Flowers Are Bait

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Lee-yeon was rendered speechless by the document in front of her.

“…A marriage registration form?”

Tears that were about to surface retreated.

“Fill in the blanks nicely and sign it when you speak nicely.”

“…Are you threatening me?”

Once, she had been forced to sign in a similar way by Kwon Kiseok, accepting the role of a puppet. Of course, the circumstances were entirely different from back then, but her body couldn’t help but shiver at the memory.

At the moment when subtle discomfort began to surface on her face, Kwon Chae-woo sat by the bedside and gently smoothed her hair, trying to comfort her. However, his lowered gaze was strangely eerie.

“Lee-yeon, I will live like your servant.”

“…!”

“Instead, I need to make sure you become my master first.”

“Because if I make a mistake, I’ll end up like a dog chasing a chicken.”

Kwon Chae-woo grabbed her soft hand and pressed it against his neck as if to show her.

“Lee-yeon, don’t hesitate and hold me..”

“…!”

His throbbing pulse brushed against her fingertips.

“I really wanted to live decently. But, as you can see, it didn’t work out well.”

Kwon Chae-woo didn’t want to recall Kwon Kiseok in this way, but in the brief moment when the light vanished from Lee-yeon’s eyes, he felt the impulse to forcibly claim her soul, to imprison her and render her unable to do anything.

If even sunlight could provoke her, he was ready to block off everything around her.

Yet, to avoid following Kwon Kiseok’s fate, he struggled and wandered, searching for his own answer. The document he brought was his attempt to find that answer.

She had to be confined, but the fence had to be invisible.

Getting down on his knees wasn’t enough for him to have this woman safe. It is not enough to stay away from her and wait for her, watch over her, control her.

A lighter mark left on her palm like a scar. With that one mark, all thoughts of trying to be nice were blown away.

Instead, he decided to become more ruthless.

To ensure that Lee-yeon doesn’t experience despair again. To prevent any threats from daring to approach her. He vowed to turn Hwaido into a safe haven exclusively for her.

In just one day, the man instinctively learned not to humbly discard everything but rather to master the art of hiding his true intentions more maliciously.

Kwon Chae-woo was determined to exert all his strength to become her guardian, ensuring that she doesn’t fall into despair once again.

“If I could, I would have tied you to me and we live as one.”

“Don’t tell me this is a proposal.” Lee-yeon muttered, surprised by this unique proposal. Too unique.

“I don’t want to get hit in the back of my head like today, and if I can’t tie you physically, I’d at least tie you up with a signature.”

As he growled, Lee-yeon shrugged her shoulders.

“I also have something to say, Kwon Chae-woo.”

“…!”

“Chae-woo, I’ve been through this kind of thing once or twice.”

At her words, Kwon Chae-woo blinked slowly and furrowed his brow. Outside, sirens wailed, and the red light occasionally flashed through the hospital room.

Kwon Chae-woo, with thorns in his gaze, glared at her.

However, instead of choking her, his lips trembled fearing what she had to say.

She effortlessly penetrated the stubborn man’s interior.

Then, not resentment or mockery, but the words that he had been holding back all day, despite his mouth rotting away, burst forth.

“…Damn it, Lee-yeon, I love you to death! That’s why I’m so lonely and anxious when parted from you.”

The night sky was strangely red. The whole world seemed like the apple of his eyes.

“Still, wait and see; I’ll never leave you alone.”

As he uttered these words, the dreamlike remnants buried in Lee-yeon’s dream seemed to vanish instantly.

“Even if I die a hundred times, I’ll live and die as your husband.”

He declared with bloodshot eyes.

Even though his relentless grip made it hard to breathe, the unfamiliar comfort that permeated her entire body felt like nothing she had ever experienced.

Lee-yeon finally wanted to stop the bridge that had been floating for a long time in this place.

Her eyelashes slowly moistened.

“The words I wanted to say to Mr. Chae-woo are…”

He swallowed nervously as if tense.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“…!”

Until the end, for not leaving her alone in the flames. It was a mix of dreams and reality.

“Thanks to you, Mr. Chae-woo, I survived.”

Even if Lee-yeon was mercilessly exiled from somewhere in her world, Kwon Chae-woo was a man who would gladly embrace her ugly and dirty self.

With confidence in his heart, Lee-yeon wanted to build a new home for them. Her little family.

***

“As a result of a gas explosion at the country’s largest botanical garden, Hwaidome, Mayor Hwayang visited the scene and received a report on the fire situation and measures from the fire chief. The mayor expressed relief that there were no casualties and urged not to delay the alert posture centered on the fire break line.”

“In the aftermath of the explosion, the police have launched a forced investigation into the illegal underground laboratory that spans eight floors at Hwaidome, shocking the entire nation.”

“The pharmaceutical company Suguk, which recorded the top brand reputation among listed companies in the country, was found to be producing hallucinogenic drugs.”