Once More, Wife (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Blood is thicker than water…
I never thought I’d hear those words come from none other than Kwon Chae Ha himself.
So stunned was Seol Won that she completely forgot to press him further.
Seeing this, Chae Ha abruptly changed the subject, as if suddenly remembering something important.
“I’ve hired a helper starting today, just as we discussed. I asked them to prepare a simple breakfast, so come down and eat with me.”
“Breakfast…?”
“Yeah. Breakfast. Surely you won’t tell me again that you and Woo Joo already had a little snack together last night.”
“Of course not.”
“Then come downstairs with me.”
Watching Chae Ha head down to the first floor as he finished speaking, Seol Won tilted her head in confusion.
He was such a busy man that he practically never ate at home.
Even when he did, it was always with his in-laws—never once, as far as she could recall, had they shared a meal just the two of them.
“Mom! Woo Joo finished brushing his teeth!”
Woo Joo’s bright voice, emerging fresh from brushing, broke through her thoughts.
Seeing the child proudly flash his sparkling white teeth, her doubts naturally faded away.
“Woah!”
The moment they stepped into the dining room, Woo Joo’s eyes lit up and he quickly squirmed out of Seol Won’s arms.
Sometime recently, the dull space had been completely transformed into a child-friendly paradise.
Large, deep blue windows evoked the sea, and the walls were covered in wallpaper teeming with fish.
Every corner brimmed with decorative items shaped like seashells and starfish.
For some reason, it gave the distinct impression that this had all been specially designed for Woo Joo, who was only familiar with island life and might find the city unfamiliar.
True to expectation, Woo Joo began hopping excitedly around the dining room, showering it with exclamations of wonder.
“Wow~! It’s just like being under the sea! Super, super pretty!”
Chae Ha watched contentedly as Woo Joo expressed his “tremendous” joy.
Observing the scene, Seol Won casually asked,
“You didn’t change all this just because of Woo Joo, did you?”
“Of course I did. When you have a child, it only makes sense to adjust your home to suit them.”
“You didn’t need to go this far…”
“Kid.”
“Yes! Big King Mister!”
Woo Joo turned cheerfully away from the seashell he’d been touching on the wall.
The odd nickname slipping from his tiny, delicate lips made Chae Ha’s brow furrow slightly.
“Why am I ‘Big King Mister’?”
“You said you didn’t want to be Daddy Number 6, and you look just like Big King Cat, so you’re Big King Mister!”
“It’s not that I dislike being called Dad—it’s just Number 1 that… Never mind.”
Seol Won’s lips twitched slightly, watching Chae Ha press his fingers to his forehead as though nursing a headache.
She’d always assumed children and Kwon Chae Ha were completely incompatible, yet strangely, the two together didn’t seem awkward at all. In fact…
“Anyway, kid—do you like the ocean?”
“Yes! I really, really do! Woo Joo used to live by the sea too.”
The moment Woo Joo proudly finished his answer, Chae Ha turned his head toward her.
Seol Won had to temporarily set aside her admiration of this picture-perfect father-and-son pair.
“…What is it?”
“The reason we needed to go this far—you just heard it straight from the kid’s mouth.”
“Oh…”
She was utterly caught off guard. She never imagined he’d be this meticulous and strategic even about something like this.
Unable to formulate a rebuttal, she just blinked at him—whereupon Chae Ha gave a soft chuckle and gestured for both of them to come sit at the table.
Everything was perfectly arranged: a chair precisely fitted to Woo Joo’s height, child-sized tableware—nothing was missing.
That Kwon Chae Ha himself had personally prepared all this…
Despite her mixed feelings, Seol Won didn’t forget to express her gratitude.
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. After all, I’m Number 1.”
Finding Chae Ha’s claim of being “Dad” amusing—especially since Woo Joo probably didn’t even understand what he meant—Seol Won quietly picked up her spoon.
As they ate their simple yet appetizing breakfast, the three shared a conversation that, in its own quiet way, felt pleasantly familial.
“He said Woo Joo can start kindergarten next week.”
“Wow! Will I go to kindergarten here?”
“Yeah. It’s an incredibly huge and wonderful one. The driver will take you there every day.”
“Wow, I’m so excited!”
“Come to think of it, that island seemed pretty small—how did you manage kindergarten there before?”
Chae Ha posed a perfectly reasonable question, and Woo Joo immediately shot his hand up.
“I’ll answer!”
“Alright. Go ahead, kid—tell us yourself. That’s a good attitude.”
“Okay! Every morning after getting ready, Daddy Jae Yoon comes to pick me up in his cool truck!”
“…”
“Then we go to the dock, and Daddy Jae Yoon takes me all the way to the mainland…”
“W-Woo Joo! How about some cherry tomatoes? You love cherry tomatoes, don’t you?”
Chae Ha narrowed his eyes slightly as Seol Won hastily stuffed a cherry tomato into Woo Joo’s mouth.
Then, without warning, he changed the subject.
“Now that I think about it, it’s dangerous for a child to commute alone. I’ll just handle drop-off and pick-up myself.”
“What?”
So startled was Seul Won that she nearly dropped her fork.
Chae Ha, however, calmly carried on as if nothing were unusual.
“After all, that’s normally a father’s—no, a Number 1’s—responsibility.”
“But… you’re a busy person! I heard you’re now a vice president, right?”
“There’s always such a thing as priorities in this world.”
As he said this, Chae Ha gazed at her with an unwavering look.
For some reason, his eyes seemed to say clearly that she was his priority—and her heart fluttered strangely.
