AH

Lol, yes exactly! 😄

😂 😂

You wanted to see that part, but not the part right after, when BSE closes his eyes in silence for a moment to collect himself before speaking again? And not the part where he says he's her husband??

Novel spoilers ahead.

The drama has made a bunch of changes and added some new characters, including the missing orphans.

In the novel, the real BSE lost his memories after his grandfather tried to drown him. He was raised by a fisherman without remembering his true identity, and later on he ended up going to prison for "multiple violent crimes and attempted murder" before he regained his memories and reconnected with his mother.

One of the people that the real BSE harmed was Park Do Jae's sister. Sim Gyu Jin (the real BSE's bio mother / the fake BSE's fake mother and real sister-in-law) manipulated Park Do Jae into thinking that the fake BSE was the person who harmed his sister, so that he would work with her and the real BSE. Ironically, Park Do Jae was manipulated into working with the person who harmed his sister rather than against him.

So in the drama perhaps there will be a similar issue where multiple victims or people related to those victims mistakenly think that the fake BSE (the male lead) is the one who harmed people, when it was really the real BSE (the kidnapper) who harmed them.

-----
-----
-----

Chapter 65:

"My younger sister went missing when she was a child," Park Do-jae interrupted her.

His words left Hee-joo speechless.

"That incident plunged my family into ruin. It was in the late ’90s, during a period when cases of missing children were rampant. My father quit his job and traveled the country searching for her."

"..."

"A 30-square-meter apartment shrank to 20-square-meter. Then, it was a rented villa. After that, a semi-basement studio. In less than three years."

His voice was low and dark.

"My mother, overwhelmed with depression and neurosis, was bedridden for years before passing away."

"..."

"That’s when I met Professor Shim."

"...!"

"The reason I stayed by the spokesperson's side all this time was..." His gaze dimmed.

"Professor Shim told me that Baek Sa-eon was the one who harmed my sister."

"...!"

"I always thought that was referring to the man I served as my superior." He rubbed his face with his cuffed hands, a tormented expression etched into his features.

"But it turns out that man wasn’t Baek Sa-eon."

His distorted face betrayed deep anguish.

"I was unknowingly helping the man responsible for my sister's suffering."

His cracked lips curved into a bitter smile.

Pushing Hee-joo on the hiking trip. Taking the negotiation phone from her climbing pack to keep it undiscovered. Deliberately sabotaging location tracking or erasing threatening voice files to cover up the mastermind behind the calls—it had all been his doing.

Manipulated completely by Shim Kyu-jin and her son, he hadn’t realized he was becoming just like them.

No.

(1) Is HIA Deaf?

HIA was deaf. The car accident that killed her brother did cause her to become deaf and she remained deaf for almost 20 years. When she tried to call off her wedding with BSE, BSE changed the plan so that he would marry HHJ and HIA "disappeared" for three years. At that time, HIA went to Europe where she underwent medical treatment and a surgery that successfully restored her hearing. When she returned to South Korea, she could hear.

(2) Why Did HHJ Have to Pretend to be Mute Because of HIA?

HHJ was in the car crash that killed her step brother and that caused HIA's deafness, but HHJ was fine. HHJ's mother feared that if her new husband found out that HHJ (his step daughter) was fine while his biological son was killed and his biological daughter was rendered deaf, he would be furious, would divorce HHJ's mother, and would kick HHJ and her mother out of his house. So HHJ's mother forced HHJ to pretend to be mute.

HIA realized this, but chose not to say anything. In the drama, they had HIA say that she wanted someone else to be miserable with her and that was why she did not reveal the fact that HHJ's mother was forcing her to pretend to be deaf. So that HHJ would continue to have to act mute and would remain by HIA's side as her "ears" and as another person that others viewed as "damaged".

Novel spoilers ahead.

