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chapter 12
“I missed the right time to eat, so I didn’t.”
Doheon’s eyebrow arched.
“I should’ve added another clause to the contract.”
“Huh?”
Yeonseo frowned slightly and looked up at him.
The familiar scent of his cologne, one she hadn’t smelled in a long while, suddenly enveloped her. Bending down to meet her at eye level, Doheon spoke.
“Don’t skip meals. How can a bride who’s supposed to be happy look so thin? If anyone saw you, they’d think you were forced into this marriage.”
Her eyes dropped to her waistline. The dress she was wearing was clearly loose around her middle. Even to herself, she didn’t look healthy.
“And besides, I don’t like women who are too skinny.”
She had felt this before, countless times when he had held her at the hotel. Every time Doheon’s firm body was revealed under the light, she had shrunk back, feeling strangely small.
Unable to face his piercing gaze, Yeonseo looked away.
Do I look pitiful to him?
“You’re so thin it feels like you’d collapse if I touched you. If the food doesn’t suit you, tell me. I’ll hire someone else if I have to—because you need to eat.”
What does he mean by that? Is he threatening to fire the staff?
Yeonseo blurted in a rush,
“I’m just not used to the atmosphere yet. Honestly, I’m more accustomed to eating alone. But the food is really delicious. Truly, Doheon-ssi.”
He had straightened, and his gaze—mysterious, like ash-colored twilight—fell on her.
“Doheon-ssi.”
He repeated the three syllables slowly, pressing weight into them.
“That title, ‘Doheon-ssi’ or worse, ‘Executive Director’… I don’t like it. You’ll have to change it.”
The reaction was unexpected. Now that he said it, she realized it did sound odd as a term between husband and wife.
“If not ‘Executive Director,’ then what should I call you?”
He exhaled slowly, thinking. Then, in a voice emptied of emotion, he answered,
“Most couples use words like ‘darling,’ ‘honey,’ things like that.”
Yeonseo thought about it. Ordinary endearments used between married couples wouldn’t come naturally to her lips.
“I’ll just call you Doheon-ssi.”
He tilted his head, then let out a languid smile.
“Well, that’s not bad. Better than ‘Executive Director.’”
“Yes.”
“Let’s walk a bit before going in. The moment we step inside, we’ll have to act in front of the family.”
The sound of crickets grew louder.
Yeonseo walked quietly beside him. Every now and then their arms brushed, making her flinch.
The acrid scent of cigarettes stung her nose, but strangely, she was already used to it—and it didn’t entirely repel her.
“Can I ask you something?”
They had been walking in silence for some time when Yeonseo finally broke it.
“Go ahead, anything.”
“About your mother… I mean, your late mother.”
She watched him carefully as she spoke. She had never heard anything about his biological mother, and her curiosity had grown.
A faint crack appeared in his otherwise composed profile.
So he doesn’t want to talk about it after all…?
Still, Yeonseo pressed on gently.
“Could you tell me… how she passed away?”
One of Doheon’s straight brows rose sharply.
“Why are you asking all of a sudden?”
“We’re supposed to know a lot about each other, aren’t we? If we don’t, people might suspect this marriage.”
He didn’t answer for a long moment.
When his voice finally came, heavy and subdued, it struck right into Yeonseo’s chest.
“She died in an accident.”
The unexpected reply left Yeonseo startled, but he remained calm.
“I was told it was a fall. I wasn’t there at the time.”
“A fall…?”
The same cause as Grandma’s.
It was an unsettling coincidence. If it had been some other kind of accident, she wouldn’t have thought much of it—but the same cause as her grandmother’s? A chill raced down her spine, and her eyelids trembled.
“And then…?”
She wanted to hear more, but her lips pressed shut.
From a distance, Geum Seon-ae appeared.
Her makeup was more elaborate than usual, and she was draped in what looked like expensive jewelry. The thick perfume she wore overpowered the fresh scent of the garden.
Did she just come back from meeting that old friend?
Yeonseo recalled what the housemaid from earlier had told her.
