“So, why?”

Kangjoon narrowed his eyes, watching his wife’s pupils flutter as if she were furious. In truth, Kangjoon had no desire to sleep in the same bed as his wife either. However, he had made a promise with Chairman Seo before receiving permission for the marriage, so he planned to explain the situation and find a reasonable compromise. That was before his wife reacted with such vehement revulsion at the mere suggestion of sleeping together.

“It seems Taeryeong-ssi doesn’t want to sleep in the same bed as me.”

“......What if I don’t?”

“Why wouldn’t you? If we sleep separately, how will you check if I’ve stayed out overnight or not?”

Kangjoon knew he should stop here. Tormenting her before bed was truly the worst. But he felt like if he pushed her just a little more, his wife would reveal the side of her she kept hidden so tightly.

“Is there really a need to check? Kangjoon-ssi keeps his promises impeccably well.”

His wife’s ability to slip away like a loach also provoked Kangjoon.

“Taeryeong-ssi also keeps her promises well, doesn’t she?”

Taeryeong’s eyes widened at her husband’s short chuckle and words.

“Didn’t you say you’d agree to anything?”

Kangjoon’s eyes, holding a subtle light and gleaming, seemed to whisper, ‘You should have hidden your dislike a little better.’

“Instead, let’s sleep together starting next week.”

In the end, Taeryeong closed her eyes as if resigned. So she didn’t see. The fingertips she unconsciously raised, the hair they brushed against, and finally, her face hidden by her hair, her husband’s persistent gaze slowly moving over her.

“Taeryeong-ssi looks much better without makeup.”

At his low murmur, Taeryeong’s closed eyes snapped open. Had he gone crazy, seeing her bare face?

“Don’t look!”

It was makeup that covered up a slightly different atmosphere compared to Madam Jo’s daughter. She had removed it because she thought they wouldn’t be encountering each other anymore. When she turned her head and covered her face with her hands, her husband took another step closer.

“What should I do? The more you tell me not to look, the more I want to see.”

It was the moment she remembered Yeonsuk saying he was the most contrary person you’d ever meet. In the end, Taeryeong sank down. Desperately wishing her husband would just disappear.

“Yu Taeryeong-ssi, look at me.”

She took back her thought from the drinking session a few days ago that he was a decent man. He was truly the worst, this man.

“Or, shall we just stay up all night like this?”

Thinking he was a truly awful man, Taeryeong slowly lowered her trembling hands.

The face had already been seen; covering it would only provoke more curiosity. Her husband, who had knelt on one knee to meet her eye level, narrowed his eyes.

“I thought there might be a big mole I hadn’t seen. But you’re just beautiful.”

In a way, Taeryeong had thought her husband was also a victim of this marriage. So that they wouldn’t feel any emotions for each other. Like the meaningless, repetitive scenery passing by outside a moving car window. She had planned to exist quietly, as if she weren’t there, and then disappear. But not anymore.

“Taeryeong-ssi, are you afraid of me?”

Taeryeong’s eyes, looking at her husband who asked calmly, were no longer indifferent.

“Or do you hate me terribly?”

She revealed the emotions that were surging within her at this moment, directly in her eyes.

“I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t hate you terribly.”

It was her husband who crossed the line arbitrarily every time. Pushing her away, saying they were a couple worse than strangers, then pulling her back, saying they were an inseparable couple. Cornering her and tormenting her while leisurely enjoying her reactions. Taeryeong was also human, so she couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

“But I think I’ll hate you. Maybe even more in the future.”

So, for the first and last time, she wanted to tell him her honest feelings. To stop tormenting her because she might really end up hating him. But a faint crack appeared on her husband’s usually unwavering face. He seemed a bit bitter, perhaps even hurt.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

But with those words, her husband slowly disappeared from Taeryeong’s sight. As if he had been waiting for that answer. *** Kangjoon had a restless night.

‘But I think I’ll hate you. Maybe even more in the future.’

His wife had revealed her true feelings for the first time this dawn. Why didn’t he feel happy when he had heard the words he had so desired? Whenever he recalled her tearful eyes, overflowing with emotion, a pang went through his heart. An unfamiliar ache, an unfamiliar sensation. His wife’s true self, which he had finally drawn out, kept bothering him. It was definitely Alicia. But the wife before him felt like a different person.

