Today had been an unusually hectic day. My health wasn’t exactly in the best condition to begin with, and then my workload suddenly increased, leaving me with all sorts of things to worry about. On top of preparing the usual amount of dessert to sell at the café, I also had to prepare the menu that the Director had specifically ordered. I felt completely drained.
Even in the middle of all that chaos, I still had to keep an eye on whether the Director’s guests were having any trouble with their meal.
Normally, observing customers’ reactions was a basic part of the job, but because these were the Director’s guests, I was even more anxious than usual. Fortunately, their reactions seemed quite positive. Only after seeing the satisfied expressions on their faces could I finally breathe a sigh of relief. After spending the entire day feeling nauseous from the smell of eggs and butter to the point where I had to wear two masks while making the desserts, it finally felt like all the effort had been worth it.
“Phew. I can finally breathe a little now that there’s some wind coming in here.”
The moment I felt my stomach churning at the smell of food, I instinctively realized that this must be the morning sickness everyone talked about. I’d been perfectly fine until now, so I’d assumed I had a strong constitution and wouldn’t have any problems. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
If this continued, then forget about lasting the two months the Director had told me to. I might have to quit much sooner than that.
I’d searched online and found that morning sickness was apparently supposed to get worse over time… Remembering the Director’s warning, I told myself I had to pull myself together so I wouldn’t negatively affect my own health or the baby’s.
To settle my upset stomach and give my mind a break, I stopped letting my thoughts spiral.
A gentle breeze carried the soft scent of wood toward me, and I looked around.
No matter how many times I looked at it, this place was still beautiful.
What should I even call this space?
It wasn’t as spacious as a rooftop garden, but calling it a balcony or terrace didn’t quite seem right either. It was an outdoor rooftop garden located on the same floor as the Director’s office, and even someone as ignorant about these things as me could tell at a glance how romantic it was.
The landscaping wasn’t overly extravagant, yet everything was incredibly refined and elegant. Soft lights scattered across the lawn made the atmosphere even more luxurious. Neatly arranged stepping stones formed a path across the lush green grass, while a stream of water trickled gently between pretty little pebbles of various colors.
It was beautiful.
Where did the water even come from?
On top of that, the tables, reminiscent of traditional Korean serving trays, fit perfectly into the surroundings.
I’d heard that this was where the Director came to clear his head. He really was the grandson of the Chairman. His level was simply different.
Well, for the future heir to the largest conglomerate in the country, perhaps this sort of thing was nothing special.
Maybe it was uncultured of me to be so impressed by things like this, but I had never been exposed to anything like it before. Everything before my eyes left me in awe.
“Hmm. Kang Gyu Ho’s family is very wealthy too, but this place feels completely different…”
I suddenly remembered Gyu Ho’s house. His family operated several major hospitals, and when I had been staying there because of my circumstances, everything had seemed overwhelming.
But now, a sudden thought occurred to me.
The house I had once thought was magnificent was nothing compared to this place.
So they were just an ordinary wealthy family after all?
I knew it was impossible to compare them with the chaebol world, but I still couldn’t help realizing the difference.
Thinking about Gyu Ho’s hospitals naturally brought back memories of being looked down upon in that house, as though those memories were an inseparable attachment.
And then there was the image of Gyu Ho turning his back on me so coldly.
I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to think about things I had no desire to remember.
He was the man who had suddenly become cold and disappeared to America without leaving me a single word.
I knew there was no reason for me to suffer just because I remembered it, but it felt like a splinter lodged in my throat, making me restless and uncomfortable.
I shook my head to clear it and quickly began gathering the empty plates.
Right then, the guests finished their meals and began getting up to leave.
While I carefully loaded the used dishes onto the cart, I suddenly felt a strange gaze.
I had the distinct feeling that someone was watching me, so I turned my head.
And immediately, I spotted someone standing in the doorway, looking in my direction.
….Director? Wait. Why is he dressed like that…
The person was none other than Director Cha Ju Heon.
