Chapter 45
Hwi carried Yun-seo on his back for a while, letting his body drift in the water before emerging. He set Yun-seo down on a flat rock and sat beside him. Enjoying the warm sensation of the sun-heated surface, Yun-seo fell back with a flop. Hwi followed suit, lying down with his head propped on his hand.
Water droplets hanging from Hwi’s eyelashes fell downward. His wet cheeks glistened in the sunlight. Yun-seo cautiously reached out to caress the corner of Hwi’s eye, then trailed his fingers down along the bridge of his nose. Even when Yun-seo’s fingertips reached his lips, Hwi simply gazed at him in silence.
As this large man docilely surrendered himself to his touch, a greed born from satisfaction—something Yun-seo had never experienced before—began to swell within him.
I wish this man were mine. Forever and ever.
Feeling shy and awkward at his own thoughts, Yun-seo buried his face in his arm, then peeked out with just his eyes. Hwi’s gentle, tender gaze lingered on his face. Looking back, it still felt like a dream that their hearts had connected.
“My lord.”
“Yes?”
“Do you like me?”
“I do.”
Yun-seo’s eyes widened, not expecting such a straightforward response. Even though he’d received a sufficient answer, a strange urgency prompted him to speak again.
“Why do you like me?”
This time, the answer didn’t come immediately. Hwi’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he studied Yun-seo’s face.
“Is it because of my appearance?”
At this innocent question, Hwi burst into laughter.
“Your confidence is remarkable.”
Yun-seo still remembered what Hwi had told him when they first dined at the tavern in Seonju City, after deciding to travel together. Since he wasn’t one to break his word or to flatter needlessly, his assessment that Yun-seo was beautiful must have been sincere.
“True. No one would deny it even if you took greater pride in yourself. But wouldn’t that leave you unsatisfied?”
“Unsatisfied? I should be grateful. I have nothing to my name and my circumstances aren’t favorable. If you took interest in me because of my appearance, wouldn’t that be fortunate?”
Even if it had begun merely with his outer shell, now Hwi held him deeply enough in his heart to make such a significant promise. So the beginning didn’t matter. It truly was fortunate. Now he would have to work diligently to earn the right to remain by his side.
The smile on Hwi’s lips faded slightly. He reached out to caress Yun-seo’s cheek, then kissed the corner of his eye. Reflexively closing and opening his eyes, Yun-seo felt Hwi’s lips touch the tip of his nose. Finally, their lips met, and the warmth Hwi left behind, like a seal, spread throughout his entire body.
“You have yourself.”
“…”
“You alone are a treasure beyond compare, and I’ve never seen such a precious gem in my life, so I can’t help but want to hold you in my hands.”
His voice grew deeper and rougher as he finished speaking. This man who never spoke empty words was adorning him with excessive praise, making his heart surge with emotions difficult to bear. Yun-seo let out a quiet sigh and buried his face in Hwi’s embrace.
The sound of waves rushing in and receding built upon itself, constructing a sturdy castle of intimate time. Being in this moment, the sentiment that he could die without regret brushed across his mind, making Yun-seo smile once more.
* * *
Something poked Yun-seo’s cheek, causing him to frown and roll over.
A cool sensation then brushed against his lips. The ticklish feeling it left behind made him rub his mouth with his forearm, and a low, faint laugh reached his ears. Recognizing the familiar and endearing sound, Yun-seo’s lips softened into a gentle smile.
Just as he was about to drift back into deep sleep with his lips slightly parted, Yun-seo’s eyes flew open.
He quickly sat up when he saw Hwi tilting his head, staring down at him. Hastily fixing his disheveled hair and touching the corners of his eyes, he glared at Hwi.
“It’s cruel of you to stare at someone who’s sleeping.”
“You insisted on using a separate room, but it seems you intended to laze about until midday.”
At the mention of midday, Yun-seo hurriedly looked around. The room was bright even without lamps lit, suggesting he truly had slept late.
This was the first time he had used separate rooms while staying with Hwi. Hwi had questioned why they needed separate rooms when the bed was spacious enough, but it wouldn’t be proper for lovers to share a bed before marriage. Yet on his first night sleeping apart from Hwi, he had tossed and turned, resulting in this late rising.
