Due to his serious response to her joking remark, Sihyun couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why say it so decisively? Aunt might feel hurt if she hears that.”

“Mother already has Father.”

Taeha sighed softly.

“Father still loves Mother very much. This morning, he said he was going to meet Mother and looked at himself in the mirror ten more times. But Mother…”

“In fact, Aunt is the same.”

It was when Wujin began to show signs of infidelity. Suyeon, holding back her tears, confided in Sihyun.

[Originally, that’s how it goes, right? Even in a relationship where you loved passionately, as time passes, it dulls, becomes familiar, and eventually becomes neglectful…]

She wanted to hear that it was normal, but unexpectedly, Suyeon firmly replied.

[Well, I don’t think so.]

Suyeon’s expression at that moment is vividly remembered.

[Even now, when I think of him, my heart beats like the first time we met. Even after ten years, even after twenty… Maybe it will be like that until I die.]

At that moment, Sihyun thought. Even at that age, I can still remember someone and make such an expression.

“At that time, I didn’t know Aunt was talking about Mr. Leon.”

Taeha made a puzzled expression.

“Then why is Mother avoiding Father?”

“I don’t know.”

Even Sihyun couldn’t figure that out.

While discussing, they had unknowingly arrived at the front of the house.

“Be careful.”

Bidding farewell in front of the entrance, instead of turning away, Taeha followed Sihyun into the house.

“I want to be with you today.”

“You should go see Mr. Leon. What if he feels lonely all alone?”

“Father is probably thinking about how to approach Mother right now and wouldn’t feel lonely.”

Taeha quickly responded while loosening his tie. His gaze was so intense that Sihyun didn’t know what to do.

“Don’t say that and go quickly. I know your parents very well. How awkward it would be if I allowed you to stay out overnight.”

However, Taeha didn’t listen and effortlessly lifted Sihyun onto the bed.

“Just a moment!”

“Are you going to keep talking about my parents in bed?”

“If Aunt Suyeon and I were to fight, whose side would you take?”

“Of course, I’d take your side.”

Laughing at his serious response to her joking question, Sihyun couldn’t help but find it amusing.

[Star icon]

After Taeha returned with Sihyun, and Suyeon was left alone in the store, she took out a cream cake from the refrigerator. Leon had bought it for her from the mart earlier in the day.

“…….”

Staring at the cake for a while, she picked up a fork, scooped up a small piece, and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste melted in her mouth. Despite the long years that had passed, it tasted almost identical to what was in her memories.

Why does this sweetness never get boring? At this age, it should have become dull.
Taking a bite of the cake, Suyeon thought to herself.

He couldn’t forget her; she understood that much.

Honestly, she was delighted. It made her heart flutter. Since his parents had already passed away, there was nothing more to fear.

However, Suyeon somehow couldn’t bring herself to face him directly.

It wasn’t that she disliked him; it was just frightening. It was an instinctive fear, similar to someone who had almost drowned once and now avoided going near the water.

Love, to her, was like a cake poisoned. Behind the short-lived sweetness awaited a profoundly long-lasting pain.

Sometime earlier, Sihyun had mentioned this about Leon.

“He was once married to an American woman, but they divorced after only a few years. He’s been alone since then.”

Even though it had been a long time since the divorce, just thinking about it made her want to cry. What kind of woman was she? How much did he love her? Did she, like Suyeon, affectionately call him by a nickname?

Suyeon found herself terribly disgusted at the jealousy she felt toward a woman she hadn’t even seen. She disliked secretly feeling excited despite telling her not to follow. She disliked being startled all day, wondering if it was him every time a customer came in. She disliked feeling increasingly pathetic when she was around him, yet still wanting to be by his side.

Disliking every emotion that Leon stirred up, Suyeon just wanted to escape.

The current peaceful and simple life suited her well. Since she had met her son, there was nothing more to wish for. She didn’t want to get entangled with a man who had become someone from a different world.

Please don’t shake me.

Just leave me alone to live quietly like this.

While silently making these wishes, Suyeon closed the cake box and pushed it deep into the refrigerator, deliberately ignoring the desire to take just one more bite.

[Star icon]

“Is it always this far to walk for grocery shopping? It must be heavy.”

“I should come with you every day.”

The man, who said it as if he were happy, hadn’t been seen for three days after that.

Why someone like Leon would have no reason to hang himself around her for long was beyond her. He must be busy with his own affairs.

‘He gives up quite quickly.’

To dispel the lonely feeling that inexplicably crept in, Suyeon scolded herself. It’s what you wanted, fool.

During that time, construction started prominently on the building across from Suyeon’s store.

[Grand Mart OPEN on X month X day]

Judging by the scale of the construction, it seemed like a large supermarket. Even after seeing the banner, Suyeon merely thought, ‘It would be convenient for grocery shopping with a mart right in front.’

On the third day since Leon hadn’t appeared, which happened to be the morning, a group of market vendors suddenly rushed into her store.

“Madam, please save us!”