A Sexy Butterfly
Heeseo couldn't contain her fury any longer and began huffing through her teeth. She was ready to shove herself upright and storm out that very second, but a freezing towel slapped down across her face. Two eggs were all she'd managed to eat the entire day; she simply didn't have the strength left to fight. So she stayed put, forced to lie there until the treatment finally ended.
She arrived at the boutique looking like a zombie polished to a gleaming, unnatural shine. Kim Jeeon was already waiting. She was the one who'd just come from hours of pampering, yet somehow light seemed to radiate from his face as well. Annoying bastard, through and through.
"You're looking especially beautiful today, Heeseo-ssi."
She'd been calling him detestable in her head for so long that even a compliment grated. Heeseo pretended he didn't exist, strode straight into the glittering shop floor, and dropped heavily onto the first sofa in sight.
Jeeon followed with that same unshakable smile, drifting closer to the sofa.
"Why so low on energy? It's not like you."
And what exactly is "like me"? The line from some drama almost slipped out before she clamped her mouth shut. She was far too hungry to banter with a ghost-possessed man.
"Shut up. I'm starving and don't feel like saying a single word, so just pick out some clothes already. You dragged me all the way here so you could do whatever you wanted anyway, didn't you?"
She snapped the sharp reply at Kim Jeeon while Manager Jo was momentarily occupied talking with a staff member.
Even under the icy gale of Heeseo's attitude, the smile never so much as flickered on Jeeon's face.
Honestly, that ghost sure picked a fine body to crawl into. Watching a handsome man smirk and smile like that eased her mood, if only a little.
Kim Jeeon summoned someone and requested light refreshments. Whatever VIP status he held, the staff didn't ask a single question; they simply brought out croissants and hot coffee.
Heeseo, who might as well have been fasting all day, eyes flashing, was just about to snatch up a pastry when—
"Ah."
"…Ack?"
"Ah-ah."
This little shit, for real…? Heeseo stared at him with her lips parted stupidly. Jeeon winked one eye and murmured in a soft, coaxing voice.
"The Chairman comes to this boutique often. Wouldn't it be better if word reached him that his grandson and granddaughter-in-law looked affectionate?"
"…"
Could I hit a possessed man with a piece of bread? What crime would that even be? Bread assault? Or ghost assault?
She tried to escape reality with ridiculous thoughts, but in front of Jeeon she was powerless. In the end he personally sliced every last croissant and apple pie and fed them to her before he finally looked satisfied.
From Heeseo's perspective it was a full stomach that still left her in a foul mood. She felt like a plump little carp about to be swallowed whole. Narrowing her eyes, she kept a wary watch on him.
Jeeon simply handed her a cup of tea, rose from his seat, and began selecting clothes.
The boutique staff kept stealing glances at him, as if the sight were unfamiliar. The moment he chose even a single garment they darted over, voices honey-sweet.
"You have such an eye, Executive Director. This dress is an Alexa limited edition. Only two pieces ever entered Korea."
Honey dripped from the staff's eyes as they gazed at Jeeon.
Well, if you didn't know what was living inside him, Kim Jeeon was exactly the sort of man who belonged in a luxury boutique. Even Heeseo, who knew every truth, had nearly been bewitched by that face on their wedding night.
Ladies, looks aren't everything.
If you knew how sly the thing inside him really is, you'd all scream.
Heeseo narrowed her eyes and slurped her black tea. After all that sugar her mouth felt coated in it.
She was wishing for a big bowl of cold water instead of this astringent tea and a chance to sleep when Jeeon called to her.
"Would you try this on?"
"Fitting? Just…"
Just buy whatever, who cares—the words nearly tumbled out before she stopped. The staff were staring with round, expectant eyes.
Haa, seriously… Heeseo swallowed a sigh, stood, and snatched the clothes he held out.
As if they'd been waiting, one of the staff whisked her into a fitting room.
Same as when they fitted the wedding dress… this place… The fitting room's the size of my living room. Why bother trying clothes on at all? It's not like I'm role-playing nobility. As long as the length's roughly right, it's fine.
Heeseo was tall for a woman. To her, a fitting meant little more than checking sleeve and hem length. So when the staff asked her to strip completely just to try on a single dress, she couldn't help feeling flustered.
"Can't I just take off the top and…"
"Then it would be difficult to see the fit along the hip line. If you'd like, I can assist with undressing."
No, why do we even need to look at the hip line?
Heeseo was rattled, but she forced down the urge to argue. Outwardly she was Kim Jeeon's wife and a ballerina freshly arrived from France.
Fine… hips can matter, I guess… yeah… whatever… fine.
She brainwashed herself and undressed, careful the whole time not to let the long skin patch covering the inside of her arm peel loose.
The staff member approached with the dress the moment Heeseo stood in her underwear.
"It will suit Madam's skin tone beautifully. Perfect for photos at your travel destination as well."
Madam… The title made her feel faintly nauseous. Heeseo pressed her forehead and gave the dress a cursory once-over.
The piece Jeeon had chosen was a deep blue dress with long draped detailing across the chest. The sleeves were sheer mesh that revealed the silhouette of shoulder and arm; the silk skirt was slit high along the side so that every step would flash thigh.
Once Heeseo stepped into it, the staff zipped the back and lavished praise while they both faced the full-length mirror.
"I've never seen anyone wear this piece so perfectly. Your legs are so lovely it looks even better. Is anything uncomfortable?"
"The skirt's way too short. And it's ripped open too much. One gust of wind and I'll be showing the whole neighborhood my underwear."
"Ah, we can alter the length, of course, but with Madam's height it looks even more flattering… And it was designed specifically to highlight the legs."
"The underarms are too sheer as well. Isn't this a bit embarrassing?"
Why does this dress have zero interest in covering anything? Heeseo clicked her tongue and waved her arms; the long sleeves fluttered prettily.
"Isn't it a little cramped in here for ballet, Heeseo-ssi?"
Without so much as a knock the fitting-room door opened. Only the staff member looked startled; Heeseo's expression stayed flat. A ghost knocking would have been the stranger thing.
"You look too much like a butterfly."
"But sexy for a butterfly."
Jeeon stepped up behind her and traced the line of her shoulder. Suddenly she felt his knee against the back of her thigh. The distance was far too close; Heeseo arched one brow and gave him a frosty look.
"A sexy butterfly might just…"
She flicked a glance at the staff, then turned her head toward him and whispered low. To any outsider it would have looked like newlyweds sharing secrets.
"Don't forget you could get beaten until the dust flies."
"Haha."
At her sweet threat Jeeon laughed, still wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
His good looks and pleasant voice made the laughter itself feel like clear weather. Truly, that body was far too fine for something like a ghost.
"You really are entertaining, Heeseo-ssi. This dress suits you wonderfully. The way the lines show is quite alluring."
Beneath the floating sleeve his fingers slowly traced up the inside of her wrist. The moment his fingertips caught on the thin skin patch, their eyes met in the mirror.
Looking intrigued, Jeeon lifted her wrist.
"What were you hiding so carefully? A tattoo, perhaps?"
"Yeah. Drew a whole dragon."
Unlike Jeeon, who spoke without the slightest care for the staff member's presence, Heeseo had to keep her voice down the entire time. Sensing the mood, the staff quietly slipped out of the fitting room. Apparently this sort of thing happened often enough.
"Get away from me. Do you actually think you've become the real Kim Jeeon?"
The second the door clicked shut Heeseo recoiled in alarm and twisted her body to put distance between them. Or rather, she tried. She would have succeeded if Jeeon hadn't caught her by the waist.