(1) Is HIA Deaf?HIA was deaf. The car accident that killed her brother did cause her to become deaf and she remained…
Novel spoilers ahead.
I mean... BJH (the grandfather) tried to kill his grandson and thought he succeeded, and he didn't seem to be remotely conflicted about doing so. So it definitely seemed like he had limited empathy. But the reason he killed his grandson (the real BSE) was that the real BSE was a psychopath (he harmed animals, for example) and BJH believed that if he continued to live he would destroy the Baek family.
The male lead of the story is BJH's illegitimate son, who is the same age as the real BSE (his nephew). The male lead was born when his father (BJH) was over 70 years old. He was forced to take the real BSE's place after BJH killed the real BSE.
I get that partially he needed the influence of her family when her sister took off he went to her. I also get…
BSE knew that the Hong household was like a prison for HHJ where her mother beat her and controlled her intensely, where she was an out-of-place step daughter, and where she had to be HIA's ears and shadow. BSE also confirmed, when he texted HIA, that HHJ was going to become engaged to a terrible man in an arranged marriage. BSE felt that being forced into a marriage to a man like that would mean replacing one prison with another. Potentially one where the jailer would expect to be able to sleep with HHJ.
Compared to those options, living as BSE's wife (in name only) seemed, to BSE, to be a much better option for HHJ. He wouldn't try to control every aspect of her life like her mother and in-laws (he wouldn't stop her from working as a sign language interpreter, for example) and he wouldn't try to force himself on her like another arranged husband might (he specifically mentions that in the novel).
And when HHJ's mother continuously pressured HHJ to try to get closer to BSE, he wouldn't take advantage of the situation. He would tell HHJ not to be her mother's puppet. He would tell her not to do everything her mother told her to do. And he would tell her to forget about trying to force herself to have feelings for him. In his mind, he was giving her freedom. He didn't think she had any romantic interest in him and he didn't realize how his coldness hurt her. And he didn't want to become more attached than he already was, because he expected the marriage to eventually end.
Slight novel spoilers ahead.
BSE has a major dark secret. He plans to reveal that secret and to expose the Baek's family corruption. Based on what he told 406 in episode 6, it seems that he expects that when he fulfills his plans, he will lose HHJ. Because he was afraid of losing her, he was also afraid of getting closer to her and becoming more attached to her.
Also the contract rules of their marriage (no divorce initiated by HHJ and no divorce initiated by either of them during a Presidential election cycle) where rules imposed by BSE's father (the man who plans to run for President) for BSE's marriage even before HHJ was part of the picture. They were not imposed by BSE.
For the drama, we don’t know yet. In the novel, there was something like a twin (a blood relative of the same…
Novel spoilers ahead.
Park Do Jae is not taking revenge against HHJ. Pushing her off the mountain was about working against BSE. HHJ was just collateral damage to Park Do Jae, just as she was when the kidnapper threatened her.
Park Do Jae is taking revenge against the male lead (fake Baek Sa Eon) because he's been manipulated into thinking that fake Baek Sa Eon was the one who harmed his sister, when it was really the real Baek Sa Eon.
----- ----- -----
Chapter 65:
"My younger sister went missing when she was a child," Park Do-jae interrupted her.
His words left Hee-joo speechless.
"That incident plunged my family into ruin. It was in the late ’90s, during a period when cases of missing children were rampant. My father quit his job and traveled the country searching for her."
"..."
"A 30-square-meter apartment shrank to 20-square-meter. Then, it was a rented villa. After that, a semi-basement studio. In less than three years."
His voice was low and dark.
"My mother, overwhelmed with depression and neurosis, was bedridden for years before passing away."
"..."
"That’s when I met Professor Shim."
"...!"
"The reason I stayed by the spokesperson's side all this time was..." His gaze dimmed.
"Professor Shim told me that Baek Sa-eon was the one who harmed my sister."
"...!"
"I always thought that was referring to the man I served as my superior." He rubbed his face with his cuffed hands, a tormented expression etched into his features.
"But it turns out that man wasn’t Baek Sa-eon."
His distorted face betrayed deep anguish.
"I was unknowingly helping the man responsible for my sister's suffering."
His cracked lips curved into a bitter smile.
Pushing Hee-joo on the hiking trip. Taking the negotiation phone from her climbing pack to keep it undiscovered. Deliberately sabotaging location tracking or erasing threatening voice files to cover up the mastermind behind the calls—it had all been his doing.
