Sun Woo urgently called Dr. Kim, the family doctor, to the house. Dr. Kim’s diagnosis after thoroughly examining Green was surprisingly simple.

“It seems to be a cold due to extreme stress. With good rest and nourishment, she’ll recover quickly.”

“Thank you, Dr. Kim.”

After the doctor left, Sun Woo felt conflicted as he watched Green sleeping with an IV drip.

What could have given her such tremendous stress?

Sun Woo suspected that perhaps his father had contacted her separately to pressure her to divorce.

Just as he was about to call his father to confront him, Green slowly opened her eyes. Sun Woo hastily put down the phone and approached her.

“Green, are you awake?”

“What happened to me?”

“When I came home, you were sick in this room. Dr. Kim came by and said it’s a cold from extreme stress.”

Green squeezed her eyes shut as if in pain. Sun Woo gently smoothed her sweat-dampened bangs.

“Why are you in this room instead of the master bedroom?”

“I’ll be staying in this room from now on.”

Hearing Green’s response, Sun Woo realized she was trying to distance herself from him. The fact strangely hurt his feelings.

Green struggled to sit up. Unable to hide his hurt expression, Sun Woo quickly supported her. He also placed a cushion behind her back so she could sit comfortably.

“Thank you.”

Green mumbled, almost in a whisper, unable to meet Sun Woo’s eyes. Suppressing his frustration, Sun Woo asked.

“What’s the reason?”

“…Father said earlier today. That even though you and I have been married for over a year, it hasn’t helped his business at all.”

“Of course. That’s how we made it.”

“Father is furious right now. When he heard you’ll be staying in Korea for about a month… he told me to have your child first.”

Green confessed everything truthfully, overcoming her embarrassment. She thought this would explain her actions and hurt him less.

“I have no intention of doing what Father wants.”

“Just because we share a room doesn’t mean a child will happen.”

Sun Woo retorted coldly.

Green’s heart sank seeing his infinitely cold gaze.

“Unless you want it, I won’t lay a finger on you. I mean you didn’t need to move rooms without discussing it.”

Green was even more flustered by Sun Woo’s words, which seemed genuinely angry. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but she felt upset that things kept getting complicated.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. …Don’t you trust me?”

Sun Woo’s eyebrows twitched as if he had heard something unexpected. Green’s face was turning from red to an almost muddy color.

“Honestly, you’re too handsome, have a great body, and your voice and eyelashes are really my type. What if I pounce on you when we’re alone at night?”

Sun Woo looked at her in disbelief at her extremely honest answer. His cold attitude seemed to have crumbled.

Green felt like hiding in a mouse hole under Sun Woo’s amused gaze, but she was relieved that he didn’t seem displeased or upset.

“Was I that much your type?”

“…”

Green couldn’t respond out of embarrassment. She worried he might keep teasing her, but Sun Woo soon returned to his usual expressionless face.

“You know I just met with my father too, right? He told me to quit the company and get a divorce.”

“What?”

Green had wanted to use separate rooms because of Han Moon Taek, but she had never once thought about divorcing Sun Woo.

She had been trying her best all this time, and she suddenly felt sad wondering how much Jin Young Cheol must dislike her to tell Sun Woo to divorce her.

“If we use separate rooms, Father will think we’re planning to divorce and be happy. As you know, I can’t stand to see my father happy.”

The two made eye contact for a moment and couldn’t help but smile.

Sun Woo checked that the IV bag was empty. After carefully removing the IV needle from her arm, he suddenly pulled back the blanket and lifted Green in his arms.

“Let’s go to the master bedroom.”

“I said I don’t want to. I absolutely don’t want to see my father happy either.”

Sun Woo looked down at Green with a mischievous smile.

“Even if you lose control and pounce on me, I’ll endure to the end with a dagger between my teeth. I’ll protect my chastity from you no matter what, so don’t worry and let’s stay in the master bedroom together. Okay?”

As he whispered with his pretty eyes curved into crescents, Green’s resolve quickly weakened.

“…We shouldn’t.”

“We should.”

Sun Woo impulsively kissed Green’s forehead as she looked uneasy. At that moment, both of them were startled.

Sun Woo and Green stood frozen in place, blinking at each other, then awkwardly avoided each other’s gaze.

“I said we shouldn’t!”

Green said desperately, trying to calm her wildly beating heart.

“We should.”

Though with a little less confidence than before, Sun Woo stubbornly carried Green to the master bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed.

“Just sleep more for now. I’ll be in the study.”

After forcibly bringing Green to the master bedroom despite her protests, Sun Woo went to the study as if fleeing from something.

He sat at the desk in the study until quite late, opening his laptop and hastily reviewing documents that needed examination.

Though it was important content that required careful decision-making, nothing was entering Sun Woo’s mind.

******

When the weekend came, K1 Construction CEO Park Chan Wook invited his daughter Park In Young’s family and grandson Jin Sun Woo’s family to his home in Pyeongchang-dong. He was keeping his promise to have a family meal together.

“Jin, it’s been a while. How are you feeling?”

“I’m better. I’m sorry I couldn’t attend your birthday, father-in-law.”

