Chapter 365: A Prick of Conscience
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 365: A Prick of Conscience
"Sniff... sob... My Lord."
A peerless beauty dressed in pure white wept sorrowfully.
".....Ok-ryeong."
Seeing her like that, Sun-woo called out her name with an aching heart.
"Sob... You're... so cruel..."
"Cruel? What do you mean?" Sun-woo asked back, sounding bewildered.
"You promised... hic... that you wouldn't take any more women... sob... but you went and added more anyway..."
Ok-ryeong looked at Sun-woo with mournful eyes as she spoke.
"That... well, you see, what happened was..."
Sun-woo began to stammer out an explanation, his mind consumed by the single thought of comforting her.
"...Sob... I don't want to hear it... You're just going to pile on more excuses."
Ok-ryeong continued to weep piteously.
"You promised... that I would be... the first... sniff, sob..."
"..........."
Sun-woo fell silent. He didn't even know what to say.
It was an undeniable fact that he had completely forgotten his promise to her, bringing more women into his life and even recklessly handing over the position of primary wife. No matter what he said now, it would be nothing more than an excuse.
"I... hic... I trusted you... I believed only in you and... sob... I waited like this..."
Tears streamed down Ok-ryeong's face as she hurled words of resentment at him.
"Ok-ryeong... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Ok-ryeong."
Sun-woo apologized incessantly, hoping her indignation would soften.
"Forget it. I have completely lost all trust in you, Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong, who had been weeping uncontrollably, slowly stood up.
"I am going back to White Flower Peak."
Her expression was set in a firm, cold mask. She began to walk away slowly.
"Ok-ryeong! Don't go! Ok-ryeong!"
Sun-woo hurriedly tried to move his feet to catch her. But strangely, his feet wouldn't budge. It was as if he were rooted to the spot.
Soon, Ok-ryeong’s figure grew distant and began to fade away.
"Ok-ryeong!"
Sun-woo screamed at the top of his lungs as she departed. But she didn't even look back before vanishing completely.
"Sob... hic... Ok-ryeong..."
Sun-woo began to cry. His tears were thick with regret.
"OK-RYEONG!!!!!"
Sun-woo’s desperate cry echoed in all directions.
*
"Ok-ryeong!"
Sun-woo’s eyes snapped open as he shouted her name, bolting upright in bed. He quickly turned his head to scan his surroundings.
His vision soon settled on Bukgung Yeon and Neung So-hwa, both sleeping soundly on either side of him.
"Phew."
Sun-woo let out a heavy sigh of relief. He realized that Ok-ryeong leaving him had only been a dream.
"Right... there's no way Ok-ryeong would leave me..."
He muttered the words to himself as if to dispel the lingering traces of anxiety.
"..........."
However, the unease in his chest didn't vanish. He felt a lingering sense of discomfort, even a slight nausea.
Sun-woo glanced to his side. He saw Neung So-hwa sleeping peacefully. Immediately, the feeling of guilt intensified.
He realized he couldn't just dismiss it as a mere dream. Even if the dream itself wasn't real, the things he had done were very much a reality.
During his brief trip to the North Sea, he hadn't just taken two more women as lovers; he had even promised one of them the position of primary wife. From the perspective of Ok-ryeong, his first officially recognized partner, this would be a monumental betrayal.
Gulp.
Sun-woo realized he had to clearly establish the relationship between the two before Neung So-hwa and Ok-ryeong ever met—if only to minimize the sense of betrayal Ok-ryeong would feel.
Sun-woo looked at Neung So-hwa with trembling eyes.
*
"Say that again!"
Neung So-hwa’s face flushed as she raised her voice. It was obvious at a glance that she was extremely agitated—and not in a good way.
"Well... you see..."
Sun-woo began to stammer in the face of her fierce reaction. His guilt toward her was starting to well up.
"Are your ears plugged? You've been sacked. From the position of primary wife, I mean."
At that moment, Bukgung Yeon, who was standing nearby, spoke up with a mocking smirk.
