Seung Ho’s face was filled with anxiety as he quickly made his way through the crowd. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand Ha Jun’s question about what he thought of Ji Hyun. The truth was, it had already been decided.

From the age of eighteen, when he saw her small hand on the white pebble, Seung Ho had thought, ‘She’s mine.’

Ji Hyun was clearly his. That’s why he raised her.

Like a butterfly he owned, he raised her and waited with flowers full of honey so that even if she flew far away, she could return. It wasn’t a difficult task. Because little, delicate Ji Hyun was always the butterfly in his greenhouse…

“I like Ji Hyun.”

The calm composure didn’t last long. The unpleasant voice rang loudly in his head like a warning signal.

‘How dare he…’

Seung Ho gritted his teeth. Anger rose towards Ha Jun, who had expressed the slimy emotions he despised so much to his butterfly.

The quick steps he was taking to find Ji Hyun abruptly stopped. In the place he had left behind, she was with Ha Jun. Seeing them together was a picture he hadn’t anticipated.

They were facing each other with quite intimate expressions, laughing joyfully. Only the sight of Ji Hyun’s pretty smile filled Seung Ho’s vision. Suddenly, there was a dull sensation in his left chest, followed by a pain that felt like a large hammer shattering his bones.

Nearly collapsing from the unfamiliar pain, he struggled to suppress the urge to rush over and grab Ha Jun by the collar. Fortunately, his well-trained judgment overpowered the raging impulse.

“Phew…”

Seung Ho roughly ran his hand through his well-groomed hair as if ruffling it, then slowly closed his eyes and opened them. What he needed right now was not anger, but the rational thinking that had fled from him.

“I like you.”

The sickening confession he was tired of hearing even without doing anything – but what if those words came from Ji Hyun’s mouth?

With yearning eyes and those plump, hesitant lips, if she said she wanted me, would I still despise you then?

The moment he imagined Ji Hyun expressing her heart and desiring him, a tingling sensation pierced through from his toes. Feeling even the tiny hairs standing on end, Seung Ho rubbed the back of his neck. It was a dizzying sensation that made him regret it was just imagination.

But what if it wasn’t? If Ji Hyun looked at him with mocking eyes, just as he had been doing all this time…

‘I’m afraid.’

Conflicting emotions shook his vision. A fear that overwhelmed the thrilling sensation swept over him.

Seung Ho unknowingly took a step back. The scales that had been evenly dividing reason and emotion began to sway violently and shake the world. That’s when it happened.

“Seung Ho, what are you doing now?”

Soo Rin, her face flushed, roughly grabbed Seung Ho’s arm. She must have chased after him when he turned and left without a word.

“Do you know how long Young Lady Chae Rin was waiting for you, how could you just leave like that?”

“I’m sure I clearly told you earlier that I had already met her.”

The polite tone towards his angry mother sounded rather ominous. Unlike his confusing, distorted emotions, Seung Ho looked down at the fuming Soo Rin with his usual arrogant expression, furrowing his brow.

His beautiful mother had a habit of always speaking in her own favor.

From her rough breathing that didn’t easily subside, Seung Ho could tell how much effort his mother had put into Chae Rin, wanting to become in-laws with the owner of a global company. She must have made empty promises that Seung Ho had a good impression of her.

Soo Rin stared at her son, whose eyes seemed unfamiliar. At some point, Seung Ho had become subtly twisted, pushing his already distant family even further away.

But Soo Rin was not one to back down here. Chae Rin’s family was a good card to back up Chairman Shin’s business.

If only her eldest son was a little better, she wouldn’t have needed to go through this trouble…

Soo Rin bit her lip and tried to smile at her son who was going astray.

“I heard Chairman Park is coming too, wouldn’t it be nice to greet him?”

Seung Ho was indifferent, as if ignoring her wish.

“I wonder if Chae Rin would really like that.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? She said her condition isn’t very good today, but you still have to do what you must.”

‘What on earth was he looking at?’

Soo Rin noticed that instead of focusing on the conversation, Seung Ho kept looking elsewhere.

“Just greet the Chairman. Okay? Just greet him. I won’t ask for anything else.”

Soo Rin, who had pushed Seung Ho’s back with effort, watched him leave, seemingly irritated.

He was a son who was difficult to deal with, unlike a child she had given birth to. She was curious where his obsessive and excited gaze, which didn’t suit him, was directed. Soo Rin stood where he had been and turned her gaze.

“Ah…”

Soo Rin’s face froze coldly upon discovering what was at the end of his gaze. A moth that ate scraps and lived by flocking to the light – Choi Ji Hyun, whom she had chased away from her eighteen-year-old son’s side, was there.

