II - 56

I-jun felt like he was losing his mind as he watched her tremble. His anger surged to the point where he wanted nothing more than to summon Kang Suk-tae and strangle him.

But he swallowed his fiery emotions and continued speaking.

“He boasted about you so much, calling you some kind of fascinating toy. He talked about you every time we met—it was impossible not to remember.”

In that moment, flames of fury ignited in her tear-filled eyes.

Not only had lies driven her life into a pit, but the fact that he had used her as mere gossip fodder made her body tremble with rage.

Unable to bear it any longer, she abruptly stood up, pushing away from him. Even his touch now felt unbearable, given that he had been in the same circle as Kang Suk-tae.

“…I’ve heard enough.”

She felt betrayed that he had known everything and yet kept it hidden from her all this time.

Perhaps he was even crueler than Kang Suk-tae. The thought made her feel like she was going insane.

“Listen. No matter how cruel it may seem, there’s no other way.”

But before she could resist further, his hands pulled her back down.

She couldn’t understand why he continued to stir her emotions when he knew how painful it was.

“The issue hasn’t been resolved yet.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

To I-ryeong, it sounded like she was being blamed for everything, despite being the victim.

“Why didn’t you ask for help?”

“It’s my problem.”

“It’s your problem, but you haven’t resolved it for over a year. Because of that, strange rumors spread within the company. Am I wrong?”

No one was more frustrated than she was.

She wanted to scream at him: You saw that post—why didn’t you confront me about it? Why did you wound my heart with cruel words instead of just using a knife?

I-ryeong continued to cry, swallowing the words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

“Why do you think I didn’t invite anyone to our wedding! Why do you think I put up guards!”

I-jun slammed his hand on the table.

Guilt over her had always haunted him. He knew he was worse than Kang Suk-tae—far worse.

How foolish and naive he had been to approach her out of mere curiosity, knowing full well how entangled she was in scandal.

“I gave you a chance! I told you to use me! I told you to take advantage of me!”

It had been his attempt to ease his guilt, offering himself as a solution.

If she had simply asked for help, he would have been more than willing to assist her. Even if she had truly been an affair partner, he would have stood by her side without hesitation.

But she never reached out, and eventually, the situation spiraled out of control when the posts appeared online.

“…I-jun.”

I-ryeong finally opened her mouth with great effort.

She realized that his anger stemmed from genuine concern for her, and she could no longer remain silent.

“Why did you decide to marry someone like me?”

“What do you mean by that?”

His irritation was palpable.

So he really was worried about me, she thought. Feeling a strange sense of relief, she wiped her tears roughly with the back of her hand, scrubbing her face until it turned red, erasing all traces of weakness.

“You knew I had issues. It was risky for you to marry me out of mere curiosity.”

Regardless of the truth, the label of “mistress” was devastating.

“If I had asked for your help, what would you have done? And before that, didn’t you believe I was the mistress? That’s why you were curious about me, right?”

I-ryeong’s expression brightened slightly, while I-jun’s hardened as his frustration grew.

“Enough.”

“But I… I-jun, I…”

She resolved to reveal the secret she had hidden most deeply from him.

“I felt warmth from you. I fell for the way you looked at me and the passion in your kisses. Isn’t that funny?”

Her tentative confession visibly flustered him. His ears and neck reddened, making him look surprisingly endearing.

“That’s why I decided to marry you. I wanted to rest in the sanctuary you offered. I wanted to live like a normal person again, forgetting all my worries beside someone I came to love.”

The endless tears had tightened her throat, but her low, trembling voice added sincerity, drawing his unwavering gaze.

“You didn’t offer me closeness, but still, it was enough. Just being near you made my feelings for you grow uncontrollably. I wanted to stay by your side.”

Though she knew she shouldn’t covet him, she tried to hold on, to guard their bond. Physical intimacy didn’t equate to love, after all.

“You said it yourself—that I could stay by your side forever. I didn’t want you to find out about my secrets or the ugly rumors others spread about me. Being near you alone made me so happy—I was afraid this happiness would shatter.”

Still, she had felt his affection in their intimate moments. His careful touches and tender caresses revealed a depth of consideration she hadn’t expected.

“I just wanted to live peacefully—with you, and with your family.”

She had found a happiness in Dogok-dong that she had never experienced with her own family.

