A Sweet Dream Shattered
Yeongso let out a hollow laugh, clearly thinking her brother was being absurd.
"Look at your husband. People used to say no one under heaven would dare challenge Hwa Banya. Yet, the greatest master of the Sapa died overnight."
"Though, rather bewilderingly, he came back to life," Yeong-hyeok added.
"Baekri Yeongso, you never know what life will throw at you. That is why I do not want to hear you talk about dying, even in passing."
For some reason, Yeongso's smile froze. Yeong-hyeok noticed the corner of his sister's mouth twitch slightly.
Which part of his words had startled her? Her husband's sudden death? But that was already three years ago.
"Uh... Brother, if you are really that worried, do you want to check my pulse?"
It was strange of her to suddenly roll up her sleeve so compliantly.
"If this is what it takes to put your mind at ease, then your generous sister must oblige."
Her sudden playful tone was equally suspicious. Yeong-hyeok placed his fingers on Yeongso's pale, slender wrist. Her pulse was perfectly stable.
It is so stable that it is almost suspicious...
Just then, someone approached.
"My apologies. I am a bit late."
It was Jang-gyeong. The young man, whom Yeong-hyeok had once believed without a doubt would become his brother-in-law, quickly averted his eyes the moment he saw Yeongso's exposed wrist.
"I did not realize you were taking her pulse. Is... is Lady Yeongso unwell?"
"Her pulse is stable," Yeong-hyeok replied.
"That is a relief."
"A bit too stable, if you ask me."
If it was stable, it was stable; what did he mean by "too stable"? Both Yeongso and Jang-gyeong looked at him with similar confusion.
"Anyway, now that Jang-gyeong is here, let us resume our discussion."
The awkwardness was fleeting. Both Yeongso and Jang-gyeong knew they had to proceed with the utmost caution. Their expressions were deeply serious as they discussed the transport routes. Yeongso's soft, calm voice and Jang-gyeong's low, resonant tone never overlapped, flowing in perfect harmony.
Yeong-hyeok quietly watched the two sitting side by side.
You two could have finally become husband and wife this time...
Who could have known Hwa Banya would return from the dead? The moment they received news that the Alliance Leader of the Thousand Death Alliance, who had died three years ago, had returned to life, their mother had collapsed on the spot, her face completely drained of color. Yeong-hyeok still remembered how Jang-gyeong's hands had trembled as he stood by her side.
How heartless the heavens are.
What kind of god had decided to bring Hwa Banya back to life? Was his poor sister truly cursed to never enjoy the blessing of being the wife of a promising young nobleman who would cherish her?
Just when I thought she might finally find happiness.
Yeong-hyeok let out a deep, silent sigh. Perhaps a fleeting dream was the only place where these two, who suited each other so perfectly, could ever live as husband and wife.
It had been a subtly exhausting day. Figuring out how to safely transport a hundred people and coming up with secondary and tertiary contingency plans was, as expected, no easy feat. Yet, what truly strained Yeongso's nerves was, without a doubt, Jang-gyeong's presence.
Brother Jang-gyeong tries his best not to show it, but I can see right through him.
Knowing that someone who loved her was in the same room. Knowing each other's tastes so well after all these years. Knowing that a simple question about whether she still liked white bean paste pastries mixed with citron juice was enough to evoke shared memories.
"That was far more tiring than I expected..."
She had caught herself smiling, only to force it down, reminding herself that she shouldn't, and then enduring the awkward silence that followed. The entire afternoon had been a repetition of this cycle. In terms of sheer distress, she almost preferred last night, when she had unleashed a hundred sharp threads at her husband. Though her anger had flared to the point of losing control, at least she had been able to vent it all out.
"...Baekri Yeongso, you have lost your mind. How can you even compare the two?"
No matter how difficult things were, how could she compare Banya to Jang-gyeong? That was terribly unfair to Jang-gyeong, who had lived his entire life as a pure, upright gentleman.
"I will feel better after a good night's sleep."
She was likely just mentally exhausted. Yeongso closed her eyes, hugging a warm compress to her chest. Her newly changed blankets felt cozy. Just as she wished for a dreamless sleep, her consciousness drifted deep into the dark.
