Green stood under the hot stream of water falling on her head for a long time.

Sun Woo’s voice that she couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried.

“Shall we shower together?”

It was a blatant seduction. Enchanted by his alluring low voice and obsidian-like sparkling eyes, she almost nodded.

But even if they were in the midst of a passionate relationship, embarrassing things were still embarrassing.

“What nonsense!”

When Green pushed Sun Woo away in shock, he let himself be pushed back. His eyes, which she thought were serious, were smiling mischievously.

“Elder brother Sun Woo can use the master bathroom. I’ll use the outer bathroom.”

Realizing she had been teased, Green hurriedly left the bedroom in embarrassment.

She thought she might not live long if she felt short of breath every time their eyes met.

‘Do I perhaps have heart failure?’

She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, forcibly attaching a non-existent illness.

Her plump lips were slightly parted from heavy breathing, and her cheeks were flushed with heat.

Hannah and Jenny would tease her for ‘self-love’ if they knew, but she thought her reflection looked quite pretty.

‘They say you become beautiful when you’re in love, is it really true?’

As Green muttered to herself, she was startled again by the word ‘love’.

Love, of all things!

But she couldn’t deny it. She didn’t know when it had started. There was no telling who had been first.

Like ink seeping into paper, before she knew it, that’s how things had become.

After spending a long time in the bathroom, Green carefully dried her hair, then hesitantly entered the bedroom wearing a large shower robe.

“Elder brother Sun Woo?”

She worried he might be waiting with his mouth wide open like a tiger about to eat a rabbit, but surprisingly, Sun Woo was sound asleep.

Well, he must have been tired after running around from Vietnam to Thailand for the past week.

“Our Sun Woo, looking as gentle as a lamb when sleeping.”

Green rested her chin beside Sun Woo and carefully examined his sleeping face.

It was a harmless face that made her doubt if this was the same person who had growled at her like a beast trying to devour her in one bite.

Like that day when Sun Woo had fallen asleep leaning on her shoulder, Green gently stroked his eyelashes with her finger and lightly touched his nose bridge and lips.

She was careful, not knowing when he might wake up, but that made the brief contact even more thrilling.

Green’s finger, slowly tracing down Sun Woo’s nose bridge, eventually stopped on his lips.

At the sight of his red, glossy, plump lips, Green unconsciously swallowed hard.

‘Seeing as he’s not waking up even with this, he must be in a deep sleep. He wouldn’t notice if I kissed him lightly, right?’

Now she didn’t even feel guilty about stealing a kiss.

She gently pressed her lips against his red ones. The soft sensation of their lips meeting felt unbearably good.

Seeing Sun Woo still deep in sleep, Green’s movements became bolder. She moved her lips slightly to gently suck on his lower lip.

“Hmm.”

The sleeping Sun Woo unconsciously turned his body towards Green.

Startled, Green froze stiff, closing her eyes tightly and barely breathing.

Only after confirming his steady breathing a moment later did she finally exhale deeply.

‘That was close. What an embarrassment it would have been if I’d been caught!’

Even as she lay down straight, Green felt somewhat unsatisfied.

It was because she still longed for his upper lip, which she hadn’t tasted yet.

‘Just one last time!’

Carefully approaching Sun Woo, she moistened her dry lips with her tongue from tension, then very lightly sucked on his upper lip.

Her heart was pounding wildly, but isn’t stolen fruit supposed to taste sweeter?

Was it because she thought it was the last time? When she greedily sucked on his lips a bit more.

Suddenly, Sun Woo’s lips tensed up. As if sleep had completely fled, his thick arm wrapped around Green’s body.

In an instant, Sun Woo’s body had climbed on top of Green.

“You’re… awake?”

Too embarrassed to meet his eyes, her flustered hands wandered over his shoulders.

“Did you wake me on purpose?”

“Absolutely not on purpose, I just wanted to have a little taste…”

Only after blurting out whatever came to mind did Green realize what she had said and was horrified.

“Oh my, I must be crazy!”

At Green’s exclamation, surprised by her own words, Sun Woo’s gaze changed very subtly. He looked at her as if scolding her.

“That’s not a good habit.”

“I-I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Guilty of her crime, Green lay flat. What else could she say besides apologizing!

“If you’ve had a taste, you should go all the way. It’s too irresponsible to eat and run, isn’t it?”

“Eek!”

In the blink of an eye, Sun Woo stripped off Green’s robe and threw it far away.

He seemed to have already recovered his strength with just 40 minutes of brief sleep. It was a beast-like recovery.

The price for mistakenly thinking his sleeping face looked as gentle as a lamb was too great.

On this day, Green learned painfully that one should not carelessly touch the lips of a sleeping beast.

*****

Park In Young, who had been too busy to even breathe while thoroughly reviewing K1 Construction’s business, finally left work to get some sleep as Monday dawn approached.

As she entered the living room, dragging her tired body, her husband Jin Young Cheol was waiting.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“You were late, and I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

There was a trace of guilt in Jin Young Cheol’s expression. He felt somewhat responsible for the crisis that had befallen K1 Construction.