“So, are you feeling some pang of conscience?”

Muttering in a self-deprecating tone, Kangjoon left the house at 6 AM. Secretary Yoon, who greeted him respectfully in the parking lot, looked past Kangjoon’s shoulder.

“President, Madam has also come down.”

He saw his wife just getting out of the elevator. Intense makeup and a neatly tied-up ponytail. A sophisticated dress that accentuated her slender curves, and dizzyingly high stilettos. The way she walked with a straight back was even haughty. It was hard to believe she had shown such a different side last night. Kangjoon leaned against the car, watching his wife with an interested gaze. Perhaps sensing his persistent stare, his wife slowly raised her head. She must be embarrassed and resentful, recalling last night. And she must be desperate to run away again. But his wife didn’t avoid his gaze until their eyes tangled at one point.

“......”

“......”

A tense silence filled the space tightly between them. Instead of approaching, his wife offered a greeting by bowing her head. With an unchanging composed face and posture, as if she was waiting for Kangjoon to leave first. Should he call her shameless, or tenacious? Kangjoon, who had looked away first and gotten into the car, fixed his gaze out the window. At the small, frail silhouette still standing rigidly without moving. It was the moment the throbbing sensation in his chest cleanly disappeared.

“Let’s go to Hannam-dong.”

With admiration for this tenacious and formidable woman, Kangjoon decided to admit it. He had begun to feel emotions for his wife that were separate from the feelings he had for that guy. Something he couldn’t quite define, something that stimulated and provoked him, something that would bring a sliver of meager enjoyment to this marriage that would become hell and a desert. *** Every Thursday at 7 AM. This was the time Chairman Seo would gather the core members of Hanshin at his house for breakfast, a gathering that wielded absolute power. A place to probe and assess people, and accordingly, to grant or ruthlessly take away power. Within this silent battlefield, Chairman Seo was even more ruthless towards his own blood relatives. Because in this dog-eat-dog world, blood ties were the biggest threat. That was why, as soon as his daughter-in-law became pregnant, he had declared that this child would be the sole heir of Hanshin. In the event of anything happening, he would hire a new professional manager and hand over all of Hanshin. It was a ruthless threat that their positions could only be maintained if Hanshin’s heir was secure. So, even if Chairman Seo’s grandson, Seo Kangjoon, was a scoundrel, they had no choice but to support him wholeheartedly. Fortunately, Seo Kangjoon had followed an elite path without any deviations and had become Hanshin’s unwavering sun. It was the same now. Everyone was satisfied with Seo Kangjoon, who perfectly handled all tasks despite his sudden return to Korea. Everyone except Chairman Seo. It had already been over two months since he had returned from Germany. He had even dined with his mother and mother-in-law last weekend, they said. Why hadn’t he shown his face to him? Boiling with anger, the Chairman had summoned his grandson, who was calmly eating beside him.

“It’s been ages since you returned, yet you haven’t even shown your face until your old grandpa calls you?”

Finally, Chairman Seo placed his chopsticks on the table as if throwing them down.

“I’ve been busy thanks to you, Chairman, who scheduled my inauguration ceremony, forum, events, meetings, and all sorts of other things without even asking for my consent.”

Chairman Seo’s lips twitched at his grandson’s calm reply. He knew his grandson would return immediately if he said he was critically ill, and that’s why he had arranged the packed schedule. He feared that if he didn’t forcefully seat him here, his grandson would leave for Germany again. He knew it was petty, but Chairman Seo felt he had no choice. He didn’t have much time left to live, and how wonderful would it be to have his only grandson by his side and see his great-grandchild?

“Has your finger broken off? You could have at least called! You ungrateful wretch, not caring even a speck about your grandpa!”

This time, the spoon in Chairman Seo’s hand levitated in the air. As if on cue, only the two of them remained at the large dining table where fifteen people had been sitting.

“Even in Germany, I received weekly reports on your health, Chairman. Except for the one time the report was fabricated to bring me back, it always stated that you were perfectly fine.”

Just as Chairman Seo, despite being close to eighty, was always in good health, his grandson was always like this. He was infuriatingly insolent, but he always had perfect answers prepared, so he couldn’t be faulted. Even in this sudden situation, he accepted it without complaint and executed it perfectly, leaving no room for criticism. In the end, Chairman Seo rationalized it himself. He had succeeded in bringing his grandson to Korea and sitting him down, so he might as well ask what he was curious about.

