A feather-like weight gently settled on Seo Jun’s chest.

Though it was still dawn, Seo Jun’s gaze, awakened from sleep, naturally fell upon So Yeon’s small hand that was fidgeting. Her cute movements were more than pleasant. The gentle curve of Seo Jun’s lips was due to a sense of satisfaction rather than the tickling sensation in his chest.

Last night, So Yeon had been sighing heavily while sipping whiskey.

What thoughts were filling that small head of hers, as she remained silent with such a serious expression?

Perhaps it was due to excessive drinking. At some point, her nodding head slowly began to tilt forward. Just before she could collapse onto the table, Seo Jun supported her forehead, and unable to leave her like that, he laid So Yeon on the bed and waited for her to sober up.

However, due to accumulated fatigue from running around all day and crying profusely while talking, So Yeon not only failed to wake up but eventually fell into a deep sleep. So what could he do? As Seo Jun briefly lay down beside her while waiting for Eom So Yeon to come to her senses, he too unwittingly dozed off.

Thus, the two who had unintentionally ended up sharing a bed fell into a deep slumber, oblivious to the world, and remained entangled, sharing body heat until morning.

He thought he would only be satisfied if he could hold her tightly and fully embrace her.

Yet, just being in the same bed with her was quite satisfying for Seo Jun. Simply having her by his side made his usually cold heart feel warm.

It seemed that being like this would be enough, with no more regrets. It felt as if the foreign sensation that had been lodged in his chest for years had completely disappeared, but what he liked most about this moment was that Eom So Yeon felt like his woman.

A small bird that had returned to his embrace.

Although she was already nestled in his arms, Seo Jun wrapped her even more snugly with both arms, showing no intention of letting her go.

Seo Jun’s composed lips curved upward once more in a smooth, long arc. It was a smile of acceptance, acknowledging that he could no longer be without Eom So Yeon.

But something felt strange.

Seo Jun sensed a part of his body becoming damp. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the shoulder where Eom So Yeon’s cheek rested was getting soaked with lukewarm moisture.

“Mmm… ugh…”

Soon after, small, intermittent groans of pain began to escape from So Yeon’s lips.

A body that wouldn’t move no matter how hard she tried. A voice that wouldn’t come out despite wanting to cry out loud, as if her vocal cords were tightly locked. Teardrops that burst forth from the agony of it all were now wetting Seo Jun’s clothes.

“D-don’t… don’t go… hic…”

She seemed to be sleeping well, but it looked like she was having a nightmare. Seo Jun shook So Yeon’s shoulder to wake her, as she struggled with her eyes still closed.

“Wake up, Eom So Yeon!”

“Ah…!”

So Yeon’s eyes opened at Seo Jun’s voice, and her blocked airways cleared. However, her mind was still trapped in the nightmare.

“Ah, ah, ah, how could you do this no matter how wrong I was! I can’t live without Hyun Woo, but you can! So please, please don’t take him away… sob sob…”

“Shh… it’s okay, it’s okay…”

It seemed she was mistaking him for the child’s father. Seo Jun, having a vague idea of what was causing her to cry so pitifully, pulled So Yeon close as she even started swinging her fists at him, and gently patted her head and lower back.

“It’s okay, Eom So Yeon… it’s a dream, just a dream…”

“Hic… r-really…?”

“Yes, just a bad dream.”

“Waaah… huhuhu…”

Though somewhat relieved by the words that it was just a dream, So Yeon, still too shocked, buried her face in Seo Jun’s chest and wept openly for a while.

Seo Jun continued to pat her, calming her until her crying subsided.

However, his dark eyes were spewing out more than just discomfort – they were brimming with anger.

He was reminded of the story Eom So Yeon had told him on the plane to Spain.

She said there were unspeakable circumstances behind her breakup with that man. So even though he wasn’t by her side, she was able to happily give birth to the child because it was the child of the person she loved most. And she told her parents that the child’s father had died, lest they harbor any futile hope.

Whether it was a mistake or not, he had abandoned his child and woman when they needed him most. That alone proved he was undoubtedly a man devoid of any sense of responsibility. Who the hell was that wretched bastard to appear even in her dreams and make Eom So Yeon cry…

Seo Jun’s anger gradually shifted to irritation as time passed.

