MHFM 08

Chapter : 08

“An acting career, you say.”

One of Taeheon’s eyebrows twisted.

She wanted him to postpone registering their marriage.

They had only just been about to settle everything, and now it seemed the registration would have to be delayed. He had intended to quickly establish Jiminchae as his marriage partner.

He had heard that Jiminchae had not gone to college and had instead been going around auditioning.

Could that acting career really be the reason?

Or had another reason arisen on their side of the family that made it impossible to register the marriage right away?

“I-I don’t mean that I never want to register our marriage! It’s just that I’m still disappointed that I haven’t even gotten a proper role yet! Once I appear in a production just once or twice, enough for me to let go of my lingering regret, I’ll register our marriage right away!”

Seeing Taeheon’s brow furrow, Soyul hurriedly continued explaining.

Taeheon let out a small sigh.

She was that desperate?

‘If I tell her it’s impossible and that we have to register the marriage right away, she might even cry.’

It seemed this was not merely a suggestion she had casually thrown out. She truly needed the registration to be postponed.

“…All right, then.”

Taeheon finally answered.

At his words, the tension in Soyul’s body instantly melted away.

She had been extremely worried that he might refuse.

If that happened, there was no doubt that Miyeong and Sangyoon would blame everything on her.

“Thank you…!”

Soyul smiled brightly.

‘I think I’m getting better and better at acting!’

She was relieved that she had managed to overcome another hurdle and could protect her family’s ashes.

Taeheon, however, merely turned his head toward the car window and let out a small, troubled sigh.

Taeheon’s house, located in Pyeongchang-dong, was a three-story building with one basement level.

The first floor belonged to Taeheon’s parents, his nephew-in-law Kang Yejoon, and Chairman Kang before he was hospitalized.

The second floor belonged to Taeheon.

The third floor consisted partly of common areas and partly of the youngest brother-in-law, Kang Taemin’s personal space.

After being welcomed by her new in-laws, Soyul was given a tour of the house.

After finishing the tour, Taeheon spoke when they reached their bedroom.

“The entire second floor is the space we’ll be using. This is the bedroom, but I’ll be staying in the study next door. So, Jiminchae, you can use the bed comfortably.”

Soyul, who had been anxiously holding her breath ever since entering the bedroom, finally felt like she could breathe a little easier.

She had been worried about what she would do if they had to share the same bed.

…But at the same time, she was startled to realize that, just a little—very, very slightly—she felt disappointed.

‘W-What am I thinking?! Why would I be disappointed?!’

Soyul scolded herself inwardly.

‘You absolutely have to avoid sleeping with Kang Seobang. You know how disastrous things will become if you don’t, right?’

That had been Miyeong’s order.

Soyul herself thought that would be completely unreasonable. She had been at a loss, wondering what she would do if such a situation arose.

But if they were going to use separate rooms from the beginning, there was nothing to avoid in the first place.

‘So this is completely fine. It worked out perfectly. It really couldn’t have gone better.’

Soyul repeated those words to herself several times.

“If word gets to Grandfather that we’re sleeping in separate rooms, things will become troublesome. So, formally, let’s make it seem as though we’re sharing the room.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Soyul nodded.

“I have to get back to the company.”

Taeheon said as he checked the time on his wristwatch.

“Make yourself comfortable, and if there’s anything that bothers you, tell me.”

“Yes. Thank you for looking out for me.”

Soyul answered.

But staying in such a wonderful place, she couldn’t imagine there would be much that could trouble her.

“Don’t just let things slide. Leave me a message if you have to. I’ll make improvements wherever you’re uncomfortable. We had to get married in a hurry because of circumstances on my side, but if Jiminchae’s life here isn’t comfortable, I won’t feel comfortable either.”

Taeheon emphasized it once more. His expression was extremely serious.

‘He really does care a lot about her, Taeheon oppa. I’m jealous of Minchae….’

The thought that, even if it wasn’t love, Jiminchae would receive such consideration from Taeheon throughout her life.

Soyul stared absentmindedly at his broad back as he left the bedroom. Only after she was left alone did she properly look around the room.

The calm, uncluttered bedroom interior somehow resembled Taeheon himself.

“Now it’s finally starting to feel real. This really is the beginning….”

Her life as ‘Jiminchae.’

The deception in which she would deceive Taeheon and his family.

This was the moment when the curtain was truly rising.

That evening, Soyul had her first meal together with the rest of the family, excluding Taeheon.

Soyul was nervous.

“When Minchae eventually takes that place, she’ll pretend to have amnesia. So you don’t need to worry about your memories not matching, but still, make sure you manage your image well as Minchae.”

