Chapter 48
“Ugh…”
If he had known it would come to this, he should have paid more attention to the erotic paintings the tutor had shown him and the explanations about intercourse. But he had let it all go in one ear and out the other due to needless rebelliousness, so he worried whether he could do well.
In truth, it was difficult to imagine how he could press his bare skin against Hwi without a single piece of clothing between them. Remembering how his loins had stirred every time Hwi kissed him made him feel strange, as if his body wasn’t his own, and his legs instinctively closed tighter.
With mixed feelings of excitement and fear, Yun-seo thoroughly washed his body, then a servant helped him prepare his wedding attire. After dressing in his ceremonial clothes, Yun-seo returned to the bridal chamber with flushed cheeks.
Everything felt awkward—from the wedding clothes he wore for the first time to the sensual atmosphere of the bridal chamber and the subtle fragrance emanating from the scattered wisteria. Yun-seo fiddled with his fingertips and suddenly realized how exquisitely the sleeve cuffs almost, but not quite, touched the back of his hand.
Now that he looked at it, this garment he was wearing for the first time fit perfectly, as if custom-made. While he was marveling at how this could be, the door opened, and the hem of blue ceremonial clothes identical to his own entered his view. Yun-seo stopped fidgeting with his sleeve and froze.
He could feel Hwi’s gaze fixed precisely on him without even looking up. Hwi strode in and sat across from him. Yun-seo couldn’t raise his eyes until Hwi’s neat hands had poured wine into two cups.
“Do you intend to spend your wedding night without looking at your groom’s face?”
A voice tinged with laughter and full of composure brushed his ears. Hwi hadn’t become a different person, yet Yun-seo couldn’t understand why he felt so shy and nervous. After meaninglessly scanning the wine table, he cautiously raised his eyes. Immediately, he met Hwi’s gaze, which was openly watching him.
Though nothing had changed except for wearing wedding clothes, Hwi’s appearance seemed more radiant. His gracefully extended eye corners, long eyelashes, high nose bridge, and neat lips captivated Yun-seo’s attention.
Hwi’s gaze also traveled from Yun-seo’s eyes to his nose and then fell upon his lips. His persistently wandering pupils seemed to grow darker, as if they couldn’t catch a single ray of light, making Yun-seo flinch.
“Until we went to the shrine, you were so carefree, but now it seems the reality is finally sinking in.”
“When was I carefree?”
“Yes, now you’re truly my husband.”
When Yun-seo immediately retorted to this fabrication, Hwi’s eyes curved in satisfaction. This finally eased some of Yun-seo’s tension, and the term “husband” made his heart flutter. As he smiled silently with parted lips, Hwi gazed at him even more affectionately.
“You must have been in the water for a long time. Your cheeks are as red as apples.”
“Perhaps because the water was warm.”
“Do you like the room? I followed the usual custom for decorating it.”
“When did you prepare all this? Weren’t you surprised?”
“If so, then it was a success.”
Looking pleased, Hwi rose from his seat and brought a box wrapped in blue cloth that had been placed on the incense table. When Yun-seo looked at it curiously, Hwi placed the box on the table and gestured.
“Open it.”
Yun-seo carefully unwrapped the blue cloth and opened the box, then widened his eyes in surprise and looked back at Hwi after seeing what was inside.
“Is this a bracelet?”
Hwi took out the bracelet, grasped Yun-seo’s hand, and slowly slipped it onto his wrist.
The outer surface of the bracelet was embossed with two dragons chasing each other’s tails, making it appear as if Yun-seo’s wrist was caught between the dragons. The dragon figures were so detailed that they suggested extraordinary craftsmanship, and since the bracelet was made of gleaming gold, it felt as if his arm naturally grew heavier.
“It suits you well, as expected.”
“What is all this?”
“No matter how modest we’re keeping things, I had to prepare a wedding gift, didn’t I?”
“But I didn’t prepare anything…”
“Have you forgotten what you’ve already given me?”
As Yun-seo tried to remember what he had given to Hwi, Hwi pulled out a pouch from his chest. Comparing the dragons decorating the bracelet with the clumsy turtle embroidered in the center of the pouch, Yun-seo’s face grew hot, and he let out a deep sigh.
“Looking at it now, it’s even more of a mess.”
“You embroidered it thinking only of me—how could it be compared to other treasures? This is my gift in return.”
Hwi took Yun-seo’s fingertips and raised them, lowering his lips to the bracelet. Even though his lips didn’t touch Yun-seo’s skin, his wrist seemed to throb.
