I was momentarily at a loss for words. I wondered if he was doing it on purpose, but Lee Taeseong seemed to genuinely think it was a decent form of address. With nothing to counter it, I just let out a sigh and answered.

“Go ahead.”

“It’s nothing much...”

He began in a low voice, then went silent for a moment. After a brief pause, he asked in a tone that was oddly casual.

“Are you not going to the workshop at all anymore?”

The workshop? I glanced at his expression in the rearview mirror. It could have been simple curiosity, but knowing his personality, it felt unusual. Not once had he ever shown interest in my schedule.

“No. Now that the classes are over, I won’t have any reason to go.”

He replied easily, “I see.” But the instant I saw his eyes in the mirror, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“You could have been a bit warmer toward her, then.”

“...”

His hands on the wheel twitched for a split second. The silence that followed was heavy with awkwardness. After a long stretch without a word, he spoke again only when the car came to a stop at a red light, his tone curt.

“Why are you bringing her up?”

Honestly, even if you’re bad at hiding things, if you’re going to pretend, you should put more effort into it.

“And who exactly is ‘her’?”

Feigning ignorance, I asked back. His grip on the wheel tightened. I really shouldn’t make a habit of teasing him, but his reactions were amusing enough that I couldn’t resist. I swallowed a quiet chuckle and remarked casually,

“For someone who’s dated a lot, you’re awfully clumsy.”

“...”

Again, he showed no reaction. Perhaps it takes a certain shamelessness to deny something outright. Focused intently on driving, he seemed to lack even the slightest bit of guile.

“...I haven’t dated that much.”

As the car started moving again, he muttered it just loud enough to hear. “I said I’ve dated about as much as other people.” The added excuse sounded almost cute. I tilted my head slightly, keeping my gaze on the rearview mirror.

“Dating about as much as others by twenty-nine... sounds like a lot to me.”

“You’re about the same, aren’t you, Director?”

“I’ve never dated at all.”

His brow furrowed sharply, and his thick eyebrows arched upward. Whatever about that bothered him, his voice came out more prickly than before.

“That’s ridiculous.”

The words were polite in form only—what he said was downright impertinent. Not that I was offended; just a little taken aback.

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, I don’t.”

He answered without a shred of hesitation, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. It was the first real firmness I’d seen from him since getting in the car. I suppose the idea that someone could reach this age without ever dating was hard to believe.

“It’s true. Why would I lie about something like that?”

I scrunched my eyes playfully, insisting on my innocence. It’s not as if it were something to brag about—why would I bother deceiving him? Perhaps he thought the same, because his voice came out begrudging and doubtful.

“You just never found anyone who caught your eye?”

“Well... it’s not like my standards are that high.”

Before even thinking about high or low standards, I’d simply never tried to choose anyone. People had shown interest in me, but I’d never felt my heart race or truly been drawn to them. If that was considered “high standards,” then I had nothing to say.

“For someone like that, your first partner sure is an Executive Director.”

“...”

I turned my gaze to the car window at that. Is what we’re doing even dating? Along with the thought came the realization: Lee Taeseong must not know the full story of the engagement. Otherwise, he wouldn’t refer to Kwon Yido as my “first partner.”

“Mr. Kwon Yido is a bit out of my league.”

I let the comment slip out with a faint chuckle. Lee Taeseong immediately fell silent. When the car stopped at another light, he glanced back at me briefly—that was the extent of his reaction. Naturally, the conversation ended there, and I idly turned my attention back to the business plan in my hands.

The company Kwon Yido had entrusted to me was in a brand-new officetel in a street lined with tall buildings. From the looks of it, the building was expensive, located not far from both Yido’s home and Haesin Financial’s headquarters. Without Seonho Group’s capital, starting a business in such a prime location would have been impossible.

Lee Taeseong parked in the designated area and followed me into the elevator. According to him, “Sejin” occupied the entire 10th floor of this building. The staff couldn’t be that many, so the office size felt overly extravagant no matter how I thought about it.

