“Hmm......”

I let out a faint hum and shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. As I slowly moved my legs, our lower bodies overlapped beneath the blanket. Then suddenly, I felt something hard and metallic against the fingers of my clenched hand.

“......”

An engagement ring was on the ring finger of my left hand. I was sure I had taken it off before going to work yesterday. I didn’t even need to look to know who had put it there while I slept.

“......Kwon Yido.”

I began slowly, steadying my breath. After making the perfume, I had planned to ask him certain things, and now they were creeping into my mind. If he was the kind of person to put a ring on me while I slept, why was he so intent on hiding our engagement? There were many questions I wanted to ask and many things I wanted to know.

“Talk to me.”

But what if digging into his intentions destroyed the peace we had now? What if this fleeting happiness became something I could never get back? What if our relationship ended in nothing but separation?

‘At the very least, I don’t think Executive Director Kwon Yido will abandon you, sir.’

That was what Mr. Kim had said, but I couldn’t ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) ignore the endless “what-ifs” that rose in my mind. Because I didn’t want to lose the kindness I was feeling for the first time in my life, I didn’t even want to resolve my doubts. If until now I had lived by compromising with reality, then from now on I wanted to turn away from it and rest in his arms.

“......You make jealousy look cute.”

I had to admit it—

In the end, I had let myself be drawn into Kwon Yido. For the first and last time in a life that had held nothing precious before, I had gained someone precious. And I was only avoiding the truth out of fear, running away from it.

Sometimes, the signal of instinct is more certain than a dozen suspicions. If I could remain in the dark until the end, I wanted to turn away until the very last moment. I had even created a grace period for myself—weak-minded as that was.

“Mr. Kim has a wife.”

“......”

At my slow words, Yido’s hand paused. He stopped absentmindedly playing with my hair. His reaction struck me as amusing, and I let out a soft laugh like air escaping from a balloon.

“If you knew how devoted a husband he is, you wouldn’t say things like that.”

Mr. Kim had already been married for over twenty years. They had no children, but their marriage was happy, and he was as devoted at home as he was at work. Whenever he spoke to his wife on the phone, he became the most affectionate husband imaginable.

“So you called a married man out at night?”

“......”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. Put like that, it didn’t sound great. I looked up at him in disbelief, only to see his lips curve faintly.

“I’m joking.”

Even after waking up, his handsome face was untouched by disarray. Maybe that was why his words didn’t sound like a joke at all. He held my gaze and blinked slowly.

“You seem like the type who relies a lot on your secretary.”

It felt like I might be drawn into those dark eyes. Each time his thin eyelids moved, his long lashes trembled faintly. Who else had seen Kwon Yido like this—from this close, in such casual clothes? Probably no one but me.

“It’s not really because he’s my secretary......”

Calling Mr. Kim yesterday had been a simple mistake. I always called him; it had become a habit to dial his number without thinking. It felt a bit off to call that “reliance.”

“I guess I just got used to it. He was my driver even before I started working.”

From being my father’s driver to becoming chief secretary and attending to me—that span of time might seem short to someone else, but to me it was half my life. It wasn’t strange that, among my countless habits, one or two involved turning to him.

“So I wouldn’t really call it ‘reliance’...... Anyway, he’s not someone you need to be concerned about.”

That was my way of saying there was no need to be on guard. But whatever he was thinking, Yido’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He studied me for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“......Then what about me?”

I blinked, then opened my eyes again. His reddish lips moved agonizingly slowly.

“Do you rely on me?”

“......”

It wasn’t jealousy—

I could say that for sure.

It didn’t even seem like the childish desire to confirm my feelings. His seemingly calm eyes were filled with a tangle of emotions.

“Do you want me to rely on you?”

When I threw the question back at him, he pulled me into his arms, a hand cradling the back of my head. His pheromones wrapped around me, mingled with the faint scent of fabric softener.

“......That’s the thing. I don’t know.”

The answer was as quiet as a breath—quiet enough that I might have missed it if I weren’t focused on him. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then let me go without hesitation.

“Time to get up. You have work too, Jung Sejin.”

He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom with his back to me. I didn’t even think to stop him—just watched his broad back as it receded. For some reason, that retreating figure felt oddly familiar.

***

“Director, you’re here.”

“Good morning, Director!”

