"What!!!??"
He clutched his ears at the sound of her scream.
"Ah… sorry… but why so suddenly? I don't even know your name, and you don't know mine!"
"Ah! You're right. I'm Shin Weol-So."
"Wow, that's a cool name."
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Your name?"
"Oh! It's Ah Joon-He."
"Okay, now we know each other's names. So, we can get married tomorrow!"
"What! No!"
"Ah! Did I forget to mention? You'll be getting one million dollars from me after we marry."
"Hey! What kind of— do you mean a million won?"
"No… Dollars."
She swallowed hard, tucking her hair behind her ears. She began to scan the room, her gaze eventually landing on Weol-So. "So… where's my wedding dress?"
He chuckled softly before clearing his throat.
"You'll have to pick one yourself," he said with a smile.
"Wait… we're getting married tomorrow?" She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it. "You should leave," she mumbled, her voice muffled.
"What?"
"It's bad luck to see your bride before the wedding day."
"What? Really?" He scoffed, laughing.
"Mmm..."
"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow."
He walked out, leaving the maids to clean the room.
One of the maids bent down to gather some of the plates.
"Ah… excuse me, maid?"
The maid looked up at her.
"Is there… um, is there dessert?" She asked while tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Wha—! Dessert? You still want dessert?!"
She smiled brightly, and after a moment, they brought her chocolate cake and strawberry cake for her dog.
KNOCK KNOCK The sound startled her.
"Come in!!" She called, her mouth full of cake.
Seven maids entered, each carrying a different wedding gown.
Just looking at them brought a tear to her eye. She quickly flicked it away, wiped the cake stains off her face, then jumped off the bed.
"So, I get to choose?"
They nodded.
"Wow! I can't believe this."
"Madam, you will need to wake up early, at least by 7 a.m. to prepare for your wedding."
"What!?! 7 a.m.? Why?"
"I just said it. For your wedding," the maid replied, almost sarcastically.
"Ah..." She stared at the dresses. "Can I try them on?"
"Of course!"
She began trying on the gowns, but it turned out that all of them were too big for her.
"How small are you?" One of the maids asked.
"Um… well…" She stared at herself in the mirror next to the cupboard. She observed her skinny frame—her bony hands and legs, hollow cheeks. She raised her shirt, realizing there was barely any skin covering her ribs.
"We'll be back," the maids said before exiting and shutting the door behind them.
"Hmm… Who knew the almighty Shin Weol-So would marry a skeleton?"
"Ha! Now we have to find a gown for a skeleton."
"And what's with her eyes?"
"She looks possessed. Maybe that's how she got him to marry her."
Joon-He heard this from behind the door, and it made her feel sad. She slowly sat on the bed, taking her dog from the floor and cradling him against her chest.
"Does everyone hate me?"
The dog licked her jaw.
"Oh, yeah. You're right. You don't hate me." She smiled, rubbing the dog's head.
More maids entered with various gowns.
"Try this one."
"No, try this one!"
"This one is your perfect size, I'm sure."
"Oh, this one is beautiful. You must wear it!"
They continued to crowd her, shoving different gowns in her face.
But she got distracted by one gown that a maid held outside the door.
"Excuse me." She tried to make her way through the crowd of maids, which, despite their small number, felt overwhelming.
She walked over to the maid.
"Excuse me, is that for me?"
"Well, do you like it?" The maid held the gown by the neck, showcasing it.
"Is it for me, or not?"
"I just wanted to see if you liked it. I actually made it myself."
"Really? So all these gowns are made by the maids?"
"No, they were all bought, but I made this one myself. Do you like it?"
"If I didn't like it, would I be here?" Joon-He smiled. She took the gown from the maid, analyzing it. "But why did you make it?"
"Ah! I just… felt like it. I've been making it for a while now. I love making gowns, so I decided to make a wedding gown."
"You weren't planning to use it for yourself, were you?"
"Oh, no, no, no..."
"But it's strange… how did you make it my size?"
"Well, I thought there might be skinny people, I mean, lean ones, like you, so… I made it for someone like you."
"It's beautiful. Thank you."
"Are you really going to marry Mr. Shin?"
Joon-He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it seems so."
"You don't know him, so why?"
"Well—"
"Madam, aren't you going to pick one?"
"I already have one, so you can all go back now!" Joon-He said, cocking her head to the side.
"What? Why would you choose that one?"
"Because I like it. Now go back to work," she added, glancing at the maids.
They bowed slightly, casting wary glances at the young maid as they left.
"Wait, except for you." Joon-He called out to the young maid.
"Yes?"
"What's your name?"
"Ah… um, Nam Hin-Hye."
"Hin-Hye? Nice name. I'm Ah Joon-He."
