When Mi-joo’s pupils trembled and her hand on the table began to shake, Si-yoon covered her hand on her back with his hand.
“That was the first time I saw you, at that time.”
The disgraceful scene where Bill leaned on her everywhere for a few dollars. And Si-yoon was there at that embarrassing scene where he was enduring the humiliation to get his 200 dollars. Mi-joo bowed her head and looked at Si-yoon’s hand holding hers.
‘So, he knew that I went with him to the party.’
Her curiosity that she hadn’t asked until now was resolved, and a sense of self-loathing surged.
“At the party entrance, Bill tried to touch you, and when you shouted that you didn’t like it, at that time. At that time, I saw you for the first time.”
Mi-joo barely lifted her head and looked at Si-yoon.
“Do you remember that time? I was there beside you.”
“No way, the person who helped me then…”
Si-yoon laughed confidently.
“Who else would there be besides me in your life?”
With a rather self-assured expression, Si-yoon spoke arrogantly, making Mi-joo burst into a wry smile.
“No, I was trying to be moved, why are you laughing and all that?”
“I just don’t like to see Mi-joo shedding even a bit of tears.”
Si-yoon raised his hand, wiping away the tears still lingering in Mi-joo’s eyes. So many tears and so much laughter. Si-yoon held Mi-joo’s hand tightly, not only for his words and expressions but also for her quick-changing emotions.
“Aren’t you curious about how Bill is doing?”
“I’m not. Do you have news?”
“So, you are curious?”
“No… I still think he’s probably eating well and living well. I don’t want to hear news like that at all.”
Mi-joo wiped away a droplet of water from the cup with her finger. Si-yoon even held onto that hand. He had to firmly hold both of Mi-joo’s hands to bring a sense of calm to his heart.
“Bill is currently on trial.”
“Why?”
Although she didn’t wish him well, Mi-joo was surprised by the unexpected development of him going to trial.
“Do you know that Bill was into drugs?”
Mi-joo couldn’t say anything, just shook her head, trembling.
“I’ll make sure that bastard doesn’t get his hands on you. Just stay by my side.”
Mi-joo nodded as if understanding. Si-yoon alternately kissed her hand and lips, looking at her with a serious gaze.
“I have something else to say.”
“…….”
“As you know, the foundation opening ceremony is coming up soon. We also need to hold an opening exhibition.”
Seeing Mi-joo’s expression, which seemed to guess, was calm.
“Grandfather wants you to come in quickly. You know why I haven’t been able to go in yet, right?”
Mi-joo was aware that she was hesitating and postponing the schedule because of herself.
“Come in with me, not alone.”
Although Si-yoon didn’t say it, he remembered every time she hesitated to push back the schedule when she had a phone call with her grandfather. But Mi-joo didn’t have the courage.
“Can’t it be just you, Si-yoon? Actually, I’m afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“That my grandfather will find out about our marriage, about the contract.”
At the mention of the contract, Si-yoon’s expression stiffened. Mi-joo, who still reminded him of the contract in their relationship, was not to his liking.
“Is our relationship still like a contractual one?”
“Even so, since the beginning…”
Mi-joo couldn’t continue her words, and Si-yoon let out a light sigh.
“Send the contract back to Danny.”
“What?”
“If we get rid of the contract, aren’t we a real couple? Right?”
Si-yoon tightened his grip on the hand he was holding.
“Is it that simple?”
“What’s not simple about it?”
“Well, still.”
Having gone through twists and turns, agonizing over whether to sign or not, deciding and making that determination, it felt strangely good to end it with just a few words.
“Oh! Mi-joo seems to be feeling better. I can tell by the way the corners of your mouth are turning up.”
“It’s not that I was feeling bad.”
Mi-joo quickly pulled her hand out of Si-yoon’s hold, grabbed the water glass, and took a sip.
“I’m okay with contract marriage.”
“Just a moment ago, you said you’re worried about Grandfather finding out.”
“That’s true, but between us, having a contract marriage, secret dating, those kinds of things… it adds more thrill, don’t you think?”
As Mi-joo’s eyes sparkled at Si-yoon, he leaned back in his chair, laughing loudly.
“Wow, when you get to know, Mi-joo, you tease me just like I do.”
“What do you mean by teasing? I’m just being honest.”
“Okay, I like that. I like it when Mi-joo speaks so honestly. Keep being honest.”
“Then let’s continue with our contract marriage for the time being.”
“Continue your favorite dating too.”
“Thank you.”
“When you want to return the contract, just do it then.”
Mi-joo wanted to express her gratitude not in words but through her body. However, while words came out honestly, she hesitated in front of Si-yoon, as if her body wasn’t cooperating.
She wanted to hold Si-yoon’s hand, but her fingers only twitched and wouldn’t move.
Mi-joo put effort into her hands and gently placed them on Si-yoon’s hand on the table. The tension in the veins, rising like cords, was also felt in Mi-joo’s hand.
As Si-yoon looked down at Mi-joo’s white back of the hand, a quietly warm breath escaped his lips.
“Let’s go home.”
“Already?”
Mi-joo enjoyed the feeling of dating like this and wanted a bit more time.
“Sure. Let’s stay three more minutes.”
“Three minutes?”
“We shouldn’t keep the milk we bought in the trunk, right?”
“Right.”
“And we need to do the unboxing for the things we bought today.”
“What unboxing?”
Si-yoon chuckled. In an instant, Mi-joo remembered the item Si-yoon insisted on buying at the end of the shopping. And just as her cheeks blushed, Si-yoon added another word.
“I want to see Mi-joo doing the unboxing.”
Si-yoon’s gaze pointed at the pink button on Mi-joo’s shirt. Startled, Mi-joo tried to cover her shirt, but it only highlighted the bulging chest line.
“We’ll unbox each item we bought today, brand by brand. Shall we?”
Si-yoon quickly stood up, taking Mi-joo’s hand, eager to stay three more minutes.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
