Chapter 385: Learning the Female Heart
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 385: Learning the Female Heart
"This much is enough for me. If you happen to bring in more women in the future, just make sure to let me know properly. Specifically, the fact that I am the primary wife. And you must give us equal love. If you cling too much to a new wife just because she’s fresh, I’ll get jealous."
Ok-ryeong spoke to Sun-woo, her eyes sparkling.
"As long as you do that, I won't try to tie you down unnecessarily. In my heart, I desperately want to make you look only at me, but Sun-woo, you aren't my toy."
"...Thank you."
Sun-woo looked at her and expressed his sincere gratitude.
He knew. He knew that she was being deeply considerate of him.
She only emphasized the establishment of a proper hierarchy and equal love; she didn't try to bind him by force. Her heart was so beautiful that Sun-woo was genuinely moved. How could she possess such vast, wide understanding?
"Ga-ryeo, what do you think?"
Ok-ryeong turned her gaze toward Madam Un and spoke.
"........It hurts my heart terribly that my lord is taking other women, but I don't think I can stop it. It is a natural instinct for a superior male to spread his seed among many females. I don't want to forcibly restrain my lord's instincts. That would be taking away his freedom. So, as long as the hierarchy is clear and equal love is provided, I think I can understand as well."
Madam Un continued, wiping away her tears.
She thought to herself that she shouldn't bind Sun-woo because of her own greed. Wasn't it practically an instinct for a superior male like Sun-woo to spread his seed? How could one forcibly suppress such an instinct?
If she were to suppress Sun-woo's instincts, it was obvious he would eventually stray. Isn't it a man's nature to push back the more he is suppressed?
Therefore, Madam Un decided that if she couldn't stop him from adding more women, they should at least have a minimum set of ranks and rules.
"Adding more is fine. But I want you to establish a proper hierarchy. Who is above and who is below. I hate equal relationships. Without a hierarchy, everything will crumble."
"...Thank you... Ga-ryeo."
Sun-woo looked at Madam Un with a moved expression and spoke.
Honestly, it wouldn't have been strange if he had been showered with every curse imaginable. He had unilaterally betrayed their trust, and he had done so while swept up in lust.
Yet, Ok-ryeong and Un Ga-ryeo had forgiven him. Not only that, they had even officially authorized him to take more women as long as the hierarchy was established.
How could he not be moved? Sun-woo’s eyes grew red. The combined nurturing of the two 'mamas' made his heart pound wildly.
'I am a lucky man.'
Sun-woo thought. He was certain he was a happy man. To be with women who understood him to this extent, despite his own bottom-tier personality.
With reddened eyes, Sun-woo slowly turned his gaze. There, he saw Tang Seo-yoon, who was maintaining a stiff, frozen expression. He felt that now, he only needed to be forgiven by her.
"Seo-yoon."
"Fuck off."
"............"
Sun-woo felt awkward hearing her blunt response. He never imagined she would react so sharply in such a touching atmosphere.
"What can I do to make you forgive me?"
"I can't forgive you. I want to beat the shit out of you."
"........."
"I should have just killed you back then when you were soaked in poison........."
Tang Seo-yoon continued, looking regretful. Hearing those words, Sun-woo felt a chill. Memories of the past, when he had stood at death's door, came flooding back.
"........I'm sorry."
Sun-woo apologized to Tang Seo-yoon. She was usually someone who let most things slide with a generous spirit. Making someone like her this angry made him feel a heavy sense of guilt.
"You're always like this. You cause trouble, you apologize, you cause trouble, and you apologize again."
Tang Seo-yoon frowned as if she had a massive headache.
"I'm telling you not to do things you have to apologize for in the first place!"
"............"
Sun-woo kept his mouth shut. Come to think of it, he always remembered seeking advice from Tang Seo-yoon after causing trouble. Although she was about three years older, they were close enough in age that he always sought her counsel. Sometimes it was about trouble he'd caused, other times it was about romantic entanglements.
