II - 24

Having slept soundly on the plane, there was no need to adjust to the time difference. Thanks to this, I-jun was able to focus on the work he had brought from Korea. 

“Hah, it’s quite a strain.” 

After being holed up in the living room for hours concentrating, he managed to finish his tasks earlier than expected. 

Exhausted, he rolled his stiff neck around and exhaled deeply. Then, leaning his head back, he gazed at the chandelier directly above him. 

“Is it too overwhelming?” 

The wedding ring shimmered more brilliantly than the chandelier, lingering in his mind. 

“Still, how much could that have cost?” 

The diamond was large—both dazzling and beautiful, perfectly suiting her. It didn’t feel like a waste of money; it was a custom-made ring just for her. 

‘I’ll only wear it on special occasions. On regular days, I’ll wear the proposal ring you gave me.’ 

As he mulled over I-ryeong’s words, his expression darkened with irritation. 

“What exactly did Chaeyi Ryeong mean by that?” 

It felt strange how much her expressions swayed his mood. His thoughts were consumed by her. 

The image of her forced smile wouldn’t leave his mind. 

‘I’m not a child. Don’t worry about it.’ 

If only she had gotten angry instead—it might have spared him this unease. The thought made his frustration boil over. 

His gaze clouded as he dwelled on her. 

In truth, the honeymoon hadn’t been part of the plan. But before he knew it, Greece was booked, and they were already on the plane. 

“There’s no one crazier than me.” 

He had been the one to propose marriage, yet here he was nitpicking every detail. Was this marriage really the right decision? 

The thought of it being the worst possible choice brought on a headache. Closing his eyes, he pressed his hand to his forehead. 

He remembered the day I-ryeong first joined the marketing strategy team. 

The way she seemed familiar despite meeting her for the first time slowly pulled him into a daze, until his consciousness began to slip away. 

At the tail end of March, Greece was in full bloom of spring. Though she wore only a thin cardigan, it wasn’t cold. 

Facing the gentle breeze, she gazed at the azure Mediterranean for a long while. She hoped the suffocating weight pressing on her chest would lift soon. 

She sat down randomly on the beach. 

[Chaeyi, did you get married?] 

Every time the waves lapped against the shore, the messages came flooding back to her mind. Her brow furrowed at the uncomfortable and unpleasant memories. 

“…Haa.” 

A sigh escaped involuntarily. 

Far from easing her discomfort, the layers of unease only piled higher. 

“Why do they still have my number…?” 

That they still had it at all sent shivers down her spine. 

She never imagined her former colleagues would still be snooping around her neglected SNS account. It had been all but abandoned, so she had let her guard down. 

The excitement of her first overseas trip had faded, leaving behind only a tense, hunted feeling. 

Just then, her phone rang where she had tossed it onto the sand. It was the Dogok-dong family home. 

I-ryeong moistened her dry lips with her tongue before answering. 

-Young miss. 

The warm voice of her father-in-law, Kyung-soo, flowed through the line. 

His unforced kindness brought an unexpected lump to her throat. 

“Yes, Father.” 

-I figured by now you’d be settled enough to take a call. Is it alright to talk? 

His thoughtfulness made her eyes burn with emotion. 

“…I arrived safely and am resting.” 

-Is I-jun buried in work again? 

The gentle jest to check on her mood made her tears spill silently. Startled, she wiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. 

-When you return to Korea, I’ll scold him properly, so forgive him for today. 

“No, Father, it’s not that.” 

Her eyes reddened. 

-I’m the one who should apologize. 

It seemed he had caught her sniffling. 

She knew he was comforting her to shield his son, but the small warmth made her feel both guilty toward her father-in-law and grateful at the same time. 

-Even when he lived at home, he was always buried in work. You’ll have a hard time with him. When that happens, come to me. I’ll listen to everything. 

Perhaps these were the words she had wanted to hear from I-jun himself.

“Or, if you’d like, I’ll take responsibility for the consequences—feel free to smash his laptop.” 

Unaware of the full situation, Kyung-soo consoled her for quite a while. 

“I won’t call again, so let’s see each other in Seoul.” 

Then, realizing he had kept the new bride on the phone for too long, he hastily ended the call without even saying goodbye. 

By then, the tears that had soaked her face had dried up. 

The sky had grown dim, clouds gathering heavily as evening approached. The wind picked up with each wave crashing against the shore, and her long hair began to flutter wildly. 

Though she thought to herself, I should get up, her heart wasn’t ready to move just yet. 

For the next ten days, their accommodation would be at one of the most luxurious villas in Lagonisi, Greece—a place she could never afford in her lifetime, no matter how hard she tried. 

“I wish I could just disappear…” 

With all her tangled emotions unresolved, she didn’t want to return to the villa, especially not with I-jun there—it made her anxious just thinking about going back. 

After much deliberation, she decided to wait until night had fully fallen before returning. By then, I-jun would likely be asleep. 

She turned her gaze back to the Mediterranean, trying to clear her mind. 

[Seo I-jun, Senior Managing Director] 

His name appeared on her phone screen. 

Why was he calling now, all of a sudden? 

“Even if there is something, I don’t have to tell you.” 

The image of him drawing a line between them, despite being her husband, flashed through her mind. 

“Senior Managing Director... Yes, that’s what he is...” 

