“Please take the time you need to consider my proposal, Miss Kim.” A woman dressed in a sharp red suit uncrossed her legs and cooly exited the house. The woman sitting in front of her stayed frozen on the couch, trying to process everything. It was only twelve words. A mere twelve words. And yet, those twelve words would define her future.

 

“Yoohyeon, you must take this offer! This is a once in a lifetime chance!” The woman, Yoohyeon, flinched at her father’s voice. An older woman slid on the couch next to Yoohyeon, wrapping an arm around her.

 

“Your father’s right. You can easily elevate your status by taking this marriage. It’s our ticket out of poverty and into high society!” Her mother urged her by shaking her shoulders a bit.

 

That snapped Yoohyeon out of her daze. It wasn’t every day that some woman barged into her house and proposed to marry her. It definitely wasn’t every day that some woman, namely Kim Bora, CEO of Purple Holdings Inc, would offer to marry someone of her standing.

 

Logically, her parents were right. This was a golden opportunity to get rid of family debts and launch them straight into a comfortable life. However, Yoohyeon felt that it was suspicious. Sure, Kim Bora was known for her eccentric personality that translated into risky business ventures but for her to randomly offer marriage of all things, was the cherry on top.

 

“Kim Yoohyeon, no one like her will offer to marry a half-blood like you again...we’ve had to raise you in this harsh world and now is your chance to be a filial daughter...” Her father was on his knees in front of her, holding her two hands together.

 

Yoohyeon tried her best to rein in the building fire in her. She managed to keep her face stiff for the most part. But when she looked into the faces of the people she called parents, disgust marred her features. Their features distorted into black faces, pupils turning into minus symbols, fake smiles merging into pathetic, desperate grins. Their eyes bore down on her like she was something lesser.

 

Cattle. No, worse than that. They are sheep. Mindless, greedy sheep.

 

Yoohyeon decided right then and there that she would not be sheep. She would climb her way up the world and stand above the rest, so that they cannot look down upon her.

 

--

 

A knock resounded on the door.

 

“Come in.” The woman sitting behind the computer commanded. The door to the largest office in the building opened and Yoohyeon stepped inside. She approached the mahogany desk and placed a stack of papers in the CEO’s inbox.

 

“I already prepared the schedule for next month. You just have to approve of everything.”

 

“Speedy. Thank you.” Yoohyeon nodded and turned to leave but Bora spoke again. “Oh and Yoohyeon? What would you like for dinner tonight?” That made the taller woman freeze in her steps.

 

“Whatever you feel like having.“ It was Yoohyeon’s standard response to Bora’s weird question. To be fair, their whole arrangement was strange and unsettling. Everything about Bora was unsettling, starting from the fact that she’s a pureblood human.

 

Yoohyeon exited the office as swiftly as possible and made her way back to her cubicle. She could feel eyes on her but they were surprisingly not full of disgust. Actually, when she looked around, she realized that most employees here are half bloods like her. Purple Holdings was known as one of the companies that actively hired half bloods, much to the chagrin of politicians. But Bora did not allow political influences to alter her decisions, no matter how many threats she received. The benefits to such a choice were far outweighed by the backlash and yet, Bora persisted. That was something that Yoohyeon would have to ask her about one of these days.

 

As she sat back down in her chair, her coworker peeked over the divider to catch her attention. “Psst! Yoohyeon!” Yoohyeon remembered her name to be Gahyeon. She was younger than her, still in university doing her accounting studies. Unlike the majority here, Gahyeon was still an intern and very much human. She didn't seem to mind it one bit. In fact, Yoohyeon caught her admiring(?) her horns once.

 

She quite liked Gahyeon though. The shorter woman was outgoing and friendly to everyone. She was like the moodmaker in the office. “Yeah?”

 

“Want to have lunch together? Siyeon said that she can join us today!” Yoohyeon hadn’t met Siyeon yet so she readily agreed. Anyone friends with Gahyeon was bound to be decent. Gahyeon smiled brightly, her excitement making Yoohyeon smile as well.

