At the End of That Memory Chapter 16

At first glance, he seemed to be in a good mood, but the expression on his face when he said it said otherwise. That was why I couldn’t tell Kwon Yido to promote him again because he was good at what he did. Instead of giving a definitive answer, I subtly changed the subject.

“Come to think of it…I have a favor to ask you.”

“Ask me…?”

As soon as the word “favor” came out, Kwon Yido narrowed his eyes. As he thought about something, his well-groomed eyebrows went up.

“About getting rid of security…”

“No, that’s not it.”

I interrupted him unintentionally, but fortunately, he didn’t seem offended. I was the only one who blurted out the words but shut my mouth in shock. It was difficult if I, as someone, kept getting comfortable, and when Kwon Yido gave me space, I kept wanting to stretch my legs.

“I was wondering if I could use the study.”

“…The study?”

“Yes, I’ve read all the books in my room and have nothing more to read.”

Today too, when Kwon Yido went to work, Lee Taeseong would come to visit without fail. He would follow me like a shadow and accompany me to the greenhouse together with a very uncomfortable look on his face. In that case, it might be better to take two books with me.

“The study…”

I thought he would say he would understand right away, but Kwon Yido did not answer right away and hesitated. He looked at me, then turned his head and seemed to be thinking about something. Soon, he clicked his tongue briefly and answered with a nonchalant expression.

“Okay, you can do whatever you feel comfortable with. You can use the study on the first floor.”

It was the first floor. The study I saw was on the second floor.

“The bookshelf will be high, so don’t take out the items from the top yourself; have a staff do it for you. Ladders are dangerous.”

“…Thank you.”

There was no way there was only one study in this large house, but it was strange he specifically mentioned the first floor. The saying is, ‘Use the study on the first floor.’ But in reality, the nuance is, ‘Don’t roam around anywhere else.’

Before I felt that sense of wonder for a moment, Kwon Yido opened his mouth.

“Last time, that place was where I worked.”

“Ah.”

For some reason, the desk felt like it had been used. It appeared to be a study and office. In that case, it was understandable that he was talking about the first floor rather than the second floor.

“…”

But why do I keep feeling strange?

“We are done here, I think.”

He finished his meal and stood up first. The neatly placed dishes seemed to show his personality. The moment I was about to follow Kwon Yido out of the kitchen, he suddenly turned around and looked at me.

“Jung Sejin.”

Sometimes, there were moments when I felt a slight sense of déjà vu. For example, when I looked at him from a close distance like right now.

“I’m telling you just in case, don’t go into the study on the second floor.”

“…Yes?”

I felt like he had hit the nail on the head. I didn’t expect Kwon Yido to say what I thought was strange. He spoke in a very serious voice without blinking an eye.

“There are many items that might be dangerous for you, Jung Sejin.”

There was something that immediately came to mind when I heard the word dangerous object. That thing that was roaming around in my head was said aloud through Kwon Yido’s mouth.

“Something like a gun, for example.”

I got goosebumps. An unknown chill crawled up my spine. The fear that had crept into me remained deep in a corner of his chest, causing a dull pain.

It was a strange feeling that I couldn’t describe in words. I only heard one word, but the sight of the gun came to mind clearly. Even the black, sharp handle and trigger with a locking mechanism.

‘The gun is real.’

‘I threw away all the bullets.’

Kwon Yido’s voice seemed to be heard in my ears. The series of steps of putting the gun in the drawer and locking it passed by like a panorama.

“…There’s no need for me to go there anyway.”

Kwon Yido’s eyes softened at the slow answer. He slowly raised the corner of his mouth with a slightly relieved expression. Although he had an extremely calm expression, there was a hint of anxiety inside.

“Thank goodness.”

With those words, he left the kitchen without looking back. The heaviness remaining on one side of my chest seemed to capture my back.

* * *

The study on the first floor was much larger than the one on the second floor. The walls were all filled with books, and there was even a ladder prepared to retrieve books from high places. The staff who guided me to the study advised me not to use the ladder and politely left the study.

I took out two books I liked and headed to the greenhouse. As expected, Lee Taeseong followed me, and unlike yesterday, he sat across from me without saying a word. Even though he had a frown on my face when I held out the book.

“…What is this?”

“It’s a book.”

He probably didn’t ask this, but I just answered like that. As expected, a dull look passed through Lee Taeseong’s eyes. I felt sorry for saying this, but in a way, the way he expressed his thoughts was like Minjae.

“I brought this because I was worried you might be bored. You don’t have to read it, so do whatever you want.”

I handed him the book that was in Korean and opened the other book in front of me. Lee Taeseong glanced in my direction and blinked his eyes blankly. I knew what that gaze meant, so I spoke without taking my eyes off the book.

