Jiho was determined not to allow dissent or reversal. However, his voice was more affectionate and casual than ever.
“After this time, Miss Lajin will be someone unrelated to our work.”
“What?”
Although Lajin had expressed a desire to quit, she was perplexed when Jiho told her to quit.
“Are you perhaps angry?”
“Not at all.”
“Then disappointed?”
“No.”
“…”
“I was greatly mistaken.”
Mistaken, yes, that word was the most appropriate expression.
So far, through Lajin’s exceptional memory and keen sense, Jiho had learned a lot about Myungjin. There had been a pouring of high-quality information that couldn’t be obtained anywhere else. So, he thought she was fine.
Although she couldn’t possibly have the mental fortitude of an investigator as an ordinary person, he had been overly confident due to her passionate nature. If Lajin hadn’t wavered, he might have missed her emotions today.
“Even with the information I’ve received from Miss Lajin so far, I asked for too much.”
“No, it’s not that.”
Lajin, who lost words, simply pursed her lips. Then, as she bit her lip, Jiho gently pulled her chin.
“You’ve worked hard until now.”
“I’m sorry for being such a burden.”
“No need to apologize.”
“…”
“Miss Lajin’s excellent work made the mission end quickly.”
For a moment, a complex and subtle emotion crossed Lajin’s face. Apology, a bit of regret, and relief. Jiho didn’t rush. He calmly looked into her eyes and brought up the next topic.
“If it’s okay, can you talk about what happened today?”
At the simple question, Lajin’s pupils shook, then quickly retreated to the tip of her toes.
The order didn’t matter. If she wasn’t ready to speak yet, it would be better to start with a calming story.
“We shot a movie a little while ago.”
Jiho fixed Lajin’s hand while exhaling a light breath.
“From the start until now, I kept calling you, but couldn’t get through.”
“I’m sorry.”
Lajin, who still avoided eye contact, mumbled softly.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s my mistake that made you in danger.”
Holding her hand in his, Jiho continued.
“I’ve been worrying about what happened. There was a call from Hojin.”
Lajin’s gaze, which had been fixed on the ground, rose to his hand.
“Hojin said you uploaded a photo on SNS and asked to evacuate quickly.”
In fact, Jiho didn’t know that Hojin was following Lajin.
Lajin’s location and future plans, uploaded by herself, and a quick catch by a junior who was following her. If it weren’t for those two, Jiho would have encountered Kim Yujun properly in front of Lajin’s house.
“What hasn’t been revealed is all thanks to the ‘Jinjin Sisters.'”
He casually brought up Lajin’s joke about calling them ‘Jinjin Sisters’ as they were like sisters. When he did, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
At that moment, Jiho’s mood, which had encountered a downpour without an umbrella, brightened like the sunshine on a spring day.
“Cheolsu has to go, and I have to make sure Lajin is safe.”
“…….”
“So I waited near the school.”
“For a long time… did you wait?”
As if wanting to apologize again, Lajin’s large eyes met Jiho’s gaze. Jiho, seizing the perfect opportunity, placed Lajin’s hand on his heart.
“Do you feel it?”
“?”
“My heart is so sore from running too fast.”
Lajin silently stared at her hand on Jiho’s heart.
“I thought you were a patient guy. It seems not at all.”
“Jiho.”
“In the dark car, I only thought of the worst-case scenario.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration but a fact. During the short time when he couldn’t contact Lajin, it was nothing short of hell for Jiho.
Was she in trouble with Kim Yujun? If Kim Yujun had harmed her, what should he do? With various harsh thoughts, Jiho blamed himself over and over. He was the one who had involved Lajin in this dangerous situation.
“If Lajin had contacted me just 10 minutes later.”
Jiho bowed his head and leaned his forehead against Lajin’s shoulder. Then, her heartbeat quickened.
“I would have gone to look for you myself. Whether it was Myungjin or anywhere.”
“Jiho, I… I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
Burden? That word was completely disagreeable, but at least now she seemed ready to speak. Jiho waited silently for Lajin’s next words.
“I understood today. I was the beginning of the misfortune.”
Ah, her warm neck emitted a deep sigh.
Lajin began to unravel the long and enduring connection with Kim Yujun. It started calmly but soon shook into a mess. Pouring out her emotions haphazardly, Lajin once again started to sob.
“In the end, I made Kim Yujun a monster. It was all my fault.”
“Did Kim Yujun do that? Because of Lajin?”
“When I was barely surviving, the person who made him come this far was me.”
He nearly blurted out harsh words about Kim Yujun’s obvious intentions.
Assigning blame for the past to Lajin, who was not going as expected, was nothing more than a shallow manipulation to make her his own.
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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