By Zephyria 
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“Try some. Oh, honey, please eat. Eun-won will feel more comfortable eating if you start first.”
“Right, I will. Eat plenty, son.”
Watching his father pick up his utensils first, Eun-won put a piece of braised short ribs from his plate into his mouth. As he chewed the tender meat, a sweet and deliciously salty seasoning spread through his mouth.
“How is it? Is it edible? Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve cooked, I wasn’t sure if it would be okay. It tasted fine to me.”
“It’s delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes… it’s really delicious. Thank you… I’ll enjoy the meal.”
“How can you be so kind and lovely? I’m more grateful that you’re enjoying it. I won’t disturb you anymore, so eat plenty.”
His throat felt tight even as he swallowed the rice, and the tip of his nose tingled. Swallowing his tears along with the food, Eun-won tried his best not to sob as he put another spoonful of rice into his mouth.
Watching Eun-won eat, Yeo Hee-jin cast a glance at her husband sitting opposite her. When their eyes met, the Chairman gave a short nod and a wink, as if saying they had done well. It was a meal where even the warmth was perfectly calculated, and for different reasons, it was deeply satisfying.
* * *
The fifteen days that followed felt like a dream to Eun-won. The heavy emotions he had carried for the past three years in order to stand on his own began to melt away, softening the once rigid landscape of his life.
In a home where he didn’t have to worry about the cold, the heat, noise, or safety, freshly laundered, fluffy clothes were ready for him when he woke up in the morning, and a warm greeting awaited him the moment he opened his bedroom door.
Going to school became much more comfortable, and while he used to suppress his desire for something sweet from a cafe, he could now buy whatever he wanted to drink.
He received an allowance that felt almost excessive, and he got a new phone that felt awkward because it was so fast.
He was happy to be able to return to a ‘home’ where there was always someone to welcome him, and he loved having a family that faced him with smiling faces.
But above all, the best part was being able to move his late mother to a nearby charnel house. He knew the facilities were excellent and the location was convenient, but he was incredibly grateful to his father and the mistress for letting his mother stay in the finest charnel house—one so expensive he had never even dared to consider it.
Seeing them sincerely care not only for him but also for his deceased mother opened Eun-won’s heart.
Furthermore, the fact that he had a place in this house, that someone waited for him and wondered about his day—the stability provided by that ‘sense of belonging’ dominated Eun-won far more sweetly than he had expected.
Eun-won fell deep into the sweet trap they had set, to the point where he felt he wouldn’t be able to endure it if he lost this belonging and became alone again.
“…I’m home.”
Unlike other days, Eun-won returned home a bit late due to a group project meeting. He approached his father and the mistress, who were sitting in the living room with serious expressions, discussing something. Upon seeing Eun-won, the two stopped their conversation and forced a smile.
“Oh, Eun-won, you’re here? You must be tired from studying so late.”
It felt as though she was trying too hard to smile. Eun-won studied the mistress’s face before looking at his father. His father’s face was full of anxiety. Just by looking at that expression, he could tell something was wrong.
“You worked hard. Go rest.”
Seeing his father enter his room after giving a shorter-than-usual instruction to rest, Eun-won locked eyes with the mistress, who was still wearing that forced smile.
“Is… something wrong?”
“Hmm? Oh… it’s nothing to worry about. Just some complicated things happening at the company. Things like that always happen, so you don’t need to worry.”
Though she said not to worry, the atmosphere in the house was too gloomy. However, as she pushed him toward the stairs, urging him to go up and rest so that he couldn’t ask further, Eun-won had no choice but to climb the stairs.
Contrary to the words that he shouldn’t worry, the atmosphere in the house sank further by the day. His father, who seemed to return only in the early hours of the dawn, would stop eating during breakfast with a haggard face, and the mistress could no longer maintain the manufactured smile she once used to reassure him.
Watching his father grow restless every time the phone rang with a face full of worry, Eun-won could do nothing. The most he could do was remain silently quiet so as not to become an additional burden.
