The next morning.
Seoul City Hall.
It was a weekday morning, so there weren’t many people, but the few couples who had come to register their marriages all wore happy expressions.
By contrast, the two people standing side by side by the window were a little different.
One of them was expressionless.
One of them had a tense look on their face.
Yeoju looked down at the marriage registration form in her hands.
The box for writing their names.
'Spouse.'
It was a word she had always thought belonged to other people’s stories for life.
Yeoju "...so we're really doing this."
Seongho replied calmly.
Seongho "Yes."
"...You don’t regret it?"
"I have no intention of creating anything to regret."
Still that emotionless tone.
Yeoju gave a small laugh.
'This person really is like a robot.'
A little while later.
The staff member called the two of them over.
"I’ll help you with the marriage registration."
Seongho handed over the documents, already signed.
After checking the papers, the staff member smiled.
"Congratulations."
"..."
"..."
Congratulations.
Those words felt strangely awkward.
The two just looked at each other without saying anything.
A few minutes later.
The staff member handed back the stamped documents.
"As of today, the two of you are legally husband and wife."
That short sentence changed everything.
Kim Yeoju was now legally 'Park Seongho’s wife.'
After finishing the registration, the two went straight to the SH Group mansion.
That afternoon.
Because they had decided to tell Chairman Park about the marriage in person.
As soon as the reception room door opened, Chairman Park spoke first.
Chairman Park "You’re here."
Seongho gave a brief nod.
Then he looked at Yeoju.
Seongho "...Allow me to introduce her."
After taking a moment to steady his breath, he spoke calmly.
Seongho "This is my wife."
Yeoju bowed nervously.
Yeoju "Hello... I’m Kim Yeoju."
Chairman Park looked back and forth between the two of them.
He said nothing for several seconds.
That silence only made things more tense.
Then suddenly.
Heh.
A laugh escaped him.
Then he started laughing loudly.
"Hohoho!"
Even Seongho looked at his grandfather in surprise.
Chairman Park "I see."
"..."
"So you’re finally getting married."
He got up from his seat and walked over to Yeoju.
Chairman Park "Thank you for taking care of my grandson and living with him."
Yeoju was flustered.
Was he saying that even though he knew it was a contract marriage?
Or...
Did he not know?
Chairman Park looked at Seongho and said,
Chairman Park "Do well."
"..."
"You spent your whole life working, and now you’re finally living like a human being."
Seongho didn’t reply.
He just quietly glanced over at Yeoju once.
On the way out of the mansion.
The car was quiet.
Only the scenery outside the window slipped by.
After a while.
Yeoju spoke first.
Yeoju "...Mr. CEO."
Seongho "Yes."
Yeoju "The contract marriage..."
"..."
"The Chairman doesn’t know, does he?"
Seongho was silent for a moment before nodding.
Seongho "No."
"...He must never know."
"..."
"That’s part of the contract, too."
"..."
"It’s the only way to fool my grandfather."
Yeoju looked out the window.
For some reason, something inside her felt strange.
It was clearly just a contract.
But the guilt of deceiving someone’s family had begun to slowly grow.
That evening.
Seongho’s secretary, Mr. Kim, stopped the car.
Right before them stood one of the most luxurious houses in Seoul.
A spacious garden.
A two-story detached house.
A living room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Yeoju was speechless.
Yeoju "...Where is this?"
Seongho said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Seongho "Our house."
Yeoju "...Pardon?"
Seongho "From today on."
"..."
"It’s the house we’ll live in together."
Yeoju slowly looked up at the house.
'From today... we’re living here together?'
More than when she signed the contract.
More than when they registered the marriage.
Those words felt far more real.
She really had to live in the same house as Park Seongho now.
And their extremely awkward newlywed life was about to begin that very night.
