Meanwhile, Tae In was in the middle of a barrage of family questions.

“Why did you have that press conference instead of coming home right away?”
The first question was from her father, Jeong Gyu.

“Mr. Kang Nok Hyun’s secretary came to me. I have a husband, and he is in trouble because of me, so I had to help….”
“You should have looked for your family first.”
“I wanted to do that, but nobody told me. I just did the press conference as planned.”
Tae In forced out tears.

Whether Tae In’s desperate acting worked or not, the atmosphere of the family softened a bit.

Except for Se Ji, who still couldn’t withdraw her suspicious gaze.

“You don’t remember me, too? I’ve seen you since you were five. You’ve probably seen my face more than your biological mother’s face?”
Young Mi, who had been glaring at Tae In with a malicious expression, was the first to change her attitude and hugged Tae In.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”
Tae In, who was hugged unexpectedly, opened her eyes wide.

Her stepmother, Youngmi, seemed to have a fondness for adornment. Her arm was filled with three bracelets, like handcuffs, and all ten fingers were decked out in rings.

The overpowering perfume hitting her nose made Tae In feel dizzy.

“Mom, why is Tae In having a tough time?”
Se Young, who had suddenly vanished and reappeared, was just like her mother. From being modestly dressed before, she had now returned laden with trinkets on her arms, hands, and neck.

Was she trying to assert her dominance?

In the midst of the ongoing chaos, Se Ji slammed the table, causing a loud thump.

“Everyone, please stop.”
After saying that, Se Ji stood in front of Tae In, staring intently into her eyes.

As if she were trying to distinguish between lies and truth.

Tae In, too, stared back at Se Ji as if locked in a staring contest.

“Are you lying? You really don’t remember?”
“……Yes, I’m sorry. Everyone must be troubled because of me. I’ll recover my memory quickly.”
When Tae In’s voice wavered, Se Ji let out a hollow laugh, as if she was exasperated.

“After all, if you were in your right mind, you wouldn’t have come here.”
Se Ji muttered to herself.

Others didn’t hear, but Tae In heard it loud and clear.

It was fortunate. Now everyone seemed to believe her.

“From where to where can’t you remember? Don’t tell me you can’t remember even your marriage?”
Se Young asked with an expectant look on her face, and Tae In reluctantly nodded.

The corners of Se Young’s mouth twitched. She seemed to be holding back laughter.

“Mom, Dad, Tae In looks very tired. I’ll take her to her room. It would be better to let her rest and then talk!”
Se Young said in a voice full of excitement and helped Tae In to her feet.

“Father hasn’t finished talking, Se Young!”
Youngmi tightly grasped Se Young’s shoulder.

“Se Young is right, let her rest for now.”
Jeong Gyu clicked his tongue and got up.

Se Young led Tae In by the arm up to the second floor.

“You’re not lying, are you?”
“Why would I lie? I’m really frustrated right now because I can’t remember.”
“Hmm…… Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
“Is that child Arin?”
Tae In, holding the robot tightly at the end of the hallway, pointed at Arin, who was looking at her.

“Yes, don’t worry about her. Anything else?”
“Were we on good terms?”
“We weren’t bad, but you admired me a lot, right?”
“Ah……”
Tae In managed to hold back the words in her heart from reaching her throat and nodded.

“Actually, I was in love with my husband. But you intruded.”
Kang Nok Hyun was in love with Seo Se Young?

It was a ridiculous notion.

Was this a test?

Tae In furrowed her brows. But she quickly remembered her role and awkwardly smiled.

“Oh, I see.”
“Don’t you believe me?”
“Uh, well…… That’s not it, I feel sorry for my sister? Hahaha.”
“You……”
Se Young narrowed her eyes and scanned Tae In as if scrutinizing her.

Tae In swallowed her dry spit.

“You’ve become quite honest? That’s very commendable.”
Luckily, Se Yeong was simpleminded.

Perhaps she might adapt well here?

From afar, Tae In sneaked a glance at Arin who was watching her.

“I’m going to eat spicy hotpot, do you want some too?”
“Ah, no. I’m tired and want to rest.”
“Is that so? Then go ahead. This is your room.”
Se Yeong pointed at Tae In’s room and slipped into her own.

Tae In took a deep breath that made her shoulders rise and fall.

Dealing with many people had seemingly drained all her energy.

Tae In opened the door to her room and was soon disappointed.

The room was bare, with no trace of anyone having been there. For some reason, she felt like crying.

She had expected to remember something when she returned to the place where she had spent her time, but her room was clean like a model house, with no traces of her.

The dressing room was the same.

It was obvious. Everyone thought Tae In was dead, so they must have cleared everything out.

Even though it was obvious, Tae In felt bitter and sorrowful.

It felt like she had come face to face with the reality she had been dreading.

It’s alright, she thought. There’s a newlywed house. Everything should be at the newlywed house.

Now, she should be able to go to the newlywed house.

Tae In sat at the side of the bed and sighed.

She checked her phone. Apart from a message from Ik Yeong saying Nok Hyun had been released and asking if she was okay, she received no other calls or messages.

Nok Hyun’s face automatically came to her mind.

As long as he was released, that’s all that mattered.

That was what she had intended from the beginning.

She was about to call Ik Yeong to hear the details when she heard a knock on the door.

When Tae In responded, the door opened right away.

“Miss Seo Tae In, could we talk for a moment?”
Tae In was startled. It was a face she recognized.

It was the person who had come to find her in Gapyeong not too long ago.

The man with whom she had ended up having a meal because she fell into a rice paddy.

She had been uncertain earlier, but now she was sure.

“What, what’s the matter?”
Tae In asked, unable to hide her confusion.

The man approached her with a grin.

“Do you not remember me?”
“I think I told you that I had lost my memory.”
Tae In mumbled, avoiding the man’s gaze.

The man snickered.

“What did you say your name was back then? I think you called yourself Tae Sik.”
“… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Well, let’s talk about it gradually. My name is Woo Je Ha. Miss Seo Tae Sik, no, Miss Seo Tae In.”
Tae In stared blankly at the hand Je Ha extended towards her before reluctantly taking it.

Then, Je Ha firmly grasped Tae In’s hand.

Just like he had done in Gapyeong.

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