Chapter 03
“W-what…? No, no, that’s not it. A kid… what kid?”
Yoo-geon waved his hands frantically, denying it.
Even if Jian’s upset stomach was a lie, there was no chance of pregnancy.
They had never done anything that could lead to a child.
Though they shared a bed out of consideration for the servants’ eyes and gossip while managing the household, sex was unnecessary between them.
“Why… you’ve been married for, let’s see… already three months. Are you thinking of not having kids? These days, what do they call it—DINKs, or something like that… Could it be that?”
Soon-young asked Yoo-geon with a worried expression, noticing him avoiding the topic.
“It’s not that… oh! Right. Jian is still young. Twenty-six is basically a baby these days. How can a baby have a baby? Ugh, I can’t do it.”
He waved his hand, shamelessly playing the doting husband.
“Oh, our Yoo-geon really cherishes his wife.”
Soon-young scolded lightly, but she couldn’t help smiling at the love her grandson showed his wife.
“Back in the day, someone your age would have two or three kids already. It wouldn’t be impossible.”
“But still… well…”
“Is it impossible…? While your grandma’s still alive… I want to see my great-grandchild.”
“Great-grandchild…?”
Yoo-geon’s eyes widened.
He thought the conversation would stop once he said there was no pregnancy, but here she was, bringing up children so actively.
“Yes. The cancer might come back, and who knows how long I’ll live…”
“Ah, why say that? Didn’t the doctor say the surgery went well and you’re recovering fine?!”
Yoo-geon quickly interrupted Soon-young’s weak voice.
Such words weren’t good for either of them.
Yoo-geon’s mother, Seo Hye-jin, had died protecting 8-year-old Yoo-geon in a near-accident.
Soon-young pitied Yoo-geon, knowing he might grow up motherless and carry guilt if he thought his mother died because of him.
So Soon-young gave Yoo-geon a lot of affection, and in turn, Yoo-geon valued her deeply.
And now, Soon-young had cancer.
“Before I die, my wish is to see Yoo-geon married and living steadily…”
Fear of death prompted her request.
“Even the grandmother wants it, so are you really not going to marry? Can a man who won’t build a family even understand responsibility? Should I even give company shares to such a man? Lately, I’ve been doubting it.”
To that, Chairman Cha used Soon-young’s illness as leverage, pressuring him to marry even more.
Yoo-geon didn’t care about his father’s pressure.
He often thought of just starting his own company to avoid constant interference regarding his bachelorhood.
But he wanted to fulfill Soon-young’s wish.
If it meant she could live a little longer with peace of mind, getting married wasn’t impossible.
That was why he contacted Jian again, the last matchmaking candidate, to propose a contractual marriage.
“But the risk of recurrence… and your memory is starting to go…”
Soon-young choked up.
Recently, after a smooth recovery from surgery, severe dementia symptoms had started to appear. She sometimes couldn’t recognize time, place, or familiar people.
“It’s only occasionally! These days, the medication is so good!”
Yoo-geon held Soon-young’s frail, wrinkled hands tightly and comforted her.
“Grandma, you only have good days ahead. So don’t worry, just relax, okay?”
“Okay…”
Soon-young, with reddened eyes and a trembling voice, nodded faintly with a small smile.
Seeing her smile even slightly made Yoo-geon want to make her even happier.
“How about we make you feel better by holding a No Choi-go concert in the hospital lobby?”
“No… Choi-go?”
Soon-young perked up at the mention.
No Choi-go was her favorite and the best trot singer of the era.
Grandmothers nationwide idolized him, giving him double thumbs up and praising him like a deity.
Yoo-geon found the name “No Choi-go” a bit ambiguous—it sounded like “no best”—but that didn’t matter.
“Yes! Then you’ll be thrilled, and you’ll be the best for the other grandparents in the hospital. What do you think? Sounds amazing, right? Just say the word. Your capable grandson will make anything you want happen.”
Yoo-geon patted his firm chest confidently.
He meant it. If it could make his grandmother happy, he could even hire No Choi-go daily.
Then Soon-young, having wiped her tears, whispered,
“…Great-grandchild.”
