At the End of That Memory Chapter 14

Lee Taeseong did not return to Kwon Yido. I was concerned about the sight of him standing in front of the door, so I asked him to come in, but this time he just stood blankly at the entrance. The sight was extremely uncomfortable, so I couldn’t pretend to see it and go into my room.

“…I’d rather go to the greenhouse.”

In the end, I headed to the greenhouse as usual, accompanied by him. I didn’t forget to ask the staff, who always provided refreshments, to prepare two cups of tea. Lee Taeseong glanced at me and followed behind me as bluntly as a robot.

When we arrived at the greenhouse, as expected, he stood at the entrance and did not come in again. His posture, with his back straight, made him look like a gatekeeper at first glance. I didn’t know what instructions Kwon Yido gave him, but he wouldn’t have told him to stand like a statue like that.

“Lee Taeseong, please come in too.”

“No, I…”

“I feel like I’m being watched and can’t leave, so I hope you come in.”

When I frowned, pretending to be troubled, Lee Taeseong twitched his cheek. With a look of concern on his face, he eventually followed me inside. The strides he took after me were different from Kwon Yido’s.

Two teacups on the table had been set up in advance by the staff. At first, he would follow me and pour me tea, but after I told him not to, he would prepare it in advance without a word. However, it was surprising that the tea was always warm.

“Please take a seat.”

“…”

I naturally sat down at the table and poured tea into my cup and Lee Taeseong’s cup. The flower in the transparent teapot seemed to be a magnolia. The petals didn’t change color at all, so it looked like they were fresh and well-maintained.

“Are you going to drink your tea while standing up?”

I glanced at Lee Taeseong and asked. Lee Taeseong, who was standing still despite being told to sit down, lowered his eyes and avoided my gaze.

“I’m fine.”

“Hm…”

Normally, I would have gently coaxed him to sit down, but Lee Taeseong didn’t seem like the kind of person that would benefit from that. There was no flexibility in him at all, and the more I treated him well, the more likely he was to act stiffly.

“Why don’t you just sit down? You know you can’t refuse anyway.”

So I just followed Kwon Yido’s words. As expected, the effect was direct. Lee Taeseong sat on the chair across from me with a look on his face. Did I look like this when I received my car keys? Once again, I realized why Kwon Yido reacted by saying I was so funny.

“You do not have anything such as a pollen allergy, right? I think the flowers have been treated accordingly, but you never know.”

“… Yes, none.”

He fiddled with his teacup, looking very uncomfortable. His thick hands and dainty teacup created a rare incongruity. My hand size was similar to Kwon Yido. I didn’t know if it was a difference in shape or a difference in familiarity.

“Please enjoy the tea.”

I took a sip of tea and opened the novel I brought with me. It was the last series of books on the bookshelf. Since I would have read all the books in my room just by reading this, I was going to ask Kwon Yido if I could use his study room.

“…”

The fluttering sound of books turning tickled my ears. While I was flipping through three pages of the book, Lee Taeseong did not take a single sip of tea. Even while reading the book, I could feel him shaking as if he were sitting on a thorn cushion.

It was one of my favorite moments since coming into this house. The moment when the scent of flower tea gently entered the greenhouse filled with the scent of flowers. The moment when I was immersed in a book without any distracting thoughts and my sense of reality disappeared.

I usually came in the morning, but today I came in the afternoon, so the direction the sun was shining was a little different. The sunlight falling on the off-white paper broke into small pieces and sparkled. I thought it was a little dazzling, so I put the book diagonally, but Lee Taeseong, who had been quiet the whole time, opened his mouth.

“…Didn’t you make me sit down because you had something to say?”

I quietly raised my eyes and looked at Lee Taeseong. The awkward look in his eyes was full of dissatisfaction.

“No, I don’t have a hobby of making people stand while I read books, so I made you sit down.”

Lee Taeseong might be comfortable standing, but I didn’t want to leave anyone standing for hours. Maybe it wouldn’t happen today, but it would continue to be like that in the future.

“Starting tomorrow, Lee Taeseong, please bring a book as well. I will continue to prepare two cups of tea.”

Kwon Yido said he would talk in detail after work, but it didn’t seem like anything would change. They’d probably use some kind of force to assign a bodyguard to me, and if I kept refusing, they’d assign a new person. In that case, it was easier to compromise and accept it.

“I can’t leisurely drink tea while working.”

“You can think of it as a type of work.”

Flapping, I turned one more page of the book. From my peripheral vision, I could see his face crumpling even with his eyes down. I had no choice but to put down the book and ask Lee Taeseong in a friendly way.

“Have you had lunch?”

He glared at me as if asking me if this was some kind of quip. He quickly relaxed his eyes but was unable to hide the impure look in his eyes.

“I had my lunch.”

“What did you eat?”

“Just kimbap…Why are you asking that?”

