Chapter 31: The Locked Case

Seohee, who had repeatedly vomited and lain down all night, fell asleep only around the time Leehyun left for work.

Waking up barely in the late afternoon, she popped a lemon candy into her mouth and entered the room at the end of the right hallway.

There was nothing on the music stand set up on the white rug.

When she turned her gaze, a cream-beige violin case caught her eye.

“It’s beautiful.”

The glossy, luxurious case was locked and could not be opened.

‘A three-digit password?’

She pressed and slid the rectangular part, hoping it might be open, but it was in vain.

No matter what she did, the tightly locked case would not open.

“It’s clearly my violin case……”

A hollow breath escaped her at the reality of not being able to open even her own belongings.

Just when she was about to forget or get used to it, the reality of her memory loss would knock her back.

‘……I really don’t know.’

No matter how hard she thought, the password didn’t come to mind.

Seohee pressed her hand to her forehead, flopped onto the sofa, and looked around the room.

A space that was neither familiar nor foreign.

In the space she had entered hoping to find art gallery materials, she was lost for words for a moment.

Knock, knock.

The one who broke the silence and shattered Seohee’s thoughts was Aram.

“Madam, may I come in for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Aram, entering quietly, faced Seohee.

“What’s the matter?”

Seohee asked in a weak voice.

“Since you hadn’t come out for a long time, I wondered if something was wrong.”

Ah, had that much time passed already?

Since it was her first time staying in a space other than the bedroom for so long, Aram must have been worried.

Seohee shook her head to indicate she was fine.

“Aram, were there any art gallery materials I had organized separately?”

“No, Madam. There was nothing you had brought to your room.”

“I see.”

There was definitely something related to the art gallery.

That must be why Director Song Yoosun had sought her out, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t find the answer.

‘It’s suffocating.’

She felt as anxious as if she were drifting on a pitch-black sea in the dead of night, unable to see what lay ahead.

“Even before you lost your memory, you didn’t bring materials home separately.”

“You said Director Song was very particular about such things, so you always left them at the gallery.”

Aram spoke in a tone of absolute certainty, as if there had been no exceptions.

“……Did you know me before I lost my memory?”

“Yes, Madam. I assisted you back then as well.”

‘So that’s why Aram didn’t feel like a stranger.’

Seohee nodded.

“Aram.”

If so, perhaps she might know something about the violin case.

Seohee called Aram, harboring a faint sliver of hope.

“Yes, Madam.”

“By any chance, do you know the password to this?”

When she pointed at the violin case and asked, Aram hesitated with an Oh.

“No, Madam. I do not know the password.”

“Of course you wouldn’t……”

So she hadn’t told her the password.

She understood that it was entirely possible, yet she still felt disappointed.

As she pressed her hand to her forehead, Aram hummed and turned her gaze to the violin case.

“Madam, must you open it right away?”

“No, no.”

She felt that if she nodded, Aram would find a way to open it for her, but she didn’t want to go that far.

“More importantly, do you happen to have any materials regarding Gayuljae?”

“Gayuljae?”

“Yes. Since I didn’t bring anything home separately, I want to know at least the general information.”

“I will prepare it for you immediately.”

She had rested in the bedroom for about two hours when Aram quietly knocked on the door.

“Madam.”

As Seohee sat up from where she had been leaning, Aram held out a tablet and began to explain.

“Gayuljae is an art museum established by the Gayun Cultural Foundation, and it houses top-tier Korean traditional and contemporary art pieces.”

Seohee nodded, her eyes fixed on the tablet.

Aram kindly flipped through the pages, showing photographs of the artworks preserved at Gayuljae.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The artifacts possessed by Gayuljae are of priceless value.”

“What kind of work did I do there?”

An art gallery of that scale wouldn’t employ just anyone.

Why me?

Seohee could not disperse the doubts that hung over her like fog.

“I understand you mainly did the tasks directed by the Director.”

“Personal tasks?”

“Yes.”

“Then, didn’t you accompany me, Aram?”

“No. You moved separately, saying it was the Director’s private business.”

The words she had blurted out—such as overseas transaction records and artwork prices—refused to leave her mind.

It was an unpleasant sensation, as if an shapeless anxiety were eating away at her memories.

‘I moved separately? Does that mean I was the one driving?’

Suppressing her uncomfortably pounding heart, Seohee looked at Aram.

“Do I have my own car?”

“Yes, Madam. Normally, you didn’t like a driver accompanying you, so I usually drove.”

“But for the tasks assigned by Director Song, you drove yourself.”

She had a car and had driven herself, but no one knew where she went or what she did.

