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“Are you calling for me only when you’re unconscious? When your eyes are closed, you seek me out, but when they’re open, all you do is say cruel things.”
It was the kind of remark she wouldn’t dare utter if he were awake, but saying it aloud gave her a strange sense of relief.
What was he hiding? What thoughts swirled beneath that calm exterior?
After staring at Soo-hyun’s sleeping face for a long while, Hae-in shifted from her crouched position and plopped down on the floor. The tightness of the hanbok’s ribbons around her chest was suffocating. She felt like she needed to change clothes just to breathe properly.
Before leaving the room, she decided to loosen the knot of the ribbon tied tightly around her waist. But no matter how hard she pulled, the stubborn knot refused to come undone.
Lost in her struggle with the stubborn ribbon, Hae-in didn’t notice Soo-hyun stirring until he spoke.
“What are you doing?”
Startled, Hae-in looked up to see him watching her intently, his gaze dropping to her hand clutching the stubborn knot at her chest.
“It’s stuck... I can’t breathe properly.”
Her stammering explanation faltered as her racing heart made her breathing even more erratic.
“Come here.”
His expression was obscured by the shadows of the dimly lit room, but Hae-in obeyed, cautiously moving closer into his arms.
“Closer.”
“Closer?”
“...Can’t even untie one knot.”
The sigh in his voice carried unmistakable disdain. Placing his hands over hers, Soo-hyun felt along the ribbon until he found another knot hidden behind her back.
“Take off your jacket.”
Though it was an order, his tone remained eerily flat. Without giving it much thought, Hae-in slipped off her jacket. There wasn’t even time to feel embarrassed.
The cool air brushed against her exposed skin, sending goosebumps rippling across her body.
“Should I turn on the light?”
“No. Just stay still.”
Soo-hyun leaned closer, his fingers brushing against the knot near her chest. The bright light spilling into the room illuminated everything faintly, revealing the top of his head as he bent forward. The rich scent of his cologne filled the air.
With deft movements, he found the knot at her back and slowly began unraveling it. As her body leaned further into his embrace, her already racing heart began pounding harder.
“Couldn’t we just cut it with scissors?”
“That would be... such a waste...”
Interrupted mid-sentence by her breathless response, Soo-hyun paused and looked up at her.
“Why are you like this? Are you really having trouble breathing?”
“N-no, it’s not that…”
Thud.
Before she could finish answering, Soo-hyun grabbed both ends of the ribbon and yanked hard, tearing it clean off her skirt.
“Is that better?”
He tossed the torn ribbon aside and tugged at her skirt, pulling it down her shoulders. Beneath it, only a thin slip remained, leaving her nearly bare. Hae-in’s face flushed red as she glanced down at herself.
Burying her face in her hands and crossing her arms over her chest, she heard Soo-hyun chuckle softly.
“Embarrassed?”
“...Yes.”
“You talked about our wedding night earlier.”
When she glanced up at him, she found him silently watching her. His gaze softened slightly, emboldening her to take a risk.
Carefully meeting his eyes, she spoke hesitantly.
“I was planning to wait for you to arrive… before going to bed together...”
Her trembling fingers reached for the hooks of her slip, unfastening them one by one. Four hooks, designed like a bra clasp, came undone all at once.
“...I wanted to spend our first night together.”
Her voice wavered as she locked eyes with him, fear creeping into her heart. What if he pushed her away?
‘Didn’t you call my name in your sleep? That must mean you don’t hate me completely, right?’
Her fingertips trembled nervously as she bit her lower lip. Memories of Soo-hyun glaring at her with cold indifference still lingered vividly in her mind.
“Don’t move. Just breathe,” he had said before—words that echoed in her head as if spoken just yesterday.
Why did he act so differently depending on whether his eyes were open or closed?
In his sleep, he called her name tenderly, but now, awake, he acted as though nothing had happened—angry one moment, distant the next, yet still helping her untie her ribbons.
Truly, he was an enigma.
Placing her hands on her shoulders, Hae-in lowered her gaze and slipped the slip off her upper body entirely. In the dim light, Soo-hyun’s eyes gleamed sharply as she moved her hands toward the clasp of her bra.
“What are you doing?”
His slow, resonant voice filled the space. Startled, Hae-in froze, her fingers poised on the first hook of two.
“We need to... consummate the marriage tonight...”
Her words stumbled awkwardly.
“Why do you assume that sleeping together is inevitable?”
