First night…

At the absurd words, Se Eun’s cheeks helplessly turned red.

They had certainly held a wedding ceremony, but this marriage was nothing more than a transaction.

In exchange for giving him the shell of being the husband of a woman named Yeon Se Eun, he would obtain shares.

Yet Ki Sun Woo’s attitude was as if they were a real newlywed couple.

Before she could even object, long fingers began to burrow between her delicate fingers.

“Hmm. Your hands are very small. Is the ring too loose? Shall I tie it again?”

“…That’s not necessary. Please let go.”

“Why do I need to let go? We’re a couple about to spend our first night together, and we’ve only just held hands. Strictly speaking, I’ve only put the ring on you.”

At the increasingly blatant expression, Se Eun struggled to gather her wits and twisted her hand free.

In the process, the dandelion flower she had just tied fell to the floor, but she had no time to worry about that.

Right now, she just needed to distance herself from this unfamiliar man.

As far away as possible.

“Ki… Sun Woo, you use this room. There are many other rooms in this house, so I’ll use one of those.”

“You want us to sleep separately?”

As if displeased, one of Sun Woo’s eyebrows rose provocatively.

“Of course.”

“Well, isn’t it more natural for newlyweds to share a bed?”

He pointed with his fingertip at the lace-covered bed.

The snow-white pillows placed side by side looked simply embarrassing.

It was an unwanted marriage, a suddenly acquired husband, and an unwelcome first night.

Let alone sharing a bed – it was out of the question.

Se Eun bit her lip gently.

She judged that she needed to say what needed to be said to this person.

“Since it’s come to this anyway, I’ll tell you one important thing. My grandfather will absolutely not want to see an heir from me. So please be especially careful… to avoid any unexpected incidents.”

“Unexpected incidents?”

As if amused, he lightly blew out a “hoo” from his mouth.

The hair covering his forehead swayed lightly like willow leaves.

Despite her serious warning, a smile bloomed on Sun Woo’s face instead.

“How disappointing. For the bride to describe the sweet first night of the newlyweds like that.”

He leisurely bent down to pick up the dandelion flower that had fallen to the floor.

“Well, it’s okay. We have plenty of time ahead. I’ll wait as long as it takes. For the day when our bride desperately desires those unexpected incidents.”

Saying that, he slowly kissed the flower.

In contrast to the bright yellow flower, his particularly red and clearly defined lips vividly entered Se Eun’s field of vision.

At that gaze fixed on her, she felt as if her breath stopped for a moment.

She instinctively knew. That this man was dangerous.

*

There was a fine line between being free-spirited and being rude.

Everyone whispered behind closed doors about why Chairman Ko San, who detested both of those qualities to the point of grinding his teeth, had taken a man like Ki Sun Woo as his granddaughter’s husband.

After the perilous first night, Se Eun looked into him a little.

And it wasn’t difficult to find out.

Ki Sun Woo was a person very different from herself.

He possessed striking good looks and an overwhelming presence that anyone could see, but his name was always followed by labels like “trash playboy” or “abandoned prince”.

He had no interest in company matters, to the point where he was referred to as unemployed.

Despite the honor of being the second son of the Juha Group, he was thoroughly excluded within the group.

Of course, his actions since becoming an adult played a big role in that.

He had led several subsidiaries of the Juha Group to bankruptcy, gotten into fistfights with his half-brother in public, and at every meeting with executives, he had presented their weaknesses like gifts, humiliating them.

Most people were now reluctant to even share a seat with Ki Sun Woo.

And that wasn’t all.

He was said to have deeply hurt the daughters of wealthy families who, not knowing any better, were drawn to his appearance like moths to a flame.

This was enough for Se Eun to draw a conclusion.

Ki Sun Woo. This man must surely have fatal issues like violence or infidelity.

That must be why Chairman Ko San had attached him to her as a husband.

As a fitting punishment for the “woman who ate her mother” who was always a thorn in his side.

After all, what choice did she have?

Se Eun’s situation was like that of discounted fruit that had lost its market value after being bruised and battered.

After the wedding ceremony, rumors that had been uncertain before spread far and wide as established fact.

That “the great Chairman Ko San hates his granddaughter who sent his daughter to the afterlife, and has raised her locked away.”

Now those rumors would grow like a snowball into even more sensational gossip.

There was no use in thinking about it too much. What’s done is done.

Yeon Se Eun, the granddaughter of the Ko San Group, had become the wife of Ki Sun Woo, the second son of the Juha Group.

As long as Chairman Ko San was alive, this fact would not change.

“Um, I’d like us to set some rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yes.”

In this situation, Se Eun had come to one conclusion.

To draw an even clearer line with this boundary-crossing man.

“Oh? I hate rules.”

