Trying not to recall Jaeho was already a significant source of stress. Dajeong’s sleep quality had deteriorated rapidly. Since coming to Seoul, she had nightmares every other night. Even though she exerted herself to the limit during the day, her mind became sharper at night.
Tonight, despite struggling to fall asleep, the nightmare inevitably came. As Dajeong, wearing a brown checkered school uniform, smiled and ran into the house, the entrance disappeared in an instant.
“Ah, it’s a dream.”
An inevitable nightmare.
Even though she knew it was a dream, the fear did not disappear. Tension rose through her spine to the tip of her head. In the square space with no windows, a bright red flame ignited fiercely. Desperately grabbing the wall, but it did not even flinch.
Dajeong screamed for mercy. She pounded on the unopened wall, screaming until her throat was about to burst. But the shout did not come out as a sound.
The flame fiercely rose towards Dajeong as if it were a living entity. Mercilessly engulfing her body, it soon began to devour her from the ankles. Dajeong huddled her entire body, crying like a beast.
The more she resisted, the more painfully it engulfed her. Thick black smoke rose, obscuring the view. She almost wished to faint. In the dream, Dajeong suddenly bit her tongue.
“…Save me!”
Dajeong woke up gasping for breath. A shock that twisted her entire body rushed in. When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying on the floor. Falling as she struggled, it seemed she woke up from a nightmare.
“Haah…”
In her view, there was a clean and tidy room where no trace of fire could be found. There were no burns on any part of Dajeong’s body. Nevertheless, she felt like there was a smell of smoke from her nose. She crouched down, sniffing. For a moment, there was a faint taste of iron.
“Huh…?”
Struggling to get up, Dajeong lit a light and looked in the mirror. Oh my, did she really try to bite her tongue? Not exactly the tongue, but there were marks on her lower lip, and blood had flowed. Dajeong hastily found tissue and roughly stopped the bleeding.
Looking at the clock, it was two in the morning.
The quiet night deeply submerged Dajeong. It felt like being submerged in water. Unable to lie down again because of the heavy heart, she sat by the head of the bed. After taking a deep breath, she exhaled. A memory flowed into her mind with her breath. It was the memory of her brother, who used to say, ‘You’re the prettiest.’
“Are you Yun Dajeong? Yoon Yeorim’s sister, right?”
When Dajeong answered, ‘Yes,’ her sisters always bought her delicious things or complimented her on being pretty. It was a straightforward task, just answering what her brother liked and whether he had a girlfriend. Dajeong’s answers were always consistent.
“I like friends, and I don’t have a girlfriend.”
She briefly thought about dating Gyungmi, but it seemed inappropriate to say that.
On days when handmade chocolates, considered expensive, were plentifully received, Woojeong would smile broadly and praise, “Well done.” He told his sister that he didn’t need them and she should eat them all. He also warned her to eat them sparingly if she didn’t want to get scolded by their mother. Along with these words, he always complimented her, saying she was beautiful. “My sister is so pretty.”
Well…
In Dajeong’s eyes, Woosung was the one who took all the masculine charm. He was tall, and his face was genuinely handsome. His eyes were big, and his nose was sharp, sometimes looking like a sculpture. Many people suggested he should debut as a celebrity.
Woojeong usually brushed off such comments, but one day, he earnestly asked Dajeong. He wondered if it would be uncomfortable for her if he became a celebrity. Dajeong was delighted at the thought that she might receive more gifts.
Perhaps it was only after his death that Dajeong thought that her brother might have wanted to become an actor.
It was a meaningless thought. Whether he excelled in studies, was popular, or dreamed of something, Yun Woojeong died in a fire on the seventeenth-grade field trip, so the thoughts were irrelevant.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
It was a night that she couldn’t bear alone. She recalled the warm embrace of the man who had left. Clutching the cold blanket tightly, Dajeong endured the long terror.
The next day, Yi Heontae finished dinner early and was reading a newspaper. Mi-jeong approached and handed him fruits and a health drink. It was a drink made by mixing organic jujubes and naturally grown arrowroot, personally made by Tongyeongdok, perfect for relieving fatigue.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
When Mi-jeong bowed in thanks and was about to turn away, Heontae called her again.
“Miya.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Sit for a moment.”
Looking at Mi-jeong, who was sitting somewhat awkwardly, Heontae recalled the young secretary who had guarded Jinhoo. Now that he thought about it, they were a well-matched pair.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
