“Why are you looking at me like that…?”

Ji Wan, feeling the gaze clearly fixed on her, asked softly.

Only then did he raise his gaze back to hers, and with a smooth smile on his lips, he replied.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you in a skirt.”

“Does it look strange?”

“No. It’s a preference.”

Though she knew this was the man’s way of joking, this time Ji Wan couldn’t help but be flustered.

Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since she’d worn a skirt.

Somehow, the emptiness between her legs felt a bit odd.

“So, are you saying it suits me? Or it doesn’t suit me?”

Wanting to quickly wrap up this situation, Ji Wan hurriedly asked for his opinion.

Tae Sung’s gaze slowly scanned her entire body once more.

And then what he asked was a completely irrelevant question.

“Do you happen to have a passport?”

“Why suddenly ask about a passport?”

“Because I think we need to return you to the Louvre Museum in France. I can no longer pretend you’re an ordinary human being.”

“Oh my, how do you even come up with such things…”

Though her words expressed distaste, Ji Wan’s eyes began to waver.

Gazing at those eyes intently, Tae Sung asked softly.

“So you’ll accept it then? That gift.”

“It’s still burdensome, but…”

“I see. If you only wear it outside on Saturdays, I’ll throw it away…”

“Ah, what are you throwing away! Don’t throw it away! Okay, I’ll keep it then. If you ever need it later, Tae Sung, just let me know and I’ll return it.”

At the nonsensical addition, Tae Sung let out a chuckle.

“Would I ever need it?”

“You might! If you get a real wife or a girlfriend…”

“Hmm, certainly.”

“So is that how it is? I’m not fully accepting this?”

Ji Wan replied as such and quickly scurried back into her room.

It was a hasty retreat, as if afraid he might catch onto her strange logic.

Watching her retreating figure, Tae Sung’s eyes filled with obvious interest.

Is it pride that prevents her from admitting she likes it? Or is it shyness?

Either way, it’s charming.

Tae Sung quietly picked up his phone and sent a message to Choi Sook Hyang, the working-level official who had chosen today’s outfit.

And then he suddenly realized.

For the first time in his life, he was expressing gratitude to someone for something related to another person.

Tae Sung never owed anyone anything.

He had always strictly separated public and private matters, thinking it would be a weakness.

But asking Choi, a purely professional relationship despite the trust built, for Ji Wan’s clothes…

Yes, it certainly wasn’t like Tae Sung.

That was a fact he hadn’t realized until he gave and handed over the clothes.

* * *

A cafe in Seongsu-dong that’s currently trending on social media.

The eyes of those enjoying coffee there all glanced at one spot.

The one inadvertently capturing the attention of those around was Yi Young, enjoying coffee with some friends by a window where sunlight streamed in well.

Thanks to her brother Hwa Young, who enjoys superstar-level popularity on social media, she has become famous by association and is one of those recognized by everyone even without using social media herself.

“Hey, isn’t that right? Do Hwa Young’s sister.”

“Yeah. I thought she only hung out in Apgujeong or Cheongdam, but she’s come all the way to Seongsu.”

“She looks really pure and clean in person. Completely different from Do Hwa Young.”

While fully aware of the attention directed at her, Yi Young pretended not to notice and focused on conversing with her friends.

The gathering Yi Young attended today was a friend’s meeting of daughters from families as prominent as her own.

“Yi Young, are your exhibition preparations going well? I heard you’re having your first solo exhibition soon.”

“Yes, I’m working hard on it. Just thinking about my first solo exhibition makes me so nervous already.”

“From the few pieces you showed before, it looks like it’ll be a huge hit. My father is interested too.”

“Oh my, then won’t your father dedicate a program to Yi Young’s exhibition?”

“Come on, just because he’s a broadcasting station president doesn’t mean he can decide programming at will. But he should be able to provide some subtle support for our Yi Young, right?”

While pretending to be about Yi Young, it was ultimately just boasting about their families.

The atmosphere in this neighborhood was always like this, so it was boring, but the reason for attending was because her mother, Chairwoman Choi Yu Ria, had specially instructed her to attend.

Unlike Hwa Young, Yi Young, who plays the role of the family’s gentle lamb, wore a bright smile today to fulfill her role faithfully.

“Thank you for your concern. Please come when the exhibition starts. I’ll be waiting.”

“Oh, you little thing. Of course we’ll come. But… Hwa Young oppa is coming, right?”

“Ha, do you still like Hwa Young oppa?”

“What do you mean still! Are you bringing up what I said as a college freshman?”

The next topic was about her older brother, whom all the women in this gathering had their eyes on at one point.

