Chapter 147. What Did We Just See? (5)

Seonae stood up, left for less than a minute and returned with a prepared shopping bag. This was the reason Seonae had asked her to come early. When she handed it over, Minkyung said in bewilderment,

“Ma’am?”

“It’s a present. I heard you’ll soon be promoted to deputy director. It’s well-deserved, congratulations.”

“No, please.”

Minkyung took a step back, embarrassed.

“I felt bad for giving you a handbag of mine last time. Though it wasn’t used, I wondered if it might have offended you.”

“Not at all, ma’am. I’ve been using it as you suggested. I even brought it today.”

When she lifted her handbag to show it, Seonae smiled. She looked Minkyung over, dressed in a pintuck and lace blouse with a blue-violet skirt.

“Yes, you look lovely. You were already slim and pretty, but this style softens your appearance even more. I picked this out thinking of you. Please accept it.”

“Ma’am, you didn’t have to go to such trouble.”

Seonae waved her hand,

“I considered giving you a gift certificate instead, but I thought it might be uncomfortable for you. When someone serves a family well, it is important for that person to receive small tokens of appreciation like this. Tae Lee-Seob should treat his assistant better…”

Seonae frowned in disapproval,

“No, ma’am. I haven’t done enough to be rewarded.”

Minkyung’s heart sank as soon as she heard Lee-Seob’s name come out of his mother’s mouth. She bowed her head and earnestly declined. The discomfort was evident on her face, so Seonae added,

“Lee-Seob has a kind heart, but he can be harsh at times, so I’m sure there were times when you felt hurt. I’ll make sure he doesn’t scold you for accepting my promotion gift.”

Since Seonae was worried for a completely different reason than reality, she felt more embarrassed and ashamed. Just as she was about to refuse again with her fists clenched, a familiar voice interrupted her.

“Oh? When did you arrive?”

Both women turned to see Lee-Seob standing at the dining room entrance. He walked over, moving specifically to Minkyung’s side. He looked almost ready to go to work, except he wasn’t wearing a tie.

“You didn’t mention you’d be coming early.”

“I asked her to come early. Why are you up so early? Do you want some water?”

At Seonae’s words, he smiled as he looked at Minkyung,

“Thanks to the person who wakes me up every day at dawn to exercise, my body has already gotten used to it.”

He casually reached for Minkyung’s teacup and took a sip.

“Hey, that’s Ms. Kang’s.”

Seonae exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s okay. I haven’t touched it yet.”

Minkyung downplayed his inappropriate action as best she could. Lee-Seob simply glanced at her over the teacup, then said,

“What’s this?”

He put the cup down and pointed to the shopping bag on the table.

“It’s a present I prepared for Ms. Kang for her promotion. She has refused to accept it, probably worried about what you might think. You’re too hard on her.”

Lee-Seob didn’t hesitate to open the box inside and swiftly untied the ribbon. Seonae sighed at his bad manners.

“A handbag?”

“Yes.”

As he checked the handbag, he asked his mother,

“Did you pick this out yourself?”