She had a responsibility to do that.

Even if that weren’t the case, she didn’t want Taeheon’s family to have a bad impression of her.

“I don’t know whether the new bride will like the food.”

“Our chef is very good. You’ll like it. Try it, Minchae.”

Kang Jeonggyun and Jin Seonmi spoke warmly.

“Yes, thank you for the meal, Father and Mother.”

Soyul carefully began eating.

After taking a few bites of rice and wandering among the lavish dishes, she picked up a piece of boiled beef from a brass bowl.

The moment she put the meat into her mouth and chewed—

“Mmm…!”

Soyul’s eyes widened.

The meat practically melted in her mouth, and its savory juices spread warmly across her tongue.

Soyul tasted every one of the side dishes, one by one.

The food was so fantastically delicious that she felt as though she might even cry.

‘At home, I always had to eat whatever food the family had left behind.’

Because of that, she had never been able to eat the main dishes, such as meat or fish. Kimchi and vegetables were all she had been allowed to eat.

Soyul busily moved her spoon and chopsticks.

She was practically inhaling the food as though she hadn’t eaten in days.

Then, suddenly, she felt someone watching her.

Soyul stopped moving and raised her eyes.

Except for Yejoon, who was completely absorbed in eating sausages, the other three were staring at Soyul.

Gasp.

Soyul’s heart sank.

‘I must have been eating too greedily…! It was so delicious that I didn’t realize what I was doing….’

Soyul’s face turned bright red.

It was her first day, and instead of making a good first impression, she was eating like a glutton….

“I-I’m so—”

Soyul was about to apologize when—

Suddenly, warm smiles appeared on the faces of her in-laws.

“I’m glad you seem to like the food.”

“It’s really nice to see you eating so well. I don’t particularly like young ladies who just pick at their food.”

“Do you like late-night snacks too, Sister-in-law? Our family members are all so obsessed with staying healthy that they never eat late-night snacks, so it’s no fun. Let’s have some late-night snacks together sometime.”

The family members whom Soyul had expected to dislike her instead laughed heartily and encouraged her enthusiastic eating.

“Ah, th-thank you….”

Soyul was relieved, but she was still embarrassed, so she answered in a tiny voice.

“Yejoon, you’re eating only sausages again? You should eat a variety of side dishes like your aunt.”

“No. Don’ wanna.”

“If you keep being picky, you won’t grow up to be a handsome man like Uncle.”

Then Taemin popped the last remaining sausage into his mouth.

“Waaaaah!”

“Oh, my! Kang Taemin! Why are you bullying the child? Aren’t you embarrassed in front of your sister-in-law?”

The scene was far more human and ordinary than Soyul had expected, and laughter burst out of her.

“See? Your sister-in-law thinks you’re funny.”

“Laughing is a good thing, right? Isn’t that right, Sister-in-law?”

“Waaaaah, Yejoonie’s sausage!”

“This is our first meal together, and you’ve completely ruined our family’s image because of you, Taemin.”

Far from ruining their image, it was the opposite. The family she had thought would be difficult to deal with suddenly felt warm and familiar.

‘So mealtimes really can be this peaceful and happy.’

That’s right. Before her adoptive parents and older brother passed away, she had been like this too.

It had been so long ago that she had forgotten.

Because that happiness seemed to have returned to her side once more—

Soyul’s heart, which had been stiff with tension, had softened before she even realized it.

That night.

Taeheon finished his overtime work in the study.

After washing up, he quietly knocked on the bedroom door to get the clothes he would change into.

But there was no answer.

“Is she asleep?”

Taeheon carefully opened the door.

He could see Soyul lying on the bed inside the room.

Seeing someone else lying in his bed felt strangely unfamiliar, but surprisingly, it didn’t bother him.

As he crossed the room toward the dressing room, he came closer to the bed, and Soyul’s sleeping figure became clearly visible.

Perhaps she had kicked it off in her sleep, because the blanket had slipped down to her feet, and the hem of her pajama top had ridden up, leaving her stomach completely exposed.

‘I wonder if she has bad sleeping habits. It feels like I’ve gained one more child to take care of.’

Taeheon chuckled to himself.

He was already playing the role of a strict and decisive adult toward his immature younger brother, Taemin, and his emotionally unstable, spoiled nephew, Yejoon.

‘And now, I suppose I’ve gained a younger sister as well.’

Taeheon changed direction from the dressing room and walked toward the bed.

He looked down at her for a moment before pulling the kicked-off blanket back over her.

Come to think of it, he had seen a scene like this before, long ago.