Having a garden again was also one of the good things.
Now, regardless of what flowers she planted, there was no one to say anything.
Also, since the separation, the couple’s life changed subtly.
Although it was a large house that did not fall behind Chaeha’s main house, the fact that there were only Chaeha and Seowon in one space made Seowon tense.
For some reason, he came home earlier than before and stayed longer, even though there was a plethora of rooms.
Moreover, despite having an overflowing number of rooms, they naturally shared the same room without a word.
Seowon could have suggested using a different room as before, but she didn’t, and Chaeha seemed to have no intention of doing so either.
Instead, Chaeha acted contrary to Seowon’s expectations.
Since using one bed due to his claim of it being cold, the two maintained a distance as if their fingertips could touch.
A small hope, hoping that they would only get close to that extent, sprouted in Seowon’s heart.
Originally, her husband felt infinitely distant.
However, when she thought that Chaeha was lying right next to her, she couldn’t easily fall asleep.
At those times, Seowon would sneakily open her eyes and steal a glance at him.
His usual sharp impression was nowhere to be found, and Chaeha’s face, with smooth and even breathing, looked as innocent as a child.
Yet, it was as agile as a well-crafted piece of pottery, and admiration involuntarily escaped.
Following the curves of his smooth forehead and nose, Seowon’s gaze often stopped at his red lips.
If she stared blankly for a moment, it felt like her own lips turned red for no reason.
Thoughts arose that perhaps the winter night they spent together was just a dream.
However, it was undoubtedly a clear reality. Her hands and lips remembered Kwon Chaeha.
It was strange.
When she had never touched him, it was an unknown desire, but once she knew his body temperature, her yearning grew astonishingly large.
When the desire to embrace him and blend with his scent arose, she felt embarrassed, and her cheeks blushed.
Loving someone must be like this.
For him, it might have been just a mistake. Perhaps it was a memory he wanted to erase.
For Seowon, the events of that night became a beautiful memory she wanted to cherish in this contractual marriage.
If only she could savor this memory for a long time.
From that day on, Seowon began to count the days on the calendar with a slightly different mindset.
She, who had only wished for the contract to end, started secretly hoping that it would never end.
Hoping that he wouldn’t know about this secret and discreet feeling.
“Lim… pregnant?”
“Yes. It’s been about three months now. Congratulations.”
“Ah…”
Was it a blessing or the beginning of a tragedy?
On that winter night, Seowon learned that she was pregnant.
Pregnancy, something she had never thought about even once.
It was extremely confusing, but she could never tell Chaeha.
Just the thought of what reaction he would bring terrified her.
Unwanted marriage followed by an unwanted child.
If he asked her to get rid of the child, Seowon couldn’t endure it.
Since the contract period was about to end soon, she planned to raise the child as her own afterward.
It was truly a pregnancy of her own.
Even in the midst of overwhelming anxiety, Seowon was happy about this pregnancy, happy that she had Chaeha’s child.
Because she was so foolishly happy, she had to make sure it was never discovered.
If her mother-in-law, Heo Youngjoo, found out about this fact, she would probably make a big fuss.
So Seowon acted more cautiously than usual.
On days when she secretly slipped away to go to the hospital, she doubled her caution and tried not to show any signs.
However, she couldn’t completely escape Heo Youngjoo’s radar.
In other matters, she might be a bit lax, but when it came to the relationship between Seowon and Chaeha, she had a sharper intuition than anyone else.
Heoyoungju, who consistently sensed Seowon going out in a tight schedule, finally discovered the fact of pregnancy.
It was around the fourth month of pregnancy.
As expected, the first words Heoyoungju spat out were to get rid of the child.
Accompanied by a stack of banknotes, the demand to leave immediately was an added bonus.
Naturally, Seowon rejected the non-proposal.
She was well aware that Heoyoungju cared about Chaeha’s background, and indeed, she subtly conveyed the information I discovered to her son, Chaeha.
As fortunate as that was, a greater tragedy awaited them afterward.
To be precise, it was the trap they had set.
“Mother collapsed?”
“Yes. A nurse found her collapsed in front of the hospital yard. You need to come quickly.”
The phone made a dull sound as it fell to the floor.
Seeing the screen filled with cracks, Seowon shuddered her shoulders.
It was ominous. Too ominous that it sent chills down her spine.
When Seowon rushed to the hospital a month later, the reality she faced was truly gruesome.
Her mother, who was perfectly fine just a few days ago, was now lying unconscious, devoid of any signs of life.
From her emaciated body, which had withered due to a long illness, there was no sense of vitality.
“Doctor. My mom… How is she… What’s her condition? Tell me!”
Desperately looking up at Dr. Shim, he was, however, just a human, not a god.
He shook his head from side to side and explained the patient’s condition.
It was an endlessly despairing diagnosis.
“Her immune levels have dropped almost to the lowest. If she regains consciousness, we’ll try our best to treat her somehow, but right now, it’s too risky to use our hands. There’s a chance she might lose her life if we’re not careful.”
“Then what should we do! Are you telling me to just leave her like this? Are you, Doctor? Please tell me.”
“For now, we need to observe while giving her intravenous fluids.”
“…Please tell me honestly. My mother… Right now…”
“There’s no reason to lie to the young lady. Honestly, the prognosis is not very good. It would be better for you to prepare yourself mentally.”
Thud, Seowon’s body collapsed onto the cold hospital floor.
Although the nurse and Dr. Shim offered words of comfort, they fell on deaf ears.
Her painstakingly built small world was crumbling piece by piece.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
