Chapter 2
The week went by like a nightmare for Chae-Yeong. Every time, she kept thinking about who to choose: her brother or her principals. It was an obvious choice, but she had been hesitating so much that the decision seemed pointless even if she had made it.
The maids that worked for Kim were very scared to go into the room where she was staying because she was always breaking things. Sometimes she won't eat the food they brought for her, and it makes them worry about their lives.
"Miss Chae-Yeong, he has arrived." The maid announced it with her trembling voice from the door. She didn't want to go inside the room.
"Why are you telling me? He will come here all by himself; you should leave. I'll be fine by myself," Chae said calmly. Although she wasn't as calm as she was trying to show. She was really nervous; right now he was like a beast, and she was his prey.
'The weather isn't even making me feel better.' Chae thought as she looked at the heavy rain outside. She tried not to think too hard, but it was an impossible task.
"You seem so engrossed in your thoughts. I wonder what it's about." A voice suddenly spoke from behind her. Are you thinking about me?"
Yes, I'm thinking about how much I want to kill you," she said bluntly, without turning around and facing him.
"Is that so?" He chuckled. "Are you ready to give me an answer?"
"You are a heartless man. Kim Min Su, you are a monster," she told him in a stern tone. "You know that, right?"
"That's not the answer to my question, Han Chae-Yeong."
Chae felt like she was trapped when she heard those words. It was as if she were being torn apart by his voice while, at the same time, someone was holding her hand tightly. It was like she was drowning but couldn't move her legs, so she could only listen to him. The feeling of helplessness was unbearable to her.
"If I join your organization and help you fulfill your aim, will you ensure that my brother gets his admission back into Seoul University?" She asked. "Will you give him what he rightfully deserves?"
"I'm a man of my words," Min Su answered. "I will spare his life and allow his dream to come true."
"Then I agree." She muttered. The words that came out of her mouth were like a curse.
"That's great." Min Su said as he clapped excitedly and started laughing. "You really wrecked this room after staying here just for a week, didn't you?" He continued to laugh like a maniac, which only confused Chae more.
"You laugh like a madman." She said it in disgust. The situation she found herself in wasn't funny at all; she could swear that she was already going crazy.
"Come on, let's have lunch together, and that way the maids can clean up properly," he suggested. "There are a lot of things to discuss."
She nodded reluctantly. Maybe it would make the situation less unbearable than it was before. It felt like he was the beast and she was the little prey.
'Pathetic, pathetic.' She laughed internally as she followed him into the dining hall of his mansion.
"Sit and eat. I heard you haven't eaten for days, so have something." He ordered. Chae sighed. "I have agreed to work for you, but that doesn't mean you can boss me around," she stated, taking a plate full of soup and sitting down.
Min Su smirked at her. "How long are you planning on pretending you're tough? You may look strong on the outside, but you're really weak inside." He mocked her.
'I really hate you.' She wanted to say something, but she kept quiet.
"I have sent an email to the principal of that university." He said it casually. "Your brother will get his admission back in no time."
"He better." She muttered coldly. "You didn't answer my question the last time we spoke."
"What question?" He questioned her with feigned innocence.
"You said that there are five gemstones, but I was told that the missing gem is a diamond." She spoke suspiciously.
"Did I?" He asked innocently, as if he didn't know.
"Stop playing stupid, Min Su; you knew what I was talking about!" She snapped angrily.
"Your information is not completely wrong." He admitted. "The pendant is a part of the five gemstones; it is the most beautiful one, and that's the one that was displayed in the national museum; the other ones were hidden away."He explained patiently.
"How can I even trust your words?" She demanded.
He shrugged indifferently. "You can't. I never asked you to do that."
Chae glared at him. Her anger was slowly dissipating now. She just needed to keep calm and not let her feelings control her; that would be easy enough.
"When I called you a dog, you were so annoyed." He added it nonchalantly.
Chae froze at that comment. Again, with these insults, why can't she just slap him already? Her fists were clenched tightly, and it was getting difficult for her to hold back her anger.
"I'm not a dog." She stated.
"You are a dog who obeys her masters without question." His words were full of poison, mocking her.
Her lips formed a thin line as she clenched both of her hands together.
"You kept talking about the law the last time we spoke, but let me tell you something. You know nothing about the law."
"What did you say?" She growled threateningly as she jumped off her seat. The sound of the chair crashing against the floor was echoing in the silent house.
"I know more about the law than you do," he repeated in a confident tone.
She raised her left fist in the air, about to punch him.
"Why did you stop?" He interrupted. He looked at the fist with his eyes narrowed slightly.
"These gemstones were stolen three years ago. An investigation was launched, but the culprit wasn't caught. At the beginning of this year, the president made an official declaration that the case would be put aside for now."
She lowered her fist to her side and let go of the urge to punch him.
"The SRF can't do anything without the approval of the president, which means that any investigation on the gemstones can't take place without his consent, but somehow your higher-ups got some evidence that claims that I have those stones." Min Su finished calmly, looking at her with piercing eyes.
Chae just stared at him with an unreadable expression. Her mind was in chaos, but her body was frozen. Somehow he was making sense, yet he still infuriated her.
"Do you even know what so-called evidence they claim to have?" His face broke into a smile, while Chae's frown turned deeper. She hated that smile because it was full of confidence, while hers was filled with uneasiness.
"The fact that you are making a point annoys me." She spat.
Oh, well, before I forget, we are going to Italy tomorrow." He added it casually while picking up a glass on the table.
He was so focused on taking a sip of the wine he was drinking that he missed Chae's reaction.
"What? What did you say?" She asked.
"We are going to Italy." He said it once again while putting his glass down and staring at her intently, waiting for her reaction.
"You are joking, right?" She asked.
"Why would I joke about going to Italy with you?" He questioned her as he stared deeply into her eyes, challenging her to argue with him.
"All of a sudden." She replied with a questioning tone.
"I have important work to attend to there, and you are coming along too." He replied matter-of-factly.
"I can't leave my brother and go to Italy." She exclaimed, standing abruptly from her seat.
"Your brother is eighteen; he's able to handle himself." He said it dismissively. "Stop treating him like a child; besides, you are a spy, which means you must have lied about your whereabouts before, so what's the big deal?"
"But..." she hesitated.
"You can go to your brother after lunch, then pack your bags and get ready for tomorrow." He cut her off immediately.
"But..." She tried to protest one last time and stopped when she saw him raise his eyebrow. "Fine."
"Great." He said it and smiled happily as if he had won.
'I haven't been home for a week, and now I have to go to Italy.' She muttered mentally while she was busy thinking about what to do. Min Su was staring intensely at her—well, technically, at her chest.
Hey, you pervert!" She shouted.
"Keep quite. You seem like a person with a C or D cup size, five feet three or above." Min Su said
"Excuse me!" She yelled angrily.
"I need your body measurement, so I get you a uniform and a dress, so write it down. After that, I will instruct someone to take it home." He said this while pulling out a paper and pen.
"Uniform and a Dress? What for?" She asked.
"You will find out soon."