Chapter 5
“I’ll do it.”
There was life in her eyes as she said it.
Even the face that always seemed cloaked in shadows throughout their long acquaintance was no exception this time.
“Marriage.”
Ju Ae-jeong.
Instead of the dazzling and accomplished Go Woo-ri, Yoon-jae reached out his hand to the struggling Ae-jeong—who was floundering in the mud, desperately grabbing at any straw that might keep her afloat.
It wasn’t a proposal filled with expectations or conditions.
He didn’t need anything from her beyond maintaining the image of a wife for the duration of their one-year contract.
Stay beside him, play the part when needed—that was all.
So, naturally…
Smooch.
This… was not something he had planned for.
“……”
He had seen her slip and fall just moments earlier, but couldn’t act quickly enough because of the cigarette in his hand.
The next thing he knew, their bodies lost balance and collapsed to the floor—leading to a disaster neither of them could have imagined.
And it wasn’t just Ae-jeong left speechless by the outcome.
“Oww… that hurt…”
In the impact of the fall, her glasses had flown off—and their lips had unmistakably, accidentally met.
It was so brief he wondered if it had been a mistake, but no—it had happened.
There was even a sound.
Still, Yoon-jae’s focus wasn’t on that.
What truly stole his attention were her eyes.
Deep black, like polished obsidian.
As she pushed herself up off of him, those striking eyes caught the light, drawing him in.
‘…Were her eyes always this color?’
He wasn’t sure—he’d never had the chance to see them properly. But that question quickly faded.
They were mesmerizing.
Though black, there was a subtle hue of blue shimmering in them—like starlight embedded in the night.
“Um, so…”
She blinked, slightly flustered, her now-moist eyes gleaming brightly.
He had seen her without glasses a few times before, but those eyes had always looked dull and gray.
‘…They’re different.’
It wasn’t just a feeling. It was different.
He couldn’t explain how or why—but it was.
Even the brief contact of their lips had been startlingly unfamiliar.
Soft and fragrant, they had left a faint, warm sensation on his lips.
He felt dazed.
It had been warm.
It had smelled nice.
Meanwhile, the rest of us assumed Yoon-jae had frozen up because of the accidental lip collision.
‘Damn it.’
Her vision was blurry without her glasses, her lips sore—and to make matters worse, she had been the one to fall on top of him.
Flustered, she quickly averted her gaze to look for her glasses.
She fumbled around, painfully aware that her chest kept brushing against him, and yet she continued until her fingertips finally found her glasses.
She snatched them and scrambled aside.
‘Damn it. Damn it!’
Jamming the cursed glasses back onto her face, she blurted out,
“I didn’t mean to! I’m really sorry. But my hand hurt so bad. Look at this.”
With about 5% of her frustration showing, she held out her hands.
Yoon-jae slowly sat up.
“How can you have so little strength in your arms? Seriously, do you not exercise? You got this hurt just from catching something?”
“……”
“Why don’t you make her work out or something? Did you do all the training alone?”
Her embarrassment had turned into defensive chattering, but then she suddenly snapped back to reality and frantically waved her hands.
“This wasn’t a kiss, okay?! Don’t misunderstand! This was an accident. An accident!”
Despite her efforts to explain, silence blanketed the air.
Underneath the quiet wall, Yoon-jae stared at her for a moment, then ran a hand down his face.
He took a breath, trying to calm the turbulence within, and finally spoke.
“What the hell are you? What exactly do you want, going this far?”
It was a very basic, fundamental question.
But she didn’t flinch.
“If I tell you… will you let me leave?”
“Yes. Where do you want to go?”
“Hannam-dong.”
“Why?”
“I need to check something.”
“Why are you interrogating me like this? Just because you’re my husband?”
Crossing her arms defiantly, she threw the question back at him.
Yoon-jae’s brow furrowed.
He stood up, straightening his rumpled clothes, and looked down at her still seated on the floor.
“I know you’re not in your right mind, so let’s get something clear.”
Her round glasses blinked up at him—naive, innocent, almost alien.
He continued.
“You do what I say.”
“……”
“You leave after that.”
Flinch.
His eyes as he looked down were icy enough to send a chill down her spine.
‘Tch, acting all serious.’
She was a little scared.
Still, pretending to be calm, she slowly stood and pushed her glasses up onto her nose.
“What do I have to do?”
* * *
A lavish drawing room, tastefully adorned without being excessive.
From the exterior to the smallest detail inside, not a single thing had been neglected in this grand mansion.
And now, silence filled the elegant space.
Glance. Glance.
In the middle of the spacious room, on a black sofa that clearly reflected the owner’s refined taste, sat three people.
