Despite saying it was cold, Jeho’s body was hot like a fireball as he embraced her. With the body heat transmitted through her back and the faint scent permeating from him, Yuri felt like all the fine hairs on her body were standing up.

Perhaps sensing that she was tense, Jeho gently stroked her hair with his hand. The tension dissipated with his tender touch, and her eyes closed on their own.

Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Yuri couldn’t push Jeho away.

After her mother passed away, it was rare for someone to caress her head. After her grandmother passed and even her aunt left for Europe, that too disappeared.

Yuri tried hard to rationalize to herself that it was because she missed affectionate touches, that’s why it was like this.

Ha, Yuri let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. It was so cozy and warm that sleepiness suddenly crept up on her.

As she fell asleep, Jeho tightened his arms around Yuri and pulled her even closer.

“Hmm.”

The sweet scent permeating his nose was dizzily pleasant. If it were up to him, he wanted to hold her until morning. But he had to keep his word that it would only be for a moment.

When he lifted Yuri up, she furrowed her brow with an ‘eung’ sound, but fortunately she didn’t open her eyes. Even when he laid her on the bed, she breathed evenly like a sleeping beauty in the forest.

Jeho, who had been silently looking down at her sleeping, lowered his head and kissed her forehead. Then he carefully left the bedroom.

The next morning, Yuri woke up in bed.

Blinking sleepy eyes, Yuri furrowed her brow. When did she come to the big room? Then, as if recalling a dream, she vaguely remembered that he had carried her here.

No way! Yuri shook her head vigorously. She told him not to even lift the bedding because it would strain his shoulders, but she caused such an inconvenience!

She hurriedly got ready and went to the living room, where she saw Jeho gazing out the window while drinking coffee.

Whenever he had woken up, he looked completely ready. His hair, still damp from the shower, naturally flowed down over his forehead.

As Jeho, who had been looking outside, turned his head to the side, their eyes met. She should say something, but Yuri’s lips wouldn’t part as if they were glued together.

Jeho, with his gaze fixed on Yuri, leisurely drank his coffee. After finishing the last drop, he set the cup down with a clink.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Yuri answered briefly and slightly lowered her gaze. She had no confidence to meet his eyes. No matter how tired she was, to fall asleep like that…

“Brunch on the terrace is okay, right? I made a reservation.”

While she was sleeping in, Jeho had already taken care of check-out and reserving KTX tickets.

“I’m sorry.”

As they sat at a table overlooking the sea, Yuri muttered softly in a mosquito-like voice. Jeho poured water into the cup in front of her and asked in a composed voice.

“For what?”

“I made you do everything alone.”

In fact, she wanted to apologize for making him move her to the bed, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. But since he was a man with quick wits, she believed he would understand well on his own.

Jeho nodded silently. It was ambiguous whether it meant he was unfortunately glad or that it was alright, but there was no need to ask again.

“They say the sea salt coffee here is famous, should we order it?”

“Sure.”

As Jeho changed the subject, Yuri quickly agreed. The coffee they ordered came out, and the meal soon followed.

“About last night.”

She had just put a forkful in her mouth when Jeho abruptly brought it up.

“I was a little taken aback when you first came to the room. I was planning to seduce you after finding a better opportunity.”

“Cough.”

She was so surprised that she choked. She covered her mouth with a napkin and coughed, but the food stuck in her throat wouldn’t easily go down. Only after Jeho moved to her side and rubbed her back with his palm did she finally calm down.

“I was really just worried.”

Yuri glared at Jeho with glistening eyes. He smiled brightly and tapped the droplets gathered at the corners of her eyes with his fingertips.

“Well, sure. If that’s the case, then that’s what it is.”

“It’s true.”

Perhaps provoked, Yuri’s voice grew louder. Jeho frowned as if disappointed, then this time he brushed away the droplets gathered at the other corner of her eye with his hand.

“Oh my… Then I was the only one who misunderstood. Right?”

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Yuri soon nodded her head up and down.

“Okay, then.”

Jeho returned to his seat across from her and spread the napkin he had placed on the table over his lap. He seemed to back down obediently, but his following words made Yuri’s nerves stand on end again.

“From now on, I’ll have to formally seduce you. Since there’s not much time left. The wedding is in less than a month, right?”

Thankfully, this time it was before she put the food in her mouth. Yuri set down the fork in her hand, suppressing the surging emotions.

“What’s your reason for doing this?”

“Does a man need any other special reason to seduce a woman?”

For a moment, it felt like she couldn’t breathe. Unconcealed desire flickered in his eyes directed at her. But it was only in his gaze. His expression and voice were as serene as if talking about the weather.

“Let me ask you just one thing. Do you remember what you said while having dinner with Minwoo last time? You said there was a woman who kept catching your eye and occupying your thoughts. You even said she would soon become your woman.”

“Of course.”

Jeho nodded with a grin.

“That woman who occupied your thoughts then…”

Even though she was just asking, Yuri’s face flushed hot.

“Were you talking about me by any chance?”

He didn’t answer right away. Raising the corner of his mouth askew, he brought the coffee cup to his lips. He sipped the coffee very slowly and set the cup down very slowly. During that time, Yuri’s insides burned black.

“You didn’t really ask because you didn’t know, right? I think I mentioned several times after that too about how my thoughts were occupied and my eyes drawn…”

She thought it was a mischievous joke. She never once considered it to be sincere. How could she!

“Then… you had feelings for me since then?”

“No, even before that.”

Even before that? Yuri looked at Jeho with disbelieving eyes. In contrast to Yuri who tensed up, Jeho leisurely leaned back in his chair.

