TMPW Ch 1 part 1

He first met his wife a month before their wedding. The second time was on the day of their wedding. Honestly, the first meeting was unnecessary and troublesome.

The foundation of South Korea’s high society is money, power, and marriage. His marriage was considered to be a mere ‘contract’ between the fathers, so it didn’t matter who the bride was going to be.

Pretty or ugly, addicted to shopping or depressed, promiscuous or virtuous; it didn’t matter. The important thing was what the bride and groom would bring to the table.

With the establishment of their marriage, the bride’s family, R&K Investments, and the groom’s family, HyunJin Group, would proceed with their project in Dubai.

The project was titled ‘The Tropical’. Although it sounded ridiculous, they would be making manmade islands in a manmade sea in the middle of the desert. Each island would have its own luxury resort and casino club.

R&K and HyunJin were planning on creating another mirage for the rich families of the Middle East who didn’t seem to know how to spend their overflowing fortunes made from oil. The project would cost a lot of money, but it would bring in a lot of profit as well. This was the true meaning behind the marriage.

The woman in his tablet PC was staring back at him. The photo was like a neat ID photo submitted in a resume by a job applicant. The woman looked incredibly normal. No, actually she was quite pretty.

She had tied her hair back neatly. Her pale face, calm eyes, and formal dress gave off a gentle aura. It was the type of look that was popular with many elders when it came to potential daughters-in-law.

“Illustrator?”

As he swiped up, he saw additional information: date of birth, education, occupation, hobbies, school photos, and current photos.

“Yes.”

Secretary Kang began his briefing with his usual fast and precise tone.

“She’s published three books so far. She usually works from home and lectures at HwaYin University once a week as a part-time instructor.”

How boring. JoonHun felt that he didn’t need to read any more and turned off the screen. He heard that she had gone to London to study abroad, but all she ended up doing now was drawing picture books.

Most upper class women chose to study the fine arts. It was something to boast about and looked good whenever they decided to open up their own galleries. Of course, it was also a graceful avenue for money laundering.

“Anything else?”

“No. She hasn’t gotten into any scandals up till now. She is known to be very quiet and polite.”

No scandals at all? That was impressive. President Min of R&K and the children from his previous wives were known to be quite rowdy. He was already on his third wife and known to play around. How was his daughter quiet?

“Are you sure this information is correct?”

“Yes. It’s been double-checked.”

Well, that could be true. It wasn’t like this world didn’t have people who just liked to live quietly.

They quickly arrived at the appointed location. JoonHun got out of the car and buttoned his suit. Even though this was a marriage meeting, he felt as if he was about to meet an important business partner.

The contract was already in its final stages. No matter what kind of person this woman was, or what kind of thoughts she had, this marriage was going to happen.

He just hoped she didn’t cling on to him when this was all over. As he walked over to the room where she was waiting, JoonHun frowned. The thing he hated the most was when a woman began to have feelings for him.

There was no way that would happen, but he would be annoyed if she pushed her love or obsession on him. It was as foolish as putting personal feelings into public business.

If the woman had any common sense, no, if her parents recognized what this marriage truly meant, this agreement wouldn’t be twisted or entangled in useless sentiment.

They were contract partners, not Romeo and Juliet. Involving romance in this marriage was worse than having a shopping addiction or being a flirt.

The door opened with a click. The woman was sitting on the right side of a luxurious table. Behind her was an enormous, square window showing a view of an elegant magnolia tree in full bloom. This was the perfect setting to hold a marriage meeting.

Her dark green dress had a stand collar, feminine pleating around the shoulders, and was of an appropriate length. Overall it was a simple style. It accentuated her pale, elegant face and her long, black hair that had been swept into an updo. Her posture as she stood up was graceful and without any fault.

“I apologize for the wait. My name is Seo JoonHun.”

JoonHun faintly smiled as he initiated the polite conversation. The woman lightly lowered her head.

“My name is Min Yuan. Nice to meet you.”

Her tone was soft. She also kept an appropriate distance.

JoonHun’s smile deepened. They were off to a good start. The ball was now in his court, and he had never failed a negotiation before.

Min Yuan.

And just like that, she became his wife.

They held the wedding one month after this marriage meeting. Like a business project, the secretaries of both houses set it up. In order to oversee the establishment and consortium in Dubai, JoonHun was not in Korea during this time.

Everything happened smoothly, and everyone was satisfied. The press covered their upcoming marriage with a rose-colored lens, and the two companies’ stocks went up as expected.

A month later, on their second meeting, Yuan was wearing a wedding dress. She wasn’t wearing a princess ball gown. Instead, she donned a slim, simple dress.

Unlike their first encounter, her hair was pulled up along the middle and decorated only with white flowers. Her beautiful white nape peeked through underneath.

As Min Yuan walked down the aisle and moved her hand from her father to JoonHun, she looked like the epitome of a beautiful and ladylike bride.

However, as they read their vows, as she hooked her arm around his for their wedding photo, or even as they left the wedding venue hand-in-hand, she didn’t look up at him once.

