Episode 6
At the low voice, Seo-eun lifted her gaze from the painting.
She saw Jaehyun sitting at the desk, reviewing documents. Even though he was in comfortable clothes, he still gave off an imposing aura.
His strong forearms were exposed under his rolled-up knit sleeves, veins bulging visibly.
Her gaze followed his perfect features down his face — his sharp nose, defined jawline, and broad, firm shoulders.
He looked like a work of art more perfect than any abstract painting.
“I asked what’s going on.”
His voice brought her abruptly back to reality.
The moment their eyes met, her breath caught for a second.
“Oh… I just thought you might like a cup of tea. You’ve been working late…”
Jaehyun’s brow twitched slightly — as if wondering what she was plotting this time.
“No need.”
Still, Seo-eun didn’t give up.
“I also brought that whisky you like. I thought a short break would be good…”
“They said at the hospital you were overworking yourself, right?”
Seeing the annoyed expression on Jaehyun’s face, Seo-eun’s shoulders shrank.
But perhaps sensing she wouldn’t back off easily, he sighed and said,
“Just one glass.”
Afraid he might change his mind, Seo-eun quickly poured the whisky. She also glanced at his chessboard — one of his hobbies — and carefully spoke up.
“From what I see, white seems to have the advantage…”
“You know how to play chess?”
“A little. Not as well as you, of course.”
“How much?”
“Hmm… I know a few openings. Like the Sicilian Defense or the Queen’s Gambit.”
Her answer seemed to slightly pique Jaehyun’s interest.
“That’s more than just a little.”
“Oh, I only know the basics. Not like you — I can’t go in-depth.”
As the conversation continued, Jaehyun’s expression began to relax.
‘If I keep approaching him like this, maybe there’s hope.’
And then—
“Here’s the whisky—oh…”
Maybe she lost focus from his reaction. While handing him the glass, she missed her footing.
As she stumbled forward, Jaehyun reflexively caught her.
“Ah, thank you!”
As she looked up at him with wide eyes, time seemed to stop.
Jaehyun was so close — close enough that she could feel his breath.
She could feel the warmth of his body without a single gap between them.
Time felt frozen.
For a moment, something flickered in Jaehyun’s gaze as he looked at her.
But it was brief. He soon let go of Seo-eun, almost pushing her away.
“Did you get hurt?”
Still flustered from the sudden touch, Seo-eun steadied her voice and replied,
“I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
“Then leave now.”
His voice returned to its usual cold tone, as if nothing had happened.
Seo-eun was practically driven out. The sound of the door slamming shut weighed heavily on her shoulders.
She stood in the hallway, unable to move.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
She could still feel Jaehyun’s warmth lingering on her body, and her heart felt more tangled than ever.
‘I can’t give up. Not for Jaewoo’s sake.’
But as she recalled the moment just before, she sighed.
“Maybe… physical contact was too soon.”
She worried it might backfire. If he suddenly suggested a divorce, everything would collapse.
Biting her lip, Seo-eun renewed her resolve.
‘I’ll take it step by step.’
If she did, surely she’d find a way to open his heart.
She felt a dull ache low in her body.
“This morning…”
His voice was annoyed, but the heat once sparked didn’t settle easily.
That strange sensation he felt last night when she touched him — it resurfaced vividly.
The pressure in his chest grew even stronger.
Just thinking of her made his body react — something that had never happened before.
Had something else been injured in the accident?
He briefly considered visiting the hospital again, but shook his head. It must just be temporary.
Yet somewhere in the back of his mind, a question remained:
Why did this only happen around her?
A wife, he thought.
Why did he even marry that woman three years ago? Objectively, he’d lost more than he’d gained from the marriage.
Hansung Bio, her family’s company, was insignificant compared to the Seowon Group. He confirmed that three years ago, the company had barely survived thanks to Seowon’s backing.
“Could I really have been in love?”
Jaehyun let out a hollow laugh. Even he found the words ridiculous.
But even as he denied it, something stirred deep in his chest.
No memory — but his body seemed to remember something.
“I’m your wife,” she had said.
Her clear eyes, her soft skin from last night, her warm body…
His body was reacting honestly.
“Like some teenage brat…”
Still, he couldn’t deny the way his eyes had followed her the moment she appeared in that clinging dress.
He tried to brush it off as a physical response, but the desire inside him kept growing.
Jaehyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
As he turned toward the window, the Seoul skyline spread out before him. Between the high-rise buildings, the towers of Seowon Group stood tall, as if reminding him of his place.
“Useless thoughts.”
As Seowon Development’s CEO, he didn’t have time to be swayed by personal emotions. If those meaningless thoughts came again—
“I’ll have to deal with them.”
She was just a woman he couldn’t remember.
To him, marriage had always been a business contract — there was no room for emotion.
There couldn’t be.
His gaze returned to the papers on his desk, sharp as ever.
Thoughts of Seo-eun disappeared like a faint shadow that could no longer shake him.
In the kitchen, Seo-eun sighed deeply.
Today, this space felt strangely unfamiliar. She looked around.
In her old home, she used to cook for Jaewoo, but she had never learned proper cooking skills. After marrying Jaehyun, the skilled housekeeper handled everything.
Because of that, her cooking had only regressed. Her heart sank.
“This time, I really need to win Jaehyun’s heart…”
She recalled all the information she had secretly gathered from Jang Taesoo over the past few days.
“The food he used to enjoy as a kid… was it crab stew?”
She had gathered ingredients using a recipe she looked up.
Fresh crab and ingredients she normally wouldn’t even look at.
“Can I do this? I made so many mistakes even in front of Jaewoo…”
Nervousness crept in, but she shook her head.
This wasn’t the time to hesitate. Though the unfamiliar kitchen tools intimidated her, she clenched her fists.
“Alright. Let’s try.”
She thought of her little brother Jaewoo and braced herself.
But the cooking process was harder than she imagined. Especially dealing with live crab — a true challenge.
As the crab squirmed in front of her, Seo-eun tightly closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry, really sorry…”
With trembling hands, she lifted the crab. When its legs wriggled in the air, she let out a small scream.
