Ju Ri finally noticed who the woman was.

She was Yu Kwon’s woman that Yong Hee had mentioned.

The woman who discovered Yong Hee and Ju Ri came out of the pavilion and crossed the stone steps to approach.

“Aunt.”

The woman who looked like a porcelain doll raised the corners of her mouth in a friendly smile. Her cold expression softened.

“It’s been a while. Have you fully returned now?”

“It’s been a week since I fully returned.”

“You look healthy. That’s good.”

“Thank you. But who is this?”

The woman tilted her head. Like Yong Hee, she was elegant and graceful, but with an added lovable quality. She was truly a beautiful woman.

“Say hello. She’s my employee.”

My employee, she says.

At Yong Hee’s kind words, Ju Ri’s heart pounded. An apartment with a Han River view was right in front of her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Se Yeon.”

The moment Ju Ri saw Se Yeon up close, she realized.

I’m absolutely no match.

She was like a dignified princess, no, more like a queen.

A woman like that suits Cha Yu Kwon’s side.

Now Ju Ri understood why Yong Hee said Da Eun was a card to be discarded. It seemed no woman could compare to Jin Se Yeon.

From the moment she was born, no, even before birth, she seemed to have received all kinds of precious love, pure and unwrinkled.

Ju Ri thought Da Eun was unwrinkled too, but seeing Se Yeon made it clear. That was just an act.

Ju Ri felt oddly pleased. Because Da Eun would soon despair. Of course, she herself would have to write that process as a scenario.

Da Eun woke up early to see Yu Kwon off. The weather was now quite chilly, almost cold.

Da Eun stopped by the department store.

She hadn’t come to buy her own things, but to pick up a bag Yong Ju had ordered at the luxury store.

After getting the bag, she didn’t want to just go back, so she looked around at various things.

She thought about calling Hee Ju, but these days she seemed busy starting work again.

There was still no contact from Jun Won. He had sent a wedding gift of 1 million won and then disappeared.

“This would look pretty on my mom.”

Looking at a light, quality coat good for early winter, she thought of her mother, and looking at men’s sportswear, she thought of Da Hyun.

“Last time I saw, Song Da Hyun’s sneakers were all worn out.”

To think of family even after running away to get married. Da Eun smiled bitterly.

Da Eun paid for the coat and sneakers and requested delivery.

She paid with the debit card she had been using since before marriage.

There was still a lot left from her severance pay and wedding gifts.

Yu Kwon had given her a black card to use freely, but somehow she couldn’t use it. It felt like a debt to be repaid.

Having quickly finished her errand, Da Eun immediately returned to Hyanglimjae.

Yong Ju arrogantly spouted the sophistry that while it was okay for her to be late, others couldn’t be late.

After ringing the doorbell of the separate building where she resided and waiting, a staff member came out from inside.

“I’m here to see my aunt.”

“She stepped out for a moment.”

Sending me on an errand and then going out.

“If you’re here for the bag, please give it to me.”

Da Eun hesitated for a moment before handing over the bag. It was a long-time employee, and with CCTVs everywhere, nothing should go wrong.

As she was about to get back in the car, there was a book at her feet. Someone must have dropped it.

It was a book with a Hyanglimjae library sticker on it. She had been meaning to borrow a book anyway, so she thought she might as well return it while she was here.

Da Eun left the car parked and walked to the library.

After putting the book in the unmanned return box at the entrance, she went inside and leisurely chose books.

Ah, found it.

Da Eun pulled out a book shelved at the very bottom.

‘Speaking of Sociopaths.’

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you’re halfway to victory, right?

Da Eun thought of Yong Hee as she flipped through the book. Just then, a book fell on top of Da Eun’s head.

As Da Eun was about to groan while rubbing her crown, that’s when it happened.

“Be quiet.”

At the unfamiliar man’s voice, Da Eun instinctively held her breath.

Through the gap in the bookshelf, she could see a man and woman’s shoes.

“Don’t worry, no one comes here at this time. And there are no CCTVs here.”

It was clearly Yong Ju’s voice. Da Eun carefully got up and confirmed the face of the person beyond the bookshelf.

“I’m better than elder sister, right?”

“You call that a question?”

The two were engrossed in kissing.

“I’m not wearing underwear.”

“Ah, you’re driving me crazy. Turn around.”

Da Eun covered her mouth with her hand.

The man was Yong Hee’s husband, Kim Seo Cheon.

Seo Cheon and Yong Ju were making love in the library.

How could those two…!

The shock only lasted a moment. Da Eun managed to pull out her shaking phone.

This is an opportunity. It might even help Yu Kwon.

Da Eun recorded the explicit sounds of the two. A “ding” sound effect rang out, but they were already too lost in their own world to hear it.

Da Eun carefully slipped out. Though she hadn’t done anything wrong, her heart was pounding rapidly.

She was about to return to her quarters but just drove out instead.

But she had nowhere to go.

After thinking for a while, Da Eun thought of Yu Kwon’s company.

It was less than a 10-minute drive away.