Now that he looked at it, the decoration on this bracelet reminded him of the handle of Hwi’s knife. Suspecting it might be much more valuable than he could imagine, Yun-seo carefully caressed it.
“I’ll cherish it.”
“You don’t need to value it more than yourself.”
Hwi answered nonchalantly and picked up his wine cup. Yun-seo followed suit, met Hwi’s eyes, and slowly swallowed the wine.
The first taste of the wine was bitter, but the aftertaste was sweet. Despite its taste, it seemed quite strong as it warmed his insides. While savoring the flavor, Hwi asked:
“How do you feel?”
“About what?”
“Anything.”
Meeting Hwi’s gaze, Yun-seo carefully reflected on the path that had led them to this moment. It would be a lie to say he had no fear. Promising to share a life with someone inevitably came with responsibilities, and he still had many paths to navigate.
But with Hwi as his partner, he was confident they could overcome any difficulty. Thus, his fear simply melted into an even greater joy.
“I couldn’t feel better than this.”
At this firm, confident answer, Hwi reached out his hand. His fingertips traced Yun-seo’s neat hairline, then descended along his cheek to touch his lips. As Hwi’s fingers tenderly caressed his lips, Yun-seo’s spine suddenly tingled with heat. Flustered, he tried to pour more wine, but Hwi snatched the bottle and pushed it away.
“You’re weak with alcohol—you shouldn’t drink more.”
“…One more cup would be fine.”
“You wouldn’t want to spend your wedding night in a drunken state.”
The word “wedding night” made Yun-seo’s fingers curl. As Hwi’s subtly scanning gaze revealed its implications—which Yun-seo both understood and didn’t understand—he looked at Hwi with trembling eyes. At that moment, Hwi tilted his head.
Yun-seo, anticipating what was about to happen, closed his eyes.
As their lips pressed together firmly, a tender warmth spread. Hwi gently and slowly savored Yun-seo’s lips, alternating between the upper and lower. The consecutive moist sounds made his fine hair stand on end.
Hwi supported Yun-seo’s nape with his hand and tilted his head a bit more. Simultaneously, his tongue parted Yun-seo’s lips and entered to tickle his tongue. Yun-seo embraced Hwi and opened his mouth wider to allow him deeper access.
A sweet yet bitter wine scent flowed through his nostrils. Everywhere Hwi’s tongue touched was soaked with pleasure, infusing an indescribable delight. This kiss was quite different from before. As Hwi licked the flesh inside his mouth and captured his tongue, Yun-seo’s lower abdomen tightened, and the inside of his thighs grew tense.
Hwi conquered Yun-seo’s mouth with great skill. Yun-seo, barely breathing, received him and moved clumsily, recalling how he had sucked on sweets. Hwi momentarily hesitated, then more intensely seized Yun-seo’s saliva and breath.
“Mmm…”
An unfamiliar moan escaped through his nose. Feeling his loins tingling and his manhood growing hard, Yun-seo shifted his legs. At that moment, Hwi’s hand gripping Yun-seo’s nape tightened, and he lifted Yun-seo up in his arms.
Yun-seo hurriedly wrapped his legs around Hwi’s waist. Hwi, continuously probing Yun-seo’s tender flesh, strode toward the bed. Unlike the rough kiss, he carefully laid Yun-seo down on the bed and deeply plunged his firmly erected tongue.
Yun-seo’s breath caught as he swallowed repeatedly. Unconsciously, he swayed his hips and rubbed his crotch against Hwi’s leg, then pushed Hwi away in shock as he became aware of his own behavior. However, Hwi caught Yun-seo’s hands, pinned them down on the bed, and thoroughly explored every corner of his mouth.
“Hng, uh.”
His rigid dick was now clamoring inside his undergarments, making his waist twist. When Yun-seo couldn’t bear it anymore and lightly bit Hwi’s tongue, Hwi finally pulled back.
Their labored breaths interlaced. The eyes of the man enveloped in lust had grown frighteningly dark as he gazed down fiercely at Yun-seo. Yun-seo panted through his swollen lips and shrank his shoulders. Hwi lifted one corner of his mouth as if smiling, then lowered it and reached for Yun-seo’s collar.
“Wait…!”
Yun-seo quickly grabbed Hwi’s hand and looked around with frightened eyes.
“It’s too… bright…”
Although it was late afternoon, the day had not yet ended for their wedding night. With the light seeping in from outside the window brighter than the lit wedding candles, how could he possibly remove his clothes?
Hwi exhaled a long breath as if suppressing something, then raised his finger to tickle Yun-seo’s cheek. Unlike his affectionate touch, his dark eyes were clearly rippling with desire.
“The night is short—how can we wait for darkness?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
