Chapter 197.1

Chapter 197.1

Seoryeong held her scraped knee and let out a hollow laugh. By now, she was certain that even if he couldn’t see, someone was guiding him.

Still, she bit down on her lower lip, watching his back grow smaller in the distance, completely devoid of warmth.

He’s only open to one person. Ridiculous as it was, Lee Wooshin was searching for no one but her.

That truth alone seemed to fill the empty space inside her chest. Watching him walk past like she was a stranger, even with her standing right there—it didn’t hurt. Instead, it sent a dark, dizzy thrill through her.

The realization hit her like a wave. Maybe this was the compensation she’d been craving all along.

Her chest ached with his complete lack of tenderness, but she found comfort in knowing he didn’t reach for other women. Her heart kept curling up at the memory of the kind husband he used to be.

Compared to his current indifference, Kim Hyun’s devotion and Lee Wooshin’s stern affection were different. They had been genuine. Warm. Real. She couldn’t deny anymore that she had always been treated as someone special.

“…”

Seoryeong slowly stood and gathered the scattered laundry. She blinked a few times, pressing down on the heat rising behind her eyes.

‘I was his mission.’

The fact that she had merely been a target once made her feel pathetic and stabbed right through her. But now, those words read a little differently.

I was Lee Wooshin’s only mission.

‘You are my mission. The heaviest thing I’ve ever carried.’

Clenching her eyes shut and reopening them, she quietly picked up the last of the items scattered on the floor.

Then, straightening her back, she looked up at the morning sky with firm resolve.

“There’s a guest in the parlor.”

A middle-aged woman handed her a tea tray as she called.

“So make sure this tea goes only to Solzhenitsyn.”

Seoryeong’s indifferent eyes turned to the ornate tea set. The European-style rack held dainty teacups like pleated skirts, hanging in perfect order. The woman opened the teapot lid as if to demonstrate, and steam rose like a shimmering haze. Sweet-smelling vapor crossed the air like incense.

“And you, stay near Solzhenitsyn. The effect kicks in quickly.”

“…Yes.”

Seoryeong smiled faintly, lifting only the corners of her lips.

Filthy things.

When national peace, the greed of the powerful, and personal ambition mixed together, she could clearly see how far people could fall.

Suddenly, the cold face of Joo Seolheon flashed through her mind. Seoryeong bit her trembling lips harder. Not yet… she still hadn’t heard anything from him. She shoved the rising emotion deep into a mental corner.

As she passed down the hallway lined with red carpet, the hum of conversation came into earshot near the parlor. She knocked lightly, and a flat voice replied, “Come in.”

Careful not to shake the cups too much, Seoryeong moved past the Victorian-style furniture. As she pushed the tray closer, the chatter stopped abruptly, and an unfamiliar man’s gaze fixed on her.

Even as his eyes moved over Natalia’s face, nape, and chest, she calmly set down the teapot.

“Ahem,” the man coughed into his reddening ear.

“By the way, what happened to your eyes?”

“A shard grazed one, and the other’s from post-concussion effects.”

“Can they be healed?”

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

Her grip on the teacup tightened. Lee Wooshin sat across from her in a light shirt, one leg crossed over the other, his posture relaxed and his tone detached, like he was already bored of the conversation.

Seoryeong moved closer on quiet feet. Just as his clean-shaven nape came into view, she spoke again.

“So you’re not thinking about marriage? Because of your eyes?”

“I think about it a lot. All the time.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve never once forgotten that I’m a married man.”

“…What?”

“I’ve been married twice.”

“What?!”

The old schoolmate’s eyes bulged. Not once, but twice? Already twice? He kept checking as if he couldn’t believe it, and Wooshin casually massaged his shoulder.

“That’s my only bragging point.”

“Heh… Then where’s your wife while you’re off recuperating?”

“…”

Lee Wooshin only tapped his foot, giving no reply. He twirled the tassel of the cushion in his hand and let out a dry laugh.

“What, she dumped you because of your eyes? Ran off? No, that doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t it be smarter to stay and share the inheritance? Or was she caught screwing someone—”

Without warning, Wooshin hurled the cushion straight at the man’s face.

“Watch your mouth, friend.”

“R-right…”

“And why wouldn’t I have a wife? She’s right near me.”

At that moment, Seoryeong, her wrist twisting awkwardly, spilled the teacup over his ankle. “Oh no…!” The man who’d been hit by the cushion froze, while Wooshin, who’d been slowly rotating his ankle, went still.

Flustered, Seoryeong quickly reached for a napkin and dabbed at the soaked fabric. Wooshin’s head tilted slightly. Even with his eyes covered, she could feel the chill of his gaze on her.

“Sorry,” she murmured, carefully wiping the skin where the faint burn showed through.

“Um, master…”

“Don’t call me that.”