Marriage contract

"Give you a minute to get lost." Shin lit a cigarette and lazily leaned on his chair.

Calin anxiously bit her lower lip, she's a well-known public figure and the only daughter of the jewelry empire family, won't he give her a face?

But why 1 minute?

Unlike his rumored hostile nature, does he already know her purpose?

Calin took a deep breath and decided to shed all pretense, "I have a proposal..."

If she easily confessed her feelings, she would only invite his disgust like all the other women coveting him, while acting indifferent or unfriendly would only create misunderstanding and distance.

So the best choice she had thought of was a political agreement.

Shin Keir wouldn't doubt her true motive since she had never bothered him for years and an arranged marriage is typical for people of their status.

"Brother Shin, I'm not sure if you're aware but both families had long arranged our engagement. Of course, if you refuse they will continue to pressure you to get married and the same on my end, so for each other's sake how about we sign a contract marriage? We will live minding our own business and simply focus on our career."

Shin "..."

Calin held back her excitement and continued to appeal, "If you take our status into consideration we're actually suitable, I can be of help to you in many ways and someday once we divorce you don't have to bother with alimony, I don't need it."

Of course, she will never divorce him!

"..."

Shin tapped his forefinger on the table with a sardonic smile.

Marriage contract? Heh~

Look how his miserable father fell into the trap of a 'marriage contract'.

The virtuous woman he married turned out to be vicious, obsessive, and crazy.

Unfortunately for Calin, Shin Keir not only despises contract marriage but marriage itself.

For him, marriage is the most absurd and deceitful ritual humans have invented.

So many people spend their hard-earned money on a wedding ceremony only to get cheated and divorced later on.

It is said a marriage vow is sacred and holds a deep spiritual significance yet those who break their vows without guilt weren't struck by lightning and continued to live a good life.

Could it be without marriage, humans would stop procreating?

Shin snorted, finding it ridiculous. Besides, he didn't get to where he is now just to let others and society dictate his fate.

"Ugly and flat," Shin enunciated with a blank face.

"What?" Calin was taken aback, she thought he was considering it after her lengthy words but why couldn't she understand him?

"You are not my type." Shin explicitly stated.

Calin's eyes widened and she felt cold all over, is this rejecting her proposal because she's not his type?

And ugly and flat, is he evaluating her appearance? What is flat?

Calin's brain circuit knotted and like a lightning bolt...flat-chested?

So someone like him actually cares about a woman's chest size?!

"Brother Shin, I'm still your fiancee!" Calin's voice quivered.

She, the top flower of the social elite and adored by many men is ugly in his eyes?

This degrading rejection, she couldn't accept it!

"We are so familiar? I see you don't want your tongue anymore. If the antique outside lied to you then sue her to adopt you, nothing to do with me."

Calin clenched her fist tightly, it was the first time she felt completely terrified, hurt, and shamed.

There were different types of women in the upper class, beautiful, skilled, and accomplished yet none of them attracted Shin Keir.

It is for this reason Calin knew that acting coquettish, strong-willed, or indifferent wouldn't work so she thought matching his hobbies and interests was the vital point but she still failed to arouse his interest.

Contract marriage didn't work either, could it be...he's really gay?!

"Young Master, you called for security?"

At this time, Butler Hong knocked and was surprised to see another person inside.

Sighed, it's not a sin to like someone but it's a different matter if you violated that person's privacy.

Clearly, it was impossible for Shin Keir to invite a woman to his study so Butler Hong could already deduct why the security was called.

Calin's face burned in humiliation and grievance, he actually called the security?!

Fortunately, being in the limelight had long tempered her forbearance so Calin quickly composed herself and forcibly suppressed her surging emotions.

Maybe Shin Keir was expecting her to go hysterical like Elder Madam Keir so she could only endure else her angelic image would collapse.

Taking a step back is also a preemptive strategy!

Calin politely smiled at the two, as she was about to leave, from the narrow gap of the closing door she overheard Butler Hong happily say: "Young Master, your customized gift for the young lady is ready-"

--

Later that afternoon, Yeri was allowed to leave the hospital but she first had to see Doctor Neri for medical advice.

For years, she was like a regular customer of this hospital but this was the first time she was admitted to the VIP ward.

Furthermore, her attending physician was Doctor Neri, with so many skilled doctors there it had to be the renowned doctor?!

Yeri held her forehead just thinking of the staggering hospital fees, she didn't want to owe Shin Keir or worry her parents so she contacted her confused brother, Jj Zhi.