 

Lunch time came quickly for Yoohyeon because she was so focused on preparing her next project proposal. She almost missed out on eating if it weren’t for Gahyeon and her infectious excitement. “Come on! The cafeteria is serving ramen today!”

 

“Ramen?” Yoohyeon asked as she was getting dragged to the elevator. “Isn’t that unhealthy?”

 

They make it to the cafeteria but the line is insanely long. This ramen must be top quality if people were willing to wait forever to get one bowl. However, as soon as the cashier spotted Yoohyeon, she beckoned them to the front of the line. “Madam Kim, what can I get for you today?”

 

Yoohyeon shrunk in on herself, feeling uncomfortable stares on her back. “Please, just Yoohyeon and you don’t need to give me special treatment...”

 

“Nonsense, you’re the boss’s wife. What would you like?” Yoohyeon cringed internally at the word ‘wife’. It was so weird to hear it but it was even weirder at seeing people’s reaction to it. The silver band on her left hand felt like a leash more than anything else.

 

“Three specials, please!” Gahyeon perked from behind Yoohyeon. She was just happy that she didn't need to wait in line. It was then that Yoohyeon remembered that Bora hadn't left her office for lunch yet. They were still awkward with each other - okay, Yoohyeon was still awkward with her but Bora wasn’t a bad person. At least, Yoohyeon hadn’t seen anything about Bora to make her think she was a bad person. They haven't had the time to really talk after they signed the marriage documents so the trust was shaky at best.

 

“Uh, actually, make that four. One with a to-go lid.” They received their orders quickly and Gahyeon spotted Siyeon sitting at their usual table. Siyeon was pleasant company despite her intimidating appearance and a half blood like her. However, her only telling trait was her dragonic eyes, the pupils slit like a cat’s eye. Siyeon must be very skilled to be able to hide even her horns. Nonetheless, Siyeon was very kind and Yoohyeon liked her already.

 

“It was nice meeting you, Siyeon. But I’ve got a delivery to make.” Yoohyeon stood up after finishing her bowl.

 

“Oh? Is it for your wife?!” Gahyeon’s eyes were sparkling at the mention of the boss. Unlike most people, Gahyeon was openly talking about the marriage as if it weren’t an arranged one. People tended to tread carefully around Yoohyeon but she knew that they wanted to know.

 

“I’ll see you later, Gahyeon.” Yoohyeon offered instead of addressing the question directly. Too many eyes were on her and it wasn’t pleasant. She followed the path back up to the office, finding a little bit of peace in the fact that no one was around during lunch time. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Bora’s office again.

 

Unsurprisingly, Bora was still working. “Hey, I brought you some lunch. Ramen from downstairs.” A bit of surprise flashed through Bora’s features before she settled into a playful smile.

 

“Why thank you. Would you care to keep me company?”

 

Yoohyeon hesitated for a bit before giving in. They moved to the couch, sitting next to each other with a respectable distance between them. Yoohyeon fiddled with her thumbs for a bit before deciding to start the conversation.

 

“So, why me?”

 

She didn't need to clarify further for Bora to understand what she was asking. “Hmm...why, I wonder….” Bora hummed playfully.

 

“Was it something cliche like you knew me from the past? Did I save your life unknowingly and you felt like you owe me?” Yoohyeon listed with a wry smile on her face. No matter how much she thought about it, it didn't make any sense. She was certain that she never knew Bora. All the mixed schools she went through for 12 years of her life were marred with bad interactions with purebloods. Not to mention that Kim Bora is a very high profile person.

 

Bora laughed before shaking her head. “Not at all. I just found you interesting.”

 

Interesting? Where did she even see her to find her interesting, unless-

 

“Because I’m half a dragon?”

 

Bora merely hummed as she ate a spoonful of noodles. Yoohyeon was beginning to feel a sense of dread. Was that why the CEO employed so many half bloods? Because she found them interesting? Like some sort of zoo exhibit? Like they were exotic pets? There were definitely dubious rumors going around about the CEO, like how some employees left the company and were never seen again. Yoohyeon didn't even want to go down that rabbit hole.

