Chapter 20………………………………………….

Minamoto’s sticky gaze persistently roamed over Chohui’s face and body.

The sensation made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A shiver-inducing, unpleasant feeling spread through her entire body.

“What is it about this man that feels so wrong?”

Chohui sent a pleading look toward Dowoon. Standing behind Minamoto, he seemed unaware of the uncomfortable stare directed at her.

Dowoon looked puzzled for a moment but quickly stepped closer to Chohui, partially shielding her from view.

{I realize I haven’t properly introduced myself, Minamoto-san. This is my wife, Lucia.}

{Mrs. Lucia… haven’t we met somewhere before?}

Chohui flinched at the abrupt question that skipped any formal greetings.

She was surprised that she wasn’t the only one who felt a sense of familiarity. Could this person really have met her before?

If so, he might know her true identity.

Tension made Chohui’s body stiffen. Dowoon, standing beside her, furrowed his smooth brow slightly in concern.

{I’m not sure… I’m meeting you for the first time today, Minamoto-san…}

Chohui forced a calm smile as she responded.

Judging by their vague recognition, perhaps they had merely brushed past each other on the street.

If that was the case, she didn’t need to worry about her identity being revealed prematurely.

{Hmm… I’m certain I’ve seen you somewhere…}

{Darling, what are you saying to a guest out of the blue? You couldn’t possibly have met Mrs. Lee, could you? You must be mistaken.}

{I-is that so, dear?}

{Of course. Your carelessness is always the problem.}

Fortunately, Minamoto’s wife chided her husband, and he sheepishly scratched his head.

Chohui nodded subtly, finally understanding why Dowoon had been so eager to include her in the wives’ gatherings.

Minamoto’s wife was far more charismatic than her husband. Even in this short exchange, it was clear that her social standing eclipsed her husband’s.

{Minamoto-san, hello!}

Thanks to Mrs. Hiranishi and Mrs. Daiichi approaching from behind, the atmosphere brightened.

The Minamotos exchanged greetings with the other wives. Seizing the moment, Dowoon gently lifted Chohui’s hand and linked her arm with his own.

“Good work,” he whispered softly so that only she could hear. Chohui felt some of the tension leave her body.

As the gathering wound down, Dowoon and Chohui bid farewell to the Minamotos and climbed into a rickshaw to head home.

The cramped space forced them to sit side by side, their arms brushing. Both stared straight ahead, keeping as much distance from each other as possible.

As the rickshaw moved, Dowoon glanced at her and said,

“Being formally invited to the next gathering means we’ve already half succeeded.”

“What about the meeting at City Hall? You mentioned seeing them there.”

“Ah, that’s the quarterly gathering of entrepreneurial couples.”

“Entrepreneurial couples?”

“Yes, a meeting of various young businesspeople based in Sinuiju.”

Young businesspeople too? Chohui had thought attending just the wives’ English gatherings would be enough. There were far more meetings than she had expected.

As a “fake wife,” the number of obligations was surprisingly overwhelming. She wished she had answered more carefully earlier.

“Dowoon, you attended all these gatherings? You really have been busy.”

“Networking is important in business,” he said.

Business… or more likely, independence movements, Chohui thought silently, correcting his words in her mind. Pretending ignorance, she asked again.

“What other gatherings are there? Surely there isn’t one for Kyoto-born businesspeople or something?”

“How did you know?”

Dowoon’s agreement to her offhand comment surprised her pleasantly.

“Really, there’s such a gathering?”

Were there local espionage activities too?

“Not at all. If it exists, I wasn’t part of it. I’m from Tokyo, a graduate of Tokyo Imperial University.”

“Are you joking now?”

Chohui turned sharply toward him, annoyed, expecting him to be looking ahead—but unexpectedly, Dowoon was looking at her.

Gasp!

Their faces were so close that his lips nearly brushed the tip of her nose.

Whoosh—

Feeling each other’s breath, they both instinctively turned their heads back forward.

“Hey! Why did you turn away like that!”

Thump, thump, thump

Trying to calm her racing heart, Chohui scolded Dowoon, deliberately speaking loudly as if her heartbeats might be heard.

“You turned your head first. I was still looking sideways.”

“Anyway, keep looking ahead!”

They maintained this posture until they arrived at the mansion, both grateful in a way—their flushed faces felt uncomfortably warm.

Three Days Later

The young businesspeople’s couples’ party took place in the main hall of Sinuiju City Hall.

Unlike the small English gatherings with just ten or so wives, this meeting was too large to be held in a private home.

The party was attended not only by entrepreneurs but also by high-ranking city officials.

Good thing I bought these clothes back then, Chohui thought, choosing one of the several dress suits Dowoon had purchased for her.

