The bride, sitting demurely in the waiting room, was as beautiful as a painting. Her beauty shone brighter than the tiara on her head. Her radiance outshone even the pure white wedding dress.

“You brought the veil with the finest mesh, right?”

There wasn’t even a tremor in the bride’s calm voice as she asked the helper.

“Yes. But Madam Bride, you are so beautiful, do you really need to wear a veil?”

The more beautiful the bride, the more elated the helper becomes. The bride before her was, hand on heart, more beautiful than any bride she had ever seen. Her doll-like, vibrant features were perfectly arranged within her small, translucent face. The elegant and lovely curve that flowed from her slender jawline to her shoulders. It was a shame to hide even a bit of this beauty with a veil. The helper couldn’t understand it at all. But the bride was stubborn.

“Please put on the veil.”

With the helper’s careful touch, the veil flowed down over the bride’s face. But even that couldn’t completely hide the bride’s beauty. Her ethereal beauty, like being enveloped in a hazy mist, instead aroused curiosity and made her look mysterious. Just then, a hotel staff member entered.

“It’s time for the bride to enter.”

The bride looked on with indifferent eyes. A path she couldn’t turn back from, yet couldn’t return to. Her small hand, clutching the voluminous skirt of her dress, trembled slightly. But the glistening eyes hidden beneath the veil were as dry and calm as a winter lake. *** The verdant mountains, the expansive view of the Han River, perfect and impenetrable security. The Savage House at the Palace Hotel was famous as a venue for small weddings of celebrities. The groom was Seo Kang-joon, the heir to Hanshin Group, and the bride was Yoo Tae-ryeong, the eldest daughter of Ino Group. As it was an unofficial wedding, most of the guests were family relatives, only 50 in total. The guests, seated around round tables decorated with fragrant flowers, all came to the same conclusion. The groom in his tuxedo was dangerously handsome, and the bride, shimmering beyond her veil, was breathtakingly beautiful.

“To signify the vow of a happy marriage to the guests who have graced us with their presence, there will now be a kiss between the bride and groom.”

When the groom didn’t move even at the MC’s words, the guests’ conversation finally stopped. Fortunately, the high-priced MC smoothly continued the proceedings.

“As this is a gathering of family elders, our polite groom seems to be in a very awkward position. In such cases, it is only right for the MC, myself, to step in. We will 대신 the couple’s vow with the exchanging of rings.”

Only then did the groom’s large hand slowly encroach from beyond the bride’s veil. Tae-ryeong indifferently watched the teardrop-shaped diamond ring held in his long, firm fingers. Seo Kang-joon, the sole heir to Hanshin Group and the most sought-after groom in the business world. Yet, a man who had declared himself a bachelor, disappointing the parents of daughters in political and business circles. But suddenly, after returning from Germany, he had wanted a blind date with the eldest daughter of Ino Group, and within three months, they were holding a wedding. All of this was the result of his bulldozer-like push. Of course, the purpose of the marriage was a common strategic alliance among business families. But according to Madam Jo, the heir to Hanshin had fallen in love with her daughter at first sight. Otherwise, this marriage wouldn’t make sense. That’s why Tae-ryeong had to hide her elaborately made-up face behind a finely meshed veil. She couldn’t even look directly at the face of the groom, who was said to possess both the best groom material and the best looks. Not even until the moment he left for Germany after the wedding. At that moment, as her fingertips grew cold as if all the blood in her body was draining away, a large hand enveloped them. At the warmth spreading from her fingertips, a faint curiosity suddenly bloomed in Tae-ryeong. Like this warmth, would the gaze of this man looking at the woman he loved also be warm? Did men from wealthy families even experience love? Taking a reckless courage, Tae-ryeong carefully raised her head, and her lips parted involuntarily in admiration.

“……!”

She couldn’t dare to take her eyes off his selfish face that fiercely drew her gaze. Perhaps sensing her steady gaze, the groom raised his head. The moment her eyes met his cold but burning pupils, Tae-ryeong hid her trembling eyes beneath her long eyelashes. Even amidst all that, she thought his eyes were truly strange and contradictory. Too terribly cold to be the eyes of a man in love, yet the depths of his pupils burned hotly, as if he wasn’t without emotion. As he leaned his face closer, Tae-ryeong’s eyelashes fluttered minutely at the bottomless abyss she felt.

