Chapter 366: I... Think I'm Pregnant.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 366: I... Think I'm Pregnant.
"Sun-woo, try this too."
Neung So-hwa picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and held it out to Sun-woo.
"No, try this first."
From the other side, Bukgung Yeon’s chopsticks were extending toward him with a meatball.
"Give me both at once."
Seeing this, Sun-woo opened his mouth wide. He knew all too well that choosing one over the other would only escalate the conflict.
"Doesn't it lose its flavor if you eat it like that?" Bukgung Yeon asked, her tone bordering on an interrogation.
"How could it not be delicious when both of you are feeding me yourselves?" Sun-woo replied, spouting words that were as sweet as they were rehearsed.
"Hehe."
Bukgung Yeon let out a small giggle, seemingly not minding his honeyed words.
"Ex... excuse me."
That was when Seol-hyang, sitting across from them, finally spoke up.
"How exactly am I supposed to process this situation?" she asked, her expression filled with utter bewilderment.
"Just accept it as it is, Hyang-mae," Bukgung Yeon replied with a gentle smile.
"So... what you're saying is... Brother seduced the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace and the Commandery Princess at the same time?"
"......The word 'seduced' is a bit bothersome, but essentially, yes."
Hearing her words, Neung So-hwa nodded in agreement.
"Brother... what about... Senior Dok Seo-si?"
"........."
At that question, Sun-woo’s mouth clamped shut.
Publicly, he was known as Tang Seo-yoon’s fiancé. Despite having an official lover, he had now taken in two more women. What could he possibly say?
"Actually, I called you here, Hyang-mae, to tell you this in advance."
Sun-woo continued, his expression turning incredibly serious.
"That is a very unwelcome bit of consideration," Seol-hyang replied, looking exasperated. "No, putting Sister Neung aside, when on earth did you seduce Sister Yeon?"
"Why am I being 'put aside'?" Neung So-hwa interjected.
"Because you've liked him for a long time, Sister!"
"Was it that obvious?"
"It was obvious from the start."
"How truly embarrassing. I thought I was quite good at controlling my emotions. It seems my love for Sun-woo leaked out without me realizing it."
Neung So-hwa squirmed slightly, looking bashful.
"Ugh... Sister, that’s so cringeworthy."
Seol-hyang shook her head from side to side at the sight.
"As for Yeon... on the day you and So-hwa went to the hot spring, we were drinking and..."
Sun-woo began to explain the events of that day step by step. It was embarrassing, but he felt that convincing Seol-hyang was the priority.
"How lamentable. I should have been the one sharing those drinks with you that day..." Seol-hyang muttered, looking dejected.
"What?" Sun-woo asked, thinking he had misheard.
"It’s nothing. Anyway, the conclusion is that you left your fiancée in the Tang Clan and took in two more women, right?"
"..........I suppose so?"
"Trash."
Seol-hyang spat out the insult without hesitation.
"Urgh."
Sun-woo looked as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He couldn't argue because he felt she wasn't wrong.
"Seol-hyang! Sun-woo is not trash!"
"Hyang-mae! Sun-woo isn't trash!"
Seeing Sun-woo’s flustered expression, Neung So-hwa and Bukgung Yeon immediately flared up in his defense. How could they let their beloved be called trash?
"You two are just as bad. You like a man who already has a lover—do you think that makes sense ethically?"
"It is because Sun-woo is too exceptional! How could anyone not fall for a man so wonderful?"
"It’s only natural for a beautiful female to be drawn to a strong male!"
"Unlike beasts, humans have reason to control their desires. Think about it from the other perspective. If I stripped naked and threw myself at Brother to tempt him sexually, would you be happy about that?"
"............"
"............"
The two women fell silent at her sharp criticism. There was no way they would be happy about that. How could anyone seduce a man who already had a lover?
"Of course, I'm not saying you two intentionally seduced him like that, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s the same. You harbored feelings for a man with a fiancée and ended up sleeping with him."
Seol-hyang spoke while looking at them with eyes as cold as frost.
"............"
"............"
The two women remained silent, finally feeling the gravity of the situation.
"Now, what about Sister Tang? I feel so sorry for her."
Seol-hyang asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. But the two women couldn't offer any answer. No appropriate words came to mind.
Seeing this, Seol-hyang smirked. It was amusing to see these sly cats in such a predicament.
"So, what are you going to do?" Seol-hyang asked, turning her gaze toward the flustered Sun-woo.
"......I'm thinking of announcing the truth to everyone..." Sun-woo replied in a hesitant voice, weighed down by his guilt.
"That you seduced the Commandery Princess and the Ice Palace Master while visiting the North Sea?"
"....Yes."
"When?"
"......Maybe tomorrow?"
"Are you crazy?"
"..........Is that not okay?"
"Of course not!" Seol-hyang shouted, raising her voice. "Brother, your engagement isn't just about your own intentions! How can you just announce whatever you want without asking the Tang Clan or Sister Tang first?"
Seol-hyang thumped her small chest a few times in frustration.
"There are procedures in this world! If you unilaterally reveal this out of the blue, not only you, but the Tang Clan and Sister Tang will all be covered in immense shame. Is that what you want?"
".............No."
Sun-woo shook his head. He didn't want his friend, Tang Seo-yoon, to suffer because of his mistakes.
"Then follow the proper procedures!"
"Proper procedures?"
"You have to explain the entire circumstances of how you came to accept these sisters."
"Ah..."
Sun-woo let out a sigh of realization.
"Until we arrive at the Tang Clan, avoid any official mention of this. Don't even make it obvious."
Seol-hyang spoke with a firm expression.
"....Okay."
Sun-woo nodded.