Manipulated completely by Shim Kyu-jin and her son, he hadn’t realized he was becoming just like them.
Wow, I wasn't expecting them to incorporate anything from that scene! 😳 🫣
Probably for the best tbh. I think I'd die of embarrassment if they included the whole scene from the novel in the drama. 🙈🙈🙈
But I'm curious to see if it will make any kind of sense as to why he decided to shower right when he knew 406 would call, or if it will just be illogical apart from being a little gift for the novel readers.
Edit: I watched the preview and now I realize she didn't ask why he was taking a shower in the context of a 406 call, so maybe it won't be so out of place. ^^
Can someone tell me if it’s a twin. I really don’t like twins drama like this. Like changing place with your…
For the drama, we don’t know yet.
In the novel, there was something like a twin (a blood relative of the same age) that took the other's place, but no actual twins. But it's possible that the drama will change the dynamic.
Novel spoilers ahead.***After HHJ's panic attack in the police car, BSE tells the police that HHJ is his wife…
You wanted to see that part, but not the part right after, when BSE closes his eyes in silence for a moment to collect himself before speaking again? And not the part where he says he's her husband??
I’ve obviously skipped too much of the SML, but can someone tell me why 4 kids are missing, and why they would…
Novel spoilers ahead.
The drama has made a bunch of changes and added some new characters, including the missing orphans.
In the novel, the real BSE lost his memories after his grandfather tried to drown him. He was raised by a fisherman without remembering his true identity, and later on he ended up going to prison for "multiple violent crimes and attempted murder" before he regained his memories and reconnected with his mother.
One of the people that the real BSE harmed was Park Do Jae's sister. Sim Gyu Jin (the real BSE's bio mother / the fake BSE's fake mother and real sister-in-law) manipulated Park Do Jae into thinking that the fake BSE was the person who harmed his sister, so that he would work with her and the real BSE. Ironically, Park Do Jae was manipulated into working with the person who harmed his sister rather than against him.
So in the drama perhaps there will be a similar issue where multiple victims or people related to those victims mistakenly think that the fake BSE (the male lead) is the one who harmed people, when it was really the real BSE (the kidnapper) who harmed them.
----- ----- -----
Chapter 65:
"My younger sister went missing when she was a child," Park Do-jae interrupted her.
His words left Hee-joo speechless.
"That incident plunged my family into ruin. It was in the late ’90s, during a period when cases of missing children were rampant. My father quit his job and traveled the country searching for her."
"..."
"A 30-square-meter apartment shrank to 20-square-meter. Then, it was a rented villa. After that, a semi-basement studio. In less than three years."
His voice was low and dark.
"My mother, overwhelmed with depression and neurosis, was bedridden for years before passing away."
"..."
"That’s when I met Professor Shim."
"...!"
"The reason I stayed by the spokesperson's side all this time was..." His gaze dimmed.
"Professor Shim told me that Baek Sa-eon was the one who harmed my sister."
"...!"
"I always thought that was referring to the man I served as my superior." He rubbed his face with his cuffed hands, a tormented expression etched into his features.
"But it turns out that man wasn’t Baek Sa-eon."
His distorted face betrayed deep anguish.
"I was unknowingly helping the man responsible for my sister's suffering."
His cracked lips curved into a bitter smile.
Pushing Hee-joo on the hiking trip. Taking the negotiation phone from her climbing pack to keep it undiscovered. Deliberately sabotaging location tracking or erasing threatening voice files to cover up the mastermind behind the calls—it had all been his doing.
Manipulated completely by Shim Kyu-jin and her son, he hadn’t realized he was becoming just like them.
i was cooking while watching ep6 and i kind of missed the part of her sister. can someone explain it??? is her…
(1) Is HIA Deaf?
HIA was deaf. The car accident that killed her brother did cause her to become deaf and she remained deaf for almost 20 years. When she tried to call off her wedding with BSE, BSE changed the plan so that he would marry HHJ and HIA "disappeared" for three years. At that time, HIA went to Europe where she underwent medical treatment and a surgery that successfully restored her hearing. When she returned to South Korea, she could hear.
(2) Why Did HHJ Have to Pretend to be Mute Because of HIA?
