"What kind of face is this for a new bride?"
"...It's not something you need to concern yourself with, Mr. Vice President."
Ellie's voice was unintentionally sharp. Simon curled up the corners of his mouth, seemingly amused.
"I have a proposal."
"What... kind of proposal?"
"Even if you get married, have sex with me."
"Mr. Vice President!"
"I don't think I'd mind if you get married, Secretary Yeo."
Ellie felt as if she had been hit on the head. She realized once again how incredibly arrogant Simon was.
Her face flushed red with humiliation. She had confessed her love as a final attempt to let him know her true feelings. But it seemed that to Simon, Ellie's sincerity was just a weakness to exploit.
"You said you love me."
"...If you need someone to sleep with, find someone else."
Ellie retorted with a trembling voice. Her legs kept going weak, so she tensed her entire body.
"Ellie. I'm not some horny bastard."
Secretary Yeo. Not Ellie Yeo, but just Ellie.
In the past, she would have been happy to hear Simon call her name so intimately.
But now it just made her sad. Hearing her name on Simon's lips sounded so pitiful that Ellie looked as if she might cry at any moment.
"I can't have sex with anyone but Ellie Yeo."
While uttering these obscene words, Simon flashed a handsome smile.
It was the truth.
Simon couldn't have sex with anyone but Ellie Yeo. More precisely, he found it repulsive to even touch other women. To him, women were nothing more or less than trauma.
"What... what do you mean?"
Ellie's eyes, which had seemed so determined just moments ago, were now trembling.
Was this the extent of her resolve? Hiding his contempt, Simon gently caressed Ellie's face.
"It means exactly what I said. I have no intention of touching anyone like this except you."
"Are you saying..."
He knew the unfinished shape of that sentence. Questions like 'Do you love me?' or 'Do you feel the same?'
The expectant look in her eyes, the heat rising in her cheeks.
Simon smiled, his lips curving smoothly. In his mind, he quickly calculated the benefits he could gain compared to the time invested.
Regular intimacy with Ellie had given him more vitality than expected, provided quality sleep, and even allowed for calmer responses in negotiations. He regretted ignoring his doctors' recommendations to satisfy his desires, given how beneficial it had been. It was worthwhile.
So, indulging Ellie once in a while wouldn't be so bad.
Besides, the kind of date Ellie would like was clear without even having to think about it.
"Secretary Yeo, shall we go on a business trip?"
"A business trip? But this morning's work..."
"Postpone it. We're leaving right now. I'll give you 10 minutes to rearrange your schedule."
"But..."
"Ellie."
He took her hesitant hand and brought it to his lips. Ellie Yeo was too weak for him. Just a little pleading, and she would quickly give a positive response.
Look at her now, even at his casually thrown words,
"I mean, let's go on a date."
She was nodding as if she had been waiting for this.
***
"This way."
In the bustling city streets, Simon pulled Ellie closer to him as she kept getting bumped by passersby.
It was February, with cold winds blowing fiercely as if spring was still far away.
Some stores still had Christmas decorations up, lingering in last year's mood. Winter items marked for clearance to get rid of inventory mixed with pastel-colored spring products, creating a chaotic street scene.
"Ellie Yeo, just hold my hand."
"...Okay."
As she held out her frozen hand, Simon's large hand enveloped it.
His hand was warmer than average.
It was truly overwhelming.
The sound of her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
As she tried to calm her fluttering heart, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a shop window.
She looked noticeably more glamorous than usual. It was due to the eyeshadow she had applied to hide her puffy eyes and the coral lipstick she had put on thicker than intended in her excitement.
It wasn't too much, but it wasn't his preferred style. She wondered if it was okay.
For the past three years, throughout her one-sided love for him, she had been like this. She had carefully observed and matched his casually mentioned preferences, the styles his eyes lingered on a bit longer, and his favorite dress codes for each season.
At first, it was under the pretext of being his secretary, and at some point, even that excuse became unnecessary.
Her life revolved entirely around Simon. It wasn't what he wanted. It was solely Ellie's choice.
Simon's behavior made her feel foolish for being so fixated on him despite her declaration to end things.
Ellie surveyed their surroundings from behind him. The date was unfolding entirely according to Simon's lead.
The issue was that it oddly contradicted his preferences.
Despite it being a weekday afternoon, the place was crowded with people, likely due to its fame as a tourist attraction. It was the worst possible location for someone who valued personal space as much as he did. There couldn't have been any special business reason for this either.
People's gazes occasionally lingered on Simon, who wore a navy cashmere turtleneck sweater under a single-button Burberry coat. Some foreigners even sighed dramatically upon seeing him holding Ellie's hand.
"...Vice President, you don't like crowded places, do you?"
"You like places like this, don't you?"
His sweet response to her question, which she couldn't help but ask, came as if it were obvious.