AOA 88

Before the regression, the details of who Baek Yeongseop had married and what kind of family she came from were hazy in my memory. So I couldn’t recall anything about the man smiling foolishly in front of me either.

As Baek Mugyeong had said, nothing could be guaranteed until the wedding actually happened. Even after checking each other’s backgrounds, getting engaged, and completing all the preparations, it wasn’t uncommon for things to fall apart.

When Baek Mugyeong said we had to wait and see, the man burst into laughter.

“Ahaha, you’re right. Gotta get married first. Anyway, once we’re in-laws, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Sure.”

“Nice meeting you. I see you’re wearing the ring today. Say hi if we run into each other again. I’ll make sure you have a good time.”

He smiled and winked at me, who had remained silent the entire time, then walked away.

It was blatant harassment. And not just casual, but laced with malice. If Baek Mugyeong and I had been a typical couple, this would’ve been enough to start a fight.

I’d already thought he was insane when he shamelessly came onto me even after hearing I was married, but I hadn’t expected him to be this out of control. I held back a curse and turned to Baek Mugyeong, who was standing beside me.

“What was that guy’s name? I can’t remember.”

“Lee Jaegwang.”

“He was weird last time too. Seriously, such a strange person.”

“Yes.”

Baek Mugyeong answered flatly. Remembering the name Lee Jaegwang, I leaned slightly toward him and lowered my voice.

“Are they really going to become in-laws?”

“I haven’t heard anything confirmed. But my aunt is working on it, so it’ll probably be decided soon.”

Before the regression, Baek Yeongseop’s marriage partner wasn’t Choi Jaeha, but things had changed so drastically now that I hadn’t been able to feel at ease. Still, judging by how things were playing out, it definitely didn’t seem to be Jaeha. Only now could I finally relax.

“I’m glad it’s not Jaeha.”

“Jaeha, you mean?”

“You didn’t know? He got contacted too. I mean, I know it’s an arranged marriage and all, but isn’t that a bit much? They don’t even get along. Or rather, Jaeha’s just too good for him.”

“You…and Jaeha…?”

Baek Mugyeong mentioned Jaeha’s name but trailed off.

I what? Jaeha?

No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t guess what he was going to say next, so I gave him a questioning look. With a slight furrow of his brow, he let out a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s nothing. Shall we keep looking around?”

“Yes.”

I could tell he was trying to change the subject, but I didn’t push him on it. Things were a lot less awkward than earlier, but since we hadn’t yet discussed anything serious, I figured it was best to tread carefully.

I’ve made up my mind to make the best of this situation and earn some money while I was at it, I walked around the exhibition hall once with Baek Mugyeong and then called over a staff member to say I’d buy three paintings. I smiled in satisfaction as I watched the “sold” stickers being placed beside their titles.

Unfortunately, no one knew I’d just humiliated my stepmother. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, and it was just a little disappointing that I couldn’t.

*

Baek Mugyeong had spent most of his schooling abroad and had only recently returned to Korea, so he didn’t have any notable connections here. Of course, the same was true for me, who had forged my educational background. In short, neither of us had anyone to chat with at length at the gallery.

So once we were done, we said goodbye to Baek Sujin and went to find Im Songyoon. Unfortunately, Baek Yeongseop was there with her, along with an unfamiliar middle-aged woman and several young women.

Looks like he really is getting married.

Among the brightly dressed young women, I couldn’t tell if the one who had married Baek Yeongseop before the regression was present or not. I’d only seen her at the wedding and had barely ever met her in person.

When we said we were leaving, Im Songyoon introduced the people beside her. She said they were the wife and second daughter of the president of Jeongdong Pharmaceuticals, and the youngest daughter of Seogwang Investment Bank.

“Oh ho ho. With such tall and handsome grandsons, the chairman must be so proud.”

“Indeed. Both of you look like celebrities on TV.”

After the polite greetings, the two ladies couldn’t stop complimenting how handsome Baek Mugyeong and Baek Yeongseop were. Im Songyoon nodded in agreement, she seemed pleased.

No one paid me any attention, which worked in my favor since I could quietly observe the situation.

