Seon released his wrist and stepped closer. Jihan’s reflection filled his dark, unreadable eyes. Unlike usual, there was no trace of a smile on his face. Just depth. Calm.
“Now that I know your true feelings, I’ll never do anything you dislike again. That’s why I broke off the engagement. Because you don’t want to share me with anyone else.”
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
Jihan could have snapped back, You’re delusional! But the words died in his throat. Silence stretched between them.
Seon gently began stroking Jihan’s face, studying his doubtful expression.
“I know how much you miss your late mother, Lady Shin. How long you’ve suffered from that loss.”
“……”
“Grand Secretary Choi may be a good official and master, but he was never a good father. You had no one to lean on in that house. You’re a man drowning in loneliness.”
Startled, Jihan tried to pull away, but Seon held his arms firmly—gentle yet unyielding.
“If your only remaining father figure leaves for the provinces, how could you bear that grief alone? From now on, I’ll take care of you. I’ll be responsible for your life until the end. I’ll uphold your family’s name alongside you, live only for you, and never harbor other desires. If you wish, I won’t even take office. So please…”
“……”
“Stop seeing me as a threat. What do you say to treating me as your rightful partner instead?”
Jihan’s mouth fell open.
“What…?”
Jeocheo—if he was asking Jihan to take him as his official wife, it was utter nonsense. Absurd. Ridiculous. Jihan even scanned Seon from head to toe, wondering if the man had lost his mind in the aftermath of everything. But Seon just blinked back at him, his expression calm and ordinary.
Seon stepped closer, subtly pulling Jihan’s waist into an embrace, his lips brushing against his ear as he whispered:
“When Grand Secretary Choi leaves for his convalescence, who will manage that massive household for you, hyung?”
“……”
“And with you in such good health… the thought of you twisting that pretty waist of yours alone in bed every night, your backside lonely, already makes my heart ache.”
“……”
“Besides, the state examinations are just around the corner. Who else in that household could help you with your studies but me?”
Jihan was confused. Seon’s voice had never sounded sweeter. If things truly unfolded as Seon said, life would become more prosperous, his mind at ease. But… could it really happen? Was that even possible?
Before he could dwell on it further, Seon’s arm snaked up his back, sliding along his waist to pull him tightly against his chest. Warm, laughing lips pressed firmly against the tender nape of Jihan’s neck.
“Is there anyone else who understands your heart as I do? Anyone who knows your body like their own? Where in this world could you find someone else to fill your desperate loneliness but me?”
“……”
“I know everything. Even without words, I can understand all of you. Because I only have you. From the moment we first met until now, my life has been aligned solely with yours.”
“……”
“I’ll take good care of you. I’ll make sure you’re never lonely, that your life is better than anyone else’s. All you have to do is accept the devotion I offer. That way, we…”
The tip of Seon’s nose grazed his. The approaching breath was fragrant and familiar. Just before their lips met, Seon’s voice dropped, low and husky:
“We’ll be by each other’s side for the rest of our lives.”
Their lips pressed deeply together. Jihan blinked dazedly as Seon’s wet tongue pushed inside. After a long, swirling duel of tongues, Jihan focused on the half-closed lids of Seon’s eyes—sometimes trembling softly, sometimes furrowing with rising excitement.
“For the rest of our lives… by each other’s side…”
His breath hitched. Seon’s tongue coiled around his own, clinging wetly, as if binding him. Jihan didn’t pull away from the invading warmth; instead, he sucked back fiercely, the heat and dizziness overwhelming him.
“Jeocheo (정처)” is reiterated with clarification: Seon is explicitly asking to be Jihan’s official wife, a position that would grant him legal and social standing in the household. This is a bold, almost subversive proposal given the era’s strict gender and class norms.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
New Ch today right?? 🥺
In confused, So who’s gonna be the wife? Seon or jihan???
It’s clearly that bottom is wife but in the novels mean wife has to take care of husband, serve husband …. So it’s refers to seon (wife) and Jihan (husband)