Whenever he sought advice, Tang Seo-yoon would always frown and act like she hated it, but in the end, she always gave the best advice. She was a friend he could always trust and rely on. Seeing such a friend so angry made a wave of apology wash over him.
"I already spread the word to everyone that we're engaged! If we break the engagement now, what does that make me!"
Tang Seo-yoon's face turned bright red as she spoke.
"It was supposed to be my one and only marriage! The only marriage in my life! You ruined everything! Now the Tang Clan and I will be a laughingstock to everyone!"
"..........I'm sorry."
"I don't need apologies that are just words! You're going to choose that Princess Gyeonghwa anyway, aren't you? Fine, do whatever you want! Throw the Tang Clan away and go far, far away!"
Tang Seo-yoon raised her voice, sounding utterly furious. She was feeling a profound sense of betrayal.
She had always thought that Sun-woo might leave one day. Even though he was acting as regent now, he was ultimately an outsider with no blood relation. She believed that the moment Sun-woo left the Tang Clan, its prosperity would surely decline. Sun-woo’s influence was just that immense.
That was why Tang Seo-yoon had always wondered if there was a way to keep Sun-woo tied to the Tang Clan. The solution she came up with was an engagement with a woman of the Tang Clan. Even if there was no blood relation, she thought it was the most appropriate way to bind him to the family.
After having that thought, Tang Seo-yoon had looked through the women of the Tang Clan to see if there was anyone who suited him.
Then one day, she found out that Sun-woo had bluffed about her being his fiancée. It was likely a tactic to exert greater influence through a public status.
When she first heard the news, Tang Seo-yoon had scowled fiercely. How could he block the future of an unmarried woman like that? Especially a virgin who had never even held a man's hand.
But soon, she realized that Sun-woo’s lie was an opportunity. An opportunity to bind him to the Tang Clan. There was no need to look for another woman of the clan. She could just marry him herself.
Of course, since she hadn't really thought of Sun-woo as a romantic interest, it felt a bit awkward, but she figured it wasn't impossible. Objectively speaking, Sun-woo was quite excellent husband material. Decent looks, a solid physique, and outstanding martial arts skills. For a Tang Clan that wanted a live-in son-in-law, he was a talent they couldn't help but covet. Even his 'seed' was of high quality, and his appearance wasn't bad either.
So, she had made up her mind. She would make the marriage with Sun-woo a reality. Since he had told such an outrageous lie, the option of marrying another man had already vanished into the distance anyway. And she thought that living with him wouldn't be so bad. Sun-woo was a fun and capable man.
But then, out of nowhere, he was asking to break the engagement. All to marry Princess Gyeonghwa, who held even greater power than she did.
She felt betrayed. At the same time, she felt the misery of being discarded. How could he cause such a mess and then throw her away like a used rag?
Rage boiled up from deep within her chest. This was an emotion she had never felt in her entire life.
"Get out! I said get out!"
Tang Seo-yoon shouted at Sun-woo. She didn't know why. She didn't know why her emotions were overheating beyond necessity. Normally, she would have found a reasonable compromise. She would have treated it as a broken engagement and demanded money from Princess Gyeonghwa as compensation, moving in a direction that maximized the Tang Clan's interests.
But strangely, right now, she was being swayed by her emotions.
"You really are trash! You always do whatever you want! Fine! I'm done too! The Tang Clan will grow on its own! Take your women and just leave!"
Swayed by her feelings, she hurled verbal abuse at Sun-woo. She thought to herself that this was absolutely not her usual self.
"You son of a bitch! You absolute scum of a human being!"
But she couldn't control it. Sharp, jagged words kept popping out. Words meant to hurt Sun-woo.
Drip.
Just then, Tang Seo-yoon felt something wet sliding down her cheek.
"What is this...!"
Flustered, she quickly raised her hand to touch her eyes. She soon realized what the wetness was. What had flowed down her cheek was moisture. Tears that come when one is soaked in sadness.
