“Shin Joo, if you come in looking like that and say you’ll do everything, the men will misunderstand.”

“…”

“Even I’m tempted, and I have no feelings for you.”

Joo’s gaze, which had been locked with Nam Do Hyun’s, wavered slightly.

It was Joo’s will to enter the man’s space, and it was Joo who offered everything, even her liver and gall bladder.

However, she felt something unhealthy in the subtly shifting atmosphere.

But Joo wasn’t the type to back down on her words.

“Then does that mean you want to marry me?”

Did she have to be so determined about marriage, as if going to war?

Nam Do Hyun was almost swept away by Joo’s steadfast attitude.

“No. I’m not such a beast that I can’t control a single desire.”

The expectation that had been slowly rising was ruthlessly trampled by Do Hyun.

However, she was so used to hope running away by now. So she couldn’t be crushed by a single rejection from Do Hyun.

“Take the umbrella with you.”

It was before Do Hyun could even open the shoe closet next to him.

Joo entered the entrance without hesitation, invading Nam Do Hyun’s space.

She didn’t stop there and took a big step towards Do Hyun.

“Let me stay over tonight.”

“What?”

“No, let me stay until I find a place to live.”

Every single word went against all of Nam Do Hyun’s expectations.

Do Hyun didn’t like it when the situations he predicted were repeatedly off the mark.

It was like that with the Clack Resort case, and now even Shin Joo was acting beyond his expectations.

“Yesterday you said you had nowhere else to go besides here.”

“I’m going to try going the easy way, like you said. All the difficult paths I’ve been trudging along have turned out to be dead ends.”

He wondered what had happened in a single day for Shin Joo to flip her principles like the back of her hand.

“Do you think if we live together rubbing shoulders, I’ll develop feelings for you? It’s so obvious it’s getting old.”

“It may be obvious, but I like it. We can conveniently get married too.”

Ah, what to do about this.

When she should be coming in humbly, she even talks back to him punctually.

He could just kick her out of the house right now, but again, he couldn’t do that.

Perhaps Shin Joo came knowing he wouldn’t be able to be coldhearted.

Why was that? He wasn’t usually a softie to others, but with Shin Joo, he found himself taking a step back.

“Are you going to keep mentioning marriage like that?”

“Yes. I’m going to keep giving you unromantic, uninspiring proposals.”

Do Hyun let go of the doorknob he had been holding.

As the door slammed shut, all the small noises disappeared as if someone had covered their ears.

Do Hyun’s voice echoed lowly in the silent entrance.

“Fine. Keep going. And get confirmation from me every time.”

Eyes as cold as the lashing rain met hers.

“That I will never marry you.”

That statement was enough to ignite Joo’s competitive spirit.

Do Hyun’s eyes lingered on the kitchen as he finished getting ready for work and came out to the living room.

Joo was standing in front of the dining table, wearing an ivory apron from somewhere.

He had thought the smell of food was wafting all the way to the bedroom, and sure enough, the dining table was full of a warm meal.

“You woke up just in time.”

Joo’s greeting was as natural as if she had been staying at this house for a long time.

“You eat a lot for breakfast, surprisingly.”

It looked like it would take at least an hour to eat it all.

Joo brought over utensils and placed a set each in front of herself and where Do Hyun would sit.

“I can’t eat it all by myself. I made this and that because I didn’t know what you like.”

“You made it all yourself, not bought it?”

From sandwiches with bacon to seaweed soup and several side dishes.

He naturally assumed she had bought the breakfast that required a lot of effort from outside.

“I told you. I’m good at everything.”

He had to admit what needed to be admitted.

The food laid out on the table all looked appetizing.

Joo took off her apron and waited for Do Hyun to sit across from her.

However, Nam Do Hyun walked past the table set with care and headed to the front door.

“I don’t eat breakfast.”

He could have taken a spoonful considering the effort she put in, but that was also giving her a chance.

Rather than making her expect something, Do Hyun’s goal was to make Joo give up quickly.

Joo headed with quick steps to Do Hyun who was standing at the entrance.

“Sir, I was in my right mind when I said that yesterday. About wanting to get married.”

“I know now that you’re in your right mind. So I’m thinking I should be a little scared.”

It was obvious he was just paying lip service.

Joo had to spend a little more time to change Nam Do Hyun’s mind.

Joo, getting impatient, turned her body towards the living room.

“I’ll get ready and come out. Let’s go together.”

“You’ll be punished if you waste food. Eat it all and come out.”

Unless she shoved all that food into her mouth at once, there was no way they could go together.

It was his way of telling her not to follow him.

Do Hyun left the house without even waiting for Joo’s answer.

Joo stood stunned in front of the entrance, unable to do anything.

“This is supposed to be the easy way, right?”

