Tae Sung’s office bustling without a moment’s rest.

Tae Sung’s gaze on the monitor was particularly sensitive today.

Even easy cases got complicated and simple tasks dragged on unnecessarily, with his concentration feeling completely off.

Such days were rare for Tae Sung.

With his excellent work performance, he usually sprinted through even more difficult and rough paths more easily than others.

But today, even the letters weren’t registering well…….

“Ah, coffee.”

Searching for the cause, Tae Sung realized he had skipped his morning coffee.

For Tae Sung, who operated on caffeine, coffee was an extremely important fuel.

“Prosecutor, do you need anything?”

As Tae Sung came out of his office, Choi Sook Hyang the clerk asked, rising from her seat.

Tae Sung answered in his characteristic dry voice as he put on his coat.

“I’m going to the cafe, does anyone want anything?”

“The cafe? I can go for you if you’d like…….”

“No need. I could use some fresh air anyway.”

Tae Sung looked around at the employees as if saying to speak up.

No employee could ask for a coffee errand from a man who made them tense just by being in the same space.

“I’d like something sweet…… like a strawberry smoothie.”

Shin Hyung Gu, the senior clerk, carefully placed his order.

Tae Sung, inputting the menu in his mind, gave a short nod and turned his gaze to the others.

“If anyone else wants anything, please say so. Other items besides drinks are fine too.”

Seeing him say that twice, it seems he really intends to go alone…….

“Then, I’ll have an iced Americano…….”

“Me too!”

“Prosecutor, would a decaf latte be alright for me……?”

The employees each stated their orders while inwardly perplexed.

What could be going on with someone who usually stayed in his office from arrival to departure?

“He’s been really strange lately. Doing a lot of things unlike himself.”

Of course, only Choi Sook Hyang could ask that outright.

At her question, the curious gazes of other employees also turned to Tae Sung.

“Am I strange?”

“Yes, you never go to cafes to save time, right? You only drink canned coffee. But now you’re saying you’ll buy for everyone else too…….”

“Ah.”

That was certainly true.

Tae Sung only saw the employees’ faces during work-related conversations or occasional lunch meetings.

Even then, he finished his meals alone in just 10 minutes, so there had never been a chance to personally buy and serve coffee for the employees.

Paying attention to something he never usually did must also be due to his lowered concentration.

“……Rest is necessary sometimes.”

Tae Sung gave a brief answer to Choi’s doubts and left the office.

The destination was a bakery cafe about a 10-minute walk away.

It would take 20 minutes round trip, but he chose it thinking that much walking might help restore his concentration.

But even after coming outside, his mind didn’t relax at all.

Rather, perhaps because he was out during work hours, the tasks that should have been finished by now orbited his mind like planets.

Just as he arrived at the cafe with an expression as heavy as his heart.

Ziiing―

The phone in his pocket rang.

Thinking it was an employee contacting about changing their order, Tae Sung checked his phone with a dry gaze.

Immediately, what entered his eyes was a message from a completely unexpected sender.

[Let me know the address of where to go when you’re done. I’ve loaded the car with luggage, so I’ll head over on my own.]

“Lee Ji Wan……?”

At the plain content matching her personality, Tae Sung’s gaze wavered subtly.

Knowing exactly what this meant, Tae Sung barely held back the corners of his mouth that were about to twitch momentarily.

After leaving alone like that yesterday, he had deliberately tried not to anticipate any outcome.

But seeing his condition, which had been down all morning, instantly perk up at the arrived response, maybe the problem wasn’t caffeine or concentration after all.

“Welcome! You can place your coffee order over here!”

Just then, a clerk who came out to the counter greeted Tae Sung with a bright smile.

Originally planning to just buy drinks, he suddenly felt like being more generous.

“It’s for sharing with employees, do you have any dessert recommendations? We have various age groups, so please suggest several types.”

As he said this, Tae Sung’s face showed a hint of a smile unseen all day.

The day Joo Tae Sung, who went out to buy coffee, returned with a bright smile and even bread.

This day would be a historic, memorable one for the employees.

Though Tae Sung, sensitive in everything but oblivious to his own matters, probably wouldn’t realize it.

* * *

A Korean restaurant near the ‘Sun’ law firm.

“Hello, Father.”

As the neatly dressed Yi Young entered the room, a light entered the eyes of Representative Joo Sung Gye, who had been sitting anxiously.

Seeing her for the first time since their confrontation at the restaurant, she looked more gaunt than when they last met.

“Ah, you’re here. Was it difficult getting here?”

To Joo’s worried inquiry, Yi Young replied with a forced smile.

“How could coming to have lunch with you be difficult, Father?”

“You’ve lost a lot of weight.”

“I’ve lost some weight recently. That’s why I’m planning to eat a lot today.”

Yi Young answered playfully, but she still looked completely drained.

She had been feeling unwell ever since crying so much after the Joo Tae Sung disaster, but she looked much more exhausted than expected.

“I’m sorry. For calling you out that day for no reason…….”

Representative Joo Sung Gye spoke, unable to hide his unnecessary guilt.

Seeing this, Yi Young quietly lowered her head.

Though it would look pitiful in Joo’s eyes, she was actually holding back laughter.

She had starved herself for 3 days just to get this exact reaction.

This should be enough for Representative Joo Sung Gye to willingly fall into Yi Young’s palm.

‘I need to do well from here. The main point hasn’t even started yet.’

Composing her excited heart, Yi Young continued her act as a pitiful young girl.

“I’ve been pushing myself lately for a solo exhibition. I was going to meet you after recovering, worried you might be concerned…….”

“You’ve had a hard time since that day, haven’t you?”