At the time, she had thought she had too many clothes, but now it seemed fortuitous. Without the extra outfits, she might have been embarrassed wearing the same dress repeatedly.

Chohui linked her arm with Dowoon’s, her expression determined. He raised an eyebrow, noticing her demeanor.

“You really do have a knack for acting,” he said.

“Are you joking now?”

“No joke. You truly feel like my wife,” he replied, letting out a low laugh.

“D-don’t say silly things,” she responded.

Leaning closer, Dowoon whispered into her ear,

“You don’t need to stand out at this gathering. We’ve already greeted the Minamotos, so you can relax.”

Chohui felt some tension leave her. She exhaled lightly and steeled herself.

As she prepared to speak, a man in the distance recognized Dowoon and approached quickly, exchanging greetings and business talk.

Chohui soon lost interest in the dry discussion, pretending to listen while scanning the party.

This is a bigger event than I thought. With all the policemen stationed here…

Glancing at the uniformed officers by the doors, memories of past encounters with them made her uneasy.

She shifted her gaze to the wall, noticing women in tightly fitted kimonos, their faces heavily painted, dancing to orchestral accompaniment.

Those women… could it be?

Surprisingly, she recognized them. They were the geishas from Kiru, where she had worked briefly.

Panicked, Chohui turned her head.

If they recognized her… this would be a disaster.

She hurriedly took a fan from her pocket, fanning herself as if it were hot, covering her face.

They can’t possibly remember me like that…

Back then, she had been dressed shabby, doing laundry and cleaning all day. There was no way they could recall her.

But she couldn’t be sure.

She looked up at Dowoon, but he was engrossed in his business conversation.

{Wait, I’ll be back from the restroom.}

She told Dowoon she would step away briefly and hurried out of the hall. The corridor was thankfully empty.

Better empty than crowded, she thought, exhaling in relief as she walked down the hallway.

Thwack!

Suddenly, someone grabbed Chohui’s shoulder roughly and spun her around.

“Ah!”

Startled, she tried to resist, but the man held her arm tightly.

Seeing his face, she screamed even louder.

M-Minamoto-san!

So we meet here, Mrs. Lee.

It was Minamoto, his sticky gaze as oppressive as ever. The sight of his wide, smiling face sent chills down her spine.

P-please let go, Minamoto-san!

{I thought I’d seen you somewhere before.}

Y-you must be confusing me with someone else—

{But seeing the geishas at Hongwon-gak today reminded me of something.}

H-Hongwon-gak…?

{Yes. You were there too.}

Chohui inhaled sharply.

Could it be… Minamoto had seen her there?

Her pupils shook with alarm.

{Were you serving drinks there? You were the woman who poured for me, weren’t you?}

She exhaled in relief. He hadn’t recognized her. He must have mistaken someone she had brushed past for a geisha.

Confident that he hadn’t seen her clearly, she spoke louder and more assertively than before.

You must be mistaken, Minamoto-san. I’ve never been to Kiru.

{Impossible. I remember clearly.}

Minamoto slowly and unpleasantly scanned her body. She struggled to free her arm, but it was no use.

Instead, he tightened his grip and pulled her closer to him.

L-let go!

{Don’t resist. This is all a sham marriage, isn’t it? You met Mikael Lee at Kiru.}

I’m not!

His touch was disgustingly unwelcome. Chohui could not break free from his adult male grasp.

{Let’s put this aside and talk.}

{Don’t resist too much. Speak gently to me, like you did with Mr. Lee, Lucia.}

Minamoto leered, cooing her name in a disturbingly familiar tone.

How do I get away from him? Chohui thought quickly. Then, pretending to notice someone far away, she raised her voice.

Oh, Minamoto’s wife!

Startled, Minamoto released her slightly and looked around. Seizing the opportunity, she shoved him.

Ugh!

Distracted, he lost his balance and fell.

Ah, my ankle!

He grabbed his twisted ankle as he fell.

Are you okay? I told you to let go!

How dare you…!

Minamoto’s face flushed red as he yelled at her while sitting on the floor.

You dare reject me! Do you know who I am?!

His booming voice flung open the doors of the main hall.

Everyone inside immediately looked down the corridor. A police officer rushed forward, frowning, and helped Minamoto to his feet.

Minamoto-san, is everything alright?

This is perfect, Inspector Yoshihara. That woman suddenly attacked me!

Chohui’s eyes widened in confusion. This was even more embarrassing than when he had grabbed her.

Is that true? Who are you to threaten Minamoto-san?

Inspector Yoshihara glared sharply at Chohui, seizing her wrist roughly.

I-I—

What is going on?

At that moment, Dowoon appeared, breathing heavily, his brow deeply furrowed.

