Chapter 43. Play Along (1)

Translator: Lili

To Cha Jaeheon, Shin Sera’s request was nothing more than an inefficient, tedious task—one best ignored.

“Alright.”

And yet, to his own surprise, he readily accepted. It was an act driven by meaningless curiosity—he simply wanted to observe her transformation a little longer.

— Great. See you that day.

In the past, Sera would have tried to prolong the conversation no matter what. But this time, she hung up the moment she got what she wanted. She didn’t even wait for Jaeheon’s response. Letting out a short chuckle, he immediately called for Chief Go.

— Yes, Director.

“Reschedule my Friday evening plans.”

— Has something come up?

“I’ll be attending the Haewon Gallery party with my fiancée. If rescheduling is difficult, cancel it altogether.”

— …

Chief Go, known for his sharp perceptiveness, remained silent for a moment, analyzing the situation.

— The event on Friday evening is the Business Leaders’ Night, so rescheduling might be difficult. Should I inform them of your absence?

An external event, of all things, happened to be scheduled that day.

Jaeheon clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn’t retract his order. Even he couldn’t quite understand why he was willing to skip a prearranged event just to comply with Sera’s request.

***

‘Yes, this is the feeling.’

As Sera stepped into the hall, she confidently walked forward, relishing the weight of the gazes upon her. Among those surprised to see Cha Jaeheon escorting her were people who had once conspired with Lee Seonkyung to turn her into a laughingstock. The mix of envy and jealousy in their eyes sent a thrilling rush through her.

How does it feel now, after all that scorn?

Putting aside personal resentment, Jaeheon was undeniably an enviable husband-to-be. Feeling a cathartic sense of liberation, Sera boldly linked her arm through his.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“…”

Jaeheon frowned in displeasure but didn’t shake her off, likely because of the attention they were attracting. Not that Sera had any real desire to touch him—her need to flaunt simply outweighed any aversion. At this moment, he was nothing more than a trophy that made her shine.

“Why are you smiling like that? It’s irritating.”

Annoyed by Sera’s constant bright expression since entering the hall, Jaeheon openly displayed his discomfort. To find someone’s smile irritating—he truly had a talent for ruining a good mood.

“I had to endure a lot of unnecessary gossip because of how poorly you treated me. Since this is the mess you created…”

Sera tightened her grip on his arm.

“Play along, won’t you?”

Jaeheon gazed down at her silently. In her sharp glare, there was no trace of affection or joy—only the gleam of ambition, a desire to use him.

He had never wished for Sera’s love, but even he found her sudden shift in attitude rather perplexing.

“Sera.”

At that moment, a delicate voice reached her ears. It was Lee Seonkyung—the first time they had met since that humiliating incident at the Raum Group party.

“How have you been? Oh, Mr. Jaeheon, you’re here as well.”

Seonkyung, looking as dazzling as ever, approached Sera with a slightly flushed face. Only after noticing Jaeheon did she hurriedly lower her head, flustered. Her slightly bumbling demeanor was endearing, almost cute.

‘Why do I always run into annoying people at parties?’

With a cold expression, Sera stared at Seonkyung.

Since that day, Seonkyung had relentlessly reached out under the guise of an apology. Of course, Sera had ignored every single attempt, to the point that she had forgotten the woman even existed until this moment.

At first, she had believed that staying close to Seonkyung was her best chance at survival. That was why she had silently endured the woman’s malice. But now that she had realized there were other options, there was no reason to tolerate her any longer.

Sera wanted nothing to do with Seonkyung. She had no desire to stoop to the same level of petty hostility. If possible, she wanted to act as if Seonkyung didn’t exist at all.

“Hello, Lee Seonkyung.”

Only when Seonkyung’s expression tensed with anxiety did Sera finally greet her with a pleasant smile.

That alone was enough to make Seonkyung visibly relieved—so much so that her eyes welled up with tears as if deeply moved.

“Sera… I really… I’m so sorry, and I’ve missed you.”

Her large eyes glistened with unshed tears, her lips trembling as if she were on the verge of crying. It was an expression pitiful enough to make someone want to comfort her—but to Sera, it was nothing but sickening.

“Why do you look so heartbroken? Anyone would think I was your lover or something.”

“Huh?”

Ignoring Seonkyung’s wide-eyed surprise, Sera turned to Jaeheon with a smile.

“As you can see, I’m here with my fiancé. Can we talk later?”

“Oh… Y-yes, of course. That was thoughtless of me. I’m sorry.”

“Let’s go, Mr. Jaeheon.”

Sera smiled at Seonkyung, who had taken a step back in surprise, then pulled Jaeheon along. She even rested her head on his arm. Seonkyung’s gaze lingered on the two as they affectionately walked away.

“Can you move now?”

Jaeheon muttered under his breath once they had put enough distance between themselves and Seonkyung. As if she had been waiting for it, Sera quickly pulled away and replied indifferently.

“It’s not like I enjoyed it.”

“It’s impressive how transparent your intentions are. So this is why you asked me to come with you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I can overlook the lack of sincerity, but this is so childish it’s painful to watch.”

Irritated by his blatant disregard, Sera deliberately acted even more immaturely.

“I don’t act like this with just anyone, you know. There are people I actually give my genuine interest and affection to.”

“…”

“What’s with that look? It’s definitely not you.”

“Then who is it?”

Jaeheon asked with a smirk. It was the first time he had shown personal curiosity about her, but unlike the original Shin Sera from the drama, she failed to notice the shift. She was too preoccupied with wanting to knock him down a peg.

“Hmm… Lee Rowoon?”