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chapter 9
Inside Doheon’s car.
Looking out the open window toward Myeongseonjae, Yeonseo carefully asked:
“Your stepmother… I was surprised she gave permission so easily.”
“She doesn’t know the conditions my grandfather set. Naturally, she’ll see this as a chance to have me demoted.”
He replied with a bitter smile.
“Demoted?”
No matter how much Geum Seon-ae disliked him, Yeonseo couldn’t quite believe that she would act warmly in front of him while plotting that in secret.
“Yeah. And at the same time, she’ll suspect I chose you out of love. She’ll dig endlessly to see if I’m hiding some benefit from it. She’s that kind of woman.”
Yeonseo fixed her gaze on his profile.
How had he survived in such a household?
She could understand, at least in part, why this man seemed so cold. Perhaps inevitably, he had to arm himself with reason and ruthlessness to survive in a place like a thicket of thorns.
As his eyes moved from the window back toward her, he suddenly leaned in. The unexpected closeness startled her, and she widened her eyes.
“W-what… are you doing?”
“I’m going to kiss you. Right now.”
“What? Hhhm—”
It felt as though all the air in the car had vanished. His tongue suddenly pressed past her lips, flicking lightly against her teeth.
Her lips, closed tightly at first, parted slightly as she hesitated, unsure what to do. His voice pressed her further:
“Open your mouth wider. Move your tongue, too.”
The low, cool tone left her no room to resist.
Following his instructions, she opened wider and cautiously moved her tongue. He plunged in deeper, devouring her.
The sticky sounds of friction broke the silence, filling her ears. It was her first time engaging in such intimacy with Doheon anywhere outside a hotel.
Yeonseo worried he would hear how frantically her heart was pounding.
She asked breathlessly as he pulled away for a moment:
“Why, all of a sudden…?”
“I’m not finished yet.”
His long fingers traced her cheek.
Looking down at her with a slanted gaze, he brushed her lower lip. The renewed sound of friction made heat boil up inside her.
Doheon furrowed his brow and spoke with a dry, mocking tone:
“What happened just now is nothing compared to the act we’ll need to put on later.”
“…”
“You really can’t act, Woo Yeonseo. You can’t even sit still and follow my lead.”
“…”
“Do you realize you’re a terrible kisser?”
His blunt words were something she could never quite get used to. Her eyes lingered on his reddened lips and jawline. The traces of their kiss still glistened, strangely alluring.
Lowering her lashes, she answered quietly:
“I’m doing my best.”
“This isn’t your first time, is it?”
“…I once dated a senior in college.”
The truth was she’d never truly dated anyone—her focus had been on scholarships. She startled herself with the lie. Why did she feel the need to lie in this situation?
Smiling faintly, he nipped gently at her lower lip.
“I didn’t ask for that much detail.”
Then his lips claimed hers again, more insistently.
His firm hand caressed her waist, stirring memories of their past encounters and reawakening those sensations.
Soon his hand slipped under her skirt, fingers toying insistently. She tried to suppress the rising waves of desire, but her toes curled against her will.
Seeing her tremble seemed to satisfy him.
“That’s it. Just like that.”
Only after a long exchange did he finally release her lips. Yeonseo’s were swollen, her lipstick gone—only the faint pink remained, like cherry blossoms.
Meanwhile, Doheon sat back as if nothing had happened, composed once more. He straightened, rolled up the windows, and leaned his head against the headrest.
“Madam Geum was watching. We had to make sure she believed it.”
“S-she was…?”
Flustered, Yeonseo hurriedly tugged her skirt back down. Heat lingered everywhere his hands had touched, leaving her unsettled.
Doheon observed calmly.
“We’ll go to the hotel together.”
“You too, sir?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s still early…”
“She saw us kiss. At the very least, she needs to see us go to a hotel.”
He held the wheel with one hand and adjusted her crumpled skirt with the other.
“By now you must understand. People in this family—smiling on the outside, but hiding everything inside. They’re skilled at seeing straight through others.”
“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So if you keep acting like you just did, they’ll catch on right away. We’ll have to give them a good show—and do more practice, don’t you think?”
Yeonseo clutched tightly at her skirt where his warmth still lingered.
Practice.
The words he spoke so casually soaked into her mind like spilled water spreading across paper.
She forced herself to calm her breathing, cooling her thoughts. If she didn’t, she’d crumble like ruined paper—soaked and beyond repair.
He and I are only using each other.
Her eyes sharpened as she looked toward Myeongseonjae outside the window.
Once I step inside that place, it begins. I’ll uncover all the secrets behind my grandmother’s death…
Turning back, she met his hazel eyes without flinching. What reflected there looked almost like curiosity.
If anyone had a hand in my grandmother’s death, they’ll pay the price. No matter who it is. Even if it’s him.
She made that vow to herself.
The wedding venue was none other than the SG Magnifique Hotel, rising tall in the heart of the city. Designed by world-renowned architect Matthew Hardy, the building had earned first place in global architecture awards and fame worldwide.
On the 62nd floor, the wedding hall boasted panoramic city views through floor-to-ceiling windows, lavish chandeliers, the finest materials, and luxury tableware. The place bustled with politicians, business elites, celebrities, and reporters.
Doheon and Yeonseo’s marriage was the biggest event of the year—a shocking scandal in itself. That the heir to the Seguk Group would marry the granddaughter of a gardener was enough to stir public fascination.
When it came to preparations, Yeonseo had no choices. The ring, the wedding dress, the venue—all were decided without her input.
She felt like a doll inside a perfectly crafted music box.
A dancing doll that spun whenever the Seguk family wound the key.
In the bridal waiting room, decorated like a little garden, Yeonseo sat smiling and smiling, hiding her burning heart from the flashing cameras.
Even when taking photos with Madam Geum Seon-ae, she acted the part of a carefree bride.
“Behave with as much dignity as possible. The reputation of the Seguk family is on the line.”
Seon-ae spoke slowly.
“Though given your humble origins, that may be difficult.”
The words, in contrast to her smiling face, were spoken softly enough that only Yeonseo could hear. A clear insult to her parents and her past.
“…Yes, Mother.”
But bound by the contract with Doheon, she couldn’t answer back. Her role was to get through this wedding smoothly. To do that, she had to stay obedient and avoid drawing Seon-ae’s ire. All she could do was store the insult like a stone pressed into her chest.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, Mother.”
With that, Seon-ae left the room. Yeonseo gripped her dress tightly as she watched her disappear.
Is she a suspect? Or completely unrelated?
She didn’t want to suspect blindly, but each time they met, she felt an unshakable certainty.
Seon-ae supported the marriage in order to demote Doheon, but in private, she showed her hostility without hesitation. And yet Yeonseo had only met her a handful of times.
Until the nagging suspicion was resolved, Yeonseo resolved to dig deeper.
And before she realized it, it was already time to walk down the aisle.
