy. Before Jihyun could answer, someone snickered.

“Bora, would non-alcoholic even matter to you?”

Bora flipped her hair back and raised her chin.

“Of course it matters. One must keep their dignity.”

“Dignity, huh… alright, I’ll give you that.”

Minwoo nodded playfully and raised his glass filled with sparkling juice. Jihyun watched Bora snort with amusement. Despite her hair having been bleached multiple times, it was still shiny.

Her cat-like eyes gave off an intellectual charm, and though young, her words and actions showed dignity.

Seeing Bora, who clearly grew up in a wealthy family, Jihyun thought that if the web novel heroine type Miri talked about really existed, this might be her.

“But why is Seungho like this today?”

Bora’s gaze shifted to Seungho as she raised her glass to her lips.

“What do you mean?”

Minwoo responded to her.

“He’s unusually quiet.”

“Hey, when has he ever been talkative?”

Minwoo glanced at Seungho and lightly tapped his side as a warning, but Seungho ignored the reactions around him and kept silent.

“I don’t like it when my husband is too quiet.”

At Bora’s indifferent remark, Seungho slightly turned his head. Minwoo and the others all looked at her.

Bora accepted the attention calmly and continued.

“To be honest, aren’t we powerful?”

“…What?”

Her provocation worked. Seungho, speaking for the first time, had a cold voice.

“I mean the engagement.”

Jihyun, who had been looking down, slowly raised her eyes at the word “engagement” and glanced between the two. Visually, they looked perfectly matched, but the raised eyebrow showed Seungho’s thoughts were different.

“Ridiculous.”

Unlike Seungho’s sneer, Bora nonchalantly inspected a shrimp canapé she held.

“Chairman Shin and my dad have been meeting often these days. Do you really think they’re trying to connect me with your brother?”

Crunch. Bora took a bite of the canapé, wiped her mouth with her hand, and continued.

“If they’re thinking about my fiancé, it would obviously be you.”

“Stop with the boring jokes.”

“It wouldn’t be a loss for you either. No lack of money, superior looks, and even smart… Chairman Shin probably thinks the same.”

Her words exuded the confidence of someone who had never known rejection.

At some point, Jihyun found herself holding her breath, listening to their conversation. Despite being the same age, it was interesting how they already weighed their family backgrounds and arranged relationships.

“Hmm, this is delicious.”

Though Seungho’s brow furrowed at the engagement talk, Bora didn’t care and focused on the canapé.

“Hey, why’s the mood so tense? Ha ha.”

Since even their friends noticed Seungho’s discomfort and couldn’t speak, Minwoo finally stepped up. He forced a smile and gently rubbed Seungho’s shoulder.

“We haven’t gathered in a while, so let’s keep it friendly.”

“…Go get engaged yourself.”

Seungho’s unusually sharp words twisted Minwoo’s mouth.

“Ha ha, come on Seungho…”

Seungho brushed off Minwoo’s desperate grasp and strode over to Bora with long strides.

“What’s your reason for wanting to marry me? There are plenty of families like mine.”

His cold attitude was enough to freeze the other person, but Bora met his gaze calmly as if used to it.

“Aren’t you going to Switzerland this winter vacation?”

“What about it?”

“I’m going to Switzerland too. With you.”

Seungho raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t come.”

“Do you think this is only my wish?”

As the two’s fiery confrontation escalated, Minwoo tiredly changed the subject.

“Hey guys, want to go skiing in Switzerland with us?”

Jihyun put down the empty glasses on the tray and clicked her tongue. It seemed conversations in their world would never become familiar to her.

“Wait a minute…”

Seungho stopped Jihyun as she turned to leave.

“Yes?”

Surprised by the attention focused on her, Jihyun looked at Seungho. Meeting his fiery black eyes, she swallowed dryly.

As they exchanged gazes, the wrist that had been grabbed that weekend afternoon ached once again.