“They said the Management Support Team will meet us when we arrive.”

From the moment he started tagging along, I suspected he’d be doubling as my chauffeur and secretary. Whatever training he’d received from Kwon Yido, he seemed to know the company better than I did. I wondered if he would keep this position for as long as I worked here. It made me miss Mr. Kim all over again.

“Representative Jung Sejin?”

When we reached the 10th floor, just as he’d said, someone from Management Support was there. A woman with a neat bob haircut and a tailored suit greeted me with a bright smile the moment she saw me.

“I was informed. My name is Yoon Ji-young.”

“Jung Sejin.”

“Please call me Team Leader Yoon.”

Maybe it was because of the shared surname, but something about her reminded me of Assistant Manager Yoon—the precise bob, the warm, open expression. Yet her clear, focused eyes suggested she was efficient and thorough.

“We’ll have you greet the staff first, then I’ll show you to your office.”

I followed Team Leader Yoon toward the inner part of the office. With large windows along the walls, the interior felt even cleaner than it looked from outside. Each desk was partitioned, and well-kept plants decorated the corners.

The office I’d worked in before wasn’t bad, but a new building was incomparable. Haesin’s facilities had grown worn with age. I’d thought about suggesting a remodel, but my father would never approve, so I kept the idea to myself.

“Ahem.”

As I entered, Team Leader Yoon cleared her throat lightly. Not that she needed to—staff were already on their feet, waiting for me to arrive. All those eyes on me brought back memories of the day I first became Division Head.

“This is our new CEO, Representative Jung Sejin.” 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She gestured to me with a polite introduction. No doubt they’d been briefed before I came. As I had back in my Division Head days, I put on a friendly smile and looked around.

“I’m Jung Sejin. I look forward to working with you.”

Polite applause broke out—part curiosity, part wariness. The assessing stares were nothing new. This was the usual reception for someone parachuted into a position, so it didn’t bother me.

“We’re only just getting started, but I hope the company will continue to grow. I still have much to learn, so I’ll rely on all of you.”

I wrapped up quickly before the greeting dragged on. Lingering would only get in the staff’s way. Getting acquainted could wait; today was just for showing my face.

“This way, Representative.”

Representative. I supposed I’d have to get used to the title—no stopping it when even the employees used it. In time, it wouldn’t feel so awkward.

“You’ll be using this.”

The office Team Leader Yoon led me to was separate from the main floor, with frosted glass walls and large blinds. Inside were the basics—sofa, table, desk, shelves—and the wide windows let in plenty of light.

“Please call if you need anything.”

She returned to her desk immediately after, which suited me fine. Even Lee Taeseong left, likely to the adjoining secretary’s office, leaving me alone in the spacious room.

I wandered to the window and stared down at the street. The people passing below looked like tiny ants. The view reminded me of the 10th floor at the Strategic Planning Division.

“How long will I work here...”

Two months until I got my certification. Longer still before I could make perfume with my own hands. I’d clearly be here for quite some time.

It still didn’t feel real—being here felt dreamlike. It wasn’t entirely mine, after all.

'I’ll be home early tomorrow...'

'...'

'If it’s too hard, just call me.'

Was it three times now? The number of times he’d guessed my heat cycle exactly.

Once he made the perfume for me, I planned to ask everything—how long this engagement would last, what he truly wanted from me, and how he knew so much about me.

Whether to call it patience for the sake of opportunity, or just settling to avoid conflict—it didn’t matter. The only certain thing was that since meeting him, I kept envisioning a future.

“...”

I lightly curled my fingers against the glass. Absurdly, just thinking of Kwon Yido for a moment left me feeling wistful. I’d tell him about the office when I got home—say it suited me perfectly, thank him for giving me such a good space.

Sometimes, the smallest things amplified contentment. Just picturing dinner with him lifted my mood. It was a peace I’d never once felt in all my years as my father’s son.

