Chapter 61 - Executive Lee Ji-ha
"Hoo... who the hell is coming at this hour?"
I grumbled, heading toward the wine cellar.
Two days had passed since that shameful walk in the garden.
I'd been trying my best to avoid the maids' and security guards' stares while readjusting to my work... and fortunately, nothing had happened to me during those two days.
Thinking back to when I had to crawl around with an anal tail plug... just imagining it made my body tremble with shame.
I was just grateful I was currently wearing my dress pants and a t-shirt.
Honestly... if Hayoung were a truly wicked devil... I might have been living in the mansion completely naked.
Of course, Hayoung was still a devil, but...
Hayoung knew better than anyone what I found most shameful and hated... and I was becoming increasingly afraid of her.
'When will I... ever escape from being Hayoung's toy...?'
I quickened my pace, my head aching with a problem that had no answer.
Creak—
I opened the wooden door of the wine cellar.
"Seriously... who's coming... yawn..."
It was midnight, but Hayoung had ordered me to run a wine errand, claiming a guest was coming.
"Let's see... what was I supposed to bring..."
I checked the wines one by one, looking for the specific bottle Hayoung had mentioned.
"...Is it this one?"
And just as I picked up a bottle, I suddenly heard the cellar door open.
Flinc—
Without realizing it, I hunched over and hid.
'....Why am I hiding...?'
I hadn't done anything wrong... but the memory of being brutally tormented by Suhyeon in this very wine cellar came flooding back, causing me to hide instinctively.
Thump-thump-
And the silhouette visible through the gaps in the wine racks was... a maid.
One of the maids who had tormented me in the garden the other day.
'What is this... why is she...'
I knew who the maid in charge of the wine cellar was. I'd seen her before.
But the maid here right now wasn't the one in charge of the wine cellar.
What was this? Did the person in charge change?
No... there's no way they would change something like that...?
Knowing Hayoung's personality—that she found changes to be a headache and preferred to stick with the original person in charge—I felt something was suspicious.
Furthermore, the maid who had entered the cellar kept turning her head left and right, checking to see if anyone was there.
'Something... is fishy.'
My instincts kicked in, and I began to focus on the maid.
The maid took out her phone and started making a call.
'What the... who is she calling...?'
I pricked up my ears and began to listen intently.
Before long—the sound of the maid talking to someone reached me.
"...Yes... it's Jiyu... I'm calling to report."
As soon as I heard the first sentence of the call, I sensed that this was no ordinary matter.
If she's reporting... she must have a superior... but it couldn't possibly be Hayoung, right? If it were her, she could just talk in person... over the phone...? It didn't make sense.
"Currently... the Baekhwa organization's movements are, as I mentioned before... focused on the hotel business."
Information... leak...!
She was definitely a spy.
My pupils shook violently, and I was agitated.
"As for other businesses... there are... no significant trends yet. Yes... yes."
Whose side is she a spy for...? Could it be... Hwayeon? The one with the most similar scale and power to Baekhwa... No... I shouldn't judge too quickly. It could be a third party.
For the first time in a while, my brain was racing.
"And... one more thing... I have something to tell you..."
Gulp—
I swallowed my saliva and held my breath, focusing.
"It's about the people who joined recently. Their names are Kang Minseo and Lee Ji-ha."
!!!
It was about me.
I was deeply shaken... but if I were caught hiding here... something terrible would surely happen, so I had to grit my teeth and endure my body's trembling.
"Kang Minseo... seems to have been a spy before, was caught, and is living here as a slave. He's not a person worth worrying about too much, but... I think he needs to be kept under close observation."
"Also, Lee Ji-ha seems to have naturally transitioned from being Kang Minseo's secretary to an executive. I haven't been able to gather more information than this yet. Yes. Yes. I will report again next time."
I never imagined... there would be another spy here.
I was a spy for the police... but you... whose side are you on...
I clutched my pounding heart and held my breath.
It felt like the situation was growing bigger than I thought.
After finishing the call, the maid quickly left the cellar.
"Haa- haa-"
I let out the breath I had been holding and started racking my brain.
The maid's name is... Jiyu.
I didn't know who was behind her.
It could be the Yeonhwa mafia organization... or a third party... or maybe, since I was declared dead, it could be a spy planted by the police again.
If I tell Hayoung right now, would she believe me...? I have no evidence... and no credibility. Not me...
Even if she did believe me... if the spy Jiyu didn't reveal her backer, it would be like just cutting off a lizard's tail.
I had to catch her for sure. And I would take the credit for it.
Right now, I started to think that this situation was a golden opportunity to change my life as a slave.
However... if I move too rashly, I could ruin everything.
