Ri-yan looked so confident holding Re-yee like this. But he was actually very careful.

His hand could only lightly touch her back as though she was fine porcelain that could easily shatter.

But even before he could fully wrap her in his arms, they heard a faint cough.

"Young master, young madam... the old master is waiting."

Re-yee was the first to break eye contact.

Seeing the faint smile on butler Mingyu's face, she gave another death glare to Ri-yan.

He stared right at her face for so long; she didn't know what to do. She felt her knees go limp while blood rushed up to her neck, cheeks, and ears.

She couldn't do anything but lean into him for support.

Re-yee never believed in voodoo but she had the urge to ask Ri-yan what exactly it was that he did.

Pushing Ri-yan, she steadied herself but the idiot still held her arms to make sure she could stand.

She felt the tips of her ears go hot again.

But she ignored the uneasiness and followed the old butler to the main house with an upright gait.

Ri-yan couldn't help but grin.

He hadn't done anything too cheesy or romantic yet this girl was already awkward with him.

A chuckle escaped his lips which earned him another elbow to his ribs.

He caught her hand and whispered, "You little sadist!"

Re-yee's face became terrifyingly frigid as she ignored him.

Butler Mingyu who was walking ahead of them pretended not to see or hear anything.

Arriving at the main hall of the mansion, one could see a dignified figure by the window with a brush in hand and a canvas in front of him.

He sat with a soft commanding presence like a renowned scholar respected by the king.

Every stroke on the canvas was gentle yet deliberate. Every flick of the wrist was delicate yet firm.

"Harabeoji[1]," Re-yee was the first to do a formal bow upon reaching him.

Ri-yan was half a step to her left and slightly behind her.

The old man in front of them had a head of white hair and graying eyes.

They knew he wouldn't lift his head until he put the finishing touch on his piece so the two remained in their bowing positions.

But they didn't make a sound nor complain.

Only the gentle splashes of the bamboo fountain outside were heard.

This was Kyo Sangho who singlehandedly raised Meihua Corp. from the ashes.

During the time of Ri-yan's great grandfather, different foreign designer names started springing up one by one. Meihua's saleability declined year by year until it almost faded into the background. Even if they had the sought-after crimson gold, it would be just another fine jewelry set without the prestige accompanying it.

Moreover, the Kyo family had another problem. At that time they only had one heir: Kyo Sangho, who didn't like socializing with the high strata.

Because of his odd, elusive personality and distant relations with potential business partners, Meihua was predicted to fall in the next generation.

But the company made a comeback thanks to Kyo Sangho's prodigious artistic sense and business insights.

He was the one who led Meihua to go back to the roots of Sokor.

Before his era, they only followed the trends like any other apparel brand but Kyo Sangho was the first to design clothing and accessory pieces inspired by the Hana[2] era's designs.

The runway witnessed a revolution because of Kyo Sangho and, Meihua was in the middle of it.

This was why Re-yee greatly admired this grandfather-in-law. He was one of the few people she looked up to.

Finally, the antique brush descended to its holder and a refined voice sounded.

"You still know how to go home?"

Ri-yan sweated on her wife's behalf. His grandfather looked like a lenient, benevolent emperor but he would rather receive old madam Na's empress dowager-like nitpicking over his own grandpa's quiet anger.

His grandpa was the perfect depiction of a deep lake not making any waves.

However, looking at Re-yee's steady face, it appeared she was unshaken.

She further lowered her back and calmly stated, "It's my fault, needlessly causing harabeoji to worry..."

She paused as though thinking of her next words.

Ri-yan could accurately tell she was biting her lip.

"Now that the company's more stable, I'll be able to go home more often."

"Often," Grandfather Kyo silently repeated like the sound of a pebble thrown in the deep lake.

A single plop before drowning in the abyss. Ripples would surge but afterward, the lake would resume being unbothered.

Re-yee knew he was unsatisfied so she corrected herself, "Every day."

"Rise," Grandpa Kyo finally dismissed them from bowing.

Ri-yan straightened his back, not believing his ears.

He already knew it since he was young but he was still amazed every time. His grandpa was really a legend!

Only he could make Leigh be so obedient.

With shining eyes, he looked at his grandfather in a new light.

Old man, how to be you?

"Yanyan, what are you standing there for? Re-yee needs a change of clothes."

For a moment, Ri-yan blanked. What has that got to do with him?

Seeing that his grandson didn't get his subtlety, Grandpa Kyo deadpanned, "Let her rest for a bit before joining me for dinner."

Such a stupid grandson.

Afraid that if Grandpa Kyo didn't make a move this time, his grandson would forever be stuck at level one.

He had the guts to be labeled as a playboy but he never really knew how to properly take care of his woman.

If he did, Re-yee should have fallen for him by now and this old man could have been holding a great-grandchild.

Why did he have such a stupid grandson who only knew how to frolic in the entertainment field, acting frivolously with both women and men but not confessing to his own wife?

If Kyo Sangho didn't threaten to disown Ri-yan even before the issue with Ah-ri exploded, he feared his granddaughter-in-law would live in her company forever rather than this perfectly good home.

---

[1]Harabeoji- grandfather

[2]Hana- literally means one. But Sokor's version of Joseon dynasty.