Chapter 203: The Great Matriarch, Drowned in Sorrow
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: The Great Matriarch, Drowned in Sorrow
"Sob... sob, sob..."
The sound of the Great Matriarch’s weeping began to fill the room.
Her cries were so sorrowful that they tugged painfully at the heartstrings of anyone listening.
"Um... Ga-ryeo... please, calm down..."
Sun-woo spoke with a troubled expression as he watched her weep so piteously.
He was currently in a very difficult position.
After the trip to the North Sea had been finalized and he had finished all the miscellaneous chores, Sun-woo had sent Ok-ryeong ahead and sought out the Great Matriarch’s quarters.
He had come to inform her of his imminent departure.
Upon hearing the news, the Great Matriarch had burst into sorrowful tears, and even after a considerable amount of time had passed, there was no sign of her stopping.
Sun-woo looked distressed.
He had expected this. He knew that her opposition would be fierce when he told her he was leaving for the North Sea.
How could she not protest? Her lover, who had only just returned after six months, was leaving her once again.
"How... how can I calm down? Hic... sob..."
The Great Matriarch spoke through her tears, her voice trembling.
She felt as if her heart were being squeezed tight.
This was the man she loved, finally returned after half a year. And yet, before they could even properly enjoy the relief of their reunion, he was telling her he had to leave for the North Sea.
It was impossible for her heart not to ache.
"Why do you keep trying to leave my side? Sob... hic..."
The Great Matriarch began to cry even more bitterly.
"I'm sorry..."
Sun-woo could do nothing but apologize.
"I don't need apologies... Just... just don't leave."
The Great Matriarch looked at Sun-woo with pleading eyes.
She was a woman who had already lost her husband and her sons. All she had left was Sun-woo, her new lover.
But because he kept trying to leave her, a deep sense of anxiety began to take root. The fear that Sun-woo might one day leave her forever.
That anxiety made her even more mournful, driving her to beg him not to go.
...Tsk.
Seeing the desperation in her eyes, Sun-woo felt his heart waver.
It wasn't that he didn't understand her feelings. He had unintentionally left her alone for six months. To tell her he was going on another long journey now—it was only natural for her to feel resentful and upset.
"Ga-ryeo, I'll be back soon. Okay? I promise."
Sun-woo pulled her into a gentle embrace and spoke softly.
Thud.
In that moment, the Great Matriarch pushed him away slightly.
"I don't need promises you won't keep!"
She shouted, looking at him with eyes brimming with tears.
"Last time, you said you'd be back in two months, but it took you six!"
"That... that was because of the circumstances..."
"Do you have any idea how much I worried during that time? I couldn't reach you, and there was no sign of you returning!"
The Great Matriarch raised her voice, venting the frustrations that had built up.
"Why! Why won't you understand the heart of the person waiting for you! Why!"
She cried out toward Sun-woo, her voice thick with moisture.
"............I'm sorry."
Sun-woo could only apologize in the face of her outburst. He realized he truly hadn't been considerate of her feelings.
The Great Matriarch was a woman of immense grace and consideration. As the mistress of the Tang Clan, a woman of dignity and poise, she was never one to raise her voice or lose her temper.
And yet, here she was, furious.
He could only guess how much anger and pain had been suppressed for her to shout like this.
Tight.
Sun-woo stepped toward her again and pulled her into his arms.
"Let go! Let me go!"
Held in his embrace, the Great Matriarch struggled, trying to push him away and escape.
However, the more she resisted, the tighter Sun-woo held her, refusing to let her go.
"I'm sorry... truly... I'm sorry, Ga-ryeo. I think I've put you through too much."
Pat, pat, pat.
"Let go.... I said let go..."
The Great Matriarch continued to speak while feebly thumping Sun-woo’s chest with her fists.
But there was no strength behind her blows. Even in her anger, her heart didn't want to hurt him.
"I'm sorry, Ga-ryeo. I think I've been too selfish with you."
Sun-woo looked down at the woman in his arms and spoke.
"I think I took your consideration for granted and just expected you to understand. I'm truly sorry. You must have been in so much pain. You must have been so sad. I treated you with the complacent thought that you would just understand."
Sun-woo began to apologize deeply as he looked at her.
"........."
"I'm sorry for leaning on your kind heart. I'm sorry I couldn't be better to you."
"Hic... sob... sob, sob."
At Sun-woo’s apology, the Great Matriarch burst into tears once more. Her emotions had suddenly surged to the surface.
"You... hic... promised you'd be... sob... back soon..."
"I'm sorry."
"You said... hic... you wouldn't let me... sob... be lonely... hic..."
"I'm sorry."
"...You're... hic... mean... You're so mean! Waaaaah!"
Having finished her sentence, the Great Matriarch buried her face in Sun-woo’s chest and sobbed even more heart-wrenchingly.
Sun-woo simply held her tight.
.
.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Perhaps she had finally calmed down, as the weeping that had filled the room gradually subsided.
"Are you feeling a bit better now?"
Sun-woo asked, looking down at the woman still in his arms.
Nod, nod.
The Great Matriarch nodded her head in response.
Stroke, stroke.
Finding the gesture quite adorable, Sun-woo began to slowly stroke her hair.
The Great Matriarch didn't seem to mind his touch and simply stayed still.
"Do you really have to leave?"
Eventually, she looked up at Sun-woo and spoke.
"I have no choice. The situation is more serious than I thought. It's at a point where I have to be the one to go."
"Could I not go with you?"
"There's no justification for it. How could the mistress of the Tang Clan go to such a place?"
"Uuuu..."
At Sun-woo’s firm answer, the Great Matriarch’s face fell. She knew it was impossible, but being rejected still made her feel sad.
"I promise. This time, I will definitely be back within four months."
Sun-woo spoke with a determined expression.
