Chapter 201: Engagement (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201: Engagement (1)
"About our engagement ceremony...?"
Seo-jun's mind raced faster than it ever had before.
Wait, did I actually forget about my own engagement ceremony?
He had never considered himself that much of a fool. He was absolutely certain he hadn't heard a word about this...
Regardless, he had to choose his next words carefully.
First, listen closely. Then, give a reasonably safe response. That would at least get him halfway out of trouble.
"It's a bit sudden, but... well, everyone keeps asking when the ceremony will be. So, I was wondering if maybe..."
"Yeah, you're right. I think holding it sooner rather than later is a good idea."
"R-really...?"
Namgung Su-ah's face brightened instantly. It was a dazzling smile, like a flower bud bursting into full bloom.
"That's a relief... I was worried you'd be taken aback since I brought up the engagement so suddenly."
So, he hadn't actually forgotten about it.
Seo-jun nodded, deeply relieved to have proven to himself that he wasn't a total idiot.
"Having an engagement ceremony and then a wedding means two happy occasions. It's actually bett—ter."
Seo-jun's voice trailed off. Chun-bong suddenly flashed through his mind.
Wait a second...
WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO! An emergency siren blared in Seo-jun's head. A massive, deafening alarm.
An engagement to Namgung Su-ah. And the wedding that would follow.
He had no intention of backing out. In the first place, Namgung Su-ah was a woman who could rightfully claim to be the finest bride in the Central Plains. Seo-jun had never seen anyone with such perfect qualities for a devoted wife in his entire life.
Marrying her was something he should be shouting his gratitude to the heavens for while prostrating himself in prayer.
But there was one major problem. His dear Chun-bong. She had made that bold confession about wanting to live with him, and now he was suddenly going to hold an engagement ceremony with someone else?
It wouldn't be strange if Chun-bong went into shock and suffered Qi Deviation on the spot.
If the roles were reversed, Seo-jun was confident he would have awakened as the Heavenly Demon right then and there.
I'm screwed.
What was he supposed to do?
He couldn't take back the engagement. If he did, instead of Chun-bong, it would be Su-ah who got hurt.
Just look at that beaming, radiant smile. Seo-jun had never seen Namgung Su-ah look so genuinely happy.
Did he have the courage to tell someone that happy, "Ah, on second thought, about the engagement... teehee..."?
Seo-jun questioned if that could even be called 'courage.' No matter how he looked at it, that was just the behavior of a madman.
"Hehe, what are you thinking about so hard?"
Despite his intense inner turmoil, Namgung Su-ah didn't notice his distress.
Part of it was because his acting had improved, but mostly it was because Namgung Su-ah was currently in the most excited state of her entire life.
She was pouring all her concentration into pressing down the corners of her mouth that kept trying to curl up, suppressing her twitching shoulders to a mere shrug.
She was so preoccupied with controlling herself that she failed to notice Seo-jun's state.
"Oh, uh, nothing. It's nothing."
Seo-jun forced himself to calm down. This wasn't a problem he could solve by rushing. He needed to think clearly.
Trickle—
Namgung Su-ah poured wine into Seo-jun's cup and then held out her own.
"Cheers?"
"Cheers."
Their cups clinked, and they drained them.
As she enjoyed the wine along with some light snacks, Namgung Su-ah couldn't hide her smile. Her giggles escaped repeatedly, and the fragrant scent of wine filled the Pyeonun Pavilion.
"It would be best to leave picking an auspicious day to my father, right?"
"Yeah. For my Father-in-law, reading the Heavenly Will shouldn't be difficult."
"Then, once the date is set... should we make the ceremony a bit grand?"
"Grand enough for everyone in Hefei to see?"
"Yes. I'd like that."
More talkative than usual, Namgung Su-ah chattered away before letting out another giggle.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I just feel like I'm a bit too excited."
"It's a happy occasion."
"Still. Don't I look a bit silly?"
"Not at all."
The real idiot is sitting right here, Seo-jun thought. He scratched his head and downed the wine in his cup in one go.
He realized that just sitting here worrying was a waste of time.
