II - 44

As time passed, the prepared dishes filled the table.

The specially ordered golden tilefish, along with a variety of exquisite delicacies, delighted both the eyes and the palate. Expensive sake was added to the mix, quickly lifting the atmosphere.

The team members took turns offering drinks to the newlyweds in celebration of their marriage.

Caught up in the lively mood, I-ryeong accepted every drink offered to her. Her head spun dizzily, and for a moment, she felt like she might faint.

But seeing I-jun maintain his upright posture despite drinking twice as much as her—without showing any signs of intoxication—she forced herself to endure.

“If you’re drunk, lean on my shoulder.”

“Drunk? I’m... not drunk at all,” she insisted, shaking her head vigorously even though he had already noticed her tipsiness.

Suddenly, nausea hit her, and the room began spinning uncontrollably.

“Vice President!”

Just then, one of the employees raised a hand with a mischievous grin.

“May I ask a personal question?”

“Yes, go ahead. It’s fine,” I-jun replied, nodding as he handed I-ryeong a glass of warm water.

She lifted the cup to moisten her lips. The warmth seemed to melt her lips and body, leaving her feeling hazy and disoriented.

“When did you start courting I-ryeong and begin dating?”

At the cheeky question, I-ryeong nearly spilled her water. The subsequent cheers from the team sobered her up instantly.

Since there hadn’t been any real “dating,” she tensely awaited his response.

“It was love at first sight, so I made my move,” I-jun answered smoothly, eliciting gasps of admiration from the team. The female employees, in particular, reacted passionately, blushing as if it were their own story.

“I pursued her relentlessly until she fell for me.”

I-jun downed a shot of sake as he spoke effortlessly.

“My impatience led me to propose marriage right away. How could I not fall for someone so beautiful?”

Their eyes met as they gazed at each other, as if they were the only two people left in the world, imprinting only each other in their pupils.

“I put in my best effort to win her over before anyone else could.”

Soon, he reached out and cradled I-ryeong’s flushed face in his hand.

The team’s teasing and cheers faded into the background. His mind was consumed with thoughts of claiming her, overcome by desire.

The boisterous dinner party finally ended just before midnight. I-jun, who had accepted every drink offered without refusal, had fallen asleep.

The team members reluctantly bid their farewells, leaving only three people behind: I-ryeong, who was tending to her husband; the sleeping I-jun, intoxicated by alcohol; and Baek Hyun-wook, who watched the couple with concern.

“Will you be okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle it myself. Please go ahead, sir.”

“How do you plan to move the Vice President on your own? Let’s leave together.”

I-ryeong glanced at I-jun, who was leaning against her shoulder in slumber.

“The chauffeur will come.”

Using the chauffeur waiting nearby as an excuse, she gently declined his offer.

Figuring out how to move her large husband was a problem for later; her immediate priority was getting rid of Baek Hyun-wook.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Looking at Baek’s expression, she realized he was also quite drunk. If he stepped outside now, he might collapse on the street.

“How will you get home?”

Still, she worried about him without ulterior motives, as he had once been her mentor.

“I called a taxi. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’ll be fine too, so please go ahead. You have work tomorrow, so hurry home.”

It was unfortunate that the dinner party fell on a Monday—but then again, work was a solid excuse.

“If you live in Gyeonggi Province, you should leave soon.”

“Alright. Since the chauffeur is here, I’ll leave without worries. Take care.”

Finally, after sending Baek Hyun-wook off, she found herself alone in the quiet space.

I-jun slept soundly without making a single breath audible, creating an atmosphere as if she were completely alone. This allowed her to calm her thoughts.

“‘It was love at first sight, so I made my move.’“

The employees, unaware of the truth, found it romantic.

“Tsk...”

She let out a sigh, pouting slightly.

When had their first meeting been?

She had joined AE Cosmetics as a trainee and was assigned to the marketing team, where she first saw I-jun. Aside from being handed over to Baek Hyun-wook for training, they hadn’t exchanged any meaningful conversations.

“You really did pursue me, didn’t you?”

The Vice President who had saved her from the scene of her lover’s infidelity.

“If you don’t want more attention, let’s leave.”

He had been her savior, pulling her out of hellfire.

If I-jun hadn’t extended his hand that day, she couldn’t even imagine what might have happened.

“Thank you.”

She gently kissed his head, still resting against her shoulder, and looked down at him as he remained motionless.

There wasn’t a single wrinkle on her peacefully sleeping husband’s face. He gave off the impression of someone who had grown up in a good environment, surrounded by luxury. She couldn’t help but feel envious.

I-ryeong softly rested her head against his and wrapped her arms around him. Feeling his slow, steady heartbeat, she became lost in thought.