In the novel, it's different. The car crash was arranged by BSE's grandfather (BJH) because HIA mentioned that the BSE of that time was different than the BSE she had met before. To hide the fact that he had killed the real BSE (his legitimate grandson) and replaced him with another boy (his illegitimate son who was the same age), BJH arranged a car crash to try to silence HIA. That car crash killed HIA's brother and resulted in HIA's deafness. So HIA was terrified of making the same mistake (speaking up in a way that might make a powerful person feel threatened and try to hurt / silence her and those around her). So she felt that it was safer not to say anything. She thought that once she disappeared, HHJ would be free to start speaking again.

Novel spoilers ahead.

***

After HHJ's panic attack in the police car, BSE tells the police that HHJ is his wife (in chapter 17).

After HHJ falls from the mountain peak, BSE tells the emergency response team that he is her husband (in chapter 36).

Soon after, BSE also tells Director Han from the sign language centre that he is HHJ's husband (in chapter 41).

In chapter 43, HHJ asks to go with BSE to his grandfather's death anniversary service, even though she normally never shows her face at Baek family functions. BSE agrees and takes her with him. When the Baek family treats her poorly, he defends her like a good husband.

I don't recall BSE revealing that HHJ is his wife to the team members of the Office of the President's Spokesperson. When she finally has the chance to act as his interpreter, they still don't seem to know. But he treats her differently from his other colleagues in a way that is pretty obvious and generates looks and gossip.

-----

Chapter 36:

Firefighters and the mountain rescue team had been searching for four hours. Seventeen pieces of equipment and over 50 personnel were deployed to comb the area within 50 meters of the cliff and downstream, yet they found no trace of Hee-joo.

“There was a professor who went missing here once, and they only found his body two days later. He fell from a cliff—turns out it was suicide…”

“Hey, why are you saying such unlucky things now!”

The gathered onlookers whispered among themselves.

From the beginning, Baek Sa-eon had been actively searching alongside the rescue team.

As a former war correspondent, certified by the National Rifle Association, and someone who traversed war-torn regions like his backyard, searching a mountain was nothing to him.

“Excuse me, Spokesperson… have you contacted the family of the missing person yet?”

“Yes.”

“This mountain is notorious for slip accidents. We should at least be prepared… to recover a body.”

“Recover a body?”

Baek Sa-eon repeated the words flatly without blinking.

“Ah, I mean…” The firefighter tried to clarify, but Sa-eon closed his eyes in silence for a moment before speaking. His expression revealed nothing.

“Can the rescue dogs be deployed immediately?”

“They can, but we haven’t received the missing person’s clothing or items.”

“Then let’s start now.”

“What?”

“My clothes are tied around her waist.”

Speaking like a seasoned mountaineer, Sa-eon continued as he ascended.

“Let them smell me. Not just the clothes but also my scent. I’ve been carrying her since the bus ride. Even the scent of the body wash is the same.”

“Uh… shouldn’t we contact her family first—”

“I’m her husband.”

“...!”

The firefighter froze, mouth agape but speechless, lowering his head instead.

Even so, Sa-eon’s expression remained unmoved. His face bore no emotion, like a bleached plaster cast.

Just then, his phone rang. The screen displayed Cheong Wa Dae.

“…”

What pained him most was that even now, he had to manage the media and fulfill his duties as the spokesperson for the Blue House. Somehow, reporters were already swarming his phone with calls and messages.

His pupils trembled with unease.

“Spokesperson, your phone keeps ringing…”

The sound of the vibrating phone in the quiet mountain night buzzed like a wasp, drawing the attention of the rescue team from time to time.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“I’m not answering.”

But Sa-eon wasn’t responding to those general calls. He glanced discreetly at his watch.

“I’m waiting for a call.”

-----

Chapter 41:

The door burst open as if it were about to be torn from its hinges, and Director Han Jun stormed in like an enraged bull.

His gaze quickly swept over the large bandage wrapped around the back of Hee-joo’s head, the scrapes on her hands, and the glimpses of bandages under her loose hospital gown. His face darkened as he approached her.