Hin-Hye smiled and bowed before leaving.
Joon-He returned to her room, closing the door behind her. She folded her dress and placed it in a wardrobe, then flopped onto her bed. She grabbed Tini from the floor and cuddled him against her chest.
"I really wish I could escape, but a promise is a promise... what am I going to do? Hmm, Tini?"
The dog barked.
"Yeah, I guess he's not so bad… but what do they want from me?"
She sighed.
"Goodnight, boy." She kissed his nose before turning off the lights.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
She continued to snore.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Still asleep, she ignored the knocking.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
She fell out of bed, rushing to the door, forgetting to wipe off the drool or fix her hair. She swung the door open.
"Mm? What is it?"
Several maids stood in front of her.
"Madam, it's 7:20 a.m. We need to get you dressed for your wedding!"
"My what??!!"
They grabbed her by the hand, quickly dumping her into a bath, scrubbing, washing, then pulling her out. They dressed her in a flower-adorned wedding gown with netted sleeves and a netted turtleneck, featuring beautiful floral designs, topped off with an elegant veil.
"I knew this dress would be perfect," she murmured to herself.
The maids piled on the makeup, but she immediately grabbed a tissue to wipe it off.
"Madam, why do that?"
"I don't like too much makeup."
She grabbed an eyeliner, lightly defined her eyebrows, tapped red lipstick onto her lips, and gently rubbed it in with her finger.
After that, she dusted white powder across her face. She looked in the mirror and smiled.
"This is just what I needed."
The maids stared at her in awe.
"It's truly beautiful. Oh no, Madam, it's 9 a.m., and we haven't even driven you there yet!"
"Driven?"
"Yes! Don't worry. It's in a carriage, and the venue is close by. It won't take more than ten minutes. Let's go."
"In a carriage? Can this guy spend any less money?" She rolled her eyes.
They helped her avoid any stains on her dress, then carefully escorted her into the carriage. As it started moving, she felt a sudden knot of nerves in her stomach.
'Why am I nervous all of a sudden?'
"Excuse me," she asked the maid sitting nearby. "I didn't eat before coming here. Maybe that's why I'm nervous."
"Yes, you'll eat after saying your vows."
'Wait… when she says vows, I hope she means "I do," because I didn't write anything down. What am I going to do?'
"We're here."
"Already?"
The maids helped her out of the carriage. She stepped onto a long red carpet, feeling the weight of the moment.
"Wait, it's happening already?"
"Yes, he's waiting." The maid placed a bouquet into her hands.
The pianist began playing the wedding march as she began walking down the aisle.
'I really wish I had someone to walk me down the aisle. Am I really getting married? Oh no, my heart is beating so fast… okay, calm down.'
"This is disappointing," she thought. 'I don't want to marry him. I don't know him, I don't love him. This isn't what my family would want. This isn't what anyone would want. I was basically kidnapped here… and now I'm marrying someone I don't even know or love... I can't... I can't...'
She stopped moving.
'I won't be able to proceed, I won't agree to this.. I can't.. I can't...'
"Madam… Madam… Madam!!!"
She snapped back to reality.
She turned around.
"Hin-Hye."
She nodded at her, as she looked at Hin-Hye, a sense of calmness washed over her. She continued moving forward.
'Right, I'll get a better life, and I might even come to love him... but first, I need to figure out what he wants from me.'
She stepped closer and finally caught sight of him standing at the altar. Joon-He took in his features: his handsome face, fit body, and perfect height, all complemented by his flawless skin.
Her heart began to beat faster, but she took a deep breath, staying calm. She kept walking, lost in thought, not even noticing when she passed the altar where he stood.
When she realized, she rushed back to him.
She looked around and saw a pastor standing between them. She inhaled deeply.
"For better or worse, through sickness and health."
She hadn't realized how quickly the pastor was moving through the ceremony until the thought suddenly struck her:
'Wait, if we're getting married, does that mean we have to...?' She gulped. 'Ki... kiss?'
He turned to her, a smile playing on his lips, as though he could read her mind.
Her cheeks turned pink, and she quickly looked away.
"You may kiss the bride."
'Wait, what?! Already?'
He pinched the edge of her jaw, guiding her face to his. He gently removed the veil, revealing her face. Then, with a tender touch, Weol-So cupped her face and tilted his head, closing the distance between them.
She instinctively pulled back, inch by inch, but before she knew it, their lips met for a brief, tender kiss.
Immediately, she heard laughter and cheers from the crowd she hadn't even realized was there.
'Are those guests? I didn't even know he had any.'
He took a ring from a boy who was holding it high. It was a beautiful ring, and Joon-He was certain it was made of real diamonds. He slid the ring onto her finger and looked at her with a soft smile.
"My wife."