“It was Executive Director Kwon Woosik.”

Yuri looked up from her mug and continued speaking to Jeho.

“He said he urgently needed to talk, so I was on my way back from meeting him.”

Contrary to her expectation that he would show some reaction, Jeho’s expression remained unchanged. He simply nodded as if understanding and pointed to the mug in front of Yuri.

“Have you finished that?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

Jeho stood up with the mug, placed it in the return area, and came back to Yuri.

“You must be very hungry. What do you want to eat?”

Despite having contacted her to have dinner, Yuri couldn’t think of any food. Honestly, she wasn’t hungry at all. How could she have an appetite in this mood?

When no answer came, Jeho put his arm around her waist and left the coffee shop. Instead of asking where they were going, Yuri leaned against Jeho. Ironically, she felt relieved just by the fact that he was beside her.

Jeho, who had been walking silently, finally spoke.

“Do you want to eat ramen?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then let’s go to our home. I’ll cook it for you.”

Why? The words “our home” felt unusually cozy today.

“Okay.”

Yuri nodded quietly while leaning on him.

“Aren’t you curious though?”

Yuri asked Jeho as he was filling a pot with water to cook ramen. Jeho put the pot on the gas range and turned towards Yuri. However, he didn’t ask what she meant.

“About why I met with Executive Director Kwon…”

“Ah, that.”

Jeho nodded lightly as he opened the ramen package. But again, he didn’t ask why they met. As he seemed uninterested and focused only on cooking the ramen, she tentatively brought it up.

“He wanted to meet about Minwoo. He thought that since I was the reason for his overseas assignment, if I intervened, maybe the chairman would recall Minwoo.”

“Oh my, that must have been difficult.”

“Yes, a little.”

Yuri smiled awkwardly and walked to the refrigerator, taking out side dishes and placing them on the table. It seemed like she was trying to change the awkward atmosphere in her own way.

Jeho turned off the gas range and put the ramen in a bowl he had taken from the cupboard.

Yuri was now telling half-truths and half-lies. However, he intended to listen silently to whatever she said.

Even if Executive Director Kwon had talked about Minwoo, it probably wasn’t to ask for help in returning to Korea. Because Minwoo was not in a position to return to Korea now.

But for now, he had to go along with her words. That’s how he could find out what Executive Director Kwon had said.

“I’m sorry. The Kwon family tends to be a bit thick-skinned.”

Jeho said as he placed the ramen bowl in front of Yuri.

“Next time, just pretend you don’t know and don’t deal with them. No one will say anything if you do that.”

“Okay.”

Yuri nodded and picked up her chopsticks. But that was just words. She had to meet Executive Director Kwon again soon.

—The moment you refuse, I’ll give orders to spread the news of the affair to the media.

Executive Director Kwon’s words echoed in her mind.

Would he really do that?

The reason she hadn’t told even Hyunkyung about Congressman Chae’s affair was not just because it was embarrassing, but more because she didn’t want anyone to know the secret of Yuri’s birth.

Even understanding Hyunkyung would look at Yuri through colored glasses.

She didn’t love her sister enough to sacrifice herself. But she wanted to keep her mother’s dying wish to protect her sister no matter what.

She didn’t understand why she had been given this leverage.

Yuri, stirring the ramen with her chopsticks, let out a small sigh.

Should she just close her eyes and switch the ledger?

She was going to take revenge anyway.

But how would she open the safe? She didn’t even know where it was in the study…

Lost in thought, the noodles had already become overcooked and mushy. Still, Jeho said nothing and took the more than half-full bowl to the sink.

“It’s late, so just sleep here tonight. And tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the officetel together to get your things.”

“Is the guest room ready?”

“Why? If it’s not ready, are you not going to stay?”

For a moment, Yuri tensed up. Sharing a bed with him was too dangerous. Especially on a day when her emotions were so confused and unstable.

She might even jump into his arms first. She would want to forget everything for a moment by embracing him passionately. But in the end, it would only intensify her mental confusion.

“Don’t worry. The guest room is ready.”

At the answer that came a moment later, Yuri breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Even though he saw her expression harden, Jeho pretended not to notice and said as he opened the refrigerator door,

“Let’s have dessert in the living room.”

“What’s all this?”

