Chapter 30: The Involuntary Confession

Leehyun received a report about Seohee on his way home from work.

He was pleased to hear that although her morning sickness had not entirely vanished, she was no longer throwing up everything.

Seohee welcomed Leehyun as he entered the house, completely erasing the weariness from his face.

“You’re here?”

For a moment, Leehyun had the illusion of being back in the past.

The sight of Seohee, wearing a sleeveless white dress with a thin cardigan, drifting gently toward him.

“There is no need to wait up.”

Had her expression wavered quietly at the blunt words he had tossed out?

Seohee had waited for him while practicing the violin until late, and occasionally she would listen to music or watch a movie on the sofa.

Every time, Leehyun had repeated the same words.

There was no need to wait.

She didn’t have to run out to greet him every time.

In short, he was telling her not to do it.

Yet, every time Leehyun stepped into the entryway, he had hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was waiting for Seohee to come out at the sound of his return.

A self-mocking laugh slipped out softly.

“Yes, I’m home.”

An answer different from back then.

A firm resolve not to repeat the same mistake.

Leehyun had nothing holding him back from fearing her approach now.

“Aren’t you tired?”

As Seohee nodded, Leehyun gently pulled her into an embrace.

A brief kiss followed on the crown of her head.

“Will you wait for me like this tomorrow as well?”

At his words, which carried a subtle anticipation, Seohee’s cheeks flushed slightly with a smile.

“Shall I wait up for you?”

“Only if you aren’t tired.”

Leehyun couldn’t help but add those words out of concern that it might be too much for her, knowing the foolish Jin Seohee would do exactly as he wished.

“How are you feeling today?”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“That’s the word I’m most grateful for.”

Eating well, sleeping well—things he had never thought about in his entire life were now swaying Leehyun’s heart.

Just seeing Seohee eat well, or simply sleep well, filled his chest with emotion.

“What about your dinner?”

“Not yet.”

Leehyun replied while still holding Seohee.

“I’ll prepare it for you.”

“Really? Are you okay to do that?”

“Yes. I think I’ll be fine.”

Even at those words, Leehyun was immovable.

Even when her morning sickness subsided, Seohee could eat nothing but strawberries.

Even what she managed to eat, she ended up throwing up repeatedly.

It was what they called vomiting sickness.

His worried gaze could not leave Seohee.

Standing completely still, as if his feet were glued to the floor, Leehyun stroked Seohee’s cheek.

“I’m serious. Go wash up quickly.”

After sending Leehyun into the bathroom, Seohee scurried over to take out the prepared rice and side dishes.

It wasn’t even proper cooking, but simply setting things out.

“Come sit down, Leehyun.”

Turning her head at the sound of his approach, she saw Leehyun in a light robe.

Damp hair and a subtly tender gaze.

His bobbing Adam’s apple and his firm upper body drawing closer.

As sudden heat rose and her heart fluttered, Seohee lowered her gaze.

This time, Leehyun’s calves and ankles came into view.

Ah.

She swallowed hard without realizing it.

‘We feel like newlyweds.’

Even without looking, her cheeks must have flushed pink.

Unable to let him see, she bowed her head.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly from behind.

“L-Leehyun.”

She felt as though she might burn at the lips pressing against the back of her neck.

As she inhaled deeply, he kissed her cheek lightly and sat down.

“Can you really eat?”

She didn’t even know if she had answered or nodded.

Seohee sat facing him as if spellbound.

“E-eat.”

Why was she trembling?

She hadn’t done anything, yet her breath was short and she felt a strange churning sensation.

“If you eat first…”

At this rate, he looked ready to fold his arms and wait.

Since it seemed he wouldn’t take a single bite unless she ate, she lowered her gaze slightly, but a sudden wave of nausea struck.

“Seohee.”

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

As firmly and strictly as possible.

“Today, I want to watch you eat first. Then I’ll eat.”

‘You always fed only me.’

Perhaps not expecting her to act this way, Leehyun was momentarily speechless.

After hesitating, he slowly picked up his spoon.

At that action, her lips naturally curved into a smile.

While the food in front of her made her want to vomit just by looking at it, watching the food enter his mouth was perfectly fine.

She even felt a sense of satisfaction, as if she had personally cooked and fed him.

Having held out until Leehyun emptied his bowl, Seohee honestly declared her surrender.

“Jin Seohee.”

“I’m really fine. So don’t scold me too much.”

When she drooped the corners of her eyes as if she would feel hurt otherwise, Leehyun spoke no further.

Perhaps because she had suppressed the rising nausea in front of the food she couldn’t eat, she grew exhausted quickly.

Lying on the bed and closing her eyes, Leehyun quietly stroked her forehead.

“There, I’ll be right beside you.”

Under his patting touch, she drifted into a half-asleep state.

“I can’t live with you like this!”

A scene she felt she had witnessed before unfolded.

“What did you just say? Are you asking for a divorce after I raised someone else’s child to this point?”

