If she were to name the happiest time in her life…
It would undoubtedly be when one devoted their life to love and received an abundance of love in return.
Lee Seyeong thought the stories she heard in passing were laughable.
"Too busy living to love, who in the world can you trust, being thankful if you don't get stabbed in the back."
Nowadays, people do meet, but it's rare for them to take it seriously.
They dated someone just to alleviate momentary loneliness. This had been normalized in society for a long time.
Marriage in this world sometimes becomes a means to an end, and at other times, a tool for crime.
Even vows to devote one's life could turn into cruel lies.
Lee Seyeong, a noblewoman, had been exposed to such rotten, sewer-like love stories from a young age.
She herself had almost been used as a tool to connect families.
Hence, her thoughts were firm.
Romance in fairy tales was only possible in fairy tales. They were written in books because they were idealistic notions.
How could there be love that lasted forever in this world? If there was, that person must be a foolish sucker.
That's what she thought…
"I never dreamed I'd be that foolish sucker."
Well, it was because she didn't know love.
If you asked how it felt to be a sucker, there was only one answer.
"It felt damn good."
'If I could go back to the past, I'd want to scold myself for how happy I was just being in that person's arms.'
She finally understood that loving moments were the happiest moments in life.
Having never received proper love before, how could she know?
The person who left behind that saying must have lived an incredible life. She was very envious.
That's where my thoughts led her, and at some point, she realized.
If the happiest moment was when you loved, then the saddest moment in life was when you lost the person you loved.
"Keep it a secret. If he finds out, it'll be a disaster."
Lee Seyeong brought the teacup to her lips with a faint smile.
The tea, which had cooled to just the right temperature, carried a scent reminiscent of Jin Dallae's flowers.
A sweet floral aroma with a sharp flavor.
Sweet Oak's petals, however, were not suitable for tea. Their fragrance was subtle, and they often became mushy when steamed, losing their aroma in the drying process.
For some reason, this fact struck Lee Seyeong as bitterly ironic.
"It's nothing. I just needed someone to be there for Lee Shiheon after I'm gone."
Lee Shiheon had grown stronger, yet he still lived in circumstances where his life was at risk.
Lee Seyeong had been aware of this for a long time.
As a precaution, Cheondo advocated for training Shiheon. Her approach was effective, and Lee Shiheon had indeed made remarkable progress.
But Seyeong's strategy was different.
"The work I'm doing now is because you never know when you might die."
She felt compelled to eliminate the threats targeting him herself.
In conveying her sincerity, she also had to maintain the same level of earnestness.
Jin Dallae was looking at Lee Seyeong with a cold gaze. However, Dallae couldn't conceal her flustered expression either.
As she listened to the story, Dallae's breath caught before finally settling.
"…You never know when you might die?"
"I told you guys I was transferred, but that wasn't actually the case."
The reason Lee Seyeong had to leave Lee Shiheon and travel far away.
She never took a passive stance when facing imminent challenges.
"I've identified all the forces targeting Lee Shiheon with the help of a kid I know."
Lee Seyeong had collaborated with the star of the Hunter Union and conducted an internal investigation of the Flower to pinpoint its executive layer, planning a large-scale crackdown.
"Going undercover in Flower. Gathering information there and then using it to slowly formulate a plan… It was never going to be easy."
The plan was conceived with the possibility of death in mind from the outset.
Given its slim chance of success, the star present at the time had outright called Lee Seyeong crazy.
-Not dying would be quite the achievement, huh? Sigh. Crazy woman, as if. You've always been overdoing it since the academy.
-Yeah, they say you become like the one you love.
-…Hey, I love Shiheon too, okay? That's why I'm helping you with your thing, okay?
-Love, my foot.
-Hmph.
The day Lee Shiheon and Byeol had their blind date was memorable.
After that day, there was a time when Lee Seyeong called Byeol to talk.
-Seyeong-ssi… No matter how much I think about it, you seem crazy. Do you know what they call someone like you?
-The reliability of an older person?
-A sucker, man, a sucker!!! Shamelessly so.
-You're the same.
-…That's true. Hmph.
From that moment, Lee Seyeong's plan slowly started to unfold.
All for the sake of one person whose life was in danger.
After hearing Seyeong's words, Jin Dallae remained silent for a while, lost in thought, then put down her teacup and asked,
Dallae's face remained coldly set.
"So what?"
"That's all."
How wonderful it would be to have someone to comfort you even after you die.
Telling Lee Shiheon to increase his number of women was the conclusion she reached as she delved deeper into that thought.
Of course, Lee Seyeong's thinking was also influenced by the difference in sexual norms between modern society and the world Lee Shiheon lived in.
"Do you think it's better to have another woman by his side even if you die?"
Seyeong nodded at Dallae's words.
"It's selfish, but yes."
She made decisions on her own and acted as she pleased.
Lee Seyeong thought that if Lee Shiheon heard about this, in the worst case, he might try to distance himself from her.
Lee Seyeong knew that Shiheon was similar to her in this regard.
