By Zephyria 
“……?”
Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the chest of drawers filled with paper envelopes. Then, he reached out from the handle and slid his fingers across the sides of the neatly arranged envelopes with a rhythmic scratching sound. Every envelope was the same shade of white.
Suddenly, Han Seung-jae’s voice brushed past his ears.
—Usually, Secretary Park drafts the contract at times like this, but since he’s not here, let’s skip it. I already know your name, so that’s fine, and your identity is verified.
“Is it a contract, or something like that?”
Han Seung-jae often invested in companies that had technical value but lacked capital. Since he drafted a contract every time he did so, Yi-kyung wondered if these were those documents.
Clack. Yi-kyung closed the drawer without lingering. He knew well from the original novel that Han Seung-jae met a diverse range of people. Han Seung-jae tended to prefer things that were clear and visible. What could be more suited to his taste and more faithful to its purpose than a contract?
Seo Yi-kyung reached for the second drawer. He opened it more decisively than before.
“The same things are in here?”
He proceeded to open the third drawer, but the same envelopes met his eyes. As expected, they seemed to be documents like contracts.
Seo Yi-kyung leaned forward slightly, looking at the final drawer. He felt it might be unnecessary to open it, but he hooked both hands onto the handle and pulled. Looking down at the envelopes neatly stored even in the last drawer, Seo Yi-kyung looked disappointed.
He hadn’t expected anything important to be in a drawer that wasn’t even locked. No, to him, they were probably important contracts—important enough to be kept in a study filled with expensive items like collections. Moreover, considering the people Han Seung-jae associated with, these envelopes were understandable. In fact, there might be similar ones in other drawers as well.
I don’t know which drawer was opened in the original novel. Seo Yi-kyung slowly straightened his upper body and looked around. There were countless chests of drawers in this room alone. There were also drawers in the painting studio and the bedroom. It was harder to find a room without a chest of drawers.
Seo Yi-kyung leaned down again and reached out with both hands to close the bottom drawer. Then, he lifted his left hand and fumbled with a faded envelope. The envelope, with its crumpled edges, had turned yellow. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing Han Seung-jae would keep.
Looking at the items in this study alone, it was filled with things that had never been touched by anyone—to the point that even Im Jeong-yun had looked surprised.
He might have left it here and forgotten about it. Seo Yi-kyung pulled out the envelope, which had a jaggedly torn opening, and opened it nonchalantly. Then, he cast his eyes downward and peeked inside.
It’s not a contract……
Photos?
Seo Yi-kyung grabbed the scattered photos with one hand and pulled them out. His eyelids blinked. His pupils wavered up and down.
“It’s… me?”
The face in the photo was familiar. It was the same person he saw in the mirror every time he washed. Moreover, it was a youthful version of himself wearing a school uniform.
Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze returned to the drawer. He moved his fingers and pulled out an envelope about a hand-span away. Similarly, it contained photos of ‘Seo Yi-kyung.’ Beside him, walking down the street in casual clothes, was a young Butler Do. There were also photos of him entering an art supply store.
He hurriedly pushed the photos back in and reached forward with both hands. Forgetting to close the drawer, he opened the drawer immediately above it and pulled out envelopes as they came to hand.
They weren’t contracts; they were all photos. No matter which envelope Seo Yi-kyung picked randomly from the side, they all contained the same person. It was all him. However, compared to the school uniform version in the bottom drawer, the photos in the upper drawers showed a more mature face.
* * *
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Seo Yi-kyung, holding his chopsticks, flinched. He slowly raised his head and looked at Han Seung-jae, who was sitting across from him at the dining table. Han Seung-jae, with narrowed eyes, scanned the plates in front of Seo Yi-kyung, where the food had barely diminished.
Soon, he turned his head as if to call the chef. Judging by Han Seung-jae’s sharp gaze, it wouldn’t be anything good.
“I was about to eat.”
Seo Yi-kyung hurriedly moved his chopsticks. Lost in thought about what he had seen in the study, he had forgotten that he was having dinner with Han Seung-jae, who had left work early for once.
Clink. He dropped one of his chopsticks. Seo Yi-kyung bent his upper body and reached down to pick up the chopstick from the floor.
“Here it is.”
Butler Do placed a new pair of chopsticks on the table. As he did, he bowed deeper and snatched away the fallen chopstick before Seo Yi-kyung could reach it.
Seo Yi-kyung slowly straightened his body and gripped the ends of the new chopsticks.
Glancing forward, his eyes locked with Han Seung-jae’s. It was clear that he was asking for a reason with a cold gaze. Seo Yi-kyung opened his lips hesitantly.
“Well, I’ve been feeling a bit unwell since this afternoon……”
To be precise, it was from the moment he left the study. Just as he was slightly lowering his head, partially shielding himself from Han Seung-jae’s gaze with his palm for fear that he might notice he had snooped through the study.
