Chapter 11
She had to protect herself by whatever means possible whenever she had the ability to do so.
But this time was different. She wasn’t here because of self-defense or as a desperate means of protecting herself. She had come here because of a single-minded desire for revenge, intending to do something she absolutely should not do.
*Or is my heart really pounding just because that man is ridiculously handsome?* Either way, this was their first meeting, wasn’t it?
In Jiyi’s eyes, the man had exceptionally handsome features. More than flashy or frivolous beauty, he had a neat and sophisticated image. From head to toe, he simply exuded refinement.
The jawline that perfectly framed his features further enhanced Dong-in’s looks. As Jiyi instinctively admired his appearance, she found herself unconsciously walking toward him, unable to tear her eyes away from his face.
*Could I possibly have fallen for that face?*
Dong-in’s jaw wasn’t particularly sharp or pointed. From beneath his ears to the area below his lips, his jawline ran in an exceptionally smooth, straight line. This created a three-dimensional flow from his forehead and cheekbones down to his jaw, giving his face an overall beautiful harmony.
All those elements combined to create the perfect foundation for the refined, aristocratic look of a young gentleman.
Anyway, after staring at his face for quite some time without being able to hide her admiration—
“Have you seen enough?”
Ah!
“……”
“If you’ve looked enough, sit down now.”
*Error. Error.*
It felt as though something inside her chest had suddenly deflated with a hiss.
*Fifty points out of a hundred.*
“……”
Her chest no longer felt strangely heavy and aching. And although she had no idea why she felt that way, she was also slightly disappointed.
“I absolutely hate people who use my time however they please.”
*As expected. Heh. What a shame…*
If only he hadn’t opened his mouth, he would have scored 120 out of 100.
“……”
Judging from the emphasis he placed on the word *people* in “I hate people who use my time however they please,” it seemed that Heo Dong-in wasn’t particularly fond of associating with others.
Furthermore, considering that he had apparently met Im Arang several times before, Jiyi could infer that he had probably thought more than once about the types of people he absolutely hated.
Taking everything into consideration, it was possible that this man didn’t simply dislike people in general.
He might specifically hate Im Arang herself.
*It’s obvious he doesn’t like her, so why would he agree to marry her? And why go this far?*
“Give it to me.”
*Give him what?*
“……”
“The medical certificate.”
Ah!
“……”
The reason Jiyi was keeping quiet for now was to assess the situation.
She had roughly figured out how many times Arang and Dong-in had met. What she didn’t know for certain was what exactly they had talked about.
That was only natural. Even when Jiyi had tried to conduct something resembling advance research, Arang had been completely uncooperative because entertainment always came first for her.
*And with that attitude, how on earth did that woman have the nerve to order me to deceive her fiancé, parents, and older sister?*
Indeed, ever since the two had reunited in front of the prison, every place Jiyi and Arang had met had been a club.
There, Arang would sit with relatively young-looking men on either side of her and give Jiyi various instructions. Following those instructions, Jiyi had transformed herself from head to toe, learned the etiquette of high society, and even undergone a gynecological examination.
Of course, there had been far too little time for her body to fully recover to normal, so she had simply reached an agreement with Arang that she would claim to have had a few experiences.
The ironic part was that Jiyi had never slept with a man even once.
Even so, she wasn’t completely ignorant about the subject.
Anyway, judging from the conversation between Arang and Dong-in the previous day, Jiyi concluded that Dong-in was probably worried that Arang might be carrying various illnesses.
Therefore, she expected that all she needed to do was reassure her prospective fiancé regarding that particular matter.
Having reached that conclusion, Jiyi underwent the medical examination and specifically asked the specialist to conduct a thorough examination in that regard.
*More importantly, I’m curious about my own physical condition too.*
Since birth, Jiyi had never had anything to her name.
Throughout her twenty-six years of life, she had been poor, without parents, power, or influential connections—a weak and insignificant person.
And when someone happened to be exceptionally beautiful under such circumstances, she had ample reason to realize that the odds of surviving in this world without being harmed were painfully low.
*My life, abandoned from the moment I was born, was exactly like that.*
Jiyi had been considered one of the most beautiful women not only outside in the world but especially within the relatively confined environment of the facility.
In a way, it was inevitable that she would become the target of other people’s attention.
As a result, willingly or unwillingly, Jiyi hadn’t been completely able to keep herself isolated from physical relationships throughout those eight years.
There had been more than one occasion when she had met someone else’s eyes in the darkness.
Indeed, the place where Jiyi had lived had not been solitary confinement.
Even so, she could say that the later years of her life there had been relatively peaceful, at least by her own standards.
The early years, however, had been different.
Because she had fought desperately against her circumstances, she had been exposed to several brutal and inhumane situations.
As a result, she hadn’t merely suffered bruises scattered across her face and body. She had also endured severe inflammation and other physical complications.
Once, Jiyi’s emotional and physical injuries had become so serious that a specialist warned her that her life could be in danger if things continued that way.
*I can’t die like this.*
At some point, a realization suddenly struck her.
*Song Ji-ru! No—Im Arang!*
She trembled with rage at the thought that the person responsible for turning her into this person wasn’t merely the cell leader.
*Yes. I absolutely cannot die like this.*
That was what made Jiyi decide to adapt to her environment.
From then on, she stopped resisting the cell leader.
*If I can’t survive long enough to leave this place and take revenge, then at the very least, I have to live long enough to crush them beneath my own feet.*
From that moment onward, Jiyi instead began devising various schemes to keep the cell leader on her side.
As a result, the cell leader became obsessed with Jiyi and remained completely under her influence until the day she was released.
Anyway, sometimes Jiyi felt strangely proud of herself for surviving that savage jungle.
Putting that aside, fortunately, the recent examination had confirmed that her body was perfectly healthy.
In truth, Jiyi had been deeply worried about her physical condition herself.
*Still, what a strange turn of events.*
*Who would have thought the day would come when I’d actually feel grateful for the cell leader’s obsession and possessiveness?*
Because of that possessiveness, which had begun early during Jiyi’s incarceration, she fortunately no longer had to forcibly associate with this person or that person during the middle and later years.
Moreover, the cell leader had personally taught Jiyi practical combat techniques, telling her that she had to protect her own body herself.
