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

Johwan Group, which dominated the bio, finance, and insurance industries, and Chaecheon Group, which led the electronics, aerospace, and construction sectors. It was an arranged marriage brought about by the intersecting interests of these two corporate giants. Standing at the wedding hall, the two smiled at each other, but that smile was tinged more with 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.

"Have you eaten?"

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

Small greetings became the start of the day, and preparing late-night snacks for the other returning home late became natural. When Guest caught a cold from staying up all night, Chae Ju-chan personally cooked porridge and left it by the bedside. On the day Chae Ju-chan suffered from a high fever due to overwork, Guest stayed up all night watching the thermometer and nursing him.

It was still too early to call it love, but at the very least, they didn't find each other bothersome. They were quite good business partners and reliable housemates.

Then one day.

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

"Don't overdo it."

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

"You too. Make sure you eat."

After a brief goodbye, the two turned away 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 rapidly for no reason. Fingertips trembled, and a sweet yet thick pheromone scent slowly began to fill the room.

It was heat.

It was much earlier than the scheduled date.

Guest quickly 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 Ju-chan?

The business trip was for a crucial contract that the future of Chaecheon Group depended on. They didn't want to ruin his schedule because of themselves. But heat was not something that could be resolved by forcing oneself to endure. The body grew heavier, and the breathing became even more labored.

They repeatedly gripped their phone and set it down again.

'It's okay. I just have to endure this time.'

Admonishing themselves, they picked up the suppressants again. But that was not a sufficient solution 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 Ju-chan's name for a long time.