It bothers me…

Yeon Se Eun found it difficult to understand what he meant.

Was it some kind of rebellion against her habit of telling him not to worry?

She could feel Ki Sun Woo gazing at her intently.

As if waiting for an answer.

Unfortunately, Se Eun lacked the wit to respond impromptu in this situation.

Seemingly realizing this, Ki Sun Woo chuckled and draped the coat over her.

“Here, this should fit you well.”

“Ah…”

“As a husband, how can I not be concerned when my wife only wears ill-fitting, shabby clothes?”

“…It’s not that shabby.”

Se Eun pouted slightly while fidgeting with the new fur coat.

No matter how old the coat was, it was still a cherished garment she’d worn for a long time. Calling it rags was too much.

“Yeon Se Eun.”

“What?”

“Are you sulking?”

“…No.”

“You just hesitated for 2 seconds.”

At a loss for words, Se Eun inadvertently glared at Ki Sun Woo.

How to put it, she suddenly felt like she’d become an incredibly childish person.

Yet for some reason, he wore an expression of utter satisfaction.

This time, she wanted to clearly ask the reason for that look.

“Why are you looking at me like that again? What’s bothering you this time…”

The question trailed off midway.

Because Ki Sun Woo gently patted Se Eun’s head.

“It’s because you’re adorable. Just now, young lady Yeon Se Eun, you showed a glimpse of your true feelings in front of me.”

“What…”

“I hope you’ll sulk more, get angry more in the future. After all, isn’t bickering the spice of married life?”

Bewildered, Se Eun blinked rapidly and stared at him.

The way Ki Sun Woo looked at her was a warm gaze, as if watching a baby successfully take its first steps, or a child learning to ride a bicycle.

But it wasn’t just that, there was also a strange spark burning in his eyes.

Soon, he dropped a bombshell statement that made Se Eun jump.

“We need to open up to each other quickly, so we can bicker under the covers too. Don’t you think?”

“…!”

“Hmm. If you look at me with such innocent baby rabbit eyes, I want to bicker right now.”

In the end, Se Eun fled upstairs, wrapped in the new coat.

Sun Woo’s pleased laughter followed her retreating back.

As if to let her know that there was no escape within this house anyway.

*

As night fell, a car glided into the driveway of the Ko San residence.

A moment later, as the car door opened, one person got out and another got in.

The one who got out was Ko San’s driver, the one who got in was Ki Sun Woo.

“Good evening, Chairman.”

“Showing up without an appointment, you’re certainly an oddball.”

Ko San, leaning back in the rear seat, muttered with his tired eyes half-open.

“A secret meeting should be secret. If people notice us meeting privately often, it might look suspicious to others.”

“So, you exercised caution in your own way?”

“Yes. I’ve been getting quite good at stakeouts and infiltration lately. Thanks to someone.”

A hearty, deep laugh echoed inside the car.

Only then did Ko San properly sit up to face this impudent grandson-in-law.

“So, what’s the matter? Surely you haven’t found the Queen’s Tear?”

“Regrettably, I haven’t even caught a glimpse of the jewel yet.”

Sun Woo shrugged.

After all, Ko San hadn’t accomplished it in 20 years, so he should understand that Sun Woo would need some time too.

As expected, Ko San wasn’t too disappointed.

“Then what? I told you there’s no need to meet in person for trivial reports.”

“It’s not a report, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. Regarding my wife.”

Deep wrinkles appeared on Ko San’s forehead.

Just from those wrinkles, it was clear what Yeon Se Eun meant to him.

Before he could say anything, Sun Woo preemptively spoke.

“It seems my wife has talent in jewelry design. She takes after her mother.”

A heavy silence fell.

If it weren’t Ki Sun Woo, no one could have endured such an atmosphere.

To dare mention Ko Yeon Hwa in front of Ko San. And along with Se Eun’s name, no less.

But Sun Woo wasn’t intimidated at all.

“So I was thinking, how about she tries working formally?”

“Work? That child?”

“Yes. I just thought of a good company. One word from you, Chairman, and she could get hired right away.”

“You…”

As if finally realizing Sun Woo’s intentions, Ko San’s eyes widened.

Sun Woo smiled confidently at him.

“That’s right. The jewelry company where your second granddaughter, Shin Mo Na, works.”

A groan escaped Ko San’s lips.

The company Sun Woo mentioned was started by a junior colleague who had been preparing a brand with Ko Yeon Hwa.

They had been very close, and Ko San had often met her in passing.

After his eldest daughter Ko Yeon Hwa passed away in an accident, Ko San made a considerable investment in that company.

