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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Make Me a Grandchild
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Yi Yeon accepted her boss's utterly unreasonable proposal.
It turned out not to be the demand of a thug, but more like a benefactor's offer.
“Yawn.”
How long had it been since she'd slept like this?
Weekends without an alarm were truly the best. Yi Yeon dragged her reluctant body out of bed with a refreshed mind.
“Where did I put the coffee beans?”
She walked out of the spacious room—easily twice the size of a master bedroom in an ordinary apartment—and brewed an Americano from the espresso machine.
Yeah, if not now, when would she ever live in a luxury penthouse like this?
The place Yi Yeon was staying in was An Do Hyun's original home. This two-story penthouse had a small yard on each floor, and even a compact kitchen on the second floor, so she didn't need to go down to the first for meals.
Thanks to the perfect spatial separation—which was the home's greatest feature—An Do Hyun on the first floor and Yi Yeon on the second never crossed paths.
The clear division of floors guaranteed complete privacy.
Even though they worked in the same office, the two commuted separately.
They were truly just in a marriage-for-business arrangement.
Because of that, Yi Yeon could roam the house freely even after getting home from work.
Sometimes, she felt a twinge of guilt for not even glancing at An Do Hyun's feelings.
“Ah… my stomach.”
It was the second day of her period, the most painful time with cramps stabbing like needles. Yi Yeon clutched her abdomen and headed back to her room, rummaging through the drawer.
She popped two painkillers from the bottle in the corner straight into her mouth. Only then did she notice a neatly placed document in the drawer.
[Marriage Contract]
“After three years of working side by side, there's no point in discussing our views on marriage—it'd just hurt our mouths. The marriage our elders want is just pretending to be tied down by the institution while we gain our freedom. That's the married life I want with you, Secretary Yu. And of course, I don't think it's bad for you either.”
A marriage contract, complete with a written agreement—it was ridiculous and amusing to think about it again.
Yi Yeon set her glass of water on the vanity and picked up the paper.
“We shall never invade each other's private lives.”
Among the clauses—protecting each other's privacy, acting like a couple in front of family, basic manners for cohabitation—the two that stood out most were:
[No romantic feelings toward each other.]
[Contract period is 2 years; early divorce possible with valid reason presented beforehand.]
Though it was a sham marriage started by An Do Hyun's proposal, one thing was certain: Yi Yeon quite liked this free lifestyle.
To reassure their families and gain freedom. At least for her, it was the best choice where no one got hurt.
Yi Yeon tucked the document she'd been fiddling with back into the drawer.
“Where could he be…?”
Today was the day they were supposed to go to An Do Hyun's family home for dinner together. An Do Hyun, who had said he had an appointment, still hadn't returned even after 5 p.m.
She could already hear Chairman An Gap Su—her father-in-law—booming his lecture in her ears.
Click-.
Fortunately, An Do Hyun arrived just in time, opening the front door.
“Welcome home?”
“Yeah.”
Yi Yeon came down the spiral staircase and greeted him.
An Do Hyun brushed past her with a curt reply and headed into the dressing room.
Yi Yeon nearly bowed and said, “Please go ahead,” at his one-word answer.
This damn occupational hazard.
Whenever they ran into each other at home and talked, Yi Yeon felt like she was pulling an all-nighter at work.
An Do Hyun said to be comfortable around him outside the office, but she could never tell how far that “comfort” extended.
He told her to relax, yet to his face, she was always “Secretary Yu.”
He'd been so casual when suggesting they live together, but now he was drawing a clear line again.
⋮
“It's going to be late.”
“Should I call the Chairman to let him know you're running late?”
“No, it's fine.”
An Do Hyun had changed into comfortable slacks and a short-sleeved shirt, grabbing his trench coat as he hurried across the living room.
Yi Yeon quickly followed behind him toward the front door.
“Eek-.”
In her haste to slip on her shoes, Yi Yeon lost her balance and instinctively lunged toward An Do Hyun.
“Ugh!”
An Do Hyun instinctively dodged as she tumbled toward him.
See? She hadn't even expected him to catch her. Her knee was about to shatter now.
Yi Yeon squeezed her eyes shut.
Huh? What's this?
An Do Hyun grabbed her waist as she headed straight for the floor.
Thanks to that, Yi Yeon ended up flailing awkwardly, caught by her clothes.
Plop-.
“Ah, thank you, Vice President.”
As An Do Hyun's hand released her clothing, Yi Yeon quickly straightened herself up.
She was grateful, at least, that he hadn't just left her to fall. Yi Yeon flashed him a bright smile, full of genuine appreciation.
“Why are you rushing around like that? So uncharacteristic of you, Secretary Yu.”
“I'm worried we'll get an earful from the Chairman for being late.”
Yi Yeon said, smoothing out her disheveled clothes.
“Even if we get scolded, it'll be me taking it. Don't rush.”
So, he'd be her shield?
It sounded prickly, but interpreting it that way made her feel good.
“I just can't figure you out.”
That man.
One moment prickly, the next almost tender, but stopping short.
As An Do Hyun turned and stepped out the front door, his shoulders suddenly looked so broad.
* * *
“You were told to be here by 6.”
The moment they parked in the garage and came up, the thunderous reprimand fell.
An Gap Su, sitting on the sofa under the beige-toned lighting, scolded without even lifting his head to look. His gaze was fixed solely on the newspaper.