“Oh no, Father. Don’t worry about the Tae Sung oppa thing. It’s not like I didn’t expect that kind of reaction.”

“…….”

“You saw too, Father. The wife next to Tae Sung oppa. She was so lovely…….”

Yi Young casually brought up Ji Wan.

With a spoonful of praise added for the image of a kind-hearted, good girl.

Immediately, the fierce look in Joo’s eyes was full of reluctance to accept her as a daughter-in-law.

“Don’t even mention that girl. Where did he bring such an ill-mannered thing from…….”

“She seemed fine to me.”

“You should have seen before you came. She was just like Joo Tae Sung. Not a shred of respect to be found.”

Hmm, if she’s like Tae Sung oppa, is she the cold-blooded type…….

Unfortunately, Yi Young didn’t glean much information about Ji Wan from the confrontation.

If anything, the only gain was finally seeing her face.

In fact, Yi Young had used every means and method to find out about Ji Wan all this time.

She had requested background checks from Kim Moo Hwan, who was no different from a private investigator, dozens of times, and when that yielded nothing, she personally staked out in front of Tae Sung’s house several times.

But for 3 years, not a single trace of the wife could be found.

After about a year of coming up empty, Yi Young doubted the wife’s very existence, but each time, Joo Tae Sung’s close associates would blab about photos of the wife they had seen and the couple’s married life.

Those stories were too uniform and detailed to be made up on the spot.

How could all those photos not fall into Yi Young’s hands?

How could all those stories not reach Yi Young’s ears?

Come to think of it, this was all because Joo Tae Sung was voluntarily acting as a barricade for his so-called wife.

To think that person would play the role of a barricade.

That would be like heaven and earth turning upside down, so Yi Young just felt extremely disgusted.

‘Even at this moment, that woman must be feeling safe in Joo Tae Sung’s arms. Now that I’ve confirmed her existence, I won’t leave her be anymore.’

Yi Young, who had been secretly sharpening her knife, relaxed her face to prevent the overflowing malice from showing.

Then she looked at Representative Joo with sorrowful eyes.

“Father. I’m going to…… give up on Tae Sung oppa now.”

This was one step back to take two steps forward.

Unaware of this fact, Representative Joo’s face turned pale.

“What are you saying? Give up?”

“I think you know too, Father. How foolish I’ve been all this time. He was someone out of reach from the start. Maybe I’ve been dreaming an empty dream.”

Hearing Yi Young’s words, Representative Joo Sung Gye opened his mouth as if to say something.

But he soon closed it again with a complicated expression.

The response that followed was a more feeble agreement than expected.

“……What right do I have to hold you back? I felt sorry calling myself your father too. It’s time for you to move on and find a good person now.”

Ha, look at this old man. Why is he giving up so quickly?

A thorn pricked Yi Young’s heart.

He used to coax and comfort her, but it seems the Joo Tae Sung disaster was quite shocking.

Well. He had never seen Tae Sung reject someone directly before.

“Moving on…… would be nice if I could, but I’m not confident. Even if an amazing person appears, they won’t be Tae Sung oppa.”

Yi Young recited lines full of lingering attachment so that Joo wouldn’t let her go too much.

Sure enough.

Deep sympathy filled Representative Joo Sung Gye’s eyes as he looked at her.

“Yi Young…….”

Judging by the slight tremor in his voice calling her name, his sympathetic heart seems to have welled up sufficiently.

If the sympathy gets too deep, it might just build unnecessary walls like before, so it’s about time to get to the main point.

“Actually…… I was thinking of meeting his wife separately.”

“Her? Why?”

Representative Joo’s eyes wavered at Yi Young’s subtly revealed desire.

He didn’t seem to have expected her to harbor such thoughts at all.

Yi Young continued speaking with an expression so innocent that not a trace of malice could be found.

“I was curious what kind of person she is. She’s receiving all the love I couldn’t get after all.”

“…….”

“If I meet her and she turns out to be much more amazing than me, or much kinder, or has a much greater love…… Maybe I could give up too.”

She deliberately included status, personality, and affection as points of comparison.

Following her words, Representative Joo Sung Gye would compare that woman to each point in his mind, and could easily judge who had the upper hand.

“Hmm…….”

As expected, Representative Joo Sung Gye’s gaze stopped in midair.

Seeing his serious face, he must be running the calculations as Yi Young intended.

Yi Young silently acted pitiful, hoping the situation would flow as she intended.

How long had this indecipherable silence lasted?

“……If Tae Sung finds out, the situation will get worse. Once he considers someone an enemy, that boy shows no mercy.”

Representative Joo Sung Gye said.

It was a development far from the answer she so desperately wanted.

Yi Young pressed down the rising anxiety and prayed this wasn’t the end.

Fortunately, Joo’s voice slowly continued.

“If you’re confident you can keep it from reaching Joo Tae Sung’s ears…… would you like to meet that woman separately?”

“Are you…… serious?”

“It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong. We’re not going to harm her.”

“Father…….”

“That woman needs to see you in person to realize whose place it originally was.”

Yi Young’s lips twisted up, having finally elicited the desired response.

The leaking smile was hard to hide.

“That’s not my intention in going…… Thank you so much for always being on my side, Father.”

Yi Young highly praised Joo to give justification to her smile.

A vicious smirk similar to hers flowed from between Representative Joo’s lips.

“Of course I’m on your side. What kind of child are you…….”

The meaning of those words was far from pure affection.

What he values highly is not the person Do Yi Young, but what she holds.

But that’s why Yi Young liked Representative Joo Sung Gye.

How nice that he desires so much what she’s had since birth?

Thanks to that, she can also maintain her connection to Joo Tae Sung.