The next day.
"Yes, baby, I won't be home for a while... Yes." Son Ji-woo whispered into the phone and after a while, she hung up.
She showered and dressed. She went to Kim Seo-yeon's door in the mansion at a servant's direction. She knocked and after hearing a soft 'come in', she opened the door and found Kim Seo-yeon standing in front of a mirror in the closet staring at her reflection as the servant behind her zipped up the dress. The closet was a glass-walled space and because Kim Seo-yeon was only staying for a month, there were not a lot of clothes in it.
"I think this jade necklace would pair well with the dress." Son Ji-woo said and offered her a green jade necklace.
Kim Seo-yeon took it and placed it on her collarbones, checking if it did pair with her dress.
"No. I should not wear this necklace. Look for something else." Kim Seo-yeon said and handed her the necklace.
Son Ji-woo nodded and searched for another accessory.
Kim Seo-yeon's phone rang and she picked it up from the table. Her mother was video calling. Kim Seo-yeon took the call.
"Umma, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine. Where's your boyfriend?" Kim Ye-sol asked instead. It seemed that was all she cared about for calling her this morning.
Kim Seo-yeon and Kim Ye-sol had agreed to keep this from Kim Jae-jun for a while because it wasn't marriage, just dating. Kim Ye-sol had not met Park Tae-yong and was eager to speak to him over the phone.
Kim Seo-yeon's ears were stained with a tinge of red as she forced down a smile. For some reason, the word 'boyfriend' sounded very different when her mother said it to her, especially because she was indeed living with the man.
"Umma, it's still early. You want to see him by this time?" Kim Seo-yeon said.
Kim Ye-sol didn't seem to hear what Kim Seo-yeon had said, as she continued, "Yes, Seo-yeon. I want to see the Park Tae-yong."
"Mother, he's shy over the phone. How about you meet him when I'm back? Hmm?" Kim Seo-yeon said. She was not going to go find Park Tae-yong for something this silly. They weren't actually married and the man liked his personal space kept personal.
"Shy over the phone? That's hilarious for a man of his caliber." Kim Ye-sol said and laughed. They talked for a while before Kim Seo-yeon hung up.
The servant tightening the strings of Kim Seo-yeon's dress could not help but shiver. If someone had told her a day would come where there was a woman who could so casually talk about her Young Master like this, she would have laughed and called the person crazy. Young Master Park? Shy over the phone?
"What? Is he that scary?" Kim Seo-yeon asked the servant as she noted her expression.
"No. Young Miss, it's not that. I didn't say anything!" The servant nearly fell over from fear. Why was she asking her that? What if Park Tae-yong cut off her tongue?
"Relax. It's the 21st century. He's not a prince from the Joseon dynasty." Kim Seo-yeon said trying to ease the servant's dramatic reaction.
"Yes. Young Miss. I guess only you can tame our Young Master." The servant said as she knotted the strings.
Kim Seo-yeon remained silent. What tame? She laughed in her heart.
Son Ji-woo who had been silent the entire time, put a necklace around Kim Seo-yeon's neck and hooked it.
"Inform the butler that I want a tour of Capital City." Kim Seo-yeon said to the servant who bowed and left.
"Ms. Kim. Now, that you're not at Jeongwon Capital, I was wondering what my use is." Son Ji-woo said slowly. She had been thinking of this for a while.
Even though she was orphaned when she was young, she still had plenty of friends and Im Gang. She was leaving a lot behind staying here for a month.
"The payment and your hours remain the same." Kim Seo-yeon said calmly and grabbed her purse.
She walked out of the room with Son Ji-woo, who was still processing her words. When they got to the living area, Kim Seo-yeon sat on the sofa, waiting for the butler, as she sipped the tea the servants had offered her.
"Butler Ha, where's Fifth Brother? He left Gang City and didn't even tell me. Even Joon-ki didn't know. I had to rush over here this morning." Kang Eun-ho's unhappy voice sounded as he walked in with Butler Ha.
"Ms. Kim," Butler Ha ignored Kang Eun-ho and nodded at Kim Seo-yeon. "I've prepared the car for you."
"Ms. Kim?" Kang Eun-ho who hadn't properly looked at the figure who was seated on the sofa since he came in, blinked twice when he saw her.
Wasn't this Kim Seo-yeon? What was she doing here? Had Park Tae-yong kept something from him?
"I'll go with you then." Kim Seo-yeon said and stood up, leaving with Butler Ha, Son Ji-woo trailing behind.
Kang Eun-ho ran up the stairs. He needed to see Park Tae-yong.
…
Capital City was more advanced than Gang City. The number of high-rise buildings here were many and the streets were bustling. Kim Seo-yeon looked around as the driver narrated the places to her with an appreciative smile on her face.
…
"Your wife?" Kang Eun-ho stared at the man who was smoking as he typed into the laptop in disbelief.
Park Tae-yong ignored him.
"Woah! Kim Seo-yeon is the future Duchess of O-yeong? No wonder she looked so fire. So she took after the Duchess." Kang Eun-ho said unable to hide his excitement. "That's great. I can't stand that arse, Kim Yi Hun." Kang Eun-ho spat out.
"Don't run that mouth of yours to anyone." Park Tae-yong said, not looking at him.