Until recently, people who had been friendly and talked about becoming in-laws had also been quite helpful to K1 Construction’s business. Jin Young Cheol thought all this was because he was so great.

But when it became known that Sun Woo was an illegitimate child, their attitudes changed completely. Some who had specifically discussed marriage proposals even went so far as to interfere with K1’s business without hesitation.

Jin Young Cheol felt he couldn’t face his wife.

“It’s not your fault. I made the final decisions.”

In Young spoke as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

She didn’t want to blame the current situation on others, nor did she want to make excuses for anything else.

The sweet proposals from the connections Jin Young Cheol had brought in, accepting them was her judgment and decision as vice chairman.

At the time she believed it was a brilliant move, but it turned out to be a bad one in the end.

What remained was to acknowledge the mistake and minimize losses. There wasn’t even time to waste on unnecessary emotional drain by blaming others.

Jin Young Cheol cautiously opened his mouth.

“Do you remember Yoon Seol Hee?”

He wanted to honestly confess to his wife the real reason he couldn’t sleep until now. That’s how desperately he needed her help.

“How could I forget? That wretched X.”

Jin Young Cheol’s eyes widened at In Young’s harsh response.

It was rare for his always cool and rational wife to show such hostility towards someone.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Can’t I even curse that much at the girl who made Sun Woo suffer?”

In Young’s expression remained calm. Jin Young Cheol, surprised by In Young’s feelings towards Sun Woo, soon accepted it.

Rather than cherishing Sun Woo as a son, she valued his abilities as the director of K1 Construction.

In Young, with her fair personality, had always acknowledged Sun Woo’s abilities despite him being an adopted child.

“That Yoon Seol Hee, she came to Korea. I happened to meet her yesterday at Assemblyman Kim’s book launch.”

“Is that so? I heard she got married and went to America.”

In Young frowned in disapproval. Jin Young Cheol sighed and continued.

“I found out she got a PhD in media relations, got divorced, and came back to Korea for good. And…”

After briefly gauging In Young’s reaction, Jin Young Cheol brought up the topic he most wanted to avoid.

“She’s now entered as the deputy spokesperson for the Reform Progressive Party.”

“The Reform Progressive Party… you mean Chairwoman Baek Sun Joo?”

When Jin Young Cheol reluctantly nodded, In Young’s eyes, which rarely showed surprise, shook greatly.

Yoon Seol Hee and Baek Sun Joo – it was truly the worst combination. As if she had a headache, she pressed her temples firmly with both hands.

Suddenly, Jin Young Cheol knelt down and grasped In Young’s hands tightly.

“Darling, help me get back into the National Assembly.”

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“I can’t do anything in this state. You know well that I need to go to the Assembly to help Sun Woo, don’t you?”

“Have you forgotten Sun Woo’s words about not wanting to do politics?”

In Young’s gaze turned cold. But Jin Young Cheol didn’t give up. He felt this was truly his last chance.

“That kid Sun Woo just hasn’t grasped the situation yet. When he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, there’s no place for him at K1 Construction, he’ll have no choice but to enter politics.”

As In Young quietly listened to his words, Jin Young Cheol spoke with even more fervor.

“I have a plan. Once I enter the Assembly, I’ll persuade Yoon Seol Hee to bring her under me.”

“Why?”

“She’s his first love! Sun Woo will surely waver when he sees her, and naturally become interested in politics too.”

“What did you say?”

“Before, Yoon Ki Hoon of Asung Tech seemed a bit lacking as an in-law, but compared to Han Moon Taek, he’s more than enough, right?”

Jin Young Cheol pleaded with In Young once again.

“There’s a by-election coming up soon. If you help me just this once, I’ll take care of all of Sun Woo’s issues. Please, darling.”

“Of all the countless plans you’ve made so far, this seems to be the stupidest one.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Jin Young Cheol trembled with hurt pride at In Young’s cold words.

“That Green girl, she’s a daughter-in-law beyond reproach. Why are you so dissatisfied with her?”

“How is she beyond reproach?”

“She makes Sun Woo smile. What more do you want?”

“What’s the big deal about that! Would you say the same if Sun Woo were your biological child?”

In Young silently looked at the agitated Jin Young Cheol.

The reason In Young had chosen him in her youth, despite knowing Park Chan Wook’s disapproval, was because Jin Young Cheol was once the only person who made her smile.

But Jin Young Cheol himself was now belittling that very ability in Green.

“Have you already forgotten what that Han Moon Taek did to me?”

Watching Jin Young Cheol trembling with anger, In Young let out a light sigh.

While Han Moon Taek hadn’t done anything good, it was unfair to take out that anger on Green.

“Father is very fond of her. Enough to set up a studio for her in Cheongdam-dong. Don’t do unnecessary things to upset Father.”

In Young went into the bedroom. She wanted to quickly lie her tired body down on the bed.

Left alone in the living room, Jin Young Cheol couldn’t shake off the shock.

‘Ha! Set up a studio in Cheongdam-dong?’

As his resentment towards Park Chan Wook, who had cut off support during the last general election, doubled, Jin Young Cheol’s face crumpled mercilessly.