 

“What, you just wanted to try out marriage with a half blood because you were curious about us?” She asked through gritted teeth. Actually, yes, she was going down that rabbit hole. “Was I - am I a charity case to you? My family is poor and in debt so you knew my human parents were eager to sell me off?”

 

To her surprise, Bora chuckled lowly and shook her head. “Nah, nothing like that. I’m not a dragon trafficker,” something flickered in her eyes briefly before she recovered with that smirk again. “Just, I saw you at your senior showcase.”

 

Bora attended the event at Seoul National University, expecting to recruit several talented people. But none of them really caught her attention. They were all practically clones of each other, reciting lines that companies liked to hear. Bora recalled wandering around the presentations and walked away rudely when the speaker was boring her to sleep.

 

“I was impressed by your talent and drive. I employ others for the same reason. Nothing more, nothing less.”

 

But then she saw Yoohyeon presenting to one person. Her draconic horns on top of her head made it obvious that she was a half blood and maybe that’s why not many people stopped to listen to her. Despite that, Yoohyeon would present her project passionately to anyone that listened. Bora decided right then and there that she would hire her, not for her heritage, but for her outstanding skill.

 

“That still doesn’t explain why you decided to marry me.” Yoohyeon crossed her arms, feeling slightly placated with the fact that someone acknowledged her hard work.

 

Bora winked and closed the lid on her meal. “Maybe I’ll tell you some other time. Gotta keep my air of mystery, right?”

 

Right at that moment, Yoohyeon’s watch beeped, signalling that lunch time was over. She sighed and stood to leave. She didn't learn much through this conversation and it left her feeling drained.

 

“You remember our terms for the marriage, right?” Bora said just as Yoohyeon was going to leave.

 

“Of course.” They were quite simple, really.

 

“Okay.”

 

Yoohyeon left the office feeling unsettled.

 

--

 

It was finally the weekend, marking one week since Yoohyeon started living in Bora’s apartment. It was surprisingly homey. Not at all what Yoohyeon imagined the CEO of a multinational conglomerate company would be living in. Though one of the good things about living here was that she was far away from her parents. From those sheep.

 

Yoohyeon pulled out her work laptop and sat in front of the coffee table. Bora wasn’t awake yet so there was no breakfast. The half blood can’t cook to save her life and she wasn’t about to burn down Bora’s expensive kitchen. Maybe she could go out and buy some breakfast? The only problem was that she didn’t know what Bora liked to eat. What if she gets her usual and Bora ends up being allergic? It would be a disaster.

 

Yoohyeon distracted herself by pouring her energy into work. It was only her first week at Purple Holdings but Bora already gave her tons of work to do. Something about justifying her employment to all the board members, on top of marrying her? Whatever it is, Yoohyeon was thankful that she was able to land a career doing what she studied in university for.

 

The shorter woman came out of her room an hour later, wearing nothing but a silk red bathrobe. Yoohyeon looked up to greet her but nearly choked on her own saliva. “Hm? Oh, Yoohyeon, working so hard on your day off?”

 

Yoohyeon turned her head away and nodded, firmly keeping her gaze in the opposite direction from Bora. Why the heck was this woman so casual while wearing that? Yoohyeon’s heartbeat was beginning to pick up. It was downright embarrassing especially because Yoohyeon could see her milky skin from the places that the flimsy clothing couldn't cover. The dragon wasn’t blind. Bora was an attractive woman, after all.

 

Her stomach both saved her and embarrassed her by making the loudest gurgling sounds. Bora laughed out loud as she padded to the kitchen. “What would the hungry Yoohyeon like to have?”

 

“Whatever you feel like having. It’s your home.”

 

“It’s your home now, too.” It certainly didn't feel that way. It was more like Yoohyeon was staying at a hotel that was conveniently close to her workplace.

 

(Her old house wasn’t really a house either. Did she even have a home to begin with or did the universe just set her up for failure?)

