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Yoo Jin, who had returned from her early morning rounds, was drawn to the sound of laughter and peeked into the kitchen.
Feeling as though her insides were twisting, Yoo Jin grimaced.
Then, she quietly followed I-ryeong, who had left the kitchen to move food to the dining room, her slippered feet making no sound.
“Sister-in-law.”
The moment they were alone, Yoo Jin called out to stop her. But I-ryeong didn’t turn around, busy placing the dishes down.
“Hyungnim. Couldn’t you at least make your presence known? You startled me.”
For someone supposedly startled, she appeared surprisingly calm.
“Did you sell yourself here?”
Annoyed by I-ryeong’s actions, Yoo Jin’s tone turned icy.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I asked if you sold yourself here.”
“The preparations will be done soon, so please wait a little longer.”
Yoo Jin’s question was deliberately ignored.
“Hey! Do you think my words are a joke? I’ve asked multiple times—did you sell yourself here?”
“Sister-in-law.”
“Are you mocking me? Stop calling me sister-in-law and answer my question!”
The sharpness in Yoo Jin’s voice revealed just how angry she was.
I-ryeong swallowed a sigh and finally turned to face Yoo Jin.
She had noticed Yoo Jin following her since leaving the kitchen. The complete lack of footsteps suggested hidden intentions, so she had deliberately pretended not to notice and avoided answering.
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Then stop acting like you’re above me. How much did you sell yourself for? A hundred million won? Two hundred million? How much did you get?”
Yoo Jin’s eyes narrowed sharply, matching her biting tone.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Playing innocent, huh? You heard me. Don’t act like you didn’t. Could it be… a billion won?”
Yoo Jin crossed her arms and leaned closer, her face inches away.
Yoo Jin, fully made up with heavy cosmetics even in the early morning, reeked of perfume. It was so overpowering that it felt like she had doused herself in an entire bottle.
Suddenly, I-ryeong felt nauseous, bile rising in her throat. She wanted to cover her nose and mouth and flee the scene immediately.
“Are you insane? Why aren’t you relaxing your expression?”
“I’m sorry, Hyungnim. It was unintentional.”
Trying to swallow the bitterness back down, I-ryeong couldn’t help but scrunch up her face.
AE Cosmetics’ products were known for their subtle scents, avoiding strong artificial fragrances to cater to customers sensitive to chemical smells.
But the products Yoo Jin wore clearly weren’t from their company. Though risky to assume, I-ryeong’s keen sense of smell confirmed it.
“You almost threw up looking at my face, didn’t you?”
“That’s not true.”
“You’re unbelievable!”
Frustrated, Yoo Jin shouted and raised her hand as if to strike.
At that moment, the overwhelming scent of perfume hit I-ryeong again, leaving no room for doubt.
Yoo Jin ran one of AE Cosmetics’ flagship stores in Seoul alongside her mother. With the company covering the exorbitant rent, their store was expected to outperform others, especially smaller regional branches.
Yet, despite concentrated support from headquarters, their sales lagged behind even small-town stores.
I-ryeong suspected Yoo Jin was the reason for the poor performance.
“Are you talking trash about me behind my back?”
“Me? Why would I badmouth you? No.”
“You’ve been muttering under your breath this whole time! Did you think I wouldn’t notice? And now you’re glaring at me? Are you crazy?”
As I-ryeong focused on the glittery eyeshadow Yoo Jin wore, she realized where it came from—it was a new product from their biggest competitor, a company known for its flashy, shimmer-heavy makeup line.
“That’s just speculation.”
“You’re still denying it. So, does that mean you took money too? Since you’re not admitting it, I must be right, huh? My guess is spot-on, isn’t it?”
The perfume Yoo Jin wore also clearly wasn’t from their brand.
Their fragrance line emphasized subtlety, crafted meticulously by I-jun himself. The top notes were light, while the lingering base notes carried weight.
“Sister-in-law.”
Just as I-ryeong was about to ask what perfume she used—
“It’s noisy so early in the morning. Don’t you both have work to do?”
Jung Ae, dressed in a formal suit, stepped between them, halting the commotion.
Following Jung Ae’s suggestion to return to the annex, I-ryeong turned and walked away without another word.
Behind her, she could hear Jung Ae scolding Yoo Jin. It seemed Yoo Jin was getting an earful.
Perhaps she should have endured it all along. Regret began to creep in—coming to the main house despite I-jun’s warnings had clearly backfired.
Her defiance had come at a cost, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.
“This was all unnecessary meddling…”
She slowly strolled through the garden, dew-kissed grass brushing against her feet. Though she tried to let go of her frustrations with a quiet exhale, her tangled thoughts only grew heavier.
She knew she needed to hurry back to the annex and prepare for work, but her heavy heart slowed her steps even further.
“How much did you sell yourself for? Ten billion won?”
Ruminating over Yoo Jin’s words, I-ryeong found herself stopping in her tracks.
