The World's Greatest Fiancée
“Y-you, you’re getting… married?”
The sentence began with a heavy sense of déjà vu. I had returned to my parents' home in Gyeonggi-do. It wasn't far—even with traffic, it only took about an hour to drive there—but for some reason, that ambiguous distance made me visit less often. I had decided that such an important conversation needed to be held face-to-face, but my mother, who had been peeling fruit, dropped the kitchen knife in shock. She stood there, mouth agape as if she’d been struck with aphasia, so I cut in first, hoping to prevent an overreaction.
“You’ve been asking if I had any thoughts of marriage whenever I was bored anyway. Why are you so surprised now that I’m actually preparing for it?”
“No, no! It’s just that when you last visited, you said you’d broken up. You said you broke up a year ago!”
“…That was over two years ago. I just missed the timing to tell you.”
“Then you decided to get back together?! Your father liked her so much.”
“No. It’s a completely different person.”
“Oh my, oh my, oh my!? Look at this kid, he really is his father’s son—his ability to get things done is incredible! You already found a woman and are talking about marriage in such a short time? Honey, honey, come here quickly!”
In the middle of my conversation with Mom at the table, Dad was summoned from the living room sofa. As the news of the marriage spread, Dad was even more shocked than Mom.
“Hey, you rascal! You haven’t even shown us her face, and you’re already talking about marriage? And with a different woman at that?!”
“Well…”
…Even if I brought her, you’d just make a huge fuss like last time.
I suddenly recalled the incident where Dad had mistakenly called my ex-girlfriend his daughter-in-law the moment he saw her. We had managed to smooth it over at the time, but the relationship became awkward, and my own position became precarious. It seems all fathers are equally impatient, just like Yeoeun’s father-in-law-to-be.
“Actually, that’s why I came—to ask if you’d be free for a meal in a week.”
“Is it a formal engagement meeting?!”
“Not quite that far, but I thought you’d want to see each other. And…” I scratched my cheek, feeling awkward about calling her, “Yeoeun invited you herself.”
“Oh my, oh my, you call her Yeoeun? The name itself is beautiful, dear.”
“Mom, Dad. Are you going?”
“Of course we’re going! Oh, we should take Yujin too, right? I’m already curious to see the look on her face when she hears her brother is getting married. Ho ho ho.”
“Tell her to come if she’s not busy with university.”
“You rascal, that’s not the point! Of course the whole family should go! She’s going to be our daughter-in-law!”
“Ho ho, what could she look like? My heart is suddenly racing.”
When I announced the news of the marriage, Mom and Dad were in a festive mood. They welcomed the news of their son getting married with open arms. …Or so I thought.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mother, Father♥”
“““…….”””
An expensive restaurant overlooking the Seoul skyline. Perhaps it was the location fee, but the number of zeros on the menu was by no means cheap. However, the food had already been ordered. Since the person who would become their daughter-in-law was hosting, Mom and Dad hadn’t even touched the menu, yet they were struggling to swallow their food, as if they were about to choke.
“Oh my, is it not to your taste?”
“No, no!”
“T-that’s not it…!”
The reason, of course, lay with Yeoeun, who was sitting right next to me. The fact that they couldn't easily swallow the rich, glistening food was entirely due to Yeoeun’s presence and her attire. A seductive red dress. She had come wearing an incredibly flashy dress, the kind a celebrity would wear on a red carpet. No, in my eyes, she shone much brighter than any celebrity. It wasn't just my biased opinion; objectively speaking, it was excessive for today. She was excessively beautiful today.
Her makeup was also much heavier than usual. Even if one wanted to score points with a beautiful appearance at a first meeting, she was exerting three times the power she usually did on our dates. With an aura that was hard to approach, Dad emptied his water glass several times before he finally managed to open his mouth. Perhaps he didn't even dare to look toward Yeoeun, so he just stared straight at me.
“Hey… isn’t something wrong here, son?”
“Yes…?”
“Th-there must be some mistake, right? Maybe you mistook the person you’re marrying, or maybe you’re not in your right mind today. Did you perhaps get hypnotized?”
“…….”