Sun Woo, who had been sprawled on the bed, seemed to finally realize morning had come as Se Eun appeared, casually pulling back the curtains as he replied indifferently.

On the bedside table, the dandelion flower that had fallen last night was placed with its stem neatly extended.

Seeing that, Se Eun suddenly thought.

Ki Sun Woo. This man resembled a wildflower rather than a flower beautifully arranged in an expensive vase.

Blooming freely without regard for territory and growing unrestrained.

Sun Woo’s gaze followed Se Eun’s gaze towards the flower.

His pale eyes, backlit by the dazzling sunlight, were gleaming as sharply as those of a wild beast.

If she hesitated, she would be devoured. She had to flee with all her might.

Swallowing hard once, Se Eun opened her mouth again.

“If you just keep the lines that shouldn’t be crossed, I’ll do my best to play the role of wife for now.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“…Pardon?”

As if humming, he murmured in a low voice.

“No need to do your best or anything. I’m just planning to play at being Yeon Se Eun’s husband half-heartedly.”

“…Playing at being a husband?”

Se Eun hesitated at that strange expression.

“Why, there’s also the expression ‘playing at being immortals’. Living without any worries or cares. That’s why I married you.”

Just then, a beam of light touched Se Eun’s eyes, causing her to frown slightly.

Sun Woo sat up a little more and let out a chuckle.

“They say if I just maintain a marriage life with you, I’ll get enormous shares. Why would I refuse? As you may already know, I’m not expected to receive anything from my family.”

Certainly, the shares that were tied as a condition to this marriage were on a scale that would make others’ jaws drop.

After all, Se Eun was the only child of her deceased parents.

“I hear Yeon Se Eun doesn’t engage in outside activities either. Let’s just laze about together in this big house.”

If it seemed like there was some scheme hidden in that carefree tone, was it just paranoia?

Se Eun, who had lived her whole life walking on eggshells, couldn’t simply trust this suspicious man before her eyes.

“Is that… all?”

“Yeah.”

“Really… you’re just going to… play at being a husband?”

“If you’re unsatisfied, there are games couples can play together.”

At his expression, raising the corners of his mouth slyly, Se Eun’s hair stood on end.

She felt uncomfortable. With this man. To an indescribable degree.

“That’s enough. I understand Ki Sun Woo’s motivation for marriage. I won’t mind whether you play around or whatever. Likewise, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mind me. And…”

“And?”

“…My room is at the end of the hallway. Please don’t come in, even by mistake.”

“Saying that just makes me want to go in more.”

From his gaze, flickering with a boy’s mischief and rebelliousness, Se Eun painfully averted her eyes.

It was just like a flame rising high, as if she might get burned if she wasn’t careful.

“Then the rules are set, right?”

*

Just like a kitten with its fur all puffed up.

That’s how Sun Woo assessed his first impression of the woman named Yeon Se Eun.

Her wariness was beyond ordinary, more than he had expected.

He hadn’t expected her to readily share a room, but he didn’t think his initial plan would go awry like this.

It was quite regrettable, since people usually get closer by bumping into each other in the same space.

He had chosen this room because it was said to have been used by Se Eun’s parents in the past, but he hadn’t expected her to give up the room so easily.

He had thought she would at least beg him to use another room.

‘That child is unremarkable and has a frustrating personality.’

Chairman Ko San’s words, spoken while clicking his tongue, didn’t particularly resonate with Sun Woo.

Does hating one’s granddaughter distort one’s perspective that much?

Yeon Se Eun, who became his wife as of yesterday, was the owner of a perfect appearance, except for her limp.

She had been thoroughly kept out of the public eye, so even Sun Woo had first seen her face in a photograph.

He had some expectations since the beauty of her deceased mother, ‘Ko Yeon Hwa’, had been widely covered by the media, but Se Eun’s appearance was no less striking.

Her unique pitiful atmosphere and white, delicate features brought to mind ‘spring’ at first glance.

In reality, it seemed that both Chairman Ko San and Se Eun herself were completely unaware of this.

The fortunate thing was that Se Eun seemed to believe at face value that Sun Woo was only after the Ko San Group’s shares.

That was more convenient for Sun Woo to maneuver.

However, the mountain to climb was high.

The empty emotion contained in those large eyes that looked at him.

The moment he met those eyes, as vacant as fish on a market stall, he immediately realized.

That crossing this woman’s lines wouldn’t be so easy.

What Yeon Se Eun wore like armor wasn’t clothes.

It was a wall. A very solid, peculiar wall that no one could break down.

“Playing at being a husband won’t be so easy either.”

Sseupp, a satisfied smile spread across the red lips he lightly licked, contrary to his words.

What that smile contained was half curiosity.

And more strongly than that, a sense of conquest spreading in his chest.