In her view, she had faced three major trials in life.

Her father’s remarriage and the rumors at her previous workplace.

Especially at her last job, being labeled as the “other woman” had taken a heavy mental toll. She hadn’t been able to confide in her family or Dongha, her then-lover, and instead endured it all alone.

And during that time, she faced yet another trial.

Already sickened by infidelity, discovering her lover’s betrayal and pregnancy news came as a devastating shock.

“Perhaps, like yourself, you believed I had also strayed.”

Had it not been for I-jun’s decisive intervention, she would have been unable to escape the situation, overwhelmed by panic.

“…Thank you so much. So, so much.”

A soft murmur enveloped the couple.

She knew she should get up from her seat, but why did it feel so difficult to do so?

By now, a smile had bloomed on I-ryeong’s face, thanks to the team members’ teasing jokes.

Even if their compliments about her beauty were empty words, they still made her happy. Perhaps such thoughts wouldn’t have crossed her mind if she hadn’t been in this mood.

“…You look like you’re in a good mood.”

“I-jun?”

The man who had been asleep stirred with a rough voice.

“What time is it?”

“Are you awake?”

I-ryeong slowly withdrew the arm she had been holding and fidgeted with her earlobe.

He probably hadn’t heard her muttering to herself, but she couldn’t help feeling flustered as she wiped away the heat from her cheeks.

“How could I not wake up when you keep whispering?”

“W-Whispering? I didn’t whisper at all! Not even once!”

“Surprising. So, it really was like an internal monologue then.”

I-jun gazed at her through blurred vision.

The sensation he had felt while half-asleep seemed to have been her voice after all.

Convinced that her gentle tone had tickled his ears, he glanced around the room.

“Has everyone left?”

“Yes. They’ve all gone. It’s just the two of us now.”

At the mention of being alone together, he stared at her again.

Under the ceiling lights, her faintly flushed face came into view. Her alluring appearance began to stir something deep within him, stiffening his lower body with impure desire.

“What about Driver Kim?”

His voice, strained from suppressing his rising desires, sounded rough as his throat tightened.

“He should be waiting outside. Do you think you can stand up?”

“And if I can’t?”

Even drunk, his words carried no hint of jest.

Starting from his lower body, tension spread to his thighs. The swelling sensation begged desperately for release. Damn it.

“Lean on me to get up.”

I-ryeong looked at him, concerned by the change in his expression.

Why had he accepted every drink offered to him? His red face and the bulging veins on his neck didn’t reassure her at all.

“Should I do that?”

“Of course. You can definitely lean on me.”

“I meant whether you can handle it.”

Confused by his cryptic remark, I-ryeong narrowed her eyes. Though he was tall and broad, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t support him.

“Why wouldn’t I be able to? Don’t you trust me?”

She too was tipsy, and in her drunken state, she felt confident enough to lift him and carry him to the car if needed.

“Really, you are… hmm, how should I put it?”

His gaze softened as he let his words trail off, his lips curving into a gentle smile.

Drunk, he seemed strangely different, almost like another person.

“Why do you stop mid-sentence? Why?”

“It’s nothing. Then, I’ll ask for your help to stand.”

His previously relaxed expression vanished as he extended his hand.

Seeing him return to his usual self somehow left a bitter taste in her mouth. Even if it was all a misunderstanding, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed, longing for more of his tenderness.

I-ryeong leaned forward slightly and took his outstretched hand, wrapping it around her waist.

“Can you stand up?”

“No.”

His clear pronunciation made it hard to believe he was truly drunk.

“Tell me the truth. You’re not drunk, are you? Right?”

She moved her face close to his and pressed him for an answer.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Stop joking and answer my question.”

“Hah, seriously.”

The softness in his expression quickly turned to frustration. He abruptly turned his head away, avoiding her gaze as if trying to escape something unbearable.

I-ryeong grabbed his chin.

“Do you dislike me? Is that why you’re acting like this?”

Drunk, I-ryeong had lost all sense of fear.

Her usually shy, trembling eyes were now steady and clear, reflecting only I-jun.

“Why are you avoiding me? Do you hate touching my skin? If so, you should have rejected my kindness.”

Unabashedly voicing her displeasure, she demanded an answer from him.

My heart, my feelings—they’re hurt because of you. Comfort me.

Unable to ignore her earnest expression, I-jun finally straightened his head, though he still avoided her gaze.

“…You smell…”

“Smell? Do I smell?”

The mention of smell was an unexpected answer, and I-ryeong’s face turned bright red.

Soon, her eyes grew hot, and the world around her turned hazy and white.