It was because of Eom So Yeon, who had even given birth to a child despite that man not being by her side – how much must she have loved him? – and had told such an outrageous lie to her parents to protect that incompetent bastard.

But that irritation was short-lived.

As So Yeon suddenly lifted her head and looked around the bedroom, Seo Jun’s gaze inadvertently followed hers.

“Is this the Director’s bedroom? Why am I sleeping here?”

“If you ask me that, how should I answer? To someone who passed out drunk.”

“Ah…”

Was I drunk? No, come to think of it, I was more exhausted than drunk. Right, that’s it. I just fell asleep in despair.

As if admitting her mistake, So Yeon lowered her gaze and remained still for a moment.

That’s right.

So Yeon’s mind had become saturated with numerous reasons why she and Tae Seo Jun couldn’t be together, and worries about her child.

Even though she had resolved to give up, telling herself that she and he could never be together. Yet whenever their eyes met, a desire kept growing in a corner of her heart. At some point, she became tired of her thoughts swaying like reeds. She just wanted to lean on Tae Seo Jun and rest without thinking about anything.

Feeling awkward for no reason, So Yeon grumbled softly in a sulky voice.

“If I was so drunk I passed out, you should have moved me to my room at least.”

“You were a bit heavy.”

“Eek, heavy? I’m a very light person, how can that be?”

When So Yeon questioned him, Seo Jun grinned and put her head back where it had been. This caused So Yeon’s cheeks, caught between his large hand and firm chest, to flatten like pressed rice cakes.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s just sleep more. It’s still dawn.”

“…”

Sleep more?

I’m not sure if I should go back to my room now, or if it’s okay to stay like this. I don’t know what to do anymore.

He seemed to have fallen asleep in just a moment, already breathing evenly. Still unsure of what to do, So Yeon just blinked her eyes for a while.

Cadiz is a port city that can be reached in about 3 hours by car from Malaga.

Although the local filming was set to begin in earnest three days later, the drama production team, who had arrived in Spain early, was making thorough preparations for the hectic shooting schedule ahead.

Bong (manager) and Park Sung Ho had left for Cadiz, where the production team was staying, an hour ago. Seo Jun had sent the two men to the filming location a few days early to have some time alone with her.

That wasn’t all. He had also prohibited all the regular staff from entering the mansion for the next two days, tomorrow and the day after. Therefore, for the next three days, including today, the only people in this mansion were Seo Jun and So Yeon.

Skipping the morning hours gently, it was nearly noon.

Seo Jun had quickly prepared brunch in the kitchen and brought it to the bedroom. This was for Eom So Yeon, who had spent the dawn wide awake and only fallen back asleep in the morning.

Salad, seafood tomato stew, whole wheat bread with cheese and ham, and fresh fruit juice. All the food items on the bed tray looked appetizing.

So Yeon, who had just learned that they were the only two in this mansion, looked at the food he had prepared with a somewhat curious gaze.

“Did you make all of this, Director?”

When So Yeon asked, Seo Jun, sitting across from her, leisurely dipped bread into the tomato stew and ate while answering briefly.

“Meal kit.”

“Wow! They have those in Spain too?”

“I’m sure they do, but I had the kitchen prepare these in advance.”

“Ah, of course…”

As expected, meticulous people are thorough in everything they do.

Instead of finishing her thought out loud, So Yeon just grinned and munched on her salad deliciously.

“How’s Eom So Yeon’s cooking skills?”

“Well, I’ve been living on my own for several years now.”

“Sounds like you’re confident. I’d like to try something you’ve cooked sometime.”

“Well… if the opportunity arises…”

He was probably just making conversation, but So Yeon’s heart pounded as if she had received a proposal, and she trailed off ambiguously.

Since coming to Spain, she had been with Tae Seo Jun constantly.

And today, they had slept and woken up in the same space. Now, she was having lunch with Tae Seo Jun in this exotic, sunlit bedroom.

The atmosphere created by that excitement made So Yeon feel as if she were on a honeymoon.

