Areum met with Mrs. Ahn at the high-end beauty salon. She immediately went to greet and hug the middle-aged woman as if they were close.
"Areum, you are looking more beautiful and radiant as the day goes by, thank you for coming to keep me company." Mrs. Ahn said to her with a smile.
"Ah! Aunty, you're making me blush. There is no problem at all with keeping you company, I enjoy it. Aunty, you also look beautiful today, you take care of your skin properly." Areum said with an envied smile.
"Really?." Mrs. Ahn said with a smile as she c.a.r.e.s.sed her soft cheeks with her gaze on the mirror.
"Of course do I care to tell lies to you? You look so young, even younger than my mother, but don't let her know that I said it." Areum said in a hushed tone.
Mrs. Ahn chuckled softly as she replied, "Alright, enough of your praises. You won't blame me if your mother punishes you."
"As long as you don't tell her, she won't find out," Areum replied with a confident smile.
At this time, the hairdresser came to their side and asked Mrs. Ahn in a respectful tone, what style she wanted as she handed her a magazine.
Mrs. Ahn took the magazine and opened it. She found a few hairstyles she liked and thought would be suitable for the occasion she would be attending tonight, but she was kind of confused about the particular one to pick.
Seeing her confusion, the hairdresser, smiled and asked her, "Ma, would you like me to pi the style for you?."
"Yes, please." Mrs. Ahn said as she handed the magazine back to her, and pointed at the few hairstyles that caught her eyes.
"Ma, please may I ask the occasion you would be going for or the kind of dress and jewelry you'd be putting on tonight, so I can help you take a pick.
Hearing that Mrs. Ahn was getting a new hairstyle done because she had to attend, Areum suddenly felt bad.
'She wants to go for an occasion, but she invites me to keep her company in the hair salon instead of inviting me to accompany her to the occasion.' Areum thought with grievances in her heart.
Oblivious to Areum's thoughts, Mrs. Ahn saw no problem with the hairdresser's question, so she lightly disclosed the occasion and her outfit.
" Ma, since you are not sure of what you'd be wearing, I will pick the perfect hairstyle that can go with anything. Since the occasion is very important, this hairstyle will be perfect." The hairdresser said as she pointed to the picture of the hairstyle in the magazine.
Glancing at the magazine and discovering that she liked it, Mrs. Ahn nodded in approval.
The hairdresser, who was also the manager of the place, called two of her attendants to get things ready.
When Areum found out that Mrs. Ahn was attending a party organized by a Minister of the country, she was not too surprised, because she knew that the Wang family were influential, and that is one of the reasons she must marry Ahn Ye Jun.
Feeling bad that Mrs. Ahn did not ask her to come along, but still, Areum was restless. She wanted to attend the party with Mrs. Ahn, and maybe, she can build more connections for herself. But since Mrs. Wang wasn't inviting her, she would have to be thick-skinned and ask her by herself.
"Aunt, you're really going for a party, can I come along with you, I am so bored at home, and my mother doesn't have time to take me out with her," Areum said in a spoiled tone.
She was acting as if Mrs. Ahn was really her Aunt, and she has known her all her life.
Mrs. Ahn smiled as she held her hand. "Areum, it's not that I don't want to take you, but I can't. It is strictly written on the invitation cards that only the families stated on each invitation card could come, so I can't bring you along."
Areum even felt hurt the more. Why couldn't she go to such parties? And when knew for the invitation cards to hold such strict rules, only families with a lot of influence like the ministers and commissioners will be in attendance.
Seeing her wronged look, Mrs. Ahn placated her. "Honestly when I received the invite, I thought of inviting you, but because of the rules, I couldn't. Don't worry, I will take you along to the next party I will be attending."
Although she was still dissatisfied in her heart, Areum could only nod and agree with her obediently. "Okay, Aunty."
Mrs. Ahn saw that Areum was no longer angry, so she smiled at her as she passed the magazine to her.
Areum took it from her with a look of confusion. Mrs. Ahn smiled as she explained to her in a kind tone, "Sit and pick the style you want, I will take care of every other thing."
Areum pretended to be extremely grateful, so she thanked her and gave her a side hug.
'Aunty I know you are trying to placate me. But don't worry, I will accept your goodwill.' Areum thought to herself as she smiled happily.
She could tell that Mrs. Ahn was even concerned about her emotions, which also means that she was penetrating her heart successfully, so she became happy and relaxed.
Areum picked the hairstyle that she wanted, so the two attendants from earlier and the manager got started with their work.
About 40 - 60 minutes later, their hair was done. Mrs. Ahn kept receiving flattering remarks from Areum, so she became satisfied.
Mrs. Ahn took Areum to a high-end store to ship clothes and jewelry.
Initially, Areum rejected her offer, but Mrs. Ahn threatened her, so she pretended that she had no other choice than to agree.
"If you don't let me buy clothes for you today, then don't talk to me again." Mrs. Ahn said.
"Alright, Aunty, don't take things too far. I will humbly accept your goodwill." Areum said with a smile as she held unto Her hand.
It took the two women more than an hour to shop. And at the end of the day, Mrs. Ahn sent Areum home.
"Aunt, won't you come in for a drink?." Areum asked after she stepped out of the car.
"Not today, I have to go home in a hurry to prepare." Mrs. Ahn responded with a smile.
Areum could only wave goodbye and watch her drive away.
When she walked into the house, she met her mother who has been sitting on the sofa and patiently waiting for her.
"You changed to a new hairstyle?." Kim Ara asked directly when she saw the new hairstyle her daughter was carrying.
"Yes. Aunt Ahn had me change it as a way of apology." Areum replied as she walked to sit on the sofa with the shop bags in her hands.
"Apology, did she offend you?." Kim Ara asked as her gaze turned serious.
"I would say yes," Areum replied with a frown, then she began to recount what happened at the hair salon.
"Since she bought things for you, then you shouldn't be angry. It's not it was her fault that she couldn't take you with her." Kim Ara said in a bid to comfort her, but it didn't work.
"Mum, do you know what kind of party it was? People from the government and wealthy people all over the country will be in attendance, but I was not opportune to attend." Areum said with many grievances in her tone.
"That would have been an opportunity to gain so many connections, but still you don't have to wail over it. In the future when you marry into the Ahn family, you will get tired of these parties." Kim Ara said in a soft done while rubbing her shoulder.
Talking about marrying into the Ahn family, Areum smiled as she said, "Mum, I can't wait to marry into the Ahn family, and then, grandmother would be the one begging me to take over her company."
"Leave your grandmother alone. You refused to follow her plans, so her heart is set on another plan. These days, she doesn't even bother you, and instead recruits more people to the store." Kim Ara complained.
"Grandma recruited more people to work in the store? Did you find anything suspicious?." Areum asked in an armed tone.
"For now, there is nothing to be worried about, you can relax, but you have to build your modeling career quickly because we don't know what the old woman has in mind." Kim Ara said in a kind reminder.
"There is no problem about that, I will work hard to get more works to advance in my career," Areum replied, not too bothered about the things related to her grandmother.
Right now what she was worried about, was her to quickly marry into the Ahn family.