By Zephyria 
Secretary Park understood quickly. As Han Seung-jae turned away, doctors rushed in from both sides. They checked the wound around Seo Yi-kyung’s chest and quickly tended to the bandages.
Han Seung-jae turned back and took in Executive Director Jin Tae-won, Jin Seok-young, and Kwon Gwi-jun in the hospital room with a single glance. Jin Seok-young, whose cheek had turned red, stepped forward first.
“I was actually just about to contact you.”
Jin Seok-young tried to shield Jin Seon-yu somehow.
“I only just arrived and saw the situation, so I didn’t have time to call—”
“I believe I told you to return what you took to its original place.”
Jin Seok-young’s lips trembled, unable to finish his sentence. Han Seung-jae kept a close eye on one spot. Behind Kwon Gwi-jun, he saw Jin Seon-yu, whose shoulder was slightly exposed.
Jin Seon-yu was cowering, his shoulders trembling violently.
“You certainly have a way with words, even after making things like this.”
After cutting Jin Seok-young off, Han Seung-jae looked toward Executive Director Jin Tae-won, who had remained silent until then, and spoke. That alone caused the floating air to twist visibly.
“It would be best if you find Seo Dong-hu before I do.”
The first person to be dealt with was Seo Dong-hu. Because he was the one who had made Seo Yi-kyung like that.
Executive Director Jin Tae-won replied to Han Seung-jae.
“We are looking for Vice President Seo as well. Once we find him, we will hand him over to Director Han immediately.”
Despite those words, Jin Seok-young rushed out of the hospital room in a clatter. Secretary Park followed him out the open door, holding it so it wouldn’t close.
Han Seung-jae turned slowly and headed toward the entrance where Secretary Park stood. As he stepped out, he gave Secretary Park an instruction. Hearing him, Secretary Park bowed his head in acknowledgment.
The hospital room door closed. Then, Kwon Gwi-jun spoke.
“I informed him.”
Tears pooled beneath Jin Seon-yu’s eyes and fell incessantly to the floor. Kwon Gwi-jun’s voice continued above him.
“If you hide it, it’s Seon-yu who will be in a difficult position.”
Kwon Gwi-jun recalled the sight of Jin Seon-yu and Seo Yi-kyung eating breakfast together. Jin Seon-yu had shown extreme intimacy toward Seo Yi-kyung. He had looked after his eating and watched him get into the car. There was more than enough evidence to guess the bond between the two.
However, he could not bear to see Jin Seon-yu come to harm because of it.
That was why, when the call came from Jin Seon-yu, Kwon Gwi-jun held the phone tightly to ensure it wasn’t disconnected and told the secretary beside him to convey the fact to Han Seung-jae.
“It was something that would have been found out eventually.”
Kwon Gwi-jun’s voice echoing in the room was relatively calm. He couldn’t deceive Han Seung-jae. There would only have been a very slight time difference in when he found out.
Jin Seon-yu, who had been weeping in silence, emerged from behind Kwon Gwi-jun. He looked at Seo Yi-kyung, who was obscured by the doctors, but unable to watch any longer, he dropped his head low.
It felt as if everything had happened because of him. What if he had sent Seo Yi-kyung back immediately, as Jin Seok-young had suggested? Then something like this would never have happened. But Seo Yi-kyung clearly wanted to leave that house. That was why he had spent so much time and effort on the painting.
And yet, this was the result of all that…
If Jin Seon-yu had known Seo Yi-kyung would end up like this, he would never have granted his request.
* * *
“Wait, you’re moving the patient just like this?”
The doctors could not hide their bewilderment at Secretary Park’s words. Just a moment ago, they had told Han Seung-jae that the patient would recover quickly, but as soon as he left, they quickly changed their tune.
“He hasn’t regained consciousness yet, and moving him now could put a great strain on the patient’s body.”
“Isn’t it already very late? Wouldn’t it be better to monitor the situation a bit longer and move him once he wakes up?”
However, the doctors’ words were not Secretary Park’s concern. Secretary Park fulfilled his duty to move Seo Yi-kyung to Haseon Hospital, exactly as Han Seung-jae had instructed upon leaving.
Late at night, Seo Yi-kyung was carried out of Seju Hospital, and Butler Do also emerged in an ambulance. It seemed he had gripped the knife with his bare hands and held on tight to prevent it from slipping. To stop Seo Dong-hu from swinging the sword at Seo Yi-kyung any further. Because of that, four of his fingers, excluding the right thumb, had been severed and had just undergone reattachment surgery. Since he had not woken from the anesthesia, he was also unconscious.
Haseon Hospital, which had been on standby after receiving word from Secretary Park, set up a room with lightning speed the moment Seo Yi-kyung arrived. Moved to a VIP room, Seo Yi-kyung’s body was transferred to a new bed.