A poised middle-aged couple sipping tea, and a young woman in her twenties clearly fuming with irritation.
The youngest, her eyes brimming with dissatisfaction, couldn’t take it anymore.
“They said they arrived—so what’s taking them so long?! Are they up to something outside?”
Her voice dripped with annoyance as she stared toward the doorway with burning eyes.
No one responded.
Still seething, the young woman crossed her legs sharply.
“Unbelievable. He brought home something worse than half-blood trash…”
“Eun-se.”
The elegant woman, Seo Hye-won, finally set her teacup down and addressed her daughter with gentle reproach.
“She’s your sister-in-law now. Mind your words.”
“…Mom, you’re joking, right?”
Eun-se scoffed, disbelief on her twisted face, and downed her now-cold tea.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man—Chairman Ha Tae-won—remained utterly silent.
“At least not today, she isn’t.”
Click.
Her voice was refined and graceful, perfectly matching her appearance.
Just then, the long-awaited guests entered through the arched doorway of the parlor.
Hye-won stood immediately and warmly greeted them.
“Come in, dear.”
With the most maternal smile in the world, she welcomed the couple before they could even bow, placing a gentle hand on Ae-jeong’s shoulder.
“No need to be scared or anxious. We all understand you.”
Her glowing skin matched the warmth in her smile.
She gently guided them toward the sofa.
“Come on now, greet your father. Chairman, the children are here.”
Surprised by the unexpected hospitality, Ae-jeong blinked.
‘I didn’t expect her to be so kind.’
Given the circumstances, especially after collapsing at the wedding, such warmth toward “Ju Ae-jeong” felt excessive.
It wasn’t performative either—this felt eerily similar to how she had treated Go Woo-ri.
“Sorry we’re late.”
“It’s a busy time. No worries.”
The chairman accepted Yoon-jae’s greeting with serene grace.
Finally, he opened his mouth.
“Sit down.”
His deep, commanding tone was exactly as they remembered.
“Bring some tea. Ae-jeong, what kind do you like?”
Hye-won had asked her the same question once before.
She had said she liked tea.
And in return, Hye-won had gifted her several that cost hundreds of dollars.
So, trying to stay on her good side, Ae-jeong started to speak.
“I—”
“Ah, nothing you know will be available here. We don’t just serve anything. I’ll choose for you. Bring the black tea we received as a gift last time for Ae-jeong, and the usual for Yoon-jae.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“……”
Nothing I know?
The passive-aggressive tone made her eyes narrow—but she didn’t show it.
Soon, Hye-won gently patted Ae-jeong’s hand.
“You don’t have to try so hard from the start. Being different doesn’t mean being bad, does it?”
Different, not wrong?
“Eun-se, say hello to your sister-in-law.”
It was a subtle, skillful jab.
Ae-jeong’s eyelid twitched slightly—but thanks to her thick glasses, it went unnoticed.
And then came Eun-se’s next blow.
“Thanks for yesterday’s shocking experience. The guests were a real surprise, too.”
With a sugary voice that dripped sarcasm, she smiled like she’d spat in her face.
Ae-jeong was taken aback.
‘Was she always like this?’
This was not the Ha Eun-se who had once followed her around like a puppy.
Then again, maybe people treat others differently based on who they think they are.
“How’s your body? Are you alright?”
Trying to stay calm, Ae-jeong finally replied.
“I’m sorry I startled—”
“It was shocking. We were all surprised. Poor thing—your body’s already so fragile, and that happened. And knowing her personality, there’s no way she just let go when Yoon-jae was taken from her. She was ruthless. Truly heartless. Still, it’s sad what happened to her.”
No names were mentioned, but the target of the conversation was obvious.
Ruthless. Heartless.
She’s talking about me.
To hear herself slandered so openly—it was one of the most bizarre experiences of her life.
“But I didn’t think she’d go as far as stealing the ring.”
That one stung.
It was true, but it hadn’t been intentional—so the accusation felt especially bitter.
And now, she felt betrayed too.
All the laughter, the fake warmth—it had been an act.
“With that kind of personality, she must’ve looked down on you for having nothing. Always greedy for what wasn’t hers. I didn’t even have to see it—I know exactly how it played out. Not that it matters now.”
“……”
“Now, you can rest easy. We’re one family now, after all.”
And with that, Hye-won clasped her hand tighter over Ae-jeong’s.
“Welcome, my dear.”
Grip.
To an outsider, it would look like a loving gesture from a sweet mother-in-law.
But the piercing pain shooting up from Hye-won’s grasp made Ae-jeong blink.
‘This lady… she’s going to be fun.’
If only Hye-won knew what Ae-jeong was thinking, she’d probably explode.
