Tae Eun’s gaze lingered awkwardly on the scenery outside the window. It was because Woo Jin had sent Manager Park away, saying he would take her himself, and took the wheel directly.

She didn’t refuse strongly like yesterday either. The man’s confession of his own scars with sober eyes and asking her to believe in him just once left quite an impression on her. Also, it seemed silly to refuse him now that she had decided to marry him.

However, even without intentionally focusing on him, his presence penetrated vividly, putting all her nerves on edge. His body filling up the quite spacious car interior did that, and his scent lingering around her in the enclosed space without dissipating did that.

In a word, he was a man with an immense aura without even trying to do anything.

Tae Eun slightly lowered the window to disperse her tense nerves. As the cool breeze brushed past, dulling the sharp sensations a little, this time miscellaneous thoughts flooded in. And those miscellaneous thoughts soon formed a question.

Indeed, could she really trust this man unconditionally?

Her heart had already flowed in, but reason kept raising objections.

There’s no such thing as unconditional kindness in the world. Woo Jin’s kindness that made no sense to anyone kept arousing such suspicions.

What on earth does a man like that lack?

But in one corner of her heart, a hope that perhaps struggled to rise up. Just like the very moment when she dreamed that once she graduated high school and just went to college, she could achieve complete independence from her father.

“Let me ask one thing.”

At the sound of his voice, she turned her head to look at him.

His perfectly chiseled nose bridge and masculine jawline. His side profile, as perfect as his front, filled her pupils tightly.

“What is it?”

“What kind of existence is your grandmother to you, Min Tae Eun?”

It was a question uttered as indifferently as if it were nothing, but it was also quite profound. In fact, even before meeting her, Woo Jin had sufficiently grasped her circumstances and already surmised based on that information that her grandmother was a special existence to her.

However, all of this was just a guess, and he needed to know exactly how she felt. That way, he could also clearly set his course.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m just asking because I want to know to whom I should be absolutely loyal. Whether it’s to your parents’ side or your grandmother’s side.”

Tae Eun, belatedly grasping the intention of the question, nodded and answered.

“Grandmother was… a substitute for my late mother to me. So I feel very attached to her.”

“……”

“Isn’t Woo Jin in the same situation as me? After your parents passed away, didn’t Chairman Jeong take care of you?”

“No. My grandmother was too busy for that. Instead, my eldest aunt put in a lot of effort.”

“Then to me, your eldest aunt would be like my grandmother is to you. You must feel very attached to her.”

Woo Jin didn’t answer to that.

Instead, recalling Yeong Ja’s cold face, he hardened his expression. There was a time when he felt attached to Yeong Ja too. Yeong Ja, who had no children of her own, raised him like a son after all.

But now……

He didn’t know. Where things went wrong.

Woo Jin tried to erase Yeong Ja’s face and turned the question back again.

“By any chance, did your parents use your grandmother as a hostage to demand something from you?”

Recalling the clause in the contract stating ‘under no circumstances can anything that harms the grandmother’s safety and health be a condition for negotiation’, he threw out the question he had been harboring. However, Tae Eun didn’t answer that question and turned her gaze out the window.

And that was a more definite answer than any other answer. With this, suspicion turned to conviction.

What kind of people were her parents to have used a powerless old woman like that? While getting angry at their unknown ways, his heart also ached thinking of Tae Eun being weakly swayed this way and that because of her grandmother.

“Don’t worry. Once your grandmother moves to the nursing home, things like that won’t happen anymore.”

At those words, her gaze that had been directed out the window flowed back to him. For someone who uttered such kind words, he had a very indifferent face.

“Thank you.”

Even though it was just words, she somehow felt reassured. As if she had gained an army of thousands.

But she couldn’t just be intoxicated by those words. Because the man’s next words took that time away.

“Then when would be a good time for me to greet them? I’d like to do it as soon as possible.”

“Can’t I go greet your family first? My family will undoubtedly welcome you, but I don’t think the Jang family elders will.”

“Why? Are you afraid my family won’t give permission for the marriage?”

She didn’t answer to his words. A silent affirmation. But Woo Jin also knew her situation well, so he didn’t want to burden her any further.

“Okay. Then let’s do that. Let’s set a time sometime next week.”

“That soon? Today is Saturday. Next week is just two days away.”

“Is that soon? I want to go up right now to greet your family and make our marriage official.”

At Woo Jin’s words, Tae Eun’s mouth fell open slightly. Indeed, anyone encountering his bulldozer-like personality for the first time showed this reaction.

In any case, he never avoids what’s going to happen anyway. And there was no hesitation in what had to be done anyway. This marriage was like that to him. He had already decided on this marriage, and once decided, there was no need to drag out time.

“I’ll… think about it.”

As Tae Eun spoke hesitantly, Woo Jin’s brows narrowed. This woman really didn’t seem to be desperate for this marriage. He didn’t want to act like the only one fretting, but against his will, Woo Jin was becoming that kind of person.

“You don’t seem anxious, Min Tae Eun.”

“About what?”

“What if I change my mind while you drag out time like that?”

“Would you… change your mind?”

When her serious voice came back to his grumbling words spoken out of hurt pride, a smile spread on his lips. He really couldn’t get angry at this woman.

“I’m kidding. Just kidding.”

“……”

“There won’t ever be such a thing, so don’t worry and just follow me.”

Tae Eun, steadying her shaking pupils with his resolute voice, meekly nodded. She almost took it seriously. And in that short moment, many thoughts flashed by.

What if this man changes his mind?

Come to think of it, the one desperate for this marriage was her, not him. Woo Jin was like a blank check guaranteeing her freedom and her grandmother’s safety.

