‘Han Kitae…? When did he come…?’
The sight of Kitae made Autumn’s pupils shake violently.
He looked different from the person in her memories, even though she had never forgotten him.
The boyish face was gone, replaced by the features of a mature man.
His slightly swept-back hair revealed a straight forehead, a high nose bridge, and a strong jawline.
Kitae, whom she thought was handsome even when she first saw him at 14, now stood a towering 190 cm tall. His broad shoulders exuded masculinity. She had to look up quite a bit to meet his gaze.
Dressed in a suit, he looked down at her like a successful CEO, an unfamiliar sight that made Autumn instinctively fidget with her neckline.
‘I didn’t hear anything about him coming…’
Frozen in place as he gazed down at her nonchalantly, Autumn didn’t know how to react.
Ah, right, I haven’t greeted him yet.
She decided to greet him first.
“Ah, hello.”
“…….”
“I didn’t know you were back… I mean, it’s really been a long time…….”
“…….”
Struggling to control her trembling lips, Autumn couldn’t finish her sentence properly.
Maybe I should have just nodded in silence.
She bit her tongue, scolding herself for getting too flustered by this unexpected encounter.
Meanwhile.
‘Why is he staring at me like that…?’
Neither moving on nor mocking her for her awkward words, he kept staring at her intently.
Feeling his gaze, Autumn stiffened involuntarily.
Just like before, but now, even more unsure of what to do.
“….Hmm?”
Suddenly, he reached out and rubbed her cheek with a somewhat rough touch.
Their eyes met. The moment his indifferent hand touched her, time seemed to slow down unnaturally.
“Is this oil paint?”
“…….”
One thing hadn’t changed: his eyes. They still held the same deep brown hue, like oil paint layered multiple times. She always thought that color was beautiful, a thought that now unexpectedly resurfaced.
Startled by his sudden touch, Autumn froze, prompting him to frown and withdraw his hand.
Just then, Mijeong’s loud voice echoed from inside the mansion.
“Kitae! What are you doing outside? Aren’t you coming in?”
Leaving a dumbfounded Autumn behind, he briskly turned away after casually wiping his hand on his handkerchief.
‘…What was that all about?’
A blush spread across Autumn’s cheek where the paint had been slightly wiped off.
‘Where did this come from?’
Rushing to the bathroom, Autumn confirmed the paint on her face and bit her lip. It wasn’t even the color she used for her work.
‘He could have just told me…’
Remembering his touch, she felt her heart still racing from the shock. She briefly touched the cheek he had caressed, then quickly checked the time and hurried off.
Arriving late at the dining room because of the earlier incident, she found everyone already seated. Autumn tiptoed to her seat like a sneaky cat, avoiding his gaze that kept stealing her attention.
The atmosphere at the table felt different than usual.
‘Hmm…? Something seems different.’
She began to scan the table meticulously. Even after sitting down, her eyes kept moving busily.
‘Pumpkin pancakes… Galbi-jjim… And…’
The food was hastily prepared, and there were more dishes than usual on the long table. However, what caught Autumn’s attention was a vase that she wouldn’t normally see on the table.
‘Ah! That must be it.’
The vase held freshly picked flowers, still dewy with moisture. Autumn immediately guessed that Mijeong had placed it there.
Having observed her for nine years, she knew Mijeong liked to add subtle changes on special occasions.
Sure enough, Mijeong’s eyes sparkled with the anticipation of praise, like a child. Autumn looked at her with a warm smile.
‘She must be happy because her son has returned.’
Unable to contain her joy, Mijeong soon started poking her son’s ribs, who was busy talking business with the Chairman. She asked him in a caring tone,
“Son, are you eating? You look too thin. And… have you looked around the table?”
“Yes, I am eating well. It’s delicious.”
“Is it, now? Well… good to know it’s delicious…”
Kitae, who hadn’t really looked at the dozens of dishes on the table, turned his head back to the Chairman to continue their business conversation. It was unlikely he had noticed the vase.
‘She must want to talk about the flowers…’
Noticing Mijeong’s slightly disappointed expression, Autumn let out a small sigh. Should she be the first to acknowledge the effort instead of her son? That thought troubled her for a moment.
“Umm… Ma’am.”
After a brief hesitation, Autumn cautiously called out to Mijeong in a very soft voice, careful not to interrupt the Chairman and his business discussion. Mijeong lifted her head listlessly.
Autumn smiled gently at her and brought up the vase.
“The table looks brighter today, and I noticed the flowers. They are really pretty.”
“Oh, do you think so, Autumn?”
“Yes.”
Mijeong’s mood seemed to revive as Autumn showed interest in the vase.
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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