Da Eun drove to the company parking lot.

Though she hadn’t registered her vehicle, they opened the gate just seeing her face.

“I’ve succeeded, huh.”

Since it wasn’t due to her own ability, Da Eun smiled bitterly as she got out of the car.

It’s only 11:30, so we can have lunch together.

Da Eun entered the company with an excited heart.

Now that she no longer had an employee ID, she had to get a visitor pass.

She was going to wait in the lobby, but Yu Kwon wasn’t answering his phone, perhaps in a meeting.

“I’d like to get a visitor pass.”

“May I ask what business you have?”

“I’m here to see Director Cha Yu Kwon.”

Just then, an employee who came out from behind recognized Da Eun and rushed over breathlessly.

“Ah, Secretary Song, no. Madam. I’m sorry. The new employee didn’t recognize you. Quickly apologize.”

“No, I…”

The employee opened the door with a card and bowed deeply. Then he forced the new employee to bow his head as well, telling him to apologize.

“Ah, no. It’s fine. Please don’t.”

She had tried to enter quietly, but at the sudden commotion, employees coming out for lunch murmured as they saw Da Eun.

Da Eun got on the elevator as if fleeing. Just then, her eyes met with Ju Ri who was coming out of the elevator.

Ju Ri snorted at the sight of Da Eun. Da Eun was about to ignore her and get in, but stopped when she saw the woman getting off with Ju Ri.

It was that woman. The one she had seen at the wedding.

The woman also raised one corner of her mouth as if mocking Da Eun.

“I don’t understand, Cha Yu Kwon.”

The woman muttered quietly as she passed by.

It was quiet enough that others couldn’t hear, but Da Eun heard it clearly.

Ju Ri approached Da Eun and whispered in her ear.

“That’s the woman I told you about.”

At the thought that maybe Ju Ri hadn’t been lying completely, fear washed over Da Eun.

Just as she felt a headache coming on, her legs gave out. All the surrounding sounds seemed to be sucked away somewhere, leaving silence.

Just as she was about to collapse, someone grabbed Da Eun’s shoulder firmly.

“Da Eun.”

Yu Kwon looked at Da Eun with a startled face.

The breath that had been caught in her throat burst out.

Only then did Da Eun realize she had been holding her breath. The surroundings became noisy again.

“Ah, I had some business nearby and came by…”

Da Eun awkwardly gestured outside, then pointed to the elevator again.

“Since it was lunchtime…”

Yu Kwon still looked at Da Eun worriedly. He seemed inexplicably anxious.

“Ah, you must be busy? I should just go.”

As Da Eun tried to turn away with an embarrassed smile, Yu Kwon grabbed her wrist.

“Why are you just leaving.”

“…”

“You came to see me, right?”

“Uh, um… Yes.”

“Let’s eat together.”

.

.

.

Yu Kwon followed wherever Da Eun took him. When he told her to choose what she wanted to eat, she took him to an instant tteokbokki restaurant.

“This is what I missed most after quitting the company. I ordered the non-spicy flavor, so it should be fine.”

After some time passed, Da Eun seemed to be okay.

“This place is really delicious, you haven’t been here before, right?”

Da Eun poured water and handed it to Yu Kwon with a bright smile.

“Da Eun.”

At the low voice calling her, Da Eun tilted her head, then soon found something strange.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I meant to pour it in a cup…”

She had poured the water into a soup bowl. Da Eun hurriedly tried to stand up and dropped her chopsticks.

“Da Eun, it’s fine, just sit down.”

Yu Kwon set out the plastic utensils in front of Da Eun as if nothing was wrong and poured water to hand to her.

“I’m all clumsy since it’s been a while.”

Da Eun scratched her cheek and smiled. When Yu Kwon smiled back, she seemed relieved and had a comfortable expression.

“Oh, it seems ready now. Try it first.”

“Okay.”

Da Eun put some tteokbokki on Yu Kwon’s plate. Yu Kwon ate naturally without getting nervous like before.

It used to be stressful just to eat, always anxious about revealing weaknesses, but now he was fine with Da Eun. He still couldn’t taste the flavor, but.

Just as he was about to continue eating, he got a call from Jung Woo. He must have just seen the urgent message canceling their appointment.

“I’m going to take this call for a moment.”

“Okay.”

As Yu Kwon went out to take the call, Da Eun took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling.

“Song Da Eun, why are you overreacting? It’s not a big deal.”

Da Eun deliberately said out loud and put some tteokbokki in her mouth. She barely managed to hold back from spitting out the intense spiciness that hit her tongue and gulped down water.

She definitely ordered the mild flavor…

Da Eun immediately called over an employee.

“I don’t think this is what I ordered, could you please check?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Just a moment please.”

The employee checked the receipt and took away the pot.

With her regular customer’s intuition, Da Eun knew this wasn’t just spicy, but bomb-level spicy. She remembered nearly dying the one time she tried it.

A moment later, Yu Kwon returned.

“Sorry, let’s eat.”

Yu Kwon calmly ate the tteokbokki he had put on his plate.