Chapter 7

“Our princess!”

At the sound of his daughter’s voice, he immediately sat up.

The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes as she entered, wearing a white nightgown and clutching a stuffed rabbit.

She came in absentmindedly, then stopped short when she saw Haruka.

“Who’s that?”

The child’s voice was filled with hostility.

Haruka knelt down to match the little girl’s eye level.

“Hello. I’m Haruka.”

“Haruka?”

“I’ll be working as your dad’s aromatherapist.”

Even with Haruka’s gentle tone, the girl’s face looked like she was about to cry.

Maybe she didn’t understand the word aromatherapist, or maybe she simply didn’t like that a pretty woman was in her father’s room. Jin Seo Woo’s cheeks puffed out like two little buns.

“Daaaddy!”

Sniffling, Seo Woo ran straight into Seonghan’s arms.

Her warm little body pressed against his bare chest.

The affectionate smile that spread across his face showed just how doting a father he was.

As he stroked his daughter’s small head, his gaze turned to Haruka, cold and unwelcoming.

“You should leave. I need to put our princess to bed.”

His firm order left Haruka no choice but to leave.

She bowed slightly to say goodnight, then stepped out of the room.

The late spring night air wrapped around her as she walked back toward the servants’ quarters.

Halfway there, she suddenly stopped and turned back.

The lights in Seonghan’s room were still on.

For a moment, the girl’s face flashed in her mind. She was even cuter than in the photo Ryota had once shown her.

‘…She’ll lose her father too.’

The child was part of the plan as well.

A trace of guilt tried to surface, but Haruka forced herself to ignore it.

Her gaze drifted upward.

She focused on the farthest room on the second floor, curtains drawn.

A breeze carrying the faint scent of wisteria brushed past her.

Her heart was calm. It didn’t race like it had the day before.

“You told him to let me in, didn’t you?”

You’ll regret that, Jin Ihan.

The shadow of the twenty-one-year-old Jin Ihan could no longer hold her.

Her steps moved again.

The first night in the mansion ended quietly like that.

* * *

At four thirty in the morning, Haruka’s day began earlier than anyone else’s.

Once everything was prepared, she lit an aroma candle and sat quietly in front of the mirror.

She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath.

This had become a near-compulsive routine since she started living as Haruka Suzuki, not Yoo Haru.

It had begun as Baek Jin-ha’s suggestion, but by now it was like a morning alarm for her mind.

‘Haruka Suzuki. Don’t forget what you’re here to do.’

For over thirty minutes, she repeated this like brainwashing until her resolve solidified.

When she finally opened her eyes, the reflection staring back was cold and emotionless.

A little past five, Haruka left the servants’ quarters and headed to the annex.

She deliberately kept her eyes away from the wisteria-covered pergola and quickened her pace.

The kitchen was already busy with preparations under Chief Cho’s direction.

“Good morning, Chief Cho.”

“Oh, Ms. Haruka. Why are you here so early?”

Instead of answering right away, Haruka handed over an envelope she had prepared.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a list of ingredients the Vice Chairman should avoid during aromatherapy treatment.”

Chief Cho scanned the list. Most were acidic ingredients.

A flicker of skepticism appeared in her eyes.

“Do we really need to worry about ingredients for aroma therapy? None of the previous therapists ever mentioned this.”

“The Vice Chairman suffers from severe insomnia. Quality sleep plays an essential role in improving all bodily functions. That’s why I’ve made insomnia relief the top priority. He should avoid excessive drinking, of course, but it’s just as important to control everything that enters through his mouth, including food and breath.”

Haruka added a gentle smile to her earnest tone.

“Just as certain foods pair well or badly with each other, some scents interact poorly too. Used incorrectly, they can become harmful, like the wrong food combination. This is all to maximize the synergy of the therapy. I know it’s extra work, but I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

“You’re surprisingly professional for someone who looks like that.”

