Chapter : 25
She couldn’t bring herself to say “nice to see you.”
Ju-hye barely managed to steady her breathing, feeling as though the blood in her entire body had frozen from head to toe.
Perhaps because she was startled, her breathing had quickened involuntarily, and that bothered her.
“They said they plan to work here for about six months, so we hired them. We might hire one more person just in case,” Jun-hwi added, explaining what he hadn’t had the chance to tell her earlier—but none of it registered in Ju-hye’s ears.
She swallowed hard and studied Eun-jae’s face from top to bottom once again.
There was no mistake. It was definitely the woman who had an affair with her husband.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear clearly just now… what’s your name again?”
Ju-hye asked in a trembling voice, trying to hide it, and Eun-jae readily answered.
“Ah, yes! I’m Song Eun-jae. I’m twenty-four years old.”
Twenty-four…!
She had thought Eun-jae looked youthful before, but she hadn’t realized there was a ten-year age gap between her and Dae-hyun. Even with Ju-hye, there was an eight-year difference.
Her fair, clear skin complemented her lightly colored hair and eyes.
The cat-like upward tilt of her eyes was also very attractive.
“Eun-jae, have you always been interested in our arboretum?”
Ju-hye asked bluntly, and Jun-hwi, who had been watching, looked flustered.
Ju-hye had never personally asked a simple staff member questions like this before.
“Yes! I’ve worked in flower shops and botanical gardens before, and I became interested in various ways, so I applied,” Eun-jae answered naturally, smiling brightly rather than being flustered.
Her lively, cheerful demeanor only made Ju-hye’s chest feel heavier—because only she knew Eun-jae’s true identity.
“…I see. Work hard.”
“Yes, thank you!”
Ju-hye managed to regain some composure, gave a final greeting, and turned away.
The only person who noticed her face had briefly paled was Jun-hwi, standing nearby.
“Senior.”
Ju-hye walked quickly to the office, and Jun-hwi followed closely behind.
When he asked if she was okay and received no answer, he seemed to misinterpret her silence.
As proof, as soon as they entered the office, he asked if she didn’t like Song Eun-jae and whether she wanted to revoke her hiring.
“No, let her work,” Ju-hye said firmly, waving him off.
It was just the right moment for her—she had gotten the optimal evidence in her hands.
There was only one question lingering in her mind: what kind of expression would her husband make when he discovered that woman?
Time, which usually passed quickly, dragged like a turtle today.
Ju-hye got into the car, exhausted, and left the arboretum.
Thanks to Secretary Kim, who had come to pick her up around the end of work and turned on classical music, she was able to calm herself.
It was a powerful remedy for the anxiety she felt at the thought of seeing her husband’s face again at home.
“Song Eun-jae… young and pretty…”
She was far too young and had the kind of beauty that looked like a celebrity hopeful.
It was baffling to Ju-hye how such a woman could have gotten involved with her husband.
The only connection between Eun-jae and Dae-hyun was that, like Ju-hye, she was a graduate of a Korean university.
“Madam, we’ve arrived.”
Before she realized it, they were home.
Ju-hye quickly sent Secretary Kim off and got into the elevator.
Checking her watch, it was already ten o’clock.
‘The president has gone home ahead and is waiting.’
Ju-hye tried to calm herself as she remembered what Secretary Kim had told her before leaving the car.
“…I’m home.”
But when she crossed the threshold, she realized she hadn’t needed to be so tense.
Dae-hyun was sitting on the sofa, asleep, still in his suit.
“Dae-hyun?”
At first, she thought he was pretending to sleep and spoke, but as she approached closer, she saw his eyes completely shut.
His head tilted slightly to the side, bobbing occasionally. His face looked a little thinner than usual.
‘He must have been tired.’
Ju-hye observed him from a distance before heading to the bathroom.
Thanks to her careful steps, he didn’t wake up even while she showered.
When she roughly dried her hair and returned to the living room, Dae-hyun was still sleeping awkwardly.
‘His workload must have increased after my father collapsed. That’s why he looks more tired than usual.’
To avoid waking him, Ju-hye quietly went to the kitchen.
She was thirsty after her long shower and intended to drink a glass of cool water—but that became a problem.
The cup slipped from her wet hands and fell to the floor.
“Ah!”
The glass shattered instantly.
The loud noise made Dae-hyun spring awake.
He immediately saw what had happened in the kitchen and hurried to her side.
“There’s broken glass here! If you move…”
“Stay still.”
While Ju-hye froze, unsure what to do, Dae-hyun calmly started cleaning up the shards.
Contrary to his pristine appearance, his hands were surprisingly skilled.
As he vacuumed up the last pieces of glass, he clicked his tongue.
“What’s wrong with your instep?”
Instep?
Ju-hye looked down and realized—there were bright red drops of blood where the glass had grazed her foot.
Dae-hyun examined the wound closely, scowled, and lifted her up in his arms.
“W-wait!”
Ju-hye’s eyes widened in shock as he carried her. Hitting his shoulder and asking to be put down did nothing.
He continued without reacting, walked to the bedroom, and laid her on the bed.
“Let’s disinfect it.”
He took the first-aid kit from the drawer and placed it on the floor.
Ju-hye reached out to grab it hastily, but he was faster, deliberately keeping it out of reach.
She raised her voice in irritation.
“I’ll do it. I can do it myself.”
“Stay still.”
Dae-hyun knelt before her and held her foot.
His eyes were serious as he examined her soft foot.
When his long, straight fingers touched it, the sensitivity increased.
“No need to disinfect… ah…!”
She tried to resist, but as the antiseptic touched her skin, a sharp sting shot through.
Ju-hye grimaced and let out a faint groan.
It was a small wound, but it hurt more than she expected.
Dae-hyun gently stroked her instep as if apologizing.
After wiping the antiseptic with cotton, he carefully applied a clean bandage.
“Ju-hye.”
Even after applying the bandage, he didn’t let go of her foot.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips against her instep.
Perhaps because her skin had cooled after the shower, his lips felt hotter than usual.
Then, in a confessional whisper, he murmured softly:
“…Don’t get hurt.”
Yes, she hated moments like this.
Even when she thought she had nothing to feel, her heart fluttered at sudden affection.
A piece of love she had buried deep inside seemed to burst out.
Ju-hye tried to suppress the feeling and cool her mind.
‘He might have done the same for that woman. There’s nothing to be excited about…’
Perhaps because she had met Eun-jae earlier, the fluttering in her chest soon subsided.
Dae-hyun finally let go of her foot, pulled the blanket over her, and left the room with the first-aid kit.
Soon after, the sound of running water came from the bathroom—he must have started showering late.
Ju-hye quickly took out her phone and checked Joo-young’s message.
[Got it, I’ll see if I can find someone.]
Before arriving home, Ju-hye had asked Joo-young for a favor.
Since she couldn’t act directly for the time being, she requested a reliable person.
It was better to find someone outside the house to avoid her husband’s suspicion.
She asked Joo-young to keep it secret from Su-hana and Su-kyung, which he quickly agreed to.
“Phew…”
She didn’t mention Eun-jae’s existence, just in case the perceptive Joo-young noticed.
Still, if she asked the person Joo-young introduced to investigate, she could get some information.
As Ju-hye relaxed and looked away from her phone, she froze in surprise.
“What are you doing, you…”
Dae-hyun, whom she thought was showering, was standing at the doorway, watching her.