“You think I can’t do it? Come here, Jin Seohee!”

Dragged by a strong force, Seohee was pulled along.

Her small groan was drowned out by the raised voices of the two.

“If you’re going, leave by yourself.”

“What? You’ve gone mad!”

“Yes, I am mad. Do you think I’m in my right mind under these circumstances?”

“What is wrong with you, seriously.”

“Leave Seohee behind.”

Taesik’s voice was resolute.

Though resentment took precedence over affection in the eyes looking at Seohee, he still did not retract his words.

“You hated her so much, repeatedly saying she wasn’t your daughter! Do you think I don’t know you held onto the child and said all sorts of unspeakable things to her whenever you drank?”

“Whether I hate her or love her, she is my daughter. I raised her. With the money I earned. The whole world knows her as my daughter, so why should you take her away!”

“Jin Taesik!”

“You said it well. Jin Taesik, Jin Seohee. Anyone would see us as family.”

Taesik let out a self-mocking laugh.

“If you want to leave, go alone. Leave my daughter here.”

From the hand pulling roughly, the violin slipped and fell with a thud from the shoulder of Seohee, who was wearing her school uniform.

With a few shakes of her head, the scene shifted immediately.

A woman in a white dress with long cascading hair entered with a violin.

“You look more and more exactly like your mother as time goes on.”

With a hiccup, Taesik, who was drinking at the bar, looked at Seohee and spoke.

“Please stop drinking. You will ruin your health.”

Shatter.

A wine bottle rolled across the floor, and shards splattered.

As she picked them up as if it were a routine, blood leaked from her hand.

“Say you’re sorry. Say you’re sorry!”

Ah, a large palm ultimately struck her head.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? What are you sorry for! Huh? Are you protesting because I didn’t send you to your biological father?”

“No.”

“I shouldn’t have trusted your mother. I shouldn’t have listened to her words. Knowing she would eventually fall back in love with that bastard!”

Aargh!

As if his rage was not appeased, Jin Taesik threw everything within reach.

“I think Mother was in the wrong.”

“What?”

“I think so.”

As a strong hand grabbed her hair, a sharp cry of pain escaped Seohee’s mouth.

“What exactly do you think? Hmm?”

“I think Mother was entirely in the wrong, and that she should never have met him again.”

Force entered her clenched fists.

As if all she could do was listen in silence, Seohee bowed her head while her hair was being held.

“Right, you think so too, don’t you? My daughter Seohee.”

Kneeling down, Taesik pushed aside the hair that had fallen forward, putting emphasis on the words ‘my daughter.’

“Yes.”

“What did your mother do wrong! Huh? Speak up. What did she do wrong?”

Staring blankly at Seohee’s face, Taesik suddenly shouted while breathing heavily.

Stop, stop. No. I don’t want to hear it.

With a soft groan, Seohee snapped her eyes open.

A lamp was softly illuminating the dark room.

“Haa.”

Although it felt undeniably familiar, no scene came to mind this time either.

Her head felt throbbing and heavy, making it impossible to remain lying down.

“Leehyun.”

They had clearly lain down together, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Seohee stumbled out of the room, throwing on the robe left on the bench bed.

One step, two steps.

Passing through the living room, Seohee’s footsteps led her all the way to the annex.

“The glass door?”

The door, which she expected to open automatically, remained still.

Ah, he said a fingerprint was needed.

As Seohee pressed her index finger against it, just as Leehyun had done before, the door slid open smoothly.

“Yes, Representative. The fastest way to strike Director Song is to secure her slush fund creation route.”

“What about the paper companies?”

As she approached the source of the voices, a sophisticated study came into view.

“We are looking into the companies as well, but the data there is strictly local. It might actually be faster to raid the art gallery.”

“The art gallery? Do you mean Gayuljae?”

A familiar voice.

Just hearing it calmed her anxious mind.

Seohee took another step closer.

“Whether there are smuggled paintings, or—”

“Would something like a list of overseas withdrawals and remittances be enough? Recently, Assemblyman Jung’s wife’s painting was 3.5 billion, President Oh’s painting was 1.5 billion, and besides that……”

The words poured out directly, bypassing her brain.

Though she shut her mouth belatedly, Leehyun and Seungho’s gazes locked onto her.

“Ah, what on earth did I just say……”

Covering her mouth with a trembling hand, Leehyun sprang up and approached her rapidly.

“Leehyun. Did I interrupt you…… I mean, I……”

Leehyun held Seohee tightly as she rambled incoherently.

“It’s okay.”

As his large palm rubbed her back, her trembling subsided little by little.

“Let’s go back first. Go back and rest.”

Seohee walked dazedly, led by Leehyun’s hand.

When her vision flickered and her stomach churned, causing her to falter, Leehyun quickly examined her.

“I think I’m going to vomit.”

The morning sickness, which had seemed to improve slightly, was starting all over again.

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