What Jeho brought to the living room wasn’t just dessert. Yuri looked at the large and small shopping bags placed in front of her.

“Gifts.”

Gifts? Why so suddenly?

“No special reason, I just wanted to do something for you. I’ve never given you a proper gift before.”

Inside the large and small shopping bags were various gifts, starting with a chocolate set. Among them, the smallest shopping bag caught Yuri’s attention. Inside the shopping bag was a wooden box.

“Ah.”

A small exclamation escaped Yuri’s lips as she opened the box without thinking. Inside the box was a quite luxurious wristwatch.

With its simple finish and no large gems, but such a unique design that it could be recognized at a glance. The watch in the box was a luxury brand that far exceeded the annual salary of an average office worker.

As Yuri looked on with surprised eyes, Jeho smiled gently and put the watch on her wrist.

“Do you like it?”

As for the wristwatch alone, of course she liked it. It was a perfect design. But it was too expensive a gift to receive without any reason.

“I like it, but… this is too much. As you know, I can’t wear something this expensive.”

“Why? Because you’re Congressman Chae Hyungsik’s daughter?”

Yuri nodded lightly, meeting his gaze.

She had been careful about everything since childhood. Especially with accessories like watches or bags, there was a set limit. If she wore even slightly expensive products, she was immediately reprimanded.

Yuri took off the watch, put it back in the wooden box, and handed it to Jeho.

“I’ll just accept your feelings.”

“Alright. Then, don’t wear it usually, just wear it when you’re with me.”

“Even having something this expensive makes me anxious.”

“Anxious?”

“I might accidentally leave it somewhere and lose it.”

“You can put it in the safe, so don’t worry about that.”

At the mention of a safe, Yuri unconsciously flinched.

“A safe?”

“Come here. I’ll show you where it is.”

Jeho stood up from the sofa with the wooden box. But Yuri couldn’t bring herself to follow him. She didn’t want to know where the safe was.

Should she say that’s enough? That there’s no need for that?

But it might not be bad to know in advance, just in case.

Eventually, Yuri followed him. As expected, Jeho opened the door and entered the study.

The safe was located in the center of the bookshelf. When Jeho pulled out the book on the far left, the panel behind it slowly lowered, revealing the safe door.

“No password is needed, it just opens automatically when it recognizes a face.”

When Jeho brought his face to the flashing red light, the light turned blue and the safe door clicked open.

Yuri instinctively closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look inside the safe. She felt like she would cross a line she shouldn’t if she saw it.

Jeho hugged Yuri warmly, smiling as if he found her closed-eye behavior amusing.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing special inside, so open your eyes.”

Yuri calmed her pounding heart and slowly opened her eyes.

Inside the safe were contract document files and an old-looking ledger.

Is that the ledger Executive Director Kwon wants switched?

But what Executive Director Kwon wants will never happen. If the safe only opens with Jeho’s face recognition, she could never get her hands on that ledger.

“Are you done now?”

Jeho asked as he closed the safe after placing the wooden box on top of the ledger.

“Yes.”

If she told Executive Director Kwon that she absolutely couldn’t open the safe, he wouldn’t be able to do anything either. He was telling her to switch the ledger in front of Jeho, which would be impossible even if she were a National Intelligence Service agent.

Then Jeho brought his lips to her ear and whispered softly.

“I’ve programmed it to open with your face too, so you can open it the same way as me anytime.”

“…What?”

“I did it last time when updating the security program.”

Why… Why on earth?

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Yuri stared intently at the old ledger that would be inside the safe.

An irresistible temptation was beckoning to her with a languid gesture.

That night, Yuri spent the night in the guest room.

Despite the quite comfortable bed, she couldn’t sleep properly. Her mind was so complex that she kept falling asleep and waking up, and before she knew it, dawn was breaking.

Unable to just lie there any longer, she got up abruptly and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, Yuri left the guest room and went to the master bedroom where Jeho was.

“Jeho, are you awake?”

When there was no answer, Yuri knocked and carefully opened the door. An empty bed came into view. She checked the bathroom and dressing room, but he wasn’t there.

Jeho was nowhere to be seen in the house, perhaps he had gone out for morning exercise.

Yuri was about to call him but changed her mind and left a note on the kitchen island counter.