The die was already cast, wasn't it? For now, he should enjoy this moment and find a solution later.
Yeah, look how happy she is.
Seeing her bright smile made him feel a bit more at ease.
Seo-jun consciously turned his eyes away from his worries and continued to exchange drinks with Namgung Su-ah.
As the atmosphere grew warm with the alcohol, Namgung Su-ah pushed the empty dishes to the side and leaned forward.
Seo-jun gave a faint smile as her face suddenly drew close.
"Are you drunk?"
"Nooo?"
With her face flushed red, Namgung Su-ah shuffled forward on her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around Seo-jun's neck.
"Don't you know I'm a better drinker than you?"
"Now you're wounding my pride. Shall we see who's stronger today?"
"Mmm, maybe next time."
Before they knew it, the high moon illuminated the pavilion. In the quiet night, with even the maids dismissed, the only sound was the chirping of grass insects tickling their ears.
The moonlight gently caressed Namgung Su-ah's flushed cheeks as she locked eyes with him from inches away.
"You know, about last time?"
"Last time?"
"Yes."
Tap, tap. Namgung Su-ah's finger drummed against Seo-jun's lips.
"When we kissed."
The memory came back vividly. His first kiss with Namgung Su-ah, which had been quite intense.
"Thinking back on it, it was so sudden that I felt a bit... unsatisfied."
Namgung Su-ah smiled brightly, her blue eyes shimmering.
"I want to make up for it, if that's oka— mmpf!?"
Namgung Su-ah's eyes snapped wide. Her round pupils trembled.
Seo-jun, who had moved first to kiss her, wrapped his arms around her waist.
Her slender waist felt perfect in his arms. After letting out a shaky sigh between their pressed lips, Namgung Su-ah leaned her weight into him.
Their overlapping bodies sank down. Resting in Seo-jun's arms while positioned on top of him, she continued the clumsy kiss before slowly pulling her head back.
"Haa..."
As their lips parted, a silver thread of saliva connected them. Namgung Su-ah panted, her face a deep crimson.
Her blue eyes darted back and forth. Seo-jun laughed.
Namgung Su-ah scrunched up her nose as if pouting and brought her face close again. Her hot breath tickled his mouth.
"You surprised me..."
"I should be the one to go first at least once."
"Only once?"
Thump, thump. Namgung Su-ah's heart was beating loudly. As Seo-jun's lips twitched with a lingering smile, she pressed her lips to his before he could say a word.
"Mmm..."
The kiss was deeper than before.
The moonlight fell upon them, and a light breeze cooled the sweltering heat. The warmth they couldn't quite shed passed back and forth between their mouths.
Opening his eyes slightly, Seo-jun looked at Namgung Su-ah's face as she focused on the kiss. The moonlight caught on her long eyelashes, shattering into tiny glimmers.
Family, huh...
His heart pounded more painfully than ever before.
*
A marriage is not as simple as it sounds.
Normally, a wedding goes through the stages of the Betrothal Proposal, Inquiry of Name, Announcement of Auspiciousness, Formal Betrothal Offering, Setting the Date, and Welcoming the Bride. In Seo-jun's case, the Betrothal Proposal wasn't necessary.
The Betrothal Proposal is the process where the groom's side conveys the intent to marry to the bride's side—it's a bit different from a modern proposal. It usually involves sending a matchmaker to discuss the marriage.
Even if he were to do a separate proposal, there was no reason for Seo-jun to go through the formal Betrothal Proposal process.
The Inquiry of Name is when the bride's side sends over the names, official ranks, assets, and birthdates of the bride's parents, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on... and blah, blah, blah.
There was no need for that either. The Namgung Clan didn't obsess over such formalities.
As for the next step, the Announcement of Auspiciousness—which involves divining the fortune of the marriage—Namgung Jin-cheon spoke with absolute certainty.
"Do not be bound by fortune... Even if this marriage were fated to be ill-omened, I would rewrite the heavens themselves..."
Namgung Jin-cheon's expression as he said this was incredibly bright. It wasn't often that his emotions were so readable, but in this case, anyone could see that he was looking forward to his daughter's wedding.
