Chapter 83: He Wasn’t the One I Expected

“What on earth are you talking about, Woo-seok?! You know exactly what kind of person he is!”

“Please keep your voice down. You’ll scare our baby, Dad.”

Wrapping an arm around Go Ha-jin’s waist, Chae Woo-seok casually rested a hand over his stomach and spouted complete nonsense. There was no baby there to be frightened.

“Divorce… Chairman, do you really want that?”

Still holding Chae Woo-seok’s hand firmly, Go Ha-jin looked directly at Lee Ah-seong and Chae Il-joo. Before anything else, he needed to understand what they truly meant.

“Of course. Had we not known, it would be different, but how can we keep someone of such uncertain background as our omega son-in-law…?”

“Would you really be comfortable with that? As far as I know, there isn’t a single divorced alpha among the Chae family heirs. Ah… has Woo-seok already fallen out of the succession race, Chairman? Is that why it doesn’t matter if he gets divorced?”

He started by addressing Lee Ah-seong before turning to Chae Il-joo.

‘Are you really willing to leave that stain on your son’s record?’

Aside from Chae Jae-yi’s unusual circumstances, the conservative Chae family maintained their marriages at all costs, regardless of what happened outside them.

That was especially true for the alpha heirs, which was why they had never forced even Chae Jun-seok into a divorce.

“…That…”

Unease flickered across Lee Ah-seong’s face.

After all, choosing Go Ha-jin had originally been about strengthening Chae Woo-seok’s position within the family. Handing the inheritance to Chae Jun-seok was something Lee Ah-seong despised more than death itself.

“Exactly. You were the ones who pushed us into this marriage in the first place, weren’t you? You kept saying an elite omega like me could never be found anywhere else. And now the grandchild you wanted so badly is supposedly coming this quickly. Isn’t that all that matters?”

Looking back, Chae Woo-seok’s strategy had been remarkably effective.

Go Ha-jin had once wondered why it had been necessary to win Lee Ah-seong’s approval as a marriage partner. But now that decision had become a powerful advantage.

It had been Lee Ah-seong who insisted on pairing him with an unwilling Chae Woo-seok, giving Woo-seok the leverage to speak boldly now.

“And yet…”

While everyone remained lost in thought, Go Ha-jin continued.

“If you still insist… then I’ll grant your wish. I’ll get divorced.”

Even Chae Woo-seok stared at him in surprise.

Neither of them had anticipated this scenario, so they had never discussed it beforehand.

Without anyone noticing, Go Ha-jin lightly brushed his fingertips against Chae Woo-seok’s palm, a silent signal.

‘I don’t mean it.’

Only then did some of the tension leave Chae Woo-seok’s expression.

“Don’t you dare go back on your word.”

“As if I would. But if we’re divorcing, then let’s do it now.”

“…What?”

“Why should I hand over only the baby? It’ll obviously inherit elite traits. Do you think I’m crazy enough to give you the child and walk away with nothing?”

“You…! Do you know how precious our bloodline is?!”

“Exactly. If it’s that precious, you’re still planning to cast me aside? Fine. Decide carefully. If you want a divorce, then do it now. If not now, then there won’t be one.”

Go Ha-jin had his own reasons for confidence.

Lee Ah-seong’s case, having borne two children, was exceptional. One of them happened to be Chae Jae-yi, but that was beside the point. Pregnancies among people with dominant traits were difficult.

Chae Jun-seok himself had been born outside the household because preserving the family bloodline was so important.

On top of that, Tae Seol and Chae Jun-seok’s child had recently failed to inherit the traits the family desired, causing considerable embarrassment. They were more desperate than ever.

If anything, they probably wanted to boast about Go Ha-jin’s pregnancy to their exclusive circles immediately.

“…Don’t trouble our son-in-law any further. Let him rest and take good care of himself. It’s not as though our family lacks money… Sigh. We’ll let the past stay in the past.”

“Chairman!”

“Enough. If you hadn’t rushed this marriage in the first place…”

Though Chae Il-joo usually spoke with polished restraint, his anger now turned toward Lee Ah-seong. His clenched fists trembled visibly, suppressing a fury that seemed close to exploding.

Judging by Lee Ah-seong’s pale face, something serious was likely to happen later.

Go Ha-jin no longer wanted to waste any mental energy and stood up first.

Since Chae Il-joo had made his decision, the matter was effectively settled.

“But… we don’t have to worry about Jae-yi opening her mouth, do we, Chairman?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your background personally.”

