II - 34

Even though she said she was fine, he didn’t hide his discomfort.  

“Let me see.”  

I-jun examined her face as if he couldn’t quite believe her. Her complexion was still pale, and she looked far from well.  

“I got worried about the SNS photo thing. I was afraid Dongha and Ari… that they might see it.”  

She smiled faintly, recalling them for the first time since their last meeting. Thankfully, this excuse seemed plausible enough to satisfy him.  

“Is that really all?”  

“Of course.”  

I-ryeong nodded and forced a small smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.  

Revealing her past through unnecessary actions was something she couldn’t tolerate. It wasn’t her fault, which made it all the more important to keep hidden.  

“I-ryeong, are you sure…?”  

But still, his trailing words revealed lingering doubts.  

Misinterpreting his gentle tone rather than the unspoken questions behind it, I-ryeong felt a flicker of hope.  

She wanted to ask if he felt the same way but held back. If not, it would only leave her feeling more miserable.  

“I-jun, let’s go.”  

“Alright.”  

Reluctantly turning his head, she followed his gaze and shifted her own.  

And yet, she consoled herself: if this misunderstanding brought her happiness, then clinging to it while living as his wife wouldn’t be so bad after all.  

---

After navigating the complicated traffic, they arrived at a bustling department store. The car carrying the couple naturally pulled into the VIP-exclusive parking lot.  

“I’ve come to keep my promise.”  

“A promise?”  

I-ryeong’s hand paused mid-motion as she was unbuckling her seatbelt.  

What promise had they made?  

“The ring.”  

“I told you I’m fine.”  

I-jun lightly touched her finger.  

“It’s not you—it’s me. Look, you even took it off just now.”  

“This is…”  

I-ryeong fidgeted with the hand that had been gripping her seatbelt. She had taken it off to shower and forgotten to put it back on.  

“This time, you choose.”  

“I’ll wear the ring you gave me during the proposal. That’s enough.”  

The ring from the proposal was relatively small and simple compared to the ostentatious diamond wedding band. Though it wasn’t cheap either, it was perfect for wearing both at work and casually.  

“No. This time, you pick. That way, you’ll keep it on without taking it off.”  

I-jun persisted, unwilling to give up.  

Her already fair face and modest attire made her look less like a married woman. He thought that if she wore a ring, it might help. He couldn’t abandon the idea.  

“Let’s get out.”  

He opened the door himself and stepped out. Outside, the chauffeur quickly moved to open her door.  

Realizing she couldn’t keep the chauffeur and secretary waiting any longer, I-ryeong followed suit and exited the car.  

“We’ve received word that the person in charge will be down shortly.”  

The secretary, holding a tablet, reported while making eye contact with both I-jun and I-ryeong.  

Not understanding what “person in charge” meant, I-ryeong looked at I-jun.  

“There’s a dedicated shopper.”  

“You could’ve told me earlier,” she said, showing her surprise at the unexpected arrangement.  

“Get used to it.”  

I-jun didn’t apologize for not mentioning it beforehand. When accompanied by a chauffeur and secretary, it was something she needed to grow accustomed to, as if it were only natural.  

“When you’re with me, you’re not just Chae I-ryeong—you’re the wife of Senior Managing Director Seo I-jun.”  

“…Alright.”  

Not a married couple, but the wife of Senior Managing Director Seo I-jun.  

I-ryeong felt as though she was gradually coming face-to-face with a reality she hadn’t fully grasped while filling out the marriage registration form. In exchange for finding refuge, it felt as though she was losing herself.  

“What are you doing? Put it on.”

At his urging, I-ryeong crossed her arms, feeling dazed.  

“Shall we go in?”  

“Without waiting?”  

I-ryeong showed her confusion as the dedicated shopper still hadn’t appeared.  

“Don’t you get it yet?”  

“I-jun?”  

The warmth he had consistently shown now seemed to have vanished, making him appear like a completely different person.  

“They’ll be down in a few minutes.”  

Her eyes widened as she stared at him, wondering where the tender and thoughtful man from earlier had gone.  

“Do you think AE Cosmetics is some small neighborhood shop?”  

“Of course not. But we could’ve waited for the person who’s coming down.”  

She glared at him, as if accusing him of being unable to wait just a few minutes before heading inside together.  

“We’re not here today to pitch to corporate clients.”  

“But that doesn’t mean we’re here to act like royalty either. Are you planning to throw your weight around with the department store staff?”  

I-jun’s neatly arched eyebrows twisted in irritation. The phrase “throwing your weight around” clearly struck a nerve.  

I-ryeong realized too late that she’d misspoken, but the moment to apologize slipped away.  

He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her, his gaze sharp and piercing like a predator baring its fangs.  

“You’re wrong. This isn’t about throwing my weight around—it’s about my rights. Do you think I got this for free? Do you have any idea how much money I pour into this place every year?”  

Unconsciously, I-ryeong shivered at the icy tone of his voice, low enough to blend with the night breeze. It cut through her like a sharp blade slicing delicate skin.  

