The Hidden Mountain Retreat

Her footsteps entering the living room felt surprisingly natural. Lately Hwigyeom had been calling Yeong-a to the house every morning to eat breakfast together. After all, it was better to have two people eating than the maid's prepared meals.

"My youngest son is going on a business trip, so I have to send him off with a full stomach. You can eat with him too."

It seemed the meal was all ready, and the kitchen called out.

Yu Yeong-a answered politely, "I will enjoy it with gratitude."

Her lips curved into a bright smile as she greeted her grandmother.

She ate the neatly sliced radish tail in a clean, efficient way.

Hong Jeonghye watched her with warm affection and slid an extra bowl forward.

"Try this too. It's the pickled lemon and scallions I learned from a Michelin chef recently. The old man even praised it, saying it clears the body."

Yeong-a thanked her and took a bite, her expression immediately turning serious.

Why did it feel so different?

"It doesn't seem like sugar was added. Is the scallion sweet? But it's not quite the same. It reminds me of fresh, tangy fruit eaten as dessert."

Hong Jeonghye clapped her hands loudly.

"Aigoo, how do you figure that out so well? I've never felt this satisfied feeding my own family like this in decades. The lemons are imported directly from Vallepietra, but to them they're just ordinary fruit."

Yeong-a was truly remarkable. At this rate, maybe even an arboretist could conquer the world.

Hwigyeom let out a quiet laugh and asked,

"You never went to Italy as an arboretist?"

Before she could answer, Hong Jeonghye jumped in.

"Oh, right. I heard the author Francis B. Huang wants to debut his new work in Korea first instead of Italy."

Francis B. Huang, a sculptor who had left Korea long ago and settled in Milan, Italy, to work.

After appearing like a comet with his baby angel holding flowers, he had continued to shine with his angel series.

He was also famous for not revealing his face.

"That person is strange."

Looking at his works made Hwigyeom feel an unbearable unease.

Although the angels in his paintings were finely detailed like living creatures, they seemed more likely to scream than to fly.

"Why do you keep bringing that up? How much are the works you missed because of you worth now?"

Hong Jeonghye's parents, Hwigyeom's maternal grandparents, were world-famous collectors.

His grandfather had been one of the individuals in Korea who owned the most cultural artifacts.

And Hong Jeonghye had inherited that sharp eye from her parents and passed it on to Hwigyeom.

Thanks to her, he had become a renowned collector with impeccable taste.

Yet he hadn't owned a single piece by Huang.

"I will definitely bring Huang's exhibition to our museum."

"Don't do that. Honestly, it's not great."

"You always act like such a shaman when you get like this. It's exactly like your grandfather. If the museum doesn't take it, you'll go to your little mother, and then I'll have to see that side of you."

After handing over Sajung Museum to her daughter-in-law Lee Ioseon, Hong Jeonghye now managed the Sajung Museum under the second rank of the Sahan Group.

Unlike Sajung, which was located in Gyeonggi-do, Sajung was still in a more remote area with lower visibility.

Hong Jeonghye always complained about that.

"Even without that, there are plenty of other things to do. Yeong-a, eat up before you get up."

Hwigyeom squeezed between them, gently lifting the drowsy Yeong-a.

The bowl in front of her was already spotlessly empty.

Instead of their usual sedan, they took an SUV to Sokcho. The open highway made the closed-in feeling feel refreshing.

After stopping at a rest area for the bathroom, Yeong-a took out the hand cream she had received earlier and applied it.

As soon as she sat back in the driver's seat, Hwigyeom frowned with irritation.

"What... is that trash smell coming from?"

"I put on the hand cream. You said it was good."

Even if it wasn't good, Yeong-a felt deeply hurt that he would dismiss a gift from Suhyeok like that.

Hwigyeom snapped, "Throw it away right now and wash your hands. Before you leave this scent behind."

Then who would drive?

Yeong-a grumbled internally.

Hwigyeom saw through her perfectly and said, "I can't get even one driver?"

He knew the truth wasn't simple. His arrogant master was sometimes extremely picky.

Yeong-a was furious but couldn't disobey her superior.

She went back to the bathroom, rubbed her hands thoroughly, then took out the hand cream from her bag.

"You said it was good."

Even if it wasn't, she couldn't throw away a gift from Suhyeok.

As she tried to put it back in her bag, she noticed small handwriting on the label:

"Not for sale."

Hwigyeom must be the real shaman.

If he hadn't pointed it out, she could have just used it anyway.

But even knowing, she couldn't discard it.

Yeong-a tucked the hand cream deep into her bag.

After starting the car again, Yeong-a's mood soured and she stayed silent.

It was Hwigyeom who finally broke the silence.

"It doesn't match. Cheap stuff like that."

While Yeong-a remained quiet, Hwigyeom added,

"Eat the good stuff and use the good stuff."

The bubbling anger inside her instantly cooled.

That's right. He just couldn't express himself with refined words.

She now understood that he had meant those words with pure, well-meaning intent.

But no matter how much of a positive demon queen she was, coarse language still hurt.

"Understood. So please speak nicely to me, Team Leader. One word can repay a debt of ten thousand pounds."

The heavy atmosphere made Yeong-a muster her courage and speak.

She didn't want to leave a stain on their budding human relationship.

She wanted to build a straight, orderly path step by step.

The reply came a while later.

"If you need anything, tell me. Even the department head. I'm your only teammate, so I can do that much."

Yeong-a felt pleased that he had taken time to consider it.

"Yes. Thank you very much."

It was truly touching how he thought of her.

The villa that had convinced Sae Yoon-mi to commit to this project was hidden in a mountainous area no one who had visited Sokcho many times had ever heard of.

The road on the map didn't exist, but there was a path.

Tall old trees lined the winding mountain road, making the atmosphere solemn.

Even at noon, when the sun was high, the area remained dark until they passed the large gate.

The villa was already under construction, with several large trucks parked around.

It was chaotic and eerie, but as they passed the courtyard, a breathtaking view appeared.

Looking at the deep blue scenery visible from behind the building, Yeong-a sighed in wonder.

"The sea is visible from here?"

"Amazing, right?"

It was said that a wealthy man who had once hidden here was the place.

Now it was rundown and ruined, but the imported marble entrance and pillars from Portugal still showed the money poured into it.

"Team Leader, you're here."

The site manager recognized Hwigyeom and greeted him.

"You've worked hard."

"It's just carrying things. But who will come to this place? Forget guests. It's hard to find workers."

This was a private resort that accepted only one team at a time, so lack of foot traffic was actually a good thing.

However, finding staff to handle meals here seemed difficult.

"Will Michelin chefs come here?"

"Money isn't a problem, but the neighbors will get noisy."

Since it was near the sea, the plan to find a chef skilled in seafood would have to change.

This kind of place was best when kept secret.

The staff would neither reveal themselves nor want to.

"Let's take a look inside first."

Entering the building, it didn't seem like the work was overwhelmingly large.

"As you said, Team Leader, the good materials were already used, so it might not need major construction. But it will take more time."

"Good."

Hwigyeom had expected as much, and preserving the original was far better.

Although it would cost more, it fit the resort's aesthetic.

After walking through the spacious building without missing anything, many details that hadn't been visible in the photos were revealed.

Yeong-a took photos, while Hwigyeom carefully gave instructions to the site manager and specialists in each field.

Suddenly lunchtime had passed. The workers had brought their own bentos as instructed.

Hwigyeom showed the site manager a photo of an old lady in a hanok and asked,

"I heard it's near here. Do you know this house?"