The Heir (BBANGSAZ)

Chapter 7: Navigating the Arranged Marriage

The days blurred together in a routine that felt both foreign and oddly familiar. Since the wedding, my life had become a delicate dance of navigating the expectations and unfamiliarity of being married to Minji Kim.

Mornings began with tentative greetings in the kitchen, where I would prepare breakfast in the hopes of bridging the distance between us. Often, Minji's responses were curt, her demeanor cool and distant as she hurried off to her countless business meetings.

I tried to fill my days with activities to distract myself from the awkwardness that permeated our interactions. Sometimes, I explored the vast gardens of the Kim estate, marveling at the meticulous landscaping that seemed to mirror the carefully curated facade of our marriage.

Other times, I immersed myself in books or lost myself in the soothing melodies of the grand piano in the mansion's music room. Music had always been my solace, a language that transcended words and spoke to emotions that I struggled to articulate.

Minji, on the other hand, immersed herself in the world of Kim Enterprises, a realm where she reigned with a confidence and authority that commanded respect. Her days were filled with back-to-back meetings, strategic decisions, and the relentless pursuit of success.

Occasionally, our paths would cross in the evenings—brief moments where we would exchange polite conversation over dinner, our words carefully chosen and our true thoughts left unspoken. There were times when I caught glimpses of vulnerability in Minji's eyes, fleeting moments when the weight of our arrangement seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders.

One evening, as I stood by the window of our shared bedroom, gazing out at the city lights twinkling in the distance, I found myself contemplating the meaning of this marriage. It was not what I had envisioned for myself—a union born out of duty rather than love, where my role as Minji's wife felt more like a performance than a partnership.

I turned away from the window and walked over to the vanity, where a photograph of my parents stood in a silver frame. They had arranged this marriage with the best of intentions, hoping to secure a prosperous future for me. Yet, in their pursuit of financial stability, they had unwittingly placed me in a situation where my heart felt adrift, longing for connection in a marriage devoid of passion.

As weeks turned into months, I began to wonder if Minji felt the same undercurrent of dissatisfaction that plagued me. Did she, too, yearn for something more than the confines of our contractual union? Or was she content to bury herself in work, finding solace in the familiarity of corporate success?

One rainy afternoon, when the mansion was enveloped in a hushed stillness, I found myself in the library, leafing through old books in search of answers to questions I couldn't voice. The sound of footsteps drew me out of my reverie, and I looked up to find Minji standing in the doorway, her expression unreadable.

"Hello, Hanni," she greeted quietly, her voice carrying a hint of weariness that struck a chord within me.

I set the book aside and offered her a tentative smile. "Hello, Minji. How was your day?"

Minji hesitated for a moment before crossing the room to join me by the window. She gazed out at the rain-soaked garden, her thoughts seemingly far away. "Busy," she replied finally, her tone distant yet tinged with something I couldn't quite decipher.

I nodded in understanding, sensing that Minji was not one to easily open up about her emotions. "Would you like to sit down?" I offered, gesturing towards the comfortable armchairs by the fireplace.

To my surprise, Minji accepted the invitation without hesitation. We settled into the armchairs, the crackling fire casting a warm glow over the room as raindrops tapped against the windowpanes. For a while, we sat in companionable silence, the only sound the soft ticking of the antique clock on the mantle.