“To be exact, since you fluttered your skirt and jumped over the wall saying you wanted to see me.”

“No way.”

This was a blatant lie. Back then, he had clearly treated her, who had just graduated high school, like an annoying baby reeking of formula, as if she was very bothersome.

As Yuri stared at him with eyes full of disbelief, Jeho lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“I should have snatched you up right then…”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Right, that wasn’t what was important right now. Yuri quickly moved on to the main point.

“Alright. Let’s say that’s the case. But right now, I’m engaged to Minwoo. I don’t think you’re the kind of deplorable person who would reach out to your cousin’s fiancée.”

“If a stranger heard, they would think you two are getting married after being ardently in love.”

“Even if it’s an arranged marriage, a marriage is still a marriage. It’s a promise to each other.”

As if he didn’t like the word promise, Jeho furrowed his eyebrows.

“So is that kid Minwoo keeping that promise to you well?”

It was as if he knew Minwoo had another woman. Otherwise, he wouldn’t make such an unpleasant expression.

“So you think I’ll easily fall for it if you seduce me?”

To be honest, she was already being swayed by him. But she couldn’t let him notice that. Whether it was attraction between a man and a woman, an instinctive desire, or even if by any chance it was true emotion. Right now, she had no room to love anyone.

“Of course, I don’t think you’ll fall for it easily.”

He answered in a relaxed and composed voice.

“But the more challenging it is, the more fun it becomes. So, look forward to it. How I will seduce you.”

Jeho spoke as if whispering and gently curved the corners of his eyes. As her heart pounded at that smile, she felt uneasy that it would be a game she was destined to lose. Yuri turned her head away from his gaze and gulped down the sea salt coffee.

The taste of the salt coffee mixed with the cream wetting her lips was like the situation she found herself in now. Sweet, salty, and bitter.

Although he said he would seduce her, Jeho maintained a proper distance. It was the same on the express train back and even after arriving in Seoul.

“I’ll take you home.”

Jeho said as he went to retrieve the car in the station parking lot. After getting in the car, he first charged Yuri’s phone which had a dead battery. As the phone powered on, missed call and text notifications appeared. There was one call from Madam Ahn past midnight last night.

“…Ah, right.”

With her phone turned off, she couldn’t let them know she couldn’t go home. Of course, she could have used the landline phone installed at the resort, but she had forgotten that she even needed to call. But they wouldn’t have called out of worry. It was probably just out of obligation. That’s why there was no message left.

“Rest well.”

Jeho said as he dropped her off in front of her house.

“Thank you for the ride.”

If he hadn’t said he would seduce her, she would have asked, “Can we go look for the necklace tomorrow?” But for the time being, she had to avoid situations where she was alone with him. Honestly, she couldn’t trust herself more than him.

After Jeho’s car disappeared from view, Yuri entered the house and Madam Ahn approached with a dark expression.

“What happened yesterday?”

“I’m sorry. The battery died so I couldn’t call.”

“Never mind me, go explain to your father. He’s in the study now.”

Knocking and opening the study door, Assemblyman Chae was on the phone with a serious face. As Yuri entered, Assemblyman Chae quickly ended the call and walked over to her.

“Do you have any sense or not?”

Assemblyman Chae yelled so loudly that the veins in his neck bulged.

Yuri couldn’t understand her father who abandoned her and yet was furious. Was he acting like this because she stayed out without a word? Shouldn’t she be the one to get angry first?

“What do you mean?”

Yuri frowned, not hiding her unpleasant feelings.

“Are you asking because you don’t know? Are you trying to rebel?”

Assemblyman Chae grabbed the photos scattered on the desk and threw them at Yuri’s face. The photos that grazed her face fluttered in the air and fell to the floor.

“A woman getting married the day after tomorrow spends the night with another man?”

The photos showed her and Jeho entering the resort. Fortunately, most of the photos only captured Jeho’s back or side, and there were no photos properly showing his face. But who took these photos?

“Were you spying on me?”

“Is that what’s important right now? Even if you disgrace me, the nerve of you! When the by-election is coming up!”

“Ha.”

Yuri was dumbfounded. The reason her father, who had never been interested in her private life, was so angry was because he was worried about getting caught up in an unsavory situation before the by-election. The election was always his top priority. Those darned voters, his support base, approval ratings, public opinion.

If it were her usual self, she would have calmly explained the whole story. But she couldn’t do that now. The dissatisfaction and heartache she had suppressed burst out.

Yuri looked straight at Assemblyman Chae and put on a cynical smile.

“It must be in the blood.”

“What?”

Assemblyman Chae asked back as if he had misheard something. Yuri spat out the words as she unclenched her tightly bitten lips.

“Since I share the same blood as you, where else would that habit go. Isn’t it… Ah!”

Before she could even finish her sentence, sparks flew from her eyes. Yuri, slapped by Assemblyman Chae, collapsed on the floor.

Yuri glared up at Assemblyman Chae with wide eyes. More than her slapped cheek, her wounded heart ached and hurt.

“Where did you learn such bad language? When you went out and played with another man…”

As if one slap wasn’t enough to quell his anger, Assemblyman Chae raised his arm high again. At that moment, the study door flung open and someone rushed in. Before he could hit Yuri, a large hand grabbed Assemblyman Chae’s arm.

Assemblyman Chae turned his head to look at the unwelcome guest. The moment he realized who it was, Assemblyman Chae’s face contorted with shock.

“I’m that other man.”

Gripping Assemblyman Chae’s arm tightly, Jeho spoke frigidly.