"I was not asking you!"
Neung So-hwa snapped at Bukgung Yeon, who was clearly trying to get under her skin.
"I just thought you might be curious."
Bukgung Yeon replied flippantly, looking amused.
"Shut your mouth!"
Neung So-hwa screamed. She was already furious, and this annoying woman’s taunting felt like it would make her head explode.
"Sun-woo! I want to hear it from your own lips! Say it exactly as you did before!"
"......So... remember how I told you? That there are other women I have to take responsibility for..."
"You did! And I clearly said I would be understanding since there were only three in total, didn't I?"
"Well, it seems I have to reconsider the matter of the primary wife position..."
"I am of the Imperial Family! How can you reconsider the position of primary wife when I, a member of the Imperial Family, am right here!"
Neung So-hwa continued, her expression one of utter disbelief.
"I made a promise... regarding the position of primary wife."
"Then break it!"
"I can't. It was an agreement made before I even left for the North Sea."
"So you're saying you won't give me the position of primary wife now!?"
Neung So-hwa’s face was bright red with indignation.
"I can give it to you in name. But in practice, I need you to treat her as the primary wife..." Sun-woo said, his voice lacking confidence.
"That is absurd! How can there be another primary wife besides me? That is preposterous!"
"Even so, it has to be this way."
Sun-woo spoke with a firm expression.
"Because she is my benefactor and the lover who first accepted me."
"I cannot accept this!"
Neung So-hwa raised her voice, her face contorted with anger. She couldn't understand it. From what he was saying, he wanted her to have the title but surrender all actual authority. How could he say something so outrageous so casually?
"I'm sorry... I should have been clear from the start... but I just got swept up in the moment back then..."
Seeing her intense reaction, Sun-woo began to make excuses.
"Wait! Does that mean our relationship was nothing more than an impulse for a single night's pleasure!?"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
"That is exactly what it sounds like! Fine! I see where your heart truly lies!"
Neung So-hwa’s eyes welled up with tears as she spoke. It seemed her sorrow was finally overflowing.
Sigh.
Sun-woo sighed inwardly. He knew there would be resistance, but he hadn't imagined she would be this adamant. He looked troubled, unable to think of a solution.
"This worked out well."
Suddenly, Bukgung Yeon cut in.
"What!?"
Neung So-hwa glared at Bukgung Yeon with sharp, narrowed eyes.
"I said it worked out well. Because from now on, while Sun-woo is in the North Sea, he'll be entirely mine."
Bukgung Yeon continued with a satisfied smile.
"How on earth did you reach that conclusion!?" Neung So-hwa snapped.
"Hasn't your affection for Sun-woo cooled?"
"I never said such a thing!"
"The way you're acting, it looks like you're ready to break up with him this instant."
"That wasn't my intention!"
"Then why are you being so extreme? Over such a trivial matter."
"This is not a trivial matter! It's about who officially becomes Sun-woo's first woman!"
"In my eyes, it is a trivial matter. Why are you so obsessed with being first? Can't you just be satisfied with being a woman who receives Sun-woo's love?" Bukgung Yeon said with a slight smirk.
"You don't understand!"
"No, I understand perfectly. I see a child throwing a petty tantrum because she doesn't want to lose her treats."
Bukgung Yeon’s eyes flashed sharply as she spoke.
"It is not a tantrum!"
"It is. He even promised you the official status of primary wife, yet you're throwing a fit because he won't give you the actual power. If that's not a tantrum, what is?"
".............."
"Do you have any idea how childish you're being? Do you really have to exercise your petty lust for power even in things like this?"
"..........."
Neung So-hwa fell silent at Bukgung Yeon’s biting words.
"As for me, I don't care who the primary wife is. All I need is Sun-woo's love. But I guess you're different. I suppose you can only be at peace if you're reigning over someone else."
"..........That is not it."