If you want, I can also make a polished, novel-style English adaptation of this chapter that keeps the tension, flirtation, and Minamoto’s creepiness fully intact for smoother reading.

Do you want me to do that?

Chapter 20

Minamoto’s sticky gaze persistently roamed over Chohui’s face and body.

The sensation made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A shiver-inducing, unpleasant feeling spread through her entire body.

“What is it about this man that feels so wrong?”

Chohui sent a pleading look toward Dowoon. Standing behind Minamoto, he seemed unaware of the uncomfortable stare directed at her.

Dowoon looked puzzled for a moment but quickly stepped closer to Chohui, partially shielding her from view.

{I realize I haven’t properly introduced myself, Minamoto-san. This is my wife, Lucia.}

{Mrs. Lucia… haven’t we met somewhere before?}

Chohui flinched at the abrupt question that skipped any formal greetings.

She was surprised that she wasn’t the only one who felt a sense of familiarity. Could this person really have met her before?

If so, he might know her true identity.

Tension made Chohui’s body stiffen. Dowoon, standing beside her, furrowed his smooth brow slightly in concern.

{I’m not sure… I’m meeting you for the first time today, Minamoto-san…}

Chohui forced a calm smile as she responded.

Judging by their vague recognition, perhaps they had merely brushed past each other on the street.

If that was the case, she didn’t need to worry about her identity being revealed prematurely.

{Hmm… I’m certain I’ve seen you somewhere…}

{Darling, what are you saying to a guest out of the blue? You couldn’t possibly have met Mrs. Lee, could you? You must be mistaken.}

{I-is that so, dear?}

{Of course. Your carelessness is always the problem.}

Fortunately, Minamoto’s wife chided her husband, and he sheepishly scratched his head.

Chohui nodded subtly, finally understanding why Dowoon had been so eager to include her in the wives’ gatherings.

Minamoto’s wife was far more charismatic than her husband. Even in this short exchange, it was clear that her social standing eclipsed her husband’s.

{Minamoto-san, hello!}

Thanks to Mrs. Hiranishi and Mrs. Daiichi approaching from behind, the atmosphere brightened.

The Minamotos exchanged greetings with the other wives. Seizing the moment, Dowoon gently lifted Chohui’s hand and linked her arm with his own.

“Good work,” he whispered softly so that only she could hear. Chohui felt some of the tension leave her body.

As the gathering wound down, Dowoon and Chohui bid farewell to the Minamotos and climbed into a rickshaw to head home.

The cramped space forced them to sit side by side, their arms brushing. Both stared straight ahead, keeping as much distance from each other as possible.

As the rickshaw moved, Dowoon glanced at her and said,

“Being formally invited to the next gathering means we’ve already half succeeded.”

“What about the meeting at City Hall? You mentioned seeing them there.”

“Ah, that’s the quarterly gathering of entrepreneurial couples.”

“Entrepreneurial couples?”

“Yes, a meeting of various young businesspeople based in Sinuiju.”

Young businesspeople too? Chohui had thought attending just the wives’ English gatherings would be enough. There were far more meetings than she had expected.

As a “fake wife,” the number of obligations was surprisingly overwhelming. She wished she had answered more carefully earlier.

“Dowoon, you attended all these gatherings? You really have been busy.”

“Networking is important in business,” he said.

Business… or more likely, independence movements, Chohui thought silently, correcting his words in her mind. Pretending ignorance, she asked again.

“What other gatherings are there? Surely there isn’t one for Kyoto-born businesspeople or something?”

“How did you know?”

Dowoon’s agreement to her offhand comment surprised her pleasantly.

“Really, there’s such a gathering?”

Were there local espionage activities too?

“Not at all. If it exists, I wasn’t part of it. I’m from Tokyo, a graduate of Tokyo Imperial University.”

“Are you joking now?”

Chohui turned sharply toward him, annoyed, expecting him to be looking ahead—but unexpectedly, Dowoon was looking at her.

Gasp!

Their faces were so close that his lips nearly brushed the tip of her nose.

Whoosh—

Feeling each other’s breath, they both instinctively turned their heads back forward.

“Hey! Why did you turn away like that!”

Thump, thump, thump

Trying to calm her racing heart, Chohui scolded Dowoon, deliberately speaking loudly as if her heartbeats might be heard.

“You turned your head first. I was still looking sideways.”

“Anyway, keep looking ahead!”

They maintained this posture until they arrived at the mansion, both grateful in a way—their flushed faces felt uncomfortably warm.

Three Days Later

The young businesspeople’s couples’ party took place in the main hall of Sinuiju City Hall.

Unlike the small English gatherings with just ten or so wives, this meeting was too large to be held in a private home.

The party was attended not only by entrepreneurs but also by high-ranking city officials.