 

Yoohyeon tried to focus on working again while savory smells filled the kitchen and the living area. It didn't work out so she decided to stop before she crashed and grabbed her camera. Opening the balcony door, Yoohyeon stepped outside. The weather was sunny but not too hot.

 

She raised her camera to eye level and started taking pictures. Clouds. Purple Holdings. Birds. Trees. A man walking his dog. Humans milling down below. That last one made her chuckle quietly to herself. It didn't pass her by that this entire neighborhood was purebloods only and that she was the only half blood. And yet, here she was, standing at the top floor of Bora’s penthouse, looking down on the humans that were blissfully unaware of her presence. Sure, it was a bit of a superiority complex but she was deserving of it after suffering through inferiority her whole life, no? It wasn’t enough for her yet but it was a start.

 

“Yoohyeon! Food’s ready!” Bora called from inside. Yoohyeon came back inside and set her camera on the coffee table. She would review those later and delete the less than perfect ones.

 

The food on her plate was mouthwatering. It seemed like Bora paid attention to the things she liked and cooked only those items for today. “Thank you for the food.”

 

“No need to thank me. You’re my wife now.” Bora sing-songed and winked as Yoohyeon sputtered into her teacup. The older woman just loved to to get a rise out of her.

 

The CEO sat down gracefully on her chair, crossing her legs. Yoohyeon always felt this but Bora had a sort of elegant aura around her. She carried herself with utmost dignity, even in her own home. Absently, Yoohyeon thought that it must’ve been difficult to never let her hair down.

 

“It’s our day off. Want to do something together? Get to know one another?” Bora suggested as she cut into her eggs.

 

“...Sure.”

 

“What would you like to do? Or rather, what do you do on your days off?” Their interactions tended to go in this direction. Bora would initiate, Yoohyeon would yield to Bora’s choice, and Bora would ask her again for her opinions. It was actually very thoughtful. If Yoohyeon wasn’t so caught up in trying to rise in society, she might have swooned over that quality in Bora.

 

“Well, I usually take pictures and spend the day editing or developing them. And then I put them in a scrapbook.”

 

“Oh? You like photography?”

 

“Hmm, ‘like’ isn’t what I would use to describe it. More like I need it?” Bora gave her full attention, nodding in understanding.

 

“A dragon’s greed, you mean.” Yoohyeon was about to ask how she knew about that but then she remembered how many half bloods work at Purple Holdings. Bora did say that she found dragons to be interesting. She probably asked a ton of questions to anyone that would humour her.

 

A dragon’s greed was like a base instinct. At times, Yoohyeon found that it even overpowered her survival instincts. When she was in elementary school, she nearly went berserk at the humans that stole her pictures. Logically, she knew that it would get her in trouble but all she saw was red. If they hadn’t returned them when they did, Yoohyeon might have clawed their faces out. Since then, Yoohyeon kept to herself, as most half bloods did. For no one could hurt them with their nature if they didn't tell anyone.

 

It was a risk to tell Bora but Yoohyeon’s gut feeling said that she didn't need to fear Bora. Rather, the dragon in her was proud of its strength. Sometimes, it was hard to hold it back from surfacing and picking fights with purebloods. Hei, as she called it, was her lifelong companion that she trusted with her life.

 

“Anyway, it’s not an activity that we can do together because of that.”

 

“Well, I like watching dramas and movies on my day off. Would you like to join me instead?”

 

She glanced at her opened laptop. Yoohyeon awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. A nervous habit that she hadn’t been able to shake. “I really should be finishing up my work though...”

 

“Yoohyeon,” Bora gave her a chiding look. “It’s your day off. Don't think about work. If I’m not working then neither should you. Okay?”

 

“...Okay.”

 

--

 

Bora was a cuddler. That was the conclusion Yoohyeon came to when they started watching some drama about a married couple. It was a whole mess, that drama. Nowhere near her and Bora’s relationship. Wait, relationship?

