《Adagio》 Chapter 0 T/N: Before starting, I wanted to just make it clear that the title of the novel is something that I¡¯ve picked up. It¡¯s not a literal translation of the real title. The title of the novel is ??. Also the author gave the actual meaning of the title in her book. Sorry I couldn¡¯t find the accurate english equivalent for it. So here it is: ??: (adverb) 1. (stretched out) over a long period of time so that ((it)) lasts 2. Nonstandard word for ?(which means always/often In the capital¡¯s lively marketplace, a gang fight broke out in broad daylight. Young men, from two separate groups, hurled punches and abuses at each other. Enemies who refused to live under the same sky collided with each other with bloodthirsty expressions. The people who had come out to shop witnessed this fierce battle as silent spectators. They clicked their tongues and frowned. ¡°They are at it again.¡± ¡°I was wondering why it had been so ¡®quiet¡¯ for a while now; this was bound to happen.¡± ¡°That time, when a person died by accident, I heard that the king had threatened them that he wouldn¡¯t spare anyone if it ever happened again. But it doesn¡¯t seem like it had any effect on them.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t recklessly stab someone to death again, right?¡± ¡°If they do, the king wouldn¡¯t let them off with impunity this time.¡± In Daejingu, there were two families of renowned fame that subjects as well as country bumpkins knew of very well. They were one of the five most prestigious families in the nation: the Ju family and Yeon family. The two families were quite alike. They both had established themselves as meritorious servants who helped to build the nation to its current state. Both families had risen similarly throughout history from generation to generation. They both had the power to control the nation but neither had the support nor the desire to do so. So they knew how to behave to avoid the storms. As long established families that shared their history with the nation, the two families¡¯ houses were like the symbol of the city. However, this was not the reason why the people frequently talked about the two families. The two families had been butting heads for more than a hundred years. They were both the perpetrators and the victims to each other. As the old grudges accrued, there wasn¡¯t anything left but their deep seated hatred for the other. Even the servants of the two families espoused their masters¡¯ hatred and growled and hurled curses at each other whenever they met on the road. No one would have probably minded it if only they¡¯d brawl and kept it to themselves. But they often involved pedestrians in their petty fights, causing accidents willy-nilly. ¡°Ahh! It looks like there¡¯s going to be a big accident!¡± One of the spectators shouted. A man, who was kicked, flew backwards and fell over a blacksmith who was working with the bellows. The accident happened in an instant. A worker carrying embers tripped and fell, leading the blazing charcoal to light the wooden fence. The fire spread in the blink of an eye. ¡°Look over there!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± The marketplace was soon abound with screams and shrieks. A dozen or so houses got burnt down before the flames could barely be extinguished. The king was furious when he heard of the accident that had transpired as a result of the fight between the guards of the two families. Chapter 1 The sliding paper door shut softly. As she sat upright, Ha-young¡¯s eyes quivered. She stared at the flickering light of the lantern and then slowly closed her eyes. It had been a very hectic and tiring day. She got married today. Today, the youngest daughter of the Ju family had become the second daughter-in-law of the Yeon family. ¡°Haa¡­¡± She breathed out a loud sigh, her stomach tightening, suffocating her. It sounded somewhat like an exasperated sigh. ¡®Is this what a prisoner feels like when he¡¯s confined in the enemy camp?¡¯ On the first day of her marriage, the new bride¡¯s expression was full of anxiety instead of excitement. ¡°The two families must become in-laws to fix their long bad relationship and start afresh.¡± Ha-Young was seventeen years old when she received the ¡®Royal Decree¡¯. But after seeing how there hadn¡¯t been any progress at all for six years, she never thought that she¡¯d get married until she reached the age of twenty-three. The two families were in a state of turmoil for a while and did everything to somehow avoid the marriage. However, they couldn¡¯t persevere against the relentless ¡®Royal Decree¡¯ and eventually had to receive the Hanseo.* *[In a traditional Korean marriage, once the date is set, the groom¡¯s family sends a box to the bride which is known as Ham(?). In the Ham, there are typically three items. The Hanseo(??), the Chaedan(??: bridal silk), and the Honsu(??: bride price). Of the three the most important is the Hanseo or marriage papers. This is given to the bride in dedication to wed only one husband. The wife is expected to keep this paper forever and when she dies, the papers are buried with the wife as well.] Once the Hanseo was received, the marriage became inevitable, unless one of the parties died before the wedding. Then something very strange happened. After the date was set, the ceremony was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. The first time, the wedding was cancelled due to some circumstances within the Ju family, but when the date was set again, something happened in the Yeon family. Then later because of a sudden state funeral*, the ceremony was postponed again. After almost a year of the incident, a natural disaster struck the kingdom and the auspicious date was pushed ahead again. *[?? [gukssang]: The funeral for a king or a royal family member in which the entire nation goes into mourning.] It was as if the heavens themselves were interfering with the union of the two families. People¡¯s interest also increased as the years went by. On every New Year¡¯s day, the people of Daejingu exchanged New year greetings with the joke, ¡°Will the two families get married this year?¡± The two families hoped that the king would come forward and revoke the ¡®Royal Decree,¡¯ pretending as if such a thing never happened. But the king remained adamant to the end. ¡°This is the best way to resolve your grudges and fill that gulf of hatred between you two. I really look forward to the harmony between the two families.¡± The most scandalous and highly discussed marriage in the kingdom was finally completed. The sunny and cozy weather did little to the tension-heavy atmosphere caused by rumours saying that the ¡®Heavens would again interfere this time.¡¯ Ha-young was anxious that a lighting bolt might strike during the wedding, but fortunately nothing of the sort happened. The wedding ceremony, which began at dawn, concluded only until after dusk. No, it wasn¡¯t over yet, the ¡®wedding night¡¯ had yet to commence. Ha-Young nervously waited for her husband. As time passed, her nervousness intensified as there still was no sign of anyone entering. ¡®What if¡­ what if he doesn¡¯t come?