🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 14
The Reason for Searching the Secret
“Hmm. By the way, what about Kang Yoon’s tuxedo? I want to choose that part myself.”
Bora had spent hours trying on dozens of wedding dresses, and Kang Yoon had carefully selected a few after much thought.
Even though it was a rental, the price was in the tens of millions of won, which made Bora hesitate for a moment—but Kang Yoon paid the deposit without the slightest hesitation.
“Traditionally, the bride is the star of the wedding, so as long as you look beautiful, that’s all that matters.”
“But the groom standing next to a beautiful bride is important too. Can’t I at least see the tuxedos? Please?”
With Bora swaying his arm cutely, humming softly, Kang Yoon let out a small laugh as if he had lost.
“Alright. Let’s go take a look.”
He messaged the friend who had introduced the dress shop, and soon received the address of a tuxedo shop.
“It’s not far from here. But aren’t you tired, Bora?”
“I’m fine! We were going to see it anyway, so it’s better to do everything at once, right?”
“Alright. Then let’s go.”
Kang Yoon glanced at Bora’s feet with a little concern as she wore high heels again today, but Bora just smiled brightly and hooked her arm through his.
“I wore more comfortable heels today, so don’t worry.”
“Alright. Since today was the meeting with both families, I’ll let it pass. But from now on, when you meet me, you don’t need to wear heels. You’re already beautiful enough even without them, so just be comfortable.”
“Okay. I will. Is this the shop? It’s right nearby.”
Since the street was too narrow for cars, they parked near the dress shop and walked to a neat single-story building with black tiles.
“Welcome. I was contacted by Representative Baek. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage, Representative Han.”
“Thank you. We don’t have a date set yet, but we’re planning to hold the wedding before autumn.”
“I see. We’ve selected our best line for you. Please come this way.”
Following the manager’s guidance, Kang Yoon went inside, and Bora sat on a purple velvet sofa, waiting for him to come out in a tuxedo.
“Bride-to-be, are you ready? Shall we open the curtain?”
“Yes!”
Bora, who had been waiting with her phone camera ready, answered excitedly.
“Wow! So handsome…!”
She had already seen him in suits several times, but this felt more formal and different, and she couldn’t help but admire him softly.
Each time Kang Yoon came out wearing a tuxedo recommended by the staff, Bora opened her mouth slightly and clapped.
It wasn’t much different from Kang Yoon’s reaction earlier when Bora had tried on dresses.
“This one is nice… and that one earlier too… Ah, I don’t know. They’re all so good. Everything looks perfect because the hanger is good.”
Kang Yoon felt pleased inside as he watched Bora enthusiastically take photos from every angle with her phone.
“Our tuxedos are all imported luxury brands, so the sleeves and legs tend to be long for Koreans, but in Representative Han’s case, it looks like a custom fit even without tailoring.”
“Right? He really looks amazing. Like a model.”
“He looks incredibly handsome. Seriously.”
“They’re all great, but I think the first one he tried on and the one he’s wearing now suit him best. What do you think, Kang Yoon?”
“My opinion is the same as Bora’s, so let’s go with her choice.”
After matching Bora’s dress with his tuxedo colors and selecting a few pieces, both of them suddenly felt their energy drop.
“I think… my blood sugar dropped. Let’s go eat something sweet.”
“Good idea. This is not an easy task.”
Completely drained after hours of changing and choosing outfits, they headed to the nearest café.
“Ah, I feel alive again.”
As the brown sugar bubble tea full of pearls slid down her throat, Bora finally felt her energy returning.
While she was drinking her cold bubble tea, she watched Kang Yoon curiously as he drank espresso with sugar.
“Ugh. Isn’t it bitter?”
“You drink Americano just fine, don’t you, Bora?”
“Still, espresso is a bit strong for me…”
“It’s fine with sugar. Would you like to try it?”
Kang Yoon scooped a little espresso with a teaspoon and brought it toward Bora’s lips.
Bora slightly opened her mouth and took it, and Kang Yoon smiled with satisfaction.
“Mmm. It’s bitter, but definitely better than drinking it straight.”
“It’s good to drink when you’re tired or when your blood sugar feels low like this.”
“I see. Still, I think bubble tea is better. Do you want to try mine?”
A bubble tea cup was pushed toward him, and Kang Yoon looked slightly flustered.
“It’s okay. We’re going to live under the same roof soon—sharing a straw is nothing, right?”
At Bora’s teasing smile, Kang Yoon couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s sweet.”
As the unexpectedly sweet drink and chewy pearls entered his mouth, Kang Yoon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“I don’t usually drink this, but when I’m really stressed or tired, I do crave things like this.”
“If it’s because of your brother that you’re stressed, I’ll apologize again.”
“By the way… I’ve been wondering something.”
Bora carefully glanced at Kang Yoon and brought the straw he had just used to her lips.
“You can ask comfortably. No need to be cautious.”
“Hmm… I’ve gotten the impression that your grandfather really likes you. But I can’t read your aunt’s expression at all. It’s a very complicated family relationship, of course…”
“You’re curious about what my aunt thinks of me, right?”
“Yes. I mean, her own son… well, he’s kind of… inferior compared to you. So she might be annoyed, right?”
At Bora’s words, Kang Yoon finished the remaining espresso in one shot and met her gaze.
“I’ve never once been spoken to harshly by my aunt while growing up.”
“Really?”
“Of course, I don’t know what she truly feels inside. How could I possibly understand the heart of a woman who raised her husband’s illegitimate child?”
“That makes sense. Even in a wealthy family… and I heard your father passed away early too…”
“Now that you and I are getting married, and as stated in our contract, you have your role, I’ll be honest.”
Bora slowly touched the water droplets on her glass and swallowed nervously.
Lately, she had been living as if she was actually dating Kang Yoon, and she had almost forgotten the true nature of this marriage.
The role she had to play in exchange for tens of billions—money to revive his family and maintain her own business.
She quietly waited for him to continue.
“Finding out the truth behind the birth secret that makes Han Gang-moon look down on me—that’s what you need to do.”
“What? Me?”
Bora repeated blankly, caught completely off guard.
Kang Yoon leaned slightly forward from his chair toward her and whispered.
“My grandfather once said something very meaningful, but after that, he never brought it up again. Things about fate, how pitiful I am… it felt too strange to be just drunken rambling.”
“So you just want me to persuade your grandfather and find out your birth secret?”
“That’s the biggest task. And after that, you need to stay close to my aunt and earn her trust.”
“Does your aunt also know about your birth secret?”
“I don’t know. But I suspect there’s a reason she raised me in the same house as Han Gang-moon despite me being a child born from another woman.”
“But with your level of wealth and information, couldn’t you find it out yourself?”
“I’ve tried in many ways, but it feels like someone deliberately erased the information. No matter how hard I look, I keep hitting a wall.”
At his words, Bora looked at him with sympathy and quietly reached out, gently taking his hand on the table.
“By the way, Kang Yoon.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you want to find out your birth secret?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve lived well until now, and you could just keep living like this. So why go so far as to dig up something that might be dangerous—or something you shouldn’t know—even through a contract marriage?”
At Bora’s question, Kang Yoon fell silent for a long time.
Looking quietly into his deep, sorrowful, beautiful eyes, Bora asked again.
“Is it simply because you want to know about your biological mother, who no one has told you about? Or…”
Droplets formed on the surface of the nearly empty bubble tea cup and fell onto the table.
“Or are you trying to find something that will shake your family… and take revenge?”
Under Bora’s gentle palm, the back of Kang Yoon’s large hand twitched slightly as a vein subtly stood out.
