“You’ve done something interesting.”

Han Chairman broke the silence in the study, which had remained quiet even after Miran brought in refreshments. No, he aimed his sword first.

It was sharp, and Tae Un could immediately grasp the meaning contained in those brief words.

He was referring to the incident where he had drilled a small hole in a large ship to sink Cha Hi Ra, and as a result, it was now sinking.

“…You have also done something interesting, Chairman.”

There was only coldness.

It was impossible to see the image of a father-in-law and son-in-law who were about to become family. Their words had thorns, and neither backed down, sharpening their blades against each other.

“Something interesting, haha. Somehow your tone sounds full of discontent.”

“Because of what you did, that person suffered a lot.”

Tae Un knew too well how much she had struggled, having seen Ba Ha cry over and over again.

“It’s because of your greed, Chairman.”

He knew that Cha Hi Ra was at the beginning, but at the end was also Han Chairman, who had been manipulating while hiding behind a person, cooperating with clumsy obsession.

“How could you do that?”

He was angry.

When he realized that Han Chairman’s schemes occupied a large part of all this, anger consumed Tae Un rather than surprise.

No matter if she was an illegitimate child, she was still family with mixed blood, and how could a person who had maintained such a clean image in the world, a person who was her father, be so cruel?

He wanted to understand, but he couldn’t.

“So are you having a hard time now? Or is Ba Ha still struggling?”

“I’m saying your method was wrong.”

It hurt Ba Ha and made her sad.

Regardless of the outcome, his method was wrong. He had thrown Ba Ha to Yu An somehow to create a connection with his rival, and that throw could have misaligned her.

Everything could have changed by the slightest margin.

“The method was wrong… As long as any method goes properly, that’s all that matters. It sounds like you had a better method.”

“…”

As Han Chairman said, nothing bad had happened to Tae Un.

Rather, he was happy.

He had met Ba Ha before seeing her for the arranged marriage, but for Tae Un, the excuse of a political marriage was important. It was the only excuse to wedge into the gap when she broke up with Lee Han and became vulnerable.

Tae Un hesitated for a moment at Han Chairman’s words.

“You say it’s wrong, but even if the method is wrong, if you find the answer and match it, that’s the correct answer. The process doesn’t matter. What matters is whether it’s the answer or not.”

“Even so, the other party was Cha Hi Ra. You know that too, don’t you, Chairman? She’s a crazy woman. That’s why I did that interesting thing secretly from her. Ba Ha might know, though.”

“Yes. Cha Hi Ra, a scary child. Even with KH backing her, coming to see me recklessly.”

“How could you pair such a person with Ba Ha?”

“Isn’t that what makes you stand out more?”

Annoyed at the fact that he couldn’t deny Han Chairman’s words, Tae Un let out a bitter laugh.

“…It seems you don’t even see her getting hurt.”

“You just need to see that.”

She was a pitiful woman.

Only indifferent words came out of the mouth of the person called her father, and not a single word of concern for her was in those words. He was just a person who lived only calculating benefits in everything.

Tae Un wanted to take Ba Ha and run away from this house right now.

“Now I understand why Ba Ha trembles at the mention of Taesan where you are, Chairman. Keep going. If you continue to hurt her using Cha Hi Ra, I will embrace and protect her.”

“Right. You just need to stay by that child’s side like that. Understand?”

As Han Chairman finished speaking and brought the tea to his mouth with a faint smile, silence fell in the study once again.

“…Yes. I’ll do that even if you don’t tell me to.”

He wanted to see her.

He wanted to hold the pitiful Ba Ha in his arms right now and feel her warmth with his whole body.

Tae Un stood up and tried his best to maintain courtesy until the end as he bowed.

“Then we’ll be going.”

This is why she didn’t want to come.

Today’s meeting wasn’t pleasant either, and it was a meeting like thin ice that could break at any moment, not deviating from a single prediction.

“Why did they call me here…”

Ba Ha was now sick and tired of those family members who seemed desperate to devour her every time they saw her.

If it was going to be like this, they shouldn’t have called. What reason did they have for calling every time?

Today’s meeting was particularly incomprehensible.

“Hah…”

Even as she got in the car with Tae Un after leaving the house, Ba Ha’s feelings of anger and irritation at still having such feelings didn’t easily subside.

“What did you talk about with Han Chairman?”

“Nothing much. Just a normal greeting between a future father-in-law and son-in-law. That’s all.”

It was an obvious lie.