The vulgar question left her speechless. But what weighed on her more was the realization that others likely saw her in exactly that light.
She lifted the tip of her shoe and dragged it across the grass, venting her frustration uselessly. Her jumbled thoughts refused to settle.
“Paying... with your body...”
Her lips moved slowly, enunciating each word.
Of all nights, last night had been when she’d been intimate with him. Of all nights.
“Hah, really.”
She tilted her head back and gazed at the sky. A cloudless blue expanse stared back at her.
It felt as though the pristine sky was mocking her. How dare she pretend to be pure when her marriage was built on impure intentions?
“You’re insane. Insane, Chae I-ryeong.”
Overwhelmed by the sinking sensation, she shook her head vigorously and straightened her back.
That’s when the breathtaking scenery surrounding the annex caught her eye. Encircled by low-lying mountains, it resembled an impregnable fortress.
She had dared to step into a place no one could easily invade—a sanctuary unreachable even if one were to die and awaken again. Only with I-jun’s help had she gained entry.
It truly was an expensive refuge.
“It’s not entirely wrong.”
An unwelcome feeling consumed her. The pleasant mood she had felt in the main house kitchen earlier had vanished without a trace, as though it had been a lie.
She couldn’t stay in the garden forever, so she forced herself to move—back to the annex, which still qualified as a sanctuary.
Passing through the annex entrance, I-ryeong stopped in front of the anteroom, which she had always overlooked before.
The anteroom, larger than her childhood home’s living room, was lavishly decorated with high-end furniture. Though it was merely a space for visitors to rest briefly, it was more luxurious than most homes.
Why had she viewed such opulence with dulled eyes until now? Despite being unfamiliar with this lifestyle, she had adapted as if she had lived it from the start.
“Ah…”
A sigh escaped her lips, impossible to suppress. Yoo Jin’s words didn’t seem entirely off-base, making her emotions even more tangled.
If she hadn’t married I-jun, she would never have experienced such extravagance.
Even the slippers she wore now cost well over a million won—a luxury brand meant only for indoor use. She owned multiple pairs of designer sandals for different occasions.
Such spending would have been unimaginable just a month or two ago, yet she had grown numb to it.
“Madam?”
Mrs. Choi’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Is something troubling you?”
I-ryeong swallowed another sigh and adjusted her expression.
“The weather was nice, so I stayed out for a bit. Has I-jun come back?”
She smiled elegantly, like the perfect wealthy daughter-in-law, though the resemblance to Yoo Jin sent shivers down her spine.
“The Vice President arrived 20 minutes ago.”
“Really? Could you prepare some juice?”
“Coincidentally, the Vice President also requested it, so I’ve just brought it down.”
I-ryeong gave a faint smile and stepped out of the anteroom.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. As always, the stunning view captured her attention.
‘Did you sell yourself here?’
Why did Yoo Jin’s words resurface at this moment?
Because of that, even the sunlight felt alien, as though it didn’t belong to her.
“Madam?”
It was the second time Mrs. Choi had called out to her while she was lost in thought.
“When do you change the curtains?”
“We do it periodically, but if you have a specific preference, we can replace them immediately.”
“Please change them to a darker color today. Navy blue would be nice.”
She wanted to get rid of the pale beige curtains hanging over the living room windows. Everything felt excessive, like indulgence amidst her chaotic thoughts.
“Understood.”
After hearing Mrs. Choi’s reply, I-ryeong took the tray she was holding. Two cups, covered with wooden lids, sat on the tray.
“One is celery juice for the Vice President, and the other is warm tangerine peel tea for you.”
“Are there even tangerines in season right now?”
Her fabricated cold had inconvenienced so many people.
“There’s nothing you can’t find in Dogok-dong. If there’s anything you’d like to eat or drink, just let me know. I’ll do my best to prepare it.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Choi.”
Her throat tingled beneath the folded collar of her turtleneck.
Overcome with guilt, she smiled with crescent-shaped eyes. Then, she moved to the bedroom where I-jun was likely waiting.
“Why did you go to the main house?”
I-jun, dressed in a suit, was perched on the edge of the bed, fastening his wristwatch.
“How did you know?”
“When I returned from exercising, you were gone.”
I-jun stood up, took the tray from her, and placed it on the table.
“I told you not to go, didn’t I?”
“I just went anyway.”
Something about her expression seemed hardened.
Without hesitation, I-jun closed the distance between them and stood directly in front of her.
“Do you think my words are a joke?”
“It’s not what you’re thinking, so stop speculating.”
His intense breath brushed against her, exuding irritation.
I-ryeong turned her head away, avoiding him.
“Drink this.”
She reached out to grab a cup, but—
“What’s wrong with you?”
I-jun snatched the cup away and set it back down.
Just last night, her face had been radiant with pleasure, lost in ecstasy.
But within the hour he had been exercising, she now looked troubled and weighed down with worry. Her sudden shift unsettled him deeply.
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