Secret Cohabitation Love - Chapter 19

“Wow! You’re the same age as me!”

Woo Young’s younger sister, Chae Won, was similar to Woo Young.

Tall, with gentle eyes, and large, clear facial features. Plus an outgoing personality.

Chae Won immediately extended her hand when she saw Eun Seo in the garden. Her cheerful energy also made Eun Seo happy.

“I’m Song Eun Seo.”

“I heard about you from elder brother. I rushed over as soon as I heard!”

Chae Won had lived in the East House for quite a while, so she was very close with the staff. That’s why she would sometimes come to visit, and on days like today when Tae Ha had a special request, she would drop everything and rush over.

“We’re going shopping, right? Did elder brother Tae Ha give you a card?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see it.”

When Eun Seo took out the card she had put in her bag, Chae Won snatched it and sniffed it as if inhaling through her nose.

“Wow! It smells good. So good. This smell doesn’t come from just anywhere. Want to smell it?”

Then she held the card right up to Eun Seo’s nose.

“It smells like money, doesn’t it?”

“Does it?”

Chae Won handed the card back to Eun Seo, who was tilting her head, and advised:

“Days like this don’t come often, so you should really use it properly today.”

“He said to buy cosmetics and books.”

“Who did?”

“Kwon Tae Ha.”

“Ah, making plans is something you do when using my card. On days when you use elder brother Tae Ha’s card, it’s a day when you can buy anything that catches your eye. That’s what elder brother taught me.”

“You mean Chief Choi?”

“No, elder brother Tae Ha.”

And Chae Won pulled Eun Seo’s hand towards the parking lot.

“Since that nurse is going to visit her family home today, let’s hang out, just the two of us. We should go to a department store, not a road shop. What kind of food do you like?”

“Everything.”

“I like everything too. Then after we’re done, shall we watch a movie and eat pizza?”

Caught up in the momentum, Eun Seo nodded without thinking.

“Oh, and elder brother Woo Young said he’d lend us his car…”

“Let’s take my car.”

Jung Woo, who appeared from behind, said as he placed his palm on Chae Won’s head familiarly.

* * *

The West House was filled with a deep blue-gray twilight.

In the reception room decorated with paintings by renowned artists, Chairman Kwon, who had called his son on the pretext of the weekend, put down his teacup.

And in front of him, Tae Ha was smiling slightly.

“So, you’re saying I should be Lady Kim’s driver for the day?”

“That’s right.”

“What about Butler Jang?”

“Butler Jang is sick today. The driver has the day off. Would I call you for something like this? That’s why you’re the only one available right now.”

It was strange. It was the first time he had been asked to pick up an employee who had finished an errand. There were usually plenty of employees at home who could do such a task, but today everyone seemed to be busy.

Moreover, Lady Kim who had gone on the errand didn’t have a driver’s license. That’s why they were asking Tae Ha to pick her up.

It was really strange, but as Chairman Kwon said, Butler Jang, who was usually like a shadow, was nowhere to be seen, and all the household staff were quiet.

“I understand.”

Tae Ha decided to move, thinking it would be troublesome if Lady Kim really couldn’t return because she had too many items.

“Next time, use a pickup service, Father. I don’t understand why you always insist on this.”

Despite his son’s criticism, a relaxed smile spread across Chairman Kwon’s face.

And an hour later.

“Tae Ha?”

In the lobby of the luxury goods section at Sehan Department Store’s Gangnam branch, Tae Ha encountered Ha Eun. She was holding several shopping bags.

– Sir, what should I do? I got an urgent call from home and had to leave first. There should be someone waiting for me in front of the luxury goods section instead.

No wonder Lady Kim wasn’t answering her phone.

A subtle smile spread across Tae Ha’s lips.

Whose scenario could this be?

Butler Jang, who might be pretending to be sick? Or Yoo Ha Eun, who had parted without even having dinner? Or was it his father, who seemed strangely invested in this marriage?

Whoever it was, it was unpleasant.

“The chairman said he would send someone, but I didn’t know it would be you, Tae Ha.”

“First my date partner changed, and now my pickup partner has changed.”

“So you didn’t come to see me today either?”

“No.”

Tae Ha put his hands in his pockets and cast his gaze into the distance.

“Since you’re here anyway, would you like to have dinner with me? I was disappointed that we parted without eating last time.”

“I think I told you before. I don’t like unscheduled appointments.”

“Then how about we set the next appointment today before we go?”

Despite the soft, aegyo-filled voice, Tae Ha looked at his wrist watch and answered dryly.

“Contact me through the secretarial office. I’m not sure about my schedule.”

With a visibly disappointed expression, Ha Eun bit her lip.

Kwon Tae Ha, I will definitely have you lying on my bed. I’m so curious to see you begging. That would be very attractive too.

Ha Eun forced a smile, vowing that although he was like ice now, she would soon melt his heart. Thinking about that made the current dent in her pride seem insignificant.

“I heard they were items for Father, but from what I can see, they’re not just Father’s things.”

Tae Ha spoke while glancing at the cosmetics shopping bags in Ha Eun’s hands.

“There are things for me, things for the chairman, and things for you too, Tae Ha.”

“You’ve done unnecessary things. Don’t buy anything for me next time. I’m picky about my tastes. We’re going to the West House, right?”

Ha Eun followed Tae Ha as he led the way. His steps were so fast that it was hard to keep up.

Then, as he turned a corner, his pace gradually slowed until he came to a complete stop at a certain point.

