IDMPYU 11

11. A Very Harsh Punishment

“I heard from Myeongho hyung.”

Minwoo burst into the room, throwing open the door, and his eyes caught sight of a hand wrapped in white bandages. It was Seungho’s injured hand. The room’s occupant, caught off guard by the sudden visitor, didn’t seem surprised and casually flipped the page of the book he was reading.

“Already? Myeongho hyung talks more than I thought.”

Minwoo’s reaction was one of disbelief at how loosely Myeongho was spilling information. He dropped heavily onto the bed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“Seriously, why did you do that? I just don’t get you.”

The Seungho Minwoo knew would break someone’s wrist if he had to, but would never hurt himself intentionally. Yet here he was, having reached out and smashed a glass.

According to Myeongho, the glass shard Seungho had grasped had cut so deep it almost severed a tendon.

“Of all things, the right hand, not the left…”

Minwoo muttered in disbelief and shook his head. Myeongho, who Minwoo hadn’t seen in a while, was surprisingly talkative but had given useful information. From what he said, Choi Jihyun had been there.

Minwoo instinctively guessed that was what angered Seungho. Sharp as he was, Minwoo had already noticed Seungho treated Jihyun differently from others.

Seungho was naturally indifferent and cold-hearted by nature. Minwoo’s closeness with him was thanks to their cousin relationship and Minwoo’s understanding of Seungho’s detached personality.

Even if Minwoo stopped coming here starting tomorrow, Seungho wouldn’t care.

But now Seungho was paying attention to Jihyun. Though his gaze couldn’t be called affection, his actions insulting Jihyun in front of others were unlike the Seungho Minwoo knew.

Lost in thought, Minwoo stared blankly at the ceiling, then turned his head. Seungho was still engrossed in reading, his broad back solidly framed in sight. Seeing him brought both unease and relief.

‘Where would that haughty and arrogant personality go?’

Probably curiosity. Jihyun, who appeared in Seungho’s previously unseen world, was probably like an alien from another planet. They were so different from the start.

Seungho’s steady life was like an escalator going up smoothly, but Jihyun’s was a constant struggle to survive.

‘Maybe he’s curious about a completely different life.’

Thinking this way, Minwoo felt a little pity for Jihyun rather than for injured Seungho.

“Anyway, you hurt your right hand, so it’s going to be inconvenient for a while. What will you do?”

“…Yeah.”

Seungho looked at his own hand and gave a faint smile at Minwoo’s worried words.

‘Crazy guy.’

Finally, Jihyun came to her conclusion about Seungho.

A personality wreck who has to keep others under his feet, Shin Seungho.

Early that morning, busy preparing to go to school, Manager Kim came by—but the atmosphere was strange. Kim looked troubled, opening and closing her lips repeatedly, something Jihyun had never seen.

“Jihyun, what should we do?”

Seeing Kim hesitate made something drop heavily inside Jihyun. This was definitely bad news.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“It looks like you won’t be able to come to school for a while starting today…”

Jihyun’s eyes sharpened, staring at Kim’s nonsensical statement about not going to school. She thought the absence was due to Seungho’s injury, but it wasn’t.

“As you know, Master Seungho injured his right hand badly, and someone needs to help him closely.”

In other words, it was meant for Jihyun. She was being told not to go to school but to be trapped in the mansion, running errands and helping him…

The moment Jihyun caught Kim’s intention, she felt her breath catch.

“What does Master Seungho’s injury have to do with me?”

“Uh?”

Kim was embarrassed by Jihyun’s sharp question.

“Did Master Seungho tell you to stay behind and take care of him instead of going to school?”

Seungho was exactly the type to do that. Jihyun, who was there when he got hurt, knew vaguely how bad it was. At least, it wasn’t a serious enough injury to require someone by his side for nursing. Thinking this made her angry.

‘Why on earth does Seungho have such a grudge against me that he won’t let me go to school?’

Jihyun’s reaction was fiercer than expected, and Kim hurriedly waved her hands.

“No, no, Jihyun. This isn’t from Master Seungho but from Madam herself. She thinks someone your age would be better to nurse Master Seungho…”

A typical madam’s command, completely disregarding others’ circumstances. Kim quickly explained the ‘benefits’ Jihyun would receive.

“To be honest, it’s not bad for you. You don’t have to do anything else but stay by Master’s side. The hourly wage will be generous too.”

Kim’s urgent persuasion seemed like an attempt to convince Jihyun not to refuse. It was dreadful. Just staying by him doing nothing…

This was punishment. A very harsh punishment.

Seungho got hurt, but why was Jihyun the one being punished?

Still unwilling to give up going to school, Jihyun fidgeted with her backpack. Kim watched her carefully and gently soothed her with her usual smooth talk.

“If you’re worried about your classes, don’t be. A private tutor will come.”

Knowing there was no use refusing, Jihyun lowered her head deeply.

