February, when the winter cold is at its peak.

Despite the off-season due to the biting cold, the grand hotel wedding hall was unprecedentedly crowded with guests.

Outside the building, it was also swarming with reporters trying to catch even a glimpse of the wedding dress hem.

The reason was simple – today was the wedding day of the granddaughter of the Ko San Group.

Who was Ko San? Was he not the one who had dominated the business world for over half a century?

Like his name, he had made his group stand tall like a high mountain, truly Korea’s greatest entrepreneur.

His rags-to-riches story was no less dramatic than a movie, and everything he touched turned to success.

Ko San was especially famous for doting on his daughter, who also gained fame for her outstanding looks and abilities, just like her father.

Until that incident.

The incident everyone knows about.

It’s been 20 years already, but everyone knew how that event had completely shaken Ko San’s previously perfect life.

After that incident, ominous rumors began to follow Ko San.

As rumors tend to pique people’s interest, the gathered political and business elites whispered among themselves, seizing the opportunity.

About the sudden wedding of the granddaughter who had been shrouded in mystery.

“It’s strange. To have such a sudden wedding. The eldest granddaughter was hardly ever shown in public.”

“I know. Even now. How could they not even open the bridal waiting room?”

“I heard she’s a great beauty like her mother. I wanted to see her up close. Could the rumors be true after all?”

“Everyone’s in an uproar about that. And have you heard? They say the groom…”

“Shh! Lower your voice. Chairman Ko is looking this way.”

At those words, the chattering groups of guests all fell silent at once.

Chairman Ko San, with his tiger-like dignity, was still vigorous even in his 80s.

The common saying ‘a toothless tiger’ was far from applicable to him.

Just meeting his piercing gaze was enough to make one’s knees weak.

No one had the courage to speak up again in the face of that gaze.

As the guests naturally changed the subject, the announcement for the ceremony began to play.

Everyone’s attention turned to the aisle where the bride would soon enter.

Seeing Ko San motionless in the parents’ seat, it seemed the bride would enter with the groom.

No one expected him to enter holding his granddaughter’s hand affectionately, so the guests focused solely on the bride’s appearance.

At last, the wedding march began to play in the spacious hall.

Then, gently brushing the hem of her wedding dress, today’s bride appeared at the end of the aisle.

It was Yeon Se Eun, the eldest granddaughter of the Ko San Group.

The bride, revealed amidst the dazzling lights and equally dazzling floral decorations, instantly captivated the guests’ attention.

A slender, delicate figure glimpsed through the dress, a beauty shining like spring in the midst of winter.

Moreover, her light makeup, unusual for bridal makeup, rather accentuated her pure and delicate features.

However…

“My goodness… What on earth is that?”

“Oh my…”

The guests’ gazes were not fixed on her peach-like clear face.

One leg, slightly revealed under the voluminous wedding dress skirt with each step.

Unexpectedly, the bride was limping on that slender ankle.

On the bride’s face, struggling to drag the hem of her dress, there was no trace of the excitement or joy of marriage.

Her fragile ankle trembled helplessly as she strived to move forward.

Rather than a beautiful walk down the aisle, it seemed more like a desperate struggle.

Unlike the guests who had turned pale at this unexpected scene, Chairman Ko San’s expression remained unchanged.

Only then did the guests vaguely realize.

That this seemingly lavish wedding actually had a hidden side to it.

It was then.

Suddenly grabbing the bride’s hand roughly, the groom made his presence known.

As if deliberately trying to divert attention from the limping bride in her wedding dress.

“…!”

Startled by the rough gesture, Se Eun turned her head abruptly, forgetting she was on the aisle.

Beside her stood an unfamiliar man she was seeing for the first time today.

A man with unusually light eyes, cold and frosty like glass marbles.

Towering height despite Se Eun wearing heeled wedding shoes, and strikingly defined features.

Undoubtedly the owner of an outstanding appearance.

However, like the bride Se Eun, it was not his face that drew the guests’ attention.

The tuxedo with its collar not properly fastened, movements lacking any sense of decorum.

Even the corner of his mouth turned up playfully, as if the solemnity of the wedding meant nothing to him.

Carelessly holding the bride’s hand he had just grabbed, he was the infamous playboy of the business world.

This man, hardly believable as the son-in-law of the Ko San Group, was adding to the bride’s misery.

