The Day I Escaped from the Beast’s Cage - Chapter 14.1

“I’m going to teach you how to live on your own,” Woo-jin said, taking Hae-gang by surprise. She needed a moment to process his words, and all she could muster in response was a confused, “What?”

Woo-jin didn’t seem bothered by her reaction, though. He continued to stare at her intensely. “It means that I’ll take care of you, but it’s not for free,” he explained. Hae-gang briefly pondered what she had to offer him. She had a strong body, but what good was that?

“I’m afraid I can’t be of much help,” she said.

“There is one thing you can do for me,” Woo-jin responded, though he seemed to be struggling with something. Hae-gang pressed him for more information. “What is it exactly?”

Woo-jin hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “If you marry me, I’ll give you a new name,” he finally blurted out.

Hae-gang was taken aback. “What do you mean?” she asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

“I mean exactly what I said,” Woo-jin replied, nodding his head frantically. Hae-gang couldn’t tell if he was anxious or just his usual self.

She gave him a moment to catch his breath, but he didn’t speak further. His mouth remained closed, and Hae-gang couldn’t decipher his expression. “Are you sure you’re speaking a language I understand, Min Woo-jin?” she asked him, hoping for some clarification.

Woo-jin nodded again. “You are correct,” he said, but he didn’t elaborate any further.

Hae-gang, who was fed up with waiting, finally took the stage. “I know what’s good for me, but what benefits does Min Woo-jin obtain from this marriage?”

“Whatever annoys you is cleaned up.”

It was an unfamiliar concept, but Hae-gang didn’t hesitate to ask. The reward he mentioned was exactly what she wanted more than anything else. She couldn’t just beg him to change his mind, so it would be a bigger issue if he refused.

Luckily for her, Woo-jin gave her an additional explanation, maybe because he felt the first one wasn’t clear enough. “People frequently ask me to marry because of my age, and despite my repeated refusals, it doesn’t stop.”

“……”

“I’ll take care of all that, so you don’t have to worry about surviving.”

“How do you feel about it?”

Only then did Hae-gang fully comprehend Woo-jin’s proposal without doubt or confusion.

Woo-jin had no parents or siblings, and since the succession of management rights in this country is still focused on his immediate family, those around him couldn’t leave him alone. He was also at an age when, as he himself stated, those around him would suggest marriage.

Hae-gang spoke carefully after going over the words she had just heard many times in her mind. “I mean, is this for real? Is it not done in good faith?”

“Be wary of anyone who promises to assist you. Nothing in this world is free.”

Hae-gang, on the other hand, was relieved. She had no qualms about making things even more difficult than this. But she had to promise something, even if it meant sacrificing her pride.

“Then I have a problem.”

Woo-jin softly nodded, gesturing to indicate something.

“The only thing we need to do is become a legal couple; I don’t want to go somewhere public.”

“Are you referring to the same thing as a couple’s get-together?”

“Yes.”

Hae-gang’s response was powerful enough to make her appear resolute. She had never been to such a place before, even when she was with Moon Ik. But not this time; she was determined to avoid any and all contact with “him.”

Of course, it was better not to get involved with Woo-jin, who might have a business connection with “him,” but he needed his status to do so. A completely different persona that “he” was not aware of.

It couldn’t have been an easy decision, yet Woo-jin made it faster than she anticipated.

“OK, let’s see how far we can go.”

She was taken aback by how quickly he welcomed her. It was as if he had anticipated it, or more precisely, as if he assumed she had been waiting for this word.

“The time frame is three years. If you divorce within three years, you’re entitled to as much alimony as you need at that time.”

After hearing his words, Hae-gang regained her composure with a little shake of her head.

“It doesn’t matter how much.”

It didn’t really matter because all she needed, for now, was a place to hide, not money. She had no use for alimony as long as she had a status that allowed her to work wherever she wanted.

Woo-jin, who had been looking at her with perplexed eyes, signaled his intention with a tiny nod.

“Since the matter has been settled, let me ask.”

The more serious tone made Hae-gang swallow, knowing that the question Woo-jin was about to ask would be difficult.

“What’s your name, my wife?”

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