Impossible Romance - Chapter 53

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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53.

Bright morning light tapped against my eyes, pulling me from sleep. Last night had exhausted me like nothing else, and I could barely manage to open my eyes, drowsy and heavy.
Kwon Seok-ha had effortlessly lifted me and carried me to the Dining Table.
“Haah….”
Barely suppressing a yawn as if to repay his effort, I cracked my eyes open. Soup, an omelet, and fresh fruit were arranged alongside a beverage.
Wondering when he’d managed all this, I forced my heavy eyelids open to look at him. He’d already returned from his workout and gestured with a paper bag from a nearby Brunch Restaurant.
Watching him understand my thoughts without a word, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“Next time, let’s run together.”
Kwon Seok-ha sat across from me and lifted his beverage cup to drink. A fresh, sweet scent emanated from him, still warm from his run. I found myself staring blankly as the liquid passed down his throat.
“Should I feed you? Just say the word. I’ll feed it to you with my mouth.”
He winked and popped a cherry tomato into his mouth, rolling it playfully.
“No, thank you.”
Snapping back to reality, I quickly lowered my gaze. My neck burned with embarrassment from the morning, like a child caught stealing glances.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived like this? Don’t you think?”
He swallowed the cherry tomato and moved closer to me.
“What’s nice about that?”
I deliberately frowned and turned my attention to the soup.
“You write fairy tales and I’ll go around selling them.”
Kwon Seok-ha laughed mischievously, grinning like a mischievous boy. In moments like this, he was exactly like the young master from the Villa ten years ago.
“That won’t happen.”
I cut him off coldly. Yet, if I could truly live without worrying about anything like that, it would be wonderful.
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“You saw back then—you know I have no talent for writing. So how could I write fairy tales?”
“That’s true.”
Kwon Seok-ha agreed annoyingly and handed me a cherry tomato. As my lips parted in surprise, I turned to look at him, and his red lips met mine, as if they’d been waiting.
The cherry tomato burst in my mouth, its juice overflowing. The sweet flavor mingled with our breath, dancing between our lips.
I closed my eyes and thought.
A kiss this sweet—there must be something special in that tomato.