All I can do right now is... collect evidence.
It's not the time yet, but you... I will catch you no matter what. You spy.
I clenched my fist with a determined look in my eyes.
*
"Heuu- I'm sorry-"
"How many minutes has it been since I told you to bring the wine, and why are you only bringing it now?"
Hayoung sat lightly on my back as I lay prone and spoke.
"I... that... I couldn't find the wine..."
I couldn't bring myself to mention that I had heard the spy on the phone, so I just kept making excuses.
"Tsk... I clearly trained you a few days ago... is your training still not enough?"
Hayoung tilted her head and gently stroked my buttocks.
"Heut..."
At the soft sensation felt on my buttocks, I flinched and my body trembled slightly.
"How should I train him...? Ji-ha."
And... sitting on the sofa opposite them, crossing her legs and drinking wine, was Lee Ji-ha.
Glance—
I turned my head slightly to look at Lee Ji-ha.
She was still showing off her elegant figure with her long, blonde, straight hair.
'That guest... was Ji-ha?'
I bit my lip hard, recalling the threats I had received from Ji-ha.
At this late hour... why did she come here...
Anxiety and fear mixed together, scrambling my mind.
Ji-ha took a sip of the red wine... and opened her mouth.
"Hut... Unnie. I'll train him."
The corners of Ji-ha's mouth slowly curled upward, and a cold gaze was directed at me.
'Tsk... it's obvious she's trying to take me away...'
I began to tremble all over.
I didn't have the confidence to endure Ji-ha, who was filled with a desire for revenge.
What kind of terrible experience would I have to go through...
"Your look is quite something, isn't it? Heh heh..."
Hayoung let out a laugh after hearing what Ji-ha said.
"When are you going to take him?"
"The sooner... the better."
Every single word felt like terror to me.
"...Is tomorrow possible?"
Ji-ha asked, glancing at me.
No... please say... no...
I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed inwardly... but Hayoung's answer went against my hopes.
"Hmm... sure. Do that."
Just like that, in a flash, I was handed over to Ji-ha.
I don't want to go to Lee Ji-ha... please...
But there was no way. No way to avoid going... The only method given to me... was to beg Ji-ha for mercy.
"Minseo is fine with that, right?"
Hayoung smiled brightly.
Of course, there was no such thing as an answer like 'no' to this question.
There was only...
"...Yes..."
...the only answer that existed.
"Heut.. heu...."
And I, who had been bearing Hayoung's weight, reached my limit, and my arms and legs began to tremble.
"Stand up."
Hayoung stood up from my back and commanded me.
At those words, I stood up quickly.
Because I had been holding on for so long, my body was shaking uncontrollably.
"Since... I think you'll be very busy tomorrow... I'm only doing this much as a special favor. Do you understand?"
Hayoung looked straight into my eyes and gently stroked my cheek with her hand.
"Heu... yes..."
My lips trembled as I answered.
Inside Hayoung's room, on the sofa, Hayoung and Ji-ha were enjoying a conversation along with wine. And me, of course.
Naturally, I was not enjoying it, however.
Right now, my mind was tangled with all sorts of complicated thoughts.
Thoughts about the spy... and the fearful thought of what kind of humiliation I would suffer when I was dragged away by Ji-ha tomorrow.
"So... how is the district you're in charge of?"
Hayoung asked, biting into a Shine Muscat grape deliciously.
"Well... as I said before... the backlog was a bit tough... but Minseo did the work so neatly... it was comfortable."
Ji-ha said after taking a sip of wine.
Even if she said that... I knew the feelings she held toward me were completely different, which made me even more anxious.
"I've adapted well now. They're all people I knew, right?"
Ji-ha smiled sweetly.
"Well... that's good."
"Then is Minseo going back to his old workplace for the first time in a while tomorrow?"
"I'm going to introduce him. Minseo."
At those words, my pupils shook.
Introduce me...? Me...?
To the people I used to work with...? To my subordinates...?
My eyes wavered as I looked at Ji-ha.
"Doesn't it sound fun? To see your old boss again like this."
Ji-ha said, lightly staring at my shaking eyes.
"...He's going to have a hard time. Our Minseo."
Hayoung smiled, as if she understood the meaning behind Ji-ha's words.
And-
"Ji-ha, don't break Minseo, okay?"
It was a remark Hayoung made jokingly... but my expression stiffened at those words.
"Yes. Of course."
Ji-ha smiled brightly at me.
Lee Ji-ha's smiling face... came across to me as a scene from a terrifying horror movie.
Haa... no matter how I look at it... I'm definitely fucked. Fuck.
I prayed, hoping that tomorrow would never come.