“Take your time. This is important.”

The man’s deep voice cut through the silence from above her head.

Jian slowly lifted her gaze from the white paper she had been staring at absentmindedly.

Their eyes met in the still air between them.

His neat, polished appearance was at odds with the sharpness of his gaze — his jet-black eyes seemed to pierce straight through her. The cold precision of his eyes, the firm tone of his voice, and the way he spoke as if the outcome were already certain…

The entire mood between them shifted in an instant.

A subtle yet undeniable pressure filled the air, sending a chill across her skin.

‘I’m sorry. I truly regret this.’

She still remembered it vividly: the man bowing his head before her despite his poor health and visiting her in person.

At the time, she had thought he might be different from the other chaebols, but was that just a foolish illusion?

Lost in thought, Jian stared blankly ahead. The man nodded slightly towards the contract again, as if to prompt her.

He was telling her to sign it.

Her gaze dropped back down to the contract on the table.

[Marriage Contract]

She had never seen anything like it before.

Just like the turmoil inside her head, the black letters filling the stark white paper seemed to swirl and tremble before her eyes.

Clause 1. Party A and Party B shall enter into this agreement upon mutual consent, as outlined below.

Clause 2. Party A shall pay for Party B’s grandmother’s medical expenses, including full coverage of all future treatment costs.

Clause 3. Party A shall also assume full responsibility for the medical expenses of Party B’s younger sister, Yoo Jimin.

Clause 4. Party A shall provide to Party B…

At first, the terms seemed reasonable.

In fact, they were extremely generous.

But the conditions weren’t important right now.

She was at a dead end, with nowhere left to turn.

She had never imagined he would appear out of the blue and propose marriage.

“We do have… a certain kind of connection, don’t we?”

Seeing her hesitate, the man curved his lips into a faint smile.

“You happen to need me. And I happen to need you.”

As though fully aware of everything she was going through, he spoke without hesitation.

“You can review the details in the contract. If there’s anything you’d like to request, feel free to say so. If it’s reasonable, I’m open to negotiating.”

The man casually lifted the cheap, mismatched teacup in front of him and took a sip.

“However—”
He set the cup down, frowning slightly at the bitter taste.
“Additions are allowed. Removals are not. Every clause written there is something I need — non-negotiable.”

In short, he intended to fulfil all of these terms exactly as stated.

At that moment, Jian noticed her worn knitted sleeve resting on the table.

It looked pathetic — a reflection of herself.

He didn’t seem to care at all, but the sight filled her with shame. She hastily pulled her hands down beneath the table to hide them.

“I’ll give you a different life. The kind of life others envy. I’ll make that your reality.”

Jian clenched her fists tightly beneath the table, forcing herself to meet his gaze once more.

For a moment, her father’s face — eyes gently closed — overlapped with the man’s flawless features.

“My good daughter will meet someone better than me, and be loved, and live happily.”

Her father’s voice, now faint, echoed softly in her ears like a distant ringing.

The man sitting before her was someone her father had saved at the cost of his own life.

Eight years later, he returned with a proposal:

“Become my wife. In exchange for the price of your father’s life, I will take responsibility for yours.”