¡¯ Disrespecting one¡¯s wife on the very first night was really despicable, just imagining this made her face heat up. Although she had not even seen her husband¡¯s face properly yet, the rumours that she had heard about him were quite extraordinary. If the rumours were even half true, he should have already broken off this marriage even if it was matched by the king himself. Her heart was anxious and her layered wedding clothes seemed to weigh down on her whole body. While tossing and turning, Ha-young felt a foreign object poking at her waist. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡®I completely forgot about this.¡¯ Ha-young squeezed her hand between her clothes and took the object out. The object held in her hand was a long Jang-do*. The gilded blade and handle embedded with blue jade made it look quite delicate and expensive. *[Jang-do(??) is an encased ornamental knife. During the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty, it was mainly worn by the women.] As per the customs, the wedding ceremony, which lasted until the afternoon, was held at the bride¡¯s house. After the ceremony, when Ha-young was alone for a while, her third brother Chang-young suddenly came in. ¡°Brother! You can¡¯t come in here¡­ Are you drunk?¡± Chang-young looked down at Ha-young with his face flushed from consuming too much alcohol. He then threw a Jang-do in front of her. ¡°If that bastard ever mistreats you, stab this straight into his gut. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Ha-Young was speechless as she watched Chang-young¡¯s eyes tear up. ¡°How could Father do this? How can I send you to that damned house! If Mother was alive, this would never have happened.¡± ¡°Brother, please watch your language. Get out quickly before someone comes in. Before Father sees this, please go back to your chamber.¡± After somehow convincing a drunk Chang-young to go out, Ha-young quickly hid the Jang-do inside her waistband. She was planning to secretly give it to her nanny and tell her to put it away, but in the midst of all the chaos, she forgot to do so. ¡®I hope Father won¡¯t notice brother¡¯s inebriated state.¡¯ Chang-young was often scolded for his careless words and actions. Ha-young was very worried about Chang-young. Unlike her other two elder brothers, he was the brother with whom she shared most affections with. ¡®He¡¯s such a hopeless person.¡¯ Looking at the long Jang-do, a silly smile came on her lips. How can an older brother give a knife to his married sister to stab her husband? ¡®Brother Chang-young can hardly take care of himself and he claims he would take care of everything.¡¯ Keeping the relationship between the two siblings aside, Ha-young calmly evaluated Chang-young. Still, her heart warmed when she remembered her brother worrying about her. As she was looking at the beautiful knife, suddenly someone caught her wrist. As soon as she raised her head, her big eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A low voice came out. Under the fierce momentum of the man who shot daggers at her, Ha-young just stupidly blinked her eyes. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t hear the door open. The man took the Jang-do from her hand and looked at it with a cold sneer. ¡°Even after the wedding ceremony and crossing the gates of the Yeon family¡­ You¡¯d still prefer to die rather than be the daughter-in-law of the Yeon family?¡± Ha-young gulped nervously. Even though his voice was calm, she could feel the fierce anger suppressed in it. There seemed to be something undulating inside his deep black eyes. ¡°Is it your own decision? Or is it the Ju family¡¯s idea?¡± Ha-young knew that she should resolve this misunderstanding quickly, but her mind was blank. Aside from her family, she never had a man approach her so closely. Pen and Sword*. *[This here refers to the Yangban classes. During the Joseon Dynasty, the Yangban(aristocrats/bureaucrats) were divided into two classes: Munban [??, (ÎÄ°à)] which comprised civil administrators and Muban [??, (Îä°à)] which comprised martial officeholders.] This was the biggest difference between the Ju family and the Yeon family. As a member of a family that had practiced martial arts from generation to generation, he certainly had a unique body frame. He was almost twice the size of her brother. He seemed domineering even though he had lowered his stance to meet her eye. Seeing Ha-young¡¯s pale face, Mu-eun closed his mouth. He mocked himself inwardly. ¡®What would I get by questioning someone like this! Especially if the person is so disgusted with me that she would want to die on her wedding day.¡¯ ¡®That day, when the decision was made, I should have left the city.¡¯ Mu-eun got up in a terrible mood. Ha-young woke up from her daze and turned around to see him leaving the room. Looking at his back, only one thought came into her mind. ¡®I can¡¯t let him leave like this.¡¯ What if this gets into the ears of the elders of both the families? Imagining the worse, she felt chills run all over her body. She hurriedly looked around, grabbed a pillow from the neatly laid bed and threw it at him. The pillow didn¡¯t hit him, but he turned his head when he saw the pillow near his feet. ¡°You misunderstood it.¡± Ha-young¡¯s voice cracked. Embarrassed, she coughed a few times to clear her throat. Fortunately, he patiently waited for her. ¡°It¡¯s a keepsake from my mother.¡± Ha-young made a hasty excuse. ¡°I couldn¡¯t pass it to my nanny because I forgot about it and when I remembered, it was quite late. I didn¡¯t have any other intention.¡± Although she felt guilty for using her deceased mother, Ha-young turned the Jang-do, which she had seen for the first time today, into a keepsake. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Mu-eun stared at Ha-young without saying a word. Ha-young looked at him with a confident yet innocent look. As she looked at his face, she observed her husband¡¯s features for the first time. Throughout the long period of their engagement, he had never come to see her. So, she could only depend on the rumours to guess what he was like. She wasn¡¯t really sure about the authenticity of those rumours. The only information that Ha-Young knew about him was that his name was Mu-eun, and he was three years older than her. His overall demeanor left quite a first impression on her. He was completely different from her three elder brothers. All of his features were dark¡­ His eyes, eyebrows and even his skin color was dark. ¡®As per rumours¡­ there should be¡­¡¯ His face had a scar running diagonally from the top of his right eyebrow to the bottom of his eye. The light scar on his tanned skin looked more prominent and noticeable. Ha-Young had heard about more than five rumours about the story behind that scar. The corners of Mu-eun¡¯s lips curled up. Ha-young was dumbfounded when suddenly an emotion appeared on the expressionless face of the man. It was rude to stare directly at someone¡¯s physical weakness. She realised her mistake after it was too late. ¡°You¡¯re really good as well as bad at lying.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Mu-eun briefly glanced at the long Jang-do in her hand and then looked back at her. ¡°Something that was made just a few months ago could be a keepsake from someone who had passed away a long time ago. Isn¡¯t this amazing!