Go Ha-jin found it difficult to read the emotions on Chae Il-joo’s face. He seemed deeply angry, yet not entirely hostile. His outward kindness should have been reassuring, but the strange way he looked at Go Ha-jin left him uneasy.

Just as he was about to leave the living room…

“My son-in-law.”

“…Yes?”

“You can continue managing the art center, can’t you?”

“…The art center?”

“I know you should be careful during early pregnancy, but some activity is said to be beneficial. Keep running it.”

“…Ah… Thank you, Chairman.”

It felt strange.

He had assumed he would have to relinquish the position, yet Chae Il-joo was personally telling him to keep it.

Even Lee Ah-seong appeared shocked, arguing strongly until Chae Il-joo grabbed his wrist and dragged him away.

“Do you think everything will really be okay…?”

“…I don’t know. We’ve got enough problems of our own. Let’s go rest.”

Running a hand through his hair, Chae Woo-seok walked ahead.

Go Ha-jin silently followed.

‘What in the world are they thinking? First they demand a divorce, then they insist I keep managing the art center…’

****

“Well, aren’t you living the good life?”

“Could you pass me some of those Shine Muscat grapes, noona? Our baby says it wants some.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“…Did you just yell at me? At me? A pregnant man?”

Chae Jae-yi’s face turned bright red.

Her eyes bulged with fury, and her tightly pressed lips had gone white enough that they looked ready to bleed.

Go Ha-jin had become utterly shameless.

These days he didn’t wake until the sun was already high in the sky.

Then he wandered leisurely around the estate before settling beneath an enormous canopy erected in the middle of the garden, lounging in a comfortable chair and napping until evening while eating fruit and snacks.

It was impossible not to see him.

Anyone passing through the central garden would find him sprawled there in full view.

Even Chae Jae-yi, who had tried desperately to ignore him for the sake of family peace, finally stormed over because she couldn’t stand the sight any longer.

“Don’t you think you’re overdoing it? You’re acting as if you’re the only person in the world who’s ever been pregnant.”

“Of course I am. This is exactly when you’re supposed to make a fuss, noona. Not while waving around a chicken head.”

Every word out of Go Ha-jin’s mouth was infuriating.

After all the effort Chae Jae-yi had spent uncovering his secret, it felt as though she hadn’t landed a single meaningful blow against him.

“And what if you don’t end up having an elite alpha child? You know your life will become even more miserable than his.”

She gestured toward Tae Seol, who happened to be walking by in the distance.

Lately, Go Ha-jin had begun to suspect that Tae Seol disliked him even more than before.

To be fair, Tae Seol had never liked him much, but after the pregnancy announcement the hostility had become unmistakable.

It bothered him.

Was it simply because of the pregnancy?

Or because the child was supposedly Chae Woo-seok’s?

There was undoubtedly some history between Chae Woo-seok and Tae Seol. Yet judging from the Chae Woo-seok he knew now, Go Ha-jin increasingly doubted the darker possibilities he had once imagined.

Still, Tae Seol’s obvious hostility made those suspicions creep back.

Lost in thought while watching Tae Seol disappear into the distance, Go Ha-jin absentmindedly popped a large Shine Muscat grape into his mouth with one hand while using his phone with the other.

“Yes, Chairman… Jae-yi keeps bullying me… Ah, one moment. Noona, the Chairman wants to speak with you.”

“You little-!”

Nothing drove Chae Jae-yi away faster than Chae Il-joo.

Rather than waste energy arguing, Go Ha-jin simply watched her stomp off with a sour expression before sinking back into the soft chair and closing his eyes.

The gentle breeze felt cool.

The scent of grass drifting through the air was pleasant.

Even the faint sunlight filtering beneath the canopy was comforting.

For a moment, everything was peaceful.

A kind of peace he had never expected to find in this household.

Surrounded by those soothing sensations, he drifted toward sleep.

“…Ah…”

Something tickled his face.

His eyebrows.

His forehead.

His eyelids.

His cheek.

The sensation was strangely pleasant and annoying at once, drawing a faint smile to his lips.

He had a pretty good idea who was responsible.

“You’re going to get in trouble.”

Who else would play such childish pranks?

So he answered casually, without honorifics.

“I’m going to get in trouble?”

At the unexpected reply, Go Ha-jin jolted upright.

The man leaning so close their faces were nearly touching was not Chae Woo-seok.

It was Chae Jun-seok.

Holding a small leaf between his fingers, Chae Jun-seok smiled playfully from an impossibly close distance, his face filling Go Ha-jin’s entire field of vision.

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