“We’ve already arrived. Is it that apartment over there?”

As the car was about to enter the front of the apartment, Tae Eun stopped him. If they entered the apartment complex, her family might see.

“Please stop here.”

“Why? I can go in though.”

“No. I’ll walk in.”

“……”

“And thank you for today.”

She, firmly refusing, got out of the car. Then she entered the apartment entrance, holding her coat closed.

Woo Jin stared blankly after Tae Eun’s back. His eyes wouldn’t leave the woman. Her light, fluttering steps looked very precarious, but also purifying to the eyes.

Everything about her was truly cautious. He was going crazy over how she seemed to let him in, then firmly drew the line. For him, who never had difficulty with women, it was really an unfamiliar feeling. Considering the woman’s character, it wasn’t with the intention of playing hard to get, so it was even more agonizing.

A laugh escaped. It really felt like he had fallen under some spell.

But then, an incident occurred that immediately stopped that leaking laughter.

Woo Jin hardened his expression upon seeing the staggering shadow approaching Tae Eun.

“What is that now?”

* * *

Tae Eun moved her steps carefully, fully feeling the man’s gaze on her from inside the car. Every step she took was very uncomfortable. It was because she had worn a dress she normally didn’t wear to meet the man today.

The dress tightly hugging her body under her coat blatantly displayed her voluptuous figure, but was also an element that made her uncomfortable. Of course, the high heels, while not very high, were also contributing.

But then, a familiar shadow got out of a taxi that had just entered the apartment complex.

As Tae Eun raised her gaze to meet his, a sneering voice flowed out.

“Ha, Min Tae Eun! What time is it that you’re only coming in now? Huh?”

It was Ji Hoon. That ill-mannered bastard who still wouldn’t call her sister, and drunk at that.

As she hardened her face, frowning, Ji Hoon raised his eyebrows. There was a blatant displeasure mixed in, as if asking how dare the likes of you frown at me.

“What! Yeah, I drank a little! But what have you ever contributed? You good-for-nothing parasite?”

“You’re drunk. Don’t do this here and go in. Someone might see.”

The drunken Ji Hoon always turns into a dog. And the dog Ji Hoon often couldn’t be controlled even by Ji Eun, so Tae Eun wanted to avoid that situation as much as possible. But Ji Hoon wouldn’t leave her alone as she tried to pass by him.

“Huh? What’s this? Did you meet someone dressed like this?”

“Let go.”

As Ji Hoon grabbed her and lifted her coat, Tae Eun fiercely shook off his hand. But unfortunately, Ji Hoon was born with the guts of a tadpole that made him want to do more of what he was told not to do.

“Ha. Dressed like this, who are you trying to turn on? Huh? Min Tae Eun!”

“Don’t do this…”

“Argh!”

Tae Eun turned around, trying to avoid it as much as possible by holding her coat lapels closed, and just as Ji Hoon reached out to harass her more, he screamed as his wrist was grabbed and twisted back before achieving his goal.

“If you’re drunk, you should go in and sleep quietly. What’s with that insolence?”

At the low but murderous voice flowing out, Tae Eun turned her frozen gaze to look at Woo Jin standing tall behind Ji Hoon. With the red streetlight and darkness mingling, his face looked particularly eerie. Enough to tell at a glance how furious he was.

“Shit! Who are you! What bastard are you! Let go! Let go of me!”

“Did you stuff a rag in your mouth? A young punk like you has such a foul mouth.”

Ji Hoon struggled, but with the alcohol and the huge difference in physique with Woo Jin, he couldn’t break free. It seemed like something really bad might happen if she didn’t stop it at this point. In the end, it became a situation where Tae Eun had to step in.

“Please let him go. He’s… my younger brother.”

“You hear that? I’m her younger brother! Younger brother! So let go! Before I call the police!”

“Calling her that woman even though you’re her younger brother. Man, I can’t trust you even more now.”

With a flat voice, Woo Jin put more strength into Ji Hoon’s arm that he had twisted. Then a small groan escaped Ji Hoon’s mouth from the pain. As Tae Eun shook her head, telling him not to, he let go of Ji Hoon’s hand he was holding and threw him hard onto the ground.

Unable to steady himself, Ji Hoon tumbled onto the cold ground, shouting.

“Ow, I’m dying! This crazy bastard! Do you know who my dad is? He’s a lawyer! A lawyer! And a really famous one! You− shit! I won’t… leave you alone!”

“……”

“I’m going to sue you, you son of a bitch!”

Tae Eun instinctively reached out to help Ji Hoon up, but Woo Jin snatched her hand and pulled her to him. Tae Eun, suddenly dragged to him with her wrist grabbed, pleaded.

“Please, let go of this hand. It’s really a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? I saw with my own two eyes and clearly heard that punk harassing you.”

He turned around and spoke in a voice dry with anger. Then Ji Hoon, tumbling around, further aggravated the already bad situation.

“Oh-ho! So you two are a pair of the same kind? Right? I won’t leave it alone. Tae Eun, this time I’m going to tell Dad and have you kicked out. You think I’ll just stand by? Huh?”

Woo Jin’s chilling eyes slowly moved to Ji Hoon, then back to her. And his voice as he spoke had a deep, pitch-black anger underlying it.

“I know. I know very well what kind of treatment you’ll get if you go into that house with that punk. But even so, should I let go of this hand? And should I send you in together with that bastard who sexually harasses you while drunk?”

“……”

“Do I… look like that kind of trash to you, Min Tae Eun?”

It was the moment her will to escape his grasp was instantly broken.