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Chapter 8
Chairman Seo opened his mouth again as he stared at her quietly.
“…So the injuries weren’t as severe as I’d heard. I was told you’d hurt your head and had quite a serious burn?”
At his question, Seo Taejo, sitting opposite her, set down his spoon and leaned forward onto his elbows on the table.
“That’s what I want to know too.”
He tilted his body slightly forward, his sharp gaze stabbing at her like a blade.
“Just five days ago you were covered in bandages and looked badly injured. But now? You look perfectly fine.”
“……”
“Didn’t you even say you hurt yourself on purpose? Where exactly did you ‘self-harm’? Or was the whole accident just some kind of act?”
How could he be this harsh?
Even if she was only a fiancée by arrangement, she had been in an accident just eight days ago. And yet, there wasn’t a shred of consideration in him.
He pierced her with sharp words and even sharper eyes, cutting, digging, and tearing. And then—what?
“Self-harm?”
Who said she’d done such a thing?
Ju-hong’s brows knitted tightly in indignation.
This man seemed to exist solely to stab and wound Yoo Hae-in.
And yet, out of everyone here, he was the one who should be closest to her—
Because he was her fiancé.
…Fiancé.
Yoo Hae-in’s fiancé.
Come to think of it, when Ju-hong had gathered information on Yoo Hae-in, she had come across the fact that Hae-in was engaged to the second son of the Seo family. But she had forgotten, since there didn’t seem to be any real connection between them.
An engagement without even meeting—that alone showed how deep the rift between them was.
So perhaps there was a reason he lashed out so cruelly.
“Or what? Did you drink some kind of magic potion?”
“Taejo!”
That venomous tongue was cut off by his older brother, Seo Jung-wook.
“That’s enough.”
Jung-wook had been watching the scene with the same curiosity as if it were a street show, but unlike his brother, he sided with her with a kind smile and a gentle voice.
“I heard from the hospital director that the head of the burns center tried a new treatment technique on you. They say the results were very good.”
After giving that explanation, Jung-wook looked at her again and smiled, gesturing with his eyes for her to start eating.
In truth, the reason her wounds were gone was because of the <State Regeneration> reward she had received for accepting the game. So Taejo’s sarcastic comment about a magic potion wasn’t completely wrong.
But since she couldn’t possibly say that out loud, she decided to let it be attributed to “astonishing new medical technology.”
It wasn’t like she had any other way to prove she hadn’t staged the accident.
So Ju-hong nodded slightly at Jung-wook in thanks and lifted her spoon.
Taejo’s glare burned into her cheek like a prick of heat, but she decided to ignore it. That would be the wise thing to do.
Besides, no matter what had happened, the rich, milky beef soup before her looked so appetizing that she had no desire to fight.
As she tasted the deeply flavored broth, a smile spread naturally across her lips.
Chairman Seo, watching her, spoke again.
“I’m glad to hear the recovery is good. Your brother was terribly worried you’d be left with scars from the burns.”
At that, Su-kyung quickly chimed in.
“That’s right. Rumor has it that while you were hospitalized, President Yoo practically lived at the hospital, staying up all night. Everyone says he dotes on his sister so much.”
Then she slid a plate of yukjeon toward Ju-hong and asked warmly:
“You’re happy too, right, that your brother is pleased with your recovery?”
“Yes, of course.”
Ju-hong answered smoothly, lifting the corners of her lips.
But her heart was not as smooth.
Because Yoo Dong-hyuk wasn’t her real brother, nor was he the caring sibling the chairman and his wife described.
Just as some marriages were for show, she realized for the first time that “show siblings” also existed.
“It’s a relief. I was worried you’d have scars on your face.”
To him, that mattered more than the fact that his sister had survived at all.
“Taejo already keeps insisting on breaking off the engagement. If you’d been scarred on top of that, I wouldn’t have been able to push back.”
He didn’t even ask for her opinion.
“You know as well as I do, the only thing you have going for you is your face.”
Casual belittlement was standard.
“No matter what Taejo says, this engagement will go through. There will be no annulment.”
Truly, it was not a normal family.
But then again… maybe this was what a normal family should look like—at least compared to hers.
Before long, the Seo family turned their attention away from her, chatting pleasantly as they ate.
The father carefully placed pieces of soft, white fish into his wife’s bowl.
The mother scolded her two sons as she ate the fish like a baby bird.
The elder son busied himself comforting his mother, while the younger ignored her nagging, only making her angrier.
It was exactly like three years ago—watching her own family at the dinner table.
Seeing her lost family mirrored in Taejo’s, Ju-hong suddenly felt her chest tighten.
It was like forcing down wet cotton in her throat, heavy sorrow swelling uncontrollably.
She froze, her spoon still, eyes reddening. The conversation around the table faltered.
When she still didn’t notice, Su-kyung pulled her back into the conversation.
“Hae-in, dear.”
Startled, Ju-hong turned her head.
“Y-yes?”
“You agree with me, don’t you?”
But she hadn’t heard a single word of the discussion.
Blinking rapidly to soothe her hot eyes, she glanced around—from Su-kyung, to Taejo, to the others. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her answer.
Except Taejo. His furrowed brow suggested irritation, as though his thoughts clashed with his mother’s. His black eyes glinted coldly, pressing her to give the “right” response.
Meeting his gaze directly, Ju-hong opened her mouth.
“Yes, I agree with you, Moth—…Mother.”
It was a snap decision, but she had no desire to take Taejo’s side in an argument between him and his mother.
Naturally, Su-kyung beamed.
“Oh my, see?”
Jung-wook chuckled, amused.
“Wow, as expected.”
Chairman Seo cleared his throat, glanced between his wife and Taejo, then pretended not to notice and resumed eating.
And Taejo…
His pale eyes locked on her, jaw muscles bulging as he ground his teeth. Suddenly he shoved back his chair, stood, and marched around the table toward her.
“You. Get up.”
He snatched the spoon clutched in her hand and grabbed her wrist, yanking her to her feet.
His grip was so strong that pain shot through her wrist.
“Ow!”
“We’ll be leaving first.”
Ignoring her discomfort, Taejo bowed stiffly, then dragged Ju-hong—no, Yoo Hae-in—away from the table.
“Are you insane?”
As soon as they stepped outside, Taejo released her wrist roughly and raised his voice.
“Do you think what I said was a joke?”
Thrown off balance by his push, Ju-hong staggered, clutching her reddened wrist.
Her face twisted from the pain.
“Why are you doing this?”
“You really don’t know?” His voice was rough.
“If I knew, would I be asking?”
What had she done wrong this time?
“Just say it with words instead of—”
“Instead of what? Instead of marrying in June?”
…Wait.
Did he just say marriage?
But we already broke off the engagement…
