AOA 7

It was already close to midnight.

Since I would likely be sleeping here, I had to wash up and change clothes.

I got up and headed toward the bathroom but paused when I saw the firmly shut bedroom door.

Baek Mugyeong had said it was better to lock the door for peace of mind, but if I did that… then even if I had another nightmare, he wouldn’t be able to come in to wake me.

After a long moment of hesitation, I passed by the door without touching it.

After my father’s car accident, I had come to understand with my whole body that no one could predict their future, not even a step ahead.

My parents died one after the other, my younger sibling fell seriously ill, my biological father appeared, and I was forced into a political marriage.

None of that would’ve even crossed the mind of the me from just a few years ago.

Ironically, even after regression, I still couldn’t foresee what was coming.

Up until the arranged date-that-wasn’t-a-date, everything had gone the same, but everything after that was brand new.

Starting from when Baek Mugyeong, who should’ve just dropped me off at the hotel and disappeared, instead proposed that we become accomplices, so many things had changed.

Spending a night in the hotel suite just to create the illusion that we’d tried to have a good time but failed… that had definitely been unexpected.

Tossing and turning with all sorts of thoughts, I finally drifted off past 3 a.m.

And then I was jolted awake by a knock.

“Please eat.”

At Baek Mugyeong’s voice, I shot upright.

I looked around several times before realizing I was still in the hotel room.

“Eat…?”

The moment I processed that I was being called for a meal, I went straight to the bathroom.

After a hurried face wash, I looked up at the mirror and saw my pale, tired face.

Ignoring it, I wiped my face roughly, shrugged off the bathrobe I’d used as sleepwear, and changed into slacks and a shirt.

The suit I’d briefly worn yesterday was still decent enough to wear.

I carefully opened the bedroom door and stepped out to find Baek Mugyeong sitting by the window.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

I answered hesitantly and walked slowly toward him.

Though we had stayed in the same place, his face was perfectly refreshed.

Unlike last night, he was fully dressed in a suit, hair neatly styled—he looked ready for a board meeting.

…Were those socks new?

Letting my mind wander, I sat down across from him.

A meal had been laid out on the white, round table.

There was an omelet, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato and asparagus, bread, jam, butter, and coffee.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a single serving.

There was only one set of utensils: fork, knife, and spoon.

“Please eat.”

“It looks like it’s only for one person.”

I looked between the table and Baek Mugyeong.

He stood up casually, as if it was nothing.

“I have something to attend to. I’ll be back in an hour to take you home.”

“No, I can return on my own.”

“I’ll return in an hour. Don’t disappear.”

The cold, one-sided tone made it clear, if I ignored what he said and vanished, he wouldn’t let it slide.

Even the way he looked down at me was commanding.

Honestly, I wanted to say I’ll do whatever I want.

But getting into a power struggle with Baek Mugyeong over something like this would be stupid.

I stared up at him for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“Understood.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

With that, Baek Mugyeong left the room.

I didn’t relax until the door clicked shut.

Things that had never happened before the regression were happening one after another, and it was exhausting.

During our two years of marriage, there were only a handful of times I’d seen Baek Mugyeong in the morning and shared a meal with him.

He left for work at dawn every day and wasn’t even around on weekends.

He traveled abroad often, too, so he was rarely home.

Why was everything so different now?

Was meeting him in the restroom really enough to cause such a shift?

Did he feel sorry for me because I dry-heaved?

My thoughts grew tangled as I looked down at the table.

But I quickly gave up on figuring it out.

Unless I could read Baek Mugyeong’s mind, there was no way to know the answer.

For now, I focused on the food in front of me.

The omelet, bacon, sausage, and even the coffee were all still warm.

The delicious smell made my mouth water.

My empty stomach let out a signal.

I hadn’t eaten much since regressing yesterday.

Just a few bites of meat at the arranged meeting.

“All this is so we can live, anyway.”

After my parents died, if nothing else, I made sure to eat properly.

Food gave you strength.

I started by stabbing a sausage with a fork and taking a bite.

The burst of juice filled my mouth—it made me happy.

With food in my system, my brain slowly began to work.

I needed money.

I had to divorce Baek Mugyeong.

And… I couldn’t let myself become an idiot like before.

Figuring out what to tackle first wasn’t hard.

Baek Mugyeong returned exactly an hour later, just as he’d said.

