Pain.
Not the dull, distant kind from before.
This was sharp.
Real.
My eyes flew open.
White ceiling.
Bright hospital lights.
Antiseptic smell.
I sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it.
My ribs hurt.
Machines beeped beside me.
Voices echoed faintly in the hallway.
Hospital.
Seoul.
Real world?
I tried to move.
Weak.
Heavy.
But I could move.
A wave of relief almost made me cry—
Then the golden interface appeared again.
MODERN WORLD INITIALIZED
IDENTITY: Legal Wife of Ji-hoon Kang
MISSION PROGRESS (GLOBAL): 1%
My heart stopped.
Legal wife?
Ji-hoon Kang.
The man from the accident.
The Crown Prince.
The cold CEO.
So this is the second life.
I'm not back.
Not yet.
A nurse noticed I was awake and gasped. "Mrs. Kang! You're conscious?"
Mrs. Kang.
That sounded dangerous.
Before I could ask anything, the door opened.
And he walked in.
Black suit.
Impeccable.
Cold aura.
Same sharp eyes.
Same scar near his temple.
Alive.
Healthy.
Powerful.
Ji-hoon Kang.
His gaze met mine.
Recognition hit instantly.
Not surprise.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
"You're awake," he said calmly.
As if I'd just taken a nap.
Not died.
Not lived a royal wedding night.
I studied him carefully.
No royal robes.
No palace lantern light.
Just Seoul's skyline visible through the hospital window behind him.
But the tension between us was exactly the same.
"You too," I replied quietly.
The nurse looked between us awkwardly. "I'll… leave you two alone."
Door closed.
Silence.
He stepped closer to the bed.
Not hurried.
Measured.
Always controlled.
"You remember," he said.
Not a question.
A statement.
"Yes."
A faint flicker passed through his eyes.
Relief?
Maybe.
"We're in comas," he added quietly.
"I know."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"So this is the second world," he murmured.
The golden interface flickered briefly.
RULE REMINDER: DO NOT DISCLOSE DIVINE TRIAL TO OTHERS.
He noticed it too.
Good.
At least we're aligned.
I looked down at my hands.
No palace sleeves.
No gold jewelry.
Just hospital tape and IV needles.
"So," I said slowly, "we're married."
His expression didn't change.
"Yes."
"That was quick."
"It happened before the accident."
I blinked.
"What?"
He walked to the side table and picked up a folder. He tossed it gently onto my lap.
Marriage certificate.
Date.
Two months ago.
My name.
His name.
Legal signatures.
I stared at it.
"I don't remember this."
"You wouldn't," he replied evenly. "It was a contract."
Of course it was.
A contract marriage.
CEO trope activated.
"Why?" I asked.
"Mutual benefit."
That's vague.
He crossed his arms.
"You needed financial stability."
"I did?"
"Yes."
"And you needed…?"
"A temporary wife."
My eyebrows lifted.
"For business reasons."
Ah.
Media pressure.
Family politics.
Inheritance.
Classic.
"So we were strangers?" I asked.
"Yes."
"And now?"
He held my gaze steadily.
"Now we're partners in something much more complicated."
Accurate.
Very accurate.
The interface shimmered again.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE (MODERN WORLD):
Stabilize Kang Corporation.
Eliminate internal betrayal.
Protect marriage image.
Corporate war.
Good.
I can work with that.
I looked at him carefully.
"Does anyone know about the accident details?" I asked.
"It was ruled as unfortunate traffic negligence."
Negligence?
My lips pressed thin.
He continued, "Media already tried to spin it."
Of course they did.
"And your… ex-fiancée?" I asked casually.
His eyes sharpened.
"She is no longer relevant."
Translation: she is very relevant.
Interesting.
"So," I leaned back slightly despite the pain, "we're married in two worlds."
He didn't react outwardly, but his fingers tightened slightly.
"Yes."
"And in both worlds," I continued slowly, "we didn't exactly choose each other."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
"No," he said quietly. "We didn't."
But his gaze didn't leave mine.
Not even for a second.
Something unspoken passed between us.
Not romance.
Not yet.
Recognition.
Shared fate.
Shared death.
Shared mission.
He stepped closer to the bed.
"You should rest," he said softly.
"Don't disappear," I replied immediately.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His expression shifted.
Just slightly.
"I won't," he said.
A promise?
Or strategy?
Hard to tell.
He turned to leave.
Before reaching the door, he paused.
Without looking back, he said quietly—
"Try not to step into traffic again."
I stared at him.
Was that… humor?
The door closed behind him.
I lay back slowly against the pillow.
Ancient palace.
Modern corporation.
Cold Crown Prince.
Cold CEO.
Same man.
Same scar.
Same impossible connection.
And we are both fully aware of everything.
But we still don't know why we were tied together.
The golden interface glowed faintly.
GLOBAL MISSION PROGRESS: 2%
Two percent.
Already increasing.
That means—
Interaction with him matters.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I closed my eyes.
Somewhere right now—
The Crown Prince version of him might be standing under palace lanterns.
And here—
The CEO version just walked out of my hospital room.
Two worlds.
One mission.
And a marriage in both.
Fine.
If this is a trial—
I'm not losing.