Puzzlement simultaneously appears on the faces of those present.
Naturally, it would be surprising to suddenly address someone else's esteemed mother as your own.
"I saw my mother in you, Madam Kang," I explained, having pondered this point for quite some time.
There were hardly any commonalities between my mother, who endured a lifetime of hardships, and the dignified lady of a wealthy household.
I added with a slight smile, "My mother is the queen of questions. If you're with her for an hour, she'll be asking questions the whole time."
Minyoung bursts out laughing and wraps her arm around Mrs. Kang's, saying, "Ha! My mom is like that too."
"Really? What kind of questions does she ask?"
"Well, the usual stuff, like whether you've eaten or slept well."
"That's right. If you say yes to 'Have you eaten?', what comes next?"
"What did you eat?"
"And if you answer that?"
"Was it good? Are there any nice restaurants nearby? This ingredient isn't in season now, so try something else. It goes on like that."
I snapped my fingers and laughed, "My mom's the same. Perhaps all mothers are like that – endlessly curious about everything around their children, always anxious if they haven't done enough for them."
I looked back at Mrs. Kang and continued, "I know your initial questions weren't out of concern for me. But as you learned about my situation, you genuinely started to worry. That's probably why I felt like you were mother-like. The love of a mother, melting into those many questions."
I reached for the veil again, saying, "These days, men... Well, it's hard to say it's only men, but anyway. Men often speak ill of women. They criticize those who, despite having no money themselves, only go after men with money, or they call them thoughtless. And it's the same with middle-aged women. Many men criticize the way some women aggressively push through crowds in the subway to find a seat."
I turned around to face the painting and said, "But no man ever speaks ill of the woman called 'mother'."
Holding the veil tightly, I looked at Mrs. Kang and declared, "And in conversing with you, Madam Kang, and hearing you talk about your children, I saw how your eyes lit up, how infinite love shone through them. And I wondered, how can I capture the essence of your heart in my painting?"
My hand tugged the edge of the veil.
As it slid off, revealing the massive 100x100 painting, the eyes of the onlookers widened.
"And this is the answer I came up with."
**
Minyoung was not pleased with the situation.
She had been watching the man circle around the painting, talking for over ten minutes.
Knowing her mother, who disliked people who beat around the bush, Minyoung had been watching her closely. But perhaps because of the rapport built over time, her mother showed no particular reaction.
Actually, she seemed to be smiling warmly at the man.
'She would have been happier with a straightforward presentation of the painting.'
Minyoung had not held high hopes for a painting that would satisfy her mother. But if disappointment was inevitable, it would be better to minimize the time spent, so as not to upset her mother too much. This man seemed utterly oblivious.
Minyoung was leaning towards not entrusting him with any further commissions for the hotel's decorative art, but being an artist herself, she refrained from passing judgment before seeing the painting.
Finally, the man unveiled the painting, declaring it his answer.
The moment Minyoung saw it, her thought process came to a halt.
A portrait that should have featured just one person.
But there, five individuals were visible.
Minyoung's eyebrows twitched as she glared at the painting.
'A family photo?'
No, she had no memory of ever taking such a photo.
Moreover, such a beautiful imagination could not have originated from a mere photograph.
Mrs. Kang, with a benevolent smile, is holding two sons and a daughter in her arms.
Mr. Yu, her husband, is behind her, eyes closed, embracing the children as well.
Her brothers around the age of ten and herself.
In contrast to the realistic portrayal, the children, drawn a bit smaller, are nestled in their mother's arms, smiling blissfully.
Such a beautiful painting!
But Minyoung's eyes fluttered uncontrollably.
Her mother's hand.
The right hand without fingers, prominently displayed at the very center of the frame. And in the darkly rendered background, ominous wolves with yellow eyes seem to be glaring at the family.
Minyoung couldn't help but look at Junghoon with eyes filled with rage.
'What intention could lie behind this painting?'
She's on the verge of screaming. Regardless of the painting's beauty, it's a portrait. The whole painting, even in part, should not contain any ominous elements.
Just as Min-young is about to throw the cushion she's holding, she catches Jeong-hoon smiling and gesturing with his eyes. What's this signal? His eyes point towards her mother.
Frowning, Min-young turns sharply to look at her mother, only to be stunned.
"Mom?"
Her mother's profile.
After the painting's completion, her mother, who would usually just leave with a brief word of acknowledgement, is now beaming with joy.
Radiantly so.
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