“Hee-joo, you…”

Hee-joo blinked in confusion, slowly raising her arm.

‘I’m fine. Just lucky.’

She signed calmly, though her gestures were noticeably slower than usual.

“Lucky? You call this an accident…! You nearly lost your life!”

‘Didn’t get hurt too badly, did I?’

“I heard you needed dozens of stitches, and your hands and feet are injured too! These wounds, here, here—!”

As he gently stroked the back of Hee-joo’s hand and her cheek in sympathy, the hospital room door swung open once more. A cold gust of wind hit them before anything else.

“…!”

Director Han turned to look at Hee-joo, sitting obediently in her chair, and then at the man gently holding her small face.

Baek Sa-eon’s eyebrows arched slightly, as if confirming what he saw. His cold gaze fixed on the pair, freezing the atmosphere instantly. Without a word, he closed the door behind him and locked it, his back to the room.

“Good evening.”

His voice was calm as he greeted them, but he reached out and pried Han Jun’s hand off Hee-joo’s wrist, leaving it to drop uselessly to his side.

Director Han’s eyes widened.

“Ah… Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon?!”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Baek Sa-eon replied curtly.

“Ah… ah…” Han Jun stammered, rubbing his now sore wrist.

The room descended into an awkward silence, and Hee-joo froze under the weight of the sudden three-way confrontation.

Director Han was the first to break it.

“Hee-joo, my dear, why would the Blue House Spokesperson visit an ordinary employee—”

“My dear?”

Baek Sa-eon’s voice was sharp, colder than ice, cutting him off mid-sentence. The frigid tone sent chills through everyone in the room.

“Why are you calling her that?”

“What?”

“Calling a woman twelve years your junior ‘my dear’? Was that deliberate? Even if it’s just a habit, it’s remarkably inappropriate to use on first meeting.”

“…”

Han Jun’s face twitched, clearly unprepared for such direct criticism.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t address her that way in the future.”

“Spokesperson Baek, your sudden rudeness is—”

“Listen, as her husband, I don’t appreciate it.”

“What? Wait… what did you just say?”

Han Jun’s expression twisted in confusion, his thoughts grinding like a rusted machine.

“Husband? Husband—?! Hee-joo, my dear, what is this—”

“Let me repeat myself,” Baek Sa-eon interrupted, his brow furrowed as he clicked his tongue. This time, his displeasure was unfiltered.

“Why is Hee-joo your ‘dear’? Use your words. Explain why Hee-joo is your ‘dear.’ The more I think about it—”

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his sentence trailing off.

Director Han quickly turned to Hee-joo and signed with his hands: ‘What’s going on, Hee-joo?’

‘Um…’

Hee-joo scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze. She was utterly stunned to see Baek Sa-eon, usually so composed and impartial, acting so emotional during their first encounter.

Her fingers trembled as she repeatedly glanced at him.

Suddenly, Baek Sa-eon grabbed her hand, which had been lightly fluttering like a butterfly.

“She still needs rest. Visitors should leave.”

Han Jun frowned in confusion, still struggling to process the situation, as he stared incredulously at them.

"Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon, are you seriously… our Hee-joo’s husband?"

"Our Hee-joo?"

Baek Sa-eon cut him off coldly once again. "Your mouth truly says whatever it pleases, doesn’t it?"

"What did you say?"

Director Han’s eyes widened in anger.

"How could a Blue House spokesperson lie about something so serious? If what you say is true, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. You’ve never shown up before—how can you claim to be Hee-joo’s husband…!"

The more Han Jun spoke, the darker Baek Sa-eon’s expression became, like frost settling over his features.

"Hee-joo, I don’t know the full story, but I can’t acknowledge this man as your uncle or guardian," Han Jun said, turning to Hee-joo with a serious expression.

