Soo-min POV:
I wear the expensive silk dress Tae-Jin forced on me.
I know how important it is to him to show off his influence.
To parade me around like a trophy.
Still, no matter how much effort I put in, I can't compare to the other women.
They're flashier. Prettier.
Confident in ways I can't fake.
Then Seok-ho walks in.
Tailored suit. Calm, sharp eyes.
A storm wrapped in elegance.
Impossibly handsome.
On his arm, a girl his age; flawless in a crimson dress that clings like liquid fire.
They look like they belong together.
The perfect pair.
All eyes turn to them. And suddenly, I want to disappear.
But despite how well they match, Seok-ho doesn't seem impressed.
His face is unreadable. Distant.
Not even a flicker of interest toward her.
Come on, I think.
If even that goddess can't get a reaction out of him, then who possibly could?
I don't have time to linger on the thought because suddenly, a glass is pushed into my hand.
"This champagne is awful. Be a darling and get me something else?"
Her voice is sweet as honey, but laced with command.
I blink, startled. Instinct kicks in.
I nod, already turning to obey.
But before I can take a step, a hand wraps around my wrist.
Seok-ho.
"What do you think you're doing?"
His voice is low. Sharp enough to cut.
He plucks the glass from my hand, then turns to the woman.
"Next time," he says flatly, holding out the glass to her, "ask someone who's actually here to serve you."
Her smile falters. "Oh! My mistake," she says, oozing fake remorse. "I just assumed she was part of the staff. She looked so… plain."
Seok-ho's eyes narrow.
"Apparently, some don't need makeup or sparkle to make others feel jealous."
We both stare at him, baffled. I never expected him to defend me. The lady flushes, recoiling with a huff before turning away.
Then, as if summoned, Seok-ho's date finds him.
"There you are," she purrs, wrapping her arm around his. "Where did you sneak off to?" she asks, sugary-sweet, eyes flicking toward me like I'm a stain on her shoe.
Yet her open hostility melts away the moment Tae-Jin steps beside me.
She changes instantly. Too calculating to insult me directly now.
Instead, she pretends.
Friendly. Chatty. Complimenting my appearances, each word is a hidden mockery.
She laughs too loud.
Tugs at Seok-ho's sleeve.
Twirls her hair.
Tries to make him watch her and want her.
But he doesn't.
His indifference stands out even more than I do.
She can't take it anymore, so she uses his inattention.
She makes a misstep. Too deliberate to be an accident.
A hand catches the edge of the tablecloth.
Dishes crash. Glass shatters.
Champagne sprays across both of our dresses.
She gasps, eyes wide with false innocence.
"What have you done?" she cries, her gaze locked on me.
The room freezes.
My dress clings to me, soaked and cold.
I just stand there.
Paralyzed.
Humiliated.
She doesn't miss a beat.
"Do you have any idea how expensive my gown is?" she snaps, lifting the hem of her dress barely stained compared to mine.
Her voice is sharp now, accusatory.
Like I ruined everything.
I almost drop to my knees to clean it.
Almost.
But before I can move,
Seok-ho is there.
No hesitation.
Not a glance at his date.
Not a single word.
He only shoves a handkerchief at her, as if to say 'take care of yourself however you want.'
Then he slips off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders.
My shoulders.
Not hers.
Like it's the most natural thing in the world.
His jaw is tight.
His eyes locked on mine.
"For God's sake, would you stop letting people walk all over you?" he demands, his voice low, furious, protective.
Just loud enough for me to hear.
I can't hold it in.
My throat tightens.
My eyes sting.
It's not the humiliation that breaks me.
It's him.
It's the way he stands between me and the world.
For the first time, I realize:
He's angry for me. Furious on my behalf.
And suddenly, it all begins to make sense.
He's been protecting me all along.
Could it be... that the reason I haven't been beaten as badly as the others…
Is because Seok-ho stepped in before it got that far?
Quietly fixing my mistakes; straightening the misplaced vases, adjusting everything with precise millimeter accuracy, adding the final seasoning to my cooking, taking the blame for my errors.
Shielding me without my knowledge.
He's been there.
Watching.
Deflecting.
Guarding.
And I never saw it.
Until now.
Seok-ho's POV:
Fuck.
I step in front of her, shielding her from view.
I can't let her humiliate herself by crying.
My father would punish her for it. Severely.
I've never seen her cry before, not once, no matter what.
"Do you really want to throw away all the hard work you've put in to stay next to my father... over some random bitch you'll never even see again?"
She looks at me, stunned.
My tone's harsher than I meant it to be.
I can't help it.
Seeing her cry infuriates me more than anything else ever could.
"Get yourself together," I demand.
I meet her eyes.
And finally, I see it. The steel beneath the surface.
Determination.
There you are.
I know you're strong.
I know it's in you.
I still don't know her story.
I don't know what she's been through.
But I'm starting to understand.
You're here...
Because even this life is less terrifying than whatever came before it.
And that wrecks me more than I can admit.
Before I can say anything else, my date turns to me.
"You're making a mistake by protecting her," she snaps, then walks over to Soo-min.
"Don't think you're special just because Tae-Jin keeps you around. He still comes to me when he wants to be satisfied."
I'm about to step in.
But then I see it. Something shifts in Soo-min.
A spark I've never seen before.
Like something invisible has just clicked into place inside her.
"I wouldn't brag about that," she says, her voice cold and clear. "There must be a reason he keeps me by his side… and keeps you a secret."
I try to keep a straight face, but I can barely stop the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
That's my girl.
"You're just going to let her talk to me like that?" the woman snaps at me.
I shrug.
"Well… isn't it the truth?"
She gasps, furious. Ready to make a scene.
"It's up to you," I say flatly. "You either embarrass yourself with making a scene or I'll let you pretend you're the one I chose for my date tonight, of my own free will."
"You'll regret it," she sneers but keep quiet.
Soo-min is still staring at me with something close to awe.
I meet her eyes.
No matter how much effort the others put into jewelry and makeup, they can't compete with her.
That effortless, genuine beauty…
The kind you can't fake.
And I can feel it.
The desire growing in me.