What’s this, all of a sudden?

Ha Eun followed the gaze of the man who was now exuding a chilly aura.

At the end of his gaze was a jewelry store.

Could it be that he’s looking at something like rings? Even though his attitude is like this, maybe he’s interested in such things because marriage is marriage after all?

Somehow, Ha Eun’s heart started to swell a little.

Tae Ha stood frozen in place, not taking his eyes off the inside of the store.

Inside the store were a man and a woman.

“How about this?”

The man’s voice inside the store couldn’t be heard, but his lips could be read. When the woman saw the ring the man held out, she nodded with sparkling eyes.

“It’s pretty.”

Click. A fire ignited in Tae Ha’s gaze.

* * *

On the illuminated display case, there were numerous rings with elaborate designs. The staff member’s face wore an unwavering friendly smile as she carefully explained each ring.

“This is the Victoria ring made of 18K platinum with diamond settings.”

“It’s beautiful. It’s like a piece of sky brought down to earth.”

Eun Seo’s eyes sparkled as she pointed at the ring. She had never seen anything so beautiful before.

“Isn’t it? The center stone is aquamarine. The motif is a vine.”

Jung Woo couldn’t take his eyes off Eun Seo, who couldn’t take her eyes off the ring. Eun Seo, exclaiming in admiration, was just like a puppy.

“Well, shall we go with this one?”

“I’m not sure. Can you show us couple rings too?”

“Couple rings?”

The staff member looked over the two with a meaningful smile and took out different rings from the display case.

“How about these? They’re 18K rose gold with pavé-set diamonds. The price range is excellent, and I think they would suit you both very well.”

Jung Woo was quite satisfied with the staff’s recommendation.

“These are nice. Don’t you think so, Eun Seo?”

Only then did Eun Seo tear her eyes away from the aquamarine to look at the rings Jung Woo was pointing at.

“Wow! Those are beautiful too.”

“You’ve chosen well. Would you like to try them on?”

“Oh, no, no.”

Eun Seo hurriedly waved her hands at the staff’s suggestion. The rings were too precious and beautiful, but she was worried about damaging them somehow.

This was her first time in a luxury store, but she knew that most items here were more expensive than her monthly salary.

It would be a big problem if she accidentally scratched them. She had never even owned a plastic ring before.

However, Jung Woo, completely unaware of these concerns, urged Eun Seo.

“Try it on. That’s how we choose.”

“My hands are dirty. And sweaty.”

Jung Woo, undeterred, pulled out a navy handkerchief from his pocket.

“You can wipe them. Give me your hand.”

As he abruptly tried to take Eun Seo’s hand, she quickly curled her fingers.

“Please, I’ll wipe them myself.”

Her expression was quite stubborn. Usually, there were no women who refused him, so Jung Woo felt awkward in this unfamiliar situation. It had always been this way, and there had never been a problem, so he had never been hurt.

Is she like this with Tae Ha too?

He recalled Tae Ha coming out of Eun Seo’s room last night.

Tae Ha, who never even glanced at women. That Tae Ha had come out of Eun Seo’s room.

And in a disheveled state, he seemed to be heading straight to his own room, but at the end of the corridor, he turned back and quietly gazed at Eun Seo’s room.

It wasn’t just for a moment. The time he lingered was longer, holding Jung Woo’s gaze.

The reason for a man to come out of a woman’s room at dawn is obvious, isn’t it? They weren’t having dawn prayers together or anything.

Who exactly is Tae Ha’s woman? Eun Seo, or Ha Eun.

Eun Seo, uncomfortable with Jung Woo’s blatant stare, glanced at him once and gave an awkward smile. Then she went back to carefully wiping her hands.

“I’ll wash this and return it to you.”

Jung Woo watched as the handkerchief disappeared into Eun Seo’s bag.

“Customer, would you like to try it on now?”

The patient staff member held out the ring with a bright smile.

“Try it on.”

Eun Seo reluctantly extended her finger.

“You should put it on the fourth finger.”

The staff followed Jung Woo’s instructions and slipped the ring onto Eun Seo’s finger. The ring slid on smoothly.

“It’s pretty.”

Jung Woo murmured a sincere admiration and then held out his own finger.

“Give me the men’s one too.”

“Yes, sir.”

The staff carefully took out the ring.

“Now, you can try it on…”

“I’ll do it.”

Suddenly cutting off the words, a large hand with blue veins bulging was placed on the display case. Then, the owner of the long, neat fingers, with one corner of his mouth raised askew, asked Eun Seo.

“I wonder where Chae Won might have lost you.”

Because of Tae Ha’s sudden interruption, all the beautiful rings that had been in Eun Seo’s mind faded away to some distant corner of her memory.

Eun Seo bowed slightly in greeting. Then a woman behind Tae Ha pressed close, as if on guard.

Are they together?

The model-like woman seemed to match him well, perhaps because she was so sophisticated.

The elegantly falling coat hem and the slender legs extending below the skirt. The high-heeled boots accentuated her thin ankles even more.

Somehow, it felt like the woman standing next to Tae Ha should be about that level.

The woman’s hands were full of shopping bags. Clothes, cosmetics, perfumes, and so on.

It seems they went shopping together.

Suddenly, she compared this to the image of him giving her a card and telling her to go with Chae Won.

The same day, the same place. Tae Ha’s choice was that woman, she thought.

Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)

One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!

Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.

The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.

The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.

Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.

Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.

…

Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.

Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.

After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!

Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”

The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.

It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.

When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…

Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.

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