"Listen, Spokesperson Baek, I’ve watched this girl grow up since she was little. To me, Hee-joo isn’t a woman but a little sister I want to take care of. That’s why I’ve always guided her like an older brother…"

"Older brother?"

Accompanied by a derisive laugh, Baek Sa-eon interrupted him again.

"And yet, this so-called older brother pushed domestic responsibilities onto a girl he supposedly treats as a sister."

"That—that’s…"

"Hee-joo doesn’t need a brother like you. Even if she did, it would be someone better."

"What are you implying?"

"Brother, father, or whatever title you want to claim—"

The two men locked eyes, sparks flying between their glares.

"—they all belong to me."

The argument finally ended when a doctor entered the room, ushering Han Jun out.

Yes, they were texting. The voice-over was for the audience's benefit. Just like when we hear HHJ's voice-over when she is texting.

It's interesting. In the novel, there are times when HHJ wants to speak but physically isn't able to due to a psychological block that resulted from her mother beating her as a child to make sure that she maintained the mutism lie. But based on what we've seen in the drama so far (especially HHJ's words to HIA in episode 6 - saying that HHJ will decide when she begins to speak again), it seems like they've changed the details so that HHJ in the drama is just really, really committed to maintaining the act / the lie that her mother imposed on her... Unlike HHJ in the novel, she doesn't seem to be dealing with a psychological block that genuinely prevents her from speaking in most circumstances.

Her fall might've been over-the-top, but idk if anything will ever top the famous falling-into-a-suitcase scene to knock India off of first place. 😅 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x70WiAcAEYQ&ab_channel=LoneWolfShaz

The drama hasn't covered all the reasons that were addressed in the novel yet.

But the drama has added several early scenes (like the phone call with her mother in episode 1 and the flashback in episode 2) to emphasize that HHJ's mother has pressured HHJ since the beginning of her marriage with BSE to get closer to BSE, to get him to like her, and to try to get pregnant with his child. BSE can obviously tell that HHJ's attempts to meet her mother's demands (e.g., that night when she made dinner for him, danced clumsily with him, and closed her eyes and held still when she thought he was going in for a kiss) were things that HHJ did because of her mother's pressure and not because she was acting on her own feelings. Which is why BSE tells HHJ in the drama that she doesn't have to act like a puppet in front of him, she shouldn't do everything her mother tells her to do, and she can forget about trying to force herself to have feelings for him.

When BSE is cold towards HHJ, he thinks he's doing the right thing: choosing not to take advantage of the situation, protecting HHJ by not further fuelling her mother's attempts to use her, and protecting himself from being used and distracted (and potentially hurt).

When BSE tells HHJ that she wasn't part of his plans early on in the story, he was telling the truth. He doesn't want her to get mixed up in the mess of politics and family drama that he's dealing with, and he also doesn't want her to distract him from his goals even more so than she already has.

Episode 6 expanded on the explanation. BSE thought that, since the marriage was thrust upon HHJ, she was entirely unwilling and also that one day BSE would have to let her go (after he implemented his plans, which I'll touch on below). So there was no point in pursuing a real relationship with her (since she wasn't interested), and if he did he would become even more attached to her, which would result in BSE being hurt that much more later on.

***

MAJOR NOVEL SPOILERS AHEAD

***

BSE is not really BSE. Nor is he really candidate BEY's son. Nor is he really BJH's grandson.

Instead, the male lead is actually BJH's illegitimate son (rather than his legitimate grandson) who was raised by a fisherman (hence why he hates fish / the smell of fish). The real BSE was a psychopath and BJH drowned him in front of the male lead when they were both kids. Then BJH forced the male lead to take over the identity of BSE.

When he moved into the Baek household, his life was suffocating and miserable. But his bedroom window was across from HHJ's bedroom window, and every night he used to watch through her window as little HHJ practiced sign language. As an adult, he described it as being like watching a fish tank that brought him a sense of peace and that made him feel like he could breathe (annoyingly, it seems like the drama has given this line to HIA). And when BSE married HHJ, he was content to have her continue to play that role. She could be just like a quiet fish tank that provided a sense of peace when he came home. The drama modified these details a bit, but kept the main gist of them.

