Autumn had arrived and the rice fields were ripe for harvesting. The wedding preparations had been unofficial so far.

It had been three months since Soo-min’s divorce, and until then Yuhyeon had refrained from publishing any articles about it.

However, as the wedding approached, delaying the announcement was no longer an option.

“Tonight at 9 pm, the article about the wedding will be published on the news.”

“Understood.”

“There will be many guests arriving from Russia, so refrain from accepting hotel bookings for about a week.”

“Got it.”

Knock, knock.

With the sound, the wedding dress designer entered the room.

With all eyes on them, the bride’s dress and the groom’s tuxedo were being prepared in utmost secrecy.

“Bride~ Please come this way.”

“…”

Soo-min followed the designer into the guest room and watched in silence as they helped her change into the dress like a wooden doll.

“Luckily, the tiara was ready just in time.”

“Yes…”

Adorned with thousands of diamonds, the tiara radiated a dazzling brilliance. To Beom Yuhyeon, a tycoon whose name was often mentioned among the world’s richest, the diamonds seemed as abundant as the stones along the roadside.

“Oh my! It’s beautiful. How does it fit so perfectly?”

“Let’s go ahead and finish the makeup as well.”

The designers all shouted in unison, but to her it didn’t feel like their own. Everything felt fake – a mere prop for a show to be displayed.

Soo-min’s stomach felt heavy.

“It’s done. The bride will come out now.”

She walked forward, following the servants who held up her dress and escorted her. As the doors opened, Yuhyeon, dressed in a tuxedo, came sharply into view.

Ah.

Ahhh.

Her eyes were dazzled. The sight of the perfect man, flawless from head to toe, left her wide-eyed.

With his tall stature, his perfectly proportioned, chiseled face, and a luxurious suit that fit him perfectly, he commanded everyone’s attention. He exuded a noble presence, almost like royalty from some distant nation.

The exclamations of admiration from the designers could be heard.

Yuhyeon quickly looked Soo-min up and down.

“You look beautiful.”

“You look good too.”

She offered a weak, awkward smile.

“Now, bride and groom, could you stand together? Let’s do a final check.”

Yuhyeon put his hand gently on Soo-min’s waist.

“Like this?”

“Hoho, yes, it looks perfect. In all my years of assisting countless couples, this is the first time I’ve seen such a stunning couple.”

“Thank you.

“It’s an honor to serve you.”

The designer of his wedding dress couldn’t stop praising him. Beom Yuhyeon’s influence was such that once his name was out there, the advertising effect was worth hundreds or even thousands of times more.

Just like the Clitié Hotel, which had a 100% occupancy rate and a 200% waiting list for the past three months, the dress shop would see an influx of customers.

Soo-min found the jeweled dress heavy. Wearing a dress that didn’t fit her was overwhelming.

The two stood side by side in front of the large mirror.

“It looks great. What do you think, Soo-min?”

“I think the same.”

“The media will be in a frenzy tonight. But don’t worry too much, only invited guests will attend the wedding, excluding journalists.”

“Thank you.”

Yuhyeon gently took Soo-min’s hand and kissed the back of it. In front of others, he played the role of a loving partner perfectly.

Unlike him, Soo-min struggled to force a smile, her lips twitching with effort.

He seemed to be a truly happy man, which made it easy to believe the illusion.

Soo-min stared at Yuhyeon intently. Then he gently pulled her closer to his waist and kissed her on the lips.

“Oh my!”

“Isn’t it wonderful?”

As if enjoying the attention of others, Yuhyeon’s kiss didn’t stop there.

As the warm flesh swept through her mouth, she was startled.

It wasn’t like him. The soft kiss was unpleasant.

In private, he kissed like a beast, which made this tenderness all the more unsettling.

Did her dislike show on her face?

Suddenly, his lips curled into a frown.

He leaned forward and whispered coldly in her ear.

