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chapter 24
Moistening her dry lips, she made her way to the Executive Office. When she opened the door, Doheon’s chair was empty.
She knew he was busy, yet a hollow loneliness welled up inside her. All she could do was quietly wait for him.
Yeonseo sat down on the sofa and sipped the black tea the secretary handed her. An hour passed, and still, Doheon hadn’t appeared in the office.
Exhausted from waiting, she unknowingly dozed off. Ever since moving into Myeongseonjae, her strength had been waning. Lately, she couldn’t stop feeling drowsy and weak.
“Before coming here, no matter how much I suffered, it wasn’t this bad…”
At that moment, someone’s fingertips brushed against her ear. The touch traced a careful arc behind it.
“Team Leader Woo Yeonseo.”
When she opened her eyes at the low baritone voice, the face she’d longed for was gazing down at her. Through hazy eyes, she carefully studied the man she so rarely got to see.
“Falling asleep in the executive office… I guess this place feels pretty comfortable to you.”
Even his chiding words sounded sweet. Just seeing him was enough. Just sharing the same time and space with him was enough.
She hadn’t realized that acknowledging her feelings would change her this much.
“Why… don’t you ever come home?”
Her lips jutted out in a pout.
She shouldn’t have said it, but the long hours of waiting without seeing him had made her reckless.
“As you can see, I’m busy. Unlike someone who can nap so leisurely in my office.”
All she got back was his blunt response.
“…If you don’t come home often, people might start to suspect.”
She tried to hide her embarrassment with an excuse.
“That won’t be an issue anymore. Everyone knows I have important work. And I’ll judge and act on it myself.”
In the end, it was just another declaration that he wouldn’t be coming home. Again, she would have to wait for him alone—whether in the office or at Myeongseonjae.
“So that was your only business, Ms. Woo? To ask why I don’t come home?”
Doheon pressed her as he sat back down. Yeonseo’s eyes flew open. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her.
It had only been the kind of request any family member might make—asking him to come home. She had thought they’d grown a little closer after what happened last time. Now she just felt pathetic.
“I… must’ve overstepped.”
She straightened her posture, forcing herself to sit upright again.
“Good that you know.”
His gaze was cold, nothing like the night when their bodies had intertwined. His overbearing attitude reminded her of her place.
No matter how many kisses they’d shared, how many times their bodies had come together, or how many of his teasing smiles she had seen, their relationship was nothing more or less than business.
A pang of sorrow surged in her chest. Even if that was the truth, why did he have to change so suddenly, so harshly?
“Why… so suddenly…”
As she replayed everything in her head, she realized it might be because she had changed.
“I hope you don’t get careless. As you know, this contract is no joke.”
Could it be he’d noticed how easily she had given her heart—and was now scolding her for it? After all, they were only pretending to be married. Expecting more from him was forbidden.
Her body suddenly began trembling on its own.
If that was really the case, how foolish must she look?
“…Yes. I’m sorry.”
Biting her lower lip, Yeonseo stood.
“If staying at Myeongseonjae is troublesome for you, I’ll leave.”
“No. As I said, everyone understands I’m busy with work. It’s fine.”
“…Alright.”
On his desk, stacks of approval documents were piled high. A corner of one had a strange photo sticking out. Her eyes lingered, but steadying her emotions came first.
“Then I’ll go. How do you usually get home from work?”
“I take the subway. I don’t want to stand out too much.”
“From next week, have a driver take you.”
It was clear her own opinion didn’t matter. She quietly nodded and left the room. A shapeless sorrow rose inside her chest.
Because of that, she completely forgot to ask him to accompany her to Kangjae’s welcome party.
Myeongseonjae felt unusually empty that day, with only the staff and Yeonseo inside. After work, she finally enjoyed a rare quiet rest.
Besides, tomorrow she would have to attend Kangjae’s homecoming party. For now, she just wanted peace.
“Ma’am, a delivery just came.”
One of the staff entered her room, handing her a large box. The sleek black box had a very luxurious design.
When she opened it after the staff left, inside was a pale peach-colored dress. The bodice glittered with sparkling embellishments—a style she had never worn before.
She examined it curiously before picking up the card placed on top.
[I chose a dress that I thought would suit my sister-in-law. I hope you like it. – Kangjae]
When Yeonseo tried it on, she sparkled like an actress on the red carpet. Even though it was still her own reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help but admire the transformed image.
“…Beautiful.”
She had heard Doheon would also be attending. It would be nice if he thought she looked beautiful, just for once.
But the memory of their last conversation sent her mood plummeting.
Even if he did think so, what would it mean? He had made it painfully clear not to expect anything beyond their “contract.”
She took the dress off and carefully placed it back in the box.
The next afternoon, Yeonseo changed into the dress Kangjae had sent and stepped into the sedan waiting outside Myeongseonjae.
The sleek black car glided into Hannam-dong.
Grand mansions lined the neighborhood, each enclosed by towering walls. The car stopped at one of the largest at the end of the row.
It was a palatial home, so massive it seemed to swallow even the blaring music. In the back, rows of luxury supercars and sedans were pulling in.
Stepping out, Yeonseo gathered her skirts and looked around at the front gate. She pressed the intercom with delicate fingers, and the door clicked open.
The inside was even more lavish than she’d imagined. Endless green lawns stretched across the grounds, and the swimming pool seemed impossibly deep. Guests in glamorous outfits mingled, chatting and drinking.
It was a party in every sense of the word.
Clutching her dress, she made her way inside and carefully ascended the stairs. With the heavy folds of fabric and her 10cm heels, every step had to be cautious.
As she hesitated and glanced around, a familiar figure approached.
“You really came.”
Kangjae’s face was flushed with drink. He wore a patterned shirt and dark gray slacks.
“Good choice. You look stunning today, sister-in-law.”
Yeonseo only smiled faintly in response. A sudden awkwardness filled her, and she wondered if Doheon had arrived yet.
Since their talk in the office, she hadn’t spoken to him at all. Not even about something trivial like asking him to come to this party.
“…Is Doheon here?”
Kangjae’s brows rose. His slightly glazed eyes always gave her an odd feeling—like maybe he had touched something he shouldn’t have.
“Oh. He sent word he couldn’t make it—too busy. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”
“Ah…” Yeonseo let out a small sigh. Was she secretly hoping Doheon would be here? Without him, surrounded by strangers, she suddenly felt lost about what to do if anything happened.
Kangjae led her deeper into the mansion.
“It’s too noisy here. We’re hanging out inside.”
Every step she took, her long hem threatened to trip her. Kangjae climbed the stairs ahead of her, occasionally glancing back.
“That dress must be hard to walk in. Want me to hold it for you?”
“…No. I’ll manage.”
She firmly rejected his offer, even though he came all the way down to help. No matter how friendly he acted, she didn’t want to rely on him for something so trivial. Besides, something about his manner today felt strangely off.
As she climbed one step at a time, the slit in her dress revealed the pale line of her calf. She thought she felt his eyes on her, but since he was behind her, there wasn’t much she could do.