He was not a wild animal that was wary of people, and his wariness became sharper after asking a few questions. His dark and refreshing facial features were on full display.

“I thought you didn’t like sitting still, so I thought I’d have a chat with you.”

“…”

“Is your job difficult?”

The more I smiled, the worse Lee Taeseong’s expression got. Just by looking at his facial expressions, it seemed like I was the main culprit in making work difficult.

“It’s worth it.”

“Great. It would be difficult to become a security team leader at that age.”

From the looks of it, he looked like he was in his early to mid-30s. Since he was the leader of Kwon Yido’s security team, his abilities must have been good.

“…I am no longer the team leader.”

However, Lee Taeseong answered in a dispirited voice. He ran his large hand down his face and frowned at the corners of his eyes.

“I stepped down from my position as team leader and my job changed. So please address me as something else other than a team leader.”

“…”

For a moment, that thought occurred to me. I wonder if this person was showing this hostility because I was the reason he stepped down from his position as team leader. However, Lee Taeseong still spoke in a serious tone.

“I had an accident and was demoted.”

“…You’re describing coming to my side as a demotion.”

“… ”

A feeling of regret passed through his eyes when they met. Even though he was a bodyguard who should not be agitated at all costs, his reaction was unnecessarily honest. He lowered his head as if he were a criminal.

“Sorry. I made a mistake.”

“No, it was just a joke, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Well, if I thought about it, it was not wrong.

“Have some tea. It’s getting cold.”

“…”

Silence fell once again. It was because I had no intention of continuing the conversation, but this time Lee Taeseong spoke first.

“… Aren’t you asking?”

“What about?”

The greenhouse was warm so there was still some warmth in the teacup. I wrapped my hand around the clear glass and took a sip of the magnolia-flavored tea. Lee Taeseong brought up the topic only after I put down the teacup.

“What kind of accident happened…”

Judging from his hesitation, I guess it was not a very pleasant topic. I couldn’t figure out why he bothered to check. This person was like that, and Kwon Yido was like that too.

“Are you that kind of person, Lee Taeseong? You were hoping I would ask, but since I didn’t ask, it made you want to talk.”

“…”

Sure enough, Lee Taeseong immediately shut his mouth. It seemed that my words hit the nail on the head.

“I’m not curious. Even if you want to talk, you can hold back.”

I was planning to act in a way that wouldn’t make him uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to hear what was inside. Nine times out of ten, topics brought up in this way are bound to contain uncomfortable content.

“…I asked because everyone asks me about it. I didn’t want to say anything.”

Fortunately, he finished the story quickly. The sight of him turning his head and sighing made him seem a little relieved. Anyway, it was a difficult topic, after all.

After that, we didn’t talk. I read the book again, and Lee Taeseong, still uneasy, was busy looking at me. He got up several times, but I didn’t tell him he could get up.

After about an hour, he finally started drinking tea. He took a sip of the cooled tea and frowned heavily. It was an expression that was tasteless, but he emptied the tea cup as if he were drinking poison.

“Director.”

“…”

I flinched, my shoulders shook. It was a familiar name, but it was too unfamiliar to hear in this place. As I slowly looked away from the book, I saw Lee Taeseong with the same blunt expression as before.

“…You told me not to call you team leader, but how am I the Director?”

He probably didn’t know that I quit my job as the Director. I think it was a bit harsh to call out the rank of someone who had already left the company. Once again, it was a moment when I felt sorry for addressing him as the team leader.

“Sorry. I don’t have a proper title to call you.”

“You can call me by my name.”

“…No, you can’t do that.”

“Well…It leaves us no choice.”

When I spoke willingly, Lee Taeseong nodded his head. I looked through the remaining two pages of the book and spoke indifferently.

“Please speak, Team Leader Lee.”

“…”

It was as if his eyes were swearing. He couldn’t swear in front of me, so that was probably for the best.

“…It’s time for dinner.”

“Ah.”

With a light sigh, I took out my phone and checked the time. Somehow, the surroundings got dark and it was already past 6 o’clock. Lately, the days had gotten longer and I was not hungry, so I forgot about it.

“I guess I should go eat soon.”

I grabbed my book and cell phone and got up, and Lee Taeseong followed me. It must have been quite uncomfortable to breathe a sigh of relief. I saw him for the first time today, but he must be an inflexible person.

“If possible, I hope you eat your meals on time.”

“…Why does Lee Taeseong have to take care of that?”

I asked because I didn’t understand at all. Even so, Kwon Yido wouldn’t have even told me to take care of my meals. Why did a mere attendant bother about it so much?

“I’m telling you this because the Managing Director will be worried if you skip meals.is.”

Suddenly, the book I was holding fell. The bookshelf that fell over hit the stone floor and was crumpled. Lee Taeseong quickly picked up the book I had dropped without showing any signs of surprise.

