THICA 4

Chapter 4

It felt as though their lips had brushed lightly, but they had not touched.

Still, their breaths mingled, and the air between them grew warm. His scent, spreading from such a close distance, overwhelmed Ye-seo’s senses. It was as if every sound had faded into the distance and even time had slowed down.

Frozen in a daze, she blinked. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment, as though it had forgotten how to beat, before starting to pound wildly again.

Then, he slowly pulled away.

“If you feel awkward over something this small, will you be able to hide it in front of the public?”

Do-gyeom seemed to want them to look like a couple deeply in love.

She had forgotten, but his conditions for marriage went beyond simply getting married.

Having a child to secure his inheritance was also part of the deal.

There had been no children in her previous marriage. Having a child would be a first for Ye-seo, too. She did not want to leave a wound in a child’s heart like the ones she had suffered. Her own experiences of being sacrificed and hurt by her family were more than enough. In that regard, she hoped Do-gyeom would share her views.

What Do-gyeom wants is a marriage that no one can criticize in the succession race. That means… having an heir must be part of the deal, too.

Ye-seo composed her wavering expression and met Do-gyeom’s eyes.

“Your resolve seems to have been proven. Shall we move on to evaluating your business capabilities?”

“I would like to propose a joint business venture between the pottery workshop and your hotel.”

Their meeting came to an end.

When Do-gyeom and Ye-seo returned to the charity gala, the venue was still filled with voices, both loud and soft. It seemed little had changed since they had left. As they quietly made their way back into the hall, Ye-seo sensed someone’s gaze on her back.

The moment she turned around, her eyes met her father’s. He looked briefly surprised to see her with Do-gyeom of the Jeongseong Group. His usually expressionless face showed a flicker of agitation, but he quickly composed himself and turned his attention back to the person he had been talking to.

However, Ye-seo interpreted his reaction as a sign that he had taken note of an unexpected variable. He would probably look into it once they returned home.

“Is something wrong?”

“My eyes met my father’s. He’ll probably ask what kind of relationship we have.”

“For now, let’s say we were discussing business.”

Even while talking to other guests at the gala after parting ways with Do-gyeom, Ye-seo kept thinking about her encounter with her father, and a sudden wave of tension washed over her.

Before long, it was time for the charity auction.

“Next, we have a piece from Yun-saek Pottery Workshop.”

The host announced that it was Yun-saek Pottery Workshop’s turn. Ye-seo stepped up to the podium to introduce the pieces.

Since this was the workshop’s first time submitting works to a charity auction, it was an important opportunity to promote Yun-saek Pottery Workshop.

Her maternal grandfather had received no more than ten commissions a year, but his artistic skill was widely recognized. Unlike some of the modernized ceramics he had made for clients, the pieces submitted this time had been created using only traditional techniques.

“The ceramics submitted today were made during the later period of Master Seo Ju-seon’s career.”

Ye-seo’s calm voice rang through the hall.

As she stood confidently and gave her presentation, she seemed like a different person from the one people remembered. They had only known her as the woman who lowered her head and apologized while cleaning up Ye-jin’s messes.

“The distinctive jade-green color of these pieces was made possible by a special glaze my grandfather developed himself in his later years. He passed away before he could pass on the technique, so it can no longer be reproduced. For that reason, I believe these pieces are especially distinctive and rare, even among his later works.”

The screen went dark, and the spotlight shifted to the ceramics. Their distinctive, translucent jade-green color shimmered under the light.

“Please write down the amount you wish to offer and submit it.”

Once Ye-seo finished speaking, the host proceeded to the next step.

The lights in the hall flowed along the curves of the ceramics, making them shine. Everyone’s attention was drawn to them.

“Look at those elegant curves. They’re beautiful.”

“She certainly lives up to her title as a holder of a National Intangible Cultural Heritage designation.”

“And that jade-green color! She said it was made with a special glaze. It looks so delicate and refined.”

“Even among Master Seo Ju-seon’s already rare works, these are particularly uncommon.”

People’s interest gathered around the pieces, and the name Yun-saek Pottery Workshop could be heard throughout the hall.

It was exactly the response Ye-seo had hoped for.

She met the eyes of the people watching her, one by one.

And so, Yun-saek Pottery Workshop’s first auction ended successfully.

When the charity gala ended and Ye-seo returned home, her father called for her. It was exactly what she had expected.

“I saw you with Ryu Do-gyeom earlier. What’s going on?”

“We happened to meet during the gala and had a conversation.”

“What did you talk about? Did you discuss the group?”

Her father had no interest in Ye-seo’s personal relationship with Do-gyeom. He only wanted to know whether Do-gyeom was interested in SH Group.

What was even more heartbreaking was how familiar his behavior felt to her.

“I proposed a joint business venture between the pottery workshop and the hotel.”