“At least 500 million won goes into this place annually.”  

Leaning closer, he whispered into her ear, his rigid tone laced with an air of dominance—sums far beyond what she could ever imagine handling.  

“Now that you’re part of our family, that amount will only increase. So will the costs for the dedicated shopper. Does this still sound like bullying? Should I wait around for that employee despite spending such vast sums of money?”  

I-ryeong shook her head faintly.  

The cost of forgetting that her world and his were fundamentally different weighed heavily on her chest. His words felt like a warning: You can’t even begin to comprehend my world. It saddened her.  

“If you understand what I’m saying, engrave this into your mind. Unconditionally.”  

He extended his finger and tapped her forehead lightly, almost dismissively.  

The gesture felt condescending, as though he were addressing someone beneath him. I-ryeong felt utterly crushed. In this moment, it seemed her existence meant so little to him that tears wouldn’t even come.  

“Remember your position. Not as Chae I-ryeong, but as Seo I-jun’s wife.”  

I-jun wanted to firmly remind her—a woman who had entered a chaebol family—that life was different now and that she needed to adapt quickly.  

He hoped she would remember that she was now someone no one could treat lightly.  

Though he knew she might feel uncomfortable, there was no other choice.  

“Whether at home, outside, or at the company, always remember your place.”  

He wanted to instill a sense of vigilance in her, knowing she might unexpectedly cross paths again with the senior who had mocked and belittled her.  

The department store they entered, arm in arm, felt unfamiliar.  

Though she had visited this very department store countless times during the cold winter months as per AE Cosmetics’ traditions, today it felt unbearably uncomfortable. They were walking through a VIP-exclusive passageway, inaccessible to ordinary customers.  

The sound of their footsteps echoed cheerfully against the marble floor, but her heart was heavy.  

She was wounded by his oscillating behavior between warmth and coldness. These were emotions she wouldn’t have had to endure if she didn’t love him. I-ryeong couldn’t unclench her furrowed expression, her discomfort growing heavier.  

“Remember your position. Not as Chae I-ryeong, but as Seo I-jun’s wife.”  

She had thought of their marriage so simply. She had chosen herself as a way to escape her mother-in-law’s pressure to marry.  

Marrying the heir to one of the top companies in the industry—how foolishly she had underestimated it all.  

I-ryeong felt pathetic for thinking their marriage was mutually beneficial, for neglecting the obligations and weight that came with it.  

Had they not come to the department store today, she might never have realized these issues, and the frustration pressed down on her like a suffocating weight.  

Just then, the sound of their footsteps grew sharper, grating against the silence.  

“Relax your face.”  

I-jun broke the silence first, his tone so rigid it offered no comfort.  

“I’ve always said appearances matter.”  

“I know.”  

“Then smile. People will think we’re fighting.”  

Her brisk steps halted abruptly. Narrowing her eyes, I-ryeong looked up at him with a hardened expression.  

She wanted to snap back that she wasn’t a puppet controlled by his commands, but she swallowed her words once more.  

“I-jun, let’s just go home today.”

I-ryeong let go of his arm and took a step back.  

This small act of defiance felt like the only thing allowed to her, and it filled her with a sense of despair as she continued.  

“I’m so tired I can barely walk.”  

If she were to choose a ring under these uncomfortable circumstances, she was certain she’d be reminded of today every time she looked at it.  

“Today’s schedule includes the department store.”  

“I didn’t know that.”  

Her firm refusal sparked an inexplicable irritation in him.  

Our schedule that I’m kept in the dark about.  

She wanted to ask if they were truly husband and wife, but swallowed the question just as forcefully.  

I-ryeong steadied the bitter, unpleasant breath rising in her chest, over and over again.  

“Cancel it. And from now on, get my approval before making any plans for me.”  

Her voice, swallowing down seething anger, was icy cold.  

“If you don’t know, start learning today. The secretary you saw earlier will manage your schedule from now on.”  

I-jun was equally unyielding, his tone chilling. There was no trace of the tenderness he had shown in bed.  

“No. It’s uncomfortable.”  

“Have you already forgotten? I told you to think about your position.”  

His gaze turned so cold that she felt as though her body might freeze.  

Can’t you warm up to me a little, when I trusted you and accepted your proposal? I-ryeong couldn’t soften her hardened expression despite the sharp pain stabbing at her chest.  

“Then introduce things properly. If I’m the only one who doesn’t know, I’ll feel like I’m being ignored.”  

“…Alright.”  

Even though he belatedly realized his mistake from her angry expression, he didn’t apologize. Deeming it meaningless, he simply nodded.  

How could he explain that he had known her long before she joined the company, approached her out of curiosity, and wanted to keep her close to observe her? That this kind of situation arose because of that. He gave up trying.  

The couple, whose steps had paused, began moving again. Just as they reached the end of the passageway—  

A door engraved with an ornate golden pattern opened, and a woman in uniform approached.  

I-ryeong instinctively tensed at the sight of the slim, impeccably groomed woman.