It was familiar. It was the same evaluation I’d already heard from my friends, now coming from my own father’s mouth. On the other hand, Mom, who was sitting next to him, seemed to be trying to get close to her, reading the room intently before she carefully spoke up.
“I don’t watch much TV, so… are you perhaps a celebrity?”
“Oh my, did I look like one?” Yeoeun laughed with a foxy eye-smile, then added, “I’ve been on a few broadcasts, but that’s not my main job. I work as a Pilates instructor.”
“A Pilates… instructor?”
“I opened my own studio and run it. Hmm~ come to think of it, it’s been a little over four years now.”
“Wow… you said you were only three years older than our Seungwoo, right? You’re young and yet so impressive.”
Mom swallowed hard and asked, “Then, by any chance, is your income—”
“Mom!” I scolded her for suddenly diving into such a sensitive topic. However, Yeoeun squeezed my hand tightly from under the table as if to say it was fine, and replied with a sly, serpentine smile.
“I told Seungwoo-ssi in advance, but it’s roughly this much?”
Yeoeun quickly held up her fingers to show them. When they saw the number, my parents’ eyes bulged out like full moons, as if they couldn't believe it was real. Dad, who had been reading the room for a while, checked to see if he had misread it.
“H-huh, ho ho ho! Did I see that wrong? Is that… is the unit perhaps in the thousands?”
“No, it’s in the ‘hundreds of millions,’ Father♥”
“““…….”””
A heavy silence crushed them once more. Dad, looking as if he couldn't understand it at all, asked one more thing with trembling pupils.
“H-h-h-by any chance?”
“Yes! Please go ahead, Father?”
“Did my son… commit some kind of crime?”
“…Yes?”
“Is my son holding some weakness over you and blackmailing you, or are you sending a distress signal right now?”
…This man, really.
He was acting as if she was far too good for me. Even though his son was sitting right in front of him, he was making it painfully obvious that he thought I was lacking. I couldn't exactly deny it, but his words made me wonder if we were really related, and Yeoeun just laughed at this. She brushed it off with ease.
“I did… commit a big crime.”
She leaned her head against me slightly. She whispered in a thin, purring tone, like a kitten that had to be cared for with great devotion.
“Ever since I met Seungwoo-ssi, I haven’t been able to marry any other man. Now… it’s become a problem if you don’t take responsibility for me for the rest of my life♥”
““…….””
She was a master at playing the fox, even with her future parents-in-law. Wagging her tail and charming them with an adorable face. Dad just stared with his mouth wide open as he watched Yeoeun leaning against me. Mom covered her mouth and went, “Oh my, oh my!” jumping with joy as if she couldn't be happier.
As you know, beauty holds a form of violence. Without needing a long explanation, problems can be covered up simply because one is “pretty.” They were won over instantly by her gestures and a single word, far more effective than any long-winded speech. With one act of deliberate performance, they lowered their guard and accepted her completely.
On top of this,
“Ah! Look at my mind! I forgot this.”
“Hmm?”
“Mother, please take this.”
At this timing, Yeoeun pulled out an item she had prepared. She handed over a plastic-wrapped bag that had been placed on the empty seat next to her.
“Th-this is…!”
It was blatant. It was clearly a luxury designer bag. After revealing that she was financially well-off, she casually handed over a luxury bag with a massive logo stamped on it. As soon as Mom received it, she couldn't take her eyes off the violent, Möbius-strip-like logo. After checking it several times to see if she was seeing it right, she swallowed a large gulp of saliva. Finally, she hugged it to her chest as if she would never let it go.
She cleared her throat and spoke in a benevolent tone.
“I… don’t like the term ‘daughter-in-law.’”
She smiled brightly. “Instead of being distant and calling me mother-in-law, I’d like you to call me Mom from now on.”
“Oh my♥”
Fox-like behavior & gift offensive: Mom suppressed instantly. The atmosphere had already been welcoming with open arms, but she had effectively silenced any potential opposition.
Clatter!
Seeing this, Dad stood up in a rage.
“You woman! How can you just accept something like that in such a serious setting! What will they think of our family if you show such behavior!?”
“Hmph, you’re such a stingy man, you’ve never even bought me one.”
“This woman! What did you say—!”