HHJ was in the car crash that killed her step brother and that caused HIA's deafness, but HHJ was fine. HHJ's mother feared that if her new husband found out that HHJ (his step daughter) was fine while his biological son was killed and his biological daughter was rendered deaf, he would be furious, would divorce HHJ's mother, and would kick HHJ and her mother out of his house. So HHJ's mother forced HHJ to pretend to be mute.
HIA realized this, but chose not to say anything. In the drama, they had HIA say that she wanted someone else to be miserable with her and that was why she did not reveal the fact that HHJ's mother was forcing her to pretend to be deaf. So that HHJ would continue to have to act mute and would remain by HIA's side as her "ears" and as another person that others viewed as "damaged".
Novel spoilers ahead.
In the novel, it's different. The car crash was arranged by BSE's grandfather (BJH) because HIA mentioned that the BSE of that time was different than the BSE she had met before. To hide the fact that he had killed the real BSE (his legitimate grandson) and replaced him with another boy (his illegitimate son who was the same age), BJH arranged a car crash to try to silence HIA. That car crash killed HIA's brother and resulted in HIA's deafness. So HIA was terrified of making the same mistake (speaking up in a way that might make a powerful person feel threatened and try to hurt / silence her and those around her). So she felt that it was safer not to say anything. She thought that once she disappeared, HHJ would be free to start speaking again.
To those who already read the novel, can you spoil if baek sa eon will reveal that hee joo is his wife? Or not…
Novel spoilers ahead.
***
After HHJ's panic attack in the police car, BSE tells the police that HHJ is his wife (in chapter 17).
After HHJ falls from the mountain peak, BSE tells the emergency response team that he is her husband (in chapter 36).
Soon after, BSE also tells Director Han from the sign language centre that he is HHJ's husband (in chapter 41).
In chapter 43, HHJ asks to go with BSE to his grandfather's death anniversary service, even though she normally never shows her face at Baek family functions. BSE agrees and takes her with him. When the Baek family treats her poorly, he defends her like a good husband.
I don't recall BSE revealing that HHJ is his wife to the team members of the Office of the President's Spokesperson. When she finally has the chance to act as his interpreter, they still don't seem to know. But he treats her differently from his other colleagues in a way that is pretty obvious and generates looks and gossip.
-----
Chapter 36:
Firefighters and the mountain rescue team had been searching for four hours. Seventeen pieces of equipment and over 50 personnel were deployed to comb the area within 50 meters of the cliff and downstream, yet they found no trace of Hee-joo.
“There was a professor who went missing here once, and they only found his body two days later. He fell from a cliff—turns out it was suicide…”
“Hey, why are you saying such unlucky things now!”
The gathered onlookers whispered among themselves.
From the beginning, Baek Sa-eon had been actively searching alongside the rescue team.
As a former war correspondent, certified by the National Rifle Association, and someone who traversed war-torn regions like his backyard, searching a mountain was nothing to him.
“Excuse me, Spokesperson… have you contacted the family of the missing person yet?”
“Yes.”
“This mountain is notorious for slip accidents. We should at least be prepared… to recover a body.”
“Recover a body?”
Baek Sa-eon repeated the words flatly without blinking.
“Ah, I mean…” The firefighter tried to clarify, but Sa-eon closed his eyes in silence for a moment before speaking. His expression revealed nothing.
“Can the rescue dogs be deployed immediately?”
“They can, but we haven’t received the missing person’s clothing or items.”
“Then let’s start now.”
“What?”
“My clothes are tied around her waist.”
Speaking like a seasoned mountaineer, Sa-eon continued as he ascended.
“Let them smell me. Not just the clothes but also my scent. I’ve been carrying her since the bus ride. Even the scent of the body wash is the same.”
“Uh… shouldn’t we contact her family first—”
“I’m her husband.”
“...!”
The firefighter froze, mouth agape but speechless, lowering his head instead.
Even so, Sa-eon’s expression remained unmoved. His face bore no emotion, like a bleached plaster cast.
Just then, his phone rang. The screen displayed Cheong Wa Dae.
“…”
What pained him most was that even now, he had to manage the media and fulfill his duties as the spokesperson for the Blue House. Somehow, reporters were already swarming his phone with calls and messages.
His pupils trembled with unease.
“Spokesperson, your phone keeps ringing…”
The sound of the vibrating phone in the quiet mountain night buzzed like a wasp, drawing the attention of the rescue team from time to time.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“I’m not answering.”
