Chapter 5
“Are you… crazy?”
The shock caused Lee Seo to blurt out a somewhat harsh word.
She quickly clamped her mouth shut, but Yuri’s expression remained calm.
“It’s just slightly overcooked, so it doesn’t seem to affect the taste.”
“What does that matter?”
“Then, what does matter?”
“This isn’t a dream, is it?”
“No.”
“Then how did you get here…? Where’s Kang Yuri?”
Stirring the soup with a ladle, Yuri began serving it into a bowl, carefully garnishing it with parsley on top.
It was a relaxed, deliberate gesture.
Lee Seo was at a loss.
Wait, then yesterday…
That wasn’t a dream either?
‘Is this really that sensitive?’
Ugh, this makes no sense.
Right now, I’m with a stranger, doing… this.
“Kang Yuri?”
Yuri questioned again.
Lost in her own thoughts, overwhelmed by self-doubt, Lee Seo didn’t respond.
Yuri narrowed his brow slightly.
His eyes grew colder as they locked onto her.
“Are you asking where Kang Yuri is?”
“W-Well… I mean… I have somewhere urgent to be. I should leave now.”
“Where?”
“Work, work.”
Her body instinctively recoiled.
She needed to get away.
No matter who this man was, she had to get out.
“You’re working from home, aren’t you?”
“….”
“And you’re on vacation too.”
“How do you…?”
“Because I’m your husband.”
Husband?
Kang Yuri would never introduce himself as “husband.”
Not once had anyone ever addressed Lee Seo as his wife.
Thus, he never thought to call himself Lee Seo’s husband.
That kind of sentimental term just didn’t suit him.
Who is he?
She needed to report this.
This is illegal trespassing.
“That wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. If the police arrive and confirm who I am, chaos will ensue.”
Would they believe Kang Yuri has returned?
Since no body was found—no, everyone believed he was dead.
Even the shares of Seojin Group plummeted in response to the news.
“There will be social turmoil.”
“But still… you’re not really Kang Yuri.”
“Are you sure?”
“….”
“Am I not Kang Yuri?”
He took a step closer to her.
She raised a hand, trying to ward him off, but locked eyes with him as he advanced slowly.
His complexion was pale earlier, but today, his face seemed more vibrant.
The low, distinct voice that wrapped around her ears was the same, but his cooking, his approach to simple tasks, was undeniably different from before.
People don’t change like that.
Though Lee Seo had only known Yuri for just over a year, she could be certain—
This man was not Kang Yuri.
“You’re sure?”
“….”
“This isn’t going to work. I won’t report you right now. Like you said, social turmoil—whatever that might be. Still, we can’t stay here together.”
“Because of what happened last night?”
“….”
“It would be inconvenient if I were to be unconscious. I don’t have any hobbies involving drunk women.”
So you do have hobbies with sober women then?
For a brief moment, a sense of injustice bubbled up.
Embarrassingly, Lee Seo had never been in a relationship or even had any physical contact before turning thirty.
Then, her thoughts snapped back.
Why am I getting worked up?
Even if this man were her real husband, she wasn’t sure if she had the right to get so emotional.
“Anyway, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
“You’re asking me to calmly eat dinner now?”
“Yes. After eating, we’ll talk. It would be best to revise the prenuptial agreement.”
Her expression hardened.
The man knew about the prenuptial agreement. Perhaps even the details. It had been drafted solely on trust, without any legal certification.
That couldn’t be possible.
This man might have been someone who knew Kang Yuri.
A reflection, a stand-in left by him?
Or maybe someone controlling everything from behind the scenes.
“You’ve drifted into another thought. Focus on the present, Hong Lee Seo.”
“….”
“Think about what you could gain from this.”
“….”
“If you lose everything you have now, it could be troublesome, wouldn’t it?”
“Look, you’re still not Kang Yuri. You know I have nothing.”
“It can’t be true.”
Yuri started setting the table himself.
He casually gestured toward a plate of toast and salad.
Having gone through countless part-time jobs after running away from home during high school, Lee Seo reacted swiftly to situations like this.
Without a second thought, she moved the plate and even poured tomato juice into a glass.
“Excellent.”
“I’m not planning to eat it.”
“You’re worried I might have poisoned it?”
“It’s not that, it’s just… we don’t really have a reason to eat together.”
“Tomatoes are good for hangovers.”
“….”
“I almost ground them myself.”
“Almost?”
“I thought about it, but decided it would be better to just buy something delicious.”
“You showed your face?”
People around here recognize your face.
Seeing Lee Seo’s shocked expression, Yuri smiled softly.
Of course, it had the opposite effect.
She hardly remembered seeing him smile before.
Offering a chair, he gestured for her to sit, then took the seat across from her.
“Drink. Otherwise, you’ll be upset.”
“….”
Lee Seo had no choice.
Even though she knew she was being drawn into this situation, it was hard to refuse.
She sat down.
The thirst that had faded earlier returned, and with that, she decided to drink the tomato juice—on the pretense of tasting his efforts.
The juice was cool and sweet.
At first, it was only to quench her thirst, but after a couple of sips, she couldn’t stop.
The man across from her watched her drink calmly.
Yuri naturally began to fork a piece of salad.
Soon, after the music from Liszt faded, Ravel’s piano concerto began playing.
“We need to kiss first.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Start with the soup.”
Yuri handed Lee Seo a spoon.
It was strange how often she ended up listening to him.
She took a spoonful of soup.
She thought it was burnt, but it wasn’t too thick or too mushy—just right. A faint, buttery flavor lingered.
“…It’s good.”
“The kiss doesn’t necessarily mean a physical one.”
Yuri continued eating calmly, his words smooth and infuriatingly composed.
