Chapter 1
The hallway of a large corporation bustled with employees in suits, hurrying about their work.
Eunha made her way through the crowd and arrived at the office listed on the delivery address. A man—presumably the sender—was waiting with a box in his hands.
“Hello! This is No Jaedong Quick Service—zero delays guaranteed!”
Clearing her throat, Eunha greeted him in the brightest voice she could muster.
It was part of her company’s business philosophy: that ‘service’ mattered just as much as ‘quick’.
“…Ah, yeah.”
But the man’s hesitant reaction made the embarrassment she had pushed down start to surface. At least she had her neck warmer pulled up just below her eyes.
Seriously, this greeting is just plain humiliating.
They said customer retention noticeably increased after implementing it, but she could never believe that.
As Eunha silently cursed President No—who was probably just lounging at the office—the man handed her the box. It was heavier than it looked.
“You’re headed to Your Palace in Hannam-dong, right?”
“…”
Did she get the wrong address? Why wasn’t he responding?
Frowning slightly, Eunha looked up—and noticed the man’s gaze was fixed above her head.
“Gasp…”
Even at a glance, the mischievous glint in his eyes was obvious as he covered his mouth with a fist, barely holding back a laugh.
And honestly, no one could blame him if his laughter had echoed down the hallway. The fault lay squarely with the boss who had come up with this ridiculous holiday campaign—attaching reindeer antlers to her helmet for Christmas week.
“Ahaha… Yeah. It’s going to Your Palace.”
Eunha clenched her molars hard without showing it.
“Okay, thank you for confirming.”
“Please be careful. It’s a very important Christmas gift.”
The man winked playfully and even hummed a tune as he walked back into the office.
From the outside, Your Palace looked less like an apartment complex and more like a massive fortress.
Eunha stopped her scooter in front of a wall that towered over twice her height.
Through the intricate marble carvings and past the wall, she could see low buildings scattered around.
She double-checked the address: Building 120, Your Palace, Hannam-dong. Recipient: Cha Hanseong.
She had rushed out to avoid the curious eyes of office staff, only now noticing the recipient’s name.
No way. That Cha Hanseong?
“Hey! Just leave the delivery there!”
An employee from the security booth inside the main gate leaned lazily against one leg, waiting for her.
“I need the recipient’s signature!”
“Oh, registered mail?”
“Quick delivery.”
Eunha began pushing her scooter toward the booth as she replied. The uphill incline made her breath catch quickly.
“Quick, huh?”
“Yes, yes.”
The guard eyed her suspiciously—looking back and forth between her mostly-covered face and the reindeer antlers on her helmet. Eunha made a mental note to tell President No that if he didn’t cancel this campaign, she’d quit—even if it meant giving up his home-cooked side dishes.
“What building and unit?”
“Building 120—wait a second…”
As she checked the address again, the guard waved dismissively.
“There’s no unit number there. Only one household.”
He told her to wait a moment, then returned to the booth.
After a short while, he came back and handed her a temporary visitor pass.
“Building 120 is all the way in, at the very end. Write your number here and return this within thirty minutes.”
“Understood.”
The guard repeated his warnings as if he suspected she might steal a pebble off the ground.
But Eunha’s mind was already overwhelmed by one thing: the name Cha Hanseong.
Wasn’t he supposed to be living overseas? Still, how many people named Cha Hanseong could possibly live in a luxury villa like this in Seoul?
By then, the sun that had been draped over the building had completely vanished. Walking past beautifully lit trees that looked straight out of a Christmas ad, Eunha reached her conclusion.
Whether or not the Cha Hanseong in Building 120 was the one she knew didn’t matter. All she had to do was hand over the package and get a signature.
That’s what she kept telling herself—yet she still paused in front of the two-story building.
“Hmph, hmph.”
Clearing her throat, she pressed the bell icon under the keypad.
Not long after, she heard the front door unlock. Inside, the polished gray marble floor gleamed without a speck of dust.
With no sign of anyone nearby, she hesitated. Was it okay to go in?
Wiping her shoes against the ground out of habit, she carefully stepped onto the marble.
Just as she made it halfway through the entryway, the inner door slid open with a soft click.
Startled, Eunha blurted out her habitual greeting before she even saw the homeowner.
“Ah, hello! This is No Jaedong Quick Service—zero delays guaranteed!”
It took her a moment of raising her bowed head before she finally saw his face.
The face she hadn’t seen in six years was still perfectly composed, as if the gods had meticulously arranged every feature into a harmonious whole.
That piercing gaze—one that could leave anyone speechless—hadn’t changed either.
The man wore a loose short-sleeve t-shirt and black track pants.
He was the complete opposite of her, bundled up with only her eyes visible.
…
It felt like they lived in different seasons, separated by the doorway.
His cool gaze slowly scanned Eunha from top to bottom. Only then did her frozen mind snap back into reality, as if the ice around her had cracked.
“…Huh.”
The soft gasp slipped out before she could stop it. The neck warmer muffled the sound, so he probably didn’t hear it—but Eunha quickly shut her open mouth.
What was she even surprised about? She’d already suspected it might be him.
It’s not like he would recognize her anyway. All she had to do was give the package, get the signature, and leave like nothing happened.
“Um… You’re Cha Hanseong, right?”
The man didn’t answer—he just stared straight at her. The moment their eyes met, her fingertips curled slightly, as if jolted by static.
“Is Mr. Cha Hanseong not home?”
She asked again, pretending not to know him. This time, his gaze shifted to the box.
As his eyes lowered, the chilling atmosphere lightened slightly.
Her wavering gaze briefly lingered on his long eyelashes. Before his dark pupils could return to her, she quickly looked away.
“I’m Cha Hanseong.”
His low voice was soft, but something about it made her breath catch and goosebumps rise along her neck.
“Ah, I see.”
Eunha nodded without showing emotion—or at least tried not to.
“Then, please sign here to confirm receipt.”
Trying to grab the phone strapped to her other arm, she quickly released her grip from the box.
In that instant, the box tipped dangerously.
“Ah? Oh—!”
She tried to steady it with her body, but it was too heavy to hold with one arm in the first place.
Thud. The box slipped from her hands and crashed onto the marble floor. The man stood motionless, silently watching the entire scene unfold.
“…”
She was too shocked to speak. The bottom tape must have been weak—the box spilled its contents all over the floor.
It was the first time something like this had happened since she started helping with deliveries. Her mind went blank.
I’m an idiot. I could’ve just handed it to him first…
“I’m so sorry. I—”
Small, individually wrapped square packets scattered across the floor.
Eunha crouched down, desperately trying to gather them.
The rounded shape beneath the packaging made her think they might be vitamins—like the kind given to kids after a shot at the pharmacy.
But why were they wrapped in black? They looked… dangerous. What if they were expensive? Judging by the weight, there had to be a thousand of them. Did the sender even have insurance?
All sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind in seconds. Eunha held the black packages in both hands, not sure whether to pick up more or put them back.
That’s when a voice above her made her hair stand on end.
“Condoms, huh.”
“Ah, yes. Condoms.”
Then came the sound of slippers brushing the floor.
“…Sorry, what?”
Eunha slowly looked up.
Even with the distance closed, he still felt like someone from another world.
His towering height cast a shadow over her, making her instinctively shrink back. But his expressionless gaze was as beautiful as a painting.
With a gentle tap, his slipper nudged one of the scattered condoms.
“I wonder who sent me such a thoughtful gift.”
When their eyes met, the straight line of his gaze curved ever so slightly.
And just like that, her heart plummeted to the floor.