In her dream, Yeongso had been married to Jang-gyeong for three years. However, because Jang-gyeong had been appointed to an official post and sent to the harsh borderlands immediately after their wedding, Yeongso had spent those three years alone at her in-laws' estate in the capital. Her parents-in-law, who shared deep ties with the Baekri Clan, doted on her. Thanks to their affection, Yeongso had been able to endure the long wait for her husband's return without feeling too lonely.
Then, one day, news arrived that Jang-gyeong was finally returning home. Having achieved great merit at the border, he had been promoted in rank, and Yeongso was to receive the title of a noble lady of the court. It was a double blessing for the family. Yeongso awaited her husband's return with a fluttering heart. In the presence of their elders, she had been too shy to even meet Jang-gyeong's eyes, but once the night deepened and they were finally left alone, she managed to speak.
"Brother Jang-gyeong."
Jang-gyeong smiled softly.
"Are you still going to call me 'Brother'?"
"B-but it has become a habit..." Yeongso murmured in a small voice. "From now on, I will call you... husband... properly."
"I cannot quite hear you."
"...You heard me perfectly fine. Stop teasing me."
Jang-gyeong suppressed a laugh as he gazed down at his wife, whose ears had turned bright red. As he stepped closer, the scent of clean water drifted from him. Having just bathed, the tips of his hair were still damp.
"I, too, am so used to calling you 'Lady Yeongso' that it is hard to break the habit." Jang-gyeong gently cupped her cheek. "We can change how we address each other slowly."
"Yes..."
"But that is not what I wish to rush."
He slowly leaned down toward her. Yeongso's shoulders trembled slightly under a tension so thick it made it hard to breathe.
"It is this."
Jang-gyeong gently parted her lips as if tasting a sweet fruit. The soft contours of her lips yielded beneath his. He slid his tongue past her parted teeth.
"Ah..."
Yeongso let out a soft moan at the unfamiliar sensation. At her sound, Jang-gyeong pushed deeper, making the kiss even more intimate and intense.
"Jang-gyeong... Ah, wait..."
Her brow furrowed slightly at the overwhelming pleasure. Guided by his gentle pressure, she took step after step backward until her legs brushed against the edge of the bed.
"Ah...!"
Her body grew hot with a speed that startled even herself. As he pulled her nightgown down a fraction, her pale shoulders were exposed to the cool air. Jang-gyeong pressed his lips there. A ticklish, sweet pleasure bloomed wherever his touch landed. The moment his lips lightly brushed her collarbone, Yeongso spoke in a breathless plea.
"Brother Jang-gyeong, I cannot bear any more..."
"That is a relief. Neither can I."
Jang-gyeong's voice had grown thick and husky. Supporting the back of her head, he leaned his weight into her, and they tumbled together onto the bed.
This was their first time sharing a bed since their wedding night three years ago. The couple's feverish gazes locked. Just as Jang-gyeong was about to slide her nightgown completely off her shoulders—
Slam!
Someone threw the bedroom door open without a shred of hesitation.
"Seo Jang-gyeong, I have been waiting for your return."
Before they could even identify the owner of the voice, a blood-stained fan flew through the air, slicing the fluttering bed curtains clean in half. An intruder.
There was only one man in the world who would throw a blood-stained fan like that: Hwa Banya, the notorious greatest master of the Sapa, the Alliance Leader of the Thousand Death Alliance, and the Palace Master of Jeokhwa Palace.
Yeongso's face turned pale. She hurriedly pulled her nightgown together and sat up. Jang-gyeong dragged the thick duvet over his wife to cover her before drawing his sword.
"Hwa Banya! Do you have any idea what you have done? This is the Duke's residence. Attacking this place is no different from declaring war on the imperial army!"
"How exciting. I was just starting to feel a bit bored."
Banya, his hair held in place by a silver crown studded with jewels and a dragon-headed ornament, stepped over the threshold. A drop of blood, belonging to God knows who, was splattered across his cheek.
"I was just thinking it might be fun to test exactly how many people I can kill."