TIN 98

“…”

Breaking off the engagement? Hadn’t he said until recently that he had no particular reason to do that?

“I’m joking.”

Joo Do-hwa smiled and shrugged his shoulders. When I still gave him a dubious look, he leisurely stretched his lips.

“I don’t plan to yet.”

It was a similar answer to last time. Hadn’t he said why bother doing such a thing? He showed the same indifferent attitude as if, like Lee Yuna said, he didn’t care either way.

Suddenly, I remembered when I first met Lee Yuna. How she boldly asked me to seduce Joo Do-hwa and make him break off the engagement. Though I didn’t accept the bet, I had felt her desperation at that time.

“…Why don’t you just break it off?”

I spoke without thinking. A sudden surge of defiance rose within me. It was a rebellious feeling toward his composure that I hadn’t noticed last night.

“It’s not like you’re going to marry her anyway.”

Must be nice having such an easy life. Going to the sea, choosing a marriage partner—for Joo Do-hwa, these were as simple as choosing what to eat. Even though most people would find even eating difficult.

“Why keep up with the pretense?”

Perhaps because my words came out so sharp, Joo Do-hwa remained silent for a moment. He simply released my hair from his fingers and made a short sound in his throat. Then he spoke as if talking to himself.

“Why are you upset?”

“…”

My face wrinkled involuntarily. The nuance of the word ‘upset’ was too subtle. It felt like I was throwing a needless tantrum, like when he asked why I was afraid of injections.

“Surely you’re not jealous…”

He snorted as if he hadn’t expected that in the first place. He planted one hand beside my face and lowered his head to cast a shadow over me.

“Why do you think I won’t marry her?”

His tone suggested genuine confusion. Even though he’d said he didn’t want to marry. Had his mind changed already?

“There’s no one more suitable than Yuna.”

I knew that. Hadn’t I thought ‘she’s suitable’ the moment I first saw Lee Yuna? The right family, the right traits, and she knew her place—she was perfect for Joo Do-hwa.

“And she won’t find a better match than me.”

His languid smile accompanied words that weren’t wrong either. In terms of a business marriage, Joo Do-hwa would be everyone’s first choice. He was the Sae Group’s only heir, the world’s only ultra-alpha, and had no apparent flaws.

“We’ll probably end up married eventually.”

After saying that, Joo Do-hwa just stared at me silently. His calm gaze studied me as if inwardly making observations about my face.

When I kept my lips sealed without saying anything, he slowly straightened his posture.

“Don’t worry about it. Even if I marry, I won’t throw you away.”

He carelessly made such a bastardly comment, saying Lee Yuna was okay about such things. It was an incredibly ill-mannered declaration, but no one could point that out. It would be the same either way even if he ended up claiming he would throw me away.

“Besides, you said you didn’t care whether I broke off the engagement or not.”

Indeed, those were words I had once said to him. When he asked if I wanted him to break it off, I had calmly answered that it had nothing to do with me.

“…Right, it has nothing to do with me.”

That thought hadn’t changed at all. Whether Joo Do-hwa married or not, I had neither the right nor reason to interfere.

“Do whatever you want.”

“…”

Though I thought it was the answer he wanted, his expression became subtle upon hearing my words. His narrowed eyes looked as if trying to measure something.

But before I could realize what that was, Joo Do-hwa rose from the bed.

“Let’s eat. I’ll have them bring food to your room.”

Leaving only those words, Joo Do-hwa left the room without looking back. As soon as the door clicked shut, Lee Yuna’s words came to mind.

‘Want to make a bet? Whether Joo Do-hwa will marry me as planned, or break it off saying he wants you instead.’

Lee Yuna’s wish for me to seduce Joo Do-hwa into breaking off the engagement was like a child’s unrealistic imagination. Setting aside whether he would develop feelings for me or not, even if he did, nothing would change. Just as his attitude now showed.

See, Ms. Yuna? You’re going to lose.

Swallowing rising derision, I placed my hand on the mattress. The envelope hidden inside the bed seemed to flicker before my eyes.

