Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: You'll End Up Clinging to the Hem of My Skirt
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"Come with me, Kim Woojin. If you're with me, you can enjoy everything the world has to offer."
Ridiculous sweet temptation.
Who could refuse such an offer?
But Aileen's proposal held no appeal for Woojin.
"Sorry, but no thanks."
Her eyebrow twitched at his immediate refusal.
"No? Did you not hear what I just offered? Marriage into the Benedict family. South Korea, already so dependent on America, would have even the president watching your every move..."
Woojin cut her off.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"
He chuckled and sank deeper into the sofa.
"The Benedict family. I don't know much, but they must wield insane influence in American politics and business. And you want me—a regular South Korean everyman and an orphan—to marry into that terrifying place?"
"I know what you're worried about. But your backer would be me, Aileen Benedict, the next head of the family..."
"But you're not the head yet, are you?"
Aileen frowned.
"Even in Unriworld, I'm sick of all that scheming from the higher-ups. You want me to walk right into that cesspool? Your family's relatives, elders, all the other members. You think they wouldn't do a damn thing to me? Can you swear they wouldn't?"
Aileen couldn't answer right away.
Her family was powerful, and the internal competition was fierce.
"Who knows? If they don't like me, they could fake an accident and say, 'Oh, sorry Lady Aileen, it was an unavoidable mishap.'"
Woojin kept going.
"I can't live a life full of politics, backstabbing, betrayal, and schemes. Ugh, just thinking about it tires me out already. I don't even want to imagine it."
Woojin recalled a survey he'd seen online.
'Reborn as a chaebol chairman VS reborn as a handsome actor.'
The overwhelming winner had been 'handsome actor.'
It proved that ordinary people didn't want the burdens that came with power.
"That's the fate those at the top have to bear."
"That's why I'm refusing that fate. I just want to quietly sell my goods, eat tasty food, and live comfortably until my time's up."
Woojin drove the point home.
"And the most important part is something else."
"...What?"
"Do you like me? I don't like you. How could we get married without even liking each other?"
At that moment, Yoo Jihyun shot her hand up like a student.
"I-I agree! I believe love should come first between a man and a woman!"
"Ha? Love...? You can't lead people while drunk on that mushy nonsense..."
"See? Our values don't match at all. How could we ever get along? I just want to live a simple life, sipping on honey."
Ordinary life.
It might be boring to some, but to Woojin, returned from hell, it was a treasure more precious than anything.
But Aileen couldn't accept that.
"You're joking, Kim Woojin. Power comes with responsibility and risk. Because of your power... you'll definitely end up in danger. You need protection."
Woojin glanced at Yoo Jihyun.
"You'll protect me, right? You promised."
Yoo Jihyun startled, then nodded frantically.
"Yes! Of course! No matter what happens!"
Woojin shrugged.
"There you have it."
Aileen didn't back down.
"I can't trust Yoo Jihyun."
"Hey, this is Korea. Way safer than America. DH Group is more than enough to protect someone like me."
"Tch..."
Aileen's logic wasn't wrong, but she'd exaggerated a bit.
And Woojin had pounced on that.
That was when it happened.
Ding-dong— Bang!
The front door flew open as Sangjin burst in.
"Hyung! I'm home! Something crazy happened at school today... Huh?"
Sangjin froze at the bizarre scene in the living room.
A silver-haired foreign beauty, Yoo Jihyun with a stiff expression, and his brother lounging on the sofa.
"Wh-who are you?"
Aileen eyed Sangjin and smiled with interest.
"Right, you mentioned a little brother. He's even better looking than you."
"Who are you to judge us on sight?"
Aileen laughed at that.
"Feisty, just like your brother. What do you think, Woojin? How about sending your brother instead? That way, we still stay connected."
Sangjin looked to his brother, who waved him off in exasperation.
"Ignore her. Total bullshit."
Aileen leaned in close to Sangjin and whispered.
"Your brother's abilities caught my eye. I'm Aileen Benedict of the Benedict family. What do you say, little brother? Want to join us? I'll give you anything you desire."
"Benedict?"
Sangjin's eyes wavered.
'Holy shit, one of America's real powers—no, the world's!'
But then he saw Woojin's face.
Lounging on the sofa, but those eyes were dead serious.
A genuine, heartfelt rejection.
Something about it made Sangjin want to laugh.
'So obvious.'
Sangjin pieced it together in an instant.
"From the vibe, you tried to recruit Hyung, and he turned you down?"
"Oho, sharp one. Not bad."
"Hyung says no. If Hyung says no, that's it. Doesn't matter if you're a Benedict."
Sangjin was firm.
Woojin smiled proudly at his brother.
'Raising that kid on my back paid off.'
Aileen stared blankly at the brothers for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha, alright. This is fun. Me, treated like this."
She nodded as if conceding the point.
"Fine. I'll put the marriage on hold. If you hate it that much, I won't force you."
Yoo Jihyun, who'd been on tenterhooks beside them, let out a relieved sigh and stepped forward.
"What, didn't go your way?"
Aileen smirked.
"Yoo Jihyun."
"What."
"If you weren't with Kim Woojin, you'd be under me in Unriworld too. Don't push your luck. I'm not that generous with other women."