"Fifth Brother, when have I ever done that to you?" He pouted unhappily. "Tell me, how did you find out?" Kang Eun-ho asked.
"I have eyes, just like you. Kim Seo-yeon looks like the Duchess. Kim Yi Hun looks like Kim Ye-sol. Plus, he has been targeting her life. I don't know why he didn't execute her sooner." Park Tae-yong said, his fingers on the keyboard pausing.
"Hm..." Kang Eun-ho nodded his head.
"Did you get what I asked you for?" Park Tae-yong asked.
"Yes." Kang Eun-ho said and took out a file. "We caught him on camera renting the house diagonally opposite Yeon Ji-a's house a few days prior to her death. He didn't leave the house at all during this time and left only a few minutes after Yeon Ji-a's death." Kang Eun-ho said and pointed at a security camera footage picture of the hooded figure. "Kim Seo-yeon met him as well."
"There's something wrong with these photos." Park Tae-yong said and squinted his eyes. "It seems he wants us to get our hands on them. Why does he only appear many blocks after the scene of the accident? He's evading the cameras, so why let the cameras capture him at all?" Park Tae-yong said.
"I guess so. Should I get him?" Kang Eun-ho asked.
Park Tae-yong sat there for a while, not saying anything. He nodded afterwards.
…
Hours later.
It was 10pm and Kim Seo-yeon finally returned. She saw Park Tae-yong seated on the sofa reading a magazine.
The sound of high heels made him raise his head, as he stared at the woman entering. She was dressed in a black dress with a black coat and black high heels. She looked like a black cat.
"It's late." He said calmly.
Kim Seo-yeon who was walking away paused. She didn't expect him to talk to her. She turned around and looked at him in amusement.
"Why? I'm not a teenager on curfew, am I?" Kim Seo-yeon asked with a smirk on her face.
"Your mother's biological son is after your life and I have many enemies. Don't make me worry about you, as you're still useful." Park Tae-yong said as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "We're visiting O-yeong tomorrow." He added.
He couldn't stand people who dared to talk back at him.
Kim Seo-yeon nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll keep that in mind." Kim Seo-yeon said. In front of the rest of the house, they were dating. So, she couldn't act too hostile towards him to avoid raising the suspicions of anyone.
"You haven't given me the information you promised." Kim Seo-yeon continued as she remembered the deal she'd made with him.
Park Tae-yong resumed reading the magazine, seemingly unconcerned about that. "Go. Butler Ha will attend to you."
Kim Seo-yeon left and Son Ji-woo frowned at the weird air between them. Were these people really together?
Son Ji-woo helped Kim Seo-yeon untie the knots and slide out of the dress.
"To avoid future complications, I'll explain to you." Kim Seo-yeon started. "I'm married to Park Tae-yong based on mutual agreements. We don't like each other and are not a couple." She explained calmly.
Son Ji-woo was shaken for a while, but she soon regained her calm. These kinds of things were common between rich people.
"Then ma'am, I must ask. What is my role in all this?"
"You help me evade the trouble. That's your role." Kim Seo-yeon said.
…
The next morning.
The servant rammed her hands against the door in urgency.
"Young Miss, the Young Master is waiting." The servant said.
The door opened and Kim Seo-yeon stepped out with Son Ji-woo following behind.
Kim Seo-yeon followed the servant down. Butler Ha was standing by the entrance, his face perfectly impassive. Park Tae-yong was nowhere in sight.
"Where is he?" Kim Seo-yeon asked, checking her watch.
"Young Master is waiting in the car, Ms. Kim," Butler Ha replied, his voice a steady monotone. "He departed the house exactly at the scheduled time."
Two minutes late. Kim Seo-yeon bit back a wry smile. This man was an absolute clock. She strode past the butler, ready to face the silent, infuriated figure waiting for her in the vehicle.
Park Tae-yong inhaled the smoke, as he watched the figure walking towards his car. Through the smoke, she looked blurry. He squinted his eyes in annoyance. If not because they had to act like a couple and needed to come out of the same car, he would have left.
The chauffeur opened the door and Kim Seo-yeon got in the back seat. The atmosphere in the car was tense as the smell of tobacco entered her nostrils.
Kim Seo-yeon crossed her legs. With her pride, she didn't think she needed to apologize for only being two minutes late.
"Drive." Park Tae-yong's deep voice said as he tapped on his knee repeatedly and silently with closed eyes.
She had already broken one of his rules.
"The Duke and Duchess don't have a good impression of me. So, when we get there, figure out a way to prove your identity to them." Park Tae-yong said calmly.
Kim Seo-yeon frowned. She didn't know anything about the Duke and Duchess. She thought he already had everything planned out. But he was leaving all the work to her. How was she supposed to prove herself to people she knew nothing about?
Park Tae-yong noted her unhappy expression, smirked and added: "If you really want to become the Duchess and kill your sister's killer, you should be able to do this."
Kim Seo-yeon harrumphed, but remained silent. Was there any problem she, Kim Seo-yeon couldn't handle? If she couldn't even take care of this small problem, she couldn't be the Duchess of O-yeong.
She leaned back on the seat.
"Let's see what my real parents are like."