The prince dismounted and stood with his arms crossed, one step away from her.

Then, with a deliberately nonchalant expression, he looked at her.

“I’m not sure if you can grant what I desire.”

The indifferent look in his eyes was somehow lewd, but she lightly ignored it.

In fact, he had been looking at her with that gaze ever since they started riding.

At first it was quite distressing, but as time passed, that too became inconsequential.

“Tell me anything. I’ll do whatever I can for you.”

“Really? Then I’ll tell you. What I want is…”

As he suddenly closed the distance, their bodies pressed together.

Surprised, she twisted her body to break free from him.

However, he was faster.

His large hand pulled her waist into an embrace as he smoothly raised the corner of his mouth.

“What I want is to hold you all night. Can you do that for me?”

Is he serious?

No matter how sincere, how could he say such a brazen thing so casually? Her face flushed hot.

Yet when their eyes met, she felt as if her heart had stopped completely.

Her startled heart refused to calm down.

“Why are you silent? Didn’t you say you’d do anything I asked?”

“I-I didn’t know you meant that.”

“It’s too late to back out now. That’s the only thing I want. Well, it’s not that difficult, is it? You just need to lie still, and I’ll take care of everything…”

“I understand, so please stop talking… I’ll go ahead first.”

Not just her face, but her whole body felt hot as if burned.

With a sudden burst of confidence from who knows where, Eun Seol hastily left before the prince could finish speaking.

She couldn’t hear a word he was saying behind her.

* * *

The night deepened in Unyeon Palace.

A bright full moon rose over Unyeon Palace as darkness settled.

Steam rose from the hot bath where moonlight seeped in.

Eun Seol soaked in the warm water prepared by Lady Eom, relieving her fatigue.

After being so tense while riding, her whole body felt stiff and tired.

Amidst it all, her face flushed as she recalled what the prince had said to her.

-What I want is… to hold you all night. Can you do that for me?

Her face burned every time she remembered his words.

No matter how she thought about it, he didn’t seem like the Prince Jin Heon she knew.

After bathing, Eun Seol saw the prince waiting for her in the inner courtyard.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“There’s somewhere I want to go together, so I waited.”

“At this hour? Where…”

Before she could finish speaking, he grabbed her hand.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Led by the prince’s hand, they arrived at a pavilion at the edge of Unyeon Palace.

It was surprising enough that such a large pavilion existed in the palace grounds, but she was even more amazed by the pond, which was incomparably larger and more beautiful than Dowon Pavilion.

The pond reflected in the full moon was dazzlingly beautiful.

The moonlight settling on the calm water surface shimmered softly, and lotus leaves swayed gently on the water.

He climbed up to the pavilion surrounded by curtains on all sides and embraced her from behind.

“I really wanted to show this to you. What do you think?”

“It’s truly beautiful. I’m amazed that such a place exists in Unyeon Palace.”

“It’s called Biryeon Pavilion. I’ve always wanted to bring you here on a full moon night.”

She had heard that Unyeon Palace was built by the late king for the young Prince Jin Heon.

It was said he even designed it himself for his young son whom he couldn’t love enough, giving an idea of how deep the late king’s love for the prince was.

He buried his face in her shoulder and whispered softly.

“Do you know? This is a place no one can enter without my permission. You’re the first woman to ever come here.”

“…Really?”

“Even Seo Yeom can’t enter here freely. I’ve wanted to bring you here so badly.”

His words, like a confession, almost brought tears to her eyes.

It felt like a dream.

She was afraid even in this moment, as if she would have to wake from this happiness when the full moon set.

She could feel his heartbeat clearly against her back.

It was as if it was telling her this wasn’t a dream.

“You said earlier that you’d do anything I asked, didn’t you?”

“…!”

The prince slowly turned her to face him.

His gaze was serious as their eyes met.

“Now I’ll tell you what I really want, so listen carefully.”

The moment she nodded, his lips met hers.

It was a soft, passionate kiss.

He cupped the nape of her neck with one hand and pulled her waist close with the other.

Her mind reeled and her whole body felt weak and languid.

She tried to push him away, gasping for breath, but it was useless. The more she resisted, the more insistently he explored her mouth.

Just when she thought she might really lose consciousness, his lips parted from hers.

“What I want is.”

His lips touched hers again briefly. It was a light kiss. His gaze was seductive as he looked at her.

“To spend our wedding night here, right now.”

“…!”

“Will you allow it?”

“This is… outdoors.”

“It’s also a place no one can enter without my permission.”

Even though curtains surrounded the pavilion on all sides and no one would come, this was still outside.

She wasn’t bold enough to comfortably fall into a man’s arms in such a place, even if it was night.

As if reading her thoughts, the corner of the prince’s mouth lifted in a silent laugh.

“From now on, focus only on me. If you think of anything else, I won’t let you go all night.”

It really seemed like they would spend their wedding night here.

Suddenly her face grew hot.

At that moment, a gentle voice softly resonated in her ear.

“I told you to focus, Yoon Eun Seol.”

He lifted her body and laid her down on the bedding beside them.

“Your Highness!”

He caressed her cheek with a slow, gentle touch.

She gazed at the prince’s flushed face with hazy eyes.

His gaze was hot. His lips overlapped hers as his moist, warm breath pushed between her lips.

A hot sensation rose up her back to her nape.