“Yoo Tae-ryeong-ssi, congratulations.”

　 The trembling of her eyelashes amplified and spread to her heart at the low whisper that brushed her ear.

“For becoming my wife.”

Why did that one obvious word sound so significant? The cool sensation of the ring on her fourth finger. The radiant sparkle of the diamond. The warmth of his large hand spreading through her own. Even the groom’s cold yet burning gaze.

“Since the rest is for the adults, let’s take our leave now.”

All of those things were being painfully engraved on Tae-ryeong’s heart like a tattoo.

“I’ll take your hand, so don’t be surprised.”

After asking for permission, the groom quietly took her hand. The grass rustled shyly beneath the feet of the bride and groom as they walked hand in hand with a tender air. The guests, mesmerized by the picture-perfect couple, didn’t notice the quiet yet full and subtle tension flowing between them. The place the two arrived at by walking was the entrance of Savage House. As even the security guards stood far back, the first thing Kang-joon did was to let go of the hand he was holding.

“…….”

“…….”

The groom, who had turned halfway, gave a polite yet curt nod. Tae-ryeong also nodded dazedly. Not a single word of conversation, just dry, formal greetings. That was the last of the bride and groom. Leaving behind only the beautiful bride, the groom left for Germany, where he had originally been. Of course, there was no honeymoon or first night. But Tae-ryeong wasn’t disappointed; rather, she desperately wished for it. It was a marriage that would end in just four years. So please, let her husband not come to Korea for four years. She had a secret she absolutely couldn’t let her husband find out. That she wasn’t the real Yoo Tae-ryeong.

*** Three years later. The car carrying Tae-ryeong sped towards Incheon Airport.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve canceled all my schedules and I’m going to the airport now.”

Unlike her calm tone on the phone, Tae-ryeong was actually in a daze. Only eight more months to endure, then four years. The day she would be liberated from this marriage, from the name Yoo Tae-ryeong, was just around the corner. And yet, her husband’s sudden return to Korea. It was like a bolt from the blue for her.

[Be unconditionally submissive and demure. That means you should even pretend to die if Seo says so. Even if you seem a bit different, it’s your effort to be a good wife, so he won’t nitpick.]

“Okay.”

Contrary to her answer, Tae-ryeong couldn’t understand Madam Jo’s words. Madam Jo’s daughter had a fiery temper and was capricious, far from being submissive and demure.

[I knew it, these past three years had been too peaceful.]

Perhaps feeling sorry for her grandson leaving for Germany right after the wedding, her father-in-law, Chairman Seo, had told Tae-ryeong that she didn’t need to act as a daughter-in-law until his grandson returned. So both Tae-ryeong and Madam Jo had been living relatively comfortably. Madam Jo also seemed to have a headache over this sudden situation.

[And I’m warning you, don’t try any clumsy tricks on Seo. Only eight months left. You wouldn’t want to ruin all your hard work so far, would you?]

Tiredness gathered around her eyes at Madam Jo’s lengthy nagging.

[It’s a good thing I called Chairman Seo to check in. You’re so busy doing things I didn’t even ask you to do, you probably didn’t even know your husband was returning, did you?]

Tae-ryeong also acknowledged that Seo Kang-joon was the best groom material. But she swore to heaven that she had never once coveted him. The reason she hadn’t contacted him even once in the three years since he left for Germany right after the wedding was also because of that. But what on earth was she supposed to do?

“Mom, you know I’ve been trying.”

[If your efforts had any results, do you think I’d be like this? Honestly, you’re so clueless. Is there not even one thing I can like about you!]

You’re the one who doesn’t like anything I do. Because I’m not your real daughter, and you’re not my real mother either.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you. I’ll try harder.”

But instead of those thorny words that lingered in her mouth, Tae-ryeong answered obediently. She had to show Madam Jo, the sly fox, that she was trembling with fear and lying flat, so that the other woman would let her guard down.

[As if anything will change no matter how hard you try.]

Madam Jo snorted as if she had expected it.