¡± Ha-young was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t hide her agitation. She looked up at him with a vacant look and slightly parted lips. ¡°This Jang-do is made by a famous craftsman, so it has a distinctive feature.The craftsman uses different kinds of jewels every year to decorate his swords.¡± Ha-young¡¯s face became hot when she heard this. She lowered her eyes and bit her lips tightly. She would rather lie again than tell him the truth about the Jang-do. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Her vision blacked-out for a moment. She couldn¡¯t think of a proper excuse for bringing a weapon into the bridal chamber. Mu-eun gave her a strange look. Her mien and tone were oddly placid for someone determined to die. Neither was she gloomy nor doleful. He knew why she had a hidden weapon, so he didn¡¯t want to entertain any of her excuses. As a protected lady who had never crossed the safe threshold of her house, she must have construed an image of the Yeon family house to be a lair of demons. So she¡¯d rather rely on such a crude blade. ¡°I¡¯ll cover up today¡¯s affair.¡± Ha-young¡¯s face lit up with joy, but the man¡¯s eyes were frigid. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this, and will take care of it. ¡° Ha-young was dispirited as she watched him coldly turn away from her. It was not something that could be resolved by just clearing up the misunderstanding. Seeing how he was reluctant to enter the bridal chamber, it seemed that he had now a good reason to run away. ¡°Husband!¡± Mu-eun who had walked long enough to have almost crossed the room, stopped at once as if he had turned into stone. ¡°Do you have any idea as to how many eyes are watching this wedding?¡± Ha-young, who was nervous that he would ignore her and walk out, became relieved when he slowly turned back. ¡°Even the slightest hitch will turn into a big rumor and in no time will be on the grapevine. If you leave the bridal chamber like this, the news will surely cross the threshold and by tomorrow, everyone in the city will know about it.¡± ¡®A bride who was abandoned on her wedding night,¡¯ she didn¡¯t want to be humiliated like that. During the ceremony earlier, she had made up her mind. If she was to anyhow live as the daughter-in-law of the Yeon family, then she would do so while having the proper treatment and respect so deserved by the daughter-in-law of the Yeon family. Ha-young became distressed when she gazed at his expressionless face. It was as if he was asking, ¡®So what? Why should I be concerned about others?¡¯ ¡®Sure, for this person, my worries would mean nothing.¡¯ After all, it was a marriage that neither the two families nor the parties involved wished to begin with. She had heard that he had a particular aversion to this marriage. There were even rumors that he had rushed to the palace to appeal to the king. As per the rumors, he had even kowtowed and knocked his forehead on the floor, begging the king to rescind the order, but that had only gotten him locked in the storehouse instead. When she had gotten wind of those rumors, her pride had been deeply hurt. She had snorted, ¡°Do you think I also want to marry you? I don¡¯t like you either.¡± She didn¡¯t like how he was trying so hard to have this marriage annulled, but sadly her feelings didn¡¯t matter. What could she really do? Since that day, she didn¡¯t have much faith in this marriage. To protect her honor, Ha-young decided to appeal rather than make up another excuse. ¡°What if those rumors pass through the walls of the Royal Palace? The king might get furious and think that of it as us belittling him. If that happens, it will be very difficult for the two families to avoid misfortune. The fate of the two families lies on this marriage.¡± ¡®Husband¡¯ The form of address he had heard, kept ringing in Mu-eun¡¯s ears. It was natural that any wife would address her husband as such, but for some reason, it felt amazing when it came out of her mouth so easily. He had tried to stall for time as much as possible, but he had to concede to the urging voices and had no choice but to enter the bridal chamber. He imagined that she would be weeping and wanted to give her enough time to cry. But compared to the scene he just witnessed, it would have been better if she was crying. It was weird. His bride¡¯s eyes were clear and held no despair in them. Her eyes, now looking at him, were so clear that it seemed as if they were urging him, ¡®Don¡¯t be irresponsible.¡¯ He turned around and walked back into the room. He approached Ha-young and then sat in front of her. ¡°Just as wife said¡­¡± Mu-eun stopped talking and made a strange expression as if he was surprised by what he had said. ¡°There are indeed a lot of eyes watching us right now. Even the royal palace¡¯s eyes are lurking outside. It would be not just for today, but will probably continue for a while.¡±1 Since the two families had been enemies for a long time, the previous kings constantly tried to reconcile them. The kings wanted to bring both families to their side. It was worth the effort because it was rare to find loyal and competent aides who could be completely trusted. Mu-eun recalled the advice the Crown Prince gave him when he entered the palace a few days ago. ¡°The marriage, is it really happening?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are the two families plotting something while pretending to go through this marriage?¡± ¡°How can you make such baseless accusations, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Well, the Governor is a very suspicious man. If you¡¯re really pretending, better act it out well. There will be eyes watching your every move.¡± ¡°No way¡­ I never thought it would be like this.¡± Ha-young muttered with a nervous look. Now knowing that there were indeed eyes watching them, her voice became smaller, afraid that someone would eavesdrop. She furrowed her eyebrows and reproached him. ¡°If you knew this, then how could you leave like that?¡± At her words, Mu-eun stretched out his hand to show her the Jang-do held in his palm. ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± ¡°I told you it was a misunderstanding.¡± Mu-eun said with a smile. ¡°Okay, if you say so.¡± Ha-young¡¯s annoyance could be seen on her face. Even though he put it that way, he did believe Ha-young¡¯s words. There were no traces of any tears near her eyes. It was totally unexpected. He had heard that she had tried to hang herself and poison herself to death. He didn¡¯t know the exact story behind it, but several rumors were going around that the Ju family¡¯s youngest daughter wanted to take her life. For a while, practitioners kept frequently visiting the Ju family¡¯s house. And around that time, no-one had seen Ha-young for over half a year, so he had assumed it not to be a false rumor. ¡°¡­ Is your family that precious to you that you are ready to persevere through this?¡± The person, who wanted to die because she didn¡¯t like this marriage, had changed her mind for the sake of her family. As Ha-young didn¡¯t know what exactly he was trying to ask her with this question, she answered carefully. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve now become the daughter-in-law of the Yeon family, I won¡¯t give up my identity, as I was born and raised in the Ju family. I will make sure that I do not bring any harm to both families.¡± Of course, the family in which she was born and raised, was precious to her. However, she hadn¡¯t accepted this marriage bearing any resentment or thoughts of sacrificing herself for her family. She knew crying and lamenting over the situation would not change anything. If it was an irresistible fate, she decided not to succumb and give in to what others wished of her. Aside from the fact that their families had a bad relationship, the Yeon family was actually a very good marriage prospect. The biggest advantage was that her family home was in close proximity, so she could quickly gather any news from them. However, Ha-young was the type of person who advocated fairness. She hoped that the person who would be her husband would have a little sense of responsibility. The words and actions of the second son of the Yeon family, who carried the family¡¯s prestige on his back, were very fierce and rough. Having the crown prince as his childhood friend also gave him a strong backing, making it hard for one to look down upon him. It was said that it wasn¡¯t once or twice that his family had to settle the accidents he created in his drunken frenzy. He would also act recklessly and hang out with thugs, giving his family quite a headache. Ha-young didn¡¯t believe all the rumors she had heard. From the rumors she had heard from her handmaidens, he was considered a crass and thoughtless person. She knew they were mostly bluffing or exaggerating, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but think that there might be a good reason for such rumors. ¡®It¡¯s strange¡­¡¯ Ha-young wasn¡¯t the type of person who could say that she could grasp a person¡¯s character with only a few exchanges of words. But she felt disconcerted. He didn¡¯t appear as the hot-headed violent man in the rumors, but rather seemed like a decent person who knew how to control his emotions. ¡°¡­ Just like Husband, I also value my family.¡± Mu-eun didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. ¡°What should I do to make you believe that there is no deception in this marriage?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you feel assured if we have a child?¡± Ha-young, who tried to answer casually, shut her mouth and avoided his gaze. She suddenly felt suffocated when she remembered the preceding process needed to give birth to a child. She was frightened when his hand approached her. Mu-eun said with his hands stretched forward. ¡°I¡¯ll lower the Hwagwan2.¡± Ha-young nodded stiffly and cast her eyes down. As the weight of the Hwangwan on her head disappeared, her hair, which had been twisted and raised in a bundle, fell on her shoulders. After a while, his hand approached her chest, making Ha-young flinch and tightly grip the front of her blouse. ¡°Light¡­¡± The light was dim, suiting the atmosphere of the bridal chamber. Nevertheless, she was nervous because everything could be seen very well. ¡°Okay.¡± He answered softly and gently removed her tightly held hand. Ha-young felt helpless and vulnerable. If it was coercive, she would have tried to defend herself. But his touch was polite. It even seemed cautious. She was confused about how to respond because if she refused, she knew he would surely step back. Ha-young quietly entrusted her body to him. His hands gradually moved more and more without any hesitation. Her heart beat faster, as the layers of the robes wrapped around her body, were peeled off one by one. Keeping her eyes fixed on the swaying lantern, Ha-young again requested, ¡°Light¡­ Please turn off the lights.¡± ->Mu-eun repeats Ha-young¡¯s words but the ¡®watching¡¯ that he¡¯s talking about is different from what Ha-young meant. Ha-young was just talking about people looking for gossip but Mu-eun here tells her that there are spies outside watching them. ->Hwagwan is a type of Korean coronet worn by women, traditionally for ceremonial occasions such as weddings. Chapter 3 ¡°Light¡­ Please turn off the lights.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even though his answer came out immediately, he still continued to take off her robes. Ha-young became nervous when her bare shoulder came exposed and the cold air clung to her skin. She then raised her eyes and spoke in a firmer tone. ¡°Turn off the light, Hus¡­ band.¡± The end of Ha-young¡¯s words trailed off as soon as she met his eyes, which were staring down at her. She momentarily forgot about her restless mind. Though the room was bright, only one thought occupied her mind, ¡®If only it were a little brighter.¡¯ She wondered what emotions were shrouded in those dark eyes of his. It felt like he was observing her as if he wanted to unearth something. ¡®What?¡¯ Just when she was processing this, a big hand clasped her chin. A shadow suddenly covered her sight and his moist breath brushed against her lips. As she sat there with her eyes wide open, her nanny¡¯s voice came into her head. ¡°Everything has a process. The same is true for intercourse between a man and a woman.¡± A few days prior to the wedding day, Ha-young had learned about the process of union between a man and a woman from her nanny. ¡°There¡¯s a process for kissing and caressing. Even if your husband touches Milady¡¯s body and kisses you, you should not consider it to be improper. And¡­¡± She closed her eyes tightly when she felt a hot, slippery piece of flesh slide in through her lips. Then, everything disappeared, even the voice of her nanny ceased to exist, her thoughts had all blanked out. His tongue majestically invaded her and swept the insides of her mouth. She had imagined a kiss to be a shy contact. This primitive act of mixing saliva was quite embarrassing. A strange sound leaked from her nose as the tip of his tongue pressed and slid against the roof of her mouth. It was chilling. The strange sensation felt uncomfortable. The tongue stirring the inside of her mouth moved as if it were searching for something. As soon as their tongues touched, she felt an instinctive fear, like a herbivore being chased by a wild beast. He tenaciously followed her evading little tongue. His tongue finally caught hers and entwined with it, rubbing against the sensitive bumps. ¡°Heuk¡­¡­.¡± The sound that escaped out of her nose was louder than before. After sucking her lips as if wanting to swallow them whole, he finally withdrew his lips. ¡°It¡¯s not done like that.¡± His voice was tinged with laughter. But Ha-young was not in the spirit to notice it. She answered breathlessly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you not learn what a wedding night is?¡± His voice snuck through one ear and filtered out the other and the only word she managed to retain was ¡°learn¡±. But the word invoked a bullheadedness in her as she couldn¡¯t bear to hear that she didn¡¯t ¡°learn¡± properly before the marriage. ¡°I did learn.¡± ¡°Then you have to do it right.¡± Mu-eun whispered. Their lips were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Ha-young opened her lips. ¡°Pull out your tongue.