 

To make matters worse, Bora fell asleep somewhere around episode 5, leaning her head on Yoohyeon’s shoulder. Awkward. So awkward. And Yoohyeon really needed to pee but Bora wouldn’t budge, already in deep sleep.

 

But it was the first time that Yoohyeon got a good look at her...wife. Like really look. She’s been living here for a week but she never noticed the heavy eyebags under the CEO’s eyes. Even earlier at breakfast, she didn't notice. Bora just looked tired overall. It made Yoohyeon feel like a ty partner. Bora has been nothing but kind and thoughtful. Well, maybe the older girl did like to tease and smirk like she knew Yoohyeon’s deepest secrets but other than that, the half blood couldn't complain much.

 

These conditions are all fine with me. Ten years should be sufficient. All I ask in return is that you don’t try to kill me in my sleep. Alright?

 

Bora’s request sent a sharp twist in her chest. Maybe it was time Yoohyeon extended the same courtesy to Bora. They didn't act like a married couple but that was fine. They didn't need the pretense that was the start of their relationship. Yoohyeon resolved to be a better housemate, to start.

 

But right now, she really needed to pee.

 

--

 

“Bora? What are you doing?”

 

“Drinking wine. Want some?” Bora lifted her wine glass in Yoohyeon’s direction. Again, she was wearing her red silk robe, sitting on the single armchair like a cliche wine aunt.

 

“No, thanks. Can’t sleep?” Yoohyeon moved to stand by the balcony doors. The nighttime view from up here was incredible. Everything just looked so small and insignificant.

 

“Can’t a woman drink her expensive wine after a long day of work?”

 

“Bora, it’s 3 am. Work ended ages ago.” Yoohyeon deadpanned. Again, Bora just seemed tired overall. When she was at work, none of that exhaustion was present. Yoohyeon figured that Bora was just really good at appearing to be perfect. She would have believed it had she not been spending time with Bora in this apartment. In some ways, it was a bit honoring to be the only person to know what Bora is like off work hours.

 

Bora pouted. “Mood killer.”

 

Yoohyeon sighed, resisting the urge to take out her camera again. This view was definitely inspiring her next collection. But for now, the drunk wife is in need of care. She stalked over to the shorter woman and gently tugged the wine glass out of her hand.

 

“Yoohyeon...gimme back my drink...” Bora was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol in her system. She reached out to get her cup back but Yoohyeon raised it high above her head.

 

“You shouldn’t drink this to get yourself to sleep. It’s bad for your health.”

 

“But it’s better than taking capsules so give it back.” Yoohyeon paused at that, staring at Bora’s dark eyes. The older woman was still trying to reach for her cup but her balance was not good. She ended up holding onto Yoohyeon’s arm for support.

 

“Your eyes...” Yoohyeon started.

 

“They’re so pretty that they take your breath away? I’m flattered-”

 

“No.” Yoohyeon didn't care that she was being too blunt. Bora might not even remember this conversation anyways. Her eyes were like endless voids. There was no warmth or light within them. The half blood wondered what Bora saw every time she looked into the mirror. Everything that she could think of made her feel sympathetic towards Bora.

 

Her face must’ve given her thoughts away because Bora chuckled mirthlessly, giving up on getting her drink back. “There isn’t anything that could fill me. Nothing much I look forward to.”

 

Yoohyeon didn't really know what to say to that. Her life goal was to claw her way to the top and though that was a bit abstract in concept, it kept her moving forward. She never thought that the CEO would be so empty inside. Did she even have any good people to surround herself with? Is that why she made that her only condition to the marriage?

 

Whatever it is, Yoohyeon found herself feeling terribly sad for Bora. She was glad that those few nights ago, she decided to be a better friend to Bora.

 

“Let’s get you to bed.” Bora didn't protest this time and let herself be led to her bedroom. Yoohyeon didn't open the door, not wanting to invade Bora’s privacy.

 

Before she left for her room, she decided to do something more. She didn't want to see Bora drinking alone in the living room, nor did she want to see her take pills to find some semblance of sleep.

