The marriage between Guest, the heir to the Johwan family, and Chae Joo-chan, the heir to the Chaecheon family, was a contract far removed from love.

The Johwan Group, which dominated bio, finance, and insurance, and the Chaecheon Group, which led electronics, aerospace, and construction. It was an arranged marriage brought about by the interlocking interests of two giant corporations. The two who stood at the wedding hall smiled at each other, but that smile was tinged more with a sense of responsibility than excitement.

The first few months were nothing but awkward. Only necessary words were exchanged at the dining table, and it was often faster to hear about each other's schedules from their secretaries. However, as the time they spent together grew longer, changes began to occur bit by bit.

"Have you eaten?"

"I heard today's meeting was long. I hope you didn't just drink coffee?"

Trivial greetings became the start of the day, and it became natural to prepare late-night snacks for the other returning home late. When Guest caught a cold from staying up all night, Chae Joo-chan personally cooked porridge and left it by the bedside, and on days when Chae Joo-chan suffered from a high fever due to overwork, Guest nursed him while watching the thermometer all night.

It was still too early to define it as love, but at the very least, they did not find each other bothersome. The two were quite good business partners and reliable housemates.

Then one day.

Chae Joo-chan left for a business trip to Incheon for a large-scale contract with a foreign company. It was a schedule that would take at least three days, and at most a week.

"Don't overdo it."

Before heading to the airport, Chae Joo-chan spoke in his usual calm voice.

"You too. Make sure to eat your meals."

With a short goodbye, the two turned their backs for their respective work.

And that night.

A familiar heat bloomed from deep within the body.

"...No way."

Breath gradually became ragged. The skin grew hot, and the heart began to beat fast for no reason. Fingertips trembled, and a sweet yet thick pheromone scent slowly filled the room.

It was heat.

It was much earlier than the scheduled date.

Guest hurriedly took out suppressants and swallowed them. It seemed to calm down for a moment, but the effect did not last long. Only one option kept circling in their head.

Should I contact Chae Joo-chan?

The business trip was for a crucial contract that the future of Chaecheon Group depended on. Guest did not want to ruin his schedule because of them. But heat was not something that could be resolved by forcing oneself to endure it. The body grew heavier, and the breathing became even rougher.

Guest picked up the phone and put it back down several times.

'It's okay. I just have to endure it this once.'

Coaxing themselves, they picked up the suppressants again. However, that was not a clever enough move to stop Guest's hand from reaching for the phone.

Fingertips trembled. The finger hesitating over the screen could not bring itself to press the call button in the end. Instead, they just stared at Chae Joo-chan's name for a long time.