As I stood there, unable to say a word, Jaeha’s gaze narrowed.

As if realizing that all my memories had returned.

“Do you remember?”

“I don’t know.”

I tried to play dumb, my face getting so hot it felt like steam was coming out.

It was a moment when I was trying to distance myself from Jaeha.

“If you don’t remember, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll recreate it for you.”

Wait, what?

“So that you can remember everything.”

Jaeha, who had been giving me a meaningful smile, pulled me closer with a firm grip.

I should have refused, but I couldn’t open my mouth.

“Whether it was the effect of alcohol or not, your flushed face looked so beautiful. That day, you were incredibly honest, Lady Yeo Jin.”

“…….”

“I wanted to see you, and I couldn’t stand it.”

Jaeha’s words flashed through my mind like a panorama of memories from that day.

Did I really do such a thing…?

When the memory of that day came back perfectly, it was dizzying.

I had been honest, just like he said. Too honest.

“I remember everything now. That’s enough.”

“It’s not over yet.”

Jaeha’s large hand, unstoppable, came closer and enveloped my cheeks.

The moment of our kiss came to mind.

Surely… it wouldn’t go as far as to recreate that, right?

I wanted to believe it wouldn’t.

But as I gazed at Jaeha slowly approaching me, my chest began to throb violently.

“The most important part is still left.”

It happened without a chance to object.

Jaeha’s words brought my lips deep into a swallow.

My mind became distant.

The lukewarm champagne tangled inside my mouth, and heat surged through my body.

I couldn’t regain my senses with the dizzying sensation of him entwining around me.

Lies. I’ve never done something so strange.

Just a dense kiss sent shivers through every corner of my body.

The hand that held his cuff shook.

I need to stop.

I have to stop, but the conflicting emotions of reason telling me to stop and the whisper of whether it’s not pleasant for me, too, collided.

“Sigh.”

As I let out my held breath, Jaeha’s lips, which had momentarily distanced themselves from me, approached once again.

Is it okay like this, for us?

Could I give up revenge and yield to the sweet love he was offering?

As I spent more time with him, I felt my resolve weakening.

Maybe I should just give up everything and escape to this man.

I myself didn’t know what was right anymore.

I came back determined to take revenge on Seo Ji-han and Chae Se-rin, who had taken everything from me.

I declared that there would be no love in my second life.

But instead of revenge, I found myself wanting to give up everything and surrender to the sweet thrill he gave me.

Realizing such thoughts, unable to bear it any longer, I pushed him away.

“Enough… please stop.”

I managed to speak, but even that came out with a trembling voice.

As if sensing my trembling hand that held his cuff, Jaeha clasped my hand.
As my feelings toward Jaeha grew, so did the uneasiness that settled in my heart.

As if he sensed the uneasy emotions I was experiencing, he asked, “What are you so afraid of?”

“……?”

“It’s a natural feeling. It’s just love.”

Jaeha defined the emotions I couldn’t conclusively express with my own mouth.

And he did it very easily. As I realized such a Jaeha, I felt overwhelmed.

My feelings might have been love for quite some time.

However, that emotion felt like a luxury to me, and as my heart grew, it became more painful.

Even though the target of revenge was the same, Jaeha was the stepbrother of Ji-han, who I considered family.

But seeing him easily articulate what I struggled to say left me feeling disappointed.

“While it may be easy for others, it’s not for us. We are…”

“Who cares about us? Let’s not be trapped in revenge and be honest about our feelings.”

How can I be honest?

I…

“It’s not easy to say it like that…”

“I like you, Yeo Jin.”

Before I could erupt in anger, Jaeha interrupted my words.

He called my name with a more affectionate tone than ever.

This was not right; the heart I had tried so hard to control collapsed with his words.

“I have grown fond of you, Lady Yeo Jin.”

I couldn’t refute and bit my trembling lips.

“I met you at the funeral home, and my life changed since then. I felt what happiness is for the first time in 33 years.”

In reality, I felt the same.

My life changed completely after meeting Jaeha at the funeral home.

At first, I thought of him as a reliable ally, but as I spent time with Jaeha, it became enjoyable.

I received a lot of comfort from him, and now, it’s hard to imagine a life without him.

To suppress the emotions surging up, I bit my lips, feeling a bitter taste of blood.

Seeing this, he reached out his finger over my lips.

“Honestly, I’ve run out of patience. I can’t control my feelings anymore. And you, too, aren’t you the same?”

“…If it goes wrong…”

“Don’t worry about a future that hasn’t come yet. Nothing is predetermined.”

With care, Jaeha hugged me gently.

Gradually, I felt comfort in the warmth emanating from him.

Yes, perhaps my straightforwardness was just a whim.