IDMPYU 30

30. Speak. Right Now.
“I thought you’d be staying a bit longer, young master.”

The chauffeur glanced at Seungho through the rearview mirror and greeted him warmly. Seungho responded with a polite smile instead of words. Even to him, Chairman Shin’s summons had come as a surprise.

Chairman Shin had always preferred his first son, Myeongho, who resembled him more than Seungho did, who had taken after their grandfather.

Despite this, the chairman had summoned Seungho all the way to the United States and personally accompanied him to visit Ivy League schools and prestigious universities in New York. It was clear he disapproved of Seungho’s plan to study in Europe rather than America.

“Don’t you think it’s better here than some university in the UK?”

Seungho had spent a long time preparing for schools in London, refining his essays and studying rigorously. Everyone in the mansion, friends, and anyone close enough knew of his plans.

So to suddenly suggest he reconsider his school choice felt too insincere to be called advice.

“Such thorough indifference…”

A dry chuckle nearly escaped him, but he held back any sign of emotion in front of his father.

That’s what Chairman Shin had always been to Seungho. So instead of explaining why he wanted to go to London, he dropped a bigger bombshell.

“I might actually prepare for a university in Korea, not Europe.”

The strategy worked. He meant the words to a degree, but also enjoyed watching Chairman Shin’s face turn ashen.

However, his father reacted differently from his loud, dramatic mother. Instead of shouting, he looked at Seungho with dark eyes, stroking his stiff jawline.

“If it’s Korea, there’s still time. Let’s think about it slowly.”

Chairman Shin had learned self-control from his own father, and his poker face was one of his strongest suits. Yet, his actions often betrayed his inner pettiness when things didn’t go his way—and that applied even to his own son.

The fact that Seungho’s answer didn’t please him was obvious from what followed.

Though he’d summoned Seungho to the U.S., once the campus visits were over, he made no further effort to spend time with him.

Business meetings, private parties with other business owners, charity events for various causes…

His personal secretary relayed the chairman’s schedule to Seungho apologetically, listing out each event that left no room for their time together.

Seungho didn’t look disappointed. It didn’t matter. Now that everything was done, he could just leave. He began packing, eager to return to Korea.

“There’s a lot of traffic because of the snow.”

The chauffeur glanced nervously at the navigation screen, where the arrival time kept getting later.

At the mention of snow, Seungho turned his indifferent gaze toward the car window. When he’d arrived at the airport, it had been sleeting, but now, thick snowflakes were falling and painting the world white.

After staring outside for a while, a faint smile tugged at Seungho’s lips. The fact that he was in Korea now and not the U.S. was oddly satisfying.

A little extra time on the road didn’t bother him.

He slipped his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a snow globe, just small enough to fit in one hand. He had stumbled upon it in a gift shop while walking alone in New York—it was the first thing in a while he genuinely liked.

Inside the snow globe, as snow gently fluttered down, a small blue butterfly was encased in resin. Seungho examined it with soft, careful eyes.

He could almost see Jihyun’s rosy cheeks as she stared at the snow gently piling up on the butterfly’s wings.

It was slightly big for his own hand, so she’d definitely need both hands to hold it.

How would she react when she saw this… with those light, almost transparent brown eyes?

Imagining Jihyun holding the snow globe made his chest ache, and a slight grimace crossed his face.

“It’ll suit her perfectly.”

***

“Ugh, this is driving me crazy! Why is everyone like this to me?!”

Manager Kim gripped her neatly styled hair in frustration. Ever since the madam had extended her stay at the mansion, staff had been quitting in droves. Just yesterday, a fight almost broke out when the madam threw her slippers at one of the kitchen helpers.

The helper, thoroughly humiliated, had rolled up her sleeves, ready to retaliate.

It had been up to Manager Kim to stop the confrontation and calm things down. She already missed Hyunsook, who had quit a few days earlier. Watching both Hyunsook and Jihyun get unfairly forced out had left a bad taste in her mouth.