His sharp tone brimmed with anger again. Hae-in’s mind raced, trying to pinpoint what she might have done to upset him.
She’d fallen asleep in the car, asked for help untying her clothes, and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Removing her clothes stemmed from the hope that he might hold her close, just as he had during their first encounter. Recalling how passionately he had pursued her then, she didn’t think he’d reject her now.
But why did they have to consummate their marriage?
“...Because we’re married.”
The answer sounded painfully obvious even to her ears. Surely, Soo-hyun hadn’t asked just to confirm something so self-evident.
Hae-in looked at him carefully as she spoke.
“Marriage? That’s funny. Hearing those words from your lips is amusing.”
A faint smile flickered across his face, quickly twisting into mockery.
“Huh. So you think taking off your clothes will let you control me however you want? Because that day, I must’ve looked like a man driven mad by lust.”
“...No, that’s not it.”
“Be honest. Isn’t this what you want? To beg for intimacy, to get pregnant—that’s been your plan from the start, hasn’t it?”
Had she seemed too eager? Was any proactive movement interpreted as something orchestrated by Chairman Park?
Desperate to understand the venom laced in his words, Hae-in replayed them in her mind. But each sentence cut deeper than the last, filling her with shame. Her scalp tingled as though stabbed by needles.
If words could wound like knives, her chest would already be bleeding from multiple strikes.
“That was cruel.”
“Why? What’s so cruel about it?”
“Even though it started that way, I came prepared to serve you earnestly… as a wife.”
It was true. Her parents’ advice echoed in her mind, and despite the contractual nature of their union, she resolved to give her best effort to this life handed to her.
“Serving me?”
But as soon as she finished speaking, Soo-hyun sneered.
“People like you disgust me the most. You have clear goals but pretend to be innocent victims while masking your intentions.”
“...Why are you being like this?”
Confused by his sudden change in demeanor, Hae-in’s eyes darted anxiously. Rising abruptly, Soo-hyun spoke in a low, heavy voice.
“Chairman Park didn’t instruct you on how to handle our wedding night?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Tomorrow morning, you’ll probably rush to report every detail of what happened between us without a shred of shame.”
“I won’t do that either.”
Desperate to placate him, Hae-in shook her head repeatedly, clinging to him. The contract Chairman Park had presented contained only numbers, devoid of emotion.
Understanding why Soo-hyun despised the chairman after living under his shadow for so long wasn’t difficult.
As she watched Soo-hyun lash out in anger, Hae-in realized her first task was to remind him—and herself—that Yoon Hae-in was no longer Chairman Park’s pawn but now his wife and family.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone about us, no matter what happens. Please, trust me.”
“You trust me? Why? Just admit it—you married me because you needed Chairman Park’s money.”
“Not entirely wrong...”
“But...”
The rest of her sentence eluded her.
In Soo-hyun’s eyes, Yoon Hae-in was exactly the person he described. Though his words were humiliating and painful, they weren’t entirely false given their circumstances. Still, she hadn’t married solely for financial gain or to conceive a child.
If pregnancy did occur, what future awaited the child?
The mere thought terrified her. A child conceived without love, denied affection from both parents—it felt unbearably cruel.
Yet, regardless of whether she became pregnant or not, their marriage ensured her family’s safety, and for that, she was grateful.
Therefore, accepting whatever treatment he meted out was only fair. For now, she had to be content with the fact that he accepted her presence.
“...I’m sorry.”
With nothing else to say, Hae-in apologized. “I’m sorry my unfortunate life stands in your way,” she thought silently. It was all she could offer at the moment.
“I also know... that you can’t help but dislike me. But while I’m here, I’ll try my best.”
Though she poured her heart into the words, Soo-hyun merely snickered dismissively, his voice growing louder with each passing second.
“Go ahead and tell them. Tell them we spent the night rolling around in bed. But know this—the thing you truly desire won’t happen.”
Soo-hyun began violently stripping off his clothes. He tore off his shirt and flung it aside, then loosened his belt, letting his pants fall to the floor.
Pale-faced, Hae-in stared as Soo-hyun approached her.
“Try.”
“What?”
Looking at her shocked expression, Soo-hyun smirked bitterly.
“Make an effort. Who knows? If you try hard enough, maybe I’ll show some mercy.”
Only then did Hae-in fully grasp his meaning. The burning sensation of his touch brought their wedding night rushing back to her.
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