I-ryeong left the call ringing, simply staring at the phone, silently hoping it would stop. 

“What am I supposed to call him—’Oppa’?” 

She hadn’t even considered changing his contact name from “Senior Managing Director.” 

The phone rang several more times, but she didn’t pick up. 

“Enough,” she murmured softly, gazing at the screen. 

There was nothing she wanted to say even if she did answer. 

Right now, she was exhausted. All she wanted was for him to give up and leave her alone. She rested her head on her knees, bracing herself with her hands. 

“I-ryeong.” 

A tender voice called out to her, accompanied by the warmth of a blanket draped over her shoulders. 

“Have you been here this whole time?” 

“...I-jun?” 

I-ryeong clutched the edge of the blanket covering her back, her eyes fixed on his loafers. 

“Did you ignore my calls on purpose?” 

Why was he being so gentle again? 

“Do you even know what time it is?” 

His concerned scolding wasn’t unpleasant, but it still stung. 

“You came out wearing so little—what if you catch a cold?” 

She wanted to ask if he had actually gone looking for her, but she bit her tongue and held back. 

I-ryeong pursed her lips and took a deep breath, her chest tightening with layers of frustration. 

“...I didn’t realize how late it was because the sea was so beautiful.” 

She fumbled for an excuse. 

“No matter how beautiful it is, it’s too late now. There’s no one else around on the beach.” 

Finally, she raised her head to meet his gaze, but his expression was obscured in the shadows. 

“Come on, get up.” 

He extended his hand toward her, but she didn’t want to go back yet—not with her heart still so unsettled. 

“I’ll stay a little longer. You go ahead first, I-jun.” 

“Why? Is this because of what I said earlier?” 

He knew his words might hurt her. 

Swallowing her bitterness, I-ryeong shook her head. 

“No, it’s not that. I just need some time to sort out my thoughts. It still doesn’t feel real that we’re married.” 

She wanted to smile to reassure him, to make him leave peacefully—but her heart wouldn’t obey. Instead, she bit down hard on her trembling lips. 

“What are you doing, hurting yourself like that?” 

“W-What are you doing?!” 

Startled, she flinched as his hand touched her lips.

There was no warmth in his touch. 

“You’re completely frozen.” 

Up close, his face was etched with concern, layered thick with worry. 

“I’m fine.” 

Without realizing it, I-ryeong pushed his arm away and removed his fingers from her lips, where they had lingered. 

All she wanted was for him to leave without further complicating her already chaotic emotions. 

“Why are you tormenting your lips like that? Stop it.” 

As if determined, he knelt on one knee and gently brushed her lips with his thumb. 

“I won’t let you get hurt, so don’t worry about it.” 

Why did he keep confusing her, stirring up her heart like this? 

She turned her head away from him, trying not to lean into his inexplicable tenderness. 

“How can I not care?” 

I-jun cupped her face firmly with both hands. 

“We’re married.” 

His tone was resolute, his hollow gaze urging her to comply. 

His sudden shifts—from affectionate to coldly sarcastic—still felt jarring and unfamiliar to her. 

“My head really hurts. I’ll go inside after a little while...” 

“I can’t do that. Your body is freezing. How could I just leave you like this?” 

I-jun’s expression grew stern, almost intimidating. 

“You can’t take care of everything, so at least take care of yourself.” 

When had he said that? Why was he interfering now? 

Desperate for him to stop confusing her, I-ryeong mirrored his stern expression. 

“What are you doing?! I-jun! What if someone sees us?!” 

But before she could protest further, her body lifted off the ground and was swiftly pulled into his arms. 

“Who cares if they see us?” 

She struggled to break free, but it was futile. 

“People will think we’re newlyweds anyway.” 

His nonchalant smirk froze her thoughts entirely. 

In the end, she was carried into the villa still cradled in his arms. 

“Put me down.” 

“No.” 

He walked past the resort villa’s hallway and bypassed the living room. 

“I’ll behave and rest, so put me down.” 

“No.” 

“Where are you taking me?” 

Ignoring her question, he stopped in front of the large spa bathtub attached to the bedroom. 

“Let’s get in together.” 

“W-What? T-Together?” 

“I feel like I need to warm up too.” 

His calm demeanor only added to her panic. 

“No way.” 

“Even if you refuse, you’re staying with me until you warm up. Once you’re better, I’ll let you go.” 

With her still in his arms, I-jun turned on the hot water. 

The empty tub began to fill with warm streams of water, and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. 

“Don’t even think about running away.” 

In one confident stride, I-jun stepped into the tub and sat down, pulling her firmly into his lap. 

Trapped in his embrace, I-ryeong couldn’t move an inch. 

All she could hear was the pounding of her heart echoing in her ears. 

“Should I call for some service? You’ve been starving all day.” 

“…No, it’s fine.” 

Her soaked clothes clung tightly to her skin, leaving her acutely aware of the firmness of his arm muscles. 

Through the fabric, she could feel the unmistakable pressure of his arousal pressing against her. It was clear he was just as overwhelmed by desire as she was.

I-ryeong curled her body into a tight ball, pulling her knees up and resting her cheek against them at an angle. 

Sensing her movement, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her drenched shirt clung to her skin, sending an unfamiliar, unsettling sensation coursing through her body.