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EP.18: Invited to the Married Woman's Home
The next morning, I woke up slowly and stretched. Suddenly, my muscles tensed, and I let out a cry.
Perhaps it was because I had stayed awake late at night, worried. Despite having slept for a while, my whole body felt stiff.
"Ugh, thank goodness it's the weekend."
Yes, today was a weekend, and I didn't have to go to work. Thanks to that, I could avoid the worst-case scenario.
If today were a weekday, Han-yeoul would have definitely stormed into the kindergarten, searching for clues and interrogating me like a mouse.
I felt relieved but also regretful about my mistake yesterday. I had underestimated that fierce woman.
She wasn't just someone who rose to her position with her family and looks. She was a predator, and I had given her a crucial clue.
"Phew, I was too careless."
At least she was still in the suspicion phase. Even with her sharp intuition, it was hard to be certain with just vague speculations.
"I guess it's better to think positively. After all, Han-yeoul would have figured it out eventually. Maybe it's better to prepare for the coming storm."
I decided to plan ahead, as getting caught by that woman could ruin my life. I needed an escape route.
"Hmm, what should I do?"
I closed my eyes, deep in thought. My head was already aching.
That afternoon, I was eating a convenience store sandwich for lunch and browsing the community forum when my phone suddenly rang.
—Ring—
I checked the number and saw a familiar name.
[Parent / Lia's Mother / Han-yeoul Madam]
"What's going on? She's calling me directly?"
It was unusual because I had never had a direct conversation with her while tutoring Lia. She usually had her secretary handle complaints, which would then be relayed to me through our director.
But Han-yeoul bypassed that system and called me personally. This was a first.
"I guess it's because of yesterday's dream. She's testing me."
There was no other reason for her to call me. I swallowed hard and answered the phone, becoming more formal.
"Yes! Lia's Mother! I've received your call!"
I greeted her with a bright and submissive tone. She responded after a brief silence, her voice somewhat cold.
"Hello, Teacher Kang. Are you busy today? I'd like to see you."
It seemed she wanted to meet in person. I hesitated, thinking about how to respond.
Here, I needed to strike a balance. If I seemed too burdened, she might suspect something. If I agreed too readily, it could also raise suspicions.
Like any ordinary office worker, I decided to respond ambiguously.
"Ha ha, I'm not very busy. I have a minor appointment later, but it's not that important. Is there something you need me to do?"
—Pause—
She remained silent for a moment, as if gauging my reaction. I wanted to open a mind link to hear her thoughts, but I dared not, fearing she might notice.
Her response came soon after.
"If you're not busy, could you babysit at my place today? Lia's sitter took a sudden leave yesterday."
"... Babysit? At your home?"
"Yes. I know you don't want to come out on the weekend, but you're the only one I can think of. I'll pay you well. Just play with Lia."
"... Um, that's... well."
"Why not? Don't you want to do it?"
"No, no! It's not that I don't want to. Let me adjust my schedule and call you back. I have a prior commitment that's bothering me. Sorry."
"Don't apologize. Just adjust and call me back."
"Okay. I'll do that."
As the call ended, I let out a sigh and slumped into my chair. I had been pretending to be calm, but my heart was racing.
"Haah... Haah... Haah. First, I need to activate the mind link."
From now on, I should connect the link before answering her calls.
As I activated it, Han-yeoul's image appeared on a luxurious sofa.
"... Hmm, just listening to her voice doesn't reveal anything suspicious."
"She was quite bold when we went shopping."
"Today, she's back to being submissive?"
"I need to see her face. Maybe I'll feed her too."
She sat with her legs crossed, elegantly stroking her chin. I took a few minutes to compose myself before calling her back.
"Yes, Madam. I've rescheduled my appointment for next week. What time should I come over?"
"No need to worry about that. I'll send Yoon to pick you up. And sorry about the appointment. I'll make sure you're well compensated."
"Ah, no need to say that. Just call me over casually. It's no trouble at all."
"Alright then. Yoon will pick you up. Send me your address via text."
"Okay. Thank you, Madam. I'll get ready and go."
As the call ended, I sighed deeply and buried my face in my hands.
This was like being invited into a lion's den. Yet, I couldn't refuse the queen's invitation.
"Haah... Damn. I don't know what to do anymore. I guess it'll work out somehow."
I had been thinking about this all morning, and my head was about to explode. Usually, when I'm this anxious, nothing goes right.
I decided to be more confident.
"Yes, a man lives once. I shouldn't be intimidated by something like this."
I shook off my worries and lightened my mood. It seemed to clear my head a bit.
"What should I wear? This is too plain."
"This is too fancy."
"This is too simple."
"Teacher Kang seems to like it when I show some skin."
"An off-shoulder dress would be perfect."
"It's not too flashy, and it shows a bit of cleavage."
"For the bottom, a skirt with stockings will do."
"And I'll wear the underwear Teacher Kang picked out last time."
She was seriously choosing her outfit in her dressing room. She selected a luxurious pearl-colored off-shoulder dress, thin pantyhose that showed her skin, and a black H-line skirt that fell along her hips.
She also touched up her makeup, put on earrings and a ring, and wore sandals that looked like slippers. She walked back into the living room, clicking her heels.
I watched her from the car seat, amazed by how much effort she put into dressing up to meet me.
It was like she was a peacock trying to attract a male. Her daughter, Lia, suddenly commented:
"Mom! You look prettier than usual today! Who are you meeting?"
Children's eyes can be surprisingly sharp. Lia was known for being bright in her kindergarten.
Han-yeoul was caught off guard by her daughter's question and hastily waved her hand in denial.
"It's just James coming over. I just dressed up a bit."
James was my English name. Lia's eyes widened, and she jumped up excitedly.
"Wow! James is coming? Really? Why is he visiting?"
Lia was particularly close to me because she received French lessons separately.
Han-yeoul, pretending to be stern, cautioned Lia:
"Shh. If you jump around like that, I'll send James away. Do you want that?"
Lia looked startled and then hugged her mother, showering her with affection. Han-yeoul smiled warmly at her daughter.
"Haah... Han-yeoul can smile like that too. It makes her seem like a different person."
As I watched the heartwarming scene between the mother and daughter, the car stopped, and Yoon's voice came from outside.
"Teacher, we've arrived at Madam's residence. Shall we get out?"
The car door opened, revealing a massive apartment building. It was a premium apartment, clearly high-end.
Inside the tall walls were a pond and a fountain, with a charming walking path. There was even a well-maintained ball pit in the children's playground.
"Wow, this is really different."
It was like another world compared to my small studio apartment. I wondered if we were even in the same Seoul.
Yoon, noticing my reaction, smiled and guided me.
"The interior is impressive too, Teacher. Shall we go up?"
"Ah, yes. Let's go. I've never been to a place like this before. I'm a bit taken aback."
Yoon chuckled and led me to the top floor of the apartment. As the elevator opened, a sleek white entrance appeared.
It was a penthouse, over 300 square meters, belonging to the owner of Daeseong Group. A refined lady emerged from behind the palace-like door.
The lioness who had invited me into her den.
Han-yeoul.
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