After refusing Young Eun’s suggestion to stay for dinner, the two returned home. Yu Ra didn’t say a word to Lee Hyun the entire way back.

Right now, she didn’t want to have any conversation, and just wanted to somehow restore her wounded pride and boiling anger to their proper place. However, no particular solution came to mind.

Just as the car was entering the parking lot, Yu Ra moved her tightly sealed lips.

“I’m sorry, and thank you.”

Although her pride was hurt, she was angry, and felt bitter from her inferiority complex, it was still a feeling that needed to be clearly conveyed. She was sorry for putting him in such an unpleasant situation, and grateful that he had been a shield solely on her side.

Unable to even look at Lee Hyun, she was just picking at her nails when his large hand ruffled her hair.

“That’s natural between husband and wife.”

A lump. It felt like something was rising in her throat.

The fact that they were a married couple now felt real. Perhaps choosing this man among many was a stroke of luck for her.

As soon as they entered the house, Yu Ra felt an overwhelming wave of fatigue. As she trudged towards the kitchen with slumped shoulders, Lee Hyun asked in a calm voice.

“Have you eaten dinner?”

Yu Ra glanced at the clock on the wall. It was well past dinner time. Judging by the lack of activity, it seemed the housekeeper had also gone home. Which meant they would have to prepare dinner themselves.

Preparing dinner is simpler than expected. Just in case of late-night cravings, there were always simple foods stored in the refrigerator.

So it was just a matter of taking them out, but the problem was that in her current state of mental exhaustion, she didn’t even want to lift a finger.

“Just something light. What about you?”

“I ate lightly too.”

Yu Ra let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay, rest. I need to shower.”

Just as she was about to turn towards the bedroom. A sudden comment threatened to pop the lid off her pent-up irritation.

“Shall we shower together?”

Yu Ra glared at Lee Hyun with a deeply furrowed brow.

“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

Lee Hyun simply nodded lightly without saying anything else.

Regardless, Yu Ra left Lee Hyun behind and headed to the bedroom.

The unpleasantness clinging to her whole body and the nauseating meddling she heard at her parents’ home stung like it was scratching her skin. It was a feeling she often had after meeting her father. At times like this, a warm shower would make her feel a bit lighter.

She turned on the faucet and let her body sink into the water stream that felt a bit hot. It felt like she was covered in labels like ‘just a woman to keep house’ or ‘woman to bear children’. Yu Ra lathered soap all over her body.

As if rebelling against the authoritarian Kang Su, Yu Ra had become even more distant from housework, and she hated children even more.

Even if she were to get married, she had planned to either live as a DINK or focus relentlessly on work, intending to live alone for life.

If she had known her father would hold her back like this later, she would have left this damn Korea long ago. What use was there in regretting now? She had already married as if running away, and was in a position where she had to deal with her father’s insistence.

After finishing her shower, Yu Ra stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, Lee Hyun’s face flickered in her mind. It was somewhat comforting that at least her husband took her side in this situation.

Acquaintances who had married earlier had said that ‘husband’ was an abbreviation for ‘someone on your side’, and she was glad that at least he didn’t seem to be on the other side for now.

Frowning at the thoughts that kept tangling like thread, she shook them off. She put on a silk nightgown and wore a robe over it.

Then, wiping her still damp hair with a towel, she opened the door to the bedroom. Just as she took a step, she was startled by a dark shadow standing there.

“Wh-what? What are you doing there?”

“I was waiting for you.”

Lee Hyun, leaning against the wall at the entrance of the dressing room, had also showered, with water still clinging to the ends of his hair. Yu Ra pressed her startled heart with her hand and averted her gaze as if annoyed.

Lee Hyun was also wearing a robe like hers, but the front was slightly open, revealing his firm chest.

Good background, handsome face, and on top of that, a good body – he was a perfect man with all three qualities evenly balanced. The perfection that lacked nothing was also burdensome. Ah, maybe his personality was a bit lacking.

Trying to hide her face that had reddened for no reason, Yu Ra passed by Lee Hyun indifferently.

“Do you have something to say?”

“I have something I want to do.”

As Lee Hyun grabbed Yu Ra’s wrist, the distance that had only been a couple of steps apart closed instantly. As his chest came into view again, she felt heat rushing to her face.

“Hey, Mr. Baek Lee Hyun. Let’s be reasonable.”

“It’s the first time since we came back from our honeymoon?”

Yu Ra let out a long sigh rising from her lower abdomen. It had only been three days since they returned from their honeymoon. Yet this man was talking as if three months and ten days had passed.

“It hasn’t been that long, tsk.”

“For me, even a day is too long.”

Yu Ra burst into laughter at Lee Hyun’s ridiculous and absurd sophistry.

“We did it a lot at the travel destination.”

“Are we only newlyweds at the travel destination and not here?”

Now Yu Ra couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh at Lee Hyun’s daily improving rhetoric. What’s so special about being newlyweds?

Why did he keep going on about newlyweds every chance he got? The illogical reasoning made her head ache. Yu Ra pushed him away with a faint sigh and pressed her forehead with her hand.

“Please, let’s clearly… mmph.”

Lee Hyun, who seemed to be pushed away, lowered his head and sealed Yu Ra’s mouth with his moist lips.

