DDB Ch 8

The place the man led her to was a dining room that was about twice the size of the large bedroom where she had spent the night? No, it was even larger than that.

Like the hall, the floor and walls were entirely made of white marble, with an interior that was both simple and luxurious. The ceiling had exquisite lighting, and beneath it, a long table set for eight had a neatly arranged breakfast for two.

It reminded her of the atmospheric breakfast she once had with Myungja at a famous Paris restaurant.

“Your seat is here.”

The man, passing by her standing there in a daze, pulled out a chair at the table and waited.

His eyes, looking at Jiwoon, seemed to stick to her skin with warmth. No wonder her heart was beating faster.

As she sat down, he even gently pushed the chair in for her, showing perfect manners.

He slightly gripped the back of the chair before letting go and then took his own seat around the table.

His appearance was so impressive yet still felt surreal, making her pinch her thigh to check if she was still dreaming.

‘Ouch.’

The pain confirmed it wasn’t a dream.

Sitting quietly, Jiwoon looked at the knife and fork in front of her, then at the coffee cup and teacup in turn, before fixing her gaze on the man sitting across from her.

As she was blankly staring at him, Ishin’s eyes met hers.

“Why?”

Even though he only spoke one syllable with his clear red lips, it made her mouth dry and her throat parched.

Reaching out for her water glass, Jiwoon quickly moistened her lips.

“Just…”

Wiping the water from her lips with the back of her hand, she picked up a strawberry.

She started thinking a lot. He brought her here almost like a kidnapping, showed her around the house, explained the rules, let her sleep in a nice place, and now served this luxurious breakfast. It seemed like he was implying she could stay, but on the other hand, she felt anxious about when she might be kicked out. That would be troublesome.

“Can I stay here?”

In her urgency, her true feelings came out without any filter.

“Like I said yesterday, the only person I know in Korea is you…”

Jiwoon took a bite of the strawberry, swallowed the sweet flesh, and continued.

“…so, the only one I know here is Baek Ishin.”

Her instincts were telling her to hold onto this man. She could live like a human being with him. So, she needed to find a reason to stay. She had to appeal to his emotions and prove her usefulness.

“First off, Baek Ishin kidnapped me, and I don’t mind that much, so I’m willing to do whatever you ask…”

But Ishin didn’t show any significant reaction to either of those statements.

“As I mentioned, we can’t really say we know each other.”

He lifted his coffee cup with graceful poise, took a sip, and set it down, answering as if it was of no consequence.

“Whether to keep you here or not, I’ll decide that myself.”

Just like his voice devoid of emotion, his gaze was equally indifferent, subtly indicating that what she had offered hadn’t moved his heart even a millimeter.

“So don’t jump to conclusions.”

It was a cold response.

Had she mistaken his perfect manners for treating her like a lady? She thought there was at least a bit of fondness, but it seems there wasn’t.

So what can she do? She would have to change her approach.

“I haven’t told the police.”

Jiwoon spoke up, her dark eyes sparkling.

“I saw you there that day.”

Ishin, who was cutting turkey meat with a knife, slowly lifted his gaze.

He looked at Jiwoon’s face carefully, raising one eyebrow.

“I haven’t told anyone.”

A strange light flickered in Jiwoon’s gleaming eyes, as if she had something to say.

“Not yet.”

“…?”

“The missing painting, the murdered body, and the suspicious man.”

Jiwoon lowered her voice, speaking almost in a whisper.

“The painting belonged to [Heritage Beyond], a mafia collaborator, and the body was of an SIS agent from the British intelligence agency. So, who is the suspicious man who took the painting?”

Counting on her fingers, Jiwoon smiled sweetly.

“Which one could it be?”

Ha, look at this.

“SIS? Or [Heritage Beyond]?”

Ishin placed the knife on the table, rested both arms on it, and stared intently at Jiwoon.

“Or perhaps something else…”

“Interesting.”

Tilting his head to the side, he gave a cold smile.

“I thought you only played house, but you know how to threaten too?”

Then Ishin wiped the smile off his face.

“But what can you do? That kind of thing won’t work on me.”

Briefly eyeing the woman who was giving him a bold look, Ishin stood up without further thought.

“So don’t waste your time thinking in the wrong direction. If you want to see ‘Guinevere’ while staying here.”

At his rather cold voice, Jiwoon’s shoulders stiffened slightly.

“Finish eating and rest up. We have somewhere to go later.”

Ishin left the table, lighting a cigarette, leaving Jiwoon behind.

🐬🌊🐳

After finishing her meal, Chanty handed Jiwoon two shopping bags. They were shopping bags with large luxury logos, from a brand that only the rich could afford even in Italy, the land of luxury.

‘Why this?’

Jiwoon, taking the bags, looked at Chanty with a puzzled expression.

“What… is this?”

“The master prepared it for you. You have to go out, but your current clothes aren’t suitable…”

Looking inside the bags, she found clothes.

A crisp white shirt, an apricot-colored cashmere knit mixed with alpaca wool, a modest gray wool skirt, and a dark gray coat. There were also stockings and classic shoes.

And even…

“…underwear too?”

Jiwoon chuckled at the sight of the underwear at the bottom of the bag.

Chanty also laughed, seeming a bit embarrassed.

“If you rest in your room, the master…”

“Do I have to rest in my room?”

Jiwoon hugged the shopping bags tightly, looking at Chanty with wide eyes.

“He said I could go as far as the lake…”

Jiwoon slowly closed and then opened her eyes, her eyes drooping like a wet puppy.

“…”

Chanty’s dark green eyes seemed to tremble for a moment.

That was a good sign.

Since setting foot here, Jiwoon had no intention of just sitting in a corner wasting time. She had to quickly explore Ishin’s surroundings to find a way to infiltrate.

Not missing this opportunity, Jiwoon put on a more innocent expression and pleaded.

“I’ll dress warmly, just for a walk. Just a walk.”

“…”

After a brief pause, Chanty glanced towards the dining room door, coughed once, then nodded.

Chanty pointed at the shopping bags with her index finger.

“Make sure to dress warmly and come downstairs.”

Not bad. Chanty seemed to be someone who was easily swayed by emotion. Ishin, on the other hand, was someone with clear objectives.

There must be a reason Ishin brought Jiwoon here and keeps her here. It probably has something to do with ‘Guinevere.’

Perhaps because she’s the only witness who saw Ishin in the warehouse that day, he might want to keep her under surveillance.

Of course, if she thought about it carefully, there could be other reasons too.

Like wanting her to restore ‘Guinevere’ or something similar?

But for Jiwoon, the reason didn’t matter. The only important fact was that this man, Baek Ishin, had ‘Guinevere’ and wanted to keep her by his side.

With a meaningful smile, slightly curling her lips, Jiwoon hugged the shopping bags closer.

Baek Ishin had spent a lot of money, time, and effort on this. That was evidence he wouldn’t easily throw her out.

Even though she did something like threatening him about ‘Guinevere,’ wasn’t that itself an indication that he wouldn’t throw her out?

Yes, that’s how it is.

Jiwoon, trying to suppress her spreading smile, took the shopping bags and confidently stepped onto the stairs. Even the cold sensation of the marble against her bare feet felt pleasant.