Thinking about Lee Hyun, Yura gritted her teeth when she heard a low call.

“Yura.”

Belatedly, Yura realized who was here now. Jin Kang Soo’s shout must have been clearly heard. As if proving it, Se Jin stuttered in shock and asked.

“You… are getting married?”

“Everyone gets married.”

Se Jin asked privately, but Yura answered publicly. It was to emphasize that they were not close enough to have this conversation, and it was not the right time either. However, Se Jin, with a very distorted face, blatantly called out Lee Hyun’s name as if calling a neighborhood kid.

“With Baek Lee Hyun?”

“Whoever I marry is my personal business.”

“Not Baek Lee Hyun. Not that person!”

Seeing the greatly agitated Se Jin, Yura let out a hollow laugh. She found it ridiculous how he was getting so worked up, wondering what right he had. The flustered Se Jin seemed to have already lost the distinction between public and private matters.

“It’s not your concern.”

Se Jin flinched at Yura’s firm and dignified voice. It was pathetic how he was trembling with excitement even though he would soon back down.

Yura thought it was more urgent to meet Baek Lee Hyun rather than deal with Oh Se Jin right now, so she gathered her personal belongings on the table.

Watching her, Se Jin urgently tried to persuade Yura, saying nonsensical things as if he was going to.

“He’s a dangerous person, really. I’m not saying this because he pushed me away, but because he’s too dangerous.”

Yura put her laptop in her bag and stared at Se Jin with an indifferent gaze.

“If you’re worried, thank you. But I’ll make my own judgment.”

“That guy will ruin you. He will hurt you!”

At Se Jin’s words, which he cried out as if in desperation, Yura turned around and fixed an icy cold gaze on him, twisting her lips.

“The one who hurt me was you, oppa. I don’t think you have the right to blame anyone.”

Seeing Se Jin blinking his eyelids in shock, Yura smirked. Then, the cell phone in her hand vibrated briefly.

You’re no gentleman either. Baek Lee Hyun, whom Yura was about to find anyway, seemed to have come to the front of the practice room, somehow knowing. Thinking there was no ghost like this, Yura clicked her tongue lowly and bowed her head towards Oh Se Jin again in a business-like manner.

“I will take my leave for today. Please understand that I couldn’t stay until the end.”

“Yura!”

Se Jin shouted as if it was unfair. In response, Yura pointed out their positions once again as if giving a final warning.

“Please refrain from using that name from now on.”

Before Se Jin could say anything more, Yura opened the practice room door and took big strides. Fortunately, he did not follow Yura like last time. The moment relief rushed in, a familiar figure appeared at the end of her gaze on the stairs.

Baek Lee Hyun was standing there, his hair neatly combed back with pomade and perfectly pulling off a deep burgundy suit. Yura stopped and quietly looked at him for a moment.

Whenever she saw him, she had to admit that he was very handsome. Was it because her heart fluttered at the unexpected intimate contact and the distance that had gotten closer that day? Or was it because of that arrogant face?

The words of a female employee who said she joined CH to see Baek Lee Hyun came to mind, as well as the words that CH’s welfare was Baek Lee Hyun himself.

She had dismissed it as just silly talk, but today of all days, she realized that such words were neither a joke nor nonsense.

‘Am I… a looks supremacist?’

Yura shook her head at the sudden doubt about her taste and moved her stopped feet.

At the sound of Yura’s footsteps, Lee Hyun lifted his head. Feeling his gaze that seemed indifferent yet sticky, Yura unfolded two assumptions about his appearance.

First, he had someone follow her. Second, he had someone follow Oh Se Jin. No, maybe he had someone follow both of them. If not, there was no way the timing could be this amazingly and shockingly good.

Yura stopped walking two steps away from the stairs.

Baek Lee Hyun, who was over 190cm tall, and Yura, who was barely over 160cm. With the height difference between them being about two steps, Yura’s gaze was slightly above Lee Hyun’s, giving her a sense of superiority.

Yura, raising one corner of her lips bitterly, threw out a word.

“Wow, your timing is incredible.”

“I’m glad.”

Lee Hyun’s seductive lips drew a long arc as he smiled.

Lee Hyun quietly led Yura to a restaurant that had not even opened yet, saying it was a suitable place to have a conversation.

It was one of CH Group’s dining businesses that had recently been refurbished and only allowed entry to a few VVIPs. The restaurant’s strengths were its luxurious atmosphere and completely enclosed spaces, perfectly shielded from the eyes of others.

It was literally a place for affluent people’s secret meetings or optimized for confidential deals. Due to this uncomfortable place, even a simple meal felt like committing a bad deed.

When they entered the room, a meal for two was set on the table as if instructed in advance. Yura wiped the dust from her dry hands with a warm wet towel and asked nonchalantly.

“I haven’t even answered yet, but word has already spread?”

“It seems President Jin contacted you.”

Lee Hyun, who was moistening his mouth with a glass of water, spoke as if it was unexpected, even though it was obvious. Yura was displeased with how he acted this way, not unaware of the repercussions of his arbitrary actions.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know when you know everything.”

“It wasn’t part of my plan.”

Yura suppressed the urge to ask if the visit that day and today’s meeting were part of the plan.

It was because if she confirmed it, it would feel like admitting that she had been played by him. She decided not to attach meaning to it to avoid feeling such unpleasant and dirty feelings.

Yura knew it would be more of a loss for her to attach meaning to it now, nitpick, and overturn this matter. Still, wanting to somehow relieve the twisting in her stomach, she frowned and said sarcastically.

“Ha, do only foxes live in the Baek family?”