But Sa-eon wasn’t responding to those general calls. He glanced discreetly at his watch.
“I’m waiting for a call.”
-----
Chapter 41:
The door burst open as if it were about to be torn from its hinges, and Director Han Jun stormed in like an enraged bull.
His gaze quickly swept over the large bandage wrapped around the back of Hee-joo’s head, the scrapes on her hands, and the glimpses of bandages under her loose hospital gown. His face darkened as he approached her.
“Hee-joo, you…”
Hee-joo blinked in confusion, slowly raising her arm.
‘I’m fine. Just lucky.’
She signed calmly, though her gestures were noticeably slower than usual.
“Lucky? You call this an accident…! You nearly lost your life!”
‘Didn’t get hurt too badly, did I?’
“I heard you needed dozens of stitches, and your hands and feet are injured too! These wounds, here, here—!”
As he gently stroked the back of Hee-joo’s hand and her cheek in sympathy, the hospital room door swung open once more. A cold gust of wind hit them before anything else.
“…!”
Director Han turned to look at Hee-joo, sitting obediently in her chair, and then at the man gently holding her small face.
Baek Sa-eon’s eyebrows arched slightly, as if confirming what he saw. His cold gaze fixed on the pair, freezing the atmosphere instantly. Without a word, he closed the door behind him and locked it, his back to the room.
“Good evening.”
His voice was calm as he greeted them, but he reached out and pried Han Jun’s hand off Hee-joo’s wrist, leaving it to drop uselessly to his side.
Director Han’s eyes widened.
“Ah… Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon?!”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Baek Sa-eon replied curtly.
“Ah… ah…” Han Jun stammered, rubbing his now sore wrist.
The room descended into an awkward silence, and Hee-joo froze under the weight of the sudden three-way confrontation.
Director Han was the first to break it.
“Hee-joo, my dear, why would the Blue House Spokesperson visit an ordinary employee—”
“My dear?”
Baek Sa-eon’s voice was sharp, colder than ice, cutting him off mid-sentence. The frigid tone sent chills through everyone in the room.
“Why are you calling her that?”
“What?”
“Calling a woman twelve years your junior ‘my dear’? Was that deliberate? Even if it’s just a habit, it’s remarkably inappropriate to use on first meeting.”
“…”
Han Jun’s face twitched, clearly unprepared for such direct criticism.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t address her that way in the future.”
“Spokesperson Baek, your sudden rudeness is—”
“Listen, as her husband, I don’t appreciate it.”
“What? Wait… what did you just say?”
Han Jun’s expression twisted in confusion, his thoughts grinding like a rusted machine.
“Husband? Husband—?! Hee-joo, my dear, what is this—”
“Let me repeat myself,” Baek Sa-eon interrupted, his brow furrowed as he clicked his tongue. This time, his displeasure was unfiltered.
“Why is Hee-joo your ‘dear’? Use your words. Explain why Hee-joo is your ‘dear.’ The more I think about it—”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his sentence trailing off.
Director Han quickly turned to Hee-joo and signed with his hands: ‘What’s going on, Hee-joo?’
‘Um…’
Hee-joo scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze. She was utterly stunned to see Baek Sa-eon, usually so composed and impartial, acting so emotional during their first encounter.
Her fingers trembled as she repeatedly glanced at him.
Suddenly, Baek Sa-eon grabbed her hand, which had been lightly fluttering like a butterfly.
“She still needs rest. Visitors should leave.”
Han Jun frowned in confusion, still struggling to process the situation, as he stared incredulously at them.
"Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon, are you seriously… our Hee-joo’s husband?"
"Our Hee-joo?"
Baek Sa-eon cut him off coldly once again. "Your mouth truly says whatever it pleases, doesn’t it?"
"What did you say?"
Director Han’s eyes widened in anger.
"How could a Blue House spokesperson lie about something so serious? If what you say is true, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. You’ve never shown up before—how can you claim to be Hee-joo’s husband…!"
The more Han Jun spoke, the darker Baek Sa-eon’s expression became, like frost settling over his features.
"Hee-joo, I don’t know the full story, but I can’t acknowledge this man as your uncle or guardian," Han Jun said, turning to Hee-joo with a serious expression.
"Listen, Spokesperson Baek, I’ve watched this girl grow up since she was little. To me, Hee-joo isn’t a woman but a little sister I want to take care of. That’s why I’ve always guided her like an older brother…"
"Older brother?"
