Eunha shot him a sideways glare.

Sensing her stare, he turned toward her, his eyes asking, “Why?”

‘Why?’

Was he really pretending not to know?

He was the one who’d asked whether she tasted good—yet she was the one who’d ended up devoured. He’d bitten her everywhere, so thoroughly that it would be difficult to find a single place left untouched. And now he was sitting there acting clueless? She could only feel exasperated.

How was she supposed to wear a swimsuit after this?

***

“That’s why hyenas are called the cleaners of the savanna.”

Hyesung chattered excitedly, explaining the book he had read yesterday.

“Was it fun?”

“Yeah! I want to read the next one soon. Actually, I started reading this morning… but I couldn’t finish it, so I’m curious. I’m going to read it after we come back from the pool.”

“You really like books these days.”

Every time she saw Hyesung discovering something new to love, Eunha felt content and deeply satisfied.

“Eunha, you look tired. Are you okay?”

He must have seen her stifling a yawn behind her hand.

She hadn’t slept at all, tormented by him until dawn. She only fell asleep after the sun came up, and by the time she opened her eyes, it was well past ten.

When she washed her face and brushed her teeth in a hurry before going downstairs, she found her mother-in-law, Hyesung, and him sitting together on the sofa, eating fruit.

Of all days—

Her first night staying at her in-laws’, and she had slept in. She had no face to show her mother-in-law.

‘This was all his fault.’

She had begged him to stop, pleaded to be let go. But he didn’t listen. He kept going.

Eunha felt tears threatening to spill as she ate her late breakfast. Although her mother-in-law was understanding, Eunha still wished that she could wake up early and prepare breakfast with her.

What a lazy daughter-in-law! She hoped her mother-in-law wouldn’t misunderstand her.

Normally, Eunha was diligent. She was always busy, and the thought of appearing to be a mother who couldn’t even prepare her child’s meal made her anxious.

Although she had no appetite, she couldn’t refuse the meal her mother-in-law had prepared. She forced herself to finish everything, and once she was full, the effects of the sleepless night hit her all at once. Sleepiness washed over her, causing her to yawn uncontrollably.

“Your cold isn’t getting worse, is it? Your face looks flushed.”

It wasn’t the cold—she was burning with anger at the man sitting shamelessly beside her. But she couldn’t say that, so she lifted her teacup and took a sip, hoping it would calm her down.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to go to the pool today.”

“No, I’m fine….”

Then she remembered the marks covering her body. Eunha lowered her head, unable to finish the sentence. There were none on her neck, but below that—

It was a disaster of colorful bruises and bite marks.

“But Grandma…”

Eunha was struggling to figure out what to say when Hyesung suddenly cut in. He glanced at him once, at her once, then called out to his grandmother.

“Yes, Hyesung. What is it?”

“Yesterday Mom was coughing, but today Mister is coughing!”

A suffocating silence settled over the room.

“I think Mom gave him her cold!”

Beaming proudly, Hyesung announced his conclusion, and Eunha’s face turned even redder than before, red enough to burst.

“Do you have a fever?”

His large hand covered her forehead. He clearly knew exactly why her face was red, yet he played innocent with infuriating ease.

She pushed his hand away, but their fingers briefly tangled.

“Tsk. Looks like we can’t go to the pool.”

She didn’t even have a fever, yet he insisted on treating her like she did.

“You two should go without us, Mother.”

“I suppose we should. Hyesung, let’s get ready for the pool!”

Watching her son happily trot after his grandmother, Eunha buried her face in her palms. She felt like she could die of embarrassment.

Beside her, he let out a low laugh.

He’s laughing? Now? He finds this funny?

“What do you think she’ll assume?”

“What else? She’ll just think you’re someone who likes to sleep in.”

“You call that an explanation…?”

She had clearly seen the pleased look on her mother-in-law’s face earlier; a soft, relieved expression that hadn’t been there the previous day.

Was it because she had confirmed that Eunha and her husband weren’t on bad terms? All the worry etched into her face had vanished completely.

“She might also think our marriage is… good.”

Every time he spoke, he coughed. It really seemed he had caught her cold. Considering how much they had kissed, it would have been stranger if he hadn’t.

“But we have to go to the pool….”

Her mother-in-law had been so excited. She’d even said it was her wish.

As Eunha murmured to herself, he absentmindedly toyed with her fingers.

“You won’t be going to the pool. Actually, you won’t be wearing a swimsuit again.”

Eunha’s eyes widened.

Possessiveness colored his voice unmistakably.

“If you want to wear one, you can wear it only in front of me.”