Good thing I bought these clothes back then, Chohui thought, choosing one of the several dress suits Dowoon had purchased for her.

At the time, she had thought she had too many clothes, but now it seemed fortuitous. Without the extra outfits, she might have been embarrassed wearing the same dress repeatedly.

Chohui linked her arm with Dowoon’s, her expression determined. He raised an eyebrow, noticing her demeanor.

“You really do have a knack for acting,” he said.

“Are you joking now?”

“No joke. You truly feel like my wife,” he replied, letting out a low laugh.

“D-don’t say silly things,” she responded.

Leaning closer, Dowoon whispered into her ear,

“You don’t need to stand out at this gathering. We’ve already greeted the Minamotos, so you can relax.”

Chohui felt some tension leave her. She exhaled lightly and steeled herself.

As she prepared to speak, a man in the distance recognized Dowoon and approached quickly, exchanging greetings and business talk.

Chohui soon lost interest in the dry discussion, pretending to listen while scanning the party.

This is a bigger event than I thought. With all the policemen stationed here…

Glancing at the uniformed officers by the doors, memories of past encounters with them made her uneasy.

She shifted her gaze to the wall, noticing women in tightly fitted kimonos, their faces heavily painted, dancing to orchestral accompaniment.

Those women… could it be?

Surprisingly, she recognized them. They were the geishas from Kiru, where she had worked briefly.

Panicked, Chohui turned her head.

If they recognized her… this would be a disaster.

She hurriedly took a fan from her pocket, fanning herself as if it were hot, covering her face.

They can’t possibly remember me like that…

Back then, she had been dressed shabby, doing laundry and cleaning all day. There was no way they could recall her.

But she couldn’t be sure.

She looked up at Dowoon, but he was engrossed in his business conversation.

{Wait, I’ll be back from the restroom.}

She told Dowoon she would step away briefly and hurried out of the hall. The corridor was thankfully empty.

Better empty than crowded, she thought, exhaling in relief as she walked down the hallway.

Thwack!

Suddenly, someone grabbed Chohui’s shoulder roughly and spun her around.

“Ah!”

Startled, she tried to resist, but the man held her arm tightly.

Seeing his face, she screamed even louder.

M-Minamoto-san!

So we meet here, Mrs. Lee.

It was Minamoto, his sticky gaze as oppressive as ever. The sight of his wide, smiling face sent chills down her spine.

P-please let go, Minamoto-san!

{I thought I’d seen you somewhere before.}

Y-you must be confusing me with someone else—

{But seeing the geishas at Hongwon-gak today reminded me of something.}

H-Hongwon-gak…?

{Yes. You were there too.}

Chohui inhaled sharply.

Could it be… Minamoto had seen her there?

Her pupils shook with alarm.

{Were you serving drinks there? You were the woman who poured for me, weren’t you?}

She exhaled in relief. He hadn’t recognized her. He must have mistaken someone she had brushed past for a geisha.

Confident that he hadn’t seen her clearly, she spoke louder and more assertively than before.

You must be mistaken, Minamoto-san. I’ve never been to Kiru.

{Impossible. I remember clearly.}

Minamoto slowly and unpleasantly scanned her body. She struggled to free her arm, but it was no use.

Instead, he tightened his grip and pulled her closer to him.

L-let go!

{Don’t resist. This is all a sham marriage, isn’t it? You met Mikael Lee at Kiru.}

I’m not!

His touch was disgustingly unwelcome. Chohui could not break free from his adult male grasp.

{Let’s put this aside and talk.}

{Don’t resist too much. Speak gently to me, like you did with Mr. Lee, Lucia.}

Minamoto leered, cooing her name in a disturbingly familiar tone.

How do I get away from him? Chohui thought quickly. Then, pretending to notice someone far away, she raised her voice.

Oh, Minamoto’s wife!

Startled, Minamoto released her slightly and looked around. Seizing the opportunity, she shoved him.

Ugh!

Distracted, he lost his balance and fell.

Ah, my ankle!

He grabbed his twisted ankle as he fell.

Are you okay? I told you to let go!

How dare you…!

Minamoto’s face flushed red as he yelled at her while sitting on the floor.

You dare reject me! Do you know who I am?!

His booming voice flung open the doors of the main hall.

Everyone inside immediately looked down the corridor. A police officer rushed forward, frowning, and helped Minamoto to his feet.

Minamoto-san, is everything alright?

This is perfect, Inspector Yoshihara. That woman suddenly attacked me!

Chohui’s eyes widened in confusion. This was even more embarrassing than when he had grabbed her.

Is that true? Who are you to threaten Minamoto-san?

Inspector Yoshihara glared sharply at Chohui, seizing her wrist roughly.

I-I—

What is going on?

At that moment, Dowoon appeared, breathing heavily, his bro……..