Sang-jong sat in a chair, his face heavy with worry.

"Darling. What's the matter?"

Sang-jong, who had been lost in thought for a moment, lifted his head at O Min-yeong's question and answered.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? What could it be, that you're wearing such a grave expression?"

Irritated by O Min-yeong continuing to press him even after he'd said it was nothing, Sang-jong moved to strike her along with some harsh words.

"Stop pestering me and—"

Sang-jong, who had begun to raise his hand, paused as something occurred to him, and said,

"Actually — someone with no head for these things like you might just put forward a good idea."

Talk concerning the presidential-campaign funds was a deeply secret matter.

Which meant that the range of people from whom he could seek an opinion was necessarily very narrow.

"Sit."

Sang-jong gestured for O Min-yeong to sit, and slowly opened his mouth.

"What I'm about to tell you must never, ever be spoken of anywhere else. Listen carefully, and if you have a good idea, say it."

Sang-jong began telling O Min-yeong about the campaign funds.

O Min-yeong, tense at the thought that Sang-jong was sharing an important matter with her, listened with total focus.

Because such an occasion was so rare, she felt she had to come up with the best answer she possibly could.

And so, after the talk had gone on for a while, Sang-jong put his final question.

"The trouble is that there's no good way to deliver it. Well? Do you have any good idea?"

Having heard him out, O Min-yeong found herself at a loss.

Because no good idea came to her either.

"That's…"

Sang-jong felt he could tell, from O Min-yeong's face alone, what sort of answer was coming.

"Of course. That's how it goes. Never mind, just go to sleep. Ugh, I'm the fool here."

Sang-jong threw out the bitter remark at O Min-yeong for no good reason.

O Min-yeong, her face flushed red, rose quietly from her seat.

"I'm sorry. I…"

"I said never mind. Just go to sleep."

"Rather than that…