“My poor child, what am I to do? What am I to do?”
In a subdued voice, grandmother lamented on the floor, wailing. Woo Yeon, with red eyes, scanned her surroundings.
The piercing scent of incense, the white chrysanthemums, people dressed in black – and not many of them.
A desolate funeral.
The deep-seated sorrow of one left behind.
Memories of that day surged like waves, haunting Woo Yeon even in her dreams.
“Uh, um.”
When she half-opened her eyes, she found herself in a familiar hotel room.
She realized, not too late, that it was the same space where they had met and shared tea.
Why am I here?
She was sure she had just been drinking with Seo Ji Woo at her house.
Ah. I must have cried, and Cha Taekyung caught me in the act.
I was sad, I cried… and after that, I remember nothing.
“Are you awake?”
Taekyung, who captivated her attention like a painting, shrugged his shoulders.
Woo Yeon opened her eyes wide and asked.
“Why am I here?”
“You passed out.”
“…”
“And fit perfectly in my arms.”
Crazy.
Woo Yeon sighed deeply and tried to get out of bed.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need for apologies.”
“…”
“Drink this.”
He handed her a hangover remedy. The situation was so absurd that Woo Yeon, who normally didn’t joke around, made a rare quip.
A chuckle escaped her lips.
“I was told not to take just anything from anyone.”
“By whom?”
“My grandmother.”
“The one who passed away two years ago?”
“…Yes.”
Damn director. Bringing up that story in front of Cha Taekyung.
Woo Yeon crumpled her face, trying to appear nonchalant as she drank the hangover drink he offered.
This time, Taekyung laughed.
“Didn’t seem like you listened much to your grandmother’s words.”
“She’s passed away, so.”
“…”
“What time is it?”
Taekyung glanced at his watch and then replied.
“It’s 4:14 AM.”
“Ah, it’s late.”
“Sleep here.”
“…”
“It’s late, after all.”
Woo Yeon bit her lip. She seemed to have slept longer than she thought.
Considering she left Seo Ji Woo’s house before dawn, it seemed she had unwittingly been here for quite a while.
The memories she meant to erase from the night flooded back, now that her mind was clearer.
Why was I crying there? And why did I have to show that face to Cha Taekyung?
“I’m having a hard time, Director.”
Even blurting out such a cheesy line.
Woo Yeon shut her eyes tightly, writhing in embarrassment.
It was all because she had impulsively searched for Kim Min Jun and Jo In Young’s engagement photos after leaving Seo Ji Woo’s house.
The sight of Jo In Young smiling brighter than anyone else in the photos had brought tears to her eyes.
She felt wretched and wronged. In the fairy tales she read as a child, Kongjwi lived well and Patjwi was punished.
Cinderella met her prince and lived happily ever after, while the evil queen who tormented her faced misfortune.
Life was just not like the fairy tale world, and it made her cry.
Was it the spring air, the excess alcohol beyond her usual limit, or the fleeting eyes of Cha Taekyung she encountered in the night’s melancholy?
…I don’t know.
Like always, drawing clear lines with others should have been enough, so why the hesitation?
The feeling was strange.
She didn’t want to be in this uncomfortable and embarrassing situation, but she didn’t dislike it.
Tonight, she didn’t want to return home alone.
Just for one day.
Just for tonight, to find the courage to cut this night out of her life.
Woo Yeon looked at Taekyung with slightly quickened breath.
“Alright then.”
Seemingly surprised by her unexpected answer, he frowned.
Sitting on the bedside chair and sipping tea, Taekyung put down his cup between his fingers.
Woo Yeon didn’t miss the changing hues in his eyes.
Taekyung initiated the conversation.
“If you answer like that, I might be encouraged.”
“Go ahead then.”
“…”
“Go ahead, muster your courage.”
His eyes began to slowly trail down Woo Yeon, who was perched on the bed.
Seemingly amused, Taekyung burst into laughter.
“I thought you said I wasn’t part of the Woo Yeon’s ‘pond.'”
“That was true. After today, I’ll let you go.”
“…”
“Not confident?”
“Confident about what?”
“About leaving.”
“No way.”
His gently caressing hand moved down her shoulder, tickling Woo Yeon. She didn’t want to hide her rigid body.
Perhaps the twenty-two-year-old Woo Yeon was naive, but the twenty-nine-year-old Woo Yeon believed she wouldn’t be.
At a distance close enough to mix breaths, Taekyung whispered.
“You’re trembling.”
Ah. Caught, it seems. Yet Woo Yeon pretended not to know and smiled.
“I’m cold.”
“Cold?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“…A lot.”
Woo Yeon’s lips parted slightly. The warmth that passed through her tousled hair raised the temperature as if pouring heat.
Her gaze was somewhat blurred, still not fully sober, but Taekyung’s face came into focus, provoking her.
Her saliva swallowed again. Too close, she feared she might be caught again.
“…Director.”
“Don’t tremble.”
“…”
“I’ll hold you soon.”
He was a wave in this moment, a vast blue wave about to engulf her.
Yet, she desperately wished for it.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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