Chapter 5
Ina couldn’t help letting out a hollow laugh at Dohyeon’s answer.
“I see.”
She gave a short reply and slowly nodded.
“Have you made your decision?”
It was as though Dohyeon had no interest whatsoever in how his answer had affected her…
Or why she had asked him that question in the first place.
He simply urged her to decide.
Looking quietly into his eyes, Ina finally spoke.
“Yes.”
A faint, unreadable smile appeared on Dohyeon’s face as he lowered his head.
“Now that we’ve decided to remarry…”
“…”
“I’ll personally make sure your father’s business recovers.”
As he spoke, he stood up.
Ina’s eyes followed his back.
“And as for whether those accusations are false…”
He paused, lightly tapping his finger against the back of his chair before continuing,
“I’ll investigate it myself first and deal with it.”
Ina immediately rose to her feet.
“If it’s difficult for you to handle personally… then if you’d just allow me—”
“I’m sorry.”
Frowning slightly, Dohyeon turned to face her.
“Once you become one of my people…”
“…”
“There can’t be a single stain on you or anyone around you.”
“Ah…”
“If I let you handle this yourself…”
He raised one eyebrow.
“Can you guarantee you’ll erase that stain completely?”
Though his question was somewhat harsh, Ina answered carefully.
“Of course.”
“…?”
“I’ll do everything I can to make sure it’s handled perfectly.”
Her firm reply caught him by surprise, and his eyes briefly lit up.
For a moment, he remembered the day they had first met three years ago.
“You understand what this marriage means for both of us, don’t you?”
“Y-Yes… I…”
“It’s choosing a slightly less miserable situation to escape an even more miserable one.”
“… “
“So don’t sign these papers just because you’re acting on shallow emotions without thinking things through.”
He had spoken to her almost like a threat when explaining their contract marriage.
At the time, he was thirty.
She had only been a twenty-three-year-old girl who knew nothing, sitting across from him insisting she wanted to marry him.
The sight of her had seemed almost ridiculous, so he had spoken even more coldly.
Just as he expected, the frightened young woman had simply bitten her lip.
What was he supposed to do with such an inexperienced girl?
Watching her hesitate had only irritated him.
“Can you really do this perfectly?”
When he had asked again, trying to suppress his irritation…
“Yes… Senior.”
Without even meeting his eyes, she had answered so quietly that he could barely hear her.
But now…
That same voice carried confidence.
Her eyes were far steadier than before.
Her voice was filled with conviction.
She probably wouldn’t be hurt by my mother the way she used to be anymore.
Dohyeon quietly watched her before speaking with a faint smile.
“Fine.”
This time, he looked into her eyes longer than before.
“But I’d rather you put that determination to use somewhere else.”
“…Where?”
“Getting pregnant.”
“…!”
“I’d like you to do your best to get pregnant as soon as possible.”
With that, he turned away.
Ina silently watched his back before lowering her eyes.
She realized that even this second time…
She still wouldn’t truly be his wife.
“You should go.”
Without even looking at her, he spoke while gathering the documents scattered across his desk.
He put his glasses back on.
“I’ll contact you again.”
Then he sat down, clearly intending to return to work.
As Ina looked at the cold, distant man who hadn’t changed until the very end, his earlier words echoed in her ears.
“But don’t expect love.”
Slowly, she stood up.
But instead of walking toward the door…
She walked back to him.
Dohyeon, who had already returned to reading his documents, looked up.
“Is there something else?”
Ina nodded.
“I have one condition too.”
He stopped what he was doing and rested his chin on one hand.
“Go ahead.”
He looked directly into her eyes, wondering if she intended to negotiate.
“When we have a child…”
“…”
“Let me live only as the child’s mother.”
Her unexpected words made his eyes narrow.
“What?”
Since he had already said there would be neither love nor divorce…
She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life watching the back of a man who would never care for her.
“I’ll live only as our child’s mother.”
“I don’t want to live a life where I make the mistake of divorcing the same man twice either.”
Dohyeon let out a quiet laugh.
“A mistaken life?”
“Yes.”
“You can live only as the child’s father.”
Tilting his head slightly, he looked at her.
“So you’re telling me to forget about living as Seo Ina’s husband?”
Ina slowly answered,
“It was you who said not to expect love.”
“So…”
He looked at her closely.
“Did that disappoint you?”
