The man did not respond, nor did he even look at Seong Hee Won.

“……”

But Seong Hee Won was not one to back down.

“Did you come alone?”

She was intrigued by the man, and for some reason, Seong Hee Won wanted to spend the night with him.

The man had a subtle woody scent. Somehow, it felt different from the fragrances she usually encountered.

Moreover, up close, the man was far more handsome than she had initially thought.

A sharp jawline like a blade, a high nose bridge, long eyes without double eyelids, and flawless skin without a single blemish.

Seong Hee Won stared at him blankly. She felt like she could be enchanted by his face, which was like a sculpture crafted by the gods.

It was then. The man’s tightly closed lips opened.

“What is it?”

The man made no effort to hide his discomfort at the appearance of an uninvited guest.

But Seong Hee Won wasn’t hurt at all.

It was because the man’s voice was incredibly attractive. Her heart raced at the low, resonant voice that sounded as if she had entered a cave.

Seong Hee Won became increasingly certain.

She definitely wanted to sleep with this man.

This was a feeling she would never have imagined having under normal circumstances.

‘I’ve fallen for this man at first sight.’

If only they had met somewhere else, if they had met normally before her marriage was arranged……

She felt somewhat bitter.

But now wasn’t the time for that.

If she could spend the night with him, it would be worth it just to not regret this transgression.

Composing herself, Seong Hee Won raised the corners of her mouth and spoke in a soft voice.

“Did you come alone?”

“What does that have to do with you?”

The man spoke politely but still with an air of displeasure.

“It matters. I’d like to have a drink with you.”

At Seong Hee Won’s words, the man’s brow furrowed. He spoke in an even more resolute and cold voice.

“I don’t drink with strangers.”

The man expressed his refusal.

At this point, she should look for another man and get up, but she didn’t want to.

A greater stubbornness grew in Seong Hee Won’s heart.

“I’m Seong Hee Won.”

“I’m not asking for your name.”

“Ah, I see. Then what should I do?”

She was in a state of having let everything go.

She wanted to act on her own will at least once before getting married.

This was the first and last man she had taken a liking to.

It was too futile to fall for a man she met in a place like this at first sight, but Seong Hee Won thought positively.

She was fortunate to have feelings for the person she would spend the night with……

The man, who had been quietly staring at Seong Hee Won, let out a deep sigh.

“Haa. I don’t know what I’m doing with a drunk person. If you don’t want to get up, I’ll leave.”

The man’s thick, low voice resonated in her chest as if speaking directly to her heart.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

The man stood up. Seong Hee Won felt a sense of urgency.

“W-wait a moment.”

A flustered Seong Hee Won reached out to grab the man’s hand. However, the man moved faster.

Seong Hee Won’s body, unable to reach its destination, was falling forward due to the recoil.

‘This is bad. What’s happening.’

Though they say nothing in life goes as planned, she didn’t want to make a spectacle of herself in front of the man like this.

Had her excessive desire brought about this misfortune? In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through Seong Hee Won’s mind.

The black marble floor was getting closer and closer. She instinctively closed her eyes in fear of the impending impact with the floor.

“……”

It was strange.

The pain she expected to feel soon was completely absent.

Instead, she felt something wrapped around her waist.

Seong Hee Won cautiously opened her eyes slightly. She met the man’s gaze looking at her with a mix of pity and disdain.

“You’re really something.”

She should have felt bad about being scolded, but instead, she felt better.

Because the man hadn’t left.

Seong Hee Won thought several times today that she must be out of her mind.

“Can you stand up?”

The man held Seong Hee Won firmly. A pleasant scent emanated from him. It was cool, refreshing, and comforting – something she had never smelled before.

“Th-thank you.”

“Put strength in your legs and stand up.”

The man didn’t let go until Seong Hee Won could stand straight. Though his words were cold, his actions showed consideration for her.

Another reason to hold onto this man formed in Seong Hee Won’s heart.

“Well then, enjoy your evening.”

The man turned around after finishing his words.

Seong Hee Won grabbed the man’s hand with both of her hands.

“What now……”

The man turned and looked down at Seong Hee Won as he spoke. But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

It was because of what Seong Hee Won blurted out.

“Will you sleep with me?”

The man’s face crumpled. He spoke without hiding his displeasure.

“If you’re drunk, I think it’s best you go home.”

Seong Hee Won shook her head vigorously and replied.

“No, I’m not drunk.”

“Then are you crazy?”

Despite the man’s cold voice, Seong Hee Won didn’t lose her nerve.