"Thank you."
He bowed his head slightly to express his gratitude. He realized that thanks to her, he had almost made a massive mistake.
"It’s nothing."
Seol-hyang waved it off as if it were no big deal.
"I mean it. I don't think I was thinking deeply enough."
"I'm glad I could be of help."
Seol-hyang grinned at Sun-woo’s repeated apologies. She didn't dislike his receptive attitude.
"But Brother."
"Yes?"
"Do you have any intention of taking in more wives?"
Seol-hyang asked, her face flushing slightly.
"What?"
Confusion spread across Sun-woo’s face. What was she on about now?
*
A month and a half had already passed since they began staying at the Ice Palace.
Quite a lot had happened during that time.
First, the iron gate that the Sword Man had cut down was completely restored. Since it was such a massive gate, moving the fragments, melting them down, and reforging them should have taken a long time, but thanks to the help of Neung So-hwa and Bukgung Yeon, it was successfully restored within a month.
Second, the condition of the missing persons had improved significantly. While there were still cases of physical disability or lingering psychological trauma, their recovery was incomparably faster than when they were first found.
And third...
"Ugh."
Bukgung Yeon began to dry heave.
"Are you okay!?"
Sun-woo looked at her, startled. Why the sudden retching? This was a woman who could normally gulp down meat like water.
Bukgung Yeon quickly hurried away, heading somewhere out of sight. Sun-woo watched her go with a blank expression.
What is it?
Then, a chill ran down his spine. He felt like he had seen this scene somewhere before.
"...Um... Sun-woo."
Neung So-hwa, who was standing beside him, spoke up.
"Could it be... that?"
".........."
Sun-woo’s expression became incredibly grave. Hearing Neung So-hwa voice his suspicion made it feel all too real.
No... surely not.
Sun-woo tried to deny it inwardly. Probability-wise, pregnancy was harder than one might think. Even if he fired his sperm using the Yin-Yang Harmony technique, most of them would die before reaching the egg.
Sun-woo told himself it couldn't be.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Until he actually checked Bukgung Yeon’s pulse.
Thump, thump.
Sun-woo felt his heart racing wildly.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
His breathing grew ragged. He shook his head repeatedly. It couldn't be; it made no sense.
But the fetal movement he felt through his fingertips did not lie. He could feel it—another life breathing inside Bukgung Yeon’s womb.
".............."
Sun-woo was speechless. His brain had stalled at the sheer suddenness of the situation.
True, he had promised Bukgung Yeon he would get her pregnant as a fruit of their love. But to think she would actually get pregnant after only a month of being together—what kind of speed was this? Since when had he been so good at keeping his promises?
"Is... is something wrong?"
Seeing Sun-woo’s grim expression, Bukgung Yeon asked, her own face turning serious.
"That... well... I think you're pregnant."
Sun-woo stammered out the words.
"Really!?"
Bukgung Yeon asked back, a bright, joyful smile breaking across her face.
"Yeah."
Sun-woo nodded awkwardly.
Bukgung Yeon laughed brightly, looking incredibly happy. An overwhelming sense of bliss surged from deep within her heart. A fruit of the bond between her and Sun-woo had been formed—and before any other woman. How could she not be happy?
She was someone who had lost her entire family to the Evil Demon twenty years ago. Now, she finally had a family of her own. A family she could give all her affection to, a family she could love with all her heart.
Glisten.
Tears began to well up in Bukgung Yeon’s eyes. She didn't want to show tears on such a happy day, but she couldn't help it. The emotion swelling in her chest was too much to contain.
She was happy. She was so, so happy.
"Waaaaah!"
Finally, Bukgung Yeon burst into tears. It was a sight that didn't suit her usual cold and rigid demeanor at all. But she didn't care. Now that she had a family, she felt she no longer needed a fabricated exterior.
She cried and cried until the overwhelming emotions finally began to subside.
Sun-woo quietly held her, patting her back to soothe her, all while wearing a very complicated expression.
*
"Sigh..."
Out for a walk, Sun-woo let out a deep sigh. He couldn't sleep at all.
Crunch, crunch.
Sun-woo walked along the white, glowing snowy path, lost in thought. He was thinking about the child in Bukgung Yeon’s womb—his child.
It still didn't feel real to him. The fact that he was going to have a child. At his age, he would normally just be starting his career in society. To suddenly have a child at such an age... it was hard to wrap his head around. None of his friends back home were even close to raising children.
"Sigh..."
He sighed again. No matter how much he thought about it, only sighs came out.
"What are you worrying so much about?"
A familiar voice called out from above. Sun-woo slowly looked up. He saw Un-jeok-ja sitting on the roof.
"Wait, how long have you been there?"
"Kwahahaha! I’ve been here from the start. You’re the one who walked over."
Un-jeok-ja cackled.
"Well, it’s... a bit of a personal concern..."
Sun-woo trailed off. He wanted to pour out his complicated feelings to Un-jeok-ja, but he had already been sworn to secrecy. He couldn't exactly tell him the truth in this situation.
"Ah... is that so?"
Un-jeok-ja smiled slightly and continued.
"Then, shall I try to guess?"
"Pardon?"
"You’re currently worrying about women."
Un-jeok-ja spoke with a mischievous look.
"........."
Sun-woo didn't deny it. It wasn't wrong.
"Which of the two is it?"
"Two?"
"I mean, is it the Commandery Princess or the Ice Palace Master?"
"Wha—?!"
Sun-woo asked back in shock. How on earth did he know?
"Hehehe, don't underestimate my years of experience."
Un-jeok-ja let out a light chuckle. Seeing that smile, Sun-woo could only look on in bewilderment.