AOA 78

Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed. I just wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t do that while still wearing a suit.

“I wish someone would just wash me.”

Grumbling to myself, I took a shower and changed clothes. While I was drying my hair, my stomach let out a loud growl. I hadn’t eaten much at my biological father’s birthday party, so I was starving.

When I checked the time, dinner had long passed. Both the weekday and weekend housekeepers would’ve finished their work and gone home by now.

Maybe they didn’t call me for dinner because I’d fallen asleep. Or maybe they did, and I just didn’t hear it.

Still, it wasn’t like there was nothing to eat. I always kept some food in the fridge just in case.

I tried to remember this week’s meal plan. Tonight’s dinner was stir-fried baby octopus. Just thinking about the spicy flavor made my mouth water.

I headed down to the first-floor kitchen with a light step. My head throbbed with every step, but it wasn’t unbearable.

“Uh… Baek Mugyeong?”

To my surprise, someone was in the kitchen. Baek Mugyeong, dressed in casual clothes, was chopping something. The microwave was also running.

“You’re awake?”

“Uh, yeah.”

I was so shocked I stuttered. It had been about half a year since I married Baek Mugyeong last November. In all that time, he’d never once used the kitchen. Aside from the first few times when he ate dinner in the study, he always had breakfast, lunch, and dinner outside.

I couldn’t believe this man was actually cooking something in the kitchen. It felt like a dream, so I bit my lower lip. The sting confirmed it was reality.

“How’s your body?”

“I took a nap. But, um, what are you doing? Did you not have dinner yet?”

He was definitely chopping scallions. I couldn’t guess what he planned to use them for.

“I already ate. Did you come down to eat?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect timing. I was about to wake you up. You need to eat something if you’re going to take medicine. Where would you like to eat? Dining room or your room? I asked the housekeeper to prepare some porridge.”

“I’ll eat here. But why porridge?”

“Because you’re hurt. Eat the porridge.”

“My digestion’s fine, though.”

Porridge? My excitement at the thought of spicy stir-fried octopus dimmed a little. Meanwhile, Baek Mugyeong took something out of the microwave.

It looked like steamed eggs. Sure enough, he sprinkled the chopped scallions over the fluffy yellow surface.

“Go sit down.”

Baek Mugyeong gestured toward the dining area with the tray in hand. That’s when I noticed a bowl of porridge was also sitting on it.

Baek Mugyeong made dinner? For me?

It felt like watching the sun rise in the west. Today had been rough, sure, but was this really necessary?

I almost wanted to ask, “Who are you, and what have you done with the real Baek Mugyeong?” Before the regression, the man had never shown this kind of kindness.

Our relationship had changed, and now strange things were happening.

More than anything, the sight of him in rolled-up sleeves, standing in the kitchen, looked more like a commercial than real life. And he was even good with a knife.

“Jeong Minchae?”

I snapped out of my daze at Baek Mugyeong’s voice. This wasn’t the time to just stand around.

“Ah, tonight’s dinner was supposed to be stir-fried octopus. I’ll have that as a side.”

I quickly moved to the fridge and searched through it. Inside was a neatly plated dish of stir-fried octopus. Cold was fine, but it’d be better warm. I took it out and popped it in the microwave.

“That’s pretty spicy.”

“I like spicy food.”

Baek Mugyeong could be stubborn in weird ways. Since he said I should eat porridge, he might try to stop me from eating the spicy dish.

So I jumped ahead and declared I liked it, not forgetting to flash him a bright smile.

The kitchen was brightly lit, which made it easy to see the odd expression on his face. He probably thought I was ridiculous.

“You’ve got a bruise on your forehead.”

“Huh?”

The unexpected comment made me tilt my head. I’d looked in the mirror after my shower and hadn’t seen any bruises on my face.

“On the left. It wasn’t there earlier. Just a moment…”

Baek Mugyeong reached out and brushed aside my bangs.

“It’s a blood bruise.”

“I must’ve hit my head on the bed frame. It doesn’t hurt much.”

The attackers mostly hit the back of my head. I probably bumped my forehead on the headboard when I was thrown onto the bed. My scalp had been so sore during the shower that I hadn’t noticed the specific spot.