She didn't care if she died, but she didn't want the other to die.
If both parties think this way… naturally, their relationship would become distant.
"…I'm also a bastard."
With a voice full of regret, Lee Seyeong murmured softly.
Perhaps if she had harshly rejected the confession at that time, none of this would have happened.
Had she slapped him and yelled at him for not being in his right mind, for not having said it before, the relationship would have ended just right.
Then, Lee Seyeong would have been able to carry out her plan completely.
But she didn't. Caught up in a moment of emotion, she acted immaturely.
Dallae guessed the reason for this as well. Because no one was perfect.
"I can't empathize."
Even after hearing the inside story from Lee Seyeong, Jin Dallae could not empathize with her.
She understood her circumstances and reasoning, but those were based on Seyeong's standards.
Forcing Lee Shiheon into something he didn't want remained unchanged.
"Still… I understand your thoughts."
Dallae's hands no longer trembled. Instead, her face seemed somewhat relaxed.
Having organized her thoughts completely, Dallae was the first to say what needed to be said to Seyeong, who was smiling awkwardly.
"Both the professor and I… act on our own in the same way."
If it were her, she would have chosen Shiheon despite everything.
However, since that fell within personal boundaries, Dallae didn't specifically bring it up.
"There's a lot to sort out now. My thoughts are deep and confusing."
Jin Dallae and Lee Seyeong were both women and entrepreneurs.
They are people whose principles are clearer than anyone else's, even concerning love. They were firm in their stance.
…Of course, both were still inexperienced in love, their first love.
If likened to corporations, it's as if their industries were still undeveloped.
If Dallae was an enthusiastic startup just beginning to develop, then Seyeong was a conglomerate slowly expanding its footprint.
A funny analogy.
-Thump.
Dallae gulped down the remaining tea. The scent of the tea leaves, reminiscent of her own floral scent, was quite luxurious.
It was clear that the person who brewed it had spent a long time perfecting it.
"…If you need help, let me know. Jinmok Group will help as much as we can. We'll take care of everything, whether it's financial or otherwise."
Dallae began to wrap up the topic.
She mentioned the first thing that came to mind after listening to Seyeong's words.
"It's reassuring to hear that from someone who owns a few companies."
"And the main point is…"
Dallae's feelings towards Lee Seyeong had initially been anger, but now they had significantly subsided.
From not understanding at all to a level of understanding, or rather, to a degree of admiration.
However, Dallae's answer had already been decided from the beginning.
"I can't accept this approach."
"I understand."
Lee Seyeong smiled sadly and nodded.
"I'll do it my way. Sorry. I'll keep the secret."
Lee Seyeong thought that maybe she cared for that person more than she had considered.
And she felt relieved to know that such a person would be by his side, even if she were to die.
"Take care."
Jin Dallae, bowing her head slightly, gathered her belongings and stood up.
As Dallae was about to head towards the entrance,
"Ah, how about we chat casually for a bit?"
Lee Seyeong stopped her.
"It seems difficult after such a conversation."
"I wanted to talk about Shiheon and also business matters. Aren't you curious about stories you don't know?"
"…"
"It'll be hard to be with Shiheon without any experience."
A sly person.
Building a rapport after such an uncomfortable conversation, and that too with a rival, how could she do such a thing?
"No experience?"
"Bed."
"What…"
With emphasis on "bed," Lee Seyeong smirked mischievously.
A piercing sensation in her chest. Slightly displeased but unwittingly swept up by the atmosphere.
Dallae had felt this emotion once before when she first met Lee Shiheon.
"I don't think I can do it now. I'll leave."
To avoid being detained any further,
Dallae, with a pinch of jealousy, quickly left the room without even waiting for a send-off.
Lee Seyeong watched Dallae's retreating back and bowed her head deeply as soon as she left.
"..."
Where she had left, only the cold flower tea remained, keeping its lonely vigil.
Somehow… her thoughts deepened.
Having blurted out everything without filtering, she felt as if her energy had been drained.
After the intense immersion, Lee Seyeong sighed from exhaustion.
-Did you even like him in the first place?
The words she had heard were hard to take, even for the normally stoic Seyeong.
"…How do I explain this to Shiheon? Keke."
She tried to laugh it off, attempting to sound carefree.
"Still, it seems Dallae really does like him… How did you charm her?"
She praised Dallae in a place where she couldn't hear.
But as she continued talking, Lee Seyeong felt increasingly miserable.
Though it was just a matter of love style, the point Dallae touched upon was like a sore spot Lee Seyeong had been avoiding.
She doesn't think the path she has created is wrong.
Even if she went back to the past, Seyeong's actions wouldn't change much.
-If you like him that much, just accept his confession and stick with him forever.
"..."
Seyeong silently fiddled with the ring on her finger.
The ring Lee Shiheon had given her, which had never left her side, was the most precious thing she owned.
Seyeong, who secretly wore the ring on her left ring finger, brought her hand to her face.
It was the path she had chosen.