Chapter 09
He silently crooked a finger, urging her to come.
Caught off guard by his confident attitude, Sua almost took his hand before hastily getting to her feet.
This is strange.
For some reason, she kept letting the man in front of her lead her around.
And oddly enough… she didn’t mind it that much.
She had just stepped out of the private room and started following him when he suddenly stopped.
Sua nearly walked straight into his back and hurriedly took half a step backward.
“Walk beside me. If we’re going to put on an act, we should do it properly.”
Without turning around, he tilted his head slightly toward the empty space beside him.
“Oh.”
As soon as Sua moved to his side, the man resumed walking with his long strides.
As they headed for the exit, her eyes met those of the middle-aged woman standing a short distance away.
She had worried the woman might stop them again like before, but instead, the woman simply gave them a satisfied smile and bowed politely.
I guess that settles it.
Feeling relieved, Sua left the venue with a much lighter heart.
“Please wait just a moment.”
Spotting the man at the entrance, the valet quickly brought his car around.
It was the same car she’d seen before.
Even in the middle of winter…
It was another convertible.
How unusual.
The man walked down the steps and opened the passenger door for her.
“Get in for now.”
“No, I…”
“There are people watching.”
Sua had been about to glance over her shoulder, but instead quietly climbed into the car.
“Just drop me off somewhere nearby like last time.”
She made the request the moment he got into the driver’s seat.
Grrrr…
The loud growl of her stomach echoed through the quiet interior.
He paused halfway through fastening his seat belt before letting out a soft laugh.
“You must’ve skipped dinner.”
Without answering, Sua merely bit her lower lip.
She’d been busy working all day before coming straight here.
Of course she hadn’t eaten.
“How about we grab something together?”
Taejo asked casually.
“No, there’s really no need…”
As expected, Sua tried to refuse.
“You said you’d let me pay you back for the lipstick.”
It was just an excuse, of course.
Taejo still had no intention of letting Kang Sua go.
* * *
“She must be doing well… right?”
Mihyang paced anxiously around the living room.
Obtaining that invitation had been incredibly difficult.
Paying the enormous fee was only part of it. Getting in required passing a rigorous screening process.
She had submitted Sua’s profile countless times, only to be rejected every single time.
Then, out of nowhere, the planner had called to say that a spot had unexpectedly opened up, allowing her to squeeze Sua into the event.
Most of the attendees were the sons and daughters of influential families.
If Sua managed to connect with even one of them, it would greatly benefit Hakseon.
And then Hakseon would have no choice but to treasure Sua.
“I just hope she meets a good man.”
Three years ago, matchmaking requests for Sua had poured in like a flood.
Now…
That was no longer the case.
Contrary to Hakseon’s hopes, no one in the marriage market wanted to become his in-laws anymore.
But our Sua is practically perfect.
Thinking of Sua’s beautiful face and flawless figure, Mihyang sighed with satisfaction.
And her credentials were just as impressive.
She had devoted her entire life to raising Sua into the most precious and beautiful woman imaginable.
And Sua would never let all of that devotion go to waste.
“What are you wandering around for? You’re making me dizzy.”
“Oh… dear.”
“Bring me some tea.”
“Yes.”
Hakseon shot her an annoyed look before sitting on the sofa.
Glancing at him, Mihyang headed into the kitchen.
Even in his sixties, he looked as though he were still in his forties.
His handsome, approachable face had worked in his favor throughout his political career.
Well… a man like him naturally attracts women.
But I’m still his wife.
Comforting herself with that thought, Mihyang carefully prepared the tea set before returning to the living room.
“I’m home.”
At that moment, Younga entered through the front door.
She was the daughter Hakseon had fathered with a young actress.
Having inherited her mother’s beauty, the high school senior already possessed the graceful aura of an adult woman.
Mihyang noticed Hakseon’s gaze drift toward the girl.
Immediately, she stepped between them.
“Welcome home. You worked hard today. Go upstairs and get some rest.”
After cautiously glancing at Mihyang, Younga quickly hurried up to the second floor.
Once Younga turns twenty…
Hakseon might throw her into the marriage market as well.
And then Sua will be pushed aside.
If that happens, I’ll be discarded too.
I didn’t spend all these years protecting my place beside Kang Hakseon just to lose it now.
She couldn’t allow that to happen.
“Sua went to that VIP matchmaking event for prominent families today.”
She deliberately brought it up.
Hakseon, who had been lifting his teacup, merely raised his eyes.
He seemed interested after all.
Feeling encouraged, Mihyang continued.