“Can’t you discuss an investment in SH Group instead of just the workshop?”

“Dad, do you think I could bring that up after meeting him only once? We barely did more than exchange greetings.”

Ye-jin reacted as though she could not believe Ye-seo had attracted Do-gyeom’s attention.

At the charity gala that day, Ye-jin had mocked Ye-seo for standing alone at the venue while she herself drew attention from the other guests. Yet somehow, Ye-seo had managed to meet someone more influential than her.

Ye-jin simply could not believe it.

“We agreed to meet again and talk.”

“Good. Do your best and try to bring up an investment in the group, too.”

At her father’s determination to squeeze every last benefit for the company out of the situation, Ye-seo’s hands grew cold. Any hope she had held on to slowly faded away.

“I’m tired today, so I’ll head to my room first.”

She left her family and went to her room.

She was sitting quietly, turning over her feelings in her mind, when her phone rang with a notification. Do-gyeom’s message appeared on the screen.

[March 16, 6 p.m. I’ll visit the Yun-saek Pottery Workshop office. Let’s talk after work.]

Seeing the message made her realize that she had really met Do-gyeom that day.

She had taken the first step toward escaping the future that had already been decided for her. Now, all that remained was to carry out the rest of her plan.

The next day, Ye-seo arrived at the Yun-saek Pottery Workshop office.

“Ye-seo? I heard something good happened at the charity gala. Is Ryu Do-gyeom the marriage candidate you’ve picked?”

“We only talked about a contract.”

“So he’s still the person you’re considering marrying, right?”

Seo-yeon teased her mischievously, as though she had found something to use against Ye-seo.

Embarrassed, Ye-seo quickly redirected her attention to the scheduled meeting.

“Focus on preparing what we need to discuss at today’s meeting. Have you prepared the materials for the pottery school?”

Seo-yeon straightened up and began going through the materials she had prepared.

“There are four master artisans and twenty apprentices at the workshop right now. There are also thirty other potters. Isn’t that enough?”

“I want to train our people systematically and assign their duties properly.”

“So the masters will be the master artisans, and the advanced level will be for their apprentices?”

“Yes. I’ll divide everyone else into grades based on their experience and test results, then manage them accordingly.”

Ye-seo’s words showed her ambition to run the pottery workshop in a more organized way. By distributing the work and assigning tasks suited to each person’s abilities, the workshop could operate more efficiently.

“And what about the financial report and the inheritance documents?”

About two weeks had passed since Ye-seo first assigned the tasks, before the charity gala took place.

Given Seo-yeon’s abilities, she should have made considerable progress by now.

“I started gathering the materials when you made contact with SH Group, and I’m now working on the report. As for the inheritance documents, you’ll need to take the paperwork to the court and financial institutions, and get a copy of the property register.”

“What about contacting the lawyer who notarized the will?”

“They’re on a business trip right now. But they said a video call would be possible. I’ve already obtained a video of their testimony. We should be able to prove everything by presenting it together with the notarized will.”

“Let me know as soon as the report is ready.”

“Okay. Leave it to me.”

While Ye-seo was holding the meeting, Do-gyeom arrived at the office as promised.

An employee who had been informed of his visit beforehand guided him to the reception area for guests.

The walls along the way were decorated with works by Master Seo Ju-seon and pieces created by the current master artisans who had trained under him.

“When were these pieces made?”

“These were made when CEO Seo Ji-yeon was running the pottery workshop.”

“Are they different from the pieces being sold now?”

Unlike the works he had seen at the charity auction, some of these pieces had a distinctly modern design.

“These pieces mainly showcase modern interpretations of Goryeo celadon. We also accept custom orders that incorporate each client’s individual requirements.”

After hearing this, Do-gyeom folded his arms and fell into thought for a moment.

He had been considering renovating his hotel. The enthusiastic response to the ceramics at the charity auction had caught his attention, but the challenge was finding a way to connect them with the hotel’s image.

If the workshop could produce ceramics with modern designs and accommodate custom orders, it might offer a solution.

It was something worth discussing with Ye-seo later.

“Many people prefer the distinctive jade-green color of our ceramics, made possible by a glaze developed by Master Seo Ju-seon. We also receive custom orders from companies.”

“You have opportunities in many different fields.”

“It was CEO Seo Ji-yeon’s idea. She said the workshop needed to change along with the world. CEO Han Ye-seo is the one who has modernized that vision.”

As Do-gyeom listened, he began to understand the pottery workshop’s history. It had passed down from Ye-seo’s maternal grandfather to her mother and then to Ye-seo herself, who was now determined to protect it.

It gave him a chance to understand just how desperately she wanted to preserve the workshop.

And it made him even more curious about Han Ye-seo as a person.

As Do-gyeom continued examining the master artisans’ ceramics, he found himself thinking about the deep affection Ye-seo had for the pottery workshop.