Chapter 630: Noona... I’m Dyiiing...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 630: Noona... I’m Dyiiing...
"Huff... huff... huff... You’re dead when I catch you... I mean it..."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke between ragged gasps for air.
She had pushed herself to the limit, utilizing both her footwork and movement techniques to chase Sun-woo, yet she had failed to lay a single finger on him.
"Are you okay?"
Sun-woo asked, looking at her with a concerned expression.
"Huff... Shut... up... You’re... annoying me... huff."
Tang Seo-yoon scowled deeply as she forced the words out.
She was convinced Sun-woo was mocking her. Unlike her, who was panting heavily and drenched in sweat, Sun-woo hadn't broken a single bead of sweat, nor was he even slightly out of breath.
Seeing him act worried only made her feel like she was being toyed with.
"I’m only asking because I’m worried..."
Sun-woo continued, his expression shifting to one of hurt. He felt slighted that she didn't recognize his sincerity.
"If you’re... huff... really worried... wouldn't the... polite thing be... to let yourself... get caught... after a bit?"
Tang Seo-yoon managed to squeeze the words out through her heavy breathing.
"But you said you’d cut it off if you caught me. I can’t exactly let that happen."
Sun-woo replied firmly.
If she caught him, she would undoubtedly try to snip his "little clone." He couldn't allow such a situation to arise. While he was sufficiently repentant, he wasn't about to sacrifice his manhood for it.
"You... huff... you absolute bastard... seriously..."
"......Woof, woof."
Sun-woo let out a playful bark again.
"Why, you!"
Incensed, Tang Seo-yoon lunged at him once more. Sun-woo’s dog-like attitude had finally made her blood boil.
In an instant, Sun-woo’s quarters turned into a scene of total chaos.
"Stop! I said stop!"
"No! No way!"
The pursuer and the pursued.
A fierce chase broke out between the two once again.
After some time had passed...
Thud.
Tang Seo-yoon suddenly collapsed, sprawling out onto the floor.
In her desperate attempt to catch Sun-woo, who had reached the Profound Realm, she had completely exhausted her physical strength.
"Seo-yoon!"
As soon as she fell, Sun-woo rushed to her side, worried that she might have been hurt.
Tang Seo-yoon lay limp on the floor, her eyes closed.
"Seo-yoon... are you okay?"
Sun-woo looked down at her, trying to gauge her condition.
However, despite his question, Tang Seo-yoon remained silent, her breathing shallow and light.
Seeing this, Sun-woo’s anxiety began to grow. He feared that she might have actually injured herself because of him.
Sun-woo slowly leaned over her.
"Seo-yoon, wake up... Seo-yoon!"
Tap, tap.
He reached out and lightly patted her cheeks.
But even then, she remained unconscious.
'What should I do? Should I give her mouth-to-mouth?'
Sun-woo looked troubled. He was at a loss as to how to handle the fainted girl.
Just as he was agonizing over what to do...
Whoosh!
Suddenly, something wrapped around Sun-woo’s neck.
"Wh-wha—?!"
Grab!
He was violently pulled downward.
Squish.
Sun-woo’s face was buried deep into Tang Seo-yoon’s ample chest.
"Gotcha."
Tang Seo-yoon, who had pulled him down, spoke with a bright, triumphant smile.
".....Ha... ha... ha..."
Hearing her voice, Sun-woo let out an awkward laugh. It seemed he had walked right into her trap.
Squeeze.
Tang Seo-yoon began to hug Sun-woo’s neck even tighter.
"Mmph!"
Sun-woo’s face was now completely smothered—even his nose and mouth, cutting off his air.
'I can't breathe...'
Tap, tap, tap.
Sun-woo began to pat her arm. It was a signal that he was suffocating.
However, Tang Seo-yoon ignored his signal and only hugged him tighter, as if she were trying to literally choke the life out of him.
Sun-woo felt his consciousness starting to fade.
'What... do I do?'
If he stayed like this any longer, he felt like he would actually pass out.
'Should I force my way out?'
It wouldn't be difficult to break free. The difference in their strength was vast.
But Sun-woo quickly abandoned the thought. He didn't want to use his strength against the woman he loved.
'Noona... I’m dyiiing...'
And with that, Sun-woo completely lost consciousness.