Yoo Jihyun didn't back down.
"Funny. I'm number one in contributions, you know?"
Crackle—
Sparks seemed to fly between the two women.
Woojin ended the tense standoff between Unriworld's top two.
"Cut it out. What are you doing in my house?"
He waved them off lazily.
"Everyone, go home. I'm tired."
Even with Woojin's eviction order, Aileen didn't seem offended.
She rose with a smile tugging at her lips, as if she liked his boldness.
"Fine. I'll retreat for today."
She approached Woojin, getting right up in his face, staring straight into his eyes.
"But don't get the wrong idea. I'm not giving up."
"What?"
"I've never failed to get what I want since the day I was born. Whether it's an object or a person."
Aileen's blue eyes burned fiercely.
"You'll marry me, Kim Woojin."
"Ah... I said no."
"If you hate being a son-in-law, we can start with dating. If that's what you want, I'll even develop feelings for you first. Honestly, I already like you quite a bit. But it's probably not the 'love' you're talking about."
Aileen jabbed her index finger into Woojin's chest like a declaration of war.
Her long silver hair tickled him as it draped around him on the sofa.
They were so close their breaths mingled.
A dizzyingly sweet fragrance teased Woojin's nose.
"I'll study how lovers date and marry for your sake. Wait for me."
"You think you can learn that from books...?"
"Hmph, don't underestimate me. Nothing's impossible for me. I'll make your body crave me so much you can't live without me. You'll end up clinging to the hem of my skirt."
"Yeah, right."
She left those words behind and turned away without a hint of lingering.
"Take care until we meet again."
Bang—
Click-clack, click-clack.
The front door shut, and the sound of high heels faded away.
With the storm of a woman gone, silence settled over the living room.
Sangjin broke it.
He stared at Woojin in a daze and muttered.
"Hyung... you getting married?"
Woojin dryly washed his face in exhaustion.
"Don't jinx it. Gives me the chills."
"No, but... she seemed serious. Those eyes weren't playing. Honestly, that last bit was kinda cool?"
"Sure, cool. That bitch is basically a guy."
"What???"
Woojin didn't have the energy for details.
He just wanted a normal life, so why did these things keep sticking to him?
Meanwhile, Yoo Jihyun stood biting her lip.
Her mind was a mess from the bombshell Aileen had dropped.
'The next head of the Benedict family... coming on this strong?'
This wasn't just a casual probe.
Aileen Benedict—or Aaron Benes, as she knew her—was someone who followed through.
And the conditions she'd offered were hard for even DH Group to match easily.
'I can't just sit back.'
Until now, she'd approached cautiously, worried about burdening Woojin.
Offering only what he needed, careful not to cross lines.
But things had changed.
A massive predator was lunging. Stay polite, and she might lose Woojin.
That would be a tragedy for her—and for the nation.
'Alright. Time for me to get aggressive too.'
Yoo Jihyun resolved.
From small things like his daily life to big ones like Woosang Shop's business.
She'd support everything Woojin wanted faster and more perfectly than anyone.
Make his life impossible without her.
Then, Aileen's words popped into her head.
—We'll start with dating.
Yoo Jihyun's face flushed red.
'D-dating?'
She stole a glance at Woojin.
She shared Woojin's values: marriage should be with someone you love.
'Mr. Woojin is more handsome than I thought... incredibly capable... no mother-in-law... Wait, that's a plus. I live closer than her, and I'm Korean too...'
Her imagination spiraled.
Active support, growing trust, natural meetings.
And then, maybe...
'M-married... for life...?'
"Kyaaah!!"
"!!!???"
Woojin and Sangjin jumped at Yoo Jihyun's sudden scream, staring at her.
'Why's this girl acting up again?'
Yoo Jihyun clutched her burning face with both hands, flustered beyond words.
"Wh-what's wrong? Are you hurt? Sis-in-law?"
Sangjin asked worriedly, and Yoo Jihyun backed away like she was fleeing.
Right—that "sis-in-law" tease from Sangjin.
She just had to make it not a joke.
"N-nothing! I-I'll head out now! Enjoy the hanwoo!"
Whoosh—
She bolted out the front door too.
The brothers were left staring blankly at the closed door.
"......"
"......"
The aftermath of a typhoon.
Sangjin spoke quietly.
"Hyung."
"Yeah."
"What the hell? Seriously."
"......Beats me, kid."
Woojin sighed and sank deep into the sofa.
At least it was settled for now—no more hassle ahead.
But Woojin didn't know.
This was only the beginning.
Yoo Jihyun, leaving Woojin's house, immediately made a call.
"Secretary Kim? It's me. Buy the house next to Kim Woojin's right now!"
Secretary Kim was quick on the uptake.
[For a gift? Or for you to use, miss?]
"I'll use it."
[We'll acquire it immediately, premium or not.]
A smile crept onto Yoo Jihyun's lips as she hung up.
Out of sight, out of mind.
But frequent meetings breed feelings where none existed.
Especially for vigorous men and women in their dating prime.
'Go dig through books in America and study hard.'
Yoo Jihyun clenched her fist, declaring round one her victory.