In truth, considering the distance from the Tang Clan to the North Sea, four months was an incredibly tight schedule, but Sun-woo said it anyway. He wanted to reassure the grieving woman.
"Liar."
The Great Matriarch replied shortly.
"I mean it this time."
"Last time you said two months, and it took six."
"That was because of the circumstances..."
"And who can guarantee those 'circumstances' won't happen again?"
Her words were laced with thorns. Moreover, Sun-woo had broken his previous promise. If he left for the North Sea now, she couldn't even begin to guess when he might return. Naturally, her tone was sharp.
"Whew... I'll tell you the truth. The estimated time is about four months, but in reality, it might take longer."
Sun-woo began to confess honestly.
He was telling the truth. Based on distance alone, four months would be enough, but he had no idea what might happen in the North Sea.
Between the martial artists of the North Sea and the harsh weather with its biting cold and blizzards, there were too many variables. In such a situation, he couldn't even guarantee the four-month mark.
"I knew it."
The Great Matriarch turned her head away as if pouting.
Oh boy.
Sun-woo looked at her with a troubled expression. He had managed to soothe her, but it seemed impossible to fully resolve her feelings.
Sun-woo lowered his head. He was at a loss for what to do.
Touch.
Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation on his cheek.
Surprised by the warmth, Sun-woo lifted his head. There, he saw the Great Matriarch looking at him with sad eyes.
"Lift your head. A man should not lower his head so easily."
The Great Matriarch continued as she gazed at him.
"...Ga-ryeo."
"The fact that you are leaving again is very sad, but it isn't your fault."
"But... I..."
"It's alright. How can I insist on my own position when a man is off to do great things?"
The Great Matriarch looked at Sun-woo with a benevolent gaze.
"I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me and scolded you too much, didn't I? I shouldn't have, but my feelings took over and I ended up acting like a child."
"But..."
"It's really okay. Because you held me so tight, the sadness in my heart has mostly faded."
The Great Matriarch spoke with a faint smile.
Her benevolent smile began to tug at Sun-woo’s heartstrings. The chest that had been plagued by guilt felt warm once again.
"Are you really okay?"
"I'm really fine. It's not like we're parting forever, and I know you'll love me even more when you return."
She spoke with a clear smile on her lips.
Grab.
She looked so lovely that Sun-woo couldn't help himself and pulled her into another embrace.
Soft, squish.
As he hugged her, the sensation of her full breasts was transmitted directly to him.
It was warm. And it was comforting.
Stroke, stroke.
"Instead, I have a request."
The Great Matriarch spoke as she stroked Sun-woo’s hair.
"What request?"
Sun-woo asked, looking at her.
"I need proof that you won't abandon me, no matter what happens."
"Proof?"
Sun-woo asked, puzzled. What kind of proof was she talking about all of a sudden?
"Please, make me pregnant."
"Wh-what!?"
Sun-woo asked back in shock. He had never imagined such words would come out of her mouth.
"I want to have the fruit of our love."
"............"
Sun-woo fell into deep thought at her words.
Pregnancy. It was something he hadn't even considered. To him, with his modern sensibilities, the idea of a pregnancy without marriage was something he felt a strong resistance toward.
"Is it... not possible?"
The Great Matriarch asked, looking at Sun-woo with piteous eyes.
"No... it's just... pregnancy isn't something that happens just because you want it to... and I'm not sure if I'm... mentally prepared yet..."
"I... see..."
At Sun-woo’s words, the Great Matriarch lowered her head in disappointment.
Seeing her like that, Sun-woo looked conflicted. Pregnancy was by no means a light matter. It was proof of a lifelong commitment to someone. For Sun-woo, who had never been responsible for another person's life, it was an immense burden.
"I'm sorry... I think I asked for something unreasonable... I just wanted to confirm your love, but I think it felt like a shackle to you."
She spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"..........."
Sun-woo just stared at her in silence. He agonized over it internally.
Didn't I say I would take responsibility for her for the rest of her life?
Thinking back, Sun-woo had firmly vowed to take responsibility for her and make her happy for as long as he lived. He believed it was the only way he could atone to her.
And now, she was saying she wanted to be pregnant. To be happy.
As someone who wished for her happiness, Sun-woo didn't want to refuse. And he wanted to prove it. His will to cherish her, protect her, and make her happy forever.
"Ga-ryeo."
Sun-woo spoke in a low voice as he looked at her.
"Are you sure you won't regret this?"
He was asking if she was prepared to carry a child whose father she could never openly reveal.
"Of course."
The Great Matriarch nodded in response. Her eyes were filled with a resolute determination.
Sun-woo slowly approached her. He began to fiddle with her earlobe, gently, as if teasing her.
"Ah... not there..."
The Great Matriarch began to squirm, not disliking the ticklish sensation on her ear.
Mwah.
Finding her reaction adorable, Sun-woo moved the hand that had been fiddling with her ear to the back of her neck. Then, he slowly pulled her toward his face.
Slurp.
Before long, her flushed lips met Sun-woo’s, and the two shared a deep kiss.
How much time passed like that?
Sun-woo slowly pulled his lips away from hers. A long, transparent thread of saliva stretched between them.
Schlurp.
Sun-woo licked the remaining moisture with his tongue and looked at her.
The Great Matriarch’s face was flushed a deep red. She seemed to have become aroused in that short time.
With a small smile, Sun-woo lowered his head slightly and pressed his lips to her neck.
Lick, lick.
He stuck out his tongue and began to lick her snow-white neck without hesitation.
"Ah... ahh... ah..."
Sun-woo’s saliva began to drench her neck.
The Great Matriarch let out shallow moans despite herself at the ticklish sensation.
The sound was so erotic that Sun-woo felt a surge of heat pool in his loins.