The senior soldier’s barracks was indeed a silent battlefield.
On one side, the trainees were prostrating, receiving punishments, while on the other, senior soldiers were trembling in fear.
The floor was a mess with fallen meat pancakes and broken liquor bottles. Amidst this, Janggabdol had grabbed Yeon Woo by the nape.
The sudden arrival of Gun brought a chilling silence to the barracks.
Just his presence filled the barracks, weighing heavily on the soldiers’ hearts, as if an invisible hand was choking them. It felt as if even the air had weight.
Looking down at Janggabdol below him, Gun’s voice was low and menacing, “Continue.”
“Lo-, Lo-, Lord Gwanghogyun…….”
The mere sound of Gun’s voice made Janggabdol’s body hair stand on end.
As Gun’s icy gaze met him, all strength drained from Janggabdol’s body.
Simultaneously, Yeon Woo’s nape was also released.
In this situation, the only thing Janggabdol could do to save his life was clear.
“I have committed a sin worthy of death! Please, forgive me just this once!”
Prostrate on the ground, Janggabdol clutched at Gun’s legs, begging.
At this sight, Gun frowned, though his face still maintained its handsome composure.
Looking down at Janggabdol like an insignificant insect, Gun’s voice was low and soft, “If you’ve committed a sin worthy of death, then die.”
With those words, Gun lifted his foot and strongly kicked Janggabdol’s abdomen.
“Kuhuk!”
With a single kick from Gun, Janggabdol’s large body flew into the air and crashed into a corner of the barracks.
A loud crash echoed as Janggabdol collided with the furniture, breaking them.
No soldier in the barracks attempted to help Janggabdol, either out of reluctance or fear of repercussions.
Pointing at Janggabdol, Gun ordered all soldiers in the barracks, “Bury that man in the ground for three days, leaving only his head exposed.”
The rumor that Gwanghogyun buries troublesome people was evidently true.
Gun continued, “From now on, anyone who disturbs the unit’s discipline without my command will be beheaded, regardless of the reason!”
This was a warning against initiation rituals and the bullying culture among the soldiers, intending to uproot such practices before they could take hold.
No one in the barracks dared respond to Gun’s menacing presence, their mouths shut tight.
The soldiers nodded vigorously, silent as if they had honey in their mouths.
As Gun turned to leave, Yeon Woo finally exhaled a sigh of relief, thinking her earlier gossips had gone unnoticed.
But relief was premature.
Gun stopped mid-step and turned back towards Yeon Woo, his gaze accurately fixed on her slumped form.
‘I’m doomed…’ Yeon Woo thought to herself, regretting her thoughtless remarks about Gun, unaware he was the subject of her gossip.
Gun abruptly halted his steps to leave and turned back towards Yeon Woo.
It was too precise to be a mere illusion; Gun’s gaze was fixed intently on Yeon Woo, who had slumped down.
“I’m doomed…” Yeon Woo muttered to herself internally, facing Gun.
Regret filled her thoughts for uttering words like ‘mad tiger’ or ‘wild man’, irrelevant of their truth. Now, the words were irrevocable.
In a brief moment, Yeon Woo’s mind raced with thoughts.
‘Is he going to kick me too? Or bury me in the ground? Maybe even behead me…!’
Amidst her wild imaginings, Gun spoke.
“You are mistaken.”
“Pardon?”
Yeon Woo, taken aback by the unexpected response, replied with a bewildered face.
Gun looked straight at Yeon Woo and spoke clearly, word by word.
“I don’t tear wild animals apart while they’re alive.”
With just that sentence, Gun left the barracks and went his way.
“What, what…”
Initially, Yeon Woo just blankly watched Gun’s retreating figure.
After a while, she realized that his words were a response to her previous gossip about him.
She thought he had forgotten, but he had been paying attention all along.
Soldiers unaware of the prior events were left baffled, looking at the aftermath as if a thunderbolt had struck.
After the face-shaving event, Janggabdol was buried in the training ground with only his head exposed.
As an example, no senior soldier dared to bully the trainees anymore.
Belatedly informed about the event, Beyoung called Yeon Woo to the training officer’s barracks.
Yeon Woo, seated on a makeshift chair inside the barracks, sipped the warm tea Beyoung offered.
In the silence, Beyoung, who was sparing with words, removed the teacup from his lips.
“That was a close call.”
Beyoung was aghast when he first heard about Janggabdol’s actions towards Yeon Woo.
Thankfully, Gun appeared just in time.
If Gun hadn’t shown up, the situation could have escalated dangerously.
Then, Yeon Woo, deeply upset, expressed her feelings emotionally.
“Janggabdol was just unreasonable! Grabs me by the collar, throws the food I prepared on the floor! Harasses innocent trainees for no reason!”
The more she thought, the more contemptible Janggabdol seemed to her.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