JoonHun didn’t intend on spending the first night of his wedding with his wife. They had only met twice, and he wasn’t hungry for a woman either. He also guessed that she wasn’t the type of woman who would open her body to a man she only met twice. It wasn’t required in their marriage anyway.

So why did he change his mind?

Was it some type of hypnosis that came with marriage?

Or was it because of the wisteria flowers?

Spring was in full swing in Japan during the month of April.

They arrived at an airport in Nagoya on a private jet. They then boarded a helicopter to the city of Ise. During the whole travel, no one spoke a word to the other. JoonHun continued to work on his tablet PC while his wife just looked out the window.

Eventually, when the helicopter arrived at the resort, the sun was setting over Ago Bay, coloring the water with brilliant hues. The islands floating on the sea looked like abandoned birds’ nests.

Once the helicopter landed, the noise that had been annoying the couple finally wound down. Eventually, an absolute silence settled over the resort which was situated between a dense forest and the sea.

Finally.

JoonHyun felt like he could finally breath as he combed his hair back with his fingers. Even though they were here for three days and two nights for their honeymoon, JoonHyun just wanted to get a lot of sleep. He had rushed back from Dubai, so he hadn’t been able to adjust to the time difference. On top of that, because of the uproar of the wedding, he hadn’t slept for the past 48 hours. Who knew that the wedding would be more difficult to deal with than work?

“If you’re tired, feel free to wash up and go to bed first.”

Min Yuan spoke as if she read his mind. Now that he thought about it, those were the first words she had spoken to him all day.

“I’m fine.”

“I can see your dark circles.”

She gestured to her own eyes as she spoke. Seeing her say those words with a straight face was kind of funny.

Most people couldn’t speak comfortably whenever they were around him. While his status in the company was a factor, it was probably mostly due to the cold and scary impression he gave off.

However, it seemed that it didn’t affect Min Yuan at all. Well, she was officially his wife starting today. She had no reason to be wary of him or to be afraid. Her indifferent expression was further proof.

“Ah, is it that obvious?”

“Go and rest. It’s understandable that you’re tired.”

Yuan smiled softly as she spoke. JoonHun felt strange as he saw her graceful but formal smile. She knew as well as him what this marriage was. A contract. Nothing more, nothing less. They were just business partners.

So it felt like her eyes were warning him to keep his distance, but they were keeping that truth well hidden.

Now that he thought about it, Min Yuan played the part of his perfect bride, but she never once looked up at him or spoke to him.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have dinner together?”

“JoonHun-ssi.”

She called him by his name for the first time. Her flat, clear pronunciation rang in his ears and tickled it.

“I would feel more comfortable eating alone. Please don’t worry about me.”

Yuan spoke like an employee trying to get rid of her boss from an employee get-together.

“On the first day of our honeymoon?”

“Does the first day of our honeymoon mean anything to us?”

Even though she said this with a smile, JoonHun couldn’t feel any warmth coming from her. After saying her piece, Yuan stood up and exited the room. Left alone, JoonHun watched with frustration as the paper sliding door slowly closed shut.

JoonHun couldn’t tell if he should be thankful, or if he should be confused. He felt like he was being abandoned.

What did it matter anyway?

What he needed at the moment wasn’t a bride. He needed sleep. JoonHun loosened the necktie that had been around his neck all day.

Hot water came down from above his head with a whooshing sound. The water ran down his immaculately styled hair and then down his stiff muscles.

Soon the water washed away his drowsiness and fatigue. His usual thoughts about work didn’t enter his mind this time. JoonHun watched the random droplets explode onto the tiles. The water began to fully soak his body before crashing down at his feet and spreading out onto the tile floor.

“Does the first day of our honeymoon mean anything to us?”

He recalled Min Yuan’s words. More specifically, he remembered her indifferent eyes as she said those words.

Pfft, JoonHun began to laugh. He remembered how he had been worried that she would be clingy when he was on his way to meet her a month ago. On the contrary, she didn’t seem to have any interest in him at all. He was starting to feel embarrassed for worrying about it.

He was glad things worked out.

JoonHun briefly cleaned himself off and exited the bathroom. He then buried himself into his bed. The past few days’ worth of fatigue smashed into him like a ton of bricks.

JoonHun didn’t know how long he slept. A bird was chirping outside the window. He suddenly woke up from his slumber. He had woken up from a bad dream.

It was a dream he had often as a young child, but had forgotten about now. He was holding his mother’s hand as he was going to see his father. He was so excited to see his father for the first time in his life.

His father’s cold eyes as he looked down on his young self’s childlike anticipation was no different from the eyes of his new bride.

“Damn it.”

JoonHun slowly got up and swept back his disheveled hair. He had been so tired that he dreamed of old memories. He quickly shook off the remainder of the tiresome dream and looked around at his surroundings.

He was inside a clean but luxurious bedroom. The flowers and champagne that the resort had prepared for the honeymooners had been thrown in the trash. The special Japanese characteristic of cleanliness and orderliness felt a bit suffocating for JoonHun.

He looked at the time. It was already past 2AM. However, he sensed that he was alone.

Where did she go?

JoonHun put on the yukata that had been laid out on on the side of the bed and walked towards the bedroom that she would be using. The room was empty. The bathroom was also empty. Her bags and clothing were neatly put away. Where had she gone in the middle of the night? Did something happen to her?