Accompanied by a derisive laugh, Baek Sa-eon interrupted him again.
"And yet, this so-called older brother pushed domestic responsibilities onto a girl he supposedly treats as a sister."
"That—that’s…"
"Hee-joo doesn’t need a brother like you. Even if she did, it would be someone better."
"What are you implying?"
"Brother, father, or whatever title you want to claim—"
The two men locked eyes, sparks flying between their glares.
"—they all belong to me."
The argument finally ended when a doctor entered the room, ushering Han Jun out.
3 
1 
1 
I mean... BJH (the grandfather) tried to kill his grandson and thought he succeeded, and he didn't seem to be remotely conflicted about doing so. So it definitely seemed like he had limited empathy. But the reason he killed his grandson (the real BSE) was that the real BSE was a psychopath (he harmed animals, for example) and BJH believed that if he continued to live he would destroy the Baek family.
The male lead of the story is BJH's illegitimate son, who is the same age as the real BSE (his nephew). The male lead was born when his father (BJH) was over 70 years old. He was forced to take the real BSE's place after BJH killed the real BSE.
Compared to those options, living as BSE's wife (in name only) seemed, to BSE, to be a much better option for HHJ. He wouldn't try to control every aspect of her life like her mother and in-laws (he wouldn't stop her from working as a sign language interpreter, for example) and he wouldn't try to force himself on her like another arranged husband might (he specifically mentions that in the novel).
And when HHJ's mother continuously pressured HHJ to try to get closer to BSE, he wouldn't take advantage of the situation. He would tell HHJ not to be her mother's puppet. He would tell her not to do everything her mother told her to do. And he would tell her to forget about trying to force herself to have feelings for him. In his mind, he was giving her freedom. He didn't think she had any romantic interest in him and he didn't realize how his coldness hurt her. And he didn't want to become more attached than he already was, because he expected the marriage to eventually end.
Slight novel spoilers ahead.
BSE has a major dark secret. He plans to reveal that secret and to expose the Baek's family corruption. Based on what he told 406 in episode 6, it seems that he expects that when he fulfills his plans, he will lose HHJ. Because he was afraid of losing her, he was also afraid of getting closer to her and becoming more attached to her.
Also the contract rules of their marriage (no divorce initiated by HHJ and no divorce initiated by either of them during a Presidential election cycle) where rules imposed by BSE's father (the man who plans to run for President) for BSE's marriage even before HHJ was part of the picture. They were not imposed by BSE.
Basically after BSE confirms 100% that HHJ is 406, he takes the subsequent calls from 406 very differently than how he took the previous calls.
Park Do Jae is not taking revenge against HHJ. Pushing her off the mountain was about working against BSE. HHJ was just collateral damage to Park Do Jae, just as she was when the kidnapper threatened her.
Park Do Jae is taking revenge against the male lead (fake Baek Sa Eon) because he's been manipulated into thinking that fake Baek Sa Eon was the one who harmed his sister, when it was really the real Baek Sa Eon.
-----
-----
-----
Chapter 65:
"My younger sister went missing when she was a child," Park Do-jae interrupted her.
His words left Hee-joo speechless.
"That incident plunged my family into ruin. It was in the late ’90s, during a period when cases of missing children were rampant. My father quit his job and traveled the country searching for her."
"..."
"A 30-square-meter apartment shrank to 20-square-meter. Then, it was a rented villa. After that, a semi-basement studio. In less than three years."
His voice was low and dark.
"My mother, overwhelmed with depression and neurosis, was bedridden for years before passing away."
"..."
"That’s when I met Professor Shim."
"...!"
"The reason I stayed by the spokesperson's side all this time was..." His gaze dimmed.
"Professor Shim told me that Baek Sa-eon was the one who harmed my sister."
"...!"
"I always thought that was referring to the man I served as my superior." He rubbed his face with his cuffed hands, a tormented expression etched into his features.
"But it turns out that man wasn’t Baek Sa-eon."
His distorted face betrayed deep anguish.
"I was unknowingly helping the man responsible for my sister's suffering."
His cracked lips curved into a bitter smile.
Pushing Hee-joo on the hiking trip. Taking the negotiation phone from her climbing pack to keep it undiscovered. Deliberately sabotaging location tracking or erasing threatening voice files to cover up the mastermind behind the calls—it had all been his doing.