With a refined but reproachful voice, Madame Geum addressed them.
“Doheon! The first thing you should do when you get home is greet your mother.”
Doheon stood crooked as ever. He suddenly took Yeonseo’s hand and said,
“I just missed her too much. How have you been, Mother?”
“So marriage means your wife comes first now? Fine. Then let’s go inside quickly so I can at least see more of my son, hmm?”
Her voice was exaggerated, pitched too high.
Though both of them claimed to have missed each other dearly, neither made any effort to close the distance between them.
On the surface, they acted like a loving mother and son, but the sharp tension between them was unmistakable.
Yeonseo watched them both intently, not wanting to miss a single flicker of expression. More than the words, it was Doheon’s cold eyes that unsettled her.
“It’s good to see you again too, Mother.”
“Yes, come inside.”
With that, Madame Geum swept into the house first. Doheon, still holding Yeonseo’s hand, followed after her.
Madame Geum sank slowly into the sofa in the living room and gestured lightly at the seats before her. Yeonseo and Doheon sat opposite.
“So, Doheon. Did you have dinner?”
Her tone was warm and motherly, no different from any other mother’s.
“Yes, I ate at the company cafeteria.”
Doheon replied politely.
Lifting the teapot, she poured tea into cups, then gave him a sidelong glance.
“Really, though. Most newlyweds can’t stand to be apart, yet here you are. Didn’t you miss your wife? You’re not just saying it with words, are you?”
She fixed them both with an unblinking stare.
Yeonseo’s throat felt parched, as if being tested. She knew Madame Geum was no easy opponent; every moment with her required vigilance. Could she sense the hollowness behind their marriage?
Doheon tilted his head as he accepted the steaming cup. He took a sip, and in an even voice replied,
“I’ve been busy with TK International’s M&A deal, Mother. It’s been hard, having to endure being apart from Yeonseo.”
Madame Geum’s brow furrowed.
“It looks like Yeonseo hasn’t been eating well. She’s too thin. Has life here been difficult for you?”
Doheon placed his hand on Yeonseo’s shoulder, adding,
“She’s fine.”
But with both their gazes on her, Yeonseo wilted and mumbled,
“Doheon-ssi, I’m really doing well.”
Crossing one leg over the other, Madame Geum looked poised to strike at any weakness.
Her burgundy-colored lips parted, releasing words that sank heavily into the air.
“Yes, I did notice Yeonseo has such a small appetite.”
“…”
“I wonder if she’ll even be able to bear children.”
The corner of Doheon’s mouth tilted in a shadowy smirk, there and gone in an instant.
“She’s just not used to life here yet.”
He tightened and then released the fingers laced in his lap.
“Still, since this is the very house where Yeonseo’s grandmother lived for so long, she’ll surely grow attached soon. Please help her adjust, Mother.”
At the mention of her grandmother, a strange gleam flashed in his eyes.
A taut silence stretched between mother and son. Madame Geum’s jaw trembled, a crack forming in her usually lofty demeanor.
It was a side of her Yeonseo had never seen before.
Why? I’ve never seen her react like this…
In an unsteady voice, she asked,
“What do you mean, her grandmother lived here?”
Her tone was unnaturally sharp.
Though her gestures remained poised, the air around her shifted completely.
Yeonseo couldn’t look away from the unfamiliar sight.
The only one who stayed composed was Doheon. He set down his emptied teacup with a smile.
“Yeonseo’s grandmother. She worked here, didn’t you know?”
“Oh, come now. With the number of people who’ve come and gone in this house, how could I remember every one?”
Madame Geum waved a dismissive hand and let out a shrill laugh, unlike her usual refined manner. The strained look from moments before had been wiped away.
Her sudden shift in attitude seemed all the more uncanny.
“She was the longest-serving gardener here. I thought you would remember, Mother…”
“You know I’m not the type to bother myself with the staff.”
Her precise words landed in Yeonseo’s ears, low yet echoing, and lodged deep in her chest.