“I was just tired, that’s all.”
Yun-seo mumbled awkwardly as he reached for the hairpin set aside. Hwi sat beside him and gently combed through his hair with his fingers, gathering it neatly. It had been a long time since someone had helped with his hair, making it feel strange.
Even stranger was Hwi’s clumsy touch.
“It shows that this is your first time.”
“It’s not easy.”
Of course it wasn’t—he had likely never served another person before. After fumbling from various angles, Hwi seemed to get the hang of it, neatly twisting Yun-seo’s hair up and inserting the hairpin.
“Next time, I’ll do it for you.”
“Then I should wake up late.”
After their wedding, would they be able to help with each other’s hair every morning, waking in the same bed? The mere thought of such small, everyday moments that would blossom before them filled his heart with contentment.
After they finished their morning preparations, a servant hired by Hwi brought in lunch. Perhaps because they were near the sea, an unfamiliar fish with plump flesh was placed on the plate. Hwi skillfully removed the bones and placed the white flesh on Yun-seo’s spoon.
“Ah, I can…”
“Just eat.”
“If you do everything for me, I’ll develop bad habits.”
“I wonder what worse habits you could develop from here.”
As Hwi glanced at him with a slanted smile, suggesting the idea was amusing, Yun-seo grumbled about not having bad habits before putting the flesh in his mouth. It melted so nicely in his mouth, with such a delicious, rich flavor that Yun-seo moved the largest piece of flesh Hwi had deboned onto his plate.
“You should eat too, my lord. Do you realize you’ve grown much thinner? It troubles me every time I see you.”
“The body naturally grows thinner and fuller. Don’t worry about it.”
Hwi dismissed it casually, but that didn’t ease his concerns. Yun-seo was determined to take responsibility for the health of Hwi, who was so careless with his own body, and eagerly offered side dishes each time Hwi took a spoonful of rice.
“With your eyes watching me like that, how can I eat in peace?”
“I’m surprised there’s anything that frightens you, my lord.”
Responding glibly, Yun-seo smiled as Hwi reached out to wipe the moisture at the corner of his mouth. The two men finished their meal while exchanging light conversation.
“You haven’t forgotten that we planned to tour the village today, have you?”
“Of course not. How could I forget when it was your request?”
Yun-seo laughed at his good-natured tone and took a sip of tea. As he savored the fragrant warmth of the tea, Hwi took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his breast pocket.
“Before that, there’s something we must do.”
“What is it?”
“Write down your name and birth details. Let’s set a date for the ceremony.”
Yun-seo’s heart pounded heavily as the reality of officially getting married sank in—something he hadn’t thought through to the formal engagement. He was impressed by Hwi’s thoughtfulness and simultaneously moved by the fact that Hwi was taking their promise so seriously, causing an indescribable wave of emotion to wash over him.
After seeing the ocean, he realized that the emotional turmoil he felt because of Hwi was like the waves. Just as waves ceaselessly crash and soak the sand, the deepest part of his heart was thoroughly drenched with thoughts of him.
Hwi personally brought an inkstone and brush. Yun-seo moistened the brush with ink and hesitated momentarily. His name was So Yun-seo, but Hwi knew him as Jang Deok-yun. Shouldn’t he reveal his real name to his future husband?
Pretending to tap excess ink from the brush, Yun-seo quickly sorted through his thoughts. He had already decided to abandon So Yun-seo’s life from the moment he left home, and would live as Jang Deok-yun from now on—so was there really a need to reveal the truth? He was no longer So Yun-seo. He was Hwi’s “Yun.”
Just as he could understand if Hwi was keeping something from him, he believed Hwi would understand him too. It wasn’t a lie meant to deceive him. Deliberately ignoring the strange feeling stirring in his chest, Yun-seo steeled his resolve and wrote his name on the blank paper.
After writing down his birth details and setting down the brush, Hwi gazed at the paper and traced the characters of “Jang Deok-yun” with his fingertip. His touch lingered particularly long on the final character “yun,” making Yun-seo feel peculiar.
“Good. I’ll ask for an auspicious date to be selected.”
“Yes, thank you. Shall we go out now?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