Seo-jun felt a lump in his throat. The solution he had been pondering for days—was this really the right place to bring it up?
He wouldn't have much to say even if Namgung Jin-cheon drew his sword the moment he heard it.
No, it's only right to ask for Chun-bong's opinion first.
It wasn't because he was scared his father-in-law would draw his sword. He would have to say it eventually anyway.
This was just a sensible decision.
Since this was something that would leave a massive mark on Chun-bong's life, it was only right to ask her first.
For that reason, Seo-jun went with Namgung Su-ah to find Chun-bong, who was working hard at her training today as well.
"Oppa!"
Chun-bong came running and leaped into Seo-jun's arms. After enjoying being pampered for a moment, she hopped down to the ground and boasted about her progress.
"Look at this!"
Whoosh! A platinum Astral Qi enveloped her sword. A bright smile, like brilliant starlight, spread across Chun-bong's face.
The glowing Astral Qi soon dissipated. She still had trouble maintaining it for long periods.
"I've mostly got the hang of it now. There are still some issues with using it in actual combat... but still, this is huge!"
"You're right, our Chun-bong. Chun-bu-i, you're amazing!"
"That's just how I am!"
Chun-bong raised both hands high, a confident smirk on her face.
Watching her, Seo-jun bit his lip nervously before finally closing his eyes and speaking up.
"Chun-bong."
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk for a second?"
"Talk?"
Chun-bong grew tense as she noticed Seo-jun's expression. It was a look she had never seen before. Lee Seo-jun actually knew how to be nervous?
Gulping, Chun-bong nodded.
"Okay..."
*
Since it wasn't a conversation to be had at the training grounds, Seo-jun entered a room with Chun-bong and Su-ah.
He sipped the tea placed before him. As expected of the Namgung Clan's maids, the tea-brewing skill was excellent.
"What are you trying to say that's making you hesitate so much?"
His brief moment of escapism ended with Chun-bong's question.
How should he start? The deliberation had been long, but the execution was swift.
"Chun-bong."
"Yeah."
"I'm getting engaged."
"Huh?"
Chun-bong let out a short laugh and scratched her ear.
"What kind of weird joke are you trying to pull now?"
But something was wrong. Usually, at this point, he would fire back with some ridiculous joke, but there was no sign of that.
Chun-bong's lips trembled.
"Are you serious...?"
"Yeah."
"Ah... I-I see...?"
Chun-bong's eyes darted around frantically. For some reason, her eyes began to sting.
Something she hadn't even imagined had suddenly struck her. It took time for her dazed mind to fully process the meaning of his words.
And when she finally understood, she struggled desperately to keep the tears from falling.
So suddenly...
She felt suffocated. All sorts of thoughts swirled in her head. No, fragmented, crushed thoughts tangled together until her mind went blank.
"Congratulations..."
Chun-bong eventually managed to congratulate him. Because an engagement was a happy thing.
She forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile.
"Well, I... yeah. Being second is fine too!"
Thinking about it, it was only natural. Rather than herself, the descendant of the fallen Geum family, it was right for Namgung Su-ah, the direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, to be first.
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
Seo-jun waved his hands in panic. Chun-bong's eyes quivered.
"A-Am I not...?"
Finally, the tears spilled over. Her forced smile crumbled. Chun-bong wept with a look of utter despair.
"Can I... not even be second...?"
Her stifled, suppressed sobs scattered quietly into the air.
Faced with a completely unexpected situation, Seo-jun's mental state also collapsed. He had to fix this first.
He had originally planned to discuss it carefully with Namgung Su-ah, but this didn't seem like the time for that.
Forgetting his prepared speech, he just blurted out the conclusion.
"Let's have the engagement ceremony together, the three of us."
He threw the words out and immediately checked Namgung Su-ah's reaction. But her reaction was entirely different from what he expected.
Namgung Su-ah's eyes widened in genuine admiration.
"Oh, that's an option...?"
"Huh...?"
"I naturally assumed Geum Mae would be first."