¡± She slightly stuck her tongue out between her lips as if she were asking, ¡®Like this?¡¯ Mu-eun¡¯s eyes narrowed. The contrast between her previous self firmly expressing her views and her current clumsy behavior greatly aroused him. He frowned as he swallowed her tiny, almost hidden tongue at once. His lower member began swelling with tingling desire. He was determined to leave if she showed any signs of rejection. If she didn¡¯t want to be his woman, then he wouldn¡¯t touch her at all. He had enough of all the rejections. He was sick of having everything snatched away from him and being shoved out the fence. ¡®But can I really let her go?¡¯ At this moment, he was unsure if he could ever step back from this person without any lingering regrets. It would¡¯ve been better if he did not know the feeling of this small, soft woman who seemed to break at the slightest force. He was slowly getting intoxicated by the feeling as he bit and sucked her soft lips. The sound of her ragged breaths, mixed with occasional gasps, enthralled him completely. ¡®Is the flare in my heart driven by my roused body? Or is my feverish state a result of the already kindled fire blazing in my heart?¡¯ Wet noises and moans echoed throughout the room. Ha-young¡¯s face burned up in embarrassment listening to these obscene sounds. They stung her just like the one time when she was sunburned. She only had to open her mouth, yet it brought about a feeling of being defenselessly nude. It was amazing how the man¡¯s tongue swirled inside her mouth and did not make her uncomfortable, rather it felt as if it belonged there in the first place. ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s just kissing.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe that the act could be so lewd. If she was unaware and uneducated in the acts of connubial rites and acts, she would for sure have believed that this act alone was enough to make her conceive. Her senses were heightened due to her tightly shutting her eyes. Ha-young didn¡¯t realize that her body was leaning back. It was only when her back touched the bedding did she realize this. She felt the weight of the man pressing against her body. He did not cease the deep kisses and continued to greedily covet her lips. And before she knew it, the kisses slowly began to migrate from her lips to her cheeks, from her cheeks to her eyes, and finally from her eyes to her earlobe. She unconsciously tilted her upwards as he pressed deeper into her neck and planted kisses there. The action wasn¡¯t deliberate, rather it was her body responding to the stimulus all by itself. All of a sudden, the weight pressing against her body disappeared, leaving her empty and wanting, yearning for the body temperature. She could hear the sound of a cool draught moving around her. It was hard for her to open her tightly shut eyes. The lantern flickered a lot. She turned her head, but what came in her sight was a bare chest of a man. She quickly averted her gaze by turning her head. She realized that it wasn¡¯t the wind that she heard, but it was the muted rustle of Mu-eun¡¯s clothes when he took them off. The sight left her breathless and panting. Feeling the weight press onto her once again, she gasped in surprise. His hand swept up from the side and pulled at the knotted string. The tightness around her chest loosened as he undid the strings. ¡°Husband.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too¡­ too bright.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± His voice was so low that it was as if he was whispering. ¡°But it¡¯ll be hard to see.¡± Mu-eun wanted to see her in elaborate detail: the parting of her ruddy lips, her breathy gasps, her quivering eyes, and her fluttering eyelashes as she did her best to close her eyes. He wanted to capture them all, without missing a minute detail. No, what he really wanted was to confirm something else. He wanted to know if his bride had truly accepted him. Maybe it was just that she was feeling shy in such an unfamiliar experience, or maybe she was actually enduring it even though she found it disgusting. He was already disappointed that the room was a little dark. If he also had to turn off the little lantern, then wouldn¡¯t he miss the chance to observe her expressions. ¡®Can you not see well with your eyes?¡¯ Ha-young incorrectly interpreted his words. The scar running through his upper eyelid came to her mind. ¡®You hurt your eyes. But the stories I¡¯ve heard¡­¡¯ Ah! She sighed. ¡®I guess the elders don¡¯t know.¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t obvious, it might be difficult to guess the person¡¯s affliction if the person decides to hide it. The manservant of her maiden house was a blind person. He said that he could only distinguish between darkness and bright light. However, he looked completely fine and moved about no differently from ordinary people. So the people who meet him for the first time would find it difficult to grasp the idea that he was actually blind. Since he was born into a martial family, his weak eyesight must be a great weakness to him. ¡®Did his weakness impact him so much that he went astray?¡¯ While Ha-young was thinking of an understandable reason behind the bad rumors about him, a layer of her underskirt was pulled down and taken off. Then another layer was removed. Now that it had come to this stage, she couldn¡¯t ask him to turn off the lights anymore. And so, she was left breathing tensely. Mu-eun grumbled while trying to untie the third knot. ¡°Why is it tied so tightly like this?¡± His grumbling voice felt friendly, making Ha-young chuckle at him. His hand paused and then moved again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t laugh when you see someone struggling.¡± Though he spoke in a curt tone, there was a brilliant luster in his eyes. He grabbed her inner skirt and pulled it down. And under his strong grip, the underskirt was roughly pulled down along with the cloth that covered her chest, revealing her bosom hidden underneath the layers. They swayed as they were roughly exposed. Ha-young¡¯s body shrank in surprise. She reflexively covered her chest with her arms. However, he held her wrist and spread her arms to the sides. She could feel his gaze looking down at her chest. ¡®Because you said you couldn¡¯t see well¡­¡¯ Mumbling this to herself, she suppressed her shame. Still, the situation was very embarrassing. She closed her eyes, feeling as if she had become a pheasant with only its head buried in a sheaf of rice. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Mu-eun¡¯s breath caught in his throat at the sight before him. He just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her chest. His body swelled up with desire at the sight of her ample breasts and snow-white skin that sparkled like the moonlight during a full moon. He reached out and grabbed her chest with his hands. He felt an immense satisfaction at the warm skin that filled his hands. How could a person¡¯s skin be so tender and soft! He couldn¡¯t believe this ecstatic feeling. ¡°Nggh¡­.