“Ah! Father, you said you’d taken up golf as a hobby, right? I prepared a one-year membership pass here, would you happen to need it?”
“…….”
Yeoeun’s interruption cut through the flow in one shot. Dad sat back down in his chair as if a rewind button had been pressed.
“Call me Dad, my dear. You can use that moron son of mine however you like.”
A cold, calculating brain that instantly calmed his excitement. By handing over the gift certificate in an envelope tied with a beautiful golden ribbon, she had subdued even Dad.
…They’re my family, but it’s like watching cats that were hissing suddenly come running for a treat.
It was a seat invited by Yeoeun. She had told me to leave it entirely to her to handle, and she was indeed thorough. They collapsed easily. While I felt a strange sense of disillusionment at how they fell like dominoes with a single tap,
“Wait!”
One person, who had been quiet until now, raised her decibel level to the max. The kid who had been standing up with an unnecessarily serious face after silently stuffing her face. Son Yujin. My younger sister. After eating in silence since she arrived, she struggled to swallow the food stuffed in her mouth and shouted.
“Mom, Dad. What are you doing right now! No one is pointing out the problem with this situation.”
“…What are you saying when you were eating so well?”
“Just eat quietly and go. These are dishes you won't even see at your own wedding.”
“Oh, seriously…! I was watching the situation while filling my stomach!”
The kid suddenly pointed straight at me and said, “Look at this. Is a woman like that even suitable for this stupid brother of mine?! Plus, she’s just handing out gifts like that… something is suspicious no matter how I look at it?!”
““…….””
“It’s suspicious. No, it’s super, super~ fishy! No matter how I look at it, we need more time! My naive brother is definitely involved in something strange—”
“Hmm… thin-strap bags are in fashion these days, but would you like this one, Miss?”
“Kyaaaa! I love you, Unnie!”
As soon as she took out the remaining gift, Yujin immediately returned and hugged Yeoeun. She seemed to have decided to treat her as her older sister immediately, rubbing her face against her.
…She just wanted a bag.
It was just a protest. As expected, it wasn't genuine concern for me; she only stepped up because she wasn't given a bag.
“Fufufu, our daughter-in-law is a blessing in herself.”
“Look at how clear her skin is. When the wedding is held, I’ll invite everyone and show her off.”
“Unnie, can’t you dump my brother and marry me instead?! I’m good at cooking and washing dishes!”
…They’re my family, but why do I feel so embarrassed?
That day, Yeoeun had easily won them over. In just one day, she had completely wrapped my entire family around her finger. Therefore, there were no longer any obstacles to our marriage. It proceeded with a tailwind.
“Uuuung~ was I a bit nervous? My shoulders are getting stiff.”
“You didn’t look nervous at all.”
“I was~ I was really trembling on the inside.”
Midnight was approaching. After meeting my family, I was driving Yeoeun’s car back while we chatted away. It was a scene I had become quite accustomed to lately. Now, whenever I get in Yeoeun’s car, I drive as a matter of course. I gladly become her driver and see her home safely. Rather than being tired, I honestly just feel excited. It feels like the process of becoming a real married couple, so I feel it every time I grab the steering wheel.
“By the way, they must have checked into the hotel safely, right?”
“The gift offensive is one thing, but wasn't it overkill to book a room for them to sleep in? And in such an unnecessarily expensive place…”
“Fufufu, since they’re going to be family, shouldn’t I not skimp on the money?”
She said that while sliding her hand onto my thigh. She rubbed my thigh as I drove, and added, “When we get home, you’ll have to compensate me for everything.”
“Should I give you a shoulder massage?”
“Other than my shoulders, here and there…”
She slowly lowered the shoulder strap of her red dress and whispered, “I’d like a full-body massage on the bed♥”
“I can do that all day. No, maybe I’ll be doing it for the rest of my life now?”
“……♥”
As I skillfully returned her sexual joke, Yeoeun just grinned, showing her teeth. She took one of my hands off the steering wheel, interlaced her fingers with mine, and smiled innocently. A couple that becomes more dyed in each other’s colors as time goes by.
Squeeze♥
Now, there were no options left for us other than becoming a married couple.