After 406 makes BSE suspect that HHJ might have had an affair, he tells Park Do Jae that he forgot that the fish tank (which he thought was his) "could move". 406's words about BSE seeming to have a jealousy complex also made BSE start to realize how much he cared about, and how possessive he felt about, HHJ. As the novel progresses, BSE learns about sides of HHJ that he hadn't seen or appreciated before and his feelings for her grow stronger.

***

Guilt -- I had the impression that BSE unfairly placed some of the blame for the accident that killed HHJ's step brother, that took HIA's hearing, and that appeared to cause HHJ's mutism on himself. Because his real father / fake grandfather (BJH) arranged for the car crash to happen after HIA revealed that she could tell that he was not the same BSE that she had met before.

Emotional Detachment -- Due to the horrific situations he had faced, BSE became extremely emotionally detached. The novel describes him as such. He focused on surviving and on protecting HHJ. But he didn't think about romance or relationships until 406 came into his life and shook up his perspective.

Unwanted / HHJ's Mother's Influence -- BSE also viewed HHJ as young, innocent, and forced into a marriage that she did not want. He didn't think she had any romantic interest in him. This is emphasized more in the drama, where they've done a lot to play up the idea that HHJ's mother puts a lot of pressure on HHJ to try to get closer to BSE so that HHJ's mother can use that relationship to her advantage. BSE can clearly tell when HHJ approaches him because of her mother's pressure and hates the idea of her being pressured and manipulated like that. From BSE's perspective, maintaining distance between them is a way of giving HHJ freedom from the role her mother is trying to force her to play.

Horrific Truths / Danger -- Just as HHJ spent 20 years burdened by her mother's lies and maintaining the secret of her forced mutism, BSE had spent decades hiding the horrifying truth behind his identity. Hiding the truth and maintaining the lie was a matter of survival. And he especially did not want HHJ to find out the truth that he had watched BJH kill the real BSE (BJH's legitimate grandson) or that he (BJH's illegitimate son) had replaced the real, murdered BSE. Both because the truth was horrific and because knowing the truth would be dangerous, given the lengths that the Baek family would go to in order to protect themselves and their positions in society even after BJH died. Acting coldly towards HHJ and keeping her at arm's length was preferable.

Weakness -- If the Baek family or his other enemies thought that he cared about protecting HHJ, let alone loved her, then there would be a risk that they would try to use those feelings against him, especially since he had so few exploitable weaknesses. This is emphasized when BSE receives the first series of phone calls from the kidnapper and he pretends that he doesn't care about HHJ.

Other Goals -- BSE did not want to become candidate BEY's pawn and did not want to be forced to join his presidential campaign. Before BSE changed his plans and married HHJ, his original plan was to amass his own power, to reveal the Baek family's corruption, and to abandon the name and identity of BSE. After marrying HHJ, he had to adjust his plans for her safety and wellbeing. But most of his original intentions still remained. He continued to amass his own power and to collect dirt on the Baek family and others. Pursuing his plans took up nearly all of his focus and energy.

For all these reasons, IMO, BSE didn't really consider the possibility of having a real romantic relationship with HHJ and he even intentionally distanced himself from her both in public and in private. Before 406 showed up, he was satisfied with just having HHJ safe in his home, providing a calming presence like a fish tank.

I read "up to" six months. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/640/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/12/12/bcadbf3a-4a63-4f39-8242-9aa0cb54e513.png.webp

👍

I feel like it would be crazy for the court to not sustain the impeachment, but then I also thought it was crazy that the National Assembly failed to impeach him last week so who knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Members of the National Assembly have voted to impeach him, but a trial still needs to be held before the Constitutional Court. At least six out of the nine members of the court will need to vote to sustain the impeachment in order for President Yoon to be removed from office.

