CHAPTER 10…………………………
“Why?”
Hyukjin answered without even turning his head.
“Soon, a marriage proposal will come through my mother. Do your relatives know about our marriage, Seoyoung?”
“No. I was planning to tell my grandmother first today.”
“I heard the hotel shareholders’ meeting is coming up soon.”
“Yes. You’re fast with information, as expected.”
“Let’s make the announcement first and have the formal meeting later.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I wanted to ask. Thank you for being considerate.”
When the traffic light changed, Hyukjin pressed the brake and shrugged his shoulders.
“Since it’s mutually beneficial anyway, it’s nothing. In that sense, shall we make a little more progress today?”
“Huh?”
Startled by the unexpected suggestion, Seoyoung flinched.
Things had been going smoothly until the conversation suddenly took a strange turn.
“We signed the contract, but I don’t think my conditions have been fully met yet.”
Wasn’t it supposed to end with a kiss?
Seoyoung, who had privately suspected that Hyukjin wasn’t interested in men or close contact with women, couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
Hyukjin glanced at her and raised one eyebrow, as if saying, You didn’t know?
“I thought the contract itself was enough.”
“That’s impossible. I was just being considerate because you seemed so nervous, like you’d never kissed anyone before. I even thought about taking things slowly on purpose, but I guess there was a misunderstanding.”
Raising his eyebrows in mild embarrassment, Hyukjin let out a faint chuckle and continued.
“If going slowly isn’t your preference, we could start immediately, even today…”
“No. I don’t dislike it. Let’s do it that way.”
With wide eyes, Seoyoung quickly shook her head.
She couldn’t afford to mess things up before the formal meeting.
She had thought she had overcome her clumsy nature, but apparently not.
She felt foolish for being so eager to jump to a conclusion.
Seoyoung, usually meticulous, felt a bit embarrassed at how naive she seemed only around Hyukjin.
“I… also prefer going slowly.”
Seeing Seoyoung’s not-so-pleased expression, Hyukjin let out a small laugh.
“Good. Then, to get closer, let’s start today with a cup of tea at your place, Seoyoung.”
Hyukjin’s face softened, his handsome features becoming even gentler as he raised the corners of his lips in a satisfied smile.
The side profile of his straight, sculpted nose was frustratingly perfect.
He really knows how to toy with people’s feelings.
Things had been going too smoothly; she had underestimated him.
Returning from the U.S., Cha Hyukjin had appeared like a comet a year ago, making a splash in the business world.
After joining Hanho Motors, a company that had always been second to its competitors, he transformed its marketing and image, launched new products, and achieved record-breaking sales, reclaiming the top spot.
That achievement was still widely talked about; only success lay ahead for him.
Why someone so capable left a thriving car company for a construction firm was a mystery.
Still, it worked in her favor, so she couldn’t complain too much.
Okay, don’t get ahead of yourself already.
This was Seoyoung’s approach to life. Whenever something went well, some misfortune seemed to follow.
Like the day she rushed home to boast about ranking first in her midterms, only to hear about her parents’ accident.
Remembering that day, when it felt like the sky had fallen, she almost cried.
She blinked several times to keep the tears from showing, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at Hyukjin for fear her reddened eyes would betray her.
Staring straight ahead, she stole glances at Hyukjin focused on driving.
With a friendly impression, Hyukjin had a cunning streak beneath the charm.
Seoyoung, herself not easily outwitted in social situations, found his relaxed, teasing demeanor infuriatingly clever.
With that smooth, charming face, he can charm anyone…
Her thoughts drifted back to the time she had met him alone in a hotel suite.
She had reacted foolishly seeing a man in just a robe, alone in a room with her.
The memory of that day, when she appeared inexperienced, made her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Why does that memory come up now?
She turned her gaze out the window, hiding her lips, afraid Hyukjin would notice.
Cha Hyukjin, in any case, was a capable man.
In work and in matters with women alike.
He excelled at exploiting weaknesses so the other person couldn’t think of anything else.
Is that face his weapon?
A soft, unthreatening appearance and a gentle tone.
He hadn’t been that warm to her specifically, but at his family home, Hyukjin was different.
Kind and caring to his grandfather, parents, and even the household staff.
In that moment, Seoyoung realized why she struggled so much with him.
He must have researched her after she accepted his proposal.
Perhaps even since preparing the Jeju land bid.
Judging by his careful, meticulous nature, despite his seemingly easygoing demeanor, he had been thorough.
Otherwise, would he have insisted on testing “compatibility” as a condition?
Women who wanted to marry him might have welcomed it more eagerly.
Or was it a test to see if I’d cling to him?
Given how skilled he was at kissing, she could definitely suspect he had experience.
That must be it.
A man with a tendency toward bachelorhood, a timely marriage contract suggested by a woman.
Compatibility was just an excuse; he was surely testing her true intentions.
Not only acquiring the Jeju property, but also planning to return her freedom in two years.
And he probably wanted a woman whose feelings wouldn’t change in two years.
Whatever Cha Hyukjin’s true intention was behind the compatibility condition, there was no need to dwell on it now.
All she had to do was show she would faithfully fulfill his expectations.
Lost in these thoughts, Seoyoung soon arrived at the high-end villa where she lived.
Opening the door, she immediately spotted a life-size panel of Lee Siwoo standing in the living room and widened her eyes.
Ah, I forgot about that.
Seoyoung quickly removed her shoes, rushed in, and moved the panel into the bedroom, closing the door.
She had kept it to see whenever she missed her father, and didn’t want Hyukjin to misunderstand.
Hyukjin, following behind, didn’t clearly see what she had hidden but noticed it was a life-size standee.
He walked in slowly, pretending not to notice, and looked around the house.
Seoyoung, sweating nervously, went to the kitchen and asked,
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Do you have wine?”
Seoyoung, pausing while checking the drawers, turned around.
“Sorry. I don’t really drink, so I don’t have any alcohol.”
“Oh, then just a glass of water, please.”
Shrugging, Hyukjin turned to look around the house.
Through the living room with its simple leather sofa, table, and large TV, three rooms were visible, excluding the bathroom.
There were no decorations, and, unlike a typical Shinwha Group heiress, she hadn’t decorated extravagantly.
It felt almost barren, as if it were only a place to sleep.
On a small table beside the sofa, a tiny frame with an old photo showed her parents, who had died in a traffic accident, and Seoyoung as a bright-faced high schooler, smiling.
Though too far away to see her face in detail, her expression was clearly cheerful.
She looks happy.
Hyukjin smiled slightly at the picture. Thinking the man in the frame looked familiar, he turned his head to a painting on the wall.
The only decoration in her house caught his interest.
Approaching the painting, he furrowed his brows slightly.
