……”
Jae-ha, who hugged Eun-jo, remained silent for a while.
It was an unbelievable fact that Yun Eun-jo had come.
Is it still like a foolish dream? As always, she feared waking up from her sleep, finding herself alone in the dark and spacious house, left behind.
The fragrance in her long hair was undoubtedly from my soap, and the warmth felt between the thin cloth was comforting.
“……Stop.”
Eun-jo, who was in his arms, pushed Jae-ha away with a sigh.
“Why?”
“Why? You keep touching me! What do you want me to do? I can’t do it!”
“Fool, it’s not that.”
Jae-ha’s hand covered Eun-jo’s blushing cheek.
“I envy you. I envy you for being able to figure things out about me and us. I envy you for that.”
“……?”
“I’ve hated to the point of wishing to disappear from the world… I wonder if you have any pain, if you eat properly, and how happy you are when you meet someone… I haven’t sorted out my feelings to that extent.”
“……”
“Outwardly, I might have looked fine, but I’ve been a mess all along. Questions, hatred, denial, acceptance… and other complicated and inexplicable emotions.”
“……”
“Without knowing anything, I came to Seoul to find you and saw what I did. I still… feel like a monster.”
“You don’t need to think that way.”
The light, shape, and size might be a bit different, but what we did…
The long time we spent holding each other close, pushing each other away. The word ‘love’ that we’ve never spoken aloud.
Why is it so difficult for you to say something so natural as if eating to your sister, Da-on?
“The love a monster gives is not just ordinary and easy love. I still can’t explain it.”
Jae-ha, who casually mentioned that word, gently touched Eun-jo’s nose as if he knew everything.
“So, can’t we sleep together? The bed is spacious.”
“Kwon Jae-ha! If I’m here, if I’m pregnant, isn’t it weird if we hold hands and laugh right away? I understand, but I’m not that kind of person, and it’s too awkward. I need time! Our relationship is nothing right now! Nothing!!”
“Oh, Ye-dreaming Yun Eun-jo. I don’t have any ulterior motives; it’s just that I can’t sleep…”
“Kwon Jae-ha! Your self-reflection is too short! Shameless!!”
Kwon Jae-ha, Kwon Jae-ha – she likes calling her by that name too much. Jae-ha’s words lingered in her ears.
“While I’m at it…”
Jae-ha, who was about to pull Eun-jo closer again, hesitated. The fact that she was pregnant came to mind.
Jae-ha, who cautiously pressed her body, buried her nose in Eun-jo’s neck.
“Um… Maybe I would have gone even if you were a few days late. Didn’t you know?”
“What??”
Surprised, Eun-jo pushed against his chest.
“No matter how much you push me away, I can’t help it. I told you, I became a monster.”
“How long has it been since you were chased away to Seoul?”
“Choi Seon-woo. Two days after meeting that person, I woke up at the airport. Don’t see it that way! Yes, I’m crazy. A monster crazy for you! Now that the whole world knows, even the cupcake shop, there’s nothing I can do. You have to raise it. Take responsibility, give it.”
“Oh my goodness. Don’t force it!”
“Let’s live together. The three of us, with Da-on? Marriage instead of just cohabitation…”
“Not yet!”
“…Not yet? Well, when will it happen? Why?”
“The baby comes first. Nothing can take precedence over the baby.”
“Okay, you brought it up so suddenly? Even though it’s something that should be discussed formally.”
Hm—Jae-ha let out a light sigh, and her face darkened.
“No, I’m not expecting some grand proposal or anything like that. Right now, it’s just a statement that I want to focus on the baby. I… want the baby to be born healthy and feel relieved.”
“Yeah… I understand. I’m sorry.”
“I hope you’re done with apologies now. And while it’s not marriage, maybe… an engagement?”
“Maybe?? I can’t say for sure, but ‘maybe’ in this context often means ‘almost’ or ‘generally.’ Maybe, an engagement?”
“…Yeah. If you don’t like it, forget it.”
Jae-ha, who quickly looked sulky, let out a sigh. It was uneasy and not to her liking that she couldn’t possess her completely right away, but there was no other way.
“I’ll accept it, that maybe engagement.”
“Thank you.” Jae-ha pressed his lips to Eun-jo’s forehead.
In the darkness, it felt like a secret engagement had taken place. Eun-jo’s cooled cheeks blushed again.
“So, for that reason, or as a commemoration, can we sleep together?”
“Whoa! Full-on obsession! Ha… okay. But I warn you, it’ll be uncomfortable. Da-on doesn’t sleep quietly. Plus, Lily is in the bed…!!”
Before she could finish speaking, Eun-jo’s wrist was grabbed, and she found herself standing in front of the bed.
“Shh.”
Nonchalantly, he put the puppy down outside the bed and helped Eun-jo lie down next to Da-on. Thus, the two lay down, facing each other with the child between them.
“…I promise to do my best to protect you, the baby, and Da-on.”
Jae-ha, brushing Da-on’s hair as she slept, whispered.
“Protect? How? With money?”
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.”