You're welcome!

As far as I am aware there isn't an official translation of the novel, but it has been translated by fans. The first few chapters are available on wattpad (the link is posted in the discussion threads) and the quality is so-so. MDL user pen_p picked up the translation from chapter 11 in the discussion threads and her translation is better than the wattpad translation.

In the novel, BSE does not secretly know sign language and does not learn it. Even at the end of the novel he needs a sign language interpreter in order to communicate with a deaf soldier in a war zone. The drama has started to change that.

In the drama, HHJ tells BSE that learning sign language isn't difficult, and it seems like the SML probably learned sign language because of HHJ. But in the novel, when HHJ visits her childhood bedroom she recalls how difficult it was for her to learn sign language. She spent so many nights practicing endlessly under her mother's stern gaze. In the novel, HHJ also doesn't have a college friend who learned sign language because of her. There is a male character near her who knows sign language and makes BSE jealous, but he works at the sign language centre and is significantly older than HHJ. He was already working at the sign language centre when HHJ joined.

I find the novel's take more realistic. Learning any new language isn't easy. Learning a language that is as different as sign language is to written and spoken speech would be even more difficult. Especially for someone who doesn't have lots and lots of time to practice and isn't forced to immerse themselves in the new language out of necessity.

It does seem a bit callous and ableist that BSE never tried to at least learn a little bit, like the alphabet and a few key phrases. But if he did, HHJ's value as someone who could act as his interpreter would diminish. So I can sort of understand why the author chose not to have him learn.

I'll also add that, although BSE did not learn sign language in the novel, his bedroom window in the Baek family house was across from HHJ's bedroom window in the Hong family house and every night he used to watch young HHJ as she practiced her sign language. His life in the Baek family house was miserable and oppressive, and he found watching young HHJ practice very calming. He said it brought him peace, and he compared the experience to having a fish tank.

Yes, they modified the things BSE said during HHJ's interview in the drama a bit.

This is what he said in the novel:

At that moment, Baek Sa-eon leaned back leisurely, tapping his face lightly before speaking up.

"Applicant Number 4, Interpreter Hong Hee-joo."

"…!"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Nowhere to hide, Hee-joo's gaze met his. It was the gaze she had been avoiding, yet now it bore down on her more coldly and dryly than she had anticipated.

She swallowed nervously, her hands clenched tightly on her knees.

"Interpreter Hong Hee-joo, did you know the script beforehand?"

"…!"

"Sometimes, your hands moved faster than the voice."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"After observing the three of you, I noticed one performance gave me an overwhelming sense of dissonance. Let me ask again: did you know the content of the script beforehand?"

His second question, delivered with an icy detachment, left no room for hesitation.

Hee-joo bit her stiff tongue and forced herself to nod.

"That was… a video I had practiced with before," she explained, supplementing her answer with sign language.

Hearing the translation from a fellow interviewer, Baek Sa-eon raised an eyebrow.

"Then, can we test with another video?"

"Yes," Hee-joo replied, rising nervously to her feet.

The new video began to play. But it, too, was a familiar script—the 4th Korea-Russia Local Cooperation Forum briefing.

This was from her early days practicing sign language.

"Stop," Baek Sa-eon commanded, pausing the video with the remote.

"This is another script you’re familiar with, isn’t it?"

"…!"

How does he know?

Startled, Hee-joo nodded again.

He switched the video another four or five times: the ASEAN+3 Summit briefing, the Fair Economy Strategy speech, the Children's Day event at the Blue House, the Private-Led Innovative Growth briefing…

"That’s enough. Stop."

"…!"

"This is endless."

His gaze landed on Hee-joo with a mix of complexity and intrigue, prompting her to lower her head in embarrassment.

Finally, summoning her courage, she confessed.

"No matter how many videos you choose, the result will be the same."

After hearing the translation, Baek Sa-eon asked, "All of them?"

"Yes."

