Page 31 of Temporary Wife Temptation

Mrs. Kim snorted. “I dare you to call her that to her face.”

“Why not? Her name is Grace and she’s Garrett’s grandma,” Natalie said with false bravado. Yeah, I could never call her that. Your Supreme Highness is more fitting. They’d never actually met, but she’d seen Grace Song from a distance a handful of times at the office. “What am I supposed to do with all this fabric?”

“The edge of the skirt winds around you to the left, so you could gather it in your left hand. Don’t get confused and grab the right side. Women of ill repute used to wrap their skirt to the right. But don’t quote me on that. It might be an urban legend, but let’s just play it safe and go with the left side.”

“Women of ill repute? What the literal hell?” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “How am I supposed to remember all this? I should just wear my skirt suit.”

“Want to give her a nice view of your thighs and maybe flash her a little?” Mrs. Kim huffed. “You’re going to have to kneel on the floor, so a pencil skirt is out of the question. I don’t want you to hyperventilate so I won’t even tell you about the formal bowing, where you have to cross your ankles and lower yourself to the ground and sit gracefully without falling on your ass—”

“Stop! You. Are. Not. Helping.” Natalie immediately regretted her outburst. “Actually, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you.”

“You didn’t need me. Well, maybe for the hanbok.” Mrs. Kim clasped her hand. “Just be yourself, sweetie. She’ll love you.”

“Hi, I’m Natalie,” she said to the kind-faced woman who answered the door at the Song family’s mansion.

“I’m Liliana. She is waiting for you.”

Natalie followed the housekeeper down the corridor, holding her skirt up to her left, grateful that they weren’t going upstairs. When they reached a door near the back of the house, Liliana smiled warmly. “Good luck.”

“Thank you. I really need it.”

She knocked hesitantly on the door, wondering if she’d be judged by the tone of her knock. Maybe she should have knocked more confidently.

“Come in.”

Natalie took a shuddering breath and drew back her shoulders. You got this. She opened the door, marched in and promptly tripped on her skirt. She saw herself falling in slow motion before she landed on her hands and knees with a thump.

Mrs. Song was by her side with lightning speed and ran her hands over Natalie. “Are you all right, child?”

The wind was knocked out of her and the throbbing in her knees told her she’d be black and blue the next day, but she wasn’t broken or bleeding anywhere. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings.

“I’m fine, Mrs. Song. I’m so sorry.”

“Grandmother.” The older woman leveled Natalie with a stern gaze, settling herself back into her seat. “You are married to my grandson. You will address me as ‘Grandmother.’”

“Yes, Grandmother.” She might have hit her head on the floor. Is Her Supreme Highness really asking me to call her ‘Grandmother’? Natalie worried her bottom lip, having no idea what to say or do next.

“I have not forgiven Garrett for his impudence. He dishonored me by asking for your hand without my approval.”

“I—”

“You do not interrupt when an elder is speaking. I see you have much to learn about our family’s ways and traditions.”

Natalie opened and closed her mouth. She was a bit peeved at the scolding, but she was more interested in learning about Garrett’s grandmother than smart mouthing her. Grace Song seemed nothing like the cold, calculating woman she’d imagined her to be.

“Ever since his mother died, Garrett never once disobeyed my wishes. But an iron curtain fell across his heart, and I couldn’t reach him. As the eldest son of the Song family, it is his duty to bring honor to the family name, and I used his sense of duty to motivate and propel him. I could find no other way to keep him from disappearing entirely. I thought an arranged marriage was his only chance to find warmth and companionship.” Grace Song met Natalie’s eyes and clicked her tongue. Probably because Natalie was pressing both hands over her mouth to stop herself from blurting, What? “Did you have something to say?”

“No, ma’am. Please continue.”

“Marrying you was the first choice he made for himself in over a decade. An important, life-altering choice. Even though he chose the wrong way to do it, I hope it means he is finding his way back to us.” The older woman’s eyes glistened but Natalie didn’t dare believe that it was from tears.

“Thank you, Grandmother. I know he misses you and hated opposing you—”

“Well, he did oppose me and he will not be easily forgiven.”

“I... But...” Her gut told her Mrs. Song missed Garrett as much as he missed her.

“I want my grandson to become the man he was meant to be, but he should never have turned his back on his elders. He should not have kept you a secret from me. He will make penance and win the CEO position without my support.”

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