¡± Ha-young groaned weakly as his grasp on her chest tightened. Every time his calloused hand roughly grazed over her soft skin, the sensation it incited was rather more strange than painful. He was only teasing her bosom, but it was the tips of her fingers that were tingling with strange sensations. Her fingers flinched. Her two arms had been long freed, but they refused to move and rested limply on the bed. ¡°Aah!¡± Ha-young gave out a startled scream. He suddenly swallowed one of her breasts and sucked it hard as if he wanted to devour it whole into his stomach. He clamped his lips over her nipple, gently nibbling, and then nudging it with the tip of his tongue. ¡°Ah!¡± A faint moan escaped Ha-young¡¯s lips as the tip of his tongue teased her nipples. Her body jumped up at the strange stimulus. However, the man who had climbed up on her body was like a huge rock. She was pressed down on the bed and couldn¡¯t even move a little. A more lewd wet sound rang in her ears than the time when he bit and sucked her lips. Her face turned red. Even though she tried to stay as still as possible, her waist swayed by itself. With her eyes closed, she imagined that her soul had escaped out of her body and was looking down at herself in the air. The scene of a half-naked man and woman entangled together with the man sucking and teasing her breasts was very vulgar. She shuddered with shame. Since she couldn¡¯t move her body, she could only flail her limp arms in the air. When she felt something touch her fingers, she quickly groped at it recklessly. The object she felt with her fingers was hard as well as soft. It rose and fell, then widened and narrowed. There was a peculiar suppleness in its every uneven curve and bump. Since she couldn¡¯t see it with her closed eyes, she focused only on the sensation she felt with her hands. Her hands that were moving forward were abruptly stopped by a pillar. She realized too late that the things she was groping were nothing but Mu-eun¡¯s shoulder, clavicle, and nape. A fierce beast-like purring sound rumbled throughout the room. Surprised by the unexpected sound, Ha-young quickly withdrew her hand. By the time she understood that the ringing voice came from his throat, the weight pressing down on her body increased. ¡°You have a knack for provoking men.¡± From his raspy, low-pitched voice, he seemed mad for some reason. Mu-eun slightly raised his body and again greedily devoured her flustered lips. He slammed his lips down on hers hard, completely restraining her. ¡°Heup!¡± His tongue licked her lips and prodded her mouth open. Mu-eun roughly licked around the inside of her mouth, poking the back of her tongue. Completely absorbed in the kiss, he rubbed his tongue against hers and sucked as if he was going to pull it out of her mouth. Ha-young felt goosebumps every time he sucked her tongue intensely. If the previous kiss felt like touching here and there, like a small exploration, this time it was quite aggressive. He swallowed even the breath that almost escaped through their perfectly interlocked lips. Ha-young felt like a prey that was being chased. She felt like she couldn¡¯t flee anywhere. His large hand grabbed her breast drenched with saliva, then kneaded and played with it to his heart¡¯s content. He squeezed them hard as if they belonged to him, then released them and grabbed them again. He then tugged at her hardened nipples and rubbed them between his calloused fingers. ¡°Umm¡­.¡± A nasal groan leaked out from her throat. She fell into a fearful but thrilling contradiction. Before she knew it, his hands were all over her body. His lips briskly moved over her face. He bit her lips, then kissed her on the chin, and then bit and sucked her earlobes. His hand, which had been teasing her breasts, wrapped around her round shoulder, and moved down to the curve of her waist along her armpit. Whenever the rough calluses on his palm scratched her skin, it incited a tickling and thrilling sensation. She gasped, breathing raggedly through her parted lips. No one had ever touched her body so freely. She now vaguely understood what the couple¡¯s night play was. Ha-young slightly opened her eyes. But when she did so, what came into her view was the bridge of Mu-eun¡¯s nose as he tilted his head to kiss her. She suddenly felt shy and closed her eyes again. Her heart pounded with an emotion different from shame. The insides of her leg had been weakly throbbing since earlier, but now it had become feverishly hot. The underwear covering her genitals had incontinently become damp. ¡°¡­¡­¡­When the woman¡¯s body is completely ready for the sexual union, it heats up like a fever, and water begins to flow from the genital area. It is natural¡­¡± The nanny¡¯s voice, which was ringing in her head, disappeared again as he tore off her last underpants. A chill swept over her body. Now, the only thing that covered Ha-young¡¯s body was a single sokgot1 that was as big as a palm. ¡°Ah!¡± Ha-young screamed in surprise. His hand came into the flimsy sokgot and covered her core. His finger penetrated the damp space between her pubic hair. She was shocked to know that the union between men and women was something like this. ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡± She bit her lower lip at the strange feeling of a foreign body burrowing into her body. Long, hard fingers slipped in one by one and rubbed the walls near her entrance. The fingers that had been momentarily pulled out, again came in deeper and stayed in for a while. Her chin, which was facing the side, was suddenly grabbed and turned to face him. His lips pressed against hers from above, swallowing them whole. As their tongues intertwined, his fingers picked up their speed. With her sweet fluids as a lubricant, the small opening easily sucked in his fingers. His fingers pressed down on her damp inner walls, and like a stick, lifted up her labia and gently caressed them. He then rolled the small bud hidden inside with his fingertips. ¡°Heung, um¡­¡­.¡± Under the relentless kiss that barely gave her any room to breathe, Ha-young gradually reached her peak. The insides of her mouth where his tongue touched were feverish, and the bottom, where his fingers jabbed in and out was also feverish. Ha-young didn¡¯t realize that her legs were getting wider. Her body jolted up and down, hoping for something. ¡°Ngg¡­.¡± As her little lower mouth widened further, she felt a tingling pain that made her frown. When her body stiffened, Mu-eun pulled out his fingers. He had only put in two fingers, but her inner walls were too narrow. At this rate, it seemed that his thing would not even be able to enter. Her lower body was dripping with water and her warm juices were trickling down her legs. But her body was still tense. He had been told that if the bride¡¯s body was not properly prepared before the act, then the union would most likely fail. Mu-eun just couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He was so heavily aroused that he was now starting to have difficulty in breathing. The mere imagination of her tight inner walls clamping on his thing just like how they did with his fingers made him shudder in excitement. He reached into his pants and grasped the hardened penis in his hand. His big thing filled his hand and was not comparable to his two fingers. He wanted to put it in. His waist tingled because he wanted to thrust into her softness right away. He grabbed Ha-young¡¯s thighs, spread them apart, and lowered his head towards her waist. He crashed his mouth to the slightly visible red flesh and sucked it in. A sweet and sour taste filled his mouth. ¡°Haa!