*
How much time had passed since he let go of his consciousness?
Gasp!
Sun-woo felt oxygen rushing into his mouth.
'Oxygen... It’s oxygen!'
Sun-woo rejoiced inwardly. He began to greedily savor the air. It was delicious oxygen that carried a faint, floral scent.
After inhaling the air for a while...
Twitch, twitch.
Sun-woo slowly began to open his eyes. Then, he looked straight ahead to see the person who was pumping oxygen into him.
'Huh...?'
Sun-woo’s eyes widened in surprise. The person who had just been suffocating him was right there.
'Seo-yoon?'
It was indeed Tang Seo-yoon. She was the one blowing air into his mouth.
Mwah.
Tang Seo-yoon slowly pulled her lips away. She looked down at Sun-woo with tearful eyes.
"Se... Seo-yoon... hi?"
Seeing her expression, Sun-woo offered an awkward smile and a greeting.
"You idiot!"
Slap!
His head snapped to the side. Tang Seo-yoon had delivered a stinging slap to his cheek.
"Ow! That hurts! You crazy girl!"
"Stupid!"
Slap!
Tang Seo-yoon immediately slapped the other cheek. Sun-woo’s head snapped back the other way. He was unable to resist her fierce palm.
"What was that for?!"
Sun-woo protested, shouting back at her. What was the point of this after she was the one who suffocated him?
"If it was painful enough to make you pass out, you should have used your strength to push me away!"
Tang Seo-yoon shouted back, her eyes glistening with moisture.
"But then... you would have... gotten hurt."
Sun-woo mumbled his response.
"So you just stayed there and took it like a moron?! I kept squeezing because I thought you could handle it!"
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Tang Seo-yoon began to slap Sun-woo’s cheeks relentlessly.
"Ow! It hurts! I said it hurts! I’m going to die from being hit at this rate!"
"Then die! Just die!"
Tang Seo-yoon’s blows became even more aggressive. Sun-woo had no choice but to endure her outburst. He couldn't bring himself to stop her when he saw her crying.
After she had vented her frustration for a while...
Tang Seo-yoon slowly lowered her hands.
".....Don't ever do that again."
She spoke while looking at Sun-woo with watery eyes.
"....I understand."
Sun-woo nodded slightly. He could feel just how much she had been worried about him.
"And about Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s daughter... Lee So-ran."
"...Yeah."
"Let’s... let’s accept her as a primary wife too."
"Really? Are you sure about that?"
Sun-woo asked her, sounding surprised.
"The child doesn't have a direct grudge against you either... It’s too cruel for her to inherit the sins of her mother."
She spoke in a calm tone. Although guilt by association was a harsh reality in the Central Plains, she didn't particularly care for the concept. Why should someone suffer for a crime they didn't commit? It made no sense to her.
"Of course, we’ll need to get Ok-ryeong Unni’s permission... but knowing her... as long as her position as a primary wife is guaranteed, she won't care... so getting her permission won't be a problem."
Tang Seo-yoon continued, looking thoughtful. In the first place, Ok-ryeong wasn't the type to care how many women Sun-woo added to his harem. It wouldn't be difficult for Lee Gi-yeon and Lee So-ran to be accepted as primary wives.
"However... not Hwangbo Yu-yeon."
She added firmly.
"That woman clearly aimed for your life. I cannot allow her to be forgiven so easily."
Tang Seo-yoon’s voice was cold and steady.
"............I understand."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement. She wasn't wrong. Even though he had trained her to serve him, it didn't absolve her of her crimes. It was an undeniable fact that she had participated in the attempt on his life. If he gave her the position of a primary wife, there would surely be a backlash.
"Fine... then... I won't mention this anymore."
Once Sun-woo agreed, Tang Seo-yoon’s voice softened significantly.
"Um... but, Seo-yoon."
Sun-woo spoke up slowly, looking at the now-calmer Tang Seo-yoon.
"What is it?"
"You know So-yang, right?"
"How could I not know her? The Best Among Women."
Tang Seo-yoon asked Sun-woo, looking puzzled. How could she not know Joo So-yang? She was the greatest female master in the world, someone she had once admired. Of course, that admiration had crumbled after she was kidnapped by her.
"The thing is, I actually owe So-yang a debt."
Sun-woo began slowly, watching her reaction.