Manipulated completely by Shim Kyu-jin and her son, he hadn’t realized he was becoming just like them.
I just copied and pasted the relevant chapter excerpts from her posts in the discussion threads. ^^
But I'm curious to see if it will make any kind of sense as to why he decided to shower right when he knew 406 would call, or if it will just be illogical apart from being a little gift for the novel readers.
Edit: I watched the preview and now I realize she didn't ask why he was taking a shower in the context of a 406 call, so maybe it won't be so out of place. ^^
Park Do Jae and the sister that he is getting revenge for were not twins. Just siblings.
Hong Hee Joo took Hong In Ah's place as BSE's bride-to-be, but HHJ and HIA were step-sisters with different ages, not twins.
The male lead took the real BSE's place, but they are also not twins. They were uncle and nephew, despite being the same age.
So no twins in the novel.
In the novel, there was something like a twin (a blood relative of the same age) that took the other's place, but no actual twins. But it's possible that the drama will change the dynamic.
The drama has made a bunch of changes and added some new characters, including the missing orphans.
In the novel, the real BSE lost his memories after his grandfather tried to drown him. He was raised by a fisherman without remembering his true identity, and later on he ended up going to prison for "multiple violent crimes and attempted murder" before he regained his memories and reconnected with his mother.
One of the people that the real BSE harmed was Park Do Jae's sister. Sim Gyu Jin (the real BSE's bio mother / the fake BSE's fake mother and real sister-in-law) manipulated Park Do Jae into thinking that the fake BSE was the person who harmed his sister, so that he would work with her and the real BSE. Ironically, Park Do Jae was manipulated into working with the person who harmed his sister rather than against him.
So in the drama perhaps there will be a similar issue where multiple victims or people related to those victims mistakenly think that the fake BSE (the male lead) is the one who harmed people, when it was really the real BSE (the kidnapper) who harmed them.
-----
-----
-----
Chapter 65:
"My younger sister went missing when she was a child," Park Do-jae interrupted her.
His words left Hee-joo speechless.
"That incident plunged my family into ruin. It was in the late ’90s, during a period when cases of missing children were rampant. My father quit his job and traveled the country searching for her."
"..."
"A 30-square-meter apartment shrank to 20-square-meter. Then, it was a rented villa. After that, a semi-basement studio. In less than three years."
His voice was low and dark.
"My mother, overwhelmed with depression and neurosis, was bedridden for years before passing away."
"..."
"That’s when I met Professor Shim."
"...!"
"The reason I stayed by the spokesperson's side all this time was..." His gaze dimmed.
"Professor Shim told me that Baek Sa-eon was the one who harmed my sister."
"...!"
"I always thought that was referring to the man I served as my superior." He rubbed his face with his cuffed hands, a tormented expression etched into his features.
"But it turns out that man wasn’t Baek Sa-eon."
His distorted face betrayed deep anguish.
"I was unknowingly helping the man responsible for my sister's suffering."
His cracked lips curved into a bitter smile.
Pushing Hee-joo on the hiking trip. Taking the negotiation phone from her climbing pack to keep it undiscovered. Deliberately sabotaging location tracking or erasing threatening voice files to cover up the mastermind behind the calls—it had all been his doing.
Manipulated completely by Shim Kyu-jin and her son, he hadn’t realized he was becoming just like them.
HIA was deaf. The car accident that killed her brother did cause her to become deaf and she remained deaf for almost 20 years. When she tried to call off her wedding with BSE, BSE changed the plan so that he would marry HHJ and HIA "disappeared" for three years. At that time, HIA went to Europe where she underwent medical treatment and a surgery that successfully restored her hearing. When she returned to South Korea, she could hear.
(2) Why Did HHJ Have to Pretend to be Mute Because of HIA?
HHJ was in the car crash that killed her step brother and that caused HIA's deafness, but HHJ was fine. HHJ's mother feared that if her new husband found out that HHJ (his step daughter) was fine while his biological son was killed and his biological daughter was rendered deaf, he would be furious, would divorce HHJ's mother, and would kick HHJ and her mother out of his house. So HHJ's mother forced HHJ to pretend to be mute.
HIA realized this, but chose not to say anything. In the drama, they had HIA say that she wanted someone else to be miserable with her and that was why she did not reveal the fact that HHJ's mother was forcing her to pretend to be deaf. So that HHJ would continue to have to act mute and would remain by HIA's side as her "ears" and as another person that others viewed as "damaged".
