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Episode 14
Feeling more at ease, her expression had lightened.
“How do you see me, Mr. Lee Jun? No—what do you think of me?”
She asked him with a hint of expectation.
Out of all the questions swirling in her head, this was the one she wanted answered most. She was curious to know how she appeared in his eyes.
She wasn’t expecting to hear anything about his feelings for her. Honestly, it would’ve been fine if he simply said he liked her face, or even if he repeated what he’d said before about their physical chemistry being good.
Either way, it would mean he’d at least thought of her.
“What do you mean, how do I see you? What does that mean?”
Lee Jun tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
Watching him straighten up in his seat and think about it made her feel strangely disappointed.
She’d already guessed he wouldn’t have an immediate answer—but seeing his confused reaction cracked the fragile hope she’d been holding onto.
“Every night before I fall asleep, I think about it,” she confessed softly. “Why you chose me. Why a man like you, who’s way out of my league, asked me to marry you.”
She struggled to keep her emotions in check as she asked him.
For a few seconds, silence filled the car. But to her, those seconds felt like an eternity.
“Ms. Cha Iryeong…”
He was the first to speak.
His calm voice drew her eyes straight to him.
“You’ve been worrying about that?”
Jun reached over and gently patted her head, like praising a well-behaved puppy.
“You think about me every night?” he teased lightly.
She didn’t mind the touch or the joke.
His cautious yet tender gesture seemed to melt away her tangled thoughts.
“Cute.”
His hand, which had been patting her head, slid down to softly caress her cheek.
“Our meeting that day wasn’t a coincidence,” he said. “Maybe it was destined.”
Then, naturally, Jun took her hand and stroked the back of it.
He resisted the urge to kiss her soft skin and continued.
“You and I had gone to a client meeting that day, remember? We parted ways afterward, promising to meet again at work.”
She hadn’t expected to run into him again at the restaurant that night.
Back then, she’d only been embarrassed to have her secret relationship discovered by her boss. But now, she was grateful it was Jun who’d found out.
“It doesn’t matter what happened. What matters is that we met again there.”
As he spoke about destiny, he intertwined their fingers. The memory of that miserable day faded from her mind.
She had to admit—being with Jun made her forget even the most complicated worries.
“And that’s why we’re together now,” he said.
Holding hands, they shared each other’s warmth.
Iryeong felt like her mind and body were melting away. She even worried she might completely disappear if this continued.
“So our meeting wasn’t a coincidence—it was fate,” he concluded.
“……”
She got swept up in the mood.
His breath, his warmth—she couldn’t think straight anymore.
“I fell for the woman who brought that ‘coincidence,’” he said, smiling softly. “I chased after her to marry her.”
His smile looked so sincere that, even if it was a misunderstanding, she wanted that smile to belong to her.
“I was drawn to the woman who kept running away, saying she didn’t want me.”
His lips brushed the back of her hand.
“And we spent an unforgettable night together, didn’t we?”
It felt like he was telling her not to cling to certainty anymore.
Her heart pounded wildly, and she exhaled a shaky breath.
“I have more than enough reasons to marry you, Ms. Cha,” he said.
She nodded lightly, her head feeling clearer.
“Who would turn away from a princess in danger?”
His eyes looked sincere.
“If anyone questions our marriage, just say a wealthy prince came to your rescue. Say it even in front of my mother.”
Jun released their intertwined hands.
“You’re feeling a little more at ease now, right?” he asked.
But then his tone softened into something serious.
“You don’t need to act like my wife in front of me. Just do your best in front of my family—especially my mother.”
The brief sweetness evaporated.
It was like he was reminding her not to forget the real purpose of their marriage. Her heart cooled instantly.
“…Alright. I’ll do my best to play the role of your wife. But you’d better keep your promise too,” she said firmly.
She caught his chin with her now-cool hand, locking eyes with him.
“Don’t forget—you promised to be on my side.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled playfully.
‘I’m addicted to you, Ms. Cha.’
She decided to make his joke a reality.
Despite her lingering unease, the day of the family meeting arrived.
Her parents were flustered by the sudden schedule. They surely had many questions about the other side, but they quietly respected their daughter’s wishes.
She never imagined that their awkward family dynamics would actually be useful today.
Iryeong wore a tweed two-piece outfit she’d only worn a few times—it was white, giving her a distinctly bridal aura.