“You might think I’m crazy, but I’m not. I might look out of my mind to you, but I’m not the kind of woman who always says things like this.”

Seong Hee Won didn’t avoid the man’s eyes. Of course, she knew it was hard to find credibility in her appearance.

But she was sincere.

“You probably can’t believe me seeing me like this.”

She looked up at the man with her large eyes opened even wider.

“Haa.”

After looking down at Seong Hee Won for a while, the man let out a deep sigh and rubbed his face. He wore a more complicated expression than before.

“Look. Do you even know who I am?”

“No. I don’t. Do you know me?”

“……”

The man remained silent.

Thinking this was her last chance to persuade the man, Seong Hee Won continued.

“Is it so important that we know each other? Not everything in life requires knowing everything about someone. Besides, you can think whatever you want about me. This is my first and last transgression, so you and I won’t see each other again.”

“Ms. Seong Hee Won.”

Seong Hee Won smiled as her name was called. She was somehow glad that the man remembered her name even in this situation.

“You remembered my name.”

As Seong Hee Won smiled, the man’s gaze toward her was intense enough to pierce through her face.

“If you’re doing this out of stubbornness, you’d better stop. In the end, you’ll be the one to regret it.”

“Regret?”

Seong Hee Won couldn’t help but chuckle.

Of course, she didn’t mean to laugh at him, but the man seemed to have misunderstood.

Seong Hee Won let go of the man’s hand she had been holding and waved her hand to indicate that wasn’t her intention.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at what you said. It’s just that there’s never been a moment in my life that I didn’t regret.”

After saying this, Seong Hee Won lowered her head.

The man’s eyes trembled slightly at her words.

But Seong Hee Won didn’t notice the change in the man.

“The truth is, I’ve lived like a doll. You know what? I couldn’t do anything of my own free will except breathe. Now that I think about it, I regret everything to the point where there wasn’t a moment in my life that I didn’t regret. I wish I had rebelled even a little……”

“……”

“Of course, it wouldn’t have been accepted. That’s why I wanted to try.”

The man just looked down at the top of Seong Hee Won’s head without saying anything.

“This is the first time I’ve acted on my own will. So I don’t think I’ll ever regret what’s happening now. Honestly, living like a doll like this is more frustrating. But I found that there’s nothing I can do. In the future too. So I just wanted to do what I wanted at least once.”

The man’s eyes trembled more noticeably than before upon hearing these words.

“……Because there’s nothing you can do as you wish?”

As she spoke, her emotions intensified.

In the end, her rebellion against her father turned out to be sleeping with a stranger.

Seong Hee Won felt even more pathetic about her current self.

The man must have been bewildered. Not everyone who comes to a bar does so with the purpose of having a one-night stand.

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I just… wanted it to be you. I told you because it was you.”

Seong Hee Won couldn’t lift her head.

She thought only that she had messed up.

At that moment, the bartender came to Seong Hee Won and the man’s seats.

“One martini and one mocktail, please.”

The man spoke to the bartender and then sat down in the chair.

Surprised by the man’s unexpected action, Seong Hee Won raised her head and their eyes met.

The look in the man’s eyes as he gazed at her had changed.

“Sit down.”

“……”

“But drink non-alcoholic beverages.”

Seong Hee Won blinked her large eyes at the man’s words.

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

Seong Hee Won was flustered by the man’s suddenly changed attitude, but fearing he might change his mind, she quickly took the seat next to him.

“……”

“……”

As Seong Hee Won hesitated, not knowing what to say, the man spoke to her.

“I understand.”

The man she had just met empathized with her emotions as if he had known her for a long time.

It was the first time someone had understood her feelings. An unfamiliar emotion swept through her heart.

Seong Hee Won looked up at the man with trembling eyes.

“……Do you really understand?”

The man gazed at her quietly.

“I know. That feeling.”

“……”

“A life where none of your wishes are reflected even though it’s your own life, I know better than anyone how frustrating that is and how pathetic it makes you feel.”

Seong Hee Won felt strange.

It was true that she had fallen for the man at first sight because of his appearance.

Seeing the man comfort her and empathize with her feelings, her heart fluttered.

“You don’t have to pretend to be okay and smile when you’re all bruised up inside.”

The man’s following words touched upon the lump that had been building up in her heart for a long time.

Seong Hee Won found herself tearing up without realizing it. The man silently wiped away her tears with a tissue.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Are you really sure you won’t regret this?”

“……Yes.”

Seong Hee Won stared intently into the man’s black eyes.

“I won’t regret this. What I regret is……”