“I was late because of an external schedule.”
An Do Hyun replied calmly.
“I've told you how many times: to lead a company, you must manage your time well. Punctuality is essential.”
“It must have been tough getting here. Hard enough to make time on a weekend—good work.”
An Deok Ho, who had been sitting opposite An Gap Su, jumped up to welcome the two.
He was An Do Hyun's father and, succeeding Chairman An Gap Su, the Vice Chairman leading Woosung Electronics within Woosung Group.
An Deok Ho patted An Do Hyun's arm and gave a warm, good-natured smile.
The laugh lines stretching like streams from the corners of An Deok Ho's eyes made his smile all the more endearing.
“Come sit. Hungry, right? Since our daughter-in-law loved the braised short ribs last time, I asked the housekeeper to make them again.”
Yi Yeon felt her heart swell unexpectedly at his warmth, so different from An Gap Su's. Though she hadn't seen An Deok Ho often, he treated her like a true daughter-in-law.
“I was just thinking about the housekeeper's braised short ribs… Thank you, Father.”
An Deok Ho was a thoughtful, kind man.
To think someone so wonderful had lost his wife early… Every time Yi Yeon saw him, she thought of An Do Hyun's late mother and felt a pang of sorrow.
“Sit. Let's eat.”
An Gap Su was already seated at the head of the table. An Do Hyun glanced at Yi Yeon and pulled out the chair beside him.
Was that an invitation to sit?
“Thank you.”
They said even a dog in a Confucian academy for three years starts reciting poetry. Yi Yeon had learned since marriage that even An Do Hyun occasionally recited An Deok Ho's kindness.
An Do Hyun pushed in the chair to match her movement and sat beside her. As An Gap Su's hand moved, the dinner began amid the heavy air.
“So, when exactly are you going to give us news of a grandchild? It's already been four months since you got married.”
How long had it even been since they picked up their spoons…?
“An Do Hyun, you waltz in here after registering your marriage on your own whim with some woman who's not Secretary Yu, and what did you say? That you'd make the grandchild Grandpa wants right away—did you or didn't you?”
An Gap Su still referred to Yi Yeon as “Secretary Yu.”
It was an indirect way of saying he hadn't accepted her as family yet.
“We're working on it. Every night.”
Cough-.
Yi Yeon choked and coughed. An Do Hyun picked up the water glass in front of her and handed it over.
“Eat slowly.”
No, it was the “every night” that made her choke.
Yi Yeon was newly amazed at An Do Hyun's acting skills—how he could say such a lie with a straight face, not even blinking.
“If you keep pushing her, she won't have anything left.”
An Do Hyun's smirking face looked positively cheeky.
Yi Yeon's face flushed red. She couldn't tell if it was from choking or embarrassment anymore.
“Ahem.”
An Gap Su cleared his throat awkwardly at his grandson's words.
“As I said before, until you bring a grandchild, keep the marriage under wraps outside.”
“Yes.”
That was what the two wanted too. No need for a wedding with a relationship set to end in two years.
Things were going exactly as An Do Hyun had predicted: register first, inform Chairman An Gap Su, and skip the ceremony.
“Tell Manager Kim to prepare some tonics to build her strength. Secretary Yu, get some clothes that actually fit, go to a dermatologist for skincare, visit salons too.”
“No, I'm fine!”
“Class comes from upkeep. Proper maintenance is necessary.”
It was a blatant jab at her lack of refinement. Yi Yeon didn't know where to look in her embarrassment.
“Father, she'll handle it herself. Daughter-in-law, come here for a sec—I have something for you.”
“Yes, Father.”
An Deok Ho swooped in like a savior. As Yi Yeon followed him into the study, he pressed the door shut with his palm.
“The men in our family can be a bit gruff, huh? Forgive us, daughter-in-law.”
“Gruff? No.”
Yi Yeon gave a faint smile.
Truth be told, blood couldn't lie—An Gap Su was gruff, but An Do Hyun was no slouch either. If he took after An Deok Ho even halfway…
“It's family circumstances, but we've had some wounds. That's why. Living with those scars makes us gruff. Especially Father—Do Hyun's his only son, so he meddles a lot. Use the father-in-law card anytime it's tough.”
Yi Yeon smiled along with An Deok Ho's benevolent laugh.
* * *
They finally left An Do Hyun's family home after even having fruit for dessert.
“Good work, Secretary Yu.”
“Yes… welcome…”
An Do Hyun just gave a greeting and slipped into his room. He never stuck around to hear Yi Yeon's full goodbye after handling family duties together.
Of course. Yi Yeon trudged her weary body up to the second floor.
“Ha, what a chore.”
She wasn't scared or uncomfortable around An Gap Su or An Deok Ho. But because it was a fake marriage, she was on edge not knowing what questions might come, and it drained her completely.
Yi Yeon tossed her bag onto the bed and sat at the vanity, looking in the mirror.
“He must not like the freckles.”
Yi Yeon let out a low chuckle.
Good. She hadn't been found out.
It was a relief that no one had noticed today either.
She didn't want to be discovered. Her real appearance,
Not even by An Do Hyun.
Yi Yeon raised her finger and rubbed at the freckles densely clustered on her cheeks.
Like magic, the freckles vanished where her finger passed.