Then he drove me back to my biological father’s house.

As with yesterday, the ride was silent, but I didn’t mind.

“Thank you. Drive safely.”

“Have a good rest.”

We exchanged polite farewells, and I stepped out of the car.

Just then, a white Audi screeched to a halt, nearly blocking Baek Mugyeong’s car.

This was a quiet, upscale residential neighborhood.

The road had no center line and was wide enough for two cars to pass easily, so it was clearly intentional.

I looked at the license plate and instantly recognized it: Jeong Guhyeon’s car.

Sure enough, Jeong Guhyeon stepped out of the driver’s seat.

He was twenty-five this year, and an alpha.

After graduating from university in California, he returned to Korea last spring.

“What’s this? You spent the night out too?”

Jeong Guhyeon sauntered over with a smug grin, clearly amused by what he saw.

I hadn’t seen him at all yesterday.

He technically worked at our father’s company, but as a classic nepotism hire, he barely showed up.

Especially on weekends, he was almost always out.

The moment I saw the man who had murdered me, my heart dropped.

Breathing became difficult.

It felt like something terrifying was approaching.

Seriously?

Was I actually scared?

I couldn’t believe I felt fear when facing Jeong Guhyeon.

The fact that my body reacted because of the memory of being killed, it was humiliating.

I clenched my fists tightly and gritted my teeth.

When I took a slow breath, I caught the scent of alcohol coming from him.

Given that it was nearly noon, he must’ve drunk heavily the night before.

“Yeah.”

I answered simply.

“Wow, impressive. Does Dad know? He’s gonna flip out, haha. But seriously, couldn’t you have landed someone fancier? A Solein? At least go for a Benz, come on.”

Jeong Guhyeon glanced between my face and Baek Mugyeong’s car, clearly looking to provoke me.

Solein was the premium auto brand of DS Motors.

It was more than suitable for the executive director of DS Motors, but of course, Jeong Guhyeon didn’t know that.

My half-brother, three years older than me, had shown blatant hostility from the moment we first met.

Cursing was the norm, and he never hesitated to hurl personal insults.

At first, I was so stunned I fought back.

But once I realized no one would ever take my side, I stopped bothering.

I started tuning out everything he said.

When I didn’t react, his violence escalated, but until the moment he killed me, it was still tolerable.

Honestly, I didn’t want to care what Jeong Guhyeon did.

But at the very least, he needed to know who he was dealing with.

“That’s Baek Mugyeong.”

“Who’s Baek Mugyeong? Am I supposed to know? Hey, who are you? Get out of the car. Hey!”

Ignoring my words, Jeong Guhyeon pounded on the driver’s side door.

I was about to say he worked for Daesong Group when the door opened and Baek Mugyeong stepped out.

Jeong Guhyeon wasn’t short, but Baek Mugyeong had a clear half-head of height on him, and his build was overwhelmingly bigger.

I saw Jeong Guhyeon instinctively recoil for a second.

Maybe realizing it himself, he quickly flared up.

“What the fuck? Do you even know this bastard’s getting married soon?”

“I’m Baek Mugyeong.”

Despite the absurdity of the situation, Baek Mugyeong answered politely.

“So who the hell is Baek Mugyeong?”

“I’m the one marrying Jeong Minchae.”

“What do you mean, you’re marrying him…? Oh… I see. Sorry about that.

This asshole—my little brother, just showed up in some random guy’s car, so…”

Finally realizing who Baek Mugyeong was, Jeong Guhyeon began to babble.

Even among third-generation chaebols, if you weren’t in the main line, you were often just a powerless freeloader.

But Baek Mugyeong was the executive director of DS Motors.

Jeong Guhyeon, who had once mocked him as just a stud for breeding, couldn’t even speak properly now that they were face-to-face.

“So what’s your point?”

“Uh, nothing. I mean… if he’s marrying you, then spending the night out isn’t a big deal, right? Haha…”

Jeong Guhyeon laughed awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.

But Baek Mugyeong’s face stayed cold and stiff.

“That was a thoroughly unpleasant experience, Jeong Guhyeon.”

“Well… I have a bit of a temper, that’s all.”

“I suggest you be more careful next time.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Unable to manage his expression, Jeong Guhyeon grimaced but couldn’t offer any rebuttal.

He lowered his head.