When I arrived at the company, the employees greeted me as cheerfully as they had when we parted at the barbecue restaurant yesterday. I thought their friendliness had only been boosted temporarily by the alcohol, but thankfully it seemed to have lasted until today. Seeing how much of their wariness toward me had faded, I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.

In the morning, I received reports from each team leader about the projects and schedules currently in progress. I had gotten a rough grasp of them yesterday, but it turned out the groundwork was more solid than I had expected. The brand hadn’t launched yet, but there were quite a few types of air fresheners being distributed through Seonho Trading.

The in-house brand “Sejin” was planned for a summer launch. Most of the products had already finished development, and only the design and naming remained. The first stores it would enter were the Seonho-affiliated department stores—a fresh reminder of just how important capital was.

“We can prepare some product samples for you to smell. Should we go ahead?”

“Yes, please.”

It would be difficult to change the label now. With the design logo already completed, I couldn’t suddenly create more work for them. I was sure Kwon Yido had already anticipated that.

“Ah, not now. Prepare them later this afternoon. You should eat lunch first.”

I set the report down and checked the watch on my wrist. Lunchtime was approaching. As I wondered what to have, I suddenly remembered what had happened before work this morning.

If you need something, use this.

This morning, as I was leaving the house, Yido had abruptly held out a card to me. When I didn’t take it and only looked at him in puzzlement, he didn’t push but simply tilted his head.

You can buy something you want.

From past experience, it was less a suggestion than an order. When he added that he should have given me a card sooner, it was clearly a continuation of the question “Do you want anything?” Well, I could always just not use it. That was what I was thinking when he saw right through me.

I won’t go as far as specifying how much you have to spend.

‘......’

If he meant to make me feel pressured, then he had half succeeded. The other half had failed because I was already used to his ways. If I wanted to avoid trouble later, it would be best to just use it within reasonable limits.

“Team Leader Choi, where do employees usually eat lunch?”

I asked as I picked up the card and stood. They probably each had a meal allowance, so most likely they grabbed something at a nearby restaurant. Sure enough, Choi’s answer was just what I expected.

“Uh...... we either eat out or order in.”

He added with a playful smile that thanks to me, they’d eaten something good yesterday. From what Lee Taeseong had told me, they hadn’t actually eaten much. They had probably been too self-conscious to order anything extravagant.

“That’s perfect. We’re going to eat something good today, too.”

When I grinned, Choi’s eyes widened. I shrugged and gave the card a little wave.

“Let’s go eat something expensive.”

***

Because I’d come home late yesterday, I returned right on time today as soon as work ended. Apparently, Yido had finished earlier than me—when I entered, loosening my tie, he was already at the front door to greet me.

“You’re back?”

“......”

Suddenly, I felt strange. For no special reason, the situation felt unfamiliar—me coming in from outside, and him waiting inside. Me in formal clothes, him dressed comfortably.

“What is it?”

When I kept looking at him, he tilted his head slightly, a faint question in his lowered eyes. I quietly looked away and stepped further inside.

“No, it’s just......”

Yesterday I hadn’t thought of it because I’d been drinking. But now I realized what it felt like to have someone waiting for me when I came home from work. Unlike the days when I’d returned to an empty officetel, now Kwon Yido was there to meet me. A moment I had never once imagined now quietly took a place in my mind.

“I don’t mind this.”

I supposed you could call it an ordinary daily life. Everything that had happened today felt somehow idealized. The work I’d done after so long had been rewarding, lunch with the employees had been enjoyable, and now there was someone to greet me when I came home. It really felt like I’d returned to a place of rest.

“It’s nice having someone to live with.”

“......”

Yido didn’t answer, only gazed at me steadily. When I lifted my head to meet his eyes, his gaze softened. He smiled faintly, his voice gentle.

“Shall we go to the greenhouse after dinner?” 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“The greenhouse?”

“Yes, I thought we could have some tea.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t been to the greenhouse recently. Once I started working, I would have even less time to go. Yido must have thought the same, because he winked playfully.

“I even put up lights. We should go before we get too busy.”

After dinner, we headed to the greenhouse together. Walking with him at night brought back memories of our engagement ceremony months ago at the Myeongseong Hotel Yeongbingwan—

The well-tended garden, flowers blooming everywhere. The formal wear had been replaced by home clothes, and with the warm weather, the awkwardness I’d felt then was nowhere to be found.

The greenhouse had peach blossom tea prepared by the staff in advance. The lights were already on, casting a gentle glow throughout the space. The teacups, with deep pink petals floating on top, gave off a soft peach blossom fragrance.