Novel spoilers ahead.
In the novel, it's different. The car crash was arranged by BSE's grandfather (BJH) because HIA mentioned that the BSE of that time was different than the BSE she had met before. To hide the fact that he had killed the real BSE (his legitimate grandson) and replaced him with another boy (his illegitimate son who was the same age), BJH arranged a car crash to try to silence HIA. That car crash killed HIA's brother and resulted in HIA's deafness. So HIA was terrified of making the same mistake (speaking up in a way that might make a powerful person feel threatened and try to hurt / silence her and those around her). So she felt that it was safer not to say anything. She thought that once she disappeared, HHJ would be free to start speaking again.
***
After HHJ's panic attack in the police car, BSE tells the police that HHJ is his wife (in chapter 17).
After HHJ falls from the mountain peak, BSE tells the emergency response team that he is her husband (in chapter 36).
Soon after, BSE also tells Director Han from the sign language centre that he is HHJ's husband (in chapter 41).
In chapter 43, HHJ asks to go with BSE to his grandfather's death anniversary service, even though she normally never shows her face at Baek family functions. BSE agrees and takes her with him. When the Baek family treats her poorly, he defends her like a good husband.
I don't recall BSE revealing that HHJ is his wife to the team members of the Office of the President's Spokesperson. When she finally has the chance to act as his interpreter, they still don't seem to know. But he treats her differently from his other colleagues in a way that is pretty obvious and generates looks and gossip.
-----
Chapter 36:
Firefighters and the mountain rescue team had been searching for four hours. Seventeen pieces of equipment and over 50 personnel were deployed to comb the area within 50 meters of the cliff and downstream, yet they found no trace of Hee-joo.
“There was a professor who went missing here once, and they only found his body two days later. He fell from a cliff—turns out it was suicide…”
“Hey, why are you saying such unlucky things now!”
The gathered onlookers whispered among themselves.
From the beginning, Baek Sa-eon had been actively searching alongside the rescue team.
As a former war correspondent, certified by the National Rifle Association, and someone who traversed war-torn regions like his backyard, searching a mountain was nothing to him.
“Excuse me, Spokesperson… have you contacted the family of the missing person yet?”
“Yes.”
“This mountain is notorious for slip accidents. We should at least be prepared… to recover a body.”
“Recover a body?”
Baek Sa-eon repeated the words flatly without blinking.
“Ah, I mean…” The firefighter tried to clarify, but Sa-eon closed his eyes in silence for a moment before speaking. His expression revealed nothing.
“Can the rescue dogs be deployed immediately?”
“They can, but we haven’t received the missing person’s clothing or items.”
“Then let’s start now.”
“What?”
“My clothes are tied around her waist.”
Speaking like a seasoned mountaineer, Sa-eon continued as he ascended.
“Let them smell me. Not just the clothes but also my scent. I’ve been carrying her since the bus ride. Even the scent of the body wash is the same.”
“Uh… shouldn’t we contact her family first—”
“I’m her husband.”
“...!”
The firefighter froze, mouth agape but speechless, lowering his head instead.
Even so, Sa-eon’s expression remained unmoved. His face bore no emotion, like a bleached plaster cast.
Just then, his phone rang. The screen displayed Cheong Wa Dae.
“…”
What pained him most was that even now, he had to manage the media and fulfill his duties as the spokesperson for the Blue House. Somehow, reporters were already swarming his phone with calls and messages.
His pupils trembled with unease.
“Spokesperson, your phone keeps ringing…”
The sound of the vibrating phone in the quiet mountain night buzzed like a wasp, drawing the attention of the rescue team from time to time.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“I’m not answering.”
But Sa-eon wasn’t responding to those general calls. He glanced discreetly at his watch.
“I’m waiting for a call.”
-----
Chapter 41:
The door burst open as if it were about to be torn from its hinges, and Director Han Jun stormed in like an enraged bull.
His gaze quickly swept over the large bandage wrapped around the back of Hee-joo’s head, the scrapes on her hands, and the glimpses of bandages under her loose hospital gown. His face darkened as he approached her.
“Hee-joo, you…”
Hee-joo blinked in confusion, slowly raising her arm.
‘I’m fine. Just lucky.’