***

Being my first day, there wasn’t much actual work. I spent most of the time learning the systems and getting a sense of the staff’s duties, organizing what I needed to do. With the company already well-capitalized, it was structured enough that I hardly needed to interfere.

At lunch, I asked Lee Taeseong to take the staff out for a meal on my card. It would be awkward if I joined, so I stayed behind. Though his expression was faintly conflicted, he left without complaint.

Near quitting time, I set aside my work and stood up. If I stayed late on the first day, the staff would feel obliged to do the same. After straightening my clothes, I stepped out just as Lee Taeseong approached.

“...? Where are you going?”

“Heading home. You should get your things and come along, too.”

He blinked in surprise, then asked,

“No company dinner?”

“...Dinner?”

“Yes, a welcome dinner for you, Representative.”

I frowned slightly. A welcome dinner? I hadn’t expected that—and I wasn’t fond of such gatherings. Likely, neither were they. I was about to decline when he spoke again, his brow furrowing.

“The staff...”

“Representative, you’re leaving already?”

A nearby employee—head of Development—cut in, giving me a tentative smile.

“If you’re fine ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) with it, we’d like to have a welcome dinner to mark your arrival.”

“Uh...”

I glanced past him into the office. Even those pretending not to watch were sneaking glances at me. I’d intended to refuse, but the looks weren’t unfriendly.

“I wanted to mention it earlier, but you seemed busy...”

He looked genuinely uneasy addressing me, his eyes darting away. I glanced at him, then at Lee Taeseong, checked my watch, and smiled faintly.

“I’d be grateful.”

The team leader’s face lit up at once. I thought of messaging Kwon Yido—if we were doing this, I might as well make it enjoyable for the staff.

“Shall we have beef?”

***

The dinner was at a beef restaurant I used to visit with my team. Strictly reservation-only, but I was a regular, so booking wasn’t an issue. I reserved the entire place and sent word to Yido that I’d be late.

'...Are you drinking?'

His voice dropped instantly at the word dinner, low enough to carry a hint of his pheromones—though that was impossible over the phone.

“No, I won’t be drinking.”

I didn’t enjoy alcohol, and surrounded by near-strangers, I had no desire to drink. At most, I might sip a little to keep up appearances, but never enough to get drunk.

“I’ll be home early.”

I hadn’t expected to be the one saying that. I nearly added sorry, but kept quiet. After a pause, he sighed into the phone.

'I should have told you to wear your ring.'

“...”

That, too, was something I hadn’t expected from him—especially since he was the one who’d stopped wearing it first.

“It’s not hard to start wearing it again.”

I said it lightly, but he gave no agreement—just a soft chuckle and a promise to wait at home. If he couldn’t even say it as a formality, he must truly not want to publicize our engagement.

“See you later, then.”

After ending the call, I stared absently at the screen. I could understand him logically, but the disappointment lingered. I doubted the missing ring was only for my comfort.

Back at the restaurant, most of the staff had arrived. Lee Taeseong chose to wait in the car, so I entered alone. Everyone I’d told could leave seemed to have stayed.

“Representative!”

It was Team Leader Yoon who greeted me, seated with the Management Support Team. It looked like everyone had grouped up with close colleagues. As I approached, she leaned in slightly.

“Representative, about the price here...”

“Ah.”

I glanced around. Some staff were visibly tense, others eyeing the menus—likely without prices. Putting on my friendliest smile, I took an empty seat.

“Tonight’s on me, so please eat as much as you like.”

Even so, no one hurried to order. As I’d expected, I’d already told the staff to bring out the dishes. Right on cue, they began setting plates of meat at every table.

“Oh, we didn’t order this...”

Seeing the spread of meat and alcohol, the staff looked wide-eyed. Accepting the utensils from Team Leader Yoon, I said casually,

“I ordered one of each, just in case. Try them, and order more of whatever you like.”