Worried he might try to take me back to the hospital, I quickly insisted I was fine. And honestly, I was. When I was learning boxing, I’d get bruises all the time. This was nothing.

Baek Mugyeong looked at me with a furrowed brow and a serious expression, like he was trying to decide what to do.

Thankfully, just then, the microwave let out a ding.

“It’s done. Time to eat.”

I quickly turned away to avoid Baek Mugyeong’s gaze. I took the dish of octopus out of the microwave and placed it on the island counter.

“I’ll eat here. Not in the dining room.”

I deliberately changed the subject to shift the mood. As Baek Mugyeong’s tense expression relaxed, he set the tray with porridge and steamed eggs down in front of the octopus dish.

“The porridge should be at a good temperature now.”

“Thank you. By the way, did you make the steamed eggs yourself?”

As I was lifting the lid off the porridge, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and asked. He’d said the porridge was prepared by the housekeeper. But the steamed eggs clearly had the chopped scallions Baek Mugyeong had cut himself. And there were a few broken eggshells sitting neatly by the clean sink.

“Yes. I just used eggs and soy sauce, nothing else.”

His answer was brief. I was sure my eyes were asking why, but he didn’t offer an explanation.

Why are you being so nice? This isn’t like you.

I swallowed the question that had risen to the tip of my tongue. We weren’t on bad terms, but still, I told myself to be careful.

“Thank you for the meal.”

In the end, I started with a polite thanks. It was true, I was grateful that he’d made dinner for me after the housekeeper had left.

“Before you eat, let me ask one thing.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Have you ever heard the names Kim Jaewon or Ju Seontae? They’re the suspects.”

“No. That’s the first time I’ve heard those names. I saw their faces in the hotel room, but I didn’t recognize them.”

I swore I’d never heard of them before, and it really was my first time seeing them. The sleazy guy and the bearded one both had unique appearances, but I had no memory of them.

“Alright. I’m heading up now. Don’t forget to take your painkillers after you eat.”

“Okay.”

With that final bit of nagging, Baek Mugyeong left the kitchen without looking back. I let out a sigh of relief. If he’d insisted on staying to watch me eat, the pressure might’ve ruined my appetite.

The house was quiet, so I could hear everything, from him climbing the stairs to the sound of the bedroom door closing. Only then did I pick up my spoon and try the steamed eggs first.

They were soft and lightly savory, with nothing added. The sesame seeds and scallions on top gave a nice texture.

Cooking wasn’t something I’d ever imagined in Baek Mugyeong’s skillset. Sure, steamed eggs were simple, but this one showed some real finesse.

“It’s good.”

I had no idea why Baek Mugyeong made it himself. Maybe I really did look that pitiful to him. Either way, it was delicious, and I planned to enjoy it.

I took a big spoonful and smiled.

*

The next day, I spent the whole day at home.

The bruises on my stomach and forehead had turned black, and the back of my head was swollen. Every step pulled at my stomach and made my head throb, so I spent most of the morning in bed.

Still, there was plenty I could do from bed. I messaged my little brother like usual and worked on a university report.

Then I watched TV while waiting for Baek Mugyeong. He’d gone out early in the morning and didn’t return until well past lunchtime.

I also spoke with Choi Jaeha. His grandmother wanted to invite me over for a meal, and I agreed without much thought.

It was a routine weekend, no different from usual.

But today felt a little different, because Baek Mugyeong had likely figured out who was behind yesterday’s attack.

I waited, heart pounding. Not long after lunch, Baek Mugyeong returned. He came straight to my room.

We sat across from each other in the small lounge next to the bedroom. Baek Mugyeong got right to the point.

“It was Jeong Guhyeon.”

“That’s… not really surprising.”

I genuinely wasn’t surprised. If anything, I was glad it was him, but I had to keep a straight face and pretended otherwise.

Unaware of what I was really thinking, Baek Mugyeong continued calmly. Apparently, the sleazy guy and the bearded one who were caught by hotel security insisted it was all a setup. They made a scene, claiming it was illegal to detain them like that.

But when Daesong Group’s security showed up instead of the police and dragged them off somewhere else, they realized something was seriously wrong.

As soon as they were tied up in the warehouse, the sleazy one, having a good sense of the situation, spilled everything after a few fingers were broken before he could even say a word.