Kim Seo-yeon stood in front of a photo, admiring it. Park Tae-yong was not with her. The photo was one of a field of sunflowers under the sun. The angle and lighting showed off the vitality that the flowers emitted and Kim Seo-yeon felt energized, just looking at it. Master Zhang really lived up to his name.
Master Zhang was a famous international photographer, who was difficult to hire and mainly offered his services to the noble. Although his photos did not take as much time and hard work as a painting, anyone who looked at them would be able to see the years of experience and knowledge of photography that went into it. Therefore, he always had masses coming to his exhibitions. Kim Seo-yeon had been a distant admirer of his work for quite some time.
"Hm. Look, it's the vixen who wore the Duchess's Nightmare." Lee So-hee's spiteful voice sounded in Kim Seo-yeon's ears, breaking her thoughts.
"So-hee, please." Ko Do-eun chided and turned her head to Kim Seo-yeon. "Hello. I'm Ko Do-eun, daughter of Duke Ko. You are?" Ko Do-eun said with a smile, and stretched her hand out to Kim Seo-yeon.
"Duchess's Nightmare, made by Italian fashion designer, Emiliano in 1930. After he had fleeting relationship with the Duchess of Sussex, he designed this piece to portray what she feared the most, the feline predator. The design was later found in his attic, in the midst of his love letters. There are very few pieces in the world and fewer who can wear it." Kim Seo-yeon said and cupped her hips in her hands. "I'm Kim Seo-yeon." Kim Seo-yeon merely stared at Ko Do-eun's hand and replied.
Lee So-hee's face scrunched up in annoyance. "It seems you know a lot about the dress. What? You spent 3 hours on a crash course because you knew you were wearing it? How foolish!" She scolded.
"Hm." Ko Do-eun nodded, despite the rage that was seething inside her, as she lowered her hand, trying to sound calm. "I see you admire the photo. Can you interpret it? I don't have much knowledge of photography." Ko Do-eun said, her expression unreadable.
By now, a number of people had gathered. Everyone at the photography exhibition tonight, knew that Ko Do-eun had been after Park Tae-yong for a long time. Now that Park Tae-yong had come in with another woman, there was definitely going to be some hostility between both women. There were also some people who were curious about her identity, because she hadn't spoken to anyone and was only staring at photos.
"Please, Duchess Ko would be more enlightened than I am on these matters." Kim Seo-yeon said and everyone found her voice to be very pleasant.
"Could it be that Ms. Kim is as I am, completely clueless about what the photo represents?" Ko Do-eun said in a tone slightly laced with mockery.
"So, you don't even know anything about the photo and you're acting chic like as if you do? What a shame!" Lee So-hee scolded as murmurs resounded in the crowd.
"Look at you wearing that dress. What did you do to earn it? Spread your legs? I used to think very highly of Park Tae-yong, but to lower himself to your level and even spend his money on Duchess's Nightmare is despicable." Jun Myung-hee in the crowd, another one of Ko Do-eun's lackeys shouted and many in the crowd voiced their displeasure about Park Tae-yong's 'lack of standards' as well.
"Everyone, please, Ms. Kim does not look like such a person. I'm sure she's from a respectable family." Ko Do-eun said in mock concern, trying to play the hero.
"Ko Do-eun," Kim Seo-yeon's eyes narrowed coldly. "It seems you enjoy Park Tae-yong being slandered. Do you not fear he'll punish you for this charade?" She said coldly.
Ko Do-eun's gentle expression faltered, as her eyes turned cold.
"Park Tae-yong will never harm me. It seems you're unloved. Care to explain what your relationship with Park Tae-yong is to the rest of us?" Ko Do-eun said, a cold smirk painting her pretty face, as the 'friend-in-need' mask slipped.
"What happens between me and him is personal. As for the photo, Master Zhang is trying to portray the vibrance of growing life. The essence of the photo is vitality and the angle in which it's taken, suggests that the sun gives life and the sunflowers pull closer to it, by growing taller. It means if we get closer to the origin of life, the higher we get." Kim Seo-yeon finished, and left the scene, her black dress making her look like a shadow.
Ko Do-eun huffed as her fists clenched. She gritted her teeth and walked away with Lee So-hee and Jun Myung-hee.
…
Master Zhang nodded at Kim Seo-yeon's interpretation in satisfaction. She had perfectly explained what he felt when he took the photo.
He looked at the man next to him who was smoking and looking at the woman walking away.
"Park Tae-yong, are you interested in that woman?" Master Zhang asked in Chinese.
"I came along with her, so I guess I probably am." Park Tae-yong said calmly and Master Zhang couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic. His eyes were unreadable.
"I'm with the recording. I didn't listen to it." Master Zhang said and passed Park Tae-yong a pen, which he put in his suit pocket quickly.
"After your arrival here tonight, you should go to the Queen's House tomorrow." Master Zhang suggested.
"No. They'll come to me. I still have some work to do." Park Tae-yong said.
Master Zhang shrugged.
"The Duchess of O-yeong isn't here tonight. It's a pity. I had a nice piece to show her." Master Zhang sighed regretfully.
"She's here." Park Tae-yong said with a mysterious smile Master Zhang did not understand.