But it was nothing more than a happy imagination.

So Yeon suddenly recalled the nightmare she had suffered in the early dawn.

She had been playing leisurely with her son in a garden full of blooming flowers. That was certainly the case, but suddenly Tae Seo Jun and his family appeared and disappeared into that portrait hanging on the central staircase of this mansion, taking Hyun Woo with them.

She tried to grab her son but couldn’t. Suddenly, her lower body was crushed under an enormously heavy rock. Still, as she struggled and reached out towards the portrait, Tae Seo Jun, who had suddenly embraced Hyun Woo tightly, was looking down at her with cold eyes right in front of her.

And at some point, Yoo Jung Hwa, who had stuck close to his side, was mocking her. As if to say that Tae Seo Jun was not someone she could dare to covet.

How bad must it have been for her to have such a dream?

Realizing that the dream was not far from reality, and that her imagination and her actual situation were quite different, So Yeon’s heart felt empty.

“Does it happen often?”

Seo Jun asked seriously. No, he couldn’t help but ask. The dark expression that had briefly crossed So Yeon’s face somehow felt like it was his fault. He had a hunch that her nightmare was not unrelated to the child’s father.

However, Eom So Yeon asked back with a look of complete ignorance.

“What?”

“Crying in your sleep.”

“Me? When? I didn’t cry.”

Habit was a scary thing. No, it was a defensive instinct that refused to back down when it came to matters concerning her child. Even though he had clearly seen her cry, and she knew it better than anyone, So Yeon nonchalantly feigned innocence.

“Really?”

I clearly know, and you must know too, so why are you doing this?

Seo Jun asked with a smile, but So Yeon continued to deny it to the end.

“I’m telling you, it never happened.”

She had no choice, even if it meant being labeled a liar.

If she spoke about what happened in the dream, she feared that nightmare might become reality. That she might lose Hyun Woo forever.

So Yeon was terrified of that possibility to the point of shuddering.

Late afternoon, So Yeon and Seo Jun were strolling along the sunset beach.

The sand crumbled softly between their toes. Barefoot footprints stretched out behind them. The traces of their walk were washed clean by the white foam of the incoming waves that So Yeon saw when she looked back.

If there would never be another chance to make Tae Seo Jun my man. If I were to lose this man forever by constantly pushing him away. If today were to remain a lifelong regret.

If this man were to erase me, just as our footprints on the sand were washed away by the sea, would I be able to endure it all?

So Yeon stopped walking and looked up at Seo Jun with melancholic eyes.

“Tae Seo Jun, you said yesterday. Do you really like me that much?”

“Why? Does it sound like a lie?”

“No. I’m asking because it sounds too real.”

“If you can’t hold back, you can come over. Eom So Yeon is always welcome.”

Already on the verge of giving in, So Yeon wavered even more at Seo Jun’s sweet voice.

“…”

Can I really do that?

Her eyes, fixed on Seo Jun without a word, shimmered with the red sunset light.

“Ah, you’re not listening again.”

As much as he wanted to forcibly make her his woman, he knew better that he couldn’t. After all, a person’s heart can’t be turned by force. Then should he cleanly give up on Eom So Yeon?

“Your stubbornness is tougher than whale sinew.”

No, that’s not it. Seo Jun, feeling that things might not go as he planned either, mixed criticism with his chuckling laughter.

“So, are you saying you’ve grown to dislike me?”

“How could that be? Shall we go on a date tomorrow night?”

At the sudden date proposal, So Yeon’s large eyes lit up. Though they had gone sightseeing in the city yesterday, this was the first time she had heard him use the word ‘date’.

“Where to?”

“There’s a carnival on the beach.”

“Will there be fireworks too?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, let’s go, let’s go!”

So Yeon answered with a childlike smile, almost hanging onto Seo Jun’s arm with both hands and jumping up and down.

However, her heart was not so bright. It felt like walking on thin ice, unstable and uncertain.

Because she had already made up her mind.

Tomorrow, no matter what, she would reveal everything she had been hiding to him.

If he would still like her despite that, she resolved to take this man’s hand and go to the ends of the earth with him.