 

“Bora,” Yoohyeon awkwardly turned to face her. “If you find yourself unable to sleep, you can come to me. I sometimes stay up late to work on my photography stuff. O-or even if I’m not working on anything, you can still come and I’ll keep you company until you fall asleep.”

 

Bora looked stunned. Yoohyeon hastened to fix her sputtering. “I-if that’s okay with you! You don’t have to but I think that’s better than being by yourself!” The half blood could feel her inner dragon groan in embarrassment.

 

Bora’s lips quirked into a gentle smile, so different from her usual cocky smirk. “Thank you, Yoohyeon.”

 

--

 

“Can I see your pictures? If that’s okay with you.” Bora asked one evening.

 

“Sure.” Yoohyeon handed over her latest scrapbook. There wasn’t any particular theme to any of them, just that Yoohyeon collected the photos that appealed to her the most. Bora flipped through the book, noting that Yoohyeon loved to take pictures of the sky. Most of her subjects were things of nature, like trees, flowers, and even fire.

 

“You’re free to look at the other books, if you want.” Yoohyeon said with her back turned. She was focused on another set of photographs. Oddly, she realized that she didn't mind Bora touching her possessions. Or rather, Hei didn't mind. It was actually rumbling...happily?

 

Bora picked up a black book, pleased with what she saw inside. This was one of Yoohyeon’s more theme-oriented books back when she had the time to indulge in her greed. The photos were of objects being burnt with a lighter fire. The backgrounds were all black, highlighting the beauty of the fire, and of the object burning. Bora’s favorite was of the bird feather. The way the feather melted and the way the photo was taken with enough shadows to shroud something, appealed to Bora. These were the things that Yoohyeon put her soul into, the things that filled her with life.

 

“You’re very talented.” Yoohyeon hummed but didn't say more, too focused on her book. Bora’s lips tugged into a small smile at how hard working Yoohyeon was. The younger woman truly burned brightly, just like the first time Bora saw her.

 

The next day, Yoohyeon woke up to a box containing a new camera that she was eyeing during one of their shopping trips and a set of pretty scrapbooks.

 

--

 

Six months later, Bora and Yoohyeon’s communication with each other improved to a comfortable level. Yoohyeon smiled more around Bora and initiated conversations. Instead of feeling like she was staying in a stranger’s home, it felt more like a sleepover with a friend. Yes, friends. That’s what they were to each other now.

 

Work built up but nothing Purple Holdings couldn't handle. With Bora at the helm, the company only expanded in its acquisitions. Today, Bora was supposed to address the board of investors about the future of the company. Only this time, they were supposed to do it at a fancy restaurant. With Yoohyeon in attendance.

 

Yoohyeon glanced outside the window at the passing scenery. No lie, this meeting made her feel nervous. She was confident in herself and her abilities but she couldn’t say the same about Hei. From what Bora told her, all of them were against this marriage. Though, Bora said that with a gleeful smile on her face so she couldn't be too sure if that was true or not. Either way, Yoohyeon was worried that Hei would be triggered if they said something unsavory about her.

 

As if sensing her apprehension, Bora reached over to hold Yoohyeon’s hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel. That was another thing that improved between them. Skin contact that was comforting but never overstepping. Bora’s hands were often cold whereas Yoohyeon carried the heat of the sun in her veins so it was a nice contrast when they held hands. Bora sometimes requested for Yoohyeon to hold her hand to help her sleep better. Something about the warmth lulling her to sleep.

 

She could feel the CEO thumbing the ring on her finger. “What’s the matter, Yoohyeon? You aren’t the type to be nervous in front of bigoted people.”

 

“No but...” How was Yoohyeon supposed to describe the unease she felt in her? They never really discussed Yoohyeon's draconic side, much less about the nature surrounding her biology. Nowadays, the burning star within her was igniting faster than usual.

 

Bora’s eyes softened. “You’ll be fine. s like them are just scared because they can’t accept that talent comes from places they don't expect.” Bora turned to her with a wry smile.

 

Yoohyeon searched her two brown orbs before reaching understanding. “Sounds like you speak fr