CHAPTER 46……………………….
Leaving the in-laws who had always shown her such generous affection felt deeply regrettable, but more than that—would she really be fine even after parting with this man?
The thought struck her suddenly, and Seoyoung quickly turned her head away.
“Yes. It doesn’t sit well with me to deceive the elders.”
“Well, it’s not like there’s no other way.”
At the mention of a “way,” Seoyoung lifted her head again. Hyukjin’s eyes sparkled as he smiled faintly.
“Then how about actually having a child—”
Seoyoung sharply turned away and quickened her steps.
His flippant words, tossed out when the situation was serious, irritated her.
The contract specified only the duration of the marriage and contained no other clauses, but neither of them had ever had any intention of having a child.
Having a child in a marriage whose end was already in sight?
It was absurd—ridiculous, even.
And now that she understood his disposition more clearly than ever…
Is he doing this on purpose?
She wondered if he was deliberately saying things he didn’t mean, thinking that he had shown her a side of himself she wasn’t supposed to see.
She swallowed down the urge to tell him—just as she had suggested even before the marriage—that he was free to enjoy himself however he liked, since she was fine with it.
Standing by the front door, Seoyoung waited briefly until Hyukjin approached. When he came close, she looked at him with a firm, resolved gaze.
Hyukjin narrowed his eyes, puzzled.
“Since Mrs. Kim seems to have already explained things to the elders, let’s start sleeping in separate rooms from now on.”
“After just one day together, separate rooms already… Won’t they think we had a marital fight?”
Realizing that Seoyoung had taken his earlier joke far more seriously than he’d intended, Hyukjin adopted a deliberately solemn expression.
“In front of Mrs. Kim, we should still look affectionate. But how about one of us sleeping in the study using work as an excuse? Of course, we’ll pretend we slept in the same room before Mrs. Kim wakes up.”
“Is there really a need to go through all that trouble? It’s not like anything happened between us anyway.”
Hyukjin tilted his head, his calm, indifferent attitude making it seem like he genuinely didn’t understand. For some reason, Seoyoung felt a boiling sensation rise in her chest.
Was I the only one who cared all this time?
Then again, a man who viewed women like stones wouldn’t care about her feelings. She had simply been the one getting swept up on her own.
Only then did Seoyoung realize how pointless it was for her to have bristled like a hedgehog all this time.
Deflating like a balloon, she let out a small sigh and slowly nodded in agreement.
“You’re not wrong. But I really do have a lot of work, so I’ll stay in the study for a while.”
“Do as you like. But Mrs. Kim is a light sleeper. It might be because of her age. So it’d be best not to plan on staying up all night in the study.”
“…Yes.”
Seoyoung bit her lip and nodded once more.
“Shall we go in, then?”
“Yes.”
Looking at Hyukjin’s utterly composed face, Seoyoung realized again that she alone had been carried away by her emotions. She lifted the corners of her lips, which she had unconsciously stiffened.
With meticulous Mrs. Kim around, nothing could be allowed to slip.
After showing Mrs. Kim once more that they were still on good terms by having tea together in the living room, Seoyoung and Hyukjin went up to the second floor, seeing her off.
“I have some work to do, so I’ll be off.”
Entering the bedroom together, Seoyoung quickly washed up, changed into her pajamas, and went straight to the study.
Hyukjin, still looking fatigued as though his exhaustion hadn’t lifted, leaned against the bed with a tablet PC in hand, quietly watching her leave.
I wasn’t joking entirely.
He shook his head, swallowing the words he hadn’t been able to say before the door closed.
Not wanting to be swayed by the elders’ plans, he had thought he’d found a way to satisfy both them and himself to some extent.
His marriage to Seoyoung, arranged that way, turned out to be not bad—surprisingly so—and he was even beginning to notice some unexpectedly cute sides of her.
He was a man, after all. There was no way he could feel nothing while holding a soft female body every night, and as they spent those nights together, there were moments when he found it hard to take his eyes off Seoyoung when she smiled without any deeper meaning.
