Chapter 21
How much time had passed?
Back when she was running from loan sharks, Lee Seo had suffered from insomnia for what felt like forever. But now, for the first time in a long while, it felt like she had finally gotten a deep, restful sleep.
When she eventually opened her eyes, she saw Taeseok standing with his arms crossed.
“Jeez! You scared me!” she exclaimed. “Why are you just standing there like that?”
“I went through the trouble of carrying a drunk person home nicely, and that’s all I get? Judging by how startled you are, you must know you did something wrong.”
Lee Seo quickly sat up halfway, feeling a slight headache near her temples.
“What happened? I’m pretty sure I was just having a drink with Jian.”
“Well, if you remember that much, then your memory’s not completely blacked out.”
Watching Taeseok’s expression, she tried hard to piece together what had happened the night before.
She couldn’t decide if she remembered or if the whole thing was a complete blur.
Then, in a faint, fuzzy memory, an image appeared: a man in a deeply pulled-down black hat. It looked just like Taeseok.
The image became clearer, and now she could clearly make out just one person.
“Was that… you? The one wearing the black hat and standing there?”
“Did you think you were seeing the Grim Reaper or something?”
His eyebrow twitched, and Lee Seo instinctively felt that whatever this was—it wasn’t good.
“So, what exactly did I do wrong? I mean, I don’t usually get drunk that easily.”
“Not knowing what you did wrong is what’s wrong.”
Come on. All she did was have a drink with a friend.
Suddenly, something the head of the agency once said popped into her mind.
If you want a peaceful marriage, sometimes it’s better to just lose even when you’re right.
But Lee Seo chose the opposite route.
She had decided that if she gave in too easily now, she’d never have a voice in the marriage. Now was the time to assert herself.
“Fine, whatever. I had an interview today, and I was tense. So I had a drink to relax. Is that such a crime?”
“Drinking isn’t the problem. But I’ve already told you—you’re no longer just Choi Iseo. You’re the wife of Han Taeseok, CEO of Ganghwa Group. If you’re seen drinking with random men and it gets around…”
“Oh, so you’re mad because people saw you picking me up, right?”
How had she ever been top of her class with reasoning like that?
Unaware of why Taeseok was actually upset, she kept talking.
“Besides, he’s not just some guy. He’s my one and only best friend.”
“I don’t believe men and women can just be friends.”
“What? Don’t you know about guy friends and girl friends? I didn’t expect this from you—you’re actually really old-fashioned…”
At that moment, a forgotten memory suddenly surfaced in her mind like a missing puzzle piece.
“Choi Iseo, listen carefully—I really like you.”
‘What the hell?! Is Jian crazy? Why would he say that?!’
Her cheeks began to flush.
“What’s that look for? What are you thinking about?” Taeseok asked.
“Th-think? I’m not thinking anything. I must still be a little drunk. I need to drink some water.”
Like someone trying to hide their inner thoughts, Iseo quickly got up and slipped her feet into the slippers by the bed.
Her balance wavered, and—
Thud.
It all happened in an instant.
As she started to fall, Taeseok reached to catch her, and the next moment, they both tumbled onto the bed.
His strong body landed directly on top of hers.
Their faces were so close that their lips could almost touch.
The sweet, familiar scent from his body washed over her.
Her heart pounded wildly as if it would jump out of her chest, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Taeseok.
“W-What was that? I didn’t think your reflexes were that bad, Han Taeseok.”
Flustered, Iseo tried to shift away, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and rolled their positions.
Now she was on top of him.
Her cheeks turned bright red.
She was visibly trembling and quickly looked away from his intense gaze.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked.
“Well, since we’re going to get married soon, don’t you think we should get to know each other better?”
“I think we already know each other plenty.”
“Not that kind of knowing. I mean, like… physical secrets, sensitive areas…”
“Excuse me?!”
“I’m just saying—it’s not a bad thing for a married couple to get a little familiar in advance.”
His grip on her wrists was firm.
“Ow, you’re hurting me.”
“I haven’t even done anything yet.”
“No, I mean—my wrists. They hurt.”
For some reason, she couldn’t meet his eyes. And her heart kept racing like never before.
“For the wedding night, I guess I can hold back a little longer.”
Wedding night.
Her face, already red, burned even more at those casually spoken words.
Taeseok stood up and grabbed his coat.
“But only until tonight.”
Only after he left did the tension begin to drain from her face. Her legs gave out from the stress, and she swallowed hard as she coughed repeatedly.
Taeseok got into his car, leaving Iseo behind.
Her scent lingered on his hands and chest.
If she had been drunk, there should’ve been a smell of alcohol. But instead, her body gave off a gentle, sweet scent—maybe from body lotion or perfume—that tickled his nose.
He thought of her tense expression, the way she looked at him.
A chuckle slipped from his lips.
It was supposed to be a purely strategic marriage, nothing more. But now he found himself smiling—an unfamiliar feeling.
He had never felt this before.
No matter the woman, no matter who he was with, his heart had always remained cold. But from the moment he met Choi Iseo, he had felt strange, new emotions—feelings he’d never experienced with anyone else.
His heart stirred helplessly.
Though confused by these unknown emotions she brought out in him, he didn’t find them unpleasant.
His lips slowly curled upward as he clenched and relaxed his hand.
At the art center managed by Hyejeong, Ji-tae arrived holding a bouquet that included red poppies.
“Mother.”
“My son! What brings you here?”
Ji-tae handed her the large bouquet he was carrying.
“You seemed tired lately, so I picked these up on the way. You like poppies and lilies, right?”
“Who did you get this sweetness from, huh? My son is the only one who thinks of me.”
“You know, there’s no flower in the world that could outshine your beauty.”
Her face beamed with joy at his words.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you, so I was going to ask you to meet anyway. Perfect timing.”
“I heard the news. The woman who’s going to marry Han Taeseok came by, right?”
“Wish you had been there that day.”
“What did you think of her?”
“Well, she’s got a pretty face. I thought Taeseok would be different from other men, but turns out he’s the same—they’re all suckers for a pretty face.”
Ji-tae’s brow twitched slightly as she spoke.
“He pretends not to care about women. Han Taeseok might act all noble, but he’s still just a guy. So does the chairman approve?”
“Approve? He looked like he might collapse any second. But today I finally figured out why that old man was so strongly against it.”
A mysterious smile spread across Hyejeong’s face as she toyed with the poppy petals Ji-tae had brought.
“Turns out that girl comes from a ridiculously average—or worse than average—background. Her mother raised her alone after having her out of wedlock. Eventually, she married, but the guy took all her money and property and ran. So the mom had to do all sorts of jobs just to survive.”
“Is that true?”
Ji-tae’s eyes widened in shock.
“Of course. I got it from a very reliable source. The old man wasn’t opposing for no reason. He thought his only grandson would marry a worthy woman and carry on the Ganghwa legacy. But then some girl from who-knows-where shows up and wants to become his granddaughter-in-law overnight? Honestly, it’s a miracle he didn’t foam at the mouth.”
Ji-tae’s eyes narrowed sharply in thought.
“Still, I doubt Taeseok would make such a decision based on looks alone. There must be something else going on.”
“What does the reason matter? I support the marriage. Starting today, I’ve decided to fully back that Choi Iseo girl as his partner.”
Hyejeong’s eyes gleamed with a chilly glint, and she continued in a low voice.
“Since Han Taeseok laid the board, it’s time to play this game properly.”