The attending physician who had been in charge of Seo Yi-kyung quickly approached and performed several tests. The doctors standing on either side were equally busy, hurriedly continuing emergency treatment. The bandages stretching from Seo Yi-kyung’s shoulder to his chest were stained with darker blood.
The doctors looked troubled. Although the surgery seemed to have been successful, it couldn’t be called a relief. Even if the flesh of the stab wound near Seo Yi-kyung’s chest closed, a long scar would remain.
Because he was in a cast, the sword hadn’t reached down to the belly where the child was, but the patient’s condition could not be described as good.
After thoroughly checking Seo Yi-kyung’s body, the attending physician let out a long sigh. When he first received the call from Secretary Park, his legs had given out, and he had collapsed into a chair.
But the child was safe. Whether by instinct or reflex, it seemed Seo Yi-kyung had used all his strength to block the knife with his arm to prevent it from digging deeper. Consequently, the wounds were concentrated on the upper body.
“That’s enough, everyone. I will inform Director Han that the child is safe.”
The hospital room became silent in an instant, with only the sound of Seo Yi-kyung’s heartbeat leaking from the machine.
The physician looked at the sleeping Seo Yi-kyung one last time as if confirming, then turned away. It seemed it would be a very long night until he woke up.
* * *
“Is that so?”
Secretary Park listened carefully to the attending physician’s words, which included the test results he had already heard once at Seju Hospital and the news that the child was safe.
[And I believe I should also inform CEO Han. What should I do?]
The physician cautiously added.
Secretary Park turned his head. He looked at Han Seung-jae, who was sitting in the head seat of the sofa drinking whisky. The black suit following his broad shoulders creased slightly. Since returning home from the hospital, Han Seung-jae had maintained the same appearance.
Without even changing his suit, he looked as if he were waiting for someone inside the house. Secretary Park conveyed the physician’s words to Han Seung-jae.
“Do I have to be told every single detail like that?”
And Secretary Park relayed Han Seung-jae’s words exactly as they were to the physician. After a short silence over the phone, the physician spoke as if he had reached a conclusion.
[I will inform CEO Han tomorrow morning.]
Secretary Park ended the call. Ever since meeting Han Seung-jae and having an unexpected lunch, the physician was now acting according to Han Seung-jae’s intentions rather than those of CEO Han Yechan.
And for good reason; compared to CEO Han, who only spoke hollow words while putting Chief Secretary Kang at the forefront, it was only natural that Han Seung-jae’s words were more trustworthy. He had clearly judged who the person was that could make him the hospital director.
Step, step. Just then, Min Ra-hyeon, who was moving about, looked around and spoke.
“Where did everyone go? Where’s Butler Do?”
The house was incredibly quiet. Min Ra-hyeon checked the clock on the wall. It was already nearing midnight. Was that why no one was visible? Amidst that, only Han Seung-jae remained on the sofa.
Although Secretary Park was standing beside Han Seung-jae, he was the one in charge of external affairs. Internal matters were primarily handled by Butler Do. Thus, Butler Do, who would normally be moving around Han Seung-jae, was nowhere to be seen.
Approaching the sofa, Min Ra-hyeon asked.
“Are you drinking without anything to eat?”
On the table where Han Seung-jae sat, there was nothing but a bottle of whisky and an ice bucket.
“I’ll go call Butler Do.”
Every time the crystal glass in Han Seung-jae’s hand moved, the ice clinked with a clear sound. In contrast, Han Seung-jae’s voice was excessively low.
“Leave him.”
Because he wouldn’t be able to come even if called. Turning slightly, Min Ra-hyeon looked at Han Seung-jae again. He recalled the meaning of the words Han Seung-jae had just spoken. If he hadn’t misheard, Han Seung-jae said that Butler Do would not come even if he looked for him.
Han Seung-jae set the whisky glass down on the table. Then, Secretary Park, who was beside him, picked up the curved whisky bottle and filled the glass. Han Seung-jae lifted the crystal glass again. As he did, he looked at Min Ra-hyeon.
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Who? Yi-kyung?”
Min Ra-hyeon felt that Han Seung-jae’s expression was excessively cold. The eyes looking at him were equally chilling.
Suddenly, as if he heard a presence, Han Seung-jae shifted his gaze away from Min Ra-hyeon.
Seo Dong-hu, dragged in by men, had a face that had turned pale. His face was covered in marks, as if he had been hit several times during the process of being captured. The cheekbones under his eyes and his lips were torn.
At the same time, Min Ra-hyeon’s eyes widened. He stared at Min Seon-woong, who was being dragged in stumbling, held by the scruff of his neck behind Seo Dong-hu. And then, Han Seung-jae’s voice reached his ears.
“Over here.”