"Why is this happening?"
Tang Seo-yoon rubbed her eyes roughly, wiping away the tears. She didn't want to show Sun-woo any weakness. But strangely, as if her tear ducts were broken, the tears kept coming. They wouldn't stop.
Bite.
Tang Seo-yoon bit her lip hard. She tried everything to hold back the tears. But it was no use. Once they started, the tears flowed incessantly, refusing to stop.
"Don't... Don't look!"
She shouted loudly, thinking of Sun-woo who would be watching her. She didn't want him to see her like this.
'Please... stop... please...'
Tang Seo-yoon prayed and prayed. She begged for the tears that had burst out so thoughtlessly to stop. But no matter how hard she tried, there was no sign of them stopping.
Tang Seo-yoon realized she couldn't stay here.
"I've said everything I have to say! If you want to leave, do whatever you want!"
After finishing her words, Tang Seo-yoon rubbed her eyes and ran straight out of the guest room. She didn't want to show any more of this pathetic sight.
Slam!
The door to the guest room slammed shut violently. Sun-woo just stared at the door with a dazed expression. He was too shocked to speak.
He knew Tang Seo-yoon had a foul mouth. Despite her beautiful appearance, she was actually a blunt curser. But the tears were completely unexpected.
It was the first time. The first time he had seen her shed tears over something like this. She was someone who always maintained her indifference. She was logical and rational to the point of being stiff.
Such a woman had shown tears. And because of him. How could he not be shocked?
Tap.
Just then, someone lightly touched Sun-woo’s shoulder.
"Sun-woo."
Turning around, he saw Ok-ryeong with a worried expression.
"Go after her."
".......Now?"
"Is she not also one of Sun-woo’s women?"
"But... she's........"
Sun-woo spoke with a bewildered expression. While Tang Seo-yoon was his woman in the eyes of the public, the reality was a bit different. It was true he had feelings for her, but it was only to the level of 'liking' her. It was an ambiguous emotion to call 'love.' He assumed Tang Seo-yoon felt the same.
In such a situation, hearing Ok-ryeong call Tang Seo-yoon his woman made him feel flustered.
"Sun-woo, you act like a libertine, yet you really don't know anything about the female heart."
Ok-ryeong spoke with a slight smile.
"The female heart?"
Sun-woo asked, looking puzzled.
"Sun-woo, do you know why Lady Tang let you pretend to be her fiancé?"
".....Because... it was rational..."
Sun-woo stammered.
"Sun-woo, there isn't a woman in this world who wants to be linked with a man she doesn't like."
"............"
"If you think about it, Sun-woo, you might have made her wait for too long."
Ok-ryeong continued in a calm tone.
"............"
Sun-woo fell into confusion. He never imagined that Tang Seo-yoon, whom he had considered only a friend, might harbor romantic feelings for him.
"Hurry and follow her. You'll lose her at this rate."
Ok-ryeong spoke as she looked at Sun-woo’s stunned face.
"I... I got it!"
Sun-woo nodded quickly. He hadn't fully grasped the situation, but he felt he shouldn't let Tang Seo-yoon go. Sun-woo immediately turned and began to run out of the guest room.
Ok-ryeong watched Sun-woo’s retreating back intently. She wondered how a libertine could be so dense.
After her thoughts, Ok-ryeong slowly turned her gaze to the side. There, she saw Neung So-hwa, who looked like a discarded sack of grain. She had a dazed expression, as if she couldn't adapt to the sudden turn of events.
Seeing her, Ok-ryeong smiled softly.
"Shall we introduce ourselves again? I am Ok-ryeong. Sun-woo’s primary wife."
Ok-ryeong spoke to Neung So-hwa with a bright smile.
"It is... a pleasure. This lady is called Neung So-hwa."
Neung So-hwa replied with a hesitant expression.
"That's not it. You should call me 'Unnie'."
Ok-ryeong corrected her. Hearing that, Neung So-hwa looked utterly bewildered.