Logically speaking, accepting his offer was clearly unreasonable.
But once again, Chae Ha was quicker.
Noticing her hesitant expression, he immediately proposed a compromise.
“How about I just do it on the first day, and then we’ll decide?”
“Then I’ll go too…”
“No, just Woo Joo and me. What do you say, kid?”
“Okay! Mom, I want to go to kindergarten with Big King Mister!”
Seeing Chae Ha look at her with a smug, triumphant expression, Seol Won realized she had no further argument.
Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement.
She couldn’t fathom his intentions—but then again, Kwon Chae Ha had always been hard to read.
And since Woo Joo’s identity as his son had already been revealed, she couldn’t very well forbid it.
Still, an uneasy feeling welled up inside her—had she agreed too hastily?
She had assumed that even if Chae Ha discovered Woo Joo was truly his son, he’d remain indifferent.
That once their agreed-upon period ended, he’d let her and Woo Joo go without a trace of regret.
But his current attitude was completely different from what she’d expected.
“Why are you lost in thought like that?”
“…Nothing.”
Seol Won quickly shifted her gaze toward Woo Joo, who was beaming brightly right next to Chae Ha.
Surely Woo Joo wouldn’t grow attached to someone as cold and aloof as Chae Ha…
After all, they’d have to return to the island in just three months—it’d be troublesome if any awkward feelings developed.
“Woo Joo, don’t bother the mister. Come sit by Mommy.”
“…”
Seol Won deliberately ignored the subtle look Chae Ha gave her.
Because deep down, she knew it wasn’t Woo Joo—but herself—who’d really suffer if feelings got involved.
Loving him would only bring unbearable pain, so she had chosen to pretend she didn’t know.
Contrary to her tense anticipation, the weekend passed relatively peacefully.
Thanks to the daytime helper, she didn’t have to lift a finger for any minor chores.
Back when they lived together, Heo Young Joo would always give her disapproving looks for “loafing around” at home, forcing Seol Won to share half the housekeeper’s duties.
Now that they’d moved out, this was entirely Chae Ha’s house—so such worries were gone.
Instead, a different awkward situation arose.
For some reason, Chae Ha—who usually spent weekends practically living at the office—had been idling around the house all weekend long this time.
He browsed interior designs for kids’ rooms or read parenting magazines, looking utterly out of place.
Feeling awkward herself, Seol Won took the opportunity while Woo Joo napped to slip downstairs.
“It’s warm…”
Seeing the bright sunlight pour in through the large living room windows finally brought her some peace of mind.
This full-length window overlooking the garden had always been a favorite spot of hers.
Whenever she’d felt trapped, as if alone in a vast castle, she’d gaze endlessly out this window—
and it always helped her breathe a little easier.
As she looked outside, Seol Won suddenly noticed many bare patches scattered throughout the garden.
Since everything had been left exactly as she’d arranged it before, the withered spots remained empty gaps.
Seeing this, she felt a renewed urge to tend the garden herself.
Though she’d cared for flowers on the island too, having a garden of her own felt entirely different.
Besides, this garden held special meaning for her.
When she first married into the Kwon family, Chae Ha had prepared a garden for her—but Heo Young Joo had half-trampled it and replanted it entirely with her own favorite flowers.
Thus, this new garden after their separation was truly hers alone.
Her one sanctuary, her sole comfort in this lonely house.
“Maybe I’ll plant some flowers…”
On impulse, Seol Won stepped outside to trim things a bit.
Alone this time, she could finally take a slow, careful look around.
Remarkably, nothing had changed—except for one thing.
Her eyes drifted toward the small detached building at the far end of the yard.
‘Don’t worry about that place.’
‘Don’t even go in.’
Though spoken in his usual indifferent tone, Seol Won sensed something subtly different in Chae Ha when he’d said those words.
The tightly shut door seemed to guard something important.
“…”
Pausing briefly, Seol Won hesitated.
She’d resolved barely two days ago not to step into Kwon Chae Ha’s world—but now that her tension had eased slightly, curiosity bloomed inside her.
It was strange. She’d never disobeyed him before.
Yet something about that building, standing right in the middle of the garden she herself had cultivated, kept tugging at her mind.
‘Maybe just a quick peek…’
Deciding quickly, Seol Won glanced through the outdoor windows into the house.
The living room was completely still. If she was going to check, now was clearly the only chance.
Moving as silently as possible, she crept toward the structure.
But as expected, the door was firmly locked.
“It’s locked…”
“So, are you disappointed?”
“Ah—!”
Startled, Seol Won stumbled backward—and immediately bumped into something solid.
Fatefully, once again, it was Chae Ha’s firm chest she collided with.
“Why are you out here alone?”
She’d expected him to be angry, but instead he looked down at her with a gentle smile.
“Oh, sorry. I just came out to tend the garden a bit…”
“This is your house—no need to apologize. I guessed that’s what you were up to, so I came out to help.”
He answered casually, nodding toward a gardening box tucked in the corner near the detached building.
Feeling oddly guilty, Seol Won quickly tried to pull away.
In an instant, Chae Ha spun her around and pulled her tightly against his chest.
She stared wide-eyed at this sudden, unexpected embrace.
“…Mr. Kwon Chae Ha?”
“Thank you… for being alive…”
“…What?”
His heartbeat against her chest quickened even more.
Just as Seol Won began moving her arms to pull away—overwhelmed by their closeness—
Chae Ha’s trembling voice fell softly over her head.
“I’m so glad you’re alive… Really, truly glad, Min Seol Won.”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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