¡± As she felt his tongue plunge into her entrance, Ha-young let out a startled moan. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡®That, that place! He put his mouth there!¡¯ ¡°No¡­ please don¡¯t do it, heup!¡± Her eyes flashed at the strange sensation. Traditional Korean undergarments. Here specifically, it is underwear. Chapter 5 Her eyes flashed at the strange sensation. His hot tongue found the pearl nestled within her fleshy petals and sucked on it. The onslaught of stimuli made her spill a moan out of her mouth and her body to convulse up and down uncontrollably. Fearing the unfamiliar pleasure, Ha-young wanted to run away. However, no matter how hard she tried to struggle, her tightly held legs did not budge. With her legs spread apart, he carefully touched that place and sucked at it intensely. ¡°Ah ¡­ umm ¡­¡± His tongue gently licked her core; the tip of his tongue slightly penetrated the entrance and then pulled out. It was shameful, but the simmering pleasure that flooded her senses felt good. She put all her focus on it, wanting to feel this strange pleasure a little more. Her whole body felt ticklish. Her blood seemed to gradually heat up. ¡°Ah ah!¡± Ha-young¡¯s chin tilted upwards. The intense pleasure left a strong afterimage and something wet gushed out of her sensitive lower half. At that moment, her vision turned dark. ¡®This ¡­ What is this?¡¯ The first climax she felt was quite strange. She gasped for breath; her breath coming out ragged as if she had been running. Her pussy was pulsating, and somehow her whole body felt drowsy. Mu-eun grabbed her limp legs and settled between them. His black eyes glistened with lust. Because of his impatience, he made the mistake of stabbing the wrong place, even though he could see the small entrance. He eventually got it right. When he felt the tip of his arousal touch the lip of her entrance, he put strength into his waist. Though her insides seemed tight, his thick, round tip squeezed in through the narrow gap. ¡°Ahh!¡± Ha-young frowned and shrieked from the pain. Mu-eun paused for a while and again moved inside her slowly. The inner wall swallowed his thick glans and greedily sucked his member in, up to the root of his pillar. ¡°Argh!¡± Her scream grew louder. Mu-eun let out a low, guttural moan. This feeling was much more exhilarating¡­ even more than what he had imagined. Just the feel of her wet inner walls clamping on him mercilessly almost made him cum. ¡°Heuk¡­¡± Ha-young¡¯s body shuddered as she grit her teeth. It was as if her body had been split in two, as if a painful, hot stake had pierced her body from below. Mu-eun pulled his hips back. Ha-young was terrified when his thick manhood, that filled her insides, slid out. Intuitively, she felt it was just the beginning. Moving half way out, he slammed back into her wetness again. ¡°Ah!¡± He rammed his hips over and over again. His deadly weapon that invaded her, spread her inner walls to its limit, moved out while rubbing against her delicate inner walls, then rammed in again, making Ha-young¡¯s body shake up and down. ¡°Ah! Ngg! Haa!¡± He lowered his torso and placed his arms next to her face. Her hands, which had been flailing in the air, clutched his arms. Her nails dug into his skin, but the stinging pain became an aphrodisiac for him, arousing him even more. He obsessively kept looking at her face as he rolled his hips. Her delicate face as she frowned and wept every time he poked and rammed into her was more beautiful than any beauty out there. His lower half tightened uncomfortably. Even while thrusting deeply, he was thirsty, as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of it. ¡°Hus, heuk, husband. ¡°Yes.¡± Ha-young stretched out her arms toward him in tears. ¡®It hurts. Nanny didn¡¯t tell me it would hurt this much.¡¯ But she didn¡¯t resent this man who stirred up her body mercilessly. She hugged his neck and slightly pulled him closer. ¡°Ha ¡­¡± His eyes darkened at the languid sigh. This woman, who was nestled in his arms as if clinging to him, was so endearing that his ferocious desire surged. He wanted to swallow her whole in one bite. He wanted to lick and suck on her sweet body until it completely melted away. His thrusts gradually became more and more violent. Screams, moans, and flesh-clashing sounds resounded in the room. The screams began to blend in with a woman¡¯s impassioned moans. Did I fall asleep for a second? Ha-young slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on her side, unable to move even a single finger. The man clinging to her back, rolled his hips. His length kept sliding into her tightness and stimulated her. ¡°Ugh ¡­¡± His hand fondled her breasts repeatedly, gripped and kneaded her soft swells. His lips pressed against her nape, which then slowly moved down her spine. The light teasing kisses seemed like afterplay. But Ha-young was not deceived by it. She had gone through his countless changes where he would become greedy in a moment. It was already the fourth day. He pestered her all day except for when it was time to eat or sleep. There was no place on her body where his tongue and lips had not touched. She wondered whether everyone spent their bridal night like this. Ha-young wanted to ask someone. Even though newlyweds shut themselves in their bridal chamber for five days, including their bridal night, no one frowned at this behavior. But after passing the expected three days, she started hearing some obscene jokes. She had once seen a married slave of her house being teased because of this. But she had never thought that she would face something like this herself. His hips, which were rocking gently with shallow thrusts, started picking up speed little by little. Ha-young¡¯s body began to shake. His hand lifted one of Ha-young¡¯s legs. As she took in a breath, he pounded into her deeply. ¡°Heuk ¡­¡± Her hands clenched into fists. Though now it didn¡¯t hurt like the first time, every time he thrusted deep inside her, her whole body would shake from fright. He poked and rubbed exactly where she felt sensitive. Her round shoulders turned reddish from behind. Mu-eun felt his blood heating up when he saw her pale skin turn red. Mu-eun changed their posture as he was not satisfied with her lying on her sides. He laid her on her back and climbed on top of her. He immediately wrapped both her legs around his waist and plunged his length all the way at once. The slightly loosened core swallowed and clamped down on his desire greedily. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Hmm ¡­¡± He rocked his hips slowly and then gradually began to thrust with great force. Ha-young let out a strangulated moan as he hit her sensitive flesh at an angle. He enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny of her body, as to where she was sensitive or where she felt good when he entered her. He didn¡¯t miss any of her subtle reactions. He put her legs on his shoulder and fiercely pounded into her softness, thrusting all of his length upto the base. ¡°Heuk! ngg! Ah!