II - 35

The unfamiliar woman first greeted I-jun.  

“Good evening, Vice President Seo.”  

The woman, her long hair neatly tied back, bowed deeply to him with utmost respect.  

“This is my wife, whom I recently married. I-ryeong, this is your dedicated shopper.”  

So this was the dedicated shopper. Truly, marrying him had opened doors to unimaginable experiences.  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Chae I-ryeong.”  

I-ryeong relaxed her stiff expression and extended her hand for a handshake. She harbored no ill will toward this woman she was meeting for the first time.  

“It’s an honor to assist you, Madam. I’m Kim Yoo-Jung, the section chief. Please feel free to call me by name.”  

Kim Yoo-Jung shook I-ryeong’s hand and bowed just as deeply to her as she had to I-jun.  

The feeling of receiving the highest level of treatment outside the house was strange.  

She had visited this place several times in the middle of winter before—but back then, as a non-regular employee of AE Cosmetics, all she did was conduct surveys at the flagship store.  

But now, she was being treated as a VIP.  

She knew full well that this was possible not because she was Chae I-ryeong, but because she was Seo I-jun’s wife.  

When he had warned her about her position earlier, she had been angry. But now, the overwhelming sense of being out of her depth made her want to run away before even starting.  

“I’ll escort you directly to the VIP room.”  

Kim Yoo-Jung called for the private elevator and guided them.  

Standing next to I-jun, I-ryeong lightly scraped her dry mouth with the tip of her tongue, which felt like it was grazing against thorny, tender skin.  

It was as if her heart itself had become a mess.  

“Chief Kim.”  

At his deep, low voice, I-ryeong’s gaze followed his.  

“From now on, you’ll be exclusively responsible for the annex.”  

“Understood, Vice President.”  

Without asking for reasons, Chief Kim accepted his concise instruction. Watching her, I-ryeong briefly wondered if this was perhaps the image he wanted her to embody.  

The elevator arrived, and its doors opened.  

“We’ll start by looking around the first floor.”  

“Excuse me for a moment, Vice President.”  

After I-jun indicated he wouldn’t be taking the elevator, Chief Kim turned and contacted someone via walkie-talkie.  

Once they were alone again, I-jun leaned in close and whispered into her ear.  

“Choose it yourself. Pick what you like best.”  

His emotionless yet damp and sticky voice made her ears tingle.  

He knew exactly what disarmed her—far too well.  

As a result, I-ryeong felt a dizzying tingle below her navel. It seemed so deliberately calculated that she clenched her teeth, trying to endure it.  

“The first floor is crowded during this evening hour. Will that be alright?”  

Chief Kim reported after communicating with the security team.  

I-jun gave a brief nod and turned to I-ryeong for her opinion.  

“If you refuse today, we’ll keep coming back tomorrow or the day after until a ring is on your finger. What do you say?”  

His intense gaze revealed an unwavering determination to see the ring placed on her finger.  

Feeling his unyielding resolve, I-ryeong decided to take a step back.  

“Let’s go. And events like today are enough for just this once.”  

However, she made her discomfort with the situation clear through her firm tone.  

“That’s something you should remember too.”  

And just as he had done to her, she returned the sentiment.  

Perhaps this small act would bring some comfort to her chaotic heart.  

---

I-ryeong fidgeted with the newly fitted ring on her finger. She reflected on how fortunate it was that she wouldn’t need to visit the store again since the ring fit perfectly.  

Then, she quickly shifted her gaze to the rapidly passing scenery outside the car window. Seoul’s night, wrapped in darkness, was both dazzling and beautiful.  

Just months ago, she never imagined she’d be leisurely enjoying the night view from a luxurious car with a chauffeur.  

Reflecting on her changed circumstances, I-ryeong closed her eyes and let herself drift into thought when—  

“Oh, Chief Kim?”  

I-jun, who had been silent since getting into the car, broke the silence.  

“Yes, Vice President?”  

“Do you have a business card? Just one will do.”

Chief Kim Haera, seated in the front passenger seat, turned around and handed over her business card.  

Still lost in thought, I-ryeong closed her eyes as if to feign ignorance, pretending it had nothing to do with her.  

“…I-ryeong?”  

I-jun’s warm breath brushed against her ear.  

Startled, I-ryeong fluttered her eyelashes and opened her eyes wide.  

“Were you asleep? Did I wake you?”  

“No.”  

I-ryeong pressed her body as close to the car door as possible, trying to create distance between them. But the more she tried to pull away, the more he leaned in, refusing to let her escape.  

“Are you tired?”  

“No. Do you have something to say?”  

She twisted her upper body to face him, brushing her hair back with a hand as if to signal him to stop bothering her.  

“Here.”  

I-jun held out the business card in front of her.  

“From now on, Chief Kim will manage your schedule. Of course, that includes mine as well.”  

Though belated, he introduced the employee who would be responsible for the annex.  

“If you have any questions, ask now.”  

I-ryeong alternated her gaze between the business card and I-jun, sighed softly, and finally took it. After fiddling with its stiff texture for a moment, she tucked it into her handbag.  

