CHAPTER 1: Wedding Anniversary Gifts (Part 10)

After the performance, Moon-kyeong waited for Seo-wook, but he did not show up. There was no prior notice of cancellation, not even a text with the common excuse of running late because he was stuck in traffic.

Glancing at her wristwatch, she immediately turned on her heels. She thought giving him 20 minutes should be more than enough. She had no more patience to wait.

She was getting hungry. On performance days, Moon-kyeong often didn’t eat anything until the evening. 

The best she could do to fill her sugar level was chocolates, candies, or at most, a bowl of cereal. Just as she was thinking of making whatever was available at home, a message from Bora appeared, suggesting they have dinner together.

They met in Itaewon and walked into a high-end restaurant.

When the staff at the entrance asked if they had a reservation, Bora responded as a matter of course.

“I made a reservation under Seo Moon-kyeong.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll show you to your table.”

The staff led them to a VIP room on the 4th floor.

It was always like this. Bora was responsible for choosing the restaurant and selecting the food, but the reservation was always under Seo Moon-kyeong’s name.

Even when a French chef personally served their dishes and wine, Moon-kyeong maintained a stoic expression.

Bora, who took out a luxury lipstick from her bag last time and applied it to her lips, broke the silence.

“Why? What’s wrong with the expression?”

“I said I wanted to have a traditional meal.”

“Why not try French cuisine? Ah, are you tired of this kind of thing?”

Moon-kyeong’s chilly gaze fell on her. Increasingly, she realized that her patience with Bora was wearing thin.

Feeling her coldness, Bora immediately changed her attitude.

“Sorry. I saw it on a blog yesterday, and I really wanted to try it. I’ll be sure to ask you next time.”

Moon-kyeong, lifting a dish that seemed to be snails cooked with olive oil and herbs, responded with an expressionless face.

“Next time, make a reservation under your name.”

“Are you offended?”

“Yes.”

Bora, who had a glare in her eyes, quickly burst into a bright smile.

“Okay, I got it. I’ll do that.”

At the end of the meal, after a moment of reflection, Bora brought up Moon-kyeong’s marriage. She wondered if Moon-kyeong could really have everything, including being part of the Lee Han Group, even if she was adopted into Seo Jaewoo and Dohyelan’s house.

She rested her chin on her hands and asked seriously.

“How’s the marriage thing going?”

Moon-kyeong replied without much meaning, just stating whatever came to her mind, not really wanting to talk about it right now.

“Good.”

With Moon-kyeong’s affirmative response, Bora felt her internal organs twisting. The only fortunate thing was that it was with Kim Seo-wook. That dirty scumbag who had gone through numerous women.

Her grip on her wine glass tightened, and her face contorted into an odd expression.

“I’d rather have Kim Seojun.”

Moon-kyeong doubted her ears.

“Who? Do you know that person too?”

“How could I not know him? Of course, I know him well.”

In reality, Bora had never seen him before.

He might have shown his face at social gatherings at least once, but he was a person distant from such things. His sexual preferences or relationships with women were not known at all, veiled in secrecy.

According to others, his appearance was so dazzling that it was close to heavenly. 

He drew everyone’s attention, but he was so cold and distant that it was hard for people to approach him.

“He’s close to Congressman Jeon Tae-pyeong. Unless it’s with someone with a big name, he doesn’t bother with just anyone. There have been many marriage proposal talks here and there, but they say Kim Seojun’s side didn’t even blink.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, right. But they also said that Kim Seojun isn’t Shin Joo-eun’s biological son, and that’s why their relationship is so bad like they’re enemies.”

“What’s that about?”

“I don’t know the details either, just something I overheard secretly. In fact, there’s a lot that might not be true. You have to hear it with some discretion.”

Taking on the task at the request of Moon-kyeong, attending on her behalf, Bora never had a friendly conversation with them.

Without a close examination, it was possible because of their similar appearances. When they were younger, the two had distinct differences in their looks, but due to Bora’s misguided desires, they gradually started to resemble each other.

However, even though she attends social gatherings under Moon-kyeong’s name, it is impossible for her to mix with them.

It was a limitation that was perhaps too obvious. Despite attending under the name Seo Moon-kyeong, she could never truly be Moon-kyeong.

Moon-kyeong’s unfocused gaze fell on Bora again.

She made an effort to nod.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. The person I’m going to marry is Kim Seo-wook.”

“Yeah. That’s fortunate.”

Bora squinted her eyes. It felt like her twisted organs were finding their place again.