Chapter 1

Inside the dining room of a luxurious mansion.

President Yoo Chan-hyuk, his wife, and their daughter Hyunsoo were in the middle of dinner. Although the whole family was gathered, the atmosphere was quiet and desolate. Not even the faint sound of utensils clinking could be heard.

“By the way.”

Breaking the silence, Chan-hyuk, the father, spoke up. Miran, the mother, lifted her eyes that had been demurely cast downward.

“Yes.”

“It looks like we might be able to secure investment from Chairman Kwon of JK Investment Bank.”

“Oh my, really?”

“If we get this investment, acquiring land for the Migan New Town residential project won’t be difficult.”

Chan-hyuk ran a small construction company called Euro Construction. He was a textbook example of a self-made man.

He had started as a regular employee at a mid-sized construction firm, risen to the executive level, and then resigned to establish Euro Construction. Year by year, the company continued to grow.

However, Hyunsoo had no interest in business matters. All she wanted was for dinner to be over so she could go to her room. Being around her parents made her feel like she was suffocating.

“That’s wonderful. You worked hard to get that investment.”

“If this works out, our Euro Construction can finally shed the label of a small business and make a leap forward.”

Ugh. When will this meal be over?

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Hyunsoo couldn’t even taste the food. What she really wanted was to scoop up a big spoonful of rice and chew with her mouth full.

But if she acted like that, her parents’ wrath would surely follow.

Since she was young, under the name of etiquette training, Hyunsoo had been micromanaged down to how she breathed and walked. Her parents demanded perfection and wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest lapse.

“Speaking of which, I heard Chairman Kwon’s grandson is still unmarried.”

“How old is he?”

“Thirty.”

“Then is he the heir to the chairman’s business?”

Her parents were very invested in raising their daughter well. Not out of love.

It was all to create business ties, to use her as a tool for business, essentially to sell her off at a high price.

But the elder daughter, Eunsoo, had failed. Now, all that remained was Hyunsoo, who had just turned twenty.

“No. He didn’t take over the business; I heard he became a journalist at a broadcasting station.”

“Still, being the chairman’s grandson means inheritance……”

“Of course he’ll inherit everything. I heard from a close associate that Chairman Kwon is extremely fond of his grandson. It makes sense, he’s the only grandson left behind by his only son who died young.”

Up until that point, Hyunsoo had no interest in her parents’ conversation. All she could think about was finishing her meal and escaping the uncomfortable situation.

“So I casually sounded Chairman Kwon out. Asked him what he thought about becoming in-laws with us.”

In-laws?

In-laws…?

Clink.

Startled by the word, Hyunsoo dropped her spoon. It hit the porcelain bowl with a small sound.

“Tsk.”

Immediately, Chan-hyuk’s disapproving glare and tongue click followed. Hyunsoo quickly picked up her chopsticks. Her hand trembled slightly.

Marriage was supposed to happen after graduating from college.

That’s what she’d been told. After graduation, she would start going on arranged dates, and eventually marry someone suitable.

That was the life plan and fate Chan-hyuk and Miran had set for Hyunsoo.

“Oh my, in-laws?”

Even Miran seemed surprised by the unexpected proposal.

“If we become in-laws with Chairman Kwon, securing the investment will be a breeze. And not just that, there won’t be any need to worry about funding in the future.”

What do I do…

Hyunsoo’s vision went dark. She already knew her marriage would be one of convenience, without love. But she had thought that was still years away. She never imagined it would happen now.

“It’s better to marry her off early. That way we can avoid another disaster like what happened before.”

By ‘what happened before,’ Chan-hyuk was referring to Hyunsoo’s older sister, Eunsoo.

A year ago, Eunsoo disappeared the day before her wedding. She vanished without a trace. No matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find her.

Chan-hyuk had searched furiously but to no avail. All they managed to find was an immigration record showing she had left the country.

Because of that incident, her parents tightened their grip on Hyunsoo, taking away even the smallest freedom. Wherever she went, they assigned an aide to prevent her from straying.

“Looks like Chairman Kwon briefly saw Hyunsoo at the last charity event. When I brought up the marriage talk, his face lit up.”

“Oh my, really?”

“He said he’d arrange a meeting soon, so make sure the girl is well-prepared. We don’t want people saying she’s poorly raised.”

“Of course.”

“Becoming in-laws with Chairman Kwon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We have to make it happen no matter what.”

As Chan-hyuk stood up from the table, Miran followed after him. Only Hyunsoo, shocked, was left sitting at the dining table.

“……Ugh.”

What do I do, I feel like I’m going to cry.

Hyunsoo bit her lip until it turned white, holding back her tears.

Just twenty years old.

There were so many things she wanted to try, and so many she hadn’t yet experienced. Even while living under the suffocating traditions of her household, she sometimes dreamed of modest freedom.

Like drinking with friends, joining a club, or working a part-time job.

All I want… is that kind of ordinary life.

But even that ordinary life was denied her. A sorrowful existence.

If she got married, she’d likely continue living a life of constraint, only now, it would be her husband and in-laws doing the restricting instead of her parents.

Her throat burned, and her nose stung.

“……”

I won’t cry over something like this.

It was something she had always known would happen, just sooner than expected.

Hyunsoo held back the sob rising in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes but refused to fall, hanging there in silence.

I won’t cry.

It was Hyunsoo’s last shred of pride, living in this house not as a daughter, but as a tool.

***

In front of Hanil University’s campus cafeteria.

