The sun rose outside the window, but no one noticed.
Because they shone brighter than the new morning sun.
Because they were more fulfilled by holding each other, so dazzlingly beautiful that they could go blind.
[Star Icon]Some time later, Juwon woke up.
He felt heavier than when he’d done any exercise. He rubbed his tight arms and thighs once, then looked at Hyeju, who was nestled in his arms.
He lifted her bangs and kissed her round forehead.
Once on the cheek, once on the lips.
Hyeju, sound asleep, didn’t move an inch.
“Sleep well.”
Juwon smiled and tightly held Hyeju.
He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy waking up. Holding her warm body and pleasant scent, he felt as if he’d won the world.
‘I wish time would stop right here.’
For the first time, Kang Juwon realized he could fall this hard for someone.
To like something without conditions? He thought that was impossible.
He liked studying because it was fun, work for the sense of accomplishment, alcohol for its taste, exercise because time passed quickly.
He thought the only ones you could share unconditional love with were family. But Oh Hyeju exceeded all the standards and values he’d set.
He liked her because she was pretty, but he thought he’d also like her when she became an old grandma. He liked her because she was nice, but he thought he’d like her even if she acted a little bad. Any way was okay. The only reason he liked Oh Hyeju was that she was Oh Hyeju; no other condition mattered.
He wanted to see her grow old and feeble someday.
That was all Juwon wanted.
“If I’d known you were this beautiful from the beginning, it would’ve been better.”
Juwon recited as he straightened the crease on the sleeping Hyeju’s nose.
Time spent with her became precious, making him regret a lot of things. How great would it have been if he’d made some progress when he’d impulsively given her Pepero in high school? If he’d just snatched Oh Hyeju’s heart in the bean field and brought it in front of him.
Then the time to love her would have increased by ten years.
‘Well, I wasn’t in the state of mind for that.’
Joo-won wore a bitter smile, reflecting on the past.
When he first met Hye-ju, he was in the thick of being stalked by Hye-rim. They had briefly dated when transitioning from sophomore to junior year of high school, and she hadn’t accepted their breakup. At first, it wasn’t so bad, but by fall, she stood in front of his house every single day without fail.
Joo-won, who had grown tired of her, had become so disillusioned with women that he couldn’t even think of the ‘love’ in ‘relationship.’ That was why he showed no reaction when Hye-ju gave him Pepero sticks.
Joo-won, whose college entrance exams were ruined by Hye-rim’s stalking, was preparing for retakes and attending cram school when she committed suicide.
It was an unbearably painful incident. He was in no state of mind to do anything.
Joo-won, who was receiving treatment at a university hospital, promptly decided to study abroad following the doctor’s suggestion that it might be good for him to leave for a while. He fled abroad, realizing he could never regain his old life in Korea.
‘In hindsight, maybe it was a good thing it didn’t work out back then. I wasn’t in my right mind.’
Thinking of Hye-rim weighed down his heart again.
Joo-won habitually glanced at the clock, and then remembered something he had overlooked.
“Is the clock broken?”
Staring blankly at the hour hand pointing at two, he abruptly stood up and opened the curtain.
Incredibly, the sun was high in the sky.
“Is it really 2 o’clock?”
He had fallen asleep embracing Hye-ju around 6 a.m. Drained, he had prayed for only one thing before collapsing into bed.
Just let me sleep soundly for two hours, even if I have nightmares, let me not look terrible when I wake up next to Hye-ju.
But did I actually sleep for nearly eight hours?
“Oppa, why are you up so early? Did you have a nightmare?”
Hye-ju, who had just woken up, asked with concern, looking at Joo-won who was already awake.
“Hye-ju…”
Joo-won slowly turned around. He still couldn’t believe it. He pulled Hye-ju into a hug after repeatedly staring at her face and the wall clock.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept well. How about you, Oppa?”
Joo-won buried his face deep in the nape of Hye-ju’s neck before responding.
“I slept well.”
He couldn’t understand how it happened. Until just before dawn, he had been plagued by nightmares, but they disappeared after he lay down with Hye-ju.
After sleeping soundly, he felt so light he felt like he could carry Hye-ju on his back and run to the Han River.
“Did you really sleep well? No nightmares?”
“No nightmares. I really slept the whole time.”
“Ah… thank God. That’s such a relief, Oppa!”
Hye-ju’s eyes filled with tears of joy.
She must have been worried sick, breaking the warning from the priestess and sharing a bed, fearing his nightmares might worsen.
Seeing Joo-won looking revitalized when she was worried about what she should do if he woke up looking exhausted, her heart swelled with joy.
“What a relief! Truly, what a relief!”
As Hye-ju showered his cheek with pecks, Joo-won tightly hugged her waist.
How could this be possible?
I chose you, prepared to risk it all, and you become my good fortune once again.
It was like a bottle of water given to a dying man in the desert—a precious sleep. It felt like he had found the first clue to solving a problem that couldn’t be solved by any effort.
“But why do you think the nightmares suddenly stopped?”
“I don’t know. Whether it’s temporary or gone for good.”
Perhaps it was just a stroke of luck. So tired that I hadn’t fallen asleep, but fainted.
But that was enough.
I still don’t know what’s going on, and I can’t be sure the nightmare is gone, but at least I’ve seen hope.
“The only thing that’s changed is that you were beside me.”
Hye Joo propped her chin and deeply pondered.
“Hmm, true. What happened? Did my strong negative energy defeat even the ghosts? It would be good if there’s a way to confirm it.”
Her mumbling caught Ju Won’s eye, which gleamed. To his own surprise, a pitch-black wolf sat down in a flash.
“There is a way.”
I didn’t intend it, but since it’s come to this, why not indulge?
“Save me, Oh Hye Joo.”
“Save you? How…”
“Sleep with me.”
Hye Joo’s pupils caused an earthquake.
Is it possible to so boldly make such a request?
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