However, it gradually felt sinful to wear the clothes prepared for him, go to school in comfort, and see his father and the mistress always providing him with wonderful meals even while they skipped their own.
It was hard to endure the fact that he was receiving protection and pretending to know nothing while knowing that the people who called themselves his family were struggling.
“…Excuse me….”
Feeling that he couldn’t go on like this, he went down to the living room. Yeo Hee-jin, who had been sitting on the sofa sighing and rubbing her face with her hands, looked up upon sensing his presence.
“Ah, Eun-won. Sorry, I didn’t even get to take care of you today.”
Eun-won sat opposite Yeo Hee-jin, caught his breath, and spoke the words in his heart.
“…I want to know what’s happening.”
“…….”
“Please tell me….”
“No, Eun-won. It’s just adult business.”
“…You said… I was family, too.”
At the mention of the word ‘family’ from Eun-won’s lips, Yeo Hee-jin’s eyes sparkled. The moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
“…No, still, how could I burden a child like you?”
“…Both of you aren’t sleeping, and you aren’t eating well. I know something is going on… I can’t just stay comfortable and pretend I don’t know. Please tell me….”
At the sincere voice that carried a sense of desperation, Yeo Hee-jin bit her lip hard, sighed, and hesitated. Eun-won wondered what on earth it could be that made her so unable to speak. He waited quietly for the next words to come, observing her hesitation.
“…Your father strictly told me never to tell you… but hearing you say that, I understand your position. It’s not something that can be easily solved, and it doesn’t make sense to keep you walking on eggshells like this.”
“…….”
“You know Sewon Group, right?”
“…Yes.”
“There is a large-scale resort project planned by Sewon. It’s called the Arche Project, and it’s a truly massive deal. We, of course, prepared diligently and jumped in, and eventually, our Baum was selected as the construction company. We staked the company’s survival on it, and the project itself was a crucial opportunity for Baum to make a bigger leap forward….”
As she spoke, Yeo Hee-jin caught her trembling breath and lifted a teacup with a pale hand to moisten her dry lips and throat.
“A related employee spread false rumors about Sewon behind the scenes, and because of that, Sewon’s image took a hit. We truly had no idea, and we found the employee and held them accountable, but Sewon’s position is that they have lost trust and can no longer work with us. It’s only natural….”
“…….”
“They want to terminate the contract, but we can’t afford for that contract to be canceled. Perhaps Sewon is leaving some room, as they’ve placed an embargo on the news of the contract termination… so it hasn’t been publicized yet, and your father is working day and night to change Sewon’s mind before that happens.”
“…Is there absolutely no way to change their mind?”
“…We’ve explained that it was the act of an individual employee, and we’re trying to show that we can rebuild trust somehow…. But Sewon says they can’t trust promises made in words; they want to see definitive trust.”
Speaking with a face that looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment, Yeo Hee-jin quickly scanned Eun-won’s serious face. Then, she continued in a trembling voice that sounded even more strained and broken.
“…Definitive trust?”
“…Yes. There’s still time before it becomes an article, but rumors have already spread through the industry, and people are saying we’ve failed this project and are on the verge of bankruptcy. It’s just a rumor for now, but if we don’t secure this contract, the blow will be so great that it might actually happen….”
Seeing Yeo Hee-jin overcome with emotion and weeping, a surprised Eun-won quickly pulled out two tissues and handed them to her. Receiving the tissues, Yeo Hee-jin lightly pressed them to her eyes and sobbed.
“Can’t you just do what they want? It seems like there’s a way since they’re leaving some room…. Is it something difficult?”
“…That’s…. It’s something we can’t just do as we please, and it’s something that might not even be possible….”
“…What is it?”
Looking at Eun-won with eyes drenched in tears, Yeo Hee-jin barely opened her mouth, as if it were an agonizing struggle to say it.
“…An arranged marriage.”
“…What?”