"Care to explain why?"

Hesitating for a moment under the watchful eyes of the panel, Hee-joo answered.

She thought showing a bit of loyalty might work in her favor.

"I’ve practiced many of Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon’s videos."

"No matter how much you practiced—" He frowned.

"These videos were chosen at random, without regard to year or content. But your sign language synchronizes perfectly with my voice. Are you saying that’s just a coincidence?"

"…"

"Not once or twice?"

More than her rigorous preparation, Hee-joo was baffled by how precisely he had pinpointed her familiarity with each clip.

Even when she deliberately slowed her speed or inserted minor errors, her small tricks were useless against Baek Sa-eon.

"Interpreter Hong Hee-joo, answer me."

"That’s because…" She hesitated, then steeled herself.

"I’m obsessed with your speeches."

"What did you just say?" Baek Sa-eon raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I’m obsessed with your speeches," she repeated, flustered but determined. "I aspire to be a sign language interpreter for national institutions, and I’ve grown deeply invested in your work… I apologize. No matter which video you pick, the result will be the same."

"…"

"I’ve studied your speech patterns extensively," she added, lowering her voice slightly. "Particularly the movements of your upper lip and teeth. I’ve even trained myself to predict consonants based on the way your tongue presses against your palate…"

Her explanation trailed off awkwardly as she tried to salvage her confidence.

I hope they see me as someone thoroughly prepared…

After explaining that her performance was not due to opportunism but the result of diligent practice, the interviewers exchanged satisfied glances. Baek Sa-eon remained expressionless, but when one of the interviewers conveyed the explanation with a smile, his demeanor briefly softened. The usual stern furrow of his brow was replaced by an uncharacteristic gentleness.

“Interpreter Hong Hee-joo,” he called, his tone even.

“...!”

Though his voice was not loud, it commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Inevitably, her gaze met his—the same gaze she had been avoiding. This time, it felt colder, drier, and sharper than she had imagined.

Hong Hee-joo swallowed hard, feeling her palms grow clammy and a chill run down her back.

“The interviewers present here are meant to evaluate your performance, not to translate on your behalf. Please speak directly.”

“...!”

What?

She felt sweat bead along her spine.

According to Director Han Joon, personal health conditions or issues wouldn’t impact the evaluation results. Their hiring policies were like a blind test—focusing solely on sign language skills.

In the recommendation letter, Han Joon had detailed Hee-joo’s long history of mutism, highlighting her extensive experience in translating for broadcasts, conferences, lectures, religious events, and educational programs. Despite her limitations, she had successfully passed the written review.

But...

She never imagined Baek Sa-eon would treat her this way.

Was this outright nitpicking?

Hee-joo bit her lip, which was on the verge of trembling.

“Since you’re so keen on studying me,” he said, his tone edged with cold amusement.

“...”

“Then I’d like to hear your brilliant insights as well.”

His piercing gaze fixated on her lips, unrelenting and sharp.

-----

After the other interviewers showed little concern for whether Hong Hee-joo could speak, it became clear: only Baek Sa-eon was making a fuss.

So… if she could just shut Baek Sa-eon up, that would suffice, right?

Hong Hee-joo's eyes shifted slightly before she signed with a bright expression:
"If you hire me, I'll be even more passionate about studying!"

Seizing the moment, she flashed a radiant smile.

At that instant, Baek Sa-eon covered his jaw with his hand, his fingers brushing his lips.

Does he think I'm being too arrogant?

She wondered, noticing the subtle crease between his brows. But when he sat upright again, his expression reverted to its usual aloofness.

"…Alright then, let's do this. I'll improvise a passage you've never seen before. Can you translate it?"

"Yes…!"

"Quite confident, aren't you?" he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Hee-joo unclenched her fists, her gaze locking onto him with unwavering focus. In this moment, she set aside all thoughts of him as her husband or the man she'd tried to threaten. This was solely about proving her skill in this task before her.