She kept her makeup light and let her long hair fall smoothly to look neat.
When she emerged into the living room, her parents were already dressed and waiting. They too were dressed up, wearing the outfits she had carefully chosen for them.
She’d even broken her savings for this day, but she didn’t regret it. Since Jun’s family ran AE Cosmetics, appearances mattered.
Finally, the storage room door opened, and her younger brother Jungmin stepped out in his school uniform. She’d agonized about bringing him but decided early that morning.
“Just wear that for the meeting. I’ll buy you a proper suit for the wedding,” she said.
They hadn’t prepared special clothes for him, but the uniform didn’t look bad.
“Noona, are you sure I should be there?” Jungmin asked nervously.
“Iryeong, I think bringing Jungmin might be too much,” her stepmother added, concerned.
Their worried looks made Iryeong feel suffocated. She was already anxious about meeting Jun’s family.
“We agreed to come as a family,” she said firmly.
She didn’t want to lie about even small things.
“Leaving Jungmin behind would be stranger.”
She didn’t want to make any more excuses.
“…Thank you, Iryeong,” her stepmother whispered.
Mother and son squeezed each other’s hands and looked at her with warmth.
“We’re going to be late. Let’s go,” she said quickly, ignoring Ji-hyun’s teary eyes.
She didn’t want to leave any awkward feelings behind before moving out for marriage.
They arrived early at the traditional Korean restaurant where the meeting was to be held.
They sat in a row inside a private room reserved under Jun’s name.
Water was poured, but no one touched it. The tension was suffocating—not just for Iryeong.
Then—
“Sorry we’re late.”
A tall middle-aged man knocked and entered first. It was Jun’s father, Kyungsoo.
Startled, Iryeong jumped up from her seat.
“No, not at all! We’re early,” her father, Geontae, said quickly, also standing to greet him.
“Nice to meet you,” Kyungsoo said warmly, extending his hand for a handshake.
Caught off guard, Geontae shook his hand. Ji-hyun and Jungmin stood as well.
“You’ve already started greeting each other?”
Jun’s mother, Lee Jung-ae—the CEO of AE Cosmetics—entered next.
Iryeong instinctively swallowed hard.
She’d seen the CEO only in the company newsletter, but in person she was even more glamorous and commanding. The atmosphere was overwhelming.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Cha Iryeong,” she said with a polite bow.
“I heard you work for our company. Nice to meet you,” Jung-ae replied without even glancing at her.
Of course, she wouldn’t approve. Iryeong understood, but it still stung.
‘I guess she was supposed to cancel the matchmaking meeting today.’
He’d chosen her to avoid that arranged match.
Forcing a smile, Iryeong held her lips in a stiff arc.
Then, as commotion stirred near the entrance, everyone’s gaze turned that way.
“Oh my, everyone’s already standing.”
Jun’s older brother’s wife and their son entered next.
Iryeong quickly bowed to greet them.
“Hello, I’m Cha Iryeong.”
“I was so curious to see what kind of woman our brother was marrying. Glad to finally meet you today,” said Han Yoo-jin, the loud-voiced sister-in-law, as she gave Iryeong and Jungmin a quick once-over and smirked.
“This must be your younger brother? He’s so young,” she added.
“Hello,” Jungmin greeted stiffly.
Just then, Jun himself entered, slightly late.
“Sorry I’m late. I’m Seo Lee Jun,” he said politely, bowing deeply to her parents in a dark navy suit.
With his hair slicked back, he looked even more radiant than usual.
“Iryeong?” he said, meeting her eyes.
“Why did you dress up so beautifully? You’re making me fall for you all over again.”
He even reached out to caress her cheek.
Her face flushed before she could react.
“Oh my! Did you see that, Mother, Father? He’s so different from how he is at home!” Yoo-jin laughed loudly, throwing a pointed look at Iryeong.
“How improper. Quiet down,” Jung-ae scolded in a low, heavy tone, and Yoo-jin fell silent immediately.
“Of course I’m different,” Jun said confidently. “She’s my woman.”
But he didn’t stop there—he kept bragging about her like someone desperate to show off.
“She keeps getting prettier every day. It’s a real problem.”
Even while everyone was taking their seats, his shameless adoration continued.
Iryeong was overwhelmed—she’d never expected him to act like this in front of both families.
And yet… she didn’t hate it. Even if it was all just part of their act.