She even added that her father-in-law’s affection felt like receiving the love she had never gotten from her own father.

“You said I approached you knowing everything about your situation, right?”

As her tears subsided, her face began to glow faintly.

“I’m angry. Of course, I’m human, so I get angry. But I don’t know… my heart keeps leaning toward you.”

And she smiled at him.

It no longer mattered what ulterior motives might have been hidden. She simply wanted to lean on the faint warmth she sensed from him.

“All of this is my fault. I failed to give you trust.”

“No, it’s not your fault.”

She laid bare all her secrets to him, even confessing the feelings she had dared to harbor.

As a result, her heart felt lighter. The tension in her stiff shoulders eased noticeably.

“We needed to talk.”

His voice softened.

“If we had, we wouldn’t have taken such a long detour to get here.”

“I-jun…”

Tears welled up again at his heartfelt confession.

“I’m sorry. I should have been honest with you from the start. This is my fault. I’m sorry for hurting your heart.”

Tears spilled from her reddened eyes—not from sadness, but from joy. She was happy to be shedding tears in his arms.

“The guilt of deceiving you will haunt me for the rest of my life. Even if you forgive me, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”

“I also kept secrets from you. I didn’t do anything right either, so how could I possibly talk about forgiveness?”

I-ryeong shook her head and pressed her hand firmly against his lips to stop him.

In that moment, his kiss landed softly on her hand—gentle and warm.

“As I promised before our marriage, I’ll stand by your side for the rest of my life.”

His kisses didn’t stop there.

The dizzying sensation began at her fingertips, traveling up her fingers and lingering on her wrist.

“It must have been a difficult decision, but thank you for trusting me enough to share everything.”

“I-jun…”

She couldn’t hide the trembling brought on by his persistent advances.

The intimate sensations he stirred within her consumed her entirely, making her forget everything else that had happened. She became trapped in the illusion that Seo I-jun was now the center of her world.

Perhaps it was better this way. The wounds she had inflicted upon herself while dredging up the past were deep, and focusing on him helped ease the pain.

“Even in moments like these…”

I-jun was overtaken by a primal, almost animalistic desire. He wanted to ravage her moist lips with an uncontrollable hunger.

“I want you so desperately.”

From the moment he saw her wounded expression, he had been consumed by an insatiable lust.

He couldn’t fully understand why he desired her so intensely. The more he tried to deny and push it away, the stronger the longing grew.

“My world already revolves around you—I just didn’t realize it. How foolish of me.”

And as if waiting for the perfect moment, their lips met again.

Between their entwined mouths, sticky saliva mingled, and heated tongues intertwined passionately.

He devoured her completely, not letting even the smallest breath escape, refusing to release her from his grip.

---

I-jun left the office first to attend a morning meeting. I-ryeong remained alone in the still-warm office.

Even in his absence, his scent lingered heavily in the room.

Surrounded by his fragrance, as though still enveloped in his embrace, she struggled to gather her scattered emotions.

“It’s swollen…”

This was the aftermath of their intense kiss.

Carefully touching her lipstick-smeared lips, I-ryeong lost herself in thought.

“Did I do the right thing?”

Joon had said he would personally deal with Kang Suk-tae and his wife at the gathering. Should she simply trust him and stay out of it? Her worries only deepened.

Joon returned just before lunch, his face flushed.

“There’s something I really want to show you.”

After loosening his tie and tucking it into his pocket, he extended his hand toward her.

I-ryeong hesitated, staring at his large, pale hand without making a move to take it.

His excited expression worried her.

“I won’t let you fall into danger, so take my hand.”

“I-jun?”

The tremor in his voice reached her ears.

This nervousness was so unlike the confident man she knew. She shifted her gaze from his hand to his face.

What she saw astonished her. His lips were tightly clenched, betraying his obvious anxiety.

“I just received word that preparations are complete today.”

“Is it important for me too?”

“Perhaps.”

Joon wanted to take her to the Han River. He mentioned how clear the sky was and how perfect the timing was.

“Why the Han River all of a sudden?”

“On days like today during the rainy season, good weather is rare.”

She couldn’t understand why he kept emphasizing the weather.

“Let’s go. On a date.”

The word “date” sent her mind into further disarray.

It was something she never expected to hear after marrying him, leaving her utterly flustered.