“It feels different at night.”

I murmured, and Yido looked around, lightly holding the handle of his teacup in his left hand. The ring on his straight ring finger glittered in the light.

“How’s work?”

“It’s fun. The employees are all nice, too.”

The scent of flowers filled the greenhouse, and now and then Yido’s pheromones mingled with it. It was reminiscent of the scent that had mixed with mine during heat, though now it felt more comforting than arousing.

“I’m glad you like it. You’ll be there a long time.”

He said it so casually, as if it were a given. So much for “just until you get your license”—now he wasn’t even bothering to tack on that excuse. That was so like him that I just smiled faintly and stroked my teacup.

“You haven’t mentioned the card.”

“The card?”

He tilted his head as if to ask what I meant. It wasn’t that he was pretending not to know—he genuinely seemed not to realize.

“I thought you’d want to know what I spent it on.”

I had used the card he gave me to treat the employees to lunch and dessert. I would probably only ever use it for things like that. I’d expected him to comment on it, but instead, he answered lightly.

“Use it for whatever you want.”

His tone was casual, as if simply stating a fact, not giving permission.

“If you wanted to use it, that’s enough. I forced it into your hand—I’m not going to interfere with what you spend it on.”

So he was aware he’d forced it on me. After sipping his tea, he set the cup down silently. Even without meaning to, his movements showed the refinement of someone well-trained.

“What about the license?”

“Oh, I found an academy.”

As Lee Heena had said, there weren’t many ways I could use a perfumer’s license. It hadn’t been my goal in the first place, so it didn’t matter much. With a bit of time and money, I could probably get it without much trouble.

“I’ll look forward to it. A present from you to me.”

For some reason, though he was smiling pleasantly, there was something almost forlorn in his face. In that brief moment, I reached across the table and took his left hand.

“I’ll treat you to a meal once I get it.”

Gently, I held his hand and brushed my finger over the ring he wore. His gaze followed my hand downward, his long lashes neat and even.

“We’ve eaten together plenty, but we’ve never gone out just the two of us.”

Outside this house, the places we had gone together could be counted on one hand. Our relationship had remained entirely within these walls. Even if we kept the engagement secret, surely it would be fine to have at least one meal together in public. I brought his hand toward me.

“......”

Then I pressed a kiss to the ring. It was what he had done to me at the hotel. “Let’s seal it with this,” I said, echoing his words, and he let out a ticklish little laugh.

“Alright...... I’ll look forward to that, too.”

His pheromones, relaxed and warm, were strangely sweet. He laced his fingers with mine naturally, his expression softening. We stayed like that, hand in hand, until we left the greenhouse.

***

Peaceful daily life repeated without much change for quite some time. In the mornings I went to work with Lee Taeseong, spent the day on similar tasks, and went to the academy to prepare for my license. I grew much closer to the employees, and the launch of “Sejin” was just around the corner.

Seeing me so busy, Yido sometimes wore the look of an abandoned puppy. He didn’t make a big show of it, but when I came home late, finding him standing at the door made him seem a little pitiful. And on those nights, without exception, I had to endure his unusually persistent attention in bed until late into the night.

The next heat cycle came at a fortunate time—right on the weekend. Yido didn’t go to work, and for two days we devoured each other like animals. When I finally woke, I found him waking beside me, and we shared a deep kiss.

It was a not-bad—no, a happy—daily life. Happy enough that I didn’t want to probe the sense of dissonance I sometimes felt from him. Happy enough that the name Haesin Financial Group was almost erased from my mind.

“Good morning.”

On Monday morning, I arrived at the office and greeted everyone cheerfully, as usual. Team Leader Yoon returned my greeting, and it should have been time for Team Leader Choi to brightly ask if I’d had a good weekend.

“......”

“......”

But for some reason, the office atmosphere was different from usual. The normally lively, energetic people were pressing their lips shut like clams. As I tried to figure out why, I noticed one employee hastily closing his laptop.

“......”

It was strange—

That small action caught my eye immediately. And stranger still, I found myself striding straight toward him, as if drawn in. Normally, I would never do that, but now I took the laptop from him almost by force and opened the screen.

“Uh—uh...!”

The startled employee awkwardly got to his feet. But the screen was already lit, showing the page he had just been looking at. One of the top three major news portals, with a huge headline and smaller text beneath it.

It said that my father had been arrested.