“It’s in French.”

“…Ah.”

When I was in college, I took French classes as a hobby. I learned only basic conversation skills, but found it quite interesting so I did additional studies on my own. Since there was a familiar language in Kwon Yido’s study, I was glad to bring it.

One thing that had been overlooked was that if you didn’t use language, I would forget it.

In the past, it would have been something I would have read without much trouble, but now it took time to even read a single sentence. The narrative structure was confusing, so I had to reread it, and I often had to pause for a moment because I came across a word I didn’t know. Fortunately, the content wasn’t too difficult, so I turned the pages slowly.

“Do you also speak French?”

Lee Taeseong asked, his eyes sparkling as if he was that curious about that. I guess he couldn’t control my curiosity even though he was showing off my discomfort. Maybe he had a huge admiration for people who could speak foreign languages.

“No, I am looking at it like I’m looking at a picture book.”

A new topic of conversation arose, but I shrugged and pretended not to notice. I was not good at it anymore, so there was no need to brag about it.

“No, what is that…You can rather read this instead of that.”

With a bewildered look on his face, he pointed to a book that he had not even turned the cover of yet. I thought he could at least pretend to read, but it was just like I had put it down. That fact was a little funny, so I burst into laughter.

“I’m sorry, but I read it all.”

“Then why did you bring it?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I bought it because I was afraid you might get bored.”

“…I’m not bored.”

“I know.”

“Then why…”

It was impossible to read a book in a foreign language while having a conversation. I said dryly, scanning the sentence I had just read with my eyes.

“That book is kind of interesting.”

“…”

“If possible, why not look at the first page?”

This time, Lee Taeseong kept his mouth shut and took the book. The hand that turned the first page was extremely dull. A completely proper reading environment was created.

The scent of blossoms wafted to the tip of my nose, and the sunlight was extremely warm. Interpreting sentences, which was difficult at first, eventually became somewhat familiar. Although the pace was still slow, it was okay because the content was interesting.

An hour reading the first chapter. Two hours of reviewing what I had read. When it was finally time for lunch and I looked up, I found Lee Taeseong reading the book with his eyes focused.

Why don’t you feel that way? The satisfaction that was felt when other people also liked something I liked.

“Is it worth reading?”

When I asked the question vaguely, Lee Taeseong suddenly flinched. He put down the half-read book and licked his lips regretfully. The answer that followed was full of embarrassment.

“…Yes, a lot.”

* * *

I wanted to lend Lee Taeseong the book, but I couldn’t because it wasn’t mine. When I told him to finish reading tomorrow, he nodded, hiding his regretful expression. The sight looked like a puppy that had just finished a walk, so I had to suppress the laughter that was about to come out.

The lunch menu was Korean food similar to the breakfast menu. Finely ground black sesame porridge whetted the appetite, and dishes such as seasoned pollack, stewed mung bean jelly, and well-grilled sirloin were served. For dessert, we had cinnamon punch, which was moderately sweet and was the perfect ending.

Lee Taeseong returned from lunch with the staff and followed me for a walk from a distance. He was a security guard in name, but I couldn’t help but think of it as surveillance. The good news was that he followed me around, without pretending to be non-existent.

Kwon Yido came home from work a little later than usual. He barely made it to the meal time, said he was sorry for keeping us waiting, took a shower, and had dinner together. Even though I told him not to overexert himself, I somehow felt like he left work early.

“What did you do today?”

After finishing our meal, we headed to Kwon Yido’s room as usual. Fortunately, the pheromones filling the room were not perceived as sensitively as yesterday. Rather, I felt a sense of stability, so I was able to let go of my worries.

“It’s just always the same. Reading a book in the greenhouse in the morning, walking around the garden in the afternoon…”

“Have you seen the study?”

“Yes, the staff emphasized that I should not use a ladder, so I picked and read what I could.”

We talked in the morning as well, but strangely, it always felt different in the evening. Perhaps because Kwon Yido was not wearing a suit, the distance became a little narrower. It was also because he listened to my story with a relaxed expression.

“Is the bodyguard still uncomfortable?”

“Well, not so much today…”

The uncomfortable one was probably not me, but Lee Taeseong.

He didn’t bother to mention that we sat side by side reading a book. This was because I did not know if his employer, Kwon Yido, might disapprove of such behavior. Since I was trying to make it comfortable, I wanted to avoid a situation where it might be otherwise.

“What book did you read today?”

Kwon Yido turned his body diagonally and looked at me with pleasant eyes. Usually, he looked quite intimidating, but he felt docile overall in the evening. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he looked perfect.