“Stay right here and don’t move.”

With those words, as if tied to an invisible string, Ji Hyun paced around. Seung Ho, who seemed like he would return soon, did not easily show himself.

“What are you doing here?”

Ji Hyun lifted her head at the sound of someone calling her and smiled awkwardly.

“Ha Jun.”

“Have you eaten anything?”

“No, nothing…”

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten anything other than champagne. Realizing this, her stomach began to ache.

“You can’t do that. You’ll hurt your stomach.”

When Ji Hyun said she was on an empty stomach, Ha Jun disappeared into the crowd with a serious expression, then quickly reappeared. In his hand was a plate piled high with finger foods.

“At least eat this.”

Instead of taking the food, Ji Hyun looked at Ha Jun. He was intently examining the snacks he had hurriedly gathered.

“I like Ji Hyun.”

A confession overheard while hiding, it felt strange. She was glad she hadn’t heard it directly. Even though it felt cowardly, she couldn’t help it. If she had heard it through his mouth, it would have been hard to look at him like this.

Ha Jun was always a kind friend to Ji Hyun. He was a good person who told her to call him whenever she was having a hard time.

“This looks delicious.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Looking at Ha Jun, who was smiling warmly at her, Ji Hyun felt an inexplicable sadness.

Chae Rin glanced sideways at Seung Ho standing next to her. It was a spot where Soo Rin had barely managed to drag him to stand, saying it was proper to meet her father, Chairman Park.

Seung Ho, who had been standing there indifferently, took out his phone and sent a text message somewhere. With the small movement of his collar, a cool mint scent wafted into Chae Rin’s nose. Just being by his side made her breathless.

For Chae Rin, who had never failed to get what she wanted, the most difficult thing was none other than Shin Seung Ho. It had always been that way since childhood.

His smooth features, the large height that contrasted with it, the perfectly fitting suit that accentuated his broad shoulders – he was the ideal type she had always dreamed of.

When he called her name in his low, echoing baritone voice, Chae Rin desperately wished to marry him soon and become a couple who called each other “honey” and “dear.”

During her time studying abroad, Chae Rin met and broke up with many men. Knowing well that the freedom given to her was limited, she met men even more eagerly than she studied.

For her, dating was just a form of amusement she could enjoy before the arranged marriage her parents had set up.

Yet, she had a conviction that the person who would become her husband was Shin Seung Ho. However, it didn’t take long for Chae Rin’s long-drawn blueprint to crumble.

It was clearly her mistake to have gotten upset at a female employee standing next to her, paying attention to rumors, and even discussing night shifts.

Because the words she should have heard from Seung Ho were not the married life she had dreamed of…

But seeing Seung Ho standing splendidly by her side now, she couldn’t think of any other options. He was too precious to let go over one flaw.

“Seung Ho.”

Chae Rin called out to him standing next to her in a small voice. Seung Ho gave her a glance. Chae Rin momentarily held her breath, feeling like she would melt under his arrogant eyes. She really couldn’t give up.

“I haven’t made a decision yet. So don’t worry too much.”

A sound like deflating air was heard above her head. He laughed, raising one corner of his mouth as if her words were ridiculous. His appearance, always taking the superior position whenever the relationship between people was determined, was never that of the concerned party.

Even now, the one who should be worried was Chae Rin, not Seung Ho.

“Chairman Park!”

When Chae Rin’s father and the head of Rivernic appeared, Myung Ho, who had shown up from somewhere, approached them with a brightened face.

“Mr. Shin Myung Ho, or should I say President now? Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Chairman.”

Although they were secretly meeting and scheming together, the two spoke awkwardly as if seeing each other for the first time at this event. As Chairman Park shook hands with Myung Ho, exchanging a few words of greeting, Seung Ho’s eyes quietly shone.

“Dad!”

Chae Rin called out to Chairman Park cheerfully. Then Chairman Park’s gaze turned to Chae Rin and Seung Ho next to her. She blushed and gently grasped the hem of Seung Ho’s clothing.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Seung Ho. You’re very handsome, just as I heard. Our daughter sang praises about you, Mr. Seung Ho. Saying you’re an amazing man with no flaws.”

“You flatter me.”

Seung Ho was different from Myung Ho. Unlike his brother who acted like the tongue in Chairman Park’s mouth, he merely nodded his head out of courtesy in a dry voice.

Seeing this, Soo Rin’s face turned pale, but the one who was truly anxious was Chae Rin. She spoke to Chairman Park with a determined face.

“Dad, I’ve made my decision.”