A white lie uttered in hopes that she wouldn’t get hurt.

Tae Un brushed it off, thinking she didn’t need to know the exact truth, but Ba Ha knew.

Having lived beside Han Chairman for so long, he wasn’t the type to gather people just for greetings between a father-in-law and son-in-law.

“…Is that so?”

Realizing his small consideration, Ba Ha didn’t ask any further.

She knew from his short answer that he didn’t want her to get hurt.

“Hah… I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Hm? About what?”

“I told you the fantasy would break. I’m so embarrassed now. Tae Un, don’t think about lying that it didn’t break. That’s even more embarrassing.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Ba Ha’s face gradually reddened as the memory of her fierce behavior from earlier flashed through her mind, and she covered her face with both hands in embarrassment.

How surprised must he have been seeing her screaming loudly every time?

Seeing that Ba Ha had no intention of showing her hidden face, Tae Un turned his body as much as possible to look at her.

“Didn’t I tell you? I really don’t mind whatever you look like.”

“Tae Un…”

“Rather, that charismatic appearance from earlier was the best. A sexy and powerful woman. I fell for you all over again.”

Tae Un removed Ba Ha’s hands hiding her face to cheer her up, their eyes met, and Tae Un smiled broadly, giving a thumbs up even more playfully.

“Just do whatever you want to do. Say what you want to say, do what you want to do. Don’t hold back.”

He was always the one pulling her up when she was trying to bury herself in the ground.

Ba Ha finally burst into laughter at Tae Un’s appearance, and Tae Un gently held her hand.

“Don’t worry too much. If you don’t like that family, I’ll become your new family.”

“…”

“Let’s make our own family. Happy, harmonious, full of laughter, we can live happily. I’ll make it happen. Ba Ha.”

His sincerity always made Ba Ha cry. It made her cry with endless warmth.

With overflowing gratitude, saying thank you now felt insufficient and cliché, but it was the best expression she could make.

“Thank you, Tae Un.”

After Ba Ha’s words, Tae Un slowly drove the car.

Even in the quiet silence with soft music flowing, their clasped hands held a warm temperature.

“How do you want to have the wedding?”

“What…? Suddenly talking about the wedding?”

Ba Ha looked at him with wide eyes at the sudden mention of a wedding, and Tae Un burst into laughter at Ba Ha’s expression, which he could imagine without even looking.

“What do you mean suddenly? You saw Han Chairman urging us, right? Well, actually, I’m the most urgent one here.”

Tae Un said calmly, as if it were natural.

“Wedding…”

Ba Ha murmured softly. In fact, she hadn’t thought deeply about it even after talking about marriage with him.

A wedding with Tae Un, their newlywed life.

Although he was gradually taking a larger place in Ba Ha’s heart, it still didn’t feel real, as if it were something far in the future.

“Hmm… How about a small wedding? Just like a covenant ceremony?”

“Small wedding? No. I want it to be as grand as possible.”

“Why? Do you have some kind of wedding fantasy, Tae Un?”

“Just, I want many people to see you, more beautiful than anyone else, walking towards me in a wedding dress on that day? Is this also a wedding fantasy?”

As expected, her answer was a small wedding.

He didn’t think a small wedding itself was bad.

In fact, what was so important?

It was a place where a man and woman in love swear eternal love, whether it’s small or grand, it wasn’t really important, but Tae Un wanted to show our relationship more proudly in front of many people.

“…Tae Un, really. Are you answering your own question?”

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Ba Ha just grumbled, feeling shy after hearing his words, and looked out the window.

“What about the house? Have you thought about what kind of house you’d like to live in?”

“Aren’t you rushing too much, Tae Un?”

“I told you. Probably no one is more urgent than me.”

They had already arrived in front of her house, and Tae Un gazed intently at Ba Ha, who seemed lost in thought looking out the window.

Waiting for her to quietly finish her thoughts.

“Um… I’d like it to be warm. A house with a warm feeling where sunlight fills the room in the morning. I like that kind of warm house.”

It was very different.

Perhaps because she had lived thinking she would never create a family boundary for her whole life?

She didn’t care what kind of house it was. But now that thought had changed a little, and she thought it would be fine as long as Ba Ha was in it, whatever house it was.

Because that would be a warm house.

“A warm house…”

At Ba Ha’s words, Tae Un’s heart fluttered, and he wanted to listen to her. He wanted to create a warm family in the warm house she wanted.

“Han Ba Ha, give me your time this weekend. There’s somewhere I want to go with you.”