***

“I think I’m going to win.”

A confident voice pierced my ear. When I glanced over, the woman before me flashed a bright smile.

“The bet, I mean. I’ll win.”

The woman with crossed arms and smiling was none other than Lee Yuna. Her hair, reaching down to her waist, was tied up loosely, and she wore a dress with a slim waistline. The dress, white enough to dazzle the eyes, had a design that almost looked like a business suit.

“What did I tell you? I said that bastard’s obsession was no joke.”

I wonder if she knew that her snort resembled Joo Do-hwa’s. While speaking confidently as if to prove her point, her expression showed clear signs of displeasure. The reason became clear with her next words.

“He wouldn’t even let me talk to you when I said I had something to say…”

I could vaguely guess. At the party a few days ago, Lee Yuna had asked for my time. But Joo Do-hwa had refused her request, and we hadn’t been able to meet until today.

“Look at today too. Letting me see you but saying to finish within 5 minutes.”

But…how did we end up like this?

The reason for this private meeting with Lee Yuna went back just 10 minutes into the past. While I was alone in my room having breakfast-cum-lunch and examining the garden’s structure through the window, Joo Do-hwa had suddenly appeared without knocking and said,If you’re okay with it, come out for a moment. Yuna says she has something to tell you.”

Why would Lee Yuna, who should be spending time with her fiancé, want to see me? Before I could question this, Joo Do-hwa personally took out clothes for me from the wardrobe. Though my clothes were comfortable, they weren’t unsuitable for company. Yet he suspiciously handed me a buttoned shirt.

“Just listen to what she has to say. Don’t get too friendly.”

The explanation ended there, and he took me to the reception room where Lee Yuna was waiting. Unlike during the party, there was no bed, only sofas, a table, and teacups.

“Such a difficult bastard. What’s with his good mood lately? It’s annoying.”

I didn’t know what conversation had passed between her and Joo Do-hwa, but it must have been quite irritating. After all, Lee Yuna had been grumbling continuously even after I entered the room.

More importantly, she thinks she’ll win the bet? Without even knowing what Joo Do-hwa said this morning.

As I awkwardly lowered my eyes, Lee Yuna belatedly asked about my well-being.

“Are you feeling better?”

It was a sensible greeting despite her previous irritation. Come to think of it, the last time she saw me, I had collapsed unconscious. Though it wasn’t that long ago, it felt as distant as a past life.

“I’m fine. I’ve recovered.”

“What was it? A cold?”

Since it was awkward to explain, I just answered “Yes.” Fortunately, Lee Yuna nodded her head instead of probing any further.

“That’s good that you’ve recovered. But why can’t you meet my eyes? Like someone who’s committed a crime.”

“…My eyes are a bit swollen from just waking up.”

I turned my head aside while making the awkward excuse. Though I’d shown my eyes to Joo Do-hwa, it was uncomfortable to face Lee Yuna. As a dominant omega, Lee Yuna might realize what kind of change was happening to me, having seen my eyes changing in real-time.

“Hmm? Are you suddenly trying to impress me?”

Lee Yuna laughed aloud as she asked with amusement. Fortunately, she didn’t seem suspicious, though it led to a different misunderstanding. Like thinking I was conscious of her.

“Don’t take an interest in me. I don’t want to die by Joo Do-hwa’s hands.”

I pretended not to hear her glib voice. I didn’t think Joo Do-hwa would kill Lee Yuna just because I showed interest. If anything, he’d probably deal with me for not knowing my place.

“He’s been hovering around you a lot.”

“…”

Another comment I had to pretend not to hear. Despite my lack of response, Lee Yuna continued, “A guy who wouldn’t care if someone died in front of him suddenly carried an unconscious person. I’ve never seen him lift anything with his own hands before.”

Was it my imagination, or did her usually cheerful voice sound even more excited today? I didn’t know if it was because she had something interesting to watch or because she had hope that she could break off the engagement.

However, her final words were quite serious, “The rumors are spreading. They’re saying this doll might really be his hyung.”