Touch Therapy: Where Hands Go, Bodies Beg-Chapter 347: Cold Reception

The house looked the same as it always had—the sprawling mansion with its manicured grounds, the imposing facade that spoke of old money and carefully maintained appearances. But as Seo-yeon stepped through the front doors, the atmosphere felt different. Colder. More charged, as if the air itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to break.

The maids were lined up in the entrance hall, their heads bowed in respectful greeting. But Seo-yeon could feel their tension, could see it in the way they avoided her eyes, the stiffness in their posture. They were scared of her, she realized. Scared of what she might do, of what she might say, of the woman she was becoming.

The last time she’d been here, before everything had changed, she’d walked in on her husband and his secretary. She’d seen them together in their bed, seen the way he looked at another woman, heard the mocking words he’d used to wound her. And she’d left without a word, without a fight, without making a scene.

But the maids had seen everything. They’d heard the rumors, whispered among themselves in the kitchens and hallways. They knew about the secretary, about the affair, about the humiliation she’d suffered. And now, seeing her return with this new cold demeanor, this aura of detachment and barely controlled anger, they were uncertain. They didn’t know what to expect from her, and that uncertainty made them afraid.

"Welcome back, Madam."

The voice was calm, composed, utterly professional. Seo-yeon turned to find the head maid standing slightly apart from the others, her expression neutral, her hands clasped before her. This was the woman who had told her about her husband’s activities, who had provided the information that had confirmed what she already suspected. The betrayal had cut deep, but the honesty had been appreciated.

"Thank you," Seo-yeon said, her voice cool. "Is everything in order?"

"Yes, Madam. The house has been maintained according to your standards."

Seo-yeon nodded, her eyes sweeping over the assembled staff. "You’re all dismissed. Return to your duties."

The maids bowed again, murmuring their assent, and began to disperse. The tension in the hall eased slightly as they moved away, the collective breathing of the room returning to something closer to normal.

"Come with me," Seo-yeon said to the head maid, turning toward the stairs.

The study was at the end of the hall, a room she’d spent countless hours in over the years. It was where she’d worked on company business, where she’d made decisions that had affected thousands of employees, where she’d built the empire that was now being dismantled around her. The desk was still cluttered with paperwork, the chair still worn from long hours of sitting, the shelves still lined with books and files and reminders of everything she’d accomplished.

Seo-yeon moved behind the desk, seating herself in the leather chair that had molded to her shape over the years. The head maid remained standing near the door, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable.

"How long has he been gone?" Seo-yeon asked, skipping the pleasantries.

The head maid seemed unsurprised by the question. "Since the day you left, Madam. He hasn’t returned to the residence."

Seo-yeon nodded slowly. She already knew this, of course—Joon-ho had told her the night before, had explained exactly where her husband was and what he was doing. Busan. With his secretary. Visiting his other mistress and the children he’d fathered outside their marriage.

The details were sordid, pathetic really. Her husband was playing house with multiple women, scattering his attention and his resources across half the country, while his own marriage crumbled around him. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so sad.

"I’m aware of his location," Seo-yeon said, her voice flat. "You can go."

The other maids had already dispersed, returning to their various duties throughout the house. But the head maid didn’t move. She remained standing near the door, her hands still clasped before her, her gaze fixed on some point in the middle distance.

Seo-yeon watched her for a moment, waiting for her to leave. When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, she sighed, her patience wearing thin.

"What do you want?"

The question was direct, demanding. The head maid seemed to brace herself, as if gathering courage for what she was about to say.

"I would like to work under you, Madam."

Seo-yeon’s brow furrowed. "You already work under me. This is my house."

The head maid shook her head slightly. "Not as the head of the household. Not as someone who answers directly to you rather than to your husband. I want to serve you, Madam. To work for you and no one else."

Seo-yeon studied her, her eyes taking in the woman’s composed demeanor, the steady gaze, the carefully controlled expression. She’d never particularly trusted anyone in this house—not the maids, not the staff, not even the people who were supposed to be loyal to her. Years of living in the Baek family’s orbit had taught her that loyalty was a rare commodity, easily bought and sold, rarely genuine.

"Why?" The question was simple, but the answer was anything but.

The head maid hesitated for a moment, choosing her words with care. "This house... this household... has become uncomfortable. For many of us. The tension between yourself and your husband, the whispers and rumors, the way the Baek family’s influence has grown—it’s created an atmosphere that is difficult to work in. Several of the maids have expressed their discomfort, their uncertainty about their positions, their fear of what might happen next."

She paused, her eyes meeting Seo-yeon’s directly for the first time. "We are not comfortable working under your husband’s authority, Madam. Nor are we comfortable with the Baek family’s involvement in this household. The latest tensions—the confrontation, the aftermath, the way everything has changed—it has made many of us question our place here."

Seo-yeon absorbed this, her mind processing the implications. It made sense, in a way. The household was in transition, the balance of power shifting, and the staff were naturally uncertain about where they stood. If her husband was losing his grip on the marriage, on the house, on his position, then the people who served him would naturally look for alternatives.

"And you think working for me would be better?" Seo-yeon asked.

"I believe it would be more stable," the head maid replied. "You have always been fair in your treatment of the staff. You have never demanded anything unreasonable, never been cruel or dismissive. The Baek family, on the other hand..." She let the sentence trail off, leaving the implication unspoken.

Seo-yeon nodded slowly. She understood what the woman wasn’t saying. The Baek family’s reputation was well-known—arrogant, demanding, dismissive of anyone they considered beneath them. Working for them was never pleasant, and the current situation had only made things worse.

"Let me think about it," Seo-yeon said finally. "It’s... sudden. Unexpected. I haven’t exactly given you reason to believe I would be open to this."

The head maid’s expression softened slightly, something like acknowledgment in her eyes. "I understand, Madam. And I know that I haven’t exactly been supportive of you in the past. I’ve remained neutral, kept my head down, done my job without drawing attention to myself. I haven’t stood up for you or defended you when others spoke ill of you."

She took a breath, her shoulders straightening. "But I’m ready to change that. If you’ll have me."

The offer hung in the air between them, a proposal that could reshape the dynamics of the entire household. Seo-yeon considered it carefully, weighing the possibilities against the risks. Having someone loyal in the house, someone who could keep her informed, someone who could manage the other staff according to her wishes—it could be valuable. But trusting someone who had never demonstrated loyalty before, someone who had remained neutral when she’d needed support—it was a risk.

"Permission to leave, Madam?"

Seo-yeon looked up, startled from her thoughts. The head maid was waiting, her posture still perfect, her expression still composed.

"Go," Seo-yeon said, dismissing her.

The head maid bowed slightly, then turned and left the study, closing the door quietly behind her.

Seo-yeon sat alone in the silence, the familiar room suddenly feeling foreign. The sunlight filtering through the windows cast long shadows across the floor, the dust motes dancing in the beams of light. Everything looked the same, but everything had changed.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the stillness. Seo-yeon reached for it automatically, her fingers finding the screen. When she saw the name, her heart gave a little flutter of pleasure.

Joon-ho.

She answered without hesitation, bringing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Seo-yeon." His voice was warm, familiar, sending a little shiver through her body. "How are you?"

"I’m fine," she said, and found that she actually meant it. "Back at the house."

"How is it?"

"Cold." The word slipped out before she could think better of it. "Uncomfortable. But I’ll manage."

"You always do." There was a smile in his voice. "I was wondering—are you busy tomorrow?"

The question was casual, but Seo-yeon could hear the underlying interest. He wanted to see her, wanted to spend time with her, and the thought made her smile.

"For you?" she said, her voice dropping slightly. "I’m always available."