“What’s important about an old man’s birthday? Still, it was a meaningful birthday thanks to the nice gift from Sun Woo and Green.”

“It wasn’t much, but I’m glad you liked it, grandfather.”

Jin Young Cheol looked very displeased as he watched Green conversing quite affectionately with his father-in-law Park Chan Wook.

‘Like father, like daughter from a family of con artists, she seems to have completely won over the old man’s heart already.’

Unlike Jin Young Cheol who was displeased with Green, Park Chan Wook watched contentedly as his daughter and son-in-law, Sun Woo and Green sat side by side eating.

“I must be getting old too. Only at this age do I realize how touching it is to see the family gathered for a meal.”

“Let’s have meals together often from now on, father.”

As In Young responded to Park Chan Wook’s words, he nodded.

“Family is important. Even if the whole world turns its back on you, you can always trust your real family.”

Green and Sun Woo, each thinking of their own fathers, didn’t agree at all with Park Chan Wook’s praise of family, but they remained silent and continued eating.

Meanwhile, everyone realized that the great Park Chan Wook had truly grown old and softhearted.

After finishing dinner, Park Chan Wook playfully suggested to Green.

“Does our little one know how to play baduk?”

“I can’t play baduk, but I know how to play omok a little.”

“Omok?”

When Park Chan Wook frowned as if unimpressed, Green immediately bristled.

“I’ll have you know I’ve never lost at omok. Even my father can’t beat me at omok.”

“Is that so? Then shall we play a game of omok?”

“Sure. How about the loser grants a wish for the winner?”

Park Chan Wook burst into laughter at Green’s bold proposal.

“Alright. Don’t resent me after you lose.”

As Park Chan Wook and Green went to the study to play omok, only Sun Woo, Park In Young, and Jin Young Cheol remained in the living room.

In Young brewed tea in a teapot and handed a cup each to her husband and son. After moistening his lips with a sip of green tea, Jin Young Cheol said to his wife.

“I’ve already told Sun Woo, but I think we’ll be able to proceed with Sun Woo’s divorce lawsuit soon.”

“Did you find a witness?”

In Young asked, not particularly surprised, as if she was fully aware of Jin Young Cheol’s situation. Jin Young Cheol nodded.

“He bought cigarettes from me at the villa that day. The problem is I can’t remember for the life of me where I bought the cigarettes.”

“…”

“There were four stores selling cigarettes nearby, but they all said they didn’t remember seeing me, so I was really at my wits’ end.”

Jin Young Cheol gulped down the tea In Young had poured as if it were cold water, seemingly recalling the frustration of that time.

“But a few days ago, I got a call from one store owner. He said his son’s car’s black box captured me buying cigarettes at his store.”

“How is there footage from a year ago?”

“His son’s family from Seoul came to visit that day and parked in front of the store, but they had an accident on the way back. So they kept that day’s video file separately, and he just remembered it now.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Even if we file for divorce, that con artist Han Moon Taek can’t blackmail us with those photos anymore. We have both a witness and evidence to claim innocence.”

Jin Young Cheol spoke triumphantly, looking at his wife. With eyes expecting praise and admiration from In Young.

But In Young was looking at Sun Woo, not her husband. Sun Woo’s face showed no expression.

“After Sun Woo gets divorced, what’s the next plan?”

“He’ll enter politics right away, of course. And find a strong in-law family to support him.”

Jin Young Cheol quickly added, perhaps worried In Young might feel burdened about Sun Woo’s future.

“The daughter of the National Assembly Speaker and the daughter of the former ruling party leader both seem to have lingering feelings for our Sun Woo, so you don’t need to worry about Sun Woo’s remarriage.”

“I see.”

Nodding at Jin Young Cheol’s words, In Young turned to Sun Woo and asked.

“Sun Woo, do you plan to do as your father says?”

“No. I have no intention of entering politics. And I don’t plan to divorce either.”

“Jin Sun Woo, you!”

Despite Jin Young Cheol’s angry shout, Sun Woo’s expression held firm resolve.

“If you don’t intend to enter politics, does that mean you’ll stay at K1 Construction?”

“Yes.”

In Young said with a calm expression, looking at Sun Woo.

“I hope that thought doesn’t change.”

*****

“Grandfather, can’t you let me take back just one move?”

“No way, you rascal!”

“Wow, you’re really too much! Even my father, the most self-centered person in the world, gave me a break once.”

“I won, didn’t I? That makes it five games I’ve won against you!”

“Okay, make your wish. But don’t ask for anything too expensive!”

As Green pouted cutely at Park Chan Wook, he laughed loudly. Strangely, he found himself laughing a lot when meeting with Green.

After his laughter subsided, Park Chan Wook carefully studied Green’s face. His eyes looking at Green held both sympathy and ruthlessness simultaneously.

“From now on, I’m going to make things a bit difficult for you, little one. But don’t hate me too much.”

“What do you mean?”

Shocked, Green looked anew at Park Chan Wook before her. The kind grandfather figure one might commonly see at a neighborhood senior center was no longer there.

His stubbornly pursed lips and sharp gaze that seemed to see right through her, devoid of any emotion, looked infinitely merciless.

As if her whole body was breaking out in goosebumps, Green trembled involuntarily.