¡± The hazy white turbidity he had cum inside her trickled down her thighs every time he shoveled. She wondered how many times the bathwater had been heated today. The momentary thought disappeared in an instant. Chapter 6 The newlyweds, dressed neatly in newly made clothes for a couple, went to offer their greetings to the elders the first morning after their wedding. A middle-aged couple sat side by side behind the ceremonial table, and their eldest son and his wife sat below them. Their gazes on the two people bowing were subtle. Even though they tried to pretend not to know that the newlywed couple had stayed inside the bridal chamber for five full days, they couldn¡¯t hold it in, eventually. It was customary not to disturb a newly married couple for five days, including the first night. But it wasn¡¯t necessarily a practice to be followed. Usually, it was rarely practiced for more than three days. ¡°Ahem!¡± Yeon Hak-seo, who coughed to clear the awkward air, glanced at his son and spoke to Ha-young with a kind smile. ¡°Now that the new bride has taken off her wedding dress, she looks like a member of our family. It must have been difficult for you since your bed changed overnight. Did you sleep well? ¡°Yes, Father. I feel at ease, thanks to your concern.¡± Yeon Hak-seo nodded his head with a satisfied expression. When he first received the royal order to be in-laws with the Ju family, it was like a bolt out of the blue. But it was something that happened six years ago. The uncomfortable feelings subsided while meeting several times with Ha-young¡¯s father, Ju In-cheol, to discuss the frequently delayed marriage. The animosity that they had for each other was something that they had inherited from their parents, but in fact, Yeon Hak-seo and Ju In-cheol had never directly gotten involved in any severe conflicts. Maybe that¡¯s why they could tolerate each other, although it was still uncomfortable. The character of Yeon Hak-seo was quite simple. Once someone became close to him, he took care of them till the end. He was very pleased with his new daughter-in-law¡¯s bright eyes and neat appearance. Seeing his second son¡¯s relaxed face which was different from normal, it seemed he was besotted with his wife. It was said that the youngest daughter of the Ju family was an outstanding beauty, and the rumors sure turned out to be true. He smiled, ¡®Ah, Mu-eun, you punk, you too are a man who can¡¯t help it after all.¡¯ After giving words of blessing to his second son and his wife, Yeon Hak-seo told Mu-eun, ¡°You, go and greet your in-laws with your wife today. They must be feeling very lonely since their precious daughter has left the house.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± After finishing the greetings, when the sons and the daughter-in-laws, all four came out, her mother-in-law also followed behind them and called out to Mu-eun. ¡°Mu-eun, come with me for a second.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± He said looking back at Ha-young. ¡°Wife, you head in first.¡± Ha-young hesitated as she watched Mu-eun¡¯s back move away with her mother-in-law. If they weren¡¯t going to have a long talk, she wanted to wait and go together with him. ¡°Sister-in-law1.¡± Ha-young took some time to respond due to her being unfamiliar with this form of address. ¡°Yes, sister-in-law2.¡± ¡°I have something to tell you, so come with me for a moment.¡± Ha-young followed her older sister-in-law to the lower inner house3. As she was walking, her eyes nimbly flitted around and examined her surroundings. The old houses of the Ju and Yeon families were the second largest in the capital city after the palace. This was because they were built before the national law limiting the size of residences was enacted. Since both families have been maintaining their prosperity from generation to generation, they were able to inherit the old house prepared by their progenitors without having to knock it down. ¡®The two houses are similar in size, but their structures are different. The lower inner house here is much bigger here.¡¯ The lower inner house was the place where the wife of the eldest son stayed. Generally, a single inner house was shared by the mother-in-law and daughter-in-laws, but since the two families¡¯ houses were so big, they alloted separate spaces to the women. ¡®I guess it might be because the Yeon family has been having only one son every generation.¡¯ Ha-young¡¯s maiden house had several outbuildings for the second and below ranked sons¡¯ children. So, the lower inner house was smaller than here. The Yeon family had a hard time getting a child. From generation to generation, only one son was born in the family. She had heard it was rare for them to have two sons to be born in this generation. ¡°You must be well aware that every family has a tradition they follow. But it is quite hard to master them overnight..¡± From her sister-in law¡¯s expression and manner-of-speaking, she sensed that she was here to suppress her using her authority. Her attitude was akin to those who lorded over newcomers. Ha-young answered modestly, wearing a gentle expression, pretending to not have noticed what she was doing. ¡°Yes, sister in law. I¡¯ll be grateful if you could teach me.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯ll learn it with time. For now, just keep this in mind that Mother handles the housekeeping of the household, but to ease her burdens, I am taking care of the management for her. If there is anything you need, or money for managing your residence, you can report it to me. Only after I see the necessity will I inform Mother to have her permission.¡± There were too many things in her words that were unpleasant. Still, Ha-young answered without showing her emotions. As Ha-young calmly bowed her head, the sister-in-law told her to go with a sullen expression. On the way out of the lower inner house, Ha-young frowned and thought. ¡®The father-in-law I was most worried about turned out to be a cheerful person, but winning over the others won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ When she offered her greetings earlier, she sneaked a glance at her mother-in-law¡¯s expression. She exuded such cold air that Ha-young felt a chill when she gave them her blessings. So she guessed that her mother-in-law wasn¡¯t a generous person. Since her mother-in-law gave birth to two sons in a family where it was hard to have children, her mother-in-law should have a considerable influence in the family. It was roughly clear from the appearance of the sister-in-law prostrating to curry favor from the mother-in-law. ¡®Does sister-in-law think of me as a rival threatening her authority? When the opportunity arises, I should ease her guard against me.¡¯ Ha-young had no intention of intervening in the relationship between her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and didn¡¯t want to break the order that had been already established in the house. She only wished they would get along with her just the way they used to. As she exited the middle door of the lower inner house, she found her husband¡¯s back, standing across the yard. Ha-young smiled and hurried her steps.