By Zephyria 
===
Just then, the door opened and voices were heard. Cha Se-jin, resting one arm on the sofa, turned halfway to look at his brother’s couple and his younger sister entering together.
“How did you all come in together?”
“I saw my eldest brother and sister-in-law while getting off, so I waited and we came in together. Oh!”
Seeing an unfamiliar back sitting next to Cha Se-jin, Cha Se-na’s eyes widened. She quickly approached and sat next to Min Seo-young to check on Eun-won.
“Se-na, you should greet him before sitting.”
“Ah!”
Following Eun-won as he stood up, Cha Se-na also rose, set her bag down, and reached out her hand to him.
“Hello. I’m Cha Se-na, the younger sister of the second oldest brother.”
“Hello, my name is Seo Eun-won…”
“How old are you?”
“Ah, I’m twenty…”
“Wow, I’m not the youngest anymore! It’s really nice to meet you. But why did you marry my brother…?”
Min Seo-young gently stopped the genuinely curious Cha Se-na and seated her, smiling as she introduced Cha Se-gyu and Yoo Tae-ra. Cha Se-jin gave Cha Se-na a warning gesture as if to say ‘just you wait,’ and Cha Se-na mischievously stuck out her tongue, as if reminding him that she held more leverage.
“This is Se-jin Hyung. Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you for welcoming me… I am Seo Eun-won…”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Tae-ra, the eldest daughter-in-law, Cha Se-gyu’s wife, and your brother-in-law’s wife.”
“Hello. I am Seo Eun-won… Thank you for the warm welcome.”
After shaking hands with Cha Se-jin’s brother and his wife, Eun-won sat back down with a pat from Cha Se-jin. Everyone was perfectly suppressing their scents, so there was no smell of pheromones, but being in a place gathered with several Dominant Alphas—who were entirely different from ordinary Alphas—made him feel overwhelmed and increasingly intimidated.
“Now that everyone is here, shall we eat?”
After confirming with Butler Yoon that the meal was ready, Min Seo-young smiled at Eun-won. At that, Eun-won stood up and headed toward the dining room with Cha Se-jin.
As the heavy sliding door leading from the living room opened, a dining room with a completely different atmosphere was revealed. In the center of the space sat a large marble table that could easily seat ten people, and a magnificent light fixture hung long from the ceiling.
And one entire wall was a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar. He recalled the madam’s words that the Chairman loved vintage wines. The sight of hundreds of bottles of wine displayed in perfect alignment looked like a piece of art.
“Sit here.”
The scale and atmosphere were beyond anything he had ever experienced, and as time passed, his tension only grew. Eun-won sat with his back straight in the chair that Cha Se-jin pulled out for him.
The light falling from the ceiling onto the table reflected off the crystal glasses, blurring Eun-won’s vision. Facing Cha Se-jin’s father, mother, and brother’s couple across from him, his heart beat rapidly. To calm himself, Eun-won lowered his gaze and read the food descriptions on the menu card placed with the cutlery.
However, no matter how hard he tried to read, he found himself reading the first item, ‘Abalone braised with pine nut sauce and soft Tarrak-juk,’ ten times over. Thump, thump. While he worried about what to do with his racing heart, a chef in a neat uniform and a servant entered, pulling a moving cart with the food.
Two servants placed the food on both sides. Meanwhile, the chef standing at the end of the table bowed politely.
“Good day. I am Kang Woo-jin, the executive chef in charge of preparing the formal dinner. It is an honor to be part of such an important day. I will now introduce the first course. As a welcome dish to gently soothe the stomach before the meal, we have prepared lightly cooked braised abalone with a sauce made from ground Gapyeong pine nuts, and Tarrak-juk boiled with milk.”
Once the chef, who had even guided them on how to eat, left, the meal began. Eun-won only picked up his utensils after seeing everyone, including Cha Se-jin’s parents, start eating. As he took a small spoonful of the soft porridge, a savory flavor spread through his mouth. The warm and clean taste was wonderful.
“I asked Se-jin and he said he isn’t particularly picky, so I prepared a variety of things. Is it to your liking?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it. Please eat plenty. Se-jin, you too. Se-gyu, Tae-ra, Se-na, and you as well, honey.”