Seohee bit her lip lightly.

“There is a dashcam in the car, right?”

Perhaps the dashcam held some clues about what she had done before losing her memory.

“I will check it.”

“Please compile the records based on the places I visited most frequently.”

“Yes, Madam.”

As she leaned her back against the headboard of the bed, resting the back of her hand on her forehead, a gentle breeze drifted in through the window.

Feeling her hair flutter pleasantly, Seohee closed her eyes.

***

Leehyun, who was reviewing approval documents, glanced at Seungho as he entered and then returned his gaze downward.

“I’ve been told the madam requested an investigation of her car’s dashcam.”

The fountain pen that had been drawing smooth lines stopped in its tracks.

As Leehyun interlaced his fingers and leaned his upper body forward, Seungho took another step closer.

“The dashcam?”

“Yes. She wants to know her movements prior to her memory loss. What shall we do?”

Haa.

Leehyun leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes firmly.

“Is there anything unusual about Seohee’s route?”

Leehyun was suddenly struck with fear that some minor detail might agitate Seohee and cause her to regain her memories.

Was it not a buried memory?

A defense mechanism.

Whenever he recalled the moment she collapsed, Leehyun’s mouth went bone-dry.

“There is nothing unusual. Most of the places are associated with art galleries, such as Gallery Jung and Ongojae.”

What major issue could there be with someone who worked at an art gallery commuting back and forth?

Leehyun nodded indifferently.

“I will deliver the records.”

“Do that. Let’s accommodate Seohee as much as possible, exactly as she wishes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Just as Seungho was about to turn around, Leehyun stopped him.

“How is Seohee’s condition?”

“I am told she has eaten only a few strawberries.”

He could picture her pale face even without looking.

Seohee had smiled so easily in front of him, even with a face that looked completely depleted of nutrients.

Without even knowing how much more that drove a person mad.

Veins stood out prominently on Leehyun’s forearm.

“Did you say her name was Professor Park Jiyeon?”

The expression on Leehyun’s face as he mentioned the OB/GYN professor was rigid enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

“Yes, sir.”

“Call her to the house.”

“But the madam clearly stated she did not want to……”

“Tell Professor Park. Tell her to make up any excuse—whether she says the IV drip is harmless to the baby, or that if she continues to hold out like this, the baby will suffer. Tell her to get her on an IV drip by any means necessary.”

Watching Seohee shake her head in refusal when she looked on the verge of collapsing had finally pushed him to his limit.

Even if the IV drip posed a risk to the child, he could not leave Seohee like this; Leehyun made up his mind firmly.

His neat eyebrows twitched, and his cold eyes gleamed sharply.

“I will try to convey that.”

Professor Park Jiyeon was not someone who would simply do as she was told just because Leehyun ordered it.

However, since Leehyun’s attitude was so stubborn, Seungho had no choice but to nod his head, even as he swallowed a sigh of perplexity.

“Ah, Representative. What about attending the breakfast briefing hosted by the Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy?”

“Is there really any point in sticking me into a Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting just to make up the numbers?”

Leehyun, grasping his fountain pen once again, retorted without even meeting his eyes.

The role that the Federation of Korean Industries had played during the previous administration had been taken over by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the arrival of the current administration.

“The atmosphere has clearly shifted from before, when they pushed only the Chamber of Commerce.”

They were likely acting with the presidential election in mind as the current administration entered its final stage.

Watching the unresponsive Leehyun, Seungho continued to speak.

“Although rumors said they had fallen out of favor, the Federation of Korean Industries is now trending toward participating in the gatherings as well.”

“Moreover, since the current administration has maintained close ties with Gayun, the political circles are also paying keen attention to your attendance, Representative.”

Though grandly called a business leaders’ meeting, was it not ultimately just about squeezing businesspeople to serve as a cash cow for politicians?

Leehyun twisted his lips cynically.

He was already busy inspecting external sites and overseeing matters related to Gayun Electronics, yet both political and business circles were excessively interested in his every move.

“There’s no need.”

Seungho hesitated at his refusal.

Normally, he would have simply nodded and stepped back, but he hesitated before speaking up.

“But Representative. He is a figure being discussed as the next leader of the ruling party. The current president has an exceptionally good image and high approval ratings.”

And that wasn’t all.

Rumors abounded that his invisible influence was substantial, being a son of a political family to his very bones.

“And so?”

With a clack, Leehyun set down his fountain pen and lifted his chin arrogantly.

His confident eyes overflowed with composure.

Like an apex predator, he leaned leisurely back in his chair and crossed his arms.

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