“The heirs of Haegang Construction, Jinseong Group, and Hwajin Department Store are all attending. Whoever she meets, it’ll be far better than Byeongjin Distribution.”
“…What’s the point? That girl doesn’t know how to make herself likable.”
“Young people these days actually find that kind of personality attractive.”
Mihyang did her best to defend Sua.
Hakseon’s expression seemed to soften ever so slightly.
A smile had just begun to appear on Mihyang’s lips when his phone vibrated.
“Oh? Isn’t this young Ginam?”
The moment she heard the caller’s name, Mihyang’s shoulders stiffened.
“My daughter was quite rude the other day, wasn’t she?”
“I was actually calling because I was worried about that incident.”
“Hm?”
“My mother told me that rumors have already spread throughout our circle.”
“What rumors…?”
“That your daughter enjoys a rather… promiscuous nightlife.”
Hakseon’s grip tightened around the teacup so hard it looked ready to shatter.
“What nonsense! I know my daughter better than anyone!”
“Do you really? I intended to pretend I hadn’t seen anything, but I felt I should tell you. On the day of our blind date, she openly disappeared into a hotel with another man. Assemblyman… are you sure this is all right? It’s going to become even harder for Miss Sua to get married.”
“…”
“Of course, I’m the sort of man who could overlook flaws in my future wife.”
The call ended.
Flames practically burned in Hakseon’s eyes.
The teacup he hurled smashed violently against the wall, exploding into pieces.
“Where is that damn Kang Sua right now?!”
“D-Dear…”
Mihyang’s face turned deathly pale.
* * *
“We’re eating here?”
Taejo looked around in surprise.
The place Sua had brought him to was a café inside a bookstore.
“Yes. You can leave if you’d like.”
Standing in front of the counter, Sua answered indifferently while studying the menu.
Her reason for coming here was simple.
The man didn’t seem like he’d let her go easily.
But if she went home too early, Mihyang would grow suspicious.
Besides, she’d assumed she’d be spending the evening on a blind date, so she hadn’t brought her laptop or tablet.
A bookstore café was simply the most comfortable place to kill time.
She had no idea what this man’s intentions were.
But she figured that if she acted like this, he’d eventually lose interest and leave on his own.
“A tomato cream cheese bagel and a hot Americano, please. The set.”
She had just held out her card when a large hand suddenly reached in front of her.
“…You don’t have to.”
“I still owe you.”
“Chamomile tea.”
With a faint grin, the man added his own drink to the order.
Sua sighed inwardly.
She simply couldn’t figure him out.
On top of that, he was so strikingly handsome that walking around with him attracted far too much attention.
“Are you really staying here?”
“Go do whatever you want. Just pretend I’m not here.”
What a strange man.
Shaking her head slightly, Sua turned her attention away from his smiling face.
* * *
Crossing one leg over the other, Taejo idly tapped his foot.
“…”
After quietly finishing her bagel, Sua headed toward a chair tucked away in one corner of the bookstore.
She carried a book she’d spent quite some time choosing.
Taejo drank half of his iced chamomile tea in one long swallow.
People passing by occasionally glanced at him, but most were too absorbed in browsing books to stare for long.
A bookstore.
It wasn’t somewhere he’d ever visited before.
Surprisingly…
He didn’t dislike it.
It’s unexpectedly comfortable.
His entire life, people had stared at him wherever he went.
Rolling the ice around in his mouth, Taejo looked toward Sua.
Completely engrossed in her book, she occasionally brushed back the strands of hair that had fallen beside her elegant nose.
She was so absorbed in reading…
She barely acknowledged that he was even sitting next to her.
This is a first.
Leaning back lazily, Taejo stretched his neck until it cracked.
Sua’s slender fingers softly turned another page.
The gentle sound was somehow… pleasant.
“…You can leave if you’re uncomfortable.”
Without lifting her eyes from the book, Sua spoke after sensing his gaze.
Trying to chase me away?
“Not at all.”
“I’m perfectly comfortable.”
“…”
“And it smells nice here, too.”
Only then did Sua finally raise her eyes.
“…You seem to have a sensitive sense of smell.”
Instead of answering, Taejo simply shrugged.
Sua quietly lowered her gaze back to her book.
Something about that detached expression left him strangely thirsty for more.
He finished the rest of his drink and absently chewed on the end of the straw.
Does she really… not remember?
A memory from three years ago resurfaced.
The first time he had met Sua was at the T Hotel on Jeju Island, where he had gone to assist his father with business.
He had stepped alone into an elevator.
A woman entered after him, her head lowered.
As the elevator carried the two of them toward the upper floors…
He heard quiet sobbing.
She…
Was crying.