They said one would feel better sharing your woes with someone so she confided the truth to her trustworthy brother but omitted sleeping with Shin Keir because she was drunk.

Jj folded his arms, looking at her like a magistrate condemning her wrongdoings. "Yz, how many lives do you think you have? Messing around Shin Keir, do you still want to live? The other night, you said he chased us because he was upset then I can already imagine what would happen if you offended him. Is there something you're not telling me? What does he want from you?"

It's not that Jj was looking down on his sister, of course, he thought she was the most beautiful but it's out of Shin Keir's character to like a woman based on appearance alone.

"Are you sure you accidentally fell on the pond and he didn't bully you? Does he know of your health condition?"

"Don't worry I'm not bullied or blackmailed, you know me well, how could I let anyone trouble me?" Yeri reassured, "By the way, what happened after you left that night?"

"They dropped me back to my dorm." Jj shrugged.

Although he was tangled why Tristan Felan insisted on fixing his car, saying it would be done after a few days.

Now that he thinks about it, is he being nice because his sister is dating Shin Keir?

The two shortly parted ways with Yeri seeing Doctor Neri and Jj settling the hospital miscellaneous and fees.

At the elevator, Yeri was blocked by two women so she could only wait for the next one.

"That girl is so pretty..."

One of the women commented after the elevator closed.

"She also has a good sense of fashion, that knee-high floral dress enhanced her youthful beauty."

"Shut up, you want to scout her? Then resign as my manager and pay the liquidated damages if you can afford it!" Calin sneered extremely in a foul mood.

The words of Butler Hong kept echoing in her mind.

Shin Keir doesn't have a good relationship with the women within the Keir clan and there are no young women either.

Who is the 'Young Lady' he intends to present a customized gift?

Just the thought of Shin Keir dating someone her whole person felt blocked, it would be better if he was gay!

The manager nervously held her breath knowing Calin's personality.

Luckily they were in public otherwise Calin had already slapped her.

"Careful with that gift," Calin warned.

Since Shin Keir was difficult to approach then she could start with his close friends.

Manager Lyn nodded but in her effort to slightly distance herself from Calin, the exquisite bag lightly bumped on the wall.

"Bitch, are you pissing me off on purpose? So useless, you can't carry a mere bag?"

Manager Lyn looked apologetic, "Sorry, I'll pay you in case I broke it."

Calin harrumphed and condescendingly berated her, "How can your meager salary afford the wine I bought? That's not something you could easily find in supermarkets and local wine shops, so stupid!"

The two passed by a nurse and Calin immediately adjusted her expression, beaming a friendly face.

Manager Lyn couldn't stop rolling her eyes, 'such a waste of a pretty face!'

Sure enough, money can't buy class, even a good education couldn't determine a person's character and behavior.

Calin swaggered into Doctor Neri's office without permission like what she had done at Shin's study that morning.

"Hello, Doctor Neri I'm Calin Ricci. Dad heard you're back and wanted to give you a thoughtful gift."

"Miss Ricci?" Zahn frowned, obviously displeased. "You have no appointment with me, leave."

Calin's pretty face froze, she was triple-killed by Shin Keir's brutal words earlier, don't tell me she would experience it again?

"I don't mean to disturb Doctor Neri, actually I heard of your medical missions so I thought you might be interested in the charity foundation I'm helping, it's about patients with rare diseases."

This is how she planned to build a connection with Zahn Neri.

"Just email."

"Well..." Calin could barely maintain her smile, this wasn't what she expected.

How could she proceed with her plan through email?

However, sensing Zahn Neri's cold gaze she simply gestured for her manager to give the wine.

At that moment, another person came by the door.

Yeri gently knocked on the open door and saw the rude woman who refused to share the lift with her. "Doctor Neri, I'm here for medical advice."

Calin arched an eyebrow, scrutinizing Yeri.

A sudden thought crossed her mind, what is Shin Keir's beauty standard?

In his eyes, she wasn't beautiful enough so how about this girl? Even her dumb manager praised her face.

Calin inadvertently lowered her gaze and her eyes narrowed.

Yeri "..."

Glaring at strangers, she must be mentally retarded, right?

Calin snorted and left with a dark face followed by her manager, it must be a padded bra!

Spoiled and pampered all her life, Calin grew up thinking she was a child favored by the gods and so Shin Keir's criticism has dealt her a heavy blow.

Although she convinced herself that Shin Keir wouldn't care about a woman's appearance alone, unknowingly, in her heart, envy and uneasiness spread like wildfire.