Her whole body trembled at the unfamiliar feeling she had never experienced before.

The prince undid the ties of her jeogori with urgent hands while keeping his lips pressed to hers.

Everywhere his hands touched felt scorching hot and dizzying.

She clung to his neck, forgetting even to breathe, enveloped by the strange sensation throughout her body.

“…Your Highness.”

When a moan unconsciously escaped her lips, he laughed softly and said,

“I didn’t know you would be so eager.”

“Th-that’s not… Y-Your Excellency!”

“My name is Lee Woon. Prince Jin Heon, Lee Woon. Remember it.”

His lips lightly brushed her cheek.

“Become my woman. It’s alright if you take your time. As long as your heart comes to me, I’ll wait forever.”

Could there be anyone else in the world who would look at her with such tender eyes?

She felt like crying.

“My heart… My heart is already…”

I am already your woman and want to be your woman forever, why do you ask so sorrowfully?

From the beginning, my heart has only been yours.

You don’t need to wait.

My heart has already come to you.

She fell into his arms without even trying to wipe away her flowing tears.

And slowly, she confessed to him.

“The moment I first saw you, I fell in love at first sight. Even when you were right in front of me, I missed you, and when I couldn’t see you, I longed for you desperately. You were my small world and the only happiness in my life. It will be the same from now on. I will love only you for the rest of my life, until I die – no, even after death. I love you.”

It was the confession he had made to her.

Not words spoken by her when drunk, but the love confession Prince Jin Heon Lee Woon had made to Yoon Eun Seol.

“You noticed? Then you could have said something… Don’t cry. If you keep crying, I’ll want to make you cry more.”

“I want to be your woman. Hold me.”

At her words, Woon’s eyes shook uncontrollably.

Without knowing who moved first, they sought each other’s lips.

He drove her sometimes gently, sometimes roughly.

Even in her hazy consciousness, Eun Seol tried to remember this night.

She would remember his strikingly beautiful face, his eyes filled with moonlight, his hot lips.

And she would fill her entire body with his scent.

She didn’t want to miss a single thing.

She wanted to possess all of him.

Right now, at this moment, a fierce possessiveness was boiling inside her.

His gaze as he looked at her was tinged with desire, and his breathing was rough.

His touch, which started slowly, began to move faster and faster.

Her body responded faithfully to his touch, which seemed to excite him as he pushed more and more forcefully.

“…Your Highness!”

Every time she called his name with a sob, he covered her lips with his.

She gasped for breath at the unbearable thrill, clinging to his neck and finally bursting into tears.

When the full moon peeked out from behind the clouds, she became one with him, inhaling each other’s scent.

Even the night air was hot with the heat they emitted.

He poured his madly burning desire into her and held her in his arms, breathing heavily.

That wasn’t the end.

Eun Seol experienced the climax she thought had ended several more times before she could finally break free from him.

Her voice came out hoarse from how much she had sobbed, and her body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, unable to move.

After lying silently for a while, he raised his head and kissed her forehead and cheeks.

She looked at him with wet eyes.

“Does looking at my handsome face still excite you no matter how many times you see it?”

She chuckled at his words as he fixed her clothes.

He grasped her shoulders and met her gaze.

“Or have you become aroused again?”

“N-no. I really can’t do any more.”

“You can be honest, I’m fine until the full moon sets. Shall we take off your clothes again…”

“Really, no. Really.”

“Why so serious? It’s disappointing. I’m joking. Give me your hand for a moment.”

What Woon carefully slipped onto her outstretched hand was a white jade ring.

Surprised, Eun Seol sat up abruptly and looked back and forth between the ring and him.

Even to her untrained eye, it was clearly no ordinary object.

“Your Highness…”

He slowly sat up, kissed her hand, and raised his gaze.

His black eyes filled with moonlight were deep and captivating enough to steal one’s soul.

Like ripples spreading across a calm lake, he quietly called her name.

“I will live loving only you for the rest of my life. Will you do the same for me?”

“…”

“You haven’t answered. Please promise to stay by my side for life.”

Her throat was choked up and her voice wouldn’t come out properly.

Her eyes grew wet and her vision blurred.

All this time, she had only listened to what others said and hadn’t tried to understand his true feelings.

If it was a rumor she didn’t want to believe, she should have confirmed it with him directly.

Unable to do so, she had been misunderstanding, enduring, and clinging to lingering attachments alone.

The prince she had experienced here in person was completely different from the rumors.

Now she wanted to tell him her true feelings.

“Lee Woon, I love you. I will love you for life.”

“This ring was left by the late king to give to my true love. I swear on this ring. As long as I live, I will not hurt you or make you cry because of me. For the rest of my life, I will not keep or even look at any woman other than Yoon Eun Seol. From now on, Prince Jin Heon Lee Woon is yours.”

Tears flowed. It felt like a dream. If it was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

The most beautiful and excellent man in the world says he will become hers.

Could there be any greater happiness than this?

So this is what it feels like to be loved. As if enchanted, she cupped his face with both hands and lightly kissed his lips.

It was a clumsy kiss, but it was enough to stimulate him.

“Yoon Eun Seol, you started this.”

She liked the look in his eyes. Her heart fluttered at his voice and her whole body thrilled at his touch.

He really didn’t let her go until the full moon began to wane.

Eun Seol fell asleep in his arms after feeling another climax.