The director’s voice was occasionally heard like a faint noise, and the curator was in the middle of her work.

“Seeing you often.”

Ki Joo spoke lightly.

“Uh, it was an event organized by my father!”

Immediately regretting her mumbled excuse, Kim So Hee’s face revealed her regret. She seemed particularly humiliated that she was scared of a mere bodyguard. Ki Joo let out a concentrated laugh of indifference.

“Being true to your character is good.”

Kim So Hee was a pretty good mechanism. Even though Eun Chae tried to see Seung Yoon as just an external husband, she was an existence that would occasionally make her feel doubtful.

“I must have said not to cross the line.”

Seeing the man’s cold face as his occasional laughter disappeared, So Hee’s breathing became unstable.

She recalled the man’s actions that made her feel raw threat on the first day.

((())) ((())) ((()))

The man who intruded with an axe, chopping the door.

So Hee charged at the man who made the selfwilled Han Seung Yoon helpless towards Song Eun Chae.

“What the hell are you. How dare you treat my brother like that!”

So Hee hit the man’s back and shoulders, pushed him, and raged in every possible way.

Whether it was just a soft hit to the solid and massive man, he didn’t care and gave orders to the accompanying employees.

With his indifferent reaction, So Hee’s agitation increased even more.

How dare a bodyguard. If this gets out, do you think you can earn a living in this field? Live under Chairman Song for the rest of your life. The moment you leave there, you’ll be miserable.

In an extremely excited state, So Hee spat out words that were closer to a curse than a threat. The man who had been consistently ignoring her reacted very suddenly.

“When Song Eun Chae divorces, you’ll be kicked out too…!”

Before she could even finish her words, the man just turned his head slightly and looked down. He sneered with only the side of his face exposed.

“Didn’t I tell you.”

At his terrifyingly low voice, So Hee felt chills run down her neck.

“You guys are deceiving too much.”

Ki Joo turned his body fully towards So Hee. Tilting his head slightly and sticking his hands in his trouser pockets, he mumbled.

“Song Eun Chae is not someone to be scorned.”

The large hand that had been in his pocket reached out. Unable to overcome her surprise, So Hee flinched. As he chuckled, he grasped a lock of So Hee’s hair.

“Do it secretly, just like now.”

Never think about appearing in front of Song Eun Chae for the rest of your life, like a dead mouse. Like a nonexistent person. As if to see if Ki Joo understood, he bent his upper body to meet her gaze. At that moment, So Hee felt some kind of certainty.

I must have crossed the wrong guy.

((())) ((())) ((()))

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

At the sound of Director Kim’s murmuring, So Hee finally came out of her reverie. Ki Joo, still staring at So Hee, added a final word, taking into account his distance from the director.

“Smile. You can’t get caught.”

Even though you probably want to get caught.

Ki Joo saw right through So Hee. She firmly believed that Han Seung Yoon truly loved her. She is so deluded that even the decision to get married by calculating might be shaken by love.

Maybe it’s naive.

Ki Joo gave a thin smile.

((())) ((())) ((()))

Eun Chae adjusted the alignment of her dress while looking at the fulllength mirror under the morning sun. It was a dress fitting that she didn’t even expect, but anyway, she had to try on several pieces.

Although she didn’t enjoy shopping because it was tedious to try on several pieces of clothing, she thought it was a part of the minimum courtesy towards her future husband that she had to endure. For that, a dress that was easy to put on and take off seemed the best.

Eun Chae left the room after wearing the dress she had chosen solely for its practicality and a cashmere coat on top of it.

It was the old lady who was more excited about the dress fitting than the person herself.

Because of that, she had to sleep with a face mask she didn’t want on her face the night before. She also declared that she would prepare only a light meal so as not to eat too much on the day and the dress might not fit.

So she thought it would be enough to stop by the dining room for a while.

But then.

“I thought I should feed you something if you’re going to follow the young lady around.”

Upon hearing the words of the Haman lady, she was taken aback to see an unexpected figure sitting at the dining table. Eun Chae was at a loss for words at his nonchalant demeanor.

“You’re quick to prepare.”

Kwon Ki Joo ambiguously threw out a phrase that could hardly be called a greeting, and slowly chewed on an almond he’d popped into his mouth.

Jealousy.

Possessiveness.

Monopolistic desire.

If one harbors such feelings, surely they couldn’t have been this diligent from the morning. But he quickly halted the thought.

Such primitive emotions couldn’t possibly reside within him.

“I woke up early. I was excited.”