Min Seo-young continued the meal after making eye contact and greeting each family member. She was very impressive; she felt soft and warm, yet possessed an indescribable firmness.
The next course was a lobster cold appetizer. The plump lobster topped with yuzu dressing was refreshing and very delicious.
“I heard you’re attending university; is it difficult? Looking at Se-na, she’s always tired because of the amount of assignments and things she has to do.”
“Ah… it is a bit hard when there are many assignments or when preparing for exams… but I’m enjoying it.”
“I’d like to hear if you have any plans after graduation.”
Following Min Seo-young’s kind question, a somewhat serious question from Cha Tae-jun followed. At that, Cha Se-na let out a small laugh and looked at Cha Tae-jun.
“Dad, you sound like an interviewer.”
At those words, the laughter of the family echoed through the dining room. Eun-won, who could barely manage a smile due to his nervousness, tried to think of an answer to Cha Se-jin’s father’s question, but in truth, nothing came to mind. It was because he had never thought deeply about it.
When he lived with his mother, his only goal was to live each day healthily with her, and after she passed, his goal was simply to sustain his own life day by day. As for thoughts of the future, his only wish was to graduate safely, get a job at any company, and live stably on a monthly salary.
He had never set limits on his reality, held grand dreams, or thought deeply about something he wanted to achieve. He felt quite ashamed of that.
“Take it easy, Father. My darling might get indigestion.”
“Right, then. Let’s hear about that later… please eat more.”
A deep, low voice resonated heavily. Eun-won gave a light bow and took a piece of the steak, the first main course that had just arrived. It was so tender it practically melted the moment it entered his mouth, and while it was incredibly delicious, he couldn’t deeply savor the flavor.
“Is the doneness okay? Should I have them cook it more?”
“No. It’s great as it is.”
Still, he felt truly fortunate throughout the meal to have Cha Se-jin by his side, constantly checking on him and taking care of him. In his heart, he wanted to cling to the hem of Cha Se-jin’s clothes. That was how reassuring and supportive he felt.
The final course was a traditional meal set consisting of sea bream pot rice and a clear clam soup. The freshly cooked, glistening rice and the spicy, refreshing clam soup warmed his insides.
“How about we move to the living room for dessert? I think the living room would be more comfortable for talking than here. What do you think, honey?”
“Let’s do that.”
At Min Seo-young’s suggestion, everyone who had finished their meal moved to the living room. Outside the window, where it had become completely dark, the garden was visible, glowing beautifully with twinkling lights. While looking at the garden, Eun-won took in the desserts being placed on the table. Among the various desserts was something Cha Se-jin had prepared.
“This is a sorbet made from Sujeonggwa. It’s cool and clean, so it’s great. Do you like Sujeonggwa? If you don’t, I’ll have them make a Sikhye sorbet for you.”
“No, I like Sujeonggwa.”
“I’m glad. Oh, and these are desserts that Eun-won gifted. You guys try some too.”
Cha Se-na and Cha Se-gyu each picked up a dacquoise filled with different colored creams. Eun-won took a spoonful of the Sujeonggwa sorbet and observed Cha Se-jin’s family enjoying the desserts. The better their reaction, the more grateful he felt toward Cha Se-jin, causing him to keep glancing at him.
“Why?”
Perhaps sensing the gaze, Cha Se-jin’s eyes met his. Eun-won shook his head as if it were nothing. Cha Se-jin grinned and leaned closer, bringing his lips near Eun-won’s ear.
“Why do you keep looking at me in a way that turns me on? Are you testing me or something?”
“…I-I’m not. I just…”
Seeing his eyes widen in embarrassment, Cha Se-jin laughed, placed the cake plate and fork in Eun-won’s hand, and patted his head once.
“Although this marriage is primarily a coalition between two families, I hope the two of you get along well beyond the fact that it’s an arranged marriage. Especially you, Cha Se-jin.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been saying this since the moment you readily agreed to marry, but marriage is no joke. It also means you cannot live the way you have lived until now.”