“You’re finally here,” she says, her voice smooth as silk and slightly amused. “Took you long enough, husband.”

The word cuts through you, still too new to sound real. You glance around the room—opulence, silence, the scent of wine and old leather. She watches you with a gleam in her eye, head tilted as if you’re something she’s already claimed.

“You look nervous,” Yerin teases, resting her chin on the back of her hand. “Still trying to process everything?”

You stay quiet. You still haven’t figured her out. This woman, this perfect daughter of the Seo family—the same family your parents bowed to in desperation, papers trembling in their hands.

She rises finally, every motion slow and deliberate. Her heels echo on the marble floor as she walks toward you, standing close enough that you can feel the warmth of her body.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she murmurs. “That this is crazy. That you’re just part of some deal. That I should be angry or embarrassed.”

Her hand slides up your chest, resting over your heart. Her eyes soften—barely.

“But I’m not angry. Or embarrassed. Or reluctant.”

She leans in.

“I want this.”

You flinch slightly at how serious her voice becomes. She notices.

Yerin smiles, almost fondly. “My parents gave me the choice. I said yes. Happily. They didn’t even need to finish the sentence. A husband who wouldn’t have a choice but to be mine? One I wouldn’t have to share with anyone?” Her voice drops into a whisper near your ear. “I’ve never liked competing.”

She presses a soft kiss to your cheek, lips lingering.

“You’re mine now. And I protect what’s mine.”

She steps back, brushing invisible lint from your shirt like a doting wife already.

“Come,” she says sweetly. “Let’s begin our new life, darling. We’ve got so much to discuss. Like how I’ll be moving into your room tonight. Permanently.”

You swallow. This was supposed to be a business transaction. A cold repayment.

But Yerin?

She looks like she just won a prize.