He was wearing what looked like a hazmat suit, yet he still wore his usual arrogant expression as he stared at me.
Then he began spraying disinfectant while complaining that the people who had just finished eating and were about to return to the office needed to brush their teeth immediately.
I was stunned.
How could he do something like that to other people so openly?
He was driving me crazy.
I’d heard that they were all executives of other conglomerates. Was he really allowed to treat them like that?
Yet the people being sprayed with disinfectant seemed completely accustomed to his behavior and didn’t pay much attention.
Their reaction was strange too.
But even more ridiculous was the Director himself.
Where on earth had he even found that outfit?
I stared open-mouthed as the Director sprayed disinfectant everywhere while wearing that ridiculous thing.
The way he was spraying it around so indiscriminately… How should I put it?
He was taking things to an absurd extreme.
There wasn’t a single thing about him that wasn’t excessive, from his clothes to his actions.
Perhaps realizing what I was thinking, the Director pulled the mask hanging beneath his chin up over his nose and approached me.
“Hello, Director.”
—“Good work today, Mr. Baek Eun Woo. Sorry for placing the order so suddenly. Those people were making a fuss about wanting to eat before the meeting. It’s terribly unhygienic.”
He clicked his tongue and sprayed disinfectant toward the people who had just left.
Meanwhile, I hurriedly put on the mask I had prepared in case I became nauseous.
I absolutely couldn’t afford to be scolded today.
—-“But didn’t I only ask you to prepare the food?”
He looked around at the employees clearing away the plates and asked in confusion.
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
—“I hired separate serving staff. So why are you here? Is it really necessary for you to be in this position?”
What was he talking about?
Of course it was necessary.
The person in charge had to be there. What if something went wrong?
“Even though there are serving staff, the person responsible for preparing the food still needs to be present. The variety and quantity weren’t particularly large today, but I still need to observe things. I need to see whether the guests like the food, whether there are any problems, and sometimes guests ask questions about the desserts as well.”
—-“I see. Then where is the owner?”
I couldn’t tell whether he actually understood what I was saying or whether he was even listening. His face remained so expressionless that I couldn’t read his intentions at all.
Because he suddenly asked about the owner, I accidentally did the very thing he hated most.
He had told me not to ask questions in return, but to understand immediately and answer him.
Yet I had fallen back into my old habit.
“The owner?”
—“Yes. The owner of this café. If someone responsible needs to be present, wouldn’t it be better for the owner to be here rather than an employee?”
“The owner is working at the café right now. There are usually quite a lot of customers before closing time. Some come in for takeout, while others buy coffee, so he’s quite busy. The owner is also responsible for cleaning up at the end of the day.”
—“…I understand. All right. Mr. Baek Eun Woo, finish cleaning up and go downstairs. You’ve worked hard today.”
The thoughtful look in his eyes as he told me to leave made me feel strangely uneasy.
—-“Ah, Mr. Baek Eun Woo.”
Just as I turned around, the Director suddenly called me back as though he had remembered something.
—-“Have you moved yet?”
He seemed to be asking whether I had moved into the apartment specified in the contract.
“Yes, I’ve moved out, but for now I’m staying temporarily at an apartment near the foundation hospital. Since the Chairman said I should continue receiving checkups and monitoring my condition until I give birth, I decided to stay close to the hospital.”
—-“I see. That must be inconvenient for you. But the Chairman has very high expectations for this great-grandchild, so I hope you’ll understand.”
“Of course. I’m fine with it. In fact, I feel more at ease staying near the hospital, so it isn’t too bad.”
—-“If that’s the case, then good. All right.”
Seeing everyone returning, the Director ended the conversation and walked into the meeting room.
Watching his back as he walked away after saying everything he needed to say with absolute decisiveness, an intense desire rose inside me.
I never wanted to run into him again.
To me, the Director was simply far too difficult to approach and far too difficult to deal with.
I should tell Jae Yi-hyung to find someone to replace me as soon as possible.
There was no way I could go through another battle of wits with that man.
Once I handed everything over and quit, I probably wouldn’t have to see him like this anymore.