The atmosphere was quite cheerful, but Baek Yeongseop, who should’ve been the center of attention, looked unenthusiastic. He was famous for being a delinquent, but at least he behaved somewhat properly in front of adults. Still, judging by how poorly he was managing his expression, he clearly wasn’t happy about being here.

Of course, Baek Mugyeong was stiff too. He answered all questions, but without warmth. No smiles, just a strictly professional demeanor.

Still, thanks to Im Songyoon guiding the conversation and everyone else chiming in enthusiastically, neither of their cold attitudes caused any issues.

I was trying to figure out the right moment to leave when my eyes met Baek Yeongseop’s across the room. His half-lidded gaze gleamed with malice.

“Our sister-in-law is quite the looker too. Maybe not handsome, but a real beauty.”

At his sudden comment, everyone turned to look at me. I was briefly startled, but I managed to maintain a composed expression with a polite smile.

“Mugyeong, aren’t you nervous having such a beautiful wife? Hm?”

Taken at face value, it could’ve been interpreted as a light tease. But considering what had happened last week at Geumpalang art museum, this was clearly provocation. As if he was suggesting Mugyeong was trailing after me because he was afraid I’d cheat.

Wow. What a lunatic.

Cursing internally at how many crazy people there were in the world, I glanced cautiously at Baek Mugyeong. Since I could see the malice in Baek Yeongseop’s words, there was no way he hadn’t caught it too.

“Of course I’m nervous. Someone might try to whisk him away. It’s not easy having such a gorgeous wife.”

I was stunned into silence, anxiously watching for him to snap back. But he delivered those words with a straight face, he sounded perfectly calm. His tone was no different than usual.

What the hell?

I blinked in confusion, and just then, our eyes met. He gave me a subtle signal before looking straight ahead again.

The ladies laughed, saying we made a lovely couple. Baek Yeongseop scowled, and Im Songyoon quickly changed the topic.

Just then, commotion stirred near the entrance of the exhibition hall. The noise, which had started faint, grew louder.

Looking back to see what was going on, I saw a man push past the staff and storm in, breathing heavily. The staff tried several times to block him, saying he needed an invitation, but the man ignored them completely.

Everyone’s attention turned toward him. A big man in a slightly disheveled suit was charging straight toward us like an angry bull, almost running.

“What the hell?”

“Who is that?”

While everyone murmured, the man approached and stood in front of Baek Yeongseop. The atmosphere grew tense.

“You, you’re Baek Yeongseop, right?”

“What the–? You?”

“Yeah, it’s you, you bastard!”

The man suddenly cursed and swung a punch at Baek Yeongseop. There was a loud crack. Caught off guard, Baek Yeongseop stumbled sideways.

The sudden violence drew screams from the crowd. I stepped back a few paces, and Baek Mugyeong immediately stood in front of me, shielding me.

“You messed with someone else’s woman and got her pregnant! Hah, fuck! If you made her get an abortion too, you should’ve been ready for this, you bastard!”

The man’s furious roar silenced the entire exhibition hall. Everyone knew Baek Yeongseop’s private life was messy, but this was a first.

Had something like this really happened?

While I tried to recall, Baek Yeongseop straightened himself and cursed as he lunged at the man. He swung his fist, but missed. The man dodged and landed another punch square on Yeongseop’s face. Then the two of them started brawling like wild animals.

Im Songyoon screamed and called for museum security. The security guards who had been on standby rushed over, but couldn’t stop them.

While trying to pull the two apart, one guard got punched in the face. It seemed they knew who Baek Yeongseop was, because they were clearly focusing on restraining the other man.

The attacker was tall and broad, and he fought well too. Even though it was practically one against three, he was dominating the fight.

Then, a strong wave of pheromones burst from Baek Yeongseop, accompanied by an explosion of swearing. Almost simultaneously, pheromones erupted from the other man and the security guards. Now all four were fighting each other.

The pheromones released by four Alphas at once were overwhelming. It was like someone had dumped dozens of perfume bottles all over the place, filling the hall with an intense scent.

The Betas present were unaffected, just surprised and curious, some even pulling out their phones to record.

But the reaction from other trait-bearers was different. Those who seemed to be Omegas quickly left. The Alphas, on the other hand, stared toward the fight with tense, almost mesmerized expressions, like they were ready to jump in at any moment.