Through the gaps between his fingers, he saw Han Seung-jae slowly crossing his legs. In truth, it wasn’t that Han Seung-jae was moving slowly, but that it appeared so to Seo Yi-kyung, whose temperature had risen excessively.
Han Seung-jae walked around the table and reached out to cover Seo Yi-kyung’s forehead. The large hand, which covered even his eyes, detected a slight fever.
“Do you have a fever?”
Within the palm of Han Seung-jae’s hand, which had turned his vision dark, Seo Yi-kyung recalled the photos he had seen in the study. He knew that Han Seung-jae received reports regarding everything about ‘Seo Yi-kyung.’
“Butler Do.”
The eyelids of the lost-in-thought Seo Yi-kyung flickered. However, since Han Seung-jae was covering his eyes, it wasn’t noticeable.
“Yes. Did you call for me?”
“Bring an ice pack.”
“Yes.”
As Butler Do hurried away, Han Seung-jae then called the chef. Even during this, Seo Yi-kyung’s body remained stiff, and he didn’t even dare to push away Han Seung-jae’s hand covering his eyes. Perhaps that was why; somehow, he felt his fever rising even further.
Han Seung-jae withdrew his hand. He gauged the heat that had spread across his palm and instructed the approaching chef to make porridge. Then, he picked up a tall glass from the table and handed it to Seo Yi-kyung.
Seo Yi-kyung took the glass of water and brought it to his lips. He had been thirsty anyway. His lower lip pressed against the glass. Just before drinking the water, Seo Yi-kyung let out a small, long breath through his parted lips. He knew from the original novel that Han Seung-jae did not trust ‘Seo Yi-kyung.’ He had always received reports on where ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ went. Even what he bought at the art supply store. And everything down to which exhibitions he saw and whom he met.
After drinking a bit of water, Seo Yi-kyung set the glass down beside him. But was that not only after they got married? He had thought it was possible to be wary of a new person entering the house. After all, he was a man who didn’t trust people easily and treated knowing people like handling luggage.
Especially since the story began with the wedding, Seo Yi-kyung had believed that without a doubt. But weren’t the photos he saw in the study today taken much earlier than that?
“……I enjoyed the meal.”
Seo Yi-kyung finished all the porridge in front of him. It was because he was pushed by Han Seung-jae’s gaze, but it was easier to swallow than rice in his dry mouth.
Han Seung-jae, who had been watching Seo Yi-kyung the whole time, looked down at the empty bowl and then raised his gaze.
Seo Yi-kyung took a drink of water, picked up the ice pack placed on the table, and stood up. Then, he told the chef, who asked if he wanted dessert, that he was fine and began to walk away.
“I’m tired, so I’ll go rest first.”
There was no answer, but Seo Yi-kyung stepped forward, indifferent to Han Seung-jae’s gaze. As he left the table, he heard Butler Do’s voice greeting Han Seung-jae behind him. Seo Yi-kyung stepped up the stairs, slightly increasing his pace.
Han Seung-jae, who had been watching him go up, only moved his stationary feet once Seo Yi-kyung disappeared from sight around the stairs.
* * *
Click. Han Seung-jae opened the study door. The shelves and bookcases were filled with trophies that looked like they belonged in a museum. Some he had sent people to buy, and some he had received.
Suddenly, Han Seung-jae caught a faint scent of roses. He slowly looked around the room and gazed at a glass display case sitting prominently. Items purchased from an auction promoted by Art Atelier were placed there.
“I told them to put it in the painting studio.”
A low, cool voice spread through the silent study. Did I not deliver my word? But there was no way Secretary Park had failed to do what he instructed. He had been by his side for several years; there was no way he would make such a mistake.
Seeing the rose scent permeating the study, had Seo Yi-kyung come in personally and placed it here? That was more likely.
Tap, tap. He used his fingertips to tap the glass surface rhythmically. Han Seung-jae stared at the pocket watch necklace and the hat. There was no emotion reflected in his eyes.
In the first place, he didn’t have much interest in the paintings bought from Art Atelier or these auction items. To him, they were completely useless objects.
Rather, his personal visit was closer to an exceptional situation. Even if there was something he wanted to collect, there was no need for him to go personally. Without needing to adjust his schedule and spend time, it was a matter that could be settled cleanly by sending someone.
—What should I do? Quickly, go and tell them you pressed it by mistake—
…….
—Seung-jae, you go—
…….
The voice of a panicked and flustered Seo Yi-kyung seemed to be heard right next to him. The expression of restlessness, not knowing what to do. The sight of his exceptionally white face turning even paler in embarrassment.
Han Seung-jae reached out and took the displayed pocket watch necklace. The chain slid down through his long fingers. On a whim, he also picked up the hat lying next to it.
As Han Seung-jae walked indifferently, his eyes landed on one spot. The top part of the four-tier chest of drawers was slightly open.