***

A new week had begun. The morning was unnervingly uneventful. As always, I left home with Kwon Seok-ha and got out of the car just before arriving at the Company.
Sometimes I’d grab coffee on the way, sometimes I’d just walk, but I invariably met Kwon Seok-ha in front of the Elevator. He’d go ahead and wait for me in the car, as if deliberately making time for me. If anyone had been paying close attention to this mundane routine, they might have noticed.
Today, I stood blankly waiting for the Executive Elevator doors to open. It was only possible because Kwon Seok-ha had made an exception for me, a Secretary’s Office staff member, to use the Executive Elevator.
But when the doors slid open, the first person I saw was Han Seon-young. She appeared to have just descended from an upper floor.
“Hello.”
Standing before her, I felt as though I’d committed some crime. From her perspective, perhaps I had.
“I came looking for you, and now you’re just arriving?”
Her tone carried irritation, as if she’d made a wasted trip to the Secretary’s Office. And this was before I’d even clocked in.
“Yes.”
“Follow me. We need to talk.”
Han Seon-young didn’t wait for my response and moved forward. Kim Secretary, her personal secretary, stood not far away. I quietly greeted Kim Secretary and followed Han Seon-young.
Han Seon-young took me to a quiet Cafe a short distance from the Company. For her to meet me at such an early hour was unusual—it meant she was deeply anxious about something.
Han Seon-young climbed to the 2nd Floor of the Cafe and settled into a secluded spot, with me taking the seat across from her.
“Coffee? Or tea?”
Han Seon-young asked, her brow furrowed with displeasure.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“Two cups of green tea. Jeju young leaf.”
Han Seon-young instructed Kim Secretary, who bowed quietly and descended to the first floor where the counter was. Until Kim Secretary returned, Han Seon-young stared at me intently.
I felt suffocated, as if time itself had frozen. The fact that Han Seon-young—always deliberate and refined—had come to find me at the Company this early in the morning tightened my throat.
Shortly after, Kim Secretary returned with two cups of tea, placed them before us, and stepped back. Fortunately, the Cafe was quiet at this early hour, and the 2nd Floor was even more deserted.
I wondered if Han Seon-young had perhaps rented out the entire 2nd Floor through Kim Secretary. She certainly had both the wealth and reason to do so.
“Drink. Let’s start by soothing your throat.”
Han Seon-young took a sip of tea and set it down. The cup rested gracefully in her elegant hands, lingering near her lips before gently descending.
I followed her lead, took a sip, and placed my cup on the Dining Table.
“Can you guess why I came?”
Beneath her long, sculpted brows, her clear eyes fixed on me.
“Is it about the Executive Director?”
“Of course it is. I thought I explained myself clearly to you, but it seems there’s been some static.”
Han Seon-young’s voice took on a sharp edge.
“I apologize.”
I shrank back, lowering my head in contrition.
“If you understand, this should be simple. I think you’ll need to move out of Kwon Seok-ha’s House.”
“Yes.”
I accepted quietly, without surprise. The day I’d anticipated had arrived sooner than expected.
“I intend to match Ha-eun with my Seok-ha. Once their relationship progresses, she’ll be coming and going from the house. Having you there would be inappropriate. Wouldn’t it?”
“Yes….”
The words—that my very existence was an inconvenience to someone—scraped raw against my heart. It hurt all the more because I couldn’t refute them.
“I’ll arrange a place for you to stay.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“If you’re going to ask Seok-ha for money anyway, I’d rather provide it myself. No wife wants to see her husband spending money on another woman. So stop arguing and accept it.”
Today, every word Han Seon-young spoke became a thorn, piercing my chest one by one. The pain was even sharper because I couldn’t refute a single thing.
“You never had any intention of trying anything with Seok-ha anyway, right?”
Han Seon-young asked as if making a vow, worried that Jun-hee might somehow hold back her son.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Good. Work hard at the company and support Seok-ha from beside him. Ha-eun will understand that much.”
“Yes.”
“You’re easy to talk to, after all. You know your place well. Seok-ha is not for you. Don’t forget that.”
“Yes.”
Jun-hee answered briefly.
Only then did Han Seon-young relax her facial muscles and smile brightly. She, who had appeared far more tense than Jun-hee, seemed pleased with how the compromise had proceeded without incident.
In truth, for Jun-hee, this was coercion rather than compromise.
The villa keeper’s daughter, following like original sin. The young master that daughter must never reach for.
Knowing that well, I acquiesced quietly.
“It’s an officetel near the company. Move this week.”
Han Seon-young pulled a small envelope from her bag and handed it over. It likely contained the key to the officetel.
“I’ll arrange my living situation myself.”
My hand hesitated to reach for the envelope on the mahogany table. I barely managed to speak, squeezing out what little strength remained.
“I clearly told you not to do this. Don’t borrow Seok-ha’s help anymore. It’s disrespectful to the woman who will be Seok-ha’s wife.”
Foolishly, I heard Han Seon-young’s barbed words once more.
As Jun-hee lowered her head and reached toward the envelope—
The sound of footsteps bounding up the staircase several steps at a time echoed through the space. The rough breathing was so forceful it filled the quiet interior.
“You’re arranging a marriage without even asking the person involved?”
Kwon Seok-ha strode toward the table where the two women sat in the corner.
“Seok-ha!”
Han Seon-young’s expression upon seeing Kwon Seok-ha was closer to shock than joy.
“Mother, regardless of what you say to Jun-hee, there is no marriage between Lee Ha-eun and me. I’ve already made my intentions clear to her.”
Having finished what he needed to say to Han Seon-young, Kwon Seok-ha stood beside Jun-hee. It wasn’t only Han Seon-young who was startled. Jun-hee also looked at him with wide, astonished eyes.
“Seok-ha, sit down for now. You’ll regret this later!”
Han Seon-young grabbed at Kwon Seok-ha urgently.
“I’m going to marry Jun-hee. She’s my woman, so please treat her well, Mother.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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