“It’s been so long since Secretary Heo died, yet you still insist on Germany.”

“Grandfather, it seems you’re still unaffected even though your grandson died.”

The eyes staring intently at Chairman Seo were still so impassive that he couldn’t read their meaning. He was his blood, his grandson, but he truly couldn’t understand him. Chairman Seo sighed softly.

“You’re my only grandson. By taking him in and keeping him by your side, I’ve already done my part.”

Heo Gyeong-su, another grandson born to his illegitimate child. In his youth, he had made a one-night mistake due to the machinations of a female secretary who was after his money. He had almost gotten divorced because of it, but he had driven her away with sufficient compensation and hadn’t known about the pregnancy. Later, he hadn’t registered the helpless child in the family registry, but he hadn’t spared any support. The boy was intelligent, bright, and had an upright character, so when he grew up, he had assigned him as his grandson’s executive secretary. For Chairman Seo, that was everything.

“What about you? Are you still sad?”

“I was never sad.”

Kangjoon’s reply was calm. He didn’t know if the feeling he had when the guy died was sadness. He had been angry at the weak guy and furious at whoever had driven him to that point.

“While in Germany, I could quickly read the trends in the automotive market and was in the process of negotiating with people I needed to recruit, so I intended to stay longer. I planned to finish everything within a year and return.”

“Then why did you separate from Taeryeong?”

Chairman Seo still found it unbelievable. Putting aside the honeymoon, he had left his bride as soon as the wedding ceremony was over. He had even pretended not to notice and turned a blind eye. Three years later, his grandson had expressed his desire to stay longer as the head of the German branch. So he had finally managed to bring him back and sit him down, and now he was saying they were separated.

“The hotel was more comfortable, so I just stayed there for a while.”

“You even refused arranged meetings. I didn’t oppose this marriage because I thought you must like her so much that you rushed into it.”

He had sensed something was off, but his grandson, who had insisted on remaining single, was suddenly getting married, so he had thought it was best to just let the marriage happen first.

“While you were in Germany, I was told not to bother you, so I spent three years as if I didn’t have a granddaughter-in-law. Now that you’re back, you should show me that you’re living happily.”

“It’s a matter between my wife and me. I’ll take care of it.”

With a hopeful heart, Chairman Seo asked cautiously, “Kangjoon-ah, are you perhaps thinking of getting a divorce?”

At Chairman Seo’s words, Kangjoon thought of Yu Taeryeong. She was now his woman, his wife. A partner with whom he would spend this hellish married life forever. Unless one of them died, there was no escape from this marriage.

“Why would I have a wedding to get a divorce? Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

Chairman Seo was speechless at Kangjoon’s firm words. There was no personal life to pry into, and his work was perfect. If the conversation ended here, it was obvious his grandson would leave.

“I hear there are many problems with the supply of automotive semiconductors these days. How is Hanshin doing?”

Asking about something he had already been briefed on was his old grandpa’s way of wanting to spend a little more time with his grandson.

“We have enough for the new cars being produced this year and the electric vehicles about to enter mass production for a year without any problems.”

“And that was all your foresight, wasn’t it?”

Chairman Seo’s gaze towards his grandson had softened considerably. Last year, due to the widespread pandemic, the global automotive market was in an IMF crisis. Both domestic and international car companies had reduced production, and of course, automotive chip manufacturers had followed suit. Only Hanshin had ordered and purchased more semiconductor chips than usual. It was a decision made solely by his grandson, despite all the executives opposing it as insane. From the collaboration with a famous German car company to the rapid production of new cars and overseas factories equipped with production capacity, he was just proud of his grandson for achieving all this in such a short period.

“You won’t be disappointed in the future either. I’ll get going now due to my schedule.”

As Kangjoon smoothly rose from his chair, checking his wristwatch, Chairman Seo asked urgently, “When are you planning to give me a great-grandchild?”

“I moved into the marital home yesterday.”

I’ll give you a great-grandchild as soon as possible. Kangjoon nonchalantly ignored Chairman Seo’s fervent wish.

“As promised, we will sleep in the same bed.”

They would definitely sleep together. That was the bottom line Kangjoon had set for this marriage when he decided to move into the marital home. He was confident he wouldn’t waver, even with his wife’s allure.