Chapter 3 …
After a long dream, Se-hee slowly lifted her heavy eyelids and found herself staring at a pure white ceiling.
She flexed her fingers to tell whether this was reality or still a dream. A faint pain spread from her fingertips through the veins up to her elbow.
She remembered taking the muscle relaxants and painkillers that Chae I-do had given her. Even if he had been trying to poison her, there was no way to avoid it, so all she could do was trust him and swallow.
Fortunately, he hadn’t lied. The pain had clearly subsided. Her clothes had been changed into something clean as well.
Using one arm to prop herself up, Se-hee slowly sat up in bed.
A prickling sensation made her glance down at the back of her hand, where a bandage was stuck. Following the rubber tube with her eyes, she saw a hanging IV drip releasing clear liquid.
“This is the only way we can protect Ms. Yoo Se-hee.”
“Think carefully before you decide.”
The voice of someone whose face she couldn’t recall echoed in her head. An unsigned set of documents sat on the bedside table.
They weren’t wrong.
It was the only form of protection for the traitor’s daughter.
Even if her status had fallen to rock bottom, no one would dare touch her once she became associated with — no, the wife of — Chae I-do.
But why…
Reaching for the documents, Se-hee bit her lower lip in silence.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted.
Perhaps because of the faint sounds of movement, there was a knock on the door, and a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties entered.
“You’re awake?”
Startled, Se-hee instinctively fixed her clothes and turned to face the woman. Because of everything she’d gone through recently, it was still uncomfortable having strangers suddenly appear in her space.
“You skipped a meal, so we’ve administered nutrients, Madam.”
The woman called her Madam as if it were already decided — as if everything was going to unfold exactly as Chae I-do intended.
“I’ll remove it after you finish your meal.”
It sounded polite, but the implication was clear: if she didn’t eat, she’d have to keep this uncomfortable thing attached.
“My name is Ahn Kyung-hee. I’ll be in charge of your personal care. Please just call me Secretary Ahn.”
Her expression and tone were not just professional but cold. It was understandable — within this household, Se-hee was known as the daughter of a traitor.
She was no longer the pampered princess of a rich family. Since she’d chosen to come under Chae I-do’s protection, she had to accept things like this.
“First, let me explain the safety rules you’ll need to follow while staying here.”
She took a sheet of paper from her apron and handed it to Se-hee. The first line caught her eye: Do not wander outside of designated areas without permission.
“Until you’re granted permission, please refrain from going out. If you do go somewhere nearby, the director or a bodyguard will accompany you. It’s still too dangerous to be alone.”
Se-hee struggled to focus on the unfamiliar letters.
Just days ago, she would ride home in a chauffeured car and be greeted by her dog, Louis, as she ran through the garden.
Now, she couldn’t even step outside to see sunlight by herself. It didn’t feel real.
“You’re free to eat and drink within the designated zones. You can enjoy leisure activities or use the exercise facilities as well.”
“……”
“Meal times are fixed, so don’t skip them. After spending your day comfortably, you just need to report your daily schedule to the director. He usually comes home by 8 p.m., so please wash up and get ready before then.”
It was obvious why Chae I-do had gone so far as to marry her — the same reason loan sharks always spared their “wives.”
She might bear the title of Chae I-do’s wife, but her role in this house was already decided.
But contrary to her expectations, Secretary Ahn continued in a calm tone.
“You’ll be having a late dinner with the director then.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s been a while since you’ve eaten, so I prepared vegetable porridge. It’s probably still hot.”
Secretary Ahn, who had briefly left, returned and placed a tray on the bedside table. Steam rose from the porridge, and small side dishes were neatly arranged in various bowls.
“Director Chae had an urgent schedule and went out. He told me to assist Madam with your movement and meals. If you’ll just sit—”
“I’ll do it myself. I can eat alone.”
Se-hee lifted her free left hand.
“If you just remove this, I’ll eat on my own. It’s just… I’m more comfortable being alone for now.”
She didn’t fully trust Chae I-do, but in his absence, she couldn’t trust anyone else either.
After a brief moment of thought, the woman stepped closer. She checked Se-hee’s temperature and blood pressure, then removed the IV.
“Then please rest.”
Click.
As soon as the door closed, Se-hee finally felt at ease. Hugging the blanket tightly, she looked around the room.
