Bound by a Ruthless Contract - Chapter 32
Click.
As soon as the door closed, Si-heon saw her and frowned.
His large hand grabbed her chin and lifted it.
“K-Kwon Si-heon.”
“You’ve got a mark.”
He narrowed his eyes, looking at her swollen left cheek.
“Who could have done this?”
“What? Ah…”
Noticing his eyes fixed on her left cheek, Ga-eun covered it with her hand.
“It’s nothing. I just bumped into something.”
“You must know that I understand impact marks better than you do.”
“…”
“Given how quickly it swelled after you arrived home, it’s more likely someone inside rather than outside…”
Si-heon grabbed Ga-eun’s wrist and slowly lowered it.
Perhaps because her skin was so fair and delicate, the handprint had swollen up bright red.
“Family?”
“I made a mistake.”
So it’s true.
Si-heon’s eyes darkened.
“Which family member?”
“Please let it go.”
“I really don’t like it. When people touch what’s mine without permission.”
“I’m not yours.”
“It’s practically a challenge against me.”
His thumb smeared and parted her lower lip.
“So let’s not get carelessly injured. It puts me in a foul mood.”
“…I’m not your possession.”
“It’s not entirely wrong since you’re becoming my wife.”
Ga-eun looked into his anger-filled eyes and spoke slowly.
“We’re… not going to be a real couple.”
Suddenly the atmosphere became cold, as if someone had thrown ice water.
She was grateful for his concern, touched, and even somewhat moved.
But she needed to draw a line.
Above all, Ga-eun had learned early on that giving away emotions would certainly lead to getting hurt.
At this moment, while Kwon Si-heon was closer to her than anyone, he was simultaneously the person she needed to be most wary of.
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
“…Is that where you want to draw the line?”
“Just as you have no obligation to tell me everything about your family, the same goes for me.”
Si-heon slowly caressed Ga-eun’s lips.
“Such harsh words. From such pretty lips.”
It seemed the woman wouldn’t open up.
I don’t think I can resist this curiosity.
So there’s only one answer.
“Let’s do that. It’s best to reach an agreement quickly when making a contract.”
What else can I do but investigate without her knowing?
Hiding his true thoughts while smiling, Si-heon frowned again looking at Ga-eun’s cheeks.
“Even so. It’s quite a visible spot, isn’t it?”
“It’ll go down quickly with an ice pack.”
“From how familiar you sound, it seems like there’s quite a history of physical abuse.”
Ga-eun didn’t answer.
Si-heon didn’t push for an answer either.
He’d find out everything from start to finish anyway.
There was no need to distance himself from the remedy unnecessarily.
“Just tell me who it is. So I won’t have to guess needlessly and can be careful.”
After thinking for a moment, Ga-eun spoke softly.
“…It’s my sister.”
“Seems like you don’t get along.”
“Just because.”
“Just because?”
Because I’m illegitimate. Ga-eun swallowed the words.
She wasn’t ready to say it herself yet.
He would bring it up soon anyway, so she wanted to postpone it until then.
“How many siblings do you have, Si-heon?”
“I’m an only child.”
“I see. Well… there are all kinds of siblings in the world. We’re just one of many sisters who don’t get along well.”
“The kind that slap each other’s faces when things go wrong?”
Staring intently at Ga-eun’s face, Si-heon nodded with an “Ah.”
“A one-sided relationship of getting hit rather than hitting back.”
“How did you know that?”
Ah. Ga-eun covered her mouth. The words had slipped out in her surprise and amazement.
Then her eyes widened.
Because the man was softly laughing with crinkled eyes.
