Chapter 130
There was a brief pause before Hyeon-woo’s answer. He wasn’t sure how his experience running a motel had been interpreted as managing accommodation facilities, but it was similar anyway.
“It’ll be similar yet quite different. As you saw on your way in, this mansion has an annex on each side of the main building. This is the main building, the left annex is the West Wing, and the right annex is the East Wing. The East Wing is closed. It’s off-limits to everyone, so don’t worry about it. You’ll only need to manage the West Wing and the main building.”
Hyeon-woo nodded as he listened attentively to the butler manager sitting across the table.
“As you probably noticed on your way here, this isn’t a place you can come and go as you please. If you don’t want to become food for wild animals, it’s best to forget about trying to steal anything and run away. The manager who escorted you here will help you with the detailed job duties. Your room is on the second floor at the end of the West Wing. Employees can go out on the last Saturday of the month, and everything you need should be provided in your room, but if anything is lacking, tell the manager.”
Hyeon-woo’s nodding head suddenly stopped at one point. A look of confusion appeared on his face as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.
“My room? Am I to be a live-in employee?”
“Didn’t you hear?”
“I didn’t! I naturally assumed it would be a commuting job. And going out only once a month, I don’t think I can do that.”
The butler manager’s eyes also filled with bewilderment at Hyeon-woo’s surprise. He had finally found a reliable person through a trustworthy recommendation.
“As you experienced on your way here, the road is too treacherous for daily commuting.”
“……”
Hyeon-woo could relate to that point. Apart from the maze-like complex road, he didn’t even have a driver’s license. It meant he would have to rely on the driver indefinitely. Still, living in wasn’t an option. He couldn’t leave Jerome alone.
“I’m sorry, but living in is difficult for me.”
“I’ll increase the number of days out. How about once a week?”
“Again, living in is-”
“The pay is 500,000 won per month, and we won’t deduct from your pay for days out.”
Hyeon-woo, who had been firmly refusing, was suddenly at a loss for words.
What?
F-five hundred thousand?!
Even working from morning to late night, going between the conveyor belt and hot grill without holidays, he could barely make around 300,000 won a month.
The time he spent with Jerome each day was limited to preparing for daycare in the morning and just before bedtime, which didn’t even amount to two hours. If he calculated that time for a week, it was similar to the one day off per week offered here.
He could earn twice his previous salary while taking Jerome to amusement parks, swimming pools, and movie theaters on his days off. However, he wouldn’t be able to kiss Jerome’s cheek every night as he slept, or see Jerome’s grumpy morning face every day.
It seemed unbearable to only have one day a week during Jerome’s most precious years, when he loved him so much it hurt.
“…Give me two days. For days off.”
Hyeon-woo spoke clearly to the butler manager.
“If you can arrange for me to leave on Friday night and return on Monday morning, I’ll consider living in.”
The old butler manager’s brow furrowed slightly as he mentally calculated in response to Hyeon-woo’s bold proposal. This made his sharp features even more pronounced, but Hyeon-woo was unfazed by the manager’s gaze.
The butler manager stared at the young man before him. The young man’s eyes were clear and transparent as he maintained eye contact, keeping a straight posture and polite attitude throughout. The manager’s gaze lingered for a long time on the young man’s hands, which were rough with calluses, testament to his difficult life so far. Finally, the manager slowly nodded.
“…Alright. We’ll do that.”
“Thank you.”
“Here’s the employment contract and confidentiality agreement.”
The butler manager pushed two documents across the table.
“…What’s the confidentiality agreement?”
“It’s a pledge to keep everything you see and hear in this mansion confidential.”
Hyeon-woo carefully examined the contents of the agreement. He couldn’t help but think that this mansion seemed to have many secrets to hide.
*
Mrs. Kyung-ae agreed to take care of Jerome during the weekdays when Hyeon-woo was living in the mansion. He handed her an envelope with a larger amount than before, filled with gratitude. There was another round of argument as she tried to refuse, but once again, she couldn’t overcome Hyeon-woo’s determination. The problem was Jerome.
“No! No, no! Waaah, no!!”
Unlike usual, Jerome threw a tantrum, clutching Hyeon-woo’s pant leg and wailing. Hyeon-woo felt his heart breaking as Jerome shed tears with reddened eyes.