He kept puffing smoke as Kim Seo-yeon disappeared from his sight.
…
Night, at the Park estate.
"Fifth Brother and his lovely wife return in high fashion." Kang Eun-ho joked as Park Tae-yong and Kim Seo-yeon entered.
"Sister-in-law, you didn't tell me you'd already left me for my Fifth Brother." Kang Eun-ho said as he stopped in front of Kim Seo-yeon, his expression unhappy. "You look stunning, by the way." He acknowledged. "Fifth Brother even got you Duchess's Nightmare." Kang Eun-ho said with a smile on his face.
Park Tae-yong had already walked off.
Kim Seo-yeon wrinkled her forehead. She didn't have a good impression of Kang Eun-ho, probably because of their only date together. She wanted to walk away, but Kang Eun-ho would not let her.
"Sister-in-law, you and my Fifth Brother are quite the same..." Kang Eun-ho said.
At that moment, Kim Seo-yeon's phone rang. Her mother was calling. She took the call and turned her back on Kang Eun-ho.
"Anyeo, Umma." She said into the phone.
"Umma? Mother-in-law is on the phone?!" Kang Eun-ho shouted.
Oh no! Didn't this man know any courtesy? If her mother heard his voice over the phone, how would she explain her situation? Kim Seo-yeon turned around and glared at him.
He put on an apologetic expression and zipped his lips.
"Seo-yeon, isn't that Eun-ho's voice in the background? You're with Kang Eun-ho?" Kim Ye-sol asked in confusion.
"No. Mother, you must have heard wrong. No one's here. It's only me." Kim Seo-yeon said in a hurry.
"Are you sure?" Kim Ye-sol asked. She heard Kang Eun-ho's voice and he was the only one who called her Mother-in-law, because she'd insisted. If it wasn't Kang Eun-ho, then it had to be Park Tae-yong, but there definitely was a man there.
"Yes, mother. How are you?" Kim Seo-yeon asked, seeing that the crisis had been averted.
"Is your boyfriend with you? Let's switch to video." Kim Ye-sol said and before Kim Seo-yeon could reject, she saw her mother's face covering her screen. She hung up in a panic.
Oh shit! Her mother would definitely suspect something. And just as she'd expected, Kang Eun-ho's phone started ringing. Kim Ye-sol was calling him.
"Ahh, Sister-in-law, she's calling me, what do I do?" Kang Eun-ho asked with a smirk on his face, as he waved the phone at her.
"Hang up!" Kim Seo-yeon said in a hushed tone as if Kim Ye-sol could hear her.
"I don't know, I do feel like speaking to Mother-in-law, I haven't spoken to her since." Kang Eun-ho said and put his hand under his chin.
"Kang Eun-ho!"
Kim Seo-yeon didn't get to vent her anger, when Kang Eun-ho took the call and it was on video. Kim Seo-yeon's legs turned to jelly. She had lied, and was caught red-handed.
"Eun-ho, why is Seo-yeon with you? She said she was with her boyfriend." Kim Ye-sol said over the phone as she looked at Kim Seo-yeon behind Kang Eun-ho.
"We are actually at Tae-yong's house. He's my friend. I didn't know Fifth Brother was marr... dating our Seo-yeon." Kang Eun-ho said and moved back, slinging his arm across a guilty Kim Seo-yeon's shoulders. He, like Park Tae-yong, was taller than her.
"Oh she is indeed." Kim Ye-sol said with a small smile. "But why is she hiding this. Is Park Tae-yong really shy on camera?" She whispered to Kang Eun-ho.
When Kang Eun-ho heard it, his lips twitched. Had Kim Seo-yeon told her mother Park Tae-yong was shy over the phone? It was funny to hear.
"Shy? What shy? In fact, I'll take you to see my Fifth Brother right now. I can't believe he hasn't shown himself to you. What a bad son-in-law!" Kang Eun-ho said as he sprinted up the stairs. "I would have made a better son-in-law if Seo-yeon liked me," Kang Eun-ho yelled over his shoulder, still holding the phone.
Kim Seo-yeon stared at his back in worry. The relationship between her and Park Tae-yong was purely contractual, and she wanted it to stay that way. Kang Eun-ho definitely knew this. What was he doing trying to put Park Tae-yong in such a position after the long night? She chased after him, but he was faster than her. He ran up to the third floor to where Park Tae-yong's bedroom was located.
Kim Seo-yeon decided to stop there. One of Park Tae-yong's rules was to not go into his bedroom. Maybe Kang Eun-ho could do so because they were good friends, but definitely not her. Besides, Kang Eun-ho was the one provoking Park Tae-yong, not her. She had nothing to worry about.
She slowly walked down the stairs.
…
Park Tae-yong walked out of the bathroom, pulling the belt of his black bathrobe tight, just as his door was pushed open. He stared at Kang Eun-ho who had come in, annoyed.
"Kang Eun-ho, get away from me. I don't have time for this." Park Tae-yong said, as he walked towards his closet, but the voice he heard over the phone made him stop, dead in his tracks.
Kang Eun-ho better not be doing what he was thinking. He wouldn't let him off. Park Tae-yong thought as his muscles tensed.