"Liar. It's written all over your face. Sun-woo is probably incredibly disappointed in you right now. He might even despise you. Now that he's seen your greedy, overbearing, and childish side."
Bukgung Yeon began to mock her with a sneering tone, her words sharp enough to turn anyone's stomach.
"Looking at you, you really seem to have no conscience. You were clearly the last one to join, yet here you are demanding the position of primary wife."
".........."
Grit.
Neung So-hwa felt her insides boiling. Bukgung Yeon’s mocking sarcasm had pierced deep into her heart. And most infuriating of all was the fact that she couldn't think of a single word to refute her.
She couldn't deny it. The more she chewed on the words, the more her own selfish side stood out.
Soon, tears began to pool in Neung So-hwa’s eyes. She was overcome with a sense of self-loathing. How could she have done something so disgusting so thoughtlessly?
And then a thought struck her. Just as Bukgung Yeon said, Sun-woo might hate her now. No, he must surely despise her in his heart. If she found herself this loathsome, how much more repulsive must she look in Sun-woo's eyes?
"Sob... Sun-woo..."
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with tear-filled eyes.
"Sob... hic... Do you... despise me?"
She stammered, struggling to hold back her bursting sobs.
"No, Sohwa."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"Do I... hic... look greedy to you?"
"No, Sohwa."
Sun-woo looked at Neung So-hwa with pity as she gazed at him with sorrowful eyes. In a way, he was the culprit behind this whole mess, yet here she was crying, trapped in a pit of self-loathing.
Sun-woo opened his arms and slowly approached her.
Hug.
He pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Uwaaaaah... hic... I'm sorry... I... I was being greedy."
As soon as Sun-woo hugged her, Neung So-hwa burst into tears and began to apologize.
"I was... hic... being selfish..."
Pat, pat.
Sun-woo gently stroked her back to calm her down.
"Waaaaah!... All I need... is Sun-woo... Being loved by you is the most important thing..."
Perhaps his gentle touch made her guilt even more overwhelming, for her apologies became even more desperate.
"I don't need the position of primary wife.... I... as long as I have you... that's all I need."
Neung So-hwa clung even tighter to Sun-woo. He continued to stroke her hair gently.
"I'm sorry... Sun-woo... I won't... be stubborn... or act selfishly ever again."
She leaned her head against his chest and continued.
"Please, don't hate me."
She was practically begging.
"How could I ever hate such a lovely woman?"
Sun-woo hugged her even tighter as he answered. Satisfied with his response, Neung So-hwa buried herself deeper into his embrace.
Sun-woo looked at her with a complicated gaze. If one were to trace the cause, the fault lay entirely with him. Blinded by lust, he had made a one-sided promise without properly explaining the situation. Yet, seeing Neung So-hwa apologize and beg for forgiveness in this situation made a massive wave of guilt wash over him.
How on earth did things turn out like this?
Sun-woo felt a sense of doubt at the sudden reversal of the situation. He slowly lifted his head and looked forward.
Wink.
There, he saw Bukgung Yeon winking at him.
Sun-woo’s jaw dropped. He realized that this entire scene had been orchestrated by Bukgung Yeon. She had intentionally provoked Neung So-hwa by comparing her to herself, highlighting So-hwa's faults. And in the end, she had made her reflect and repent out of guilt.
Wow.
Sun-woo let out a silent laugh of disbelief. He never imagined she could set the stage on such a grand scale.
As Sun-woo stood there with his mouth agape, Bukgung Yeon’s lips began to move. She seemed to have something to say. Sun-woo followed her lip movements to decipher the meaning.
'Pay... back... your... debt... with... your... cock.'
Whoosh!
Upon receiving her explicit message, Sun-woo’s face turned bright red. He never expected her to say something so mischievous.
'Thank... you... I'll... definitely... pay... you... back.'
But soon, Sun-woo mouthed back his response. He was well aware of the fact that he owed her a great debt.
Receiving Sun-woo’s message, Bukgung Yeon smiled. It seemed her chances of getting pregnant had just increased.