Chapter 1176: Side Story – The Chairman’s Secret Fortress (2) (Illustration: Mature Content)

After hearing Sung Taekyung’s last words, Do Kyunghee’s mind went completely blank.

It was such an outrageous remark that she doubted if he had really said it to her, the head of Dokyung Group.

Even though she had humbled herself and granted permission, seeing him act as if he wasn’t satisfied with it, Do Kyunghee couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

‘This man, what kind of confidence does he have?’

There wasn’t anyone who could speak like that towards someone of her status. Most people just watched their P’s and Q’s and groveled.

But his current attitude seemed condescending towards her, so Do Kyunghee couldn’t help but wonder.

She didn’t like it. This was the first time since becoming the head of Dokyung Group that she had met someone who wouldn’t go along with her plans this much.

“Why, don’t you like it? Because it seems like things aren’t going your way?”

“…….”

“Did you think that just because you’re the head of Dokyung Group, everyone in the world would only watch your mood and grovel?”

“…I’ve never thought that.”

Feeling like her mind had been read by him again, Do Kyunghee cautiously averted her gaze.

Thinking that he might be reading her emotions through her eyes.

She had heard that the woman who was the president of the Company Guild also had a mind-reading-like ability… perhaps this man before her had learned the skill from her.

‘For now, I need to pretend to back down a little.’

Because it seemed like the conversation wouldn’t even start if she didn’t calm this man’s mood first.

At least, the fact that he guessed her delusions, presumed to be her own desires, just by looking at her face meant he might not be an ordinary man.

Maybe he really knew a way to perfectly satisfy women’s sexual desires.

If his words were true, she might lose the chance to return her awakening ability to its prime forever.

And perhaps, the experience of a satisfying sexual encounter, which she had never had before…

‘No, I’m not hesitating for that reason.’

Intimacy between a man and a woman was merely a process to regain her awakening ability and confirm if his words were true.

Reminding herself deeply that the means should not become the end, she cautiously opened her mouth.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“I didn’t realize my careless words would offend you. From now on, I won’t resist whatever you do, so please continue.”

It was an apology that involved considerable concessions on Do Kyunghee’s part.

It also contained her own sincerity. After all, she had decided not to resist Sung Taekyung’s commands from now on.

However, the one thing she hadn’t predicted was that Sung Taekyung’s expression still wasn’t good, despite her sincere apology.

“Didn’t you hear? I would have told you to beg, even crawling on the floor, if you were going to apologize.”

“…Even so, telling me to crawl on the floor just for saying a word or two…”

“Then quit. I have nothing to lose.”

“…….”

Sung Taekyung turned his head as if he truly had nothing to lose and turned his body towards the door again.

The moment his body was about to leave the chairman’s office, Do Kyunghee hurriedly called out to Sung Taekyung again.

“Ah, alright! I’ll apologize properly!”

“…Go ahead and try.”

Humiliation was just a momentary emotion.

She was just going through a necessary process to verify the ability Sung Taekyung possessed.

Therefore, thinking she wouldn’t harbor any petty feelings, Do Kyunghee cautiously placed both her knees on the floor.

-Thump!

“I am truly sorry, Sung Taekyung-ssi.”

“…….”

“I plead with you. If you know a way to restore my awakening ability… would you please give me a chance too?”

“…….”

“If my awakening ability returns, I will reward you generously. And the relationship between Yehee and Sihee will be put on hold for the time being…”

“Ah, for fuck’s sake. You really don’t get it.”

“……?”

Despite kneeling on the floor and offering an apology, what came back was an irritable voice, seeming dissatisfied for some reason.

As she felt her heart sink momentarily, Sung Taekyung continued speaking in an even colder voice.

“Don’t you know what it means to apologize while crawling on the floor? It’s something the women from your foundation are good at.”

“……What?”

“Wasn’t that what you called it? An apology made with the utmost politeness towards the other party? At least doing that much might make me willing to accept it.”

“……W-what did you say?!”

At Sung Taekyung’s statement, Do Kyunghee’s mind went blank for a moment.