[You should be grateful for your face that looks disgustingly similar to my daughter’s. Otherwise, would someone like you even have such an opportunity?]

It was Madam Jo’s usual spiel whenever they talked on the phone or met once a month. A child whose very existence she wanted to deny had ended up looking like her daughter’s twin. Madam Jo hated that child terribly. But the feeling was mutual. She also hated her face that resembled Madam Jo’s daughter, and Madam Jo herself, terribly. But a month before the wedding, a mishap occurred with her daughter, and Madam Jo had to make a decision. To give that terrible child one thing she wanted and make her act as her daughter. For the sake of Ino Group, and further for her own future benefit, to forge the necessary alliance with Hanshin. That was the relationship between the two, running like parallel lines.

[When you meet Seo, arrange a meal together this month. I assume you can handle that much.]

The call ended abruptly, as always. Even during their occasional calls, Madam Jo always managed to grate on Tae-ryeong’s nerves, as if she couldn’t stand to see her comfortable.

“Secretary Kim, could you please get me some headache medicine and a calming pill?”

Secretary Kim quickly handed her the medicine and a bottle of water.

“It seems you’re very nervous, Madam President.”

Instead of answering, Tae-ryeong swallowed the pills and rubbed her tired eyes with her slender fingers. The presence of her husband, whom she had only seen once on their wedding day, was engraved in her heart like a tattoo. Especially his cold yet burning black eyes. Looking out the rapidly passing window, Tae-ryeong murmured,

“...If only he had come back eight months later.”

If that had been the case, their relationship would have ended with just that one meeting. *** Getting out of the car, Tae-ryeong calmly scanned the parking lot. 87서 0432. She saw the car Madam Jo had mentioned. As she approached, the driver’s side door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit got out.

“Good afternoon, Young Madam.”

It was Secretary Park, who had served Chairman Seo for a long time.

“Could you give me the car keys?”

“I will escort you to your destination. Young Master must be tired from the long flight...”

“Does Secretary Park see me as a wife who lacks even that much consideration?”

“......Excuse me?”

“I will drive myself.”

Tae-ryeong’s voice, as she spoke in a whisper, was indifferent yet had a strange persuasiveness.

“Do I need to persuade Secretary Park further?”

Having received the keys, Tae-ryeong decided to wait outside instead of getting in the car. What she desperately needed now, before the eve of the storm, was a moment of respite to collect her thoughts. No matter what kind of gaze Seo Kang-joon had, what words he spoke, what kind of expression he wore, what actions he took. So that she could remain unmoved and detached.

“Submissive and demure.”

It was a gust of wind that quietly shook Tae-ryeong as she closed her eyes and composed herself. Tae-ryeong’s pupils wavered at the slowly approaching eve of a great storm. Overwhelming looks and a dignified gait that dominated his surroundings. Even from afar, his cold yet burning eyes caught her attention at once. Him, her husband, Seo Kang-joon. Tae-ryeong was afraid of this moment when she would properly face her husband for the first time. If he had really fallen in love at first sight, he would probably recognize even the slightest difference. The biggest differences between Madam Jo’s daughter and Tae-ryeong, which could be noticed upon close examination, were the corners of their eyes and their skin tone. Tae-ryeong had fair skin and round eyes, while Madam Jo’s daughter had pale skin and upturned eyes. But even that had been perfectly covered with makeup. So don’t worry. After reassuring herself, Tae-ryeong’s pupils widened as she narrowed the distance. A sexual scent brushed past her nose. It was the scent of her husband, who had passed her indifferently. Silently watching his back as he walked away without looking back even once, Tae-ryeong thought. It was a good thing she had gotten the car keys. As Tae-ryeong started the engine using the car keys, Kang-joon turned around as expected. But instead of approaching, he leaned against the car body and stared at her with a leisurely gaze. Until she calmly walked right in front of him, her husband’s gaze remained fixed intently on Tae-ryeong.

“How did you know I was returning to Korea?”

Her husband’s low voice was polite and courteous. But his strangely black eyes, holding the sunlight, shone like well-honed blades. It was an instinctive feeling. That her husband was dying to cut her with that blade.