“I’ll think about it later.”  

Her schedule would likely consist only of commuting between home and the company—what was there to manage?  

“Seo I-jun’s wife’s position.”  

Then, recalling his words that were etched into her mind, she mulled them over until she hit a dead end. She began to sense that, as part of the AE Cosmetics family, there might be external commitments awaiting her.  

“Oh, and… the driver isn’t always going to accompany us, right?”  

She had ridden in a car driven by President Lee Jung-Ae’s chauffeur a few times before. But today, a middle-aged man she’d never seen before was driving.  

“The driver is Chief Kim’s father. He’s been with us for a long time, so don’t feel burdened.”  

“…The two of you are family?”  

An unexpected relationship stirred resentment in her—why hadn’t he given her a heads-up?  

I-ryeong couldn’t smooth her furrowed expression.  

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”  

“No.”  

Once again, she swallowed her frustration without confronting him. This was the position Seo I-jun’s wife was supposed to occupy.  

“Are we heading to Dogok-dong now?”  

To change the mood, she redirected the conversation.  

“Is it necessary?”  

I-jun tilted his head, puzzled.  

“Necessary? Are you waiting for someone?”  

“Who’s waiting for us in Dogok-dong?”  

He genuinely didn’t understand what she meant.  

“The elders.”  

“Why are you worrying about them?”  

He asked carelessly, not grasping her reasoning.  

“It’s the position I’m in—I can’t help it.”  

“You’re married to me, not to our parents.”  

He raised his voice loud enough for Chief Kim to hear.  

“We’ll have dinner at the hotel. But if you want to eat in Dogok-dong, I’ll change directions. It’s your choice.”  

“I…”  

At this moment, she had no appetite for dinner. All she wanted was to lay down her heavy heart in the one place she found solace.  

“Then let’s go to the hotel. Chief Kim, book a room as well.”  

But I-jun intended to comfort her all night long. It was the only way he knew how to console her.  

The couple ended up having dinner at the hotel before returning to Dogok-dong.  

Her home now was the annex in Dogok-dong. Determined to grow comfortable in the unfamiliar space, she decided to spend the night there.  

After stepping out of the master bathroom in a flowing silk robe, I-ryeong stood in front of the bed.  

“Why are you just standing there?”

I-jun, who had already lain down on the bed, closed his book and asked curiously.  

“…Is something wrong?”  

“The silk robe doesn’t feel quite right,” I-ryeong muttered, fidgeting with the hem of her gown before taking it off.  

“Do you need some kind of pep talk to fall asleep?”  

“Of course not. Don’t tease me.”  

Wearing only a thin slip, she shot him a glare before cautiously grabbing the edge of the blanket.  

“What are you doing, standing there instead of getting in?”  

A sudden spark lit up I-jun’s eyes.  

He hadn’t expected the white slip, which revealed half of her cleavage, to look so seductive. Her subtly exposed skin seemed incredibly sensual, making it impossible for him to look away.  

“The blanket…”  

Unaware of I-jun’s inner turmoil, I-ryeong was entirely focused on the blanket.  

She wondered how to mention that it was different from the one they had used earlier that morning.  

“Mrs. Choi will change it often. It’s a common thing here in Dogok-dong, so don’t read too much into it.”  

I-jun casually brushed it off as if it were no big deal, addressing her hesitation.  

“Is that so?”  

“Yeah. And if you need anything, just tell Mrs. Choi. Don’t overthink it.”  

Thinking about how familiar this must be to him made her cheeks flush involuntarily.  

I-ryeong fiddled with her heated earlobes before slipping under the blanket.  

They lay side by side on the spacious bed, covered by the soft, high-quality blanket that gave the sensation of walking on clouds.  

Everything here was so different from her uncomfortable childhood home.  

Back then, even in her sleep, she would wake at the slightest sound her parents made.  

Her parents had tiptoed around, careful not to wake her. Eventually, they began living in the tiny room attached to their shop.  

She knew it was all out of consideration for her. And yet, their family dynamic had grown strained because of it.  

It was all her fault—she had created this situation.  

“…”  

The tangled thoughts in her mind grew heavier, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. It felt as though someone were fiercely scolding her, telling her she had no right to sleep comfortably.  

I-ryeong turned her body to the side, pulling the blanket up to her chin and curling up like a shrimp.  

She needed to wake up early tomorrow, but sleep wouldn’t come, and her worries only multiplied.  

“Can’t sleep?”  

I-jun stirred beside her.  

“Was I being loud? I’m sorry.”  

“Loud? No, it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize.”  

I-ryeong bit her lip and tightly shut her eyes.  

This time, she hoped to fall asleep without disturbing his rest. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind.  

She pictured the Greek beach in her head. On the first day, she had sat alone on the shore, counting grains of sand.  

One, two, three, four. Counting grains of sand smaller than dust wasn’t easy.  

When she scooped up a handful and tried to count them one by one, they inevitably slipped through her fingers.  

An unsettling feeling bloomed within her—a sense that even something as ordinary as grains of sand wasn’t meant for her.