The guests’ eyes darted between Chairman Ko San, who barely showed any expression, the pitiful bride limping in her wedding dress, and the groom who seemed unsure if he was here to get married or just have fun.

“…”

Trying hard not to bite her lip, Se Eun took each painful step.

The aisle seemed as distant as the end of the world.

The groom’s indifferent touch, devoid of any warmth, felt like a cruel punishment imposed on her.

But she had to endure.

For the hidden secret of this strange marriage all stemmed from Se Eun herself.

*

Going back three months.

Chairman Ko San had rarely called Se Eun to his room.

As he usually didn’t even let her into his room, let alone speak to her despite living under the same roof, Se Eun was puzzled.

At the same time, she was extremely nervous.

She knew well that he always looked at her as if she were a thorn in his side.

“You called for me, grandfather.”

“Tsk.”

The response to her deliberately affectionate greeting was a scornful click of the tongue.

Ko San raised his hand in the air without even making eye contact, signaling her to stay where she was.

The distance allowed to Se Eun still did not exceed five steps.

“I told you to call me Chairman. And who told you to look at me straight in the eye?”

“…I’m sorry.”

As Se Eun bowed her head, another click of the tongue followed.

Though she had heard it almost all her life, it was a sound that made her heart sink every time she heard it.

Se Eun bit her lip hard to keep her tightly clasped hands from trembling.

Soon, Ko San’s heavy voice fell upon her head, bowed at 90 degrees.

“I hear you’ll be twenty-eight in a month.”

“What? Ah, yes…”

Se Eun gripped her hands tighter at his words, whose intention she couldn’t understand.

It felt strange to hear her age, which she herself had long stopped being conscious of, from her grandfather’s mouth.

The reason for suddenly bringing up her age was immediately revealed by his next shocking statement.

“You, get married.”

“…”

It was too unexpected to understand at once.

When Se Eun didn’t respond immediately, anger quickly furrowed Ko San’s brow.

Flustered, Se Eun quickly unclasped her trembling hands and asked anxiously.

“Marriage? What do you… mean?”

“I thought you only couldn’t use your legs, but now you can’t understand words either?”

“That’s not it…”

“At twenty-eight, you’re more than old enough. Arrange to get married as soon as possible.”

Se Eun blinked helplessly at the order given without any explanation.

It was because she finally realized her grandfather’s intention.

He, who wouldn’t even let her call him grandfather, was trying to get rid of her from this house completely.

It wasn’t strange, as he always looked at her as less than an insect.

If it weren’t for others’ eyes, and the only value left in her, he would have wanted to drive her out long before.

But she had never thought of this method.

“Grandfath… I mean, Chairman. What do you mean by marriage? I don’t even… have anyone I’m seeing.”

At her habitually slowing speech, deep wrinkles formed in several lines on Ko San’s forehead.

“I never expected such a thing from someone like you in the first place.”

“…”

Not knowing how to respond, Se Eun just stood there blankly.

To her, Chairman Ko San declared firmly.

“The Ko San Group shares in your name. I plan to use that as a marriage condition to recruit a son-in-law.”

“…What? Recruit… a son-in-law?”

“Did you think you could find a proper husband on your own with your legs in that state?”

“…”

“I’m going to quietly put out feelers to eligible sons of business families. Since it can’t be hidden after marriage anyway, we’ll have to tell the truth about your legs. If they’re willing to accept that, I intend to transfer your share of stocks as the price for marriage.”

Se Eun couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying.

If he disliked her so much, he could just chase her out, so why was he doing this?

His words were no different from telling her to be sold off to someone she didn’t even know.

Se Eun didn’t know men. And now she was being told to marry a man she didn’t even know.

“Grandfather. I… don’t… want that…”

In that moment, the air in the room turned chilly.

Se Eun knew this flow of air well.

As expected, a furious word lashed out from Chairman Ko San’s mouth like a whip.

“The girl who devoured her own mother dares to say she doesn’t want to?”

It would have hurt less if she had been actually whipped.

Girl who devoured her mother. That was the cruel brand marked on Se Eun.

Even after hearing it for 20 years, she still couldn’t become immune to those words, and Se Eun finally lowered her eyes.

It was a signal between them, as good as a promise.

Waving his hand to dismiss her, Chairman Ko San shot a final, irrefutable declaration at her back like an arrow.

“Know that you’ll be getting married in three months. I’ll let you know when a groom is decided.”