Worried, JoonHun opened the veranda doors and went out onto the balcony. The resort’s security was more than enough, and the HyunJin security team was also stationed around the cabin, but something could have still gone wrong.

Did she go out to the garden?

Each cabin had its own open-air bath and a garden. The garden looked natural, but each element had been placed with much thought. The tree branches stretched out over the dim lights.

JoonHun thought he heard the sound of water coming from somewhere. He smelled the hot spring’s characteristic scent of water mixed with the fragrance of spring flowers. He followed the smell until he suddenly stopped.

Ah…

Did he say this out loud? He wasn’t sure. Under the moonlight, the lines of purple wisteria blossoms stretched out like a fantasy. JoonHun felt as if the last remnants of the world had suddenly disappeared. Within the white smoke of the hot spring sat Yuan.

Her long, black hair was still wet as it hung down her white back. JoonHun wasn’t sure if she had only put on half of the blue yukata or whether it had slid down, but he could see her shoulder and part of her back. He was so entranced that he forgot why he came here in the first place.

She was cold and indifferent, but it seemed like a strange sadness was emanating off of her. But her profile was so beautiful. It seemed as if she would disappear into the darkness at any moment.

“Min Yuan.”

Subconsciously, JoonHun called her name. He felt as if she’d really disappear if he left her alone. Startled, Yuan turned her head and looked at him. Her long, black hair fell around her slender face. Her expression looked completely different from the one she had at their marriage meeting and even their wedding.

Was it because she had taken off her makeup? Her bare face looked as delicate as a child’s. Without her sophisticated and cold expression, she looked like a delicate flower that could be crushed at the slightest pressure. A bit confused, she fixed her clothes. Without her usual composure, her ears slightly flushed red.

What is this? She’s pretty cute. Her embarrassment showing through her cold expression was burned into JoonHun’s eyes. Was it because of the magic in the night air? Or was it because of the bride’s white nape peeking through her hair?

He continued to stare at her. Yuan turned to him so that they were face to face. JoonHun didn’t know what to do. Was he going to continue to be polite? Should he warn her not to get closer to him because they were merely business partners?

Pfft, JoonHun began to laugh.

This was marriage. Even if it was formed through a contract, in the end, a marriage was the most primitive bond between a man and a woman.

JoonHun offered her his hand. Yuan didn’t move. Her alarmed face returned to its chilly state. With the same cold and indifferent expression she had at their marriage meeting, she looked down at his hand.

They both knew what his outstretched hand meant. It didn’t matter if she rejected him. However, she wouldn’t be able to reject him for long. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice.

“Do we need to do something like this?”

Eventually, Yuan opened her mouth. Her tone was as cold as the night sea.

“Is there a reason not to?”

JoonHun smirked as he replied. He wasn’t aware that he looked as dangerous as he did when he was a teen with his hair down. However, Yuan’s expression did not change.

“You know very well what this marriage means.”

“I know. It’s the beginning of a relationship that will bring about a pleasant profit.”

“So why must you have a taste of this pleasure too?”

“Like you said, because it’s pleasure. A pleasure that will always be enjoyable.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t like it?”

“You won’t dislike it, Min Yuan.”

Yuan slightly cocked her head. As her hair slid down, her cold eyes glared at him.

“You… are so sure of yourself.”

“The feedback I’ve received so far have been positive.”

At his words, Yuan faintly smiled. He could almost hear her voice in the wind saying ‘So certain, are you?’ Even then, the wisteria flowers trickled down his wife’s body. Yuan watched the flower petals fly away.

The purple wisteria flowers was said to be the flower of a bride waiting for her husband. She must have answered her husband’s call because she was sitting underneath the wisteria tree.

“What if I continue to say no?”

JoonHun couldn’t tell if she was asking him or the flowers.

“In the end, you’ll give in. We have to see each other every night.”

She wouldn’t be able to reject him forever. Like it or not, they were married and had to live under the same roof. They didn’t know when this would end. If he put his mind to it, they would ultimately end up sleeping together.

His wife walked over to him. She walked slowly and stopped when she stood right in front of him. She answered him with an indifferent expression.

“Fine.”

She walked past him and entered the bedroom. Once again, JoonHun followed behind her. After he closed the veranda doors, they no longer heard the sound of the wind. He then raised his hand and brought his wife’s hair in front her her shoulder. Her white and slender neck was milky underneath the dim moonlight.

“We won’t do this again if I don’t like it.”

JoonHun heard his wife’s voice. Her profile entered his eyes.

“Okay.”

He answered her quietly.

“I don’t want to have a child.”

He untied his wife’s belt.

“I agree.”

He also didn’t want a child. He didn’t plan on bringing about another unfortunate being into this unfortunate world.

“Are you good at this?”

JoonHun laughed at Yuan’s question. As he lowered her yukata, he revealed her milky shoulders. He had the skills to give her the best pleasure a woman could ever experience.

“Well, as long as we’re doing this, do it well. If you don’t deliver, there won’t be a next time.”

Scary. He brought his lips to her shoulder and chuckled.