Chapter 124.1

Chapter 124.1

Am I really this pathetic? Standing before someone who’s barely stitched themselves back together, just to ruin the moment with my own bitterness?

Her mind grew colder even as her blood boiled.

“You criticized me relentlessly for clinging to what was broken, even though your marriage failed just as badly. You were always so cold and decisive, never once showing regret or reaching out to her.”

“These days, is mental torture delivered like this?”

“…!”

What now? Even in his dazed state, his gaze carried a chilling sharpness.

“Did you think such absurd remarks would rattle me?”

“…”

Seoryeong swallowed dryly, running her tongue over her parched lips.

“Not a bad attempt, but what’s your rank? You even drugged me, didn’t you? Which division does the Special Security Team belong to, and who’s your superior? Sending someone as incompetent as you my way means they must lack both skills and judgment.”

You were the superior officer.

Seoryeong pushed her hair back and pulled up a chair to sit.

Lee Wooshin’s foot, encased in a cast, looked massive, almost like a sandbag. Underneath his hospital gown, his upper body was wrapped in white bandages. Small cuts ran across his face, ears, and neck. The sight took the edge off her defiance.

Some people spewed nonsense or spoke in alien languages under sedation. Looking for his ex-wife seemed tame in comparison… Or so she tried to reason. Yet, when she opened her mouth, completely different words came out.

“Act all devoted to your wife, but you still slept with another woman, didn’t you?”

“…!”

“Even stripped naked, letting her examine you down to every detail under a magnifying glass.”

“…”

“And do you know how many times you hit me during training?”

For a moment, his pupils quivered before settling. His lips twisted into a crooked smile.

“This one’s a bit extreme. But why would I sleep with another woman?”

“…!”

“Even if someone poured a bowl of aphrodisiacs down my throat, if I got aroused in the wrong place, I’d break it myself. Wild bears don’t leave their dens to wander into someone else’s. It’s insulting to imply a married man like me would stoop so low.”

“Ha!”

Seoryeong let out a hollow laugh, rubbing her face in exasperation.

“But you were the one who first… liked me… Ha…”

She cut herself off, unable to comprehend why she was justifying his divorce. The situation felt completely backward.

Yet, as she realized he had a past too difficult to share, an odd sense of greed arose within her—a dangerous thought that shouldn’t have existed.

All she had ever done with Lee Wooshin were work assignments: missions, field training, underwater drills, combat training, shooting practice, torture resistance, survival courses, hotel raids, interrogating a National Intelligence Service deputy, escaping a monastery… nothing but things like that.

So when, exactly, had this happened?

Seoryeong tilted her head slightly, her voice quiet. “Do I… look like your ex-wife?”

“…!”

“Is that why you’ve been picking fights with me, getting annoyed, and meddling in my business since the start?”

She had intended it as a provocative remark, but thinking about it, it sounded oddly plausible.

Seoryeong’s sharp glare met Lee Wooshin’s eyes as he studied her. His once-cloudy gaze turned sharp and intent, almost painfully so.

Soon, his brow furrowed as if he found her question laughable.

“There’s no way you resemble her in the slightest.”

“What the hell?”

“Your level of questioning is pathetic. Is this how you treat a prisoner? What is this, a gossip show interview?”

“Forget it. Just dictate the message you want to send to your wife. I’ll write it down for you.”

Feeling utterly defeated, Seoryeong pressed her throbbing forehead. This strange, unwelcome emotion didn’t even compare to what she had felt for Kim Hyun.

Let it go, she told herself firmly. Don’t overthink this. My life is complicated enough without this man getting involved.

“But what’s your wife’s name?”

The question slipped out without any real intent.

“And her phone number?”

“….”

“I just need the details to make sure I send it correctly.”

“My lovely one.”

“No, seriously. Ha… Forget it. What’s the message?”

The man, who had been fiercely demanding a phone, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. His gaze, fixed firmly on the ceiling, wavered.

Lee Wooshin swallowed hard several times as if forcing down something bitter.

A heavy silence hung in the air, seemingly endless. Seoryeong stifled a yawn, trying to shake off the drowsiness creeping in. The soft glow of the recessed lights along the wall didn’t help.

It took a long while before he finally spoke again, his lips dry and hesitant.

“Don’t wait for me today.”

Seoryeong straightened at his words asif on duty. Even then, Lee Wooshin kept staring blankly at the star-like perforations on the ceiling, as if choosing his words carefully from thousands.

“I’ll be very late. Extremely late.”

He muttered in exhaustion, shielding his eyes with his arm as if he couldn’t bring himself to face her.

Seoryeong wanted to at least pretend to type a message, but her fingers froze, refusing to move. His desperate tone left her feeling achingly lonely.

Before she realized it, his voice began to tremble.

“Can you stay warm and sleep on your own?”

Her heart thumped unpleasantly.

“…I’m sorry.”