In the morning, the warm sunlight bathed the Gwangho Army Division. It was the perfect weather for training. At the Gwangho Army training ground, Geon and Yeonwoo’s horseback riding lessons were in full swing. Yeonwoo rode the horse, while Geon, standing beside her, corrected her posture.
Whether due to the excellent teaching of the master or the outstanding talent of the disciple receiving instruction, Yeonwoo quickly adapted to riding the horse. As the lessons neared their end, Geon, who had been walking by Yeonwoo’s side, finally spoke.
“You ride quite well. Once you get used to it, you might want to try playing polo.”
“Hehe…”
Yeonwoo never imagined the day when she would personally ride a horse. Being on top of the horse made the world seem wonderfully high, and the gentle breeze against her forehead felt delightful. However, what excited Yeonwoo the most was the memory of the watermill.
The excitement of that day didn’t fade easily from Yeonwoo’s heart. From the scent of musk that wafted from Geon’s clothes to the warm warmth that enveloped her hand, the gentle gaze he directed at her, and his pleasant mid-low voice—every detail remained vivid in her memory. For several days after that, Yeonwoo felt like she was walking on clouds, surrounded by a dreamy atmosphere.
She knew in her mind that she shouldn’t maintain a relationship with Geon while embodying the appearance of Yeonho. However, Geon’s gaze, which looked at her as a woman, was too sweet to resist. She couldn’t reject his request for a chance, expressing her desire to become someone special.
As someone who had promised that the meeting with Geon as Yeonho would be the last, Yeonwoo ultimately found herself promising to meet him one more time.
“Just once more, erase the existence of Hong Yeonho afterward.”
Since it was an impossible relationship anyway, would it be so bad to be a little greedy for just one day? She believed that meeting Geon one more time as Yeonho wouldn’t reveal her true identity.
‘It’ll be the real last time.’
With this rationalization, Yeonwoo looked at Geon with a determined gaze.
Though he didn’t wear a hat or robe as he did when they first met as Yeonho, Geon’s casual attire was enough to make Yeonwoo’s heart flutter.
At that moment, Geon sensed Yeonwoo’s gaze and turned his head. Startled by the sudden pull on the reins, the horse Yeonwoo was riding lifted its front legs.
“Hiing!”
“Eek!”
As the horse lifted its front legs, Yeonwoo’s body tilted backward. The fall happened in an instant.
“Hong Yeonwoo!”
As Yeonwoo fell off the horse, Geon swiftly caught her in his arms. Praising her for doing well and immediately acting recklessly.
Geon scolded Yeonwoo with a stricter tone than usual, thinking that he should save compliments for later.
“If you’re not careful, you could have been seriously hurt. Do you think it’s okay to daydream on horseback?”
“S-Sorry!”
“In the future, be careful…”
After praising her, he immediately acted unreasonably. Geon, thinking that he should save compliments for later, scolded Yeonwoo with a stricter tone than usual.
“Just one wrong move, and you could have been seriously hurt. Do you think it’s okay to daydream while on a horse?”
“Sorry!”
“Be careful in the future…”
While scolding Yeonwoo, Geon abruptly let go of her from his embrace.
“Eek!”
Due to Geon’s unexpected action, Yeonwoo screamed and fell to the ground.
This time, she hit her buttocks properly.
No, what could be the reason for catching someone well and then suddenly dropping them?
Yeonwoo, rubbing her sore buttocks with her hand, awkwardly got up.
“You can’t just throw people like that! I could have really gotten hurt!”
To an observer, it might seem like she was getting angry at the person who saved her, but from Yeonwoo’s perspective, it was clear that Geon intentionally dropped her.
Yeonwoo looked at Geon with resentful eyes.
However, what she saw in Geon’s eyes was his turned back.
“Hoo…”
Geon took a deep breath.
His appearance seemed to be suppressing emotions rising from within.
Concerned about Geon’s unusual behavior, Yeonwoo approached cautiously.
“Nari…?”
“…”
Geon, who had turned away, still didn’t respond.
Growing increasingly worried, Yeonwoo tentatively grabbed a corner of his clothes.
“Nari, are you okay…”
“Take your hands off me!”
Turning around, Geon brushed off Yeonwoo’s hand.
His expression was stiff, and his face was reddish-purple, as if he were angry. His sharp eyes stared intensely at Yeonwoo. Having seen only the affectionate side of Geon lately, Yeonwoo found his current demeanor unfamiliar.
Most shocking was that Geon had pushed away Yeonwoo’s hand. Yeonwoo’s hand lingered awkwardly in the air.
Geon, whose crimson lips were trembling, seemed to want to say something but eventually gave up and turned away from Yeonwoo.
“…I won’t do horseback riding training for a while.”
Leaving those words behind, Geon abruptly left with an air of hostility.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