She had tried to pave an easy way after going around and around the difficult path, but this was no different from an iron wall.

Could she really conquer the fortress-like Nam Do Hyun?

But there was something Do Hyun didn’t know. Shin Joo wasn’t such a pushover of an attacker.

Do Hyun, who returned after work, habitually reached for the light switch on the wall, but stopped.

He belatedly noticed the bright beam of light coming from the living room and realized Joo had entered the house first.

As he put on indoor slippers and went inside, the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board could be heard.

Coming out to the living room, he saw Joo preparing dinner in the open kitchen.

He couldn’t tell if the person he let into the house was a company employee or a housekeeper.

Her effort was admirable, but it wasn’t enough to change Do Hyun’s mind.

Nam Do Hyun was about to pass by, but Joo didn’t miss the chance to speak to Do Hyun.

“You may skip breakfast, but you eat dinner, right?”

Do Hyun, who had half-turned his body, asked Joo.

“Are you taking bride lessons at my house?”

Only then did Joo realize her mistake and put down the knife she was holding.

“Ah, you said a diligent woman isn’t your type, right?”

He wondered what she was talking about, and it seemed she remembered what he had said to his mother who had suddenly barged into the house the other day.

“I’m also diligently taking bride lessons, so I’m very diligent.”

“Too bad. I don’t like diligent women.”

He thought she would be busy hiding, but she had her ears open, surprisingly.

“Your effort is admirable, but give up.”

“I grew up not knowing how to give up well.”

“You can learn it this time.”

Honestly, she thought Do Hyun would easily come around.

Since he needed to get married, she thought he would accept her proposal.

However, the iron wall Nam Do Hyun had built was stronger than she thought.

Seeing Do Hyun heading to the bedroom, Joo quickly washed her hands at the sink.

Joo slipped into the room before Do Hyun could close the bedroom door.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Nam Do Hyun, who had placed his briefcase on the bed, let out an incredulous laugh.

Do Hyun pulled off his tie and opened the closet in the room.

“I’m not doing it, marriage.”

“I haven’t proposed yet.”

“I’m rejecting you before hearing it.”

Ignoring Joo, Do Hyun took off the jacket he was wearing.

But before Do Hyun could take it all off, Joo took the jacket from behind.

‘Look at this.’

Wondering what she was doing, Do Hyun turned his eyes to Joo.

Joo took out a hanger from the closet and hung the jacket on it before putting it inside the closet.

“What are you doing now?”

“It would be nice to have a housekeeper or secretary at home. I’ll do that.”

Ah, he should have kicked her out of the house.

He regretted letting her into the house yesterday.

Moreover, he shouldn’t have shown kindness from the beginning.

He didn’t know she would cling to him like a ghost of a spinster who died without getting married.

“I’m going to change. Get out.”

Do Hyun unbuttoned his white shirt one by one, but Joo was still standing her ground.

“Make me do this and that. I can learn quickly and do everything well.”

Again, those words.

It seemed the warning he gave yesterday didn’t sink in at all.

Or did he look easy to her?

“What do you think I want from Shin Joo?”

“If you tell me the type of wife you want, I’ll match it all. If I need to learn, I will.”

Why was she coming out so responsibly like a model student again?

He could tell that Shin Joo was serious about this marriage.

Then he became curious about how far Shin Joo could go.

“Then shall we have an in-depth conversation?”

Nam Do Hyun took off the last remaining dress shirt on his upper body.

Joo was so surprised that she couldn’t even turn around and just froze in place.

But Do Hyun didn’t stop there, tossing the dress shirt into the closet carelessly and turning his body to Joo.

His body, which didn’t tolerate a single unnecessary fat, was so well-defined it could be captured in a drawing.

The curves of light flowed down from his firm chest to his abs.

It was a shame to hide his body, which was well-built with muscles of various sizes, inside a suit.

“Can you match my night tastes if I ask you to?”

“What?”

Joo’s toes stepped back slightly, unable to hide her flustered expression.

“I don’t really like passive women.”

“…”

“I mean, can you move very actively?”

“I don’t know what you mean by that right now.”

Did she think a kind senior or friendly boss would know how to give her a break with only wholesome words?

If so, she was greatly mistaken. Nam Do Hyun was not a man full of patience.

Do Hyun walked over to Joo, still without a single piece of clothing on his upper body.

Joo’s two feet naturally stepped back, and her back hit the wall, the end of the escape route.

Her eyes, which had been darting left and right, fixed forward.

Nam Do Hyun lowered his head and locked eyes with Joo.

“I like a wife who acts docile like a wise mother and good wife during the day, and devotes herself to her husband like a seductress at night.”

“…”

“Since you learn fast, you’ll be able to do this well in no time. Right?”