The rude interruption drew everyone’s gaze.

All eyes turned to Jin Ihan, dressed impeccably in a suit.

A ripple of surprise went through the staff.

No one expected him to appear in the annex kitchen at this hour.

Even Chief Cho, who had worked in the mansion for years, was taken aback.

“M-Mr. Jin.”

“Why are you all so startled?”

Chief Cho quickly regained her composure and asked calmly.

“Is there something you need?”

“Do I need a reason to be here?”

“I’m sorry.”

Her polite answer didn’t quite hide the look that said, You’ve never come here before.

Haruka was also caught off guard by Ihan’s sudden appearance, but her expression stayed serene.

She quietly took a step back.

Ihan’s eyes shifted toward her.

He stared for a moment, then said casually,

“I just felt like having home-cooked food.”

“Would you like to join the Vice Chairman for breakfast then?”

Ihan tilted his head slightly. The staff hurried to prepare.

While everyone bustled around, only Haruka and Ihan stood still.

She stubbornly kept her gaze lowered to the floor.

Even so, she could feel his eyes on her.

Every place his persistent gaze touched grew hot.

Despite being surrounded by people, she felt as if they were alone in the room, and her chest tightened.

“…I’ll take my leave.”

She turned to go.

Just as she was about to step out of the dining room,

“Wait.”

Ihan’s low voice stopped her in her tracks.

The uneasy rhythm pulsing through her veins rang in her ears like an alarm.

She halted. His footsteps grew closer.

She swallowed silently and turned, keeping her chin lowered to avoid meeting his eyes.

“Yes, Mr. Jin.”

“Say what you said earlier to me directly.”

“I’m not sure what you mean…”

“How rude.”

His deep voice cut through hers, and his hand suddenly reached forward.

He gently grasped her chin, his voice dropping even lower.

“When you talk to someone, you should look them in the eyes.”

Her eyes lifted in response to his provocation, and for a brief moment their gazes locked.

The air between them grew thick and heavy.

Thump, thump.

Her pulse pounded where his skin touched hers.

Unsure of the source of the sensation, Haruka opened her mouth.

“Let go of me.”

She stepped back as he released his grip.

“The things you told Chief Cho earlier, you should tell the person involved directly.”

“…”

“Vice Chairman Jin hates it when people talk behind his back.”

“What do I hate?”

The tension shattered at the sound of a new voice.

Jin Seonghan came down the stairs in his workout clothes.

Haruka bowed politely as soon as she saw him.

He barely acknowledged her as he walked up to Ihan.

“What brings you here so early?”

“I just felt like it. Thought I’d grab a bite.”

“What?”

Seonghan laughed in disbelief.

He seemed to be thinking the same thing Chief Cho had earlier.

“Well, fine. So what were you two talking about?”

He looked at Haruka with a hint of amusement.

“Let’s talk over breakfast.”

Ihan draped his arm over Seonghan’s shoulder, steering him toward the dining room.

Seonghan chuckled and followed.

As the two men passed her, Haruka quietly exhaled in relief and turned away.

Then Ihan’s voice caught her again.

“Where are you going?”

He smiled faintly and jerked his chin toward the dining room.

“The person involved should explain it directly.”

* * *

Three full servings of breakfast were set out.

Steam rose from a delicious-looking seafood stew. Haruka sighed inwardly.

“Eat. We’ll talk after.”

At Ihan’s urging, she reluctantly picked up her spoon.

She ignored the seafood stew entirely and only nibbled at the side dishes in front of her.

“You don’t like seafood stew?”

The unexpected question came from Ihan.

“No.”

“Then try it. It’s actually pretty good.”

Her eyes wavered slightly.

Even as she slowly set down her spoon and met his gaze, her mind was racing.

She had thought she’d erased everything of Yoo Haru, but there was one thing she couldn’t change, just like her eyes.

‘The medicine is back in my room…’

She had run into a completely unexpected crisis.