Putting aside how this man knew the apology methods among chaebol hunters, it was even more shocking that he was demanding such a method from her.

If we’re talking about the way young ladies from the foundation show utmost politeness when apologizing to someone, there’s only one.

It was bowing down naked in front of the other party and lowering one’s head.

Do Kyunghee’s gaze hardened intensely at his shamelessness, casually demanding she strip and bow her head to the floor right before her eyes.

‘Ah, no matter how much of an asshole someone is, there’s a limit. How could he demand such humiliation from me, the head of Dokyung Group…’

In the first place, the apology method of bowing naked was only accepted among the young ladies from the foundation.

Because no matter how big a mistake was committed, it wasn’t something one could do to show their naked body in front of the opposite sex as an apology.

Since Do Kyunghee had received ‘apologies’ several times from young ladies who acted cocky without knowing who she was during her active days, she understood how shameful that state was when shown to others.

Therefore, it was an apology method she had never used until now.

Doing it for the first time to a hunter who wasn’t even from the foundation, and moreover, to a man – no matter how she thought about it, it was unthinkable.

“…Apologies accepted within the foundation aren’t suitable for public display. I don’t know how on earth you found out about that, but perhaps in another way…”

“Really? Your daughter didn’t hesitate and did it well, though?”

“…W-what did you say?”

“Let me see… Ah, here it is. Now, take a look.”

-Plop.

“…….”

Sung Taekyung handed her his smartphone as if throwing it, with an indifferent expression.

What was contained in Sung Taekyung’s smartphone, which she received while kneeling on the floor, was… an incredibly familiar ‘apology photo’ of her eldest daughter.

“Th-this, what on earth…”

“Do Yehee, at least, her head worked better than yours. She was smart enough to bow down like this on her own initiative, even though I didn’t tell her to.”

“H-ha…”

“If you think it’s photoshopped, go ahead and check it. Or you can ask your daughter directly to confirm.”

“…….”

“Or should I do it instead? If I post on the internet asking if anyone can authenticate this photo of the president of Dokyung Construction apologizing naked in front of someone, you could find out if it’s real.”

“Ah, no!”

The moment Do Kyunghee first saw this shameful photo of her eldest daughter, only one thought crossed her mind.

She had to somehow prevent this photo from leaking to the outside.

Therefore, she held Sung Taekyung’s smartphone tightly with both hands, made eye contact with him, and shook her head.

At the time, she couldn’t grasp that Sung Taekyung wasn’t actually intending to leak Do Yehee’s photo outside and was merely bluffing.

“Ah, alright! I-I will apologize instead, so delete this photo immediately…”

“Deleting it is meaningless. Besides, it’s a photo taken over two years ago. Do you think I’d show it to you without even having a backup?”

“…Th-then what should I do…”

“What do you mean ‘what should I do?’ I just showed it to you so you’d know. You were talking nonsense about it only being accepted within the foundation, so I showed you a counterexample. It just happened to be your daughter.”

“…….”

“So, are you going to keep wasting time like that?”

Seeing Sung Taekyung’s words and actions, Do Kyunghee realized.

That this standoff would inevitably continue unless she accepted his demands.

And since she unintentionally realized her daughter was also being held hostage by him, she couldn’t hesitate any longer.

Because if she angered him and Do Yehee’s photo were to leak outside, it would deal a severe, critical blow.

She thought nothing could be more shocking than her two daughters being infatuated with one man and having his children, but she never imagined there would be another rock bottom beneath that.

She slowly closed and opened her eyes, then quietly spoke.

“…I will do it.”

“If you’re going to do it, hurry up. Don’t waste time dithering.”

Sung Taekyung’s cold, indifferent gaze bored into her.

Realizing she could no longer back down, she smoothly took off the coat she was wearing with trembling fingertips.

Like her daughter in the photo, Do Kyunghee calmly tidied her clothes and placed them on one side of the floor.

“…Hoo.”

In the silence, while watching Sung Taekyung, a hot emotion began to unknowingly rise within Do Kyunghee’s chest.