“…Ah, thank you.”

Without realizing it, I avoided his gaze. It wasn’t because I was embarrassed about dropping the book, but because of the phone call with Kwon Yido that naturally came to mind after hearing Lee Taeseong’s words.

‘You’re right. I am worried about you.’

There was no way I could sense pheromones over the phone, but the moment he heard those words, my heart swelled. It felt like Kwon Yido’s unique heavy voice was transmitted deep into my stomach through my ears. The sensation of my throat tightening was something I had never felt, even when I was praised by my father.

Today wasn’t the first time he told me he was ‘worried’. Even when he ate dinner alone, he didn’t hesitate to use the expression that he was worried. However, the words he said this time were fundamentally different from the last time.

It was burdensome. It was strange and unfamiliar. I didn’t understand why he was doing this like the time when he got me the car keys.

“If I skip a meal…Will Kwon Yido be worried?”

But this awkward feeling was never unpleasant, no matter how much I hid it. It might be a feeling of satisfaction, anticipation, or even a little excitement. As if I was someone who had been waiting for his worries to come out.

“Yes, yesterday too, the Managing Director went straight home after hearing that you had skipped lunch.”

“Yesterday…”

I held the book tightly and gently narrowed my eyes. Yesterday was the day Kwon Yido found me in the greenhouse with a sudden heat cycle. Although he said he would be late, he returned home shortly after lunch.

“Kwon Yido came because he was called…?”

When I asked in a bit of surprise, Lee Taeseong kept his mouth shut. He seemed to sense something off about my reaction. I brushed his back as naturally as possible to reassure him.

“Even though…he wouldn’t have left work just because I missed lunch. Aren’t you mistaken?”

It was half sincere. Even so, I didn’t think he would have come looking for me just because he was hungry.

“…No, I’m sure. He asked me if you hadn’t eaten and went straight home from work.”

So, why did you do that? Lee Taeseong looked at me with that feeling. His eyes were pitiful as if he were looking at an immature child. Now I think I know why this person hated me.

“… he shouldn’t do that next time.”

That was all I could say. Just pretending not to know anything and smiling warmly. I couldn’t show that I felt puzzled, so I had no choice but to just ignore it for now.

“Let’s go, Lee Taeseong, you need to eat too.”

Lee Taeseong’s gaze followed me from behind. I left the greenhouse first and managed to calm my agitated mind. In my mind, the image of Kwon Yido, who came to see me yesterday, was flashing.

* * *

After dinner, I took a bath and soaked in water. Originally, I didn’t plan to do that, but the staff gave me bath salts, so it ended up happening that way. I didn’t know if asking to take a bath meant that.

The bath bomb mixed with pure white pearls was a bath bomb with a subtle and sweet scent. It was a combination of rose and jasmine, and like all floral products, it had a refreshing yet cozy scent. It was to the point of reflecting on myself that if I had known it would be good, I would have used it a long time ago.

After hanging out for a while, I came out wearing a bathrobe. Perhaps because I had been in the warm water for a long time, my whole body was tired, so it seemed like a good time to go to bed.

Now that I think about it, Kwon Yido hadn’t come yet. I thought if I breathed in his pheromones for about an hour, I might get a good night’s sleep.

“…”

No, wait…since when I’ve started relying on it?

I’d gotten too used to nights without nightmares. Even my insomnia, which I thought would get worse once I moved into this house, got better, so it wasn’t unreasonable to look forward to his pheromones. The sleeping pills that I would normally have to pour out one by one were now left intact.

“I need to come to my senses…”

I walked across the middle of the room, shaking off my wet hair. When I checked the clock on the wall, I realized that a lot more time had passed than I thought.

Have I been around in the bath for this long? The moment I blinked with that thought in mind, I heard a knocking sound.

“Jung Sejin, are you inside?”

It was Kwon Yido. A unique, soft voice came from one of the doors. Some time had passed, but it seemed like he came back while I was taking a bath. I walked away briskly, feeling embarrassed.

“Wait a minute.”

With a click, the door was opened without hesitation. Through the open door, Kwon Yido was seen wearing comfortable clothes. Oh, I did wash for a long time. I couldn’t believe I went into the water in a daze until this person got home from work and took a shower.

“I couldn’t hear anything because I was washing up…”

“…”

“…Kwon Yido?”

Just like that, our eyes met. It was at that exact moment that I inadvertently raised my head. My face was reflected in his dark eyes, and Kwon Yido blinked slowly.

“Ah.”

He slowly looked me up and down with a small exclamation. The dark eyes sank into a silence that took my breath away. Soon, the smooth lips moved slowly.

“…Did you just get out of the shower?”

“…”

I didn’t even think about answering that question. As I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it, Kwon Yido’s gaze became even darker. Beneath his calmly lowered hair, his eyes were as beautiful as ever.

I felt like his eyes were touching me.