years ago, the night her good-for-nothing father callously announced to everyone that he was disowning her just because her grandfather was on his sickbed again, Hinari was devastated. She thought she would no longer care even if that person denied her existence as his child to the world, but in the end, she still felt hurt. That night, she walked aimlessly on the streets until she found herself standing in front of the Chen mansion, where the 15-year-old Haru found her. The boy immediately told her that Zaki wasn’t in the mansion, causing Hinari to deny that she was there for him. Hinari asked the boy to come out with her for a while and the boy, who noticed her sadness, immediately agreed.

However, just as they were about to leave, Sei’s car arrived. Haru immediately went to him and told Sei, his guardian, that he would be keeping Hinari company on her walk. Thankfully, the man, who was overprotective of Haru, agreed after telling Hinari to make sure to bring the boy back home safely before 10pm.

That night, Hinari was so bitter after another encounter with her step sister that she ended up going to the bar. Haru was so worried about her so he followed her. In the end, she got so drunk that Haru urged her to leave the bar and go home. The girl immediately gave in. How could she resist such a cute boy urging her? But outside the bar, a drunken man approached them and suddenly grabbed Hinari that Haru had no choice but to fight him off. Hinari sobered up due to the shock and she hurriedly pulled the young man away from the drunken man who was already lying on the ground.

They returned to the mansion expecting a good scolding from the ice king because it was way past Haru’s curfew. However, just as they entered the house, Haru suddenly dropped to the ground, gasping for air. The boy actually had asthma but it had been years since he last had an episode. That night, the boy was immediately treated by the Chen’s family doctors. Sei found out that the attack was because he had breathed in too much tobacco smoke which triggered his illness. He also found out what happened and he was furious. Hinari who was still under the alcohol’s influence, wanted to leave the mansion out of guilt, even though it was already past midnight.

The servant was having a hard time stopping Hinari’s drunken self so Sei scolded her, threatening to feed her to the crocodiles before asking the servants to lock her up in a dark room to reflect. Well, Sei that moment was really angry but knowing what happened to the girl beforehand and the fact that she was still drunk, he didn’t need to be that extreme. Actually, his reason for locking her up was not to punish her but to provoke Zaki. Sei wanted to stir something within Zaki, to anger him and get a reaction from him, but who would have thought that the fruit of that event would appear two years later? Did Zaki suppress himself about this matter for two years? This guy really is still inhuman!

...

In front of the ice king sitting on his throne, Hinari was standing stiffly beside Zaki. She was so close to him that her shoulder was brushing against Zaki’s arm.

"Tell me what your plan is." Sei was the first to break the silence.

Upon hearing him, Hinari held onto Zaki’s arm as she started speaking.

"I believe we have to find the trigger that will cause her emotions to burst out. I mean, you and little Shin have already tried many different things to make her smile and nothing has worked. Why don’t we try another approach?" She explained. Her gaze was firmly locked onto the man behind the desk, like she was being questioned by a certain terrifying commander general, afraid to even avert her gaze away as she answered him.

"Approach? What kind of approach?" Sei asked and the girl immediately answered again.

"How about we try making her jealous?"

"Explain what you think would happen with that plan."

"I think if Davi feel jealous enough, her emotion might burst out of control. When that happens, she might be able to cry."

"So? What do you want me to do?"

"I’m planning to find a woman and have Davi see you while you are with the woman."

"REJECTED!"

Sei’s immediate and firm rejection jolted Hinari and like a kid who was startled by a ghost’s voice, she suddenly hid behind Zaki, her arms wrapped around Zaki’s waist.

At that same moment, someone entered the room, but because Hinari’s face was buried on Zaki’s back, she didn’t see who it was.

"What are you hiding for?" Zaki, who was silent all this time, finally spoke.

"H-huh? But your brother the great is angry again." She whispered, looking as cautious as ever as her grip on his waist tightened.

"He’s not. He’s simply rejecting your suggestion. And let go of me, someone’s here." He said and upon hearing his last sentence, Hinari squeezed Zaki’s stomach, causing the man turn to her with wide eyes.

"What are you---"

"What? You said I’m not allowed to touch you unless someone else is around. Someone’s with us so I can touch you whenever I want. Stop complaining, you conservative beauty."

"..."

Speechless at the girl’s remarks, Zaki could only raise his hand and pinch the skin between his brows.

This girl... I purposely let her touch me when someone else was around for the sake of her fear and yet she’s still puffing her cheeks at me?

That moment, Hinari who was still trying to squeeze Zaki’s waist harder finally noticed the presence of someone else inside the room. She peeked from behind Zaki and her eyes narrowed the moment she saw a seductively clad lady holding documents in her arms, talking to Sei. The ice machine never once raised his head to look at the woman but in that instant, Hinari was extremely suspicious at the way the woman was dressed and was especially wary at the way she looked at the husband of her Davi.

"Beauty, who is that woman?" She asked. Hostility was evident in her voice which Zaki immediately noticed.