“Jerome, Jerome, look at Dad. Okay? Let go of this.”
“No! I don’t want to be apart from Dad.”
“We’re not separating.”
Hyeon-woo lifted Jerome from the floor and knelt down to meet his eye level. He gently wiped Jerome’s tear-stained cheeks. Then he hugged Jerome tightly, and Jerome hugged him back.
“…Sniff, I don’t like it. Four nights is too many.”
“If you endure just four nights, we can play together all day the next day and the day after, right?”
Hyeon-woo’s shoulder, where Jerome had buried his face, grew hot with tears. As he stroked Jerome’s round, small head while he sobbed, Hyeon-woo whispered in a gentle voice.
“We can go to the amusement park, the beach, the zoo, the swimming pool, and do all the things you said you wanted to do with Dad every weekend now. If you endure just four nights, you’ll have two whole days to play outside with Dad excitingly. Why is our Jerome crying?”
“……”
“Should we go see dinosaurs next Saturday with Dad?”
At those words, Jerome hesitantly raised his head.
“…Dinosaurs?”
“Yes, there’s a dinosaur museum far away. Should we take a train there with Dad this Saturday? How about we see the dinosaurs and eat pizza that Jerome likes?”
“…Pizza too?”
“Yes, should we eat pizza and french fries too?”
“…Okay.”
Since Mrs. Kyung-ae also tried not to feed Jerome outside food, Jerome, who loved pizza and hamburgers, easily gave in to Hyeon-woo’s persuasion.
“Then can you bravely wait for four nights now?”
“…Yes.”
“Okay, let’s make a promise with Dad.”
Hyeon-woo held out his pinky finger to Jerome and continued.
“Listen well to Mrs. Kyung-ae, go to daycare well, eat well, sleep well, and bravely wait for four nights! Then we’ll see dinosaurs, eat pizza, and play excitingly with Dad. Jerome, can you do it?”
“Yes. Jerome can do it.”
Jerome, with tears still in his eyes, hooked his tiny pinky finger with Hyeon-woo’s.
“Four nights. Dad, definitely four nights. Not five nights.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Hyeon-woo wiped under Jerome’s wet eyes with his thumb and gently kissed his forehead.
*
“You’ll spend most of your time in the West Wing. All employee meals, sleep, and leisure time happen here.”
The woman who introduced herself as Okhee, the manager of this place, guided Hyeon-woo through various parts of the West Wing. She was the one who had escorted Hyeon-woo to the reception room when he first came to the mansion for the interview.
She said everyone here uses nicknames. It was strictly forbidden to reveal one’s identity or socialize among employees. Hyeon-woo chose Ian as his nickname, the same name he had used in America.
“Work hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM. During non-work leisure time, you can relax in the West Wing. We’ve provided plenty of uniforms, but if you need more, please feel free to ask anytime.”
Hyeon-woo, now changed into the same uniform as the manager, folded his elbows to test the fit. Despite its formal appearance with buttons even on the sleeves, the suit seemed to have excellent elasticity, making it comfortable for movement.
“There’s nothing particularly difficult, but the waxing work might be a bit tough. The reason this old wood is in such excellent condition is that people have been maintaining it by hand.”
At the manager’s words filled with pride, Hyeon-woo looked down at the floor. Indeed, the well-maintained wooden floor had not a single blemish or stain.
Come to think of it, he was curious. About the identity of this place that made him feel as if he had traveled through time.
Hyeon-woo asked with eyes full of curiosity:
“When was this building constructed?”
“It was built at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.”
The end of the Joseon Dynasty…!
It meant this was an old house built during the Korean Empire era. Now he understood why the manager’s face had been so proud when boasting about the wooden floor.
“It’s in the neoclassical architectural style. Unique, isn’t it? Everything in the mansion, including the building itself, is as valuable as precious cultural heritage. Please treat it with care.”
Hyeon-woo nodded. To think that both Neungra Mountain and this old mansion were owned by a single family. How rich must they be for this to be possible? It was beyond his imagination.
After inspecting both the West Wing and the main building following the manager’s guidance and returning to the reception room, a question arose in Hyeon-woo’s mind. The number of employees he had encountered while touring the interior was extremely small compared to the size of the mansion.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