Hyunsoo was heading inside with her classmate Yoonkyung to have lunch. Yoonkyung stopped walking when she spotted someone across the street.

“Isn’t that the driver from your house?”

Hyunsoo followed Yoonkyung’s gaze.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

Driver Jo had been following Hyunsoo from a distance since morning, keeping an eye on her.

“Why is he here already? We still have class left.”

“Sigh.”

When Hyunsoo let out a sigh without answering, Yoonkyung quickly caught on and gasped.

“No way… Is that guy spying on you?”

“Yeah. My dad told him to.”

“Ugh, what the hell…”

Yoonkyung couldn’t bring herself to curse out loud, but her face said it all. She was the only friend Hyunsoo had made since entering university, and the only one who knew about her situation.

After being informed by Chan-hyuk that, just like in high school, a driver would be assigned to her after every class, Hyunsoo resigned herself to becoming an outsider. Even if she made friends, the thought of grabbing coffee with them was a distant dream, something she had already given up on.

But on the first day of class, Yoonkyung had warmly struck up a conversation, and the two had naturally become close. Now, they were inseparable best friends.

“Let’s just go inside. The driver’s only doing what he’s told.”

Hyunsoo pulled the flustered Yoonkyung by the arm and led her into the student cafeteria building. The two of them sat together at a corner table to eat.

“This is seriously messed up. It’s bad enough they’re trying to marry you off to some guy ten years older, and now they’re even spying on you?”

Yoonkyung fumed, barely touching her food. Hearing her friend get angry on her behalf made Hyunsoo feel a little better. A bitter smile slipped from her lips.

“Yeah, I know.”

“So? Did you look into who the guy is?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t marry him. Just come live at my place instead.”

Even if she ran away, Chan-hyuk would find her no matter what. Yoonkyung had no idea how ruthless he could be when it came to getting what he wanted. He might even harm her family.

“Thank you.”

Still, Hyunsoo was touched by Yoonkyung’s offer and gave her a faint smile.

“So, who is it?”

“Actually… you know him too.”

“Someone I know?”

“Reporter Kwon Jae-ha from NHC’s political desk.”

At the mention of Jae-ha’s name, Yoonkyung tilted her head as if the name sounded familiar. Then her eyes widened.

“Wait—really? Kwon Jae-ha? Seriously? The one who gave a lecture at our school not long ago?”

Hyunsoo had been just as surprised when Miran told her that Jae-ha was the arranged match. Though she hadn’t opened her mouth in shock like Yoonkyung, she was still taken aback.

“Yeah, him.”

It had been about a month ago.

Jae-ha, a graduate of Hanil University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, had given a career lecture. Though the lecture was mainly for students in that department, many students from other majors attended too since he was an active reporter.

Among them were Hyunsoo and Yoonkyung.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe this. Your arranged match is Reporter Kwon Jae-ha? That’s unbelievable.”

Hyunsoo recalled seeing Jae-ha in the auditorium that day. She had been deep in thought while listening to his lecture.

[Before you look for a job, you need to know what it is you really want to do.]

That one sentence made Hyunsoo feel down. For her, finding a job after graduation was a far-off dream, her reality was being sold off into marriage.

But at the same time, she found it admirable that Jae-ha could speak like that so confidently. He knew what he wanted and was turning his dreams into reality.

“Reporter Kwon Jae-ha? Seriously?”

Yoonkyung still looked like she couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah, seriously.”

“I can’t believe this. I didn’t tell you before, did I? After your dad called you away, right in the middle of the lecture.”

After I left?

Hyunsoo hadn’t been able to stay until the end of the lecture. She had rushed out in the middle after getting a message from Miran saying Chan-hyuk was coming home early.

“What happened after I left?”

“During the break, I saw Reporter Kwon Jae-ha up close.”

“What was he like?”

They had only managed to grab seats at the far end of the auditorium, so to Hyunsoo, his face had looked no bigger than a dot. She only remembered his overall appearance, his tall frame and how well his suit fit him.

“He was absolutely stunning.”

Yoonkyung smiled as she recalled Jae-ha.

“Absolutely stunning?”

Hyunsoo eagerly waited for Yoonkyung to elaborate. Yoonkyung burst into a bright laugh as she replied.

“He’s handsome. He walked by me, and I literally stopped in my tracks just to stare at him.”

Handsome?

But that wasn’t enough to comfort Hyunsoo. It was a marriage she was being sold into. She couldn’t help but think, How handsome could he possibly be, anyway?

“I wasn’t the only one who thought so, everyone was staring. He’s a successful journalist, handsome, and comes from a good family. He’s got it all.”

“……”

“His lecture that day was really solid too, remember?”

The more praise she heard about Jae-ha, the more conflicted Hyunsoo felt. No matter how perfect his credentials were, she didn’t want to get married.

“Huh?”

Just then, Yoonkyung suddenly seemed to remember something. She blinked quickly and called out to Hyunsoo in a hurry.

“Hyunsoo, Hyunsoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Wait a second.”

“What is it?”

Yoonkyung stammered in surprise.

“It’s about Reporter Kwon Jae-ha. During the lecture that day, I’m sure he said… Wait. Hyunsoo, is this marriage even possible?”

“Huh? What do you mean ‘possible’?”

“This marriage might not even happen. No—if it does, that’s what would be weird!”

What is she talking about?

Not knowing the reason, Hyunsoo looked at Yoonkyung nervously.