Her opinion didn’t matter at all. This decision, made arbitrarily by others, wouldn’t change. Looking at Kim with a face clinging to hope, she asked,

“Does my aunt know about this?”

“Of course, she’s your guardian. I explained well, and she was rather pleased. Studying with Master Seungho is not something ordinary kids can do.”

If it were anyone else, Hyunsook would be furious, saying how unfair it was to make a student do such a thing, but Jihyun’s chance to take private lessons with Seungho seemed to have convinced her.

The spark of hope was immediately extinguished. Jihyun knew well what answer was expected.

“Yes. I understand.”

It was a resigned answer. Kim wiped the sweat beading on her forehead with relief. Even as someone who had managed Chairman Shin’s household for a long time, this was a rare and embarrassing situation.

“Thank you, Jihyun. Madam will surely be grateful too.”

Jihyun went up the stairs to the second floor of the mansion, where only designated servants were allowed. Yet no servant stopped her—this must have been arranged beforehand. Jihyun recalled Kim’s persuasive words.

“Dr. Han, the attending physician, said Master Seungho’s hand will heal quickly. So don’t be too upset about not being able to go to school, okay?”

One step further.

“It’s good for you too, you know?”

Good for me? No way…

Another step.

“When vacation comes soon, Master Seungho will be going abroad. Just until then…”

Kim’s words faded off, and Jihyun gave a bitter smile.

“Take good care of him.”

It was a line fit for a servant attached to a noble family in a historical drama. Seungho was right. Even though she was paid, she was nothing more than a servant.

“It’s late.”

Startled from her thoughts by the low, cool voice, Jihyun looked up. At the top of the stairs stood Seungho.

Seungho perfectly showed the difference in social rank between them.

Everyone in the mansion was seriously talking about Seungho’s injury, but Jihyun couldn’t understand.

His long legs walking ahead with wide strides, the left fingers flicking rhythmically, and his calm expression made it hard to think of him as a patient.

Seungho, who moved without a word even as Jihyun was lethargic and unmotivated, turned around and faced her once they entered his room.

His usually cold eyes now had a faint light.

“Do you know what time it is?”

Jihyun knew he wasn’t just asking the time, but she calmly glanced at her watch.

“9:30.”

She had lost track of time while arguing with Manager Kim, but it wasn’t too late yet.

Actually, she planned to come even later. Though she answered as if she understood, she had been slow and reluctant to come in the morning as if she didn’t intend to.

Seeing this, Kim lost patience and dragged her to the mansion.

Seungho sighed lightly and tapped the watch on his wrist.

“You’re too late today. From now on, come at 7 a.m.”

“7 a.m. is too early…”

Jihyun trailed off, unwilling to agree. She didn’t want to face Seungho so early.

“What does it matter if it’s early for you?”

Seungho cut off her resistance with an arrogant smirk, raising his chin and folding his arms.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re lazy, but I can’t stand being inconvenienced because of it.”

Jihyun wasn’t sure what could be inconvenient when he couldn’t use his right hand just after waking up.

As if reading her thoughts, Seungho continued slowly.

“I live more diligently than you think.”

Jihyun nodded half-heartedly.

“Sure.”

“The tutor will come at 11. What’s your job now?”

Listening to him teach her like a child even though they were the same age twisted her stomach.

“Uh, setting up the class?”

“Wrong.”

A corner of Seungho’s mouth curled up.

“Go down to the kitchen and get me a glass of water.”

Did he have some fatal disease that he couldn’t drink water himself?

Frustration surged up, but knowing it was best to comply quietly, Jihyun obediently went to get the water. Seungho’s continuous requests after that were petty, annoying, and relentless.

“I haven’t had breakfast yet. Bring me something easy to eat.”

Jihyun brought a quick snack as he requested but was turned down three times.

After several attempts with different menus, Seungho finally accepted the toast Jihyun offered.

“Water the plants on the terrace. If the roots rot because you gave them too much water, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“Bring me lemon slices and sparkling water, quickly if possible.”

Though only his right hand was injured, he acted as if his whole body was sick, dumping most trivial chores onto Jihyun.

He even seemed to enjoy seeing her exhausted running between the first and second floors for his errands. Annoyed by the childish tasks, Jihyun silently moved, knowing it was best to obey.

The more she worked, the more convinced she became that Seungho was crazy. When she handed him the lemon sparkling water, he glanced at his watch.

“The tutor should be here soon.”

It was not yet 11 a.m., but Jihyun’s legs trembled. Going up and down the stairs repeatedly for nasty errands exhausted her.

Time, which usually passed fast, now felt unbearably slow. Seungho took a long sip, glanced down at his clothes, and frowned deeply.

“Dirty…”

Though there was no visible dirt, he seemed displeased with his outfit and strode into the dressing room next to the bedroom. This was a brief chance for Jihyun to catch her breath away from his watchful eyes.

“I’ll go out for a bit while you change.”

Before Jihyun could run off, Seungho called her back.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Where are you going? I have to help you change.”

“…Me?”

“Then who else is here but you?”