She signed calmly, though her gestures were noticeably slower than usual.
“Lucky? You call this an accident…! You nearly lost your life!”
‘Didn’t get hurt too badly, did I?’
“I heard you needed dozens of stitches, and your hands and feet are injured too! These wounds, here, here—!”
As he gently stroked the back of Hee-joo’s hand and her cheek in sympathy, the hospital room door swung open once more. A cold gust of wind hit them before anything else.
“…!”
Director Han turned to look at Hee-joo, sitting obediently in her chair, and then at the man gently holding her small face.
Baek Sa-eon’s eyebrows arched slightly, as if confirming what he saw. His cold gaze fixed on the pair, freezing the atmosphere instantly. Without a word, he closed the door behind him and locked it, his back to the room.
“Good evening.”
His voice was calm as he greeted them, but he reached out and pried Han Jun’s hand off Hee-joo’s wrist, leaving it to drop uselessly to his side.
Director Han’s eyes widened.
“Ah… Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon?!”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Baek Sa-eon replied curtly.
“Ah… ah…” Han Jun stammered, rubbing his now sore wrist.
The room descended into an awkward silence, and Hee-joo froze under the weight of the sudden three-way confrontation.
Director Han was the first to break it.
“Hee-joo, my dear, why would the Blue House Spokesperson visit an ordinary employee—”
“My dear?”
Baek Sa-eon’s voice was sharp, colder than ice, cutting him off mid-sentence. The frigid tone sent chills through everyone in the room.
“Why are you calling her that?”
“What?”
“Calling a woman twelve years your junior ‘my dear’? Was that deliberate? Even if it’s just a habit, it’s remarkably inappropriate to use on first meeting.”
“…”
Han Jun’s face twitched, clearly unprepared for such direct criticism.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t address her that way in the future.”
“Spokesperson Baek, your sudden rudeness is—”
“Listen, as her husband, I don’t appreciate it.”
“What? Wait… what did you just say?”
Han Jun’s expression twisted in confusion, his thoughts grinding like a rusted machine.
“Husband? Husband—?! Hee-joo, my dear, what is this—”
“Let me repeat myself,” Baek Sa-eon interrupted, his brow furrowed as he clicked his tongue. This time, his displeasure was unfiltered.
“Why is Hee-joo your ‘dear’? Use your words. Explain why Hee-joo is your ‘dear.’ The more I think about it—”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his sentence trailing off.
Director Han quickly turned to Hee-joo and signed with his hands: ‘What’s going on, Hee-joo?’
‘Um…’
Hee-joo scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze. She was utterly stunned to see Baek Sa-eon, usually so composed and impartial, acting so emotional during their first encounter.
Her fingers trembled as she repeatedly glanced at him.
Suddenly, Baek Sa-eon grabbed her hand, which had been lightly fluttering like a butterfly.
“She still needs rest. Visitors should leave.”
Han Jun frowned in confusion, still struggling to process the situation, as he stared incredulously at them.
"Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon, are you seriously… our Hee-joo’s husband?"
"Our Hee-joo?"
Baek Sa-eon cut him off coldly once again. "Your mouth truly says whatever it pleases, doesn’t it?"
"What did you say?"
Director Han’s eyes widened in anger.
"How could a Blue House spokesperson lie about something so serious? If what you say is true, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. You’ve never shown up before—how can you claim to be Hee-joo’s husband…!"
The more Han Jun spoke, the darker Baek Sa-eon’s expression became, like frost settling over his features.
"Hee-joo, I don’t know the full story, but I can’t acknowledge this man as your uncle or guardian," Han Jun said, turning to Hee-joo with a serious expression.
"Listen, Spokesperson Baek, I’ve watched this girl grow up since she was little. To me, Hee-joo isn’t a woman but a little sister I want to take care of. That’s why I’ve always guided her like an older brother…"
"Older brother?"
Accompanied by a derisive laugh, Baek Sa-eon interrupted him again.
"And yet, this so-called older brother pushed domestic responsibilities onto a girl he supposedly treats as a sister."
"That—that’s…"
"Hee-joo doesn’t need a brother like you. Even if she did, it would be someone better."
"What are you implying?"
"Brother, father, or whatever title you want to claim—"
The two men locked eyes, sparks flying between their glares.
"—they all belong to me."
The argument finally ended when a doctor entered the room, ushering Han Jun out.