"A debt?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked, looking confused. What on earth did he mean by a debt?
"I owe her my life."
"Joo So-yang... saved your life?!"
Tang Seo-yoon asked back in shock. It was hard to believe. She didn't trust Joo So-yang. Even though the woman had surrendered to Sun-woo, she still harbored suspicions that she might betray him at any moment. And now he was saying she had saved his life? It wasn't easy to swallow.
"......Yes."
Sun-woo nodded in confirmation.
"I had passed out from exhaustion after cutting off Lee Jae-won’s arm."
Sun-woo continued in a calm voice.
"While I was unconscious, she protected me so that no one could touch me... even going as far as to confront Lee Jae-won, who had come to kill me."
".........That’s unexpected."
Tang Seo-yoon remarked, looking genuinely surprised.
"To think she would be loyal enough to you to confront her own husband..."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a serious expression. She couldn't understand Joo So-yang’s behavior at all. She knew the woman was infatuated with Sun-woo, but she never expected her to be so far gone that she would turn against her husband. Wasn't Sun-woo the enemy who had maimed him? How could she protect such an enemy? It was an incomprehensible level of loyalty.
".........So, what I’m saying is."
Sun-woo continued slowly, looking at the bewildered Tang Seo-yoon.
"Maybe... Joo So-yang could..."
Sun-woo spoke in a suggestive tone.
"No."
Tang Seo-yoon refused immediately before Sun-woo could even finish his sentence. Her voice was incredibly firm.
"I haven't even said anything yet......."
Sun-woo said, looking awkward. She had cut him off before he could even speak. It was quite embarrassing.
"I know what you’re going to say. That’s why I’m saying no. It’s not happening."
Tang Seo-yoon stated firmly.
"How do you know what I was going to say?"
"Aren't you going to ask to give Joo So-yang the position of a wife?"
Tang Seo-yoon stared at Sun-woo with a sharp gaze.
"..........You’re right."
Sun-woo nodded. There was no point in denying it.
"You must know what Joo So-yang has done in the past, right?"
Tang Seo-yoon stared at Sun-woo with cold eyes. Joo So-yang had a history of kidnapping her. It was all a ploy to lure Sun-woo to the Heavenly Moon Palace and kill him. And now he wanted to take such a wicked woman as his wife? What kind of nonsense was this? It was absurd.
"I know... of course I know..."
Sun-woo nodded slightly. He knew better than anyone what she had done in the past. If it hadn't been for the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, he would have died right then and there.
"If you know that, how can you even think about taking Joo So-yang as your wife?"
Tang Seo-yoon glared at Sun-woo with a piercing look.
Flinch.
Meeting her sharp gaze, Sun-woo flinched. He felt a bit intimidated by her biting reaction.
"But Seo-yoon....... she risked her life for me..."
Sun-woo looked at Tang Seo-yoon with an earnest gaze.
"She protected me... even by defying her husband, the Cheonmu Alliance Leader..."
"She’s the woman who tried to kill you!"
Tang Seo-yoon raised her voice.
"She’s the villainess who tried to lure you to the Heavenly Moon Palace to murder you!"
Tang Seo-yoon stared at Sun-woo with burning eyes.
"Seo-yoon."
Sun-woo looked Tang Seo-yoon straight in the eye.
"Have you ever heard the saying that sins are atoned for through merit?"
Sun-woo asked her with a serious expression.
"............"
Tang Seo-yoon met Sun-woo’s gaze with a calm face.
"It’s true that Joo So-yang committed crimes. She kidnapped you and even tried to kill me. I can't deny that she’s a villainess who deserves to die several times over....... But I believe she has performed a merit great enough to atone for those sins."
Sun-woo spoke in a low, steady voice.
"If Joo So-yang hadn't protected me while I was unconscious, I would have died. The Cheonmu Alliance was essentially enemy territory to me, and even Lee Jae-won, who held a grudge against me, had come looking for me."
"..............."
"I believe that level of merit is enough to forgive her sins... She didn't actually take a life, and she repaid an attempted murder by saving one."
Sun-woo looked at Tang Seo-yoon with a steady gaze.
"Considering her merit... couldn't we give her a chance?"
"What kind of chance?"
"A chance to be forgiven by you."
Sun-woo replied in a calm tone.