The softly interlocked lips were sweet and hot. Ah, damn it, Baek Lee Hyun was really good at kissing. He said it was his first time too, but it didn’t seem like his first time kissing.

The sensation that gently invaded made her feel as if her body was melting. It was probably the aftermath of the pleasure Lee Hyun had taught her. Their lips, oddly interlocked, were busy desperately savoring each other.

How much time had passed? Lee Hyun raised his head, licking his lips. Yu Ra opened her fluttering eyelids, breathing heavily.

The deeply sunken dark eyes created a strange atmosphere. It was briefly frustrating how the kiss felt so sweet even in this situation.

Soon realizing that she had helplessly opened the way and followed Lee Hyun’s lead, she thought there was nothing to be frustrated about.

If Lee Hyun was guilty of anything, it would be the sin of bewitching people so enticingly.

“Haa, white fox.”

The words ‘white fox’, which had now become a pet name, seemed quite amusing to Lee Hyun. He, who had been beautifully narrowing his eyes, instead shifted the blame.

“It’s your fault.”

“What?”

“When you glare at me, it excites me too much.”

Lee Hyun’s eloquence filled Yu Ra’s mind, leaving no room for thoughts about what happened at her parents’ home.

Was it a roundabout expression telling her not to glare? But Lee Hyun looked very pleased. It was ambiguous whether he was teasing or being sincere.

“Are you a pervert?”

“Maybe.”

Yu Ra’s face paled at the affirmative expression. She hadn’t witnessed any unusual sexual tendencies in their relationship so far, but had he been hiding his sexual preferences?

Yu Ra’s eyes wavered as if there had been an earthquake. Lee Hyun tilted his head slightly, looking at her trembling eyes, and stretched his lips long.

“No, maybe I’m a beast only for Jin Yu Ra.”

“Ha, really.”

She felt increasingly annoyed as she couldn’t distinguish where sincerity began and where jokes ended.

She sincerely wished Lee Hyun was younger rather than older. If he were, she would have kicked his shin hard right now. Yu Ra was extremely regretful that she couldn’t do so.

As she was squirming, telling him to stop joking around, Lee Hyun’s lips touched Yu Ra’s nape.

“Uh, elder brother.”

“It’s skinship.”

Lee Hyun’s voice, spreading low from below her neck, sounded terribly sensual. Yu Ra bit her lip, trying to hold onto her reason that was about to fly away.

If she got swept away like this, it felt like the effectiveness of the contract would become ambiguous. Yu Ra pushed her hand between her constantly pestered neck and Lee Hyun’s lips.

“Let’s revise that part of our contract.”

As Yu Ra hurriedly spilled out what she wanted to say, Lee Hyun’s lips brushed stickily against the palm covering her mouth. Yu Ra shuddered and tried to remove that hand, but his movement was faster.

Lee Hyun, exuding an intense decadent charm, provocatively fiddled with the fingers he had grasped. Yu Ra’s face flushed at Lee Hyun’s strangely stimulating gaze.

“Let’s quench our thirst first.”

“What? Now?”

“Now. I can’t wait.”

His voice, lowered hoarsely, sounded like the cry of a beast. With a chilling sensation and her hair standing on end, Lee Hyun lifted Yu Ra in one swift motion.

“Ah. W-wait. Elder brother!”

Lifted high as if being carried, Yu Ra couldn’t even struggle for fear of falling and quietly landed on the bed. The sight of Lee Hyun approaching slowly, holding her calf, reminded her of a carnivore.

This was truly like a rabbit facing a tiger. Clearly, his actions were fox-like, but somehow Baek Lee Hyun on the bed was dangerously unpredictable like a tiger or a lion.

As she flinched and retreated as if escaping, Lee Hyun grabbed Yu Ra’s foot. He pulled her in swiftly, and his lips landed on her ankle bone.

Yu Ra unknowingly inhaled and held her breath. In this sudden unexpected situation, she forgot to exhale and slowly fell into his gaze that was ensnaring her.

Yu Ra’s mind was in a chaotic mess. It was clearly a contract marriage out of necessity. But since it was still a marriage, it included fulfilling duties as a couple. And it was also a relationship with a set end of 2 years.

Baek Lee Hyun, who had made the proposal, seemed to have no particular emotional response. He appeared to be more interested in avoiding unnecessary situations.

For Yu Ra too, it was a marriage chosen as a shield to block her father’s coercion and Oh Se Jin’s misunderstanding. In short, there were no feelings between the two of them.

Although she belatedly realized that her first love hadn’t ended, that was only Yu Ra’s feelings alone.

But now Baek Lee Hyun’s appearance really looked like he was craving affection. His eyes seemed to be yearning for the other person to accept all the affection he was pouring out, which made Yu Ra’s heart even more complicated.

Was this just an act? Why would such an act be necessary in this space where only the two of them were present? If not, did he have some feelings? She became at a loss for what to do with this fox whose thoughts she couldn’t fathom at all.

“Looks like you have the leisure to think about other things with me in front of you.”

“Huh?”

As the low whisper brushed her ear, Lee Hyun devoured Yu Ra’s lips. Before she could answer about the agreement, his persistent indulgence began.