“Huh…?”
“No… forget No Choi-go. I need a great-grandchild.”
Caught off guard, Yoo-geon blinked.
“You just said you’d do anything. Seeing a great-grandchild, I think this grandma could live another 50 years.”
Soon-young smiled brightly, thinking about it.
“Then Yoo-geon will be the best for grandma.”
“….”
Yoo-geon opened and closed his mouth. No Choi-go could remain the best, and he could be the “no-best,” but…
“So, grandma will trust only you, Yoo-geon. Fight, my grandson.”
An unexpected huge problem had arisen.
When Yoo-geon returned home, Jian was asleep.
‘Good. I don’t have to see her right now.’
It had been a hectic day in many ways.
After showering, he stepped out of the bathroom.
His massive body, as wide as the bathroom door, was covered only by training pants.
He tended to sleep shirtless except in midwinter due to his high body heat.
Droplets of water ran down his perfect physique, from the firm chest to the sharply defined abs.
Yoo-geon lay down beside Jian, who was showing him her back.
“Huff…”
He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He couldn’t forget Soon-young’s words about needing a great-grandchild.
‘I’m losing it…’
He got up abruptly. His chest felt so tight that sleeping like this seemed impossible.
He went to the dining room, heated some milk, stirred in allulose, and drank it.
As a child, if Yoo-geon couldn’t sleep, Soon-young would warm milk for him. It had become a habit.
In dramas or movies, men drink whiskey when they can’t sleep, but Yoo-geon disliked bitter drinks.
Because of this preference, he never held business meetings in bars.
This gave rise to a healthy reputation that Yoo-geon despised nightlife.
Though it was just a matter of taste, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Sitting on the living room sofa, drinking the warm, sweet milk, Yoo-geon recalled Soon-young’s request.
“Our Soon-young’s great-grandchild… in other words, I need to have a child with Eun Jian.”
It was awkward but not impossible.
When he had proposed a contractual marriage to Jian:
“We’ll marry. But without any troublesome notions of love; we only take what we need from each other. No begging for affection. If that happens, the contract ends immediately and divorce procedures follow.”
Jian had widened her eyes, seemingly shocked.
Sure, she might have been a little sincere because of her attraction to him, but women’s ultimate goal was marriage alliances with CH.
Even without love, succeeding in marriage would be a major win.
So why the reaction?
“…Yes. I understand.”
Jian had answered in a meek voice, just as Yoo-geon was growing suspicious.
“I’ll prepare the contract soon. My goal is a marriage without love, and your goal is… cooperation with CH for your father’s company, Eun-Kwang Tech, right? I heard you’ve been working hard for recent expansion.”
Jian didn’t answer.
Yoo-geon assumed Eun-Kwang Tech’s recent financial struggles due to delayed payments from partner construction companies were why she hesitated.
It was obvious, so he let the silence count as agreement.
“Promise me. After marriage, refrain from actions that could cause trouble for me or our group and live quietly.”
“Quietly…? Excuse me, but I have a request too.”
“What is it?”
“Please let me work after we marry.”
“Work?”
“Yes. Ceramics, my major. My university professor founded a ceramics company and asked me to join. It won’t interfere with you or CH at all.”
Work. He could have simply provided living expenses and let her lounge around.
It wasn’t a problem, but it was not pleasant.
He felt they had already exchanged everything: he got a loveless marriage, she got CH connections. And now she was asking for more, acting as if she were an equal negotiator.
“Fine. Go ahead. Actually, I hope you work diligently. Focus on your own life so there’s no loneliness. That’s why I permit it. Don’t bother me.”
Yoo-geon warned her, and then added a mischievous clause:
“Also, if I have a child, Eun Jian must bear my child. It’s part of a wife’s duty.”
But it was more about asserting his control from the start of the contract.
“I didn’t intend to enforce it anyway.”
Yoo-geon let out a bitter laugh. The situation was oddly turning around.
He drank the milk in one gulp. Though it had cooled, it strangely burned his throat.
He made up his mind.
To fulfill his grandmother’s wish, perhaps for the last time.