“Acting requires coordination. If you don’t want people to think your second marriage is unhappy, then act properly.”

Soo-min snapped back to reality.

She looked directly at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. Then she put her arms on his shoulders and kissed him willingly.

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment.

It seemed he was startled – it was the first time she had initiated a kiss.

Acting? She could do it as often as she wanted.

Yes, her second marriage – she could do it better than the first.

Soo-min clung to him as if she wanted to hug him. In response, he wrapped his arms around her waist with crushing force.

“I love you, Yuhyeon.”

She flinched. For a moment, Yuhyeon’s body froze.

Although the words were spoken as part of the act, they rolled off her tongue surprisingly naturally. The one who was really surprised seemed to be Yuhyeon.

“I love you too.”

When they declared their love for each other, the designers were overjoyed. They proudly displayed their creations for the couple’s future and cheered their happiness.

The words exchanged between their lips were sweet vows of love, but their stiff bodies told a different story.

“It seems you don’t like arranged marriages either.”

For Yuhyeun, having a wife was merely a necessity for doing business in Korea. Compared to the freedom of being single, the restrictions felt overwhelming – or so Soo-min thought.

As soon as Yuhyeun got out of his tuxedo, he rushed to the bathroom. He choked and threw up everything he had eaten that day.

His eyes were red and bloodshot. He turned on the faucet and roughly washed his face. Unable to find satisfaction, he turned the showerhead on himself and let the water cascade over his body.

Yuhyeon nervously brushed back his soaked hair.

He stared at his pale, exhausted face in the mirror while Soo-min’s voice echoed in his ears.

“I love you.”

Yuhyeon clenched his fists.

“To hear those words from your mouth again…”

The moment he heard her say that she loved him, his insides churned violently. An uncontrollable wave of hatred rose within him. If not for his rational self-control, he might have revealed to her that he was Ji Junhwan.

Yuhyeon’s gaze sharpened fiercely.

It is already too late. Those words should have been said while Junhwan was still alive. I have no regrets.

***

Soo-min stood in front of Yedo’s hospital room but couldn’t take a step forward.

“I have to say it. If I wait any longer, I’ll be criticized.”

Soo-min pushed open the door with a creak. It seemed as if her mother-in-law had stepped out for a moment. Inside the private hospital room, Yedo could be seen breathing through a respirator.

Lying motionless as if asleep, Yedo looked no different from a corpse.

“Don’t worry about it. Live as you wish.”

“Just make sure my in-laws have nothing to worry about.”

“If you care so much about what people think, do something better yourself. Oh, wait, maybe not? You don’t care about anything else, do you? Your own family and the hotel are all you care about.”

“How can you say such a thing? No matter how much of a show marriage this is, since you’re listed in my family register, you’re my husband”.

“A couple that’s worse than strangers will end one day. So get ready to meet another man.”

Though he continued to pierce her heart with his cutting remarks, she did not resent him – after all, their marriage had been forced upon them.

“Yedo, I still wanted to forgive you. But you keep making things difficult for me… How could you be involved in the illegal drug business? After all, you forced me into another arranged marriage…”

He was a hateful man. Because of Yedo, she had been pushed into marriage like being pushed off a cliff.

While Han Eunhyuk was acquitted of all charges, Byeon Yedo is still on trial. When he wakes up, the first thing he will probably do is stand trial.

Yedo’s future was anything but smooth. Even if he managed to fight through his illness and wake up, he would still be accused of drug trafficking.

Just then, the door creaked open.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“It’s good you came. I have some good news. It looks like we’ll be able to take the ventilator off this week. Once he can breathe on his own, his recovery will progress quickly.”

A smile finally appeared on her mother-in-law’s face.

“Congratulations, Mother.”

“Sit down. It’s been a while, so let’s at least have a meal together.”

“Actually, I came today because I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Soo-min couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“Actually… ….”

“Don’t tell me, it’s about getting married, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Mother.”

How did she find out?