The past few days had been pure chaos — strange people lurking in the alleys had stormed her house, and she’d had to part with Se-jin without even a proper goodbye.
It was hard to believe she was now lying in such a quiet, peaceful room.
Madam…
What would her father say if he learned she’d taken shelter under Chae I-do? Would he pick up a cane for the first time?
A bitter smile spread across her face.
“When tutoring ends, I’ll send the car, so come straight home. Don’t stop anywhere else.”
Because of her overprotective father, Se-hee had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse. Sometimes, he’d coddle her even more than Se-jin, his biological daughter.
Few people knew that she had been adopted late.
“We once had a daughter your age.”
He’d confessed later that “Yoo Se-hee” was the name of their daughter who’d gone missing as a child.
Maybe that horrific memory was why he didn’t allow her to have a normal job.
When Se-hee complained of boredom after college, he’d only let her take one or two tutoring jobs — and only if he personally drove her there and back.
“I always wondered why he never showed anyone…”
Maybe he’d known all along — that she would one day be pulled into Chae I-do’s world.
She swallowed the tears rising in her throat. Her head hurt too much to process everything.
The past few days had been hell.
Se-jin… Are you doing okay?
Trying to clear her thoughts, Se-hee shook her head and forced herself to sleep.
✦ ✦ ✦
The soft touch of the pillow against her cheek brought her back to consciousness as she turned over in bed.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a vague figure sitting in a chair, watching her. It was Chae I-do.
Se-hee instinctively tried to push herself up.
“You’re awake?”
Chae I-do asked in a gentle voice.
The dark gray suit that fit his body perfectly made him look even more striking. But his natural aura of intimidation was still there.
“You didn’t eat at all.”
“…I was just tired.”
She suppressed her confusion as she answered. The dull pain in her back returned now that the medication had worn off.
She had been thinking.
Why would Chae I-do, who’d mercilessly wiped out her family, spare the traitor’s daughter?
Even going so far as to marry her.
“What’s the real reason you accepted me?”
She couldn’t decide whether to see him as a savior or as someone to resent.
He was the one who had cut off her limbs and thrown her into the gutter, and also the one who had pulled her out long enough to breathe.
“I thought about it…”
Flinch.
Startled without realizing it, Se-hee froze mid-sentence and instinctively reached out toward him. His all-black attire reminded her of the men who had once terrorized her.
“Are you scared?”
Chae I-do chuckled softly, as if finding her reaction amusing. He glanced down at his cuff, which she had grabbed. She looked ridiculous, glaring at him with wary eyes but instinctively reaching for help when frightened.
“Should I send him away?”
Se-hee clenched her trembling hand. The memory of being held down and screaming against the men still lingered like a scar.
“Leave us.”
At Chae I-do’s command, the man in the room disappeared immediately. Her racing heartbeat began to calm little by little.
“I can wash myself…”
She looked down at the clean clothes she was wearing.
“…I can do it on my own.”
“To be precise, you weren’t washed — you were wiped.”
He answered casually.
“It’d be a problem if you slipped in the bathtub. And you whined so much when the towel cooled even a little.”
“Stop…!”
“……”
“…That’s enough explanation.”
She cut him off quickly and lowered her head. The thought of him personally wiping her body made her feel strange. Not that she wanted anyone else to do it, either.
“Please… just leave. I want to rest.”
She covered her burning cheeks with her hands.
Despite his suggestive looks, it was obvious he wasn’t interested in women. The way he’d talked about wiping her body was as casual as if he were handling a corpse.
And yet she’d tried to negotiate with such a man by stripping down — no wonder it hadn’t worked.
She wanted to ask if her father was alive, or where Se-jin was, but held back. She didn’t want to expose any more weaknesses or provoke him.
Chae I-do was the type of businessman who never made a losing deal. So what exactly did he want from her?
It wasn’t as a hostage to capture her father, nor simply to satisfy desire.
She still hadn’t figured out his true motives.
That’s why she couldn’t let her guard down, no matter how kind he appeared to be. She just had to give him what he wanted and take what she needed. Nothing more.
Her father was still alive — she wanted to believe that, even if it was a faint hope.
As if reading her spinning thoughts, Chae I-do let out a soft, low laugh.
“For now, eat something.”
“I don’t have an appetite…”
“Eat, Se-hee.”
His words came down like a command.
“Good girls do.”