Thanks to that, the company grew quite large, and Mo Na stubbornly insisted on joining it.

“That child has never learned about jewelry.”

The reason that came from Ko San’s mouth was quite reasonable.

However, Ki Sun Woo hadn’t come unprepared for this level of objection.

“That’s why we should send her to that company. There are many people who can teach her, right? Especially her cousin, Shin Mo Na.”

“Mo Na isn’t fit to teach anyone.”

“My, what a harsh assessment. Your granddaughter would be hurt if she heard that.”

Even as he said this, Ko San didn’t miss the slight upward curl of Sun Woo’s lips.

That this young man before him had some suspicious scheme.

“Stop beating around the bush and try to convince me. What do I have to gain by letting that child work at the company?”

“As expected, that’s a statement befitting Korea’s top businessman.”

“Speak plainly, you rascal.”

Ha ha, after a light laugh, Sun Woo lowered his voice seriously.

Then he whispered very secretively.

“It would be easier to search if my wife goes out more often.”

“Didn’t you already search as much as you could?”

“The visible places, yes. But would that be enough to satisfy you, sir? We need to tear up the floors, the ceilings, everything.”

“I can’t tell if that’s impudence or spirit, but it’s not bad.”

The fact that he let the “sir” slide showed the flow wasn’t bad.

This was the time to drive home the important point.

“And while working closely with jewels, wouldn’t something about the Queen’s Tear come to mind?”

“Come to mind, you say…”

“You said we don’t have much time, so I’ve been considering various methods. If you want to find that rock, it would be wise to choose strategically.”

This time, an even louder laugh boomed out.

“You have a talent for negotiation, kid. But you haven’t forgotten, have you? Only when you find the Queen’s Tear will you get what you want too. Don’t think of slacking off.”

For a moment, a lightning-like flash passed through Sun Woo’s pale eyes.

Though the nature of their desires might differ, he was no less intense in the scale of his ambition.

“When you’re offering me a weakness to bring down my capable stepmother in one blow, how could I slack off? My desire to find that jewel is just as strong as yours. Trust me.”

As if trying to gauge his sincerity, Ko San pierced Sun Woo with his gaze.

Without averting his eyes, Sun Woo smiled back, crinkling his eyes.

Finally, permission fell from Ko San’s lips.

“Very well. Since we’ve already taken a bold step, one or two more bold moves should be fine.”

“You’re agreeing?”

“I’ll put in a word. I’ll talk to Mo Na too.”

“You’ve made a wise decision. It’ll be nice to see your two granddaughters working at the same company.”

Ko San didn’t particularly respond.

It was a bit disappointing that the final attempt to probe had failed.

He had intended to gauge how much Sun Woo knew about the relationship between Se Eun and Shin Mo Na.

But this much negotiation was sufficient.

Now all that remained was to lure the white rabbit hiding at home out with a carrot.

*

Is this what they mean by ‘startled rabbit eyes’?

Staring at the round, wide eyes, Sun Woo thought to himself.

The white rabbit at home was jumping in surprise at his announcement of her employment.

It was the expected reaction, but Sun Woo found it somehow amusing and watched silently.

“An internship? That’s absurd.”

“Why is it absurd? It’s just an internship. An internship.”

“But how could I possibly…”

“Shin Mo Na works at that company too, you know.”

“…Mo Na majored in jewelry design. She even studied abroad. It’s different for me.”

As Se Eun’s shoulders slumped, Sun Woo quickly offered encouragement.

“Don’t worry. That’s why it’s an internship. You can learn as you work.”

“But…”

Seeing his poor wife with not a shred of confidence, Sun Woo felt the need to support her even more.

So he raised the level of his remarks somewhat.

“Yeon Se Eun. I told you. When newlyweds stay at home together, they end up doing that sort of thing.”

“What?”

Could they get any bigger, Sun Woo wondered as he stared intently into her clear, transparent eyes.

He couldn’t tell if it was her eyelashes, shoulders, or hands that were trembling.

Perhaps it was all of them.

Taking in that sight completely, Sun Woo continued his persuasion.

“When young lady Yeon Se Eun is right in front of me like this, I keep having improper thoughts.”

“Improper… thoughts?”

“Yes. And if I keep having such thoughts.”

Sun Woo took a big step forward and stood right in front of Se Eun.

Her forehead, barely reaching his chest, was turning bright red as if on fire.

Seeing that made him truly have improper thoughts, and Sun Woo unconsciously placed his hand on her cheek.

It was soft skin that he wanted to keep touching, to covet.

Thanks to that, a sincere whisper escaped his lips.

“I want to do improper things.”