Se Ah chuckled unnoticed at Kang Woo, who was seated across from her.
Despite it being August, his longsleeved white shirt buttoned up to his neck suited his image perfectly. His formal hairstyle, showing his straight forehead line, was also impressive.
The man I remembered as elegant had matured with time. An unreachable aura, amplified with the dignity of a successful businessman.
Whether the rice was going into my nose or mouth. No, I couldn’t taste anything as if I’d lost my sense of taste.
“We should have a toast.”
Hyeon Suk poured wine into Se Ah’s glass. The red light gleamed in the crystal glass.
“Congratulations on your graduation, Se Ah.”
“Thank you.”
Hyeon Suk gently clinked glasses with Se Ah, smiling graciously. She winked at Kang Woo, who was quietly holding his wine glass. He lightly hit his glass against Se Ah’s, which was awkwardly raised neither fully up nor fully down.
“Congratulations.”
“…Thank you.”
Se Ah slightly moved her lips and put the glass down.
The heavy vibration of Hyeon Suk’s mobile phone on the table caught their attention. With a furrowed brow, Hyeon Suk sighed.
“Don’t answer it.”
Without even checking the caller ID, Kang Woo spoke indifferently. Se Ah could guess who it was without asking. Every time she had a meal with Hyeon Suk, her phone would always be on the table. She checked it several times in the middle of the meal.
“Ah, dang it.”
Hyeon Suk rubbed her temple, groaning.
“The men of the Cha family think they’re so great, but your father is just crossing the line because you always accommodate him.”
“Ah, yes, they are great.”
Her phone kept ringing insistently. In the end, Hyeon Suk left to take the call.
When it was just the two of them left, she swallowed dryly. Every year, Se Ah heard people say that they didn’t understand her and found it difficult to get close to her.
But for some reason, it felt like he could easily see through her. She tried to hide it, but how could she control her natural facial expression?
“I had plans with a friend. I hope your mother didn’t create any unnecessary trouble?”
He asked as he awkwardly poked at his food.
“No, most people spend a day like today with their family anyway.”
She trailed off, worried that she might look pitiful. Her lips were dry, so she took another sip of wine.
“I saw your interview in the last issue of the economic magazine. It said you are the leader in the mobile game industry….”
“Ah.”
She managed to stammer out her words, but his reaction was rather plain. She felt embarrassed and looked down, picking up a piece of steak with her fork.
“I didn’t think you’d see that.”
“I even bought the magazine.”
She swallowed the words about automatically clicking on any articles related to CI Soft or him on the platform.
“You are…”
Just then, Hyeon Suk returned.
“I’m sorry.”
“I thought you had gone home.”
At Kang Woo’s light teasing, Hyeon Suk gave him a sideeye.
“I think I really have to go.”
Hyeon Suk looked at Se Ah apologetically.
“What can we do, Se Ah… We finally get to see each other and we can’t even have a proper conversation.”
“It’s alright, thank you for coming today.”
“The congressman has to pay a condolence call, and I have to accompany him.”
“Yes.”
Hyeon Suk, who was hurriedly collecting her light summer jacket and handbag, looked busy. Even though she didn’t know much about their family affairs, it was clear that Hyeon Suk was having trouble with her husband.
And Se Ah herself was also especially nervous around Nam Tae. More so since he had become a congressman. It seemed like Kang Woo was the only one who didn’t care about him.
“Buy some more of what Se Ah likes to eat, and take her home.”
“Yes.”
After Hyeon Suk had completely left, the tension doubled. Not understanding what was happening due to the sudden good fortune. It was similar to the feeling of receiving an unexpected Christmas gift during her days at the orphanage.
Se Ah tossed her long hair over her shoulder. It was not that she wanted to seduce him. She just wanted to make this day, which felt like a gift, meaningful. That was all.
As she was nervous, she kept sipping her wine, and her glass was empty.
“You drink quite a bit. Are you a heavy drinker?”
Kang Woo smiled, his lips slightly open, and picked up the wine bottle. As he tilted the wine bottle, Se Ah automatically received it with her glass.
“No. I can’t really drink.”
“It was a joke.”
“Oh.”
So he’s someone who can joke around… She hadn’t known because he had never made a frivolous comment before. She felt a bit closer to him.
They had spent the longest time together yet. Mostly, he was just listening, which was quite something given his usually talkative nature.
A little tipsy, Kang Woo rolled up his white shirt sleeves. His bulging blue veins stood out on a wellstructured framework of bones. The sight of his exposed wrist was enough to make a 24yearold woman’s heart flutter.
Kang Woo checked the time on his wrist. It was time to let him go.
“Have I kept you for too long? You must be busy.”
“It’s okay. I’ll walk you home.”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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