Perhaps because the brief conversation with the Director had exhausted and stressed me out, my forehead was already covered in sweat.
……………
Today, once again, he felt none of the aversion he normally experienced.
Instead, he could even sense a sweet fragrance emanating from the young man.
How strange.
What exactly was the principle behind this?
Why did the face of a human being—something he had always found filthy—now give off such a sweet sensation that he felt no different from some kind of pervert?
“Could it be because he’s carrying my child? Is it because of pheromones, or something else…?”
Since this was his first time experiencing something like this, Ju Heon was completely clueless.
Unable to find an answer, perhaps he needed to consult his personal physician.
Ju Heon was so bewildered that he felt he needed medical assistance.
And after observing Baek Eun Woo throughout the entire day, he realized that the young man didn’t seem to be doing very well.
Even while standing there greeting the guests, his discomfort was plainly visible.
Every now and then, he would bring a hand to his mouth with a pained expression, or lightly pound his chest.
Then he would drink the beverage he had prepared and let out a deep breath.
“…I let him stay because he was chosen by Grandfather, but he really is someone who doesn’t know how to listen. He must be stubborn because he’s still young.”
The truth was that Ju Heon had placed the sudden order because the meeting fell awkwardly around dinnertime.
He should have simply chosen a professional catering service.
Although he was the one who had given the order, he hadn’t expected Baek Eun Woo to come here personally and insist that the person responsible for the food had to remain on-site.
On top of that, Eun Woo had still been perfectly healthy yesterday, so Ju Heon hadn’t anticipated seeing him looking so exhausted today.
Apparently, his body was under too much strain. At times, he would stand there blankly or even stagger as he walked.
Ju Heon had agreed to let him continue working for another month or two, but perhaps that was no longer possible.
Failing to take care of himself during the most sensitive period of the pregnancy was clearly a violation of the contract.
“What happened with the investigation I asked you to conduct yesterday?”
Ju Heon quietly called his secretary and asked him about it.
“We just received word. I was planning to report it after the meeting, Director.”
“How many people are there?”
“There are more candidates than we expected. The hotel’s head chef screened them and sent over a list. You can review it and make your decision. They all have good experience and are willing to start working here immediately. Shall I send you the file now?”
“No. Do it after the meeting. Arrange interviews for tomorrow, and don’t forget to specify in the contract that if they’re hired, I’ll pay their salary separately. Of course, don’t let them know that we were the ones who actively sought them out and invited them for an interview.”
“Yes. I’ll proceed carefully and make sure there are no mistakes.”
Feeling impatient, Ju Heon had taken matters into his own hands.
That was simply how life worked.
If you wanted water, you had to dig your own well.
He had asked the head pastry chef at one of the hotels owned by the conglomerate for help. As the head chef of a five-star hotel, he had a wide network and knew plenty of people, so Ju Heon had asked him to find a suitable employee.
He had only asked because he was in a hurry, but he hadn’t expected things to move this quickly.
Still, the faster, the better.
If he left Eun Woo to handle things himself, who knew how long it would take him to find someone, let alone complete the handover?
Ju Heon had no intention of waiting around for promises with no definite end date.
Moreover, if Eun Woo continued showing signs of exhaustion that made other people worry about him, there was nothing more to discuss.
Ju Heon had not accepted his grandfather’s proposal to use a surrogate without giving it serious thought.
It had been a decision made after countless considerations and careful calculations.
Within that carefully chosen plan, not even the smallest mistake could be allowed to occur.
The child had to be born healthy, precisely on the scheduled date.
To make that happen, the first priority was the health and psychological stability of the person carrying the pregnancy.
It didn’t matter how deeply Baek Eun Woo was bound by affection to his employer, or how much he cried out about human decency and morality.
None of that had anything to do with Ju Heon.
The only thing Ju Heon needed, the only thing that truly mattered to him, was the child inside Baek Eun Woo’s womb.
To protect that life—perhaps his first and only child—Ju Heon was prepared to do anything over the next few months.