Again, his fingers brushed her nape.

Eunha shrank her shoulders and glared at him.

“We did enough yesterday!”

A sigh slipped from his mouth.

“Did we? You wouldn’t even let me in. All I could do was—your thighs…”

“Stop!”

She jumped up and hurried towards the master bedroom, where her mother-in-law and Hyesung were. She was practically fleeing.

Behind her, she could hear him laughing.

Her steps slowed.

Her thighs really did ache a little.

***

Eunha watched Hyesung with a satisfied smile. He, too, sat beside her, watching the boy.

The moment he woke up, Hyesung ran with all his strength to the Christmas tree. He found the gift box under it and began bouncing up and down.

“Mom! Mom! Santa gave me a present!”

Seeing her child so happy filled Eunha with a joy even greater than what she felt when she received a gift from her husband yesterday.

Instinctively, she sneaked a glance at him, worried he might feel slighted…but his expression was unreadable.

Yesterday, he had given Hyesung his Christmas present.

It was a LEGO room.

A desk and chair where he could build comfortably. On one wall, an acrylic display case for completed sets.

Seeing all the LEGO sets he had stocked inside left her stunned. People had been coming and going for days, construction noises here and there.

She had assumed he was renovating something he needed. She never imagined it was for Hyesung.

And that wasn’t all. He also bought an annual membership to the hotel swimming pool, so Hyesung could go with his grandmother. Of course—only for Hyesung.

Her lips pressed together as the marks that seemed to increase every day came to mind.

“I think Santa gave me a present because I was good! Mom, you know, right? Last year I cried a lot, so I didn’t get anything. But this year I got one!”

Eunha hoped he would grow up as someone who knew nothing of wounds.

“Santa!”

Suddenly, Hyesung threw open the terrace door and ran outside. He looked up at the sky and shouted with all his might.

“Thank you! I’ll listen to Mom and listen to Mister this year! And I won’t cry!”

Her eyes met his.

Eunha burst into laughter with a soft pff, and he broke into a wide smile.

This year, it was a white Christmas.

“Hyesung, you need to put on your coat before going out!”

The entire world had turned white.

Eunha grabbed his coat and stepped out onto the terrace. Hyesung was already crouched down, packing snow into a ball. She held out the coat to him. Once he pulled it on, he went right back to touching the snow.

“Aren’t you going to open your present?”

“It’s not the present I prayed for…”

Eunha blinked at the unexpected confession.

How did he know—without even opening it—that it wasn’t the gift he wanted?

Hyesung stared intently at his own belly as he continued.

“But it’s okay. I’ll get it next year. Maybe Santa couldn’t answer because I prayed too suddenly.”

So, what was that mysterious gift?

If he wanted it, he would have to tell her. She had tried asking him several times, but he never told her what he wanted.

Unaware that it was parents who prepared Christmas gifts, he simply smiled and continued building a snowman.

“You should put on your coat too.”

He had followed her out, holding her coat in his hand.

Heat gathered beneath her ear.

Being taken care of by someone still felt unfamiliar.

“Are you cold?”

“No. I’m not cold.”

Perhaps because the snow was falling, it didn’t feel that cold at all.

“Then why is your face red?”

“It’s warm… It’s because I’m warm.”

She pretended not to notice his amused, knowing smile.

“Should we go see the ocean? The three of us, with Hyesung?”

“…When?”

Eunha, halfway into her coat, turned her head at the mention of the sea. Her eyes widened. He reached over and gently tugged at her ear.

“On New Year’s. Let’s go watch the sunrise.”

Eunha pressed her lips together. She didn’t know whether her trembling jaw came from the cold… or from the sudden swell of emotion.

“Hyesung loves making wishes, doesn’t he? You don’t want to go?”

When she still didn’t answer, he started persuading her using Hyesung as an excuse.

“…Okay.”

Would he remember?

Six years ago, they had promised to go see the ocean together. They never ended up going. If the Eunha of the past had been braver… if she hadn’t run away, if she had faced him instead—Would anything have turned out differently?

But she knew better than anyone that regrets didn’t change the past.

Eunha lifted her gaze to the sky where the snow was falling.

“When do kids usually stop believing in Santa?”

“Hmm… maybe he’ll learn the truth next year? Why?”

Eunha looked at him with steady eyes.

“I think it’d be nice if he never found out.”

“……”

“He’s so happy right now. I want to buy him presents every year.”

Eunha’s pupils quivered faintly.

“…This kind of Christmas is nice.”

The sight of him speaking quietly like that lingered with her for a long, long time.