“It’s the origin of perfume…It’s a book in French. Do you know it?”

It was just a casual question. The study room was so large, I couldn’t believe he read all the books there. It would be amazing if he knew the title.

However, Kwon Yido spoke softly as if it was no big deal.

“?”

“…”

The elegant sound of the French language softly touched my ears. Although it was only a few words, not only the pronunciation but also the accent was perfect. When I opened my eyes wide in surprise, Kwon Yido closed his eyes and smiled.

“I know. The author Charles wrote the book.”

“…Do you speak French?”

“Roughly?”

He responded lightly and slowly lowered his eyes. The neatly drawn eyelashes created a long shadow.

“I had a brief opportunity to learn.”

I only glanced down, but I felt lonely. The face saying those words looked so sad. I muttered in a low voice, unable to take my eyes off him.

“The pronunciation is correct…I guess they taught you well.”

“I learned it from a very smart person.”

Kwon Yido shrugged his shoulders and smiled faintly again. The shadow that was visible a moment ago had already been completely erased. Look at this guy, he smiled better than Chief Kim.

“Do you like perfume?”

Kwon Yido’s smiling face was like a bright flower in full bloom. A face that appeared cold when he was still, but the moment he smiled, the mood changed. If I stared at him, I could easily forget the passage of time.

“Rather than perfume, I’m more interested in scents. When I was young, I wanted to become a perfumer…”

I said something without thinking, but then I was shocked and closed my mouth. It wasn’t a dream worth telling to others, but the words flowed without much thought. I want to become a perfumer. A story that would only be laughed at if told.

“It suits you well.”

“…”

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my ears. Do you think it suits me?

“It’s a job that suits you well. Much more than being the Director of a financial group.”

I had to think deeply. Does that mean that being the Director was too much for me, or did it mean that being a perfumer suited me well?

“Now that I think about it, Company G has a perfume that they launch every year. Let me know if you’re interested. It was a bit too flowery for me, but I think it would suit you well.”

However, no matter how much I listened, I could not sense any sarcastic nuance in Kwon Yido’s words. He didn’t tell me that I was speaking nonsense or that I should focus on smelling my pheromones. He wasn’t saying anything to make me aware of reality by telling me not to have false dreams.

“Isn’t it strange? A person who has no pheromone scent creates scent…”

“Pheromone scent?”

At the sudden question, Kwon Yido frowned as if wondering what that meant. He rested his arm on the armrest of his sofa and opened his mouth leisurely.

“Didn’t I tell you before? Your pheromones are similar to the scent of flowers.”

This was what he said to his sister on the day of the engagement ceremony. The words were spoken in a sweet tone, as if in a dream.

‘Jung Sejin’s pheromones are similar to the scent of flowers.’

“In the first place, pheromones should not be treated as scents…Unless you’ve lost your sense of smell, I’m not sure it has anything to do with perfume.”

“…”

I almost answered without realizing it. ‘I know, right? Does that matter?’

‘Being a person who doesn’t even have pheromones…’

When someone told you not to eat apples because they are red, your first reaction was to ask why you shouldn’t eat them. If you heard that phrase about three times, you’d think that it might be true. However, if you are in a situation where you can’t even ask…

‘Stop saying nonsense and just study.’

“…Perfumers don’t just create perfume. Some occupations add flavorings to food.”

I clenched and unclenched his hand, which was placed on my thigh. The ring on my finger left a slight mark on my skin. Kwon Yido asked a light question.

“Which one did you want to do?”

“I…”

Ah, why am I so thirsty?

“I do not know. I want to create the scent itself.”

The pheromones that spread throughout the room resonated in my chest with each breath. The feeling of Kwon Yido through breathing and brushing against the skin was so vivid that it was overwhelming.

Perhaps if I was young, I wanted to make these pheromones into incense myself. I didn’t know that I wanted to preserve the fleeting sensation as long as possible because I didn’t want to miss it.

“Things like grass and flowers smell good. It’s fascinating that something invisible leaves a trace.”

Slowly, I talked about what I had always felt. How scents changed on rainy days, and how scents mixed in the air as the seasons changed. That was why he liked flowers, and I even complimented that the flower tea made by the staff was always fragrant and pleasant.

Kwon Yido did not interrupt me, and after listening to everyone, he said this.

“Even if you don’t have to become a perfumer, making scents can be fun if you take the time to do it.”

The voice that said that was kinder than any words I have ever heard. He spoke as usual, but the way I felt about it was different from usual. The emotions that quickly rose felt like an indescribable comfort.

So I couldn’t ask. The engagement day when I wasn’t even in my heat cycle and when we first met. How did you know about my pheromones?