As there wasn’t much to say about this topic either, she was just maintaining her smile when.

Ring ring― Ring ring―

Yi Young’s phone rang.

Checking the caller, Yi Young hid the phone screen in her palm and quietly stood up.

“Sorry, girls. I have an important call. Is it okay if I step out to take it for a moment?”

“Our Yi Young is so sweet, what should we do? For something like that, you can just go! We’re close!”

“Thanks. Then please wait just a bit!”

Yi Young moved towards the restroom.

The single-occupancy restroom was the perfect place to take the call that just came in.

Once inside, she immediately erased the gentle smile that had been on her lips.

“Didn’t I tell you not to call on weekday afternoons?”

Her voice as soon as she answered the phone was sharp, unlike when dealing with the gathering members.

Kim Moo Hwan, who has been acting as her underling since their college days, burst into his characteristic boisterous laughter, seemingly thrilled by her reaction.

―Hahaha! So prickly! You think I called for no reason? I contacted you first because there’s something.

“I’ll kill you if it’s nothing.”

―Then I won’t die. Because it’s huge.

As it wouldn’t be the first or second time he said this only for it to be insubstantial, Yi Young didn’t unfurrow her brow.

But Moo Hwan’s next words were enough to completely erase the discomfort from her face.

―I finally got Joo Tae Sung. I found out where he is!

“What? Is that really true…?”

―Yeah! I told you I know someone who works for that family, right? I asked today and he said the neighborhood that’s been tense finally calmed down a bit after Joo Tae Sung’s whereabouts were confirmed.

“Just tell me where that location is. Don’t add unnecessary explanations.”

Finally having a lead on Joo Tae Sung’s whereabouts.

Unable to stay calm after waiting so long, Yi Young gnawed at her nails and urged Moo Hwan.

Moo Hwan replied in a mocking voice, seeing Yi Young like this.

―I don’t know the exact location either. That hyung is on the security team, so he can overhear family matters but can’t access detailed information.

“Is that what you call speaking through an open mouth?”

―Don’t get angry already. Instead, I know where he’ll appear. This Saturday at 12 PM. The French restaurant ‘Ciel Bleu’ in Apgujeong. Joo Sung Gye and Joo Tae Sung are scheduled to meet there.

That alone was certainly a great gain.

Yi Young, who had only been searching for Tae Sung since his unilateral discharge, finally exhaled in relief like someone who had solved a long homework problem.

“Good job. You were finally useful.”

―That’s praise, right? Wow, Joo Tae Sung must be something. You’re even giving me praise.

“I’ll send you the information fee with a bonus, so hang up.”

Yi Young tried to quickly end the call now that the business was done.

Now that she finally had a chance to meet Tae Sung face-to-face, she needed to act quickly to plan how to approach him naturally.

However, Moo Hwan didn’t hang up, instead continuing with an unpleasant laugh.

―Hahaha, calm down a bit, baby. We’re not done calculating yet. There’s one more piece of high-quality information you need to price.

His voice was still full of confidence.

Yi Young stopped her finger that was about to press the end call button and brought the phone back to her ear.

What came out next pierced not Yi Young’s ear, but her mind.

―Joo Tae Sung’s wife will appear at that meeting. Together with Joo Tae Sung.

Joo Tae Sung’s wife meant the very person who had broken off Yi Young and Tae Sung’s marriage.

An unknown entity she couldn’t find for 3 years despite trying, and a person Yi Young despised without even knowing her name.

“Did you just say… wife?”

Yi Young’s voice trembled as she mentioned Ji Wan.

Excited by her dramatic reaction, Moo Hwan spoke even more enthusiastically about his achievement.

―Yeah. If you go there, you can finally meet that woman. It’ll be a three-way encounter.

“…”

―Now that such an opportunity has come… You’re not planning to just secretly watch Joo Tae Sung and leave, are you?

The moment she heard those words, Yi Young’s hand gripping the phone tensed up.

Unlike her innocent-looking face, her strong fingertips looked as if they were strangling someone’s neck.

Moo Hwan knew well that his strength was needed for dirty work like knife dances.

―Anything else you want me to do? What should I prepare? We don’t know when we’ll meet again, shouldn’t I prepare for a knife dance or something?

So to secure future profits, he diligently promoted what he could do, and after a moment of silence, Yi Young gave orders in an icy voice.

“Stand by.”

―What? But…

“Just stand by for now. This time, if there’s a knife dance, I’ll dance it myself.”

As she said this, quiet anger gathered in her eyes.

It was an emotion so deep and hot that even Moo Hwan, who knew her shadow, could never imagine.

Like a massive volcano on the brink of a huge eruption.