Chapter 30. Taboo

Yooa had asked him to notice that something had been off that day.

That the tires had slipped even though the roads weren’t wet, and that her father—who never missed a regular vehicle inspection—was using completely worn-out tires.

And then there were the murmured rumors from the servants, saying that Joohee had once been snooping in Chairman Kang’s study, looking for car documents and life insurance papers.

“You’ve got a good memory and you’re capable. The only person I can talk to about my dad… the only one I can be honest with is you, Lee Jun.”

The moment she said that she could only act so comfortably in front of him, Lee Jun gently wrapped his hand around her head.

It must have been a painful memory for him, too. But instead of stepping forward herself, Yooa hoped that he would take the lead. Because going up against something like this alone had its limits.

It would be much easier if he used the intelligence network of Taegyeom Group and the executive office of GRIP Company.

“Maybe… I wanted to forget it too. It’s not exactly a pleasant memory.”

After his father, the heir apparent, died in an unfortunate accident, the position had fallen to Lee Jun.

After that, his aunt started acting hostile, saying that the family should be closer to the daughter than the grandson. No, rather, she had finally revealed her true nature.

His grandfather, who always valued family harmony, would fly into a rage whenever his father’s name was brought up. And so, the incident from that day was buried, leaving wounds on everyone.

“If we dig it up again, it might be hard on both of us.”

“I’m prepared.”

“You still want to go through with it?”

“Yes.”

She said that burying the pain hadn’t made it disappear—in fact, it had only made it grow deeper.

Lee Jun wondered if the times he saw Yooa spacing out were because of that. Even while laughing, walking, or eating, she would suddenly stare blankly into the air. Like she had broken.

He had been curious about the reason. Up until yesterday, he had thought it was because of that man with the ice cream. But after hearing her today, he realized it was something unresolved that had long weighed on her chest.

He also had a lump of pain left behind.

“Alright then, we’ll do it. Who could stop Yoon Yooa anyway?”

“You’ll help me?”

“Like I could ever say no to your request.”

If she asked for more, he’d do it.

Lee Jun gently pulled her close by the waist, thinking about how much courage it must’ve taken for her to bring this up. He ran his hand slowly over her back.

Startled, Yooa stiffened—her tension was obvious in her shoulders and arms.

“I’m not suggesting we do anything here. I won’t go that far, so don’t be too surprised.”

“Really?”

“If you say that, I get hurt too, Yooa. It makes me sound like I’m always horny or something.”

“Weren’t you?”

She shot back with flat lips and rolled her eyes, but it felt harmless. Not scary at all. Lee Jun raised one eyebrow in amusement.

He had never done something this intimate with anyone else before. If she knew the personal shopper had been shocked just by his request to prepare women’s clothing, she wouldn’t be reacting like this.

Saying “please wait,” “that might be difficult,” or “could you repeat that” was not allowed for personal shoppers when dealing with VIP clients.

They had to know everything about their customers and assist them proactively.

The personal shopper who had known Lee Jun for nearly 15 years had broken the rules today—for Yooa.

“This is only for Yoon Yooa. I know the time and place for everything.”

Yooa hinted that things might get messy.

Being sharp, Lee Jun sensed that maybe Joohee had something to do with the car accident.

The person who stood to gain the most from her father’s death—it could only be his aunt and uncle.

“Yooa, whether the path you’re going down is full of flowers or mud, from now on I’ll walk it with you.”

“Lee Jun…”

“I’ll put pretty shoes on your feet for the flower path, and I’ll carry you through the mud.”

If only words like “thank you” could fully express how she felt.

Yooa wiped away her tears roughly with the back of her hand. Then she let out the breath she’d been holding back, her lips trembling slightly.

Lee Jun called the personal shopper back in and stood up to quickly scan through the prepared items.

Then he picked up a shoe, walked over, and personally slipped it onto Yooa’s foot.

“Today, walk only on flower paths.”

Yooa had said no, but Lee Jun insisted it was necessary.

He said that sometimes people judge others based on their own standards. And at the very least, he didn’t want Yooa to be buried in clothes, shoes, and accessories that she didn’t choose.

Even if she shopped every day, it would barely make a dent in his fortune—he said so with full confidence.

Somehow, his arrogance didn’t come off as obnoxious, maybe because of his appearance.

None of the items had price tags on them.

“So this is another one of your taboos, huh?”

A lightweight blouse made from high-quality fabric clung to her as if it were tailored just for her.

Accentuating her tiny waist and curves, Yooa stood up straight with pride. Even wearing slacks made from dust-repelling material, a white blouse, and a coat didn’t make her feel heavy.

“See? I told you—you’d look beautiful.”

When she stepped out of the fitting room and he showered her with compliments, the back of her neck flushed red.

It wasn’t about whether she could accept it or not.

Back when they were married, Lee Jun had been too busy to even catch his breath. Out of guilt, he had handed her a credit card with no limit, telling her to use it for stress relief.

If only he had gone shopping with her then—looked into her eyes and told her she looked pretty—they might have had a second child who looked like Sejin.

Yooa smiled sadly. If she worked through things one by one, she believed that dream might come true someday. She wasn’t in a rush.

More than anything, she now had a man beside her who had promised to walk both the flower path and the muddy one. That was enough.

“Miss Yooa.”

She had wanted to wrap things up, postponing accessories and watches for another day. Fatigue was setting in, and a headache was starting.

As she was about to leave, the personal shopper whispered in her ear.

“I didn’t mention it earlier because I wasn’t sure it would arrive in time, but the new release made it just in time. Would you like to try it on?”

She insisted because it was such a rare item. Only 20 pairs were released in the entire country, and only three came to their boutique.

“It may seem like a lot, but it’s not. They only came in golden sizes, and it’s strictly first-come, first-served.”

In this world, that kind of order was power.

The items Lee Jun picked out with casual disinterest in one hour could equal an entire day’s department store sales. Of course the staff wanted to stay on his good side.

It was the first time he had brought a girlfriend, and the personal shopper wanted to impress her. She had begged and gotten confirmation for all three pairs—but only one was in Yooa’s size: 240mm.

“Our staff is bringing them up right now. I’m sure you’ll love them once you try them on.”

Lee Jun was still on the phone. Seeing the personal shopper’s confidence piqued Yooa’s curiosity.

They say good shoes take you to good places—could that be true?

Just as she nodded, the elevator door opened.

“These are the ones. This is the flagship winter style from a top Italian luxury brand. Made from calfskin with square buckles—not flashy or too feminine, so it’s expected to do well as a unisex model. I think so too.”

The moment the personal shopper opened the box, the black shoes gleamed even under natural light.

“Would you like to try them on?”

These shoes looked… familiar.

Yooa instinctively stepped closer, lifted one of the shoes, and held it in her hand.

And then, like a circuit shorted in her brain, her whole body trembled violently—and she collapsed backward in a swoon.

“Eek! M-Miss Yooa!”