The days of that unremarkable girl passed by as quickly as watching a movie at double speed.
Then…
The familiar room appeared. It was the student dormitory where I was currently staying alone. Ha Hyun also seemed to be using a room by himself; he was the only one in the room.
Inside the room, Ha Hyun had collapsed on the floor, clutching his head.
His hair was disheveled as if he had torn at it himself. It was painful to watch, but since he couldn’t scream, he seemed to be tormenting himself in that way. Even I, who knew this was a dream, found it hard to bear.
〈I can’t be found out.〉
A whisper like a stifled breath flowed out.
〈If I’m found out… I already hear that I have no right to be here, so who knows what would happen if this gets discovered…〉
Though it was a very faint voice, I could hear every word clearly, since in the dream I was Ha Hyun. The desperation in the whisper seemed to spread silently like a snake slithering on the ground, gripping my ankles.
What can’t be found out? What’s the problem?
The moment I unwittingly pondered these questions…
I woke up.
I stared blankly into space and then was sure.
It was just a dream.
‘…or was it?’
Something felt off.
I couldn’t even recall the title of this martial arts novel, let alone its detailed content. Yet, what I just saw in the dream was like a visualized form of content from a book I couldn’t remember.
‘Even sharing the thoughts and vision of the original body owner.’
It was eerily vivid.
‘How is this possible?’
It felt too real to be something I’d read in a novel, and it was simultaneously too inconsiderate.
Tossing and turning, I recalled the final scene.
The original owner of this body, clutching his head, muttering in despair.
‘He said he can’t be found out.’
Though I didn’t understand in the dream, now that I was awake, I had an intuitive understanding of what this ‘can’t be found out’ was.
A very clear yet bizarre certainty.
The moment from the dream surfaced again.
Clutching his head, unable to scream, tearing at his hair, gritting his teeth, soaked in sweat, shedding tears at that moment.
The thing that must not be found out.
Thinking it might cause a ripple effect if discovered.
“……Yes.”
Something indefinable that veiled my inner self clearly led me to the brink of losing control if touched inappropriately.
“He knew this too.”
The original ‘Ha Hyun’ also harbored the source of this inexplicable discomfort within himself.
So, this wasn’t an issue stemming from me possessing this body; it was a problem with ‘Ha Hyun’ that I had been unaware of.
However……
Since I had suddenly become aware of ‘this’ existence without any forewarning, it was highly likely that ‘Ha Hyun’ had also come to this realization out of the blue.
And once touched, it was painfully obvious that this unidentified ‘something’ was far from good. ‘Ha Hyun’ must have fully understood the danger of ‘this’ upon realization.
Yet, upon recalling the memories in the dream, ‘Ha Hyun’ had concealed anything related to ‘this,’ fearing the ripple effect instead of seeking help or clarity.
“He must not trust adults.”
Somehow, I sighed.
“It’s like I’ve seen an alternative choice at a branching point in a game.”
I had hoped to find clues about the original owner of the body, but that wasn’t the case.
Still, it wasn’t useless.
The mere thought of the original 15-year-old ‘Ha Hyun’ clutching his head and rolling on the floor crying confirmed that this was an urgent issue that needed to be resolved.
If it had remained undiscovered, I too would have ended up like the ‘Ha Hyun’ in my dreams, clutching my head and rolling on the ground.
I felt sorry for causing ‘Ha Hyun’ concern by spitting up blood, but it was fortunate that I found it. Speaking to the Abbot right away was the right choice.
Yes, it was the right decision……
“……Sigh.”
I ended up letting out another heavy sigh.
No matter how hard I tried to take it lightly, to forget, and to focus on myself, the ‘Ha Hyun’ from the dream wouldn’t fade away.
“Just say it hurts.”
I understand that, having been cautious since childhood, one would think no one would help.
Yet, even if ‘Ha Hyun’ was lacking, acted strangely, and had no talent……
“The Master or the Abbot would have helped, for sure.”
I felt heavy-hearted. Perhaps it was because I had just been ‘Ha Hyun’ in the dream; I felt especially empathetic. Fortunately, I could promptly stop myself from spiraling into more depressive thoughts.
It was because there were sounds from outside the room.
The sound of familiar footsteps approached. They stopped in front of the door, and a moment later, a voice came through.
“Your Grace, are you awake?”
It was Ha Hyun.
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.”