In the chaos, the only relief Manager Kim had was that Young Master Seungho wasn’t in Korea.

From the beginning, she’d found him difficult. Among all of Chairman Shin’s people, Seungho alone had a different air. Even as a boy, his expression had always been too mature for his age.

His cold, silent demeanor reminded her of a frozen lake—it made her shiver involuntarily.

If Seungho had witnessed Jihyun being driven out, things would’ve been far worse.

Everyone in the mansion knew that Seungho treated Jihyun differently.

But because his attention didn’t come across as kindness, people just assumed she was being bullied. However, Manager Kim thought differently.

If a person like Seungho, who had no interest in others, showed curiosity—then that meant something big.

To someone unfamiliar with affection, love often feels repulsive and hard to accept.

She believed that Seungho harassed Jihyun not out of cruelty, but because he was experiencing something like affection for the first time.

Unfortunately, the madam seemed to come to the same conclusion—and thus, everything fell apart.

Then came news: Seungho, who had left for the U.S. on his father’s orders, had returned and landed at Incheon Airport.

For someone who usually disappeared for months at a time when traveling abroad, his early return was a strange surprise.

Standing at the mansion gate, waiting for his car to arrive, Manager Kim looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

“…It’s snowing again.”

As soon as Seungho arrived, he briskly headed toward his room.

“Please summon Jihyun for me.”

“Y-Young Master, um…”

When Manager Kim hesitated—something unlike her—Seungho turned his head.

“Is she out?”

Unable to speak the truth, she opened and closed her mouth several times. Seungho’s eyes narrowed, sensing something off.

“Speak. Right now.”

The chill and pressure in his voice made Manager Kim squeeze her eyes shut. Here it comes.

“Hyunsook and Jihyun quit a few days ago and left.”

Contrary to expectations of an outburst of rage, Seungho remained silent.

Just as the silence grew unbearable, he spoke—slowly.

“…Say that again.”

His voice was so cold it made her heart shrink. Manager Kim couldn’t even open her eyes as she swallowed dryly.

“They submitted their resignations and left. I’m sorry, Young Master.”

“…”

Manager Kim had expected questions like when did they leave or where did they go, but Seungho didn’t say a word.

Puzzled, she cautiously opened her eyes. Seungho wasn’t looking at her—he was staring out the large window. Outside, a fierce snowstorm raged.

Watching him closely, Manager Kim felt a hint of relief at his calm expression.

“Maybe it’s fine…”

But just as she thought she had overreacted, she noticed his lips trembling faintly as he stared into the blizzard.

***

“This is seriously too much.”

Miri pouted as she stared at the empty seat. School had resumed, but Jihyun’s desk remained vacant.

She had picked up the habit after hearing from Hajun that Jihyun had moved away suddenly.

The shock of her friend’s absence quickly turned to anger. They were close—yet Jihyun had vanished without a single word. Miri was furious. Then sad. She missed Jihyun’s shy, sweet smile. Whenever she walked with Hajun, Jihyun’s absence felt even more noticeable.

She had asked Hajun many times if he knew what had happened, but the answer was always the same.

“I don’t know. Just that she had to leave immediately… So I’m guessing she must’ve had a really serious reason.”

She often scolded Hajun for being too forgiving, but deep down, his steady attitude was comforting.

Clenching her pen with dramatic determination, Miri thought:

“Fine. If I see her again someday, I’ll confront her then. I will definitely—”

“…Huh?”

She glanced toward the classroom window and suddenly gasped.

“Hajun, Kim Hajun!”

Startled by Miri’s urgent voice, Hajun pulled out his earphones.

“What?”

“Look! Look over there!”

She stammered, pointing frantically toward the school gate.

“What the heck is it this time?”

Annoyed by her theatrics, Hajun frowned. Miri gulped and finally managed to say:

“The Duke of the North…”

“What?”

“Shin Seungho—Shin Seungho is right over there!”