Though her life had always been one of restraint and struggle, there was one thing she took pride in: her meticulous dedication to Baek Sa-eon.

His voice, his breathing, his expressions—even the smallest details.

She could not rely on him as her pillar, so she had chosen to study and emulate every fragment of him she could collect. Through constant imitation, practice, and repetition, she synchronized herself to Baek Sa-eon's every breath.

Without that relentless effort, she might have crumbled long ago.

With fierce determination, her deep eyes locked onto him like a magnet to steel.

"…"

"…"

Their gazes clashed, sharp and electric.

"Alright, let's begin."

When his voice rang out like a signal flare, commanding and assured, she momentarily forgot she was in an interview room.

This was no longer just an audition—it was a testament to how she had endured, adapted, and survived.

The clear resonance of his voice filled the room:
"Couples Day is a statutory commemoration established to remind people of the importance of marriage and to foster harmonious families."

Baek Sa-eon’s gaze bore into Hee-joo as he continued improvising:

"Here we have a married couple."

"Here we have a married couple," her hands followed in seamless synchronization.

"This couple has been together for a long time but harbors untold secrets."

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.

"On this special day, they rewrite the Ten Commandments of Marriage together."

Hee-joo’s hands caught every word with unwavering precision, her focus entirely on capturing his voice and meaning. Her heart pounded with exhilaration. Faster, more accurate—she craved to match him perfectly.

Her eyes burned with a fierce desire.

She wanted to emulate this resilient man, to reach his level. For someone as inherently fragile as her, she instinctively sought something solid to hold on to.

But then—

"One, complain incessantly about work."

…Wait, what?

Her hands faltered slightly before regaining their rhythm.

"Two, yell unnecessarily during conversations."

"…"

"Three, compare your partner to others when talking."

"…"

"Four, stubbornly insist on your own views."

Hee-joo's expression grew increasingly perplexed.

"Five, whine like a spoiled child."

"…"

"Six, cling endlessly—"

Abruptly, Baek Sae-on's voice halted.

Their eyes met in mid-air, locked in a charged confrontation. For a moment, neither moved, as if frozen in the intensity of their silent exchange.

It was Baek Sa-eon who eventually broke first, his jaw clenching as though he had realized something profound.

"…Alright, that's enough."

He tugged at his tie, seeming slightly out of breath.

With a loud bang, the door to the interview room was flung open and slammed shut.

Baek Sa-eon strode down the empty corridor with heavy steps, his pace brisk, almost as if he were fleeing.

Lol, yes that's also a factor. ^^

And it doesn't help when new episodes get delayed by an extra week!

The comments from certain viewers voicing their frustrations about things that don't make sense are making me reflect. I feel like this story is best enjoyed when you can binge it. There are a lot of details that are not revealed or explained initially, which can make the characters or the story seem nonsensical at times. But by the end of the story, once all the details have been revealed, almost all of those things make way more sense. For drama viewers right now, it's not possible to just keep going until all the explanations are provided within the drama. The only options are to seek explanations from the novel (or novel readers) or to stew on the parts that don't make sense right now and hope that they'll eventually be explained in the drama.

I binge read the novel and there were a bunch of moments where I felt like certain characters' behaviour or aspects of the story didn't make sense or were off-putting, but I kept going and by the end of the story I felt like almost all of those points were resolved. And now, reading the novel again, some parts are actually more enjoyable (even though the mystery aspect is gone) because there's a satisfying element of knowing why things happen the way they do.

Novel spoilers ahead.



In the novel, HIA was rendered deaf by the car crash that killed her brother and she genuinely needed HHJ to “be her ears” when they were both kids. She was still deaf at the time that her wedding to BSE was supposed to take place. But after she changed the wedding plans with BSE (and he married HHJ instead), HIA “disappeared” for three years. During that time HIA participated in an experimental medical trial in Europe that helped her to regain her ability to hear. When she returns to South Korea, she is able to hear.