That was why he had let slip what sounded like a joke but carried a hint of sincerity, when Seoyoung said she felt sorry toward the elders.
But Seoyoung seemed to think he was joking with words he didn’t mean, and she appeared quite upset.
“Maybe this worked out better?”
Having failed to sleep properly for days, the short nap he’d taken in the morning hadn’t fully relieved his fatigue.
If he slept with Seoyoung tonight, he probably wouldn’t get much rest again, so maybe he should consider himself lucky to be able to sleep well—at least for tonight.
Pressing down on his heavy eyelids, Hyukjin stared at the screen a bit longer before placing the tablet on the bedside table and lying down neatly.
Yet now that he was actually sleeping alone, the empty space where Seoyoung should have been felt rather lonely.
Turning over to her side of the bed, he recalled how she used to cling to him like a body pillow, and he let out a soft chuckle.
How adorable she was when she showed such a defenseless side only to him. Contrary to the rumors, that was probably closer to her true self.
Thinking of how far removed she was from the image of a cold career woman, Hyukjin smiled faintly and slowly closed his heavy eyes.
In the study, where she had been planning a new project, Seoyoung looked up at the sound of a knock.
“Oh dear, working this late will ruin your health, Madam.”
Mrs. Kim came in carrying a tray with a cup of herbal tea. The wrinkles on her forehead deepened further.
Is she really that light a sleeper?
Or perhaps she simply didn’t sleep much, Seoyoung thought, smiling gently.
Whatever the reason, she was deeply grateful for Mrs. Kim’s thoughtfulness in looking after her at this hour.
“You seem busy—am I interrupting?”
Mrs. Kim asked with a small smile, carefully watching Seoyoung’s expression. Seoyoung shook her head and moved to the sofa.
“Not at all. It’s actually nice to take a break thanks to you. I’m more worried that I might be keeping you from sleeping—you don’t have to fuss over me like this.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but I don’t sleep much anymore. I’m more worried that the elders might worry about your health, Madam.”
“Please don’t worry too much. I was just about to go to bed anyway.”
Feeling as though the perceptive Mrs. Kim might have seen right through her, Seoyoung quickly lifted the teacup.
After a moment of hesitation, Mrs. Kim spoke again cautiously.
“You two didn’t have a fight, did you?”
“…!”
“You just seemed a bit uncomfortable today.”
She knew Mrs. Kim was sharp, but she hadn’t expected her to notice even such subtle tension.
Seoyoung was genuinely surprised. Setting the teacup down, she shook her head quickly.
“A fight? Not at all. Really—I just have work. Things have been a bit hectic at the company lately.”
Flustered, Seoyoung rambled on, explaining more than she needed to.
Mrs. Kim, who had been watching her kindly confirmed expression, now smiled more broadly than before.
Seeing her eyes crinkle as she smiled made Seoyoung feel oddly guilty.
It hadn’t been long since she moved into the annex after the marriage, yet she was already being cared for like a longtime family member.
Especially since Mrs. Kim looked after her almost as much as a mother-in-law would, lying to her didn’t sit well.
Phew… this won’t do.
Thinking of how worried Mrs. Kim would be every time she stayed late in the study made Seoyoung uncomfortable.
Unless she truly had work, staying in the bedroom seemed like the better option.
“I was just finishing up anyway, so I was about to head back to the bedroom. Please don’t worry, and you should go get some sleep too, Mrs. Kim.”
“Yes. I’ll stay just until you finish your tea, Madam.”
At that, Seoyoung downed the remaining tea in one go, then set the cup down with a bright smile.
“I’m done.”
“Then come out with me, Madam. You should get to bed soon if you’re going to work tomorrow.”
Mrs. Kim smiled again as she placed the empty cup on the tray.
Thinking that Mrs. Kim wouldn’t be able to sleep if she didn’t leave now, Seoyoung swallowed a sigh and stood up from her seat.