“No.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“From the very beginning…”
“There was never any love between us.”
It was a lie.
But to keep him from seeing through it, Ina forced herself to speak even more firmly.
Dohyeon silently stared at her with an unreadable expression.
The silence stretched on.
As it continued, Ina was the one who gradually lost confidence.
Then he finally spoke.
“You’ve improved.”
“…”
“But you’re still terrible at lying.”
He stood up and locked eyes with her.
“You should say it properly.”
“…!”
“There wasn’t any love on my side.”
“But there was on yours.”
“…Probably.”
“W-What are you talking about…”
“That pathetic little love of yours.”
After saying that, he let out a short breath and nodded.
“Do whatever you want.”
“…”
“After the child is born…”
“If you want to live only as the child’s mother, or even live separately…”
“I’ll let you do as you wish.”
Ina silently looked at him one last time.
Then she bowed politely before quickly leaving his office.
Even after their divorce…
Just as Dohyeon had said…
She still hadn’t been able to let go of that pathetic thing called love.
Although she had only come to beg him for help…
The thought of seeing him again had secretly excited her.
She had even felt relieved that this time she could do something for him instead of simply depending on him.
She had dared to hope…
That this time she might truly live as his wife.
That she might give birth to a child who resembled him.
Thud.
The office door closed behind her.
The moment she stepped outside, her expression completely fell apart.
Ever since losing her mother as a child…
Her greatest dream had been to build a warm, happy family.
That was why…
Even though her marriage had ended in failure…
Even though memories of the hell she endured with her in-laws came to mind first…
She still missed the man who had once been her husband.
She missed the few moments of warmth he had shown her.
When she learned they might remarry…
She had believed that even someone as cold as Dohyeon might at least offer her a little affection.
It had been nothing more than a foolish misunderstanding.
A conceited hope.
Letting out a bitter laugh, Ina slowly walked away.
“That’s enough.”
“Pull yourself together, Seo Ina.”
“Just think about Dad and Injun.”
They were the only family she had left.
Nothing mattered more than protecting them.
*
Even after the door closed behind her…
Dohyeon remained sitting without lifting his head.
“When we have a child… let me live only as the child’s mother.”
It was something he had never imagined hearing.
If anyone had made such a demand, he would have expected it to come from himself.
He had never imagined Ina would be the one to suggest it.
“…”
Only after the sound of her heels had completely faded did he finally look up.
His gaze drifted toward the seat where she had been sitting.
Then he quietly bit his lip.
“…You’ve grown up, Seo Ina.”
She wasn’t a little girl anymore.
The innocent young woman who had once seemed so inexperienced was gone.
Even when they divorced, he had still seen her as nothing more than a much younger junior.
Not anymore.
The way she boldly met his gaze…
The way she naturally called him by his name…
Everything about her had become deeper and far more mature.
Her neat hair, which had once reached only her collarbone, now flowed well past her chest.
She had always worn light, flowing dresses in plain colors with flat shoes.
Today…
She had come wearing a dark wine-colored blouse, a fitted skirt that hugged her figure, and high heels.
He had never imagined that such graceful curves had been hidden beneath her clothes.
Even her normally gentle voice had carried a provocative edge today.
Dohyeon folded his hands together and slowly closed his eyes.
“Could you… sleep with me?”
Her trembling voice echoed in his mind.
The faint blush coloring her pale cheeks had looked beautiful beneath the office lights.
He had answered calmly that he saw no problem with it.
But the truth was…
The question had lingered in his mind.
Opening his eyes, he loosened his tie and leaned his head back.
“I wonder…”
“…have you been with another man before asking me something like that, Seo Ina?”
He murmured quietly to himself.
Then he immediately called Mrs. Hwang.
“Yes, Dohyeon. I was just about to call you. You need to meet another marriage prospect this weekend.”
Before she could continue, he interrupted her.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“…What? What do you mean?”
“I’ve found someone to remarry.”
Silence filled the line.
“You’ve… found someone? Who is she? Which group’s daughter?”
With ownership of Kanghan Department Store’s flagship branch almost slipping into Dojun’s hands, Dohyeon’s remarriage had become more urgent than ever.
Mrs. Hwang’s voice brightened with excitement.
“It’s Seo Ina.”
“…What?!”
“I’m getting back together with Ina.”
As he spoke, a dark, storm-like determination filled Dohyeon’s eyes.