“Hm?”

He tilted his head slightly as if he didn’t understand, putting down the plate he was holding.

“Baek Jin Ho’s actions were also fox-like, but Baek Lee Hyun is even more so.”

“You must be very upset.”

Lee Hyun chuckled as if something was amusing. The nickname White Fox seemed to fit him perfectly, from his actions to his appearance, because Baek Lee Hyun was a top fox among foxes.

Lee Hyun scraped the meat of the well-seasoned steamed snapper and placed it on top of Yura’s rice, smiling softly.

“So, have you made a decision?”

Clearly, even at the moment of talking to her father and hearing Oh Se Jin’s nonsensical words, she had already reached a conclusion.

Still, somehow the answer didn’t come out right away. Honestly, she was in the middle of thinking and worrying about whether there really was no other way but this.

Yura had a strong negative view of the institution of marriage. Looking at her parents, they seemed happy in their own way, but growing up seeing their patriarchal and male-preferring thoughts, she fundamentally distrusted men’s ideologies.

Moreover, she thought Se Jin was different from other men, but in the end, she only confirmed that he was not much different with that kind of breakup. So it was hard for her to have faith in the male species.

Although this marriage was taking place within the framework of a contract, not love or shallow trust, it felt like stepping into an institution she fundamentally denied, so she couldn’t help but hesitate.

Yura took a deep breath as if emptying her complicated mind and exhaled.

Reminding herself that whether it was an institution or trust, it all came down to a piece of paper, she decided to follow the conclusion she had initially reached.

“Let’s do it.”

“Good choice.”

“But I want to add a few clauses.”

“Tell me.”

Yura put down her spoon and met Lee Hyun’s gaze, which was filled with a sense of solemnity.

This was the most important point from now on. It was a problem that had to be addressed in this damn marriage, and she had to create the effectiveness of a piece of paper that would guarantee the institution and trust.

It was time to negotiate how much Lee Hyun would accommodate from where to where.

“I will continue to work.”

“Okay. I don’t mind.”

“So only let me know about the family events that I absolutely have to attend. Other than that, you take care of blocking them.”

“And.”

At his words asking for the next thing, readily agreeing, Yura took another breath. The words she was about to say were not easy to utter.

Yura belatedly understood the meaning of the last thing Lee Hyun had mentioned about not staying out overnight. Staying out overnight should not be understood literally, but the implied meaning should also be considered.

When a man and a woman get married, the natural thing that follows is the wedding night. However, the wedding night was too unfamiliar and awkward for Yura.

It had to be that way because Yura had no experience with men so far. She had briefly dated a boyfriend in high school and had been in a relationship with Oh Se Jin for a year, but that had never happened during that time.

No matter how much it was a contract, she couldn’t simply refuse, saying she couldn’t do it, so she set her own standards. She had no doubt that these standards would serve as a shield for what was to come.

“About skinship.”

“Skinship?”

Lee Hyun found Yura’s blushing face like a peach refreshing. He didn’t think she would have no experience with men since she had dated Oh Se Jin.

He thought her stiffness the moment he touched her was a reaction to the sudden situation. But when she chose the word skinship and blushed like this, it was natural for curiosity to spread.

However, he couldn’t ask the person directly if she had no experience, and there was no way to check elsewhere. For now, he had no choice but to trust her words and confirm it on the wedding night.

“Holding hands or hugging is fine, but anything else should be done with mutual agreement.”

“Hmm, okay.”

Yura inwardly sighed in relief. Contrary to her worry about what if he refused, Lee Hyun answered plainly.

She thought she should have refused more strongly if she knew it would be like this, but considering that he accepted it because this standard was appropriate, she decided to be satisfied with this.

“For alimony at the time of divorce…”

“About that, I’ll give you enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life.”

Yura frowned at Lee Hyun’s answer, cutting off her words mentioning alimony. Did he think she was some poor beggar?

Although she currently did not receive financial support from Kang Soo, it didn’t mean she was lacking. No, rather, she had never thought of living comfortably without working, and such a reason did not influence her decision.

Yura narrowed her eyes and retorted irritably at his logic that made people seem too trivial.

“Write that it’s not necessary.”

“It would be better to receive it.”

Seeing Lee Hyun’s gaze that seemed to not understand, Yura scoffed. There would be no one in the world who dislikes money. It was something absolutely necessary to solve basic living needs and maintain humanity.

It was just that she didn’t like money being involved in this contract for each other’s purposes. She disliked the institution of marriage, but she disliked marriages for money even more.

If there was a corresponding gain other than money, that was a different matter. So Yura mentioned a different meaning of gain for alimony.

“If you want to give me something, help my brother gain power.”

“To Jin Yu Gun?”

Lee Hyun had a look of surprise. From Lee Hyun’s perspective, they were siblings who bickered, so he might think that way. But the fundamental meaning was in Yura’s freedom.

“My brother needs to have power to block our father.”

“The sibling relationship is better than I thought.”

“We’re not mortal enemies.”

“I understand for now. Let’s think about that slowly again.”

No matter how much they were siblings, they were each individuals, so there were bound to be appropriate conflicts of opinion, and they could take opposing stances over the Jin Hwa Group, which was backed by power and wealth.

However, Yura had no desire for the Jin Hwa Group and was not interested in the power and wealth that would come into her hands through it.

So, contrary to appearances, she had no hostility or inferiority towards her brother. She just found her brother’s attention a little annoying and troublesome.

“Then, I look forward to working with you from now on. Contract husband.”

“I look forward to it. Contract wife.”

The two reached out their arms across the table and clasped hands. It was the initial provisional contract.