Chapter 121
Si-heon had previously succeeded in falling asleep without Ga-eun.
“Give me that.”
“Yes? What… Do you mean?”
“The hair pin.”
“Why?”
“I’ll take it in place of our Ga-eun.”
“…What?”
Before their marriage.
He had visited her home once.
It was the day they reunited at the hotel, after he’d sabotaged her arranged meeting and intertwined their bodies in the suite.
Ga-eun had called after he sent a flower arrangement to Gye Young-cheol’s company.
“You can look forward to it. I’m preparing for another event tomorrow.”
[What are you planning to do now?]
The moment he heard her voice—seemingly embarrassed, seemingly angry—something caught in his chest like a hook. He felt he could only be relieved by seeing Ga-eun, and that night he drove determinedly to see her pale face.
He took her hair pin then.
It was his first experiment, and the result was half-successful. He didn’t sleep as deeply as when he was with Ga-eun, but compared to his usual restlessness, it was a sound sleep.
This business trip had been successful too.
A week now.
He could fall asleep with her hair band beside him.
But not because of her belongings or their lingering scent.
The fragrance had long since faded.
What lulled him to sleep was not a physical, visible object.
It was the knowledge that when he returned home, Ga-eun would be there.
That she would be waiting for him.
That his place of return was by her side.
These facts made Si-heon sleep and gave him peace.
Peace. Peace?
‘Serenity’ was something he never thought he could obtain in his life, especially from a woman.
Today, one week and a day after his grandfather’s experiment had succeeded, a photo arrived on his phone—of Ga-eun and Kim Juhan.
“The number,” he said.
Noh Man-su bowed his head. “It seems to be a burner phone.”
Exactly as he expected. But who sent this photo, and with what intention, remained unclear.
Or did it?
Separating Ga-eun from himself.
It was difficult to imagine any other reason.
“…”
Si-heon turned his eyes back to the photo, deliberately avoiding Ga-eun’s clear, radiant smile directed at Kim Juhan. Instead, he scrutinized the background.
Hotel lobby. A conference announcement stand, half-cut hotel window behind it.
The Royal Hotel—where corporate sponsors were gathering for a Franco-Korean diplomatic commemoration event.
Before her orphanage volunteer work, there had been a Jinri Association meeting at the Royal Hotel.
This was Ga-eun’s only connection to the Royal Hotel.
“Investigate,” he said, pressing his hardened forehead with his fingers.
“Find out where, when, and how Kim Juhan and Ga-eun know each other. Whether this reunion is… intentional.”
He could have simply called Ga-eun directly. His diligent, faithful wife would have reported the details about her relationship with Juhan as mechanically as submitting a report, with that characteristically indifferent expression.
Even if she resisted, making her talk would be easy.
He could mention her family.
She had even entered an unwanted marriage for her family—a family that didn’t have a single person who truly cared for her.
Confronting problems directly and resolving them as quickly as possible was his inherent nature.
But…
Si-heon did not contact Ga-eun.
Avoidance. Yes, this was avoidance.
He was attempting to circumnavigate the issue through Noh Man-su .
“To avoid the words of parting from Ga-eun’s lips.
The moment the reason was realized.
‘…ha.’
Si-heon let out a short, sardonic laugh.
Noh Man-su flinched, his shoulders trembling.
“Why… are you doing this?”
“The day I returned from the orphanage to Seoul.”
Noh Man-su inhaled deeply, his entire being radiating tension.
“Was there nothing unusual?”
“If there was something unusual…”
“Tell me. What did Ga-eun say? What actions did she take?”
After a brief silence, Si-heon spoke.
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