Shortly after, the two left the coffee shop.
When they had entered, their hands were not holding, but when leaving, they were tightly clasped together.
To be precise, since interlocking their fingers earlier, Juwon had not let go of Ina’s hand even once.
While holding hands, Juwon talked with Ina, occasionally stroking her small fingers and smiling. Each time, Ina’s heart tingled as if electrified.
When they stepped outside, the surroundings had darkened, and streetlights were lit here and there.
At 7 PM, the Han River, reflected by lights from buildings, looked like a scene scattered with jewels.
Ina’s heart, looking at the twinkling river, shone just as brightly.
At this moment, the wonderful man holding her hand tightly was more precious and beautiful than any jewel in the world.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ina looked up at Juwon with a flushed smile, and Juwon, in turn, looked down at her with a sweet smile.
The two, sharing the same smile, walked towards the parking lot.
When they reached the car, Juwon opened the passenger door and finally let go of Ina’s hand, which he had been holding the entire time.
Feeling slightly sad as their hands parted, Ina smiled shyly, thinking she would have plenty of chances to hold his hand again in the future.
As Juwon turned to the driver’s side and climbed into the car, he grabbed Ina’s hand, which was reaching for the seatbelt, and leaned forward.
Suddenly, as Juwon closed the distance, Ina held her breath.
Juwon, now close to Ina’s wide-eyed face, smiled mischievously and pulled the passenger seatbelt.
“I wanted to do this for you.”
Then he clicked the belt into place.
Seeing Ina with a shocked, almost puppy-like expression, Juwon chuckled and lightly tapped her cheek with his finger.
Then, as Juwon turned back towards the driver’s side, Ina finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.
“Phew….”
It seemed as if Ina’s lifespan had shortened by a few years today.
“Shall we have dinner?”
Juwon, fastening his own belt, asked.
“Aren’t you tired? Shouldn’t you go home and rest now?”
“What’s tiring about being with you?”
“…….”
Seeing Juwon, who had just revealed his love-struck side, Ina looked stunned.
“Why?”
“Huh? Oh, no, nothing.”
Ina turned her head, her cheeks reddening.
“Still… let’s have a simple dinner and then you should go home early to rest.”
Ina was concerned about how tired Juwon must be after consecutive nights of overtime.
Reading Ina’s worried expression, Juwon nodded in agreement.
“Alright. Let’s have something simple tonight and head home early. We have many more dates ahead of us.”
The direct mention of ‘dates’ made Ina’s heart flutter.
The realization that she was now dating Juwon sent a thrilling sensation through her chest.
“Then let’s go to your neighborhood for something simple.”
Juwon reached out with his right hand to hold Ina’s hand, once again interlocking their fingers.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Feeling Juwon’s large hand again, Ina’s heart continued to race, unable to rest.
Shortly after, the two had a simple meal near Ina’s neighborhood and then headed to her villa.
As Juwon’s car stopped in front of the villa, Ina felt a pang of sadness.
Though she was the one who suggested he go home and rest, the thought of parting now made her feel reluctant.
But thinking of the tired Juwon, she decided it was time to say goodbye for the night and opened her mouth to speak.
“There, then, take care and get some good rest.”
Ina spoke in a murmuring voice, filled with regret. Juwon then unfastened his seatbelt and turned towards Ina.
He then placed his hand on the passenger seatbelt buckle and asked,
“Can I hug you?”
“Huh?”
Ina’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question.
‘Click’
Juwon unbuckled the passenger seatbelt.
Then, holding Ina’s shoulders, he turned her towards him.
“Since it’s the first day, I’ll ask politely today. Can I hug you?”
Ina blinked rapidly, shocked.
Like a flickering fluorescent light, Ina blinked repeatedly as Juwon looked at her with a smile on his face.
“Why, can’t I?”
At Juwon’s question, Ina’s rapidly blinking eyelids suddenly stopped.
“No. No, it’s not that I can’t, I mean, that is… Yes!”
Ina stuttered and then suddenly shouted out a strong ‘Yes!’, and her face turned red at her own outburst.
Caught between embarrassment and awkwardness, just as Ina’s eyes were about to bulge out, Juwon reached out with his right hand and pulled her thin waist towards him.
Then, with his left hand, he wrapped around Ina’s small head, guiding her into his broad embrace.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
As she was perfectly embraced in Juwon’s broad chest, Ina’s heart raced madly, and she felt a dizzying sensation.
Ah, at this rate, my heart might just give out today.
With her eyes tightly shut, holding onto her fading consciousness, a faint citrus scent wafted from Juwon.
Even as her mind grew hazy, Ina fully engaged her sense of smell to take in Juwon’s scent.
Ah, even his scent is charming. What am I going to do with you?
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.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
