The Apricot Scent of a Storm
With her lips still pressed to his cheek, Yeo-won began counting seconds in her head.
One. Two. Three.
If she didn’t do this, her mind would fall apart. Her heart was pounding wildly from the tension, and her hands and feet had gone ice-cold.
Yeo-won squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to send her thoughts somewhere else.
Ah, the smell of apricot blossoms.
She hadn’t noticed it before, but a faint scent of apricot flowers wafted from him. With a tree that large standing right outside, it made perfect sense that the fragrance had soaked into him.
The familiar aroma eased her tension, if only a little. The rigid stiffness in her shoulders melted away, and she slowly pulled her lips back.
A sound as soft as a butterfly lifting from a flower reached her ears.
Yeo-won scooted backward on her knees. She cooled her burning cheeks with the back of her hand and stole a glance at Shin-wol, who had remained silent.
The eyes she had expected to be closed were narrowed, fixed directly on her.
After watching her quietly for a moment, Shin-wol finally let out a laugh.
I must be getting old.
She didn’t understand what he meant, but it was clear the smile on his face was not a kind one.
I can’t even remember if I ever behaved this way on Mount Inwol.
He stroked the cheek she had touched and chuckled softly.
Teaching you one thing at a time wouldn’t be so bad, but I fear it will be difficult today.
With a casual wave of his hand toward the air, the sliding paper door opened without a sound. Beyond it lay a cold corridor.
Go on. I will call Cheong-sil for you.
At Shin-wol’s chilly dismissal, Yeo-won shook her head in panic.
“W-wait. I’ll do it again.”
It will be the same no matter how many times you try.
The cold voice, as if he had already lost interest, made Yeo-won bite her lip hard.
“This time I’ll do it properly.”
How?
Yeo-won approached Shin-wol once more. He remained seated, waiting to see what she would do next.
When she was close enough, she awkwardly knelt between his legs, keeping her knees neatly together.
She sat still, steadying her breath, then cautiously grasped the collar of his robe. The trembling of her fingers was painfully obvious as they slid along the fabric.
When she tilted her head back, their eyes met.
A faint, mischievous smile played on his lips.
“…Lower your head a little, please.”
So many demands.
Even as he spoke with mock irritation, Shin-wol lowered his head. As their faces drew closer, Yeo-won squeezed her eyes shut again and pressed her lips to his.
It was brave of her to initiate the kiss, but what came next was the problem. She had no idea what to do.
She had never kissed anyone before, but she had seen plenty in novels and dramas. Now that she was actually doing it, she realized how utterly useless that knowledge was.
Her breath came out in shaky gasps against his tightly closed lips.
She couldn’t drag this out any longer. She had to do something.
Just as impatience began to rise, a memory from Mount Inwol flashed through her mind.
Amid the flood of embarrassing scenes that made her face burn just to recall them, something occurred to her. She tightened her grip on his collar.
It was definitely something like this…
She gave his lips a careful, tentative lick.
When there was no reaction, she licked him a few more times before pulling away.
When she opened her eyes, Shin-wol’s face was expressionless. The complete lack of emotion in his gaze brought a wave of despair and shame crashing over her.
That wasn’t it either.
Her trembling eyelids slowly lowered. The moment she tried to pull her rigid body back, Shin-wol’s hand tangled in her hair and yanked her forward.
If you’re going to use your tongue, do it properly.
“Mmph!”
Her suppressed cry was swallowed between their lips.
His tongue surged in without warning, instantly claiming the inside of her mouth. It licked every corner with rough hunger, coiling around her tongue like a snake and sucking it in.
“Mmm… ngh.”
Yeo-won panted helplessly as she struggled to accept the unfamiliar intrusion filling her mouth.
When she instinctively tried to pull her tongue away, he drove his even deeper. The tip of his tongue teased in slow circles while his broad, flat tongue swept over hers in soothing strokes.
Shin-wol tilted his head, pressing their mouths together until there was no space left, stealing even her breath.
With his hand locked behind her head, she couldn’t turn away or pull back.
The beginning had been hers to control, but the end was not. She managed to snatch desperate gulps of air whenever their lips parted slightly, but even that lasted only a moment or two.
The sticky, intense kiss was far too overwhelming for her to endure.
“Mmph… ngh!”
When Yeo-won pounded weakly against his chest, his eyes narrowed in amusement. His tongue withdrew with agonizing slowness, yet their lips remained locked.
“Enough… enough now. It’s too much.”
Her voice trembled on the verge of tears as she begged. His kiss was like a relentless storm, never giving her a chance to catch her breath.
He had sucked on her tongue fiercely and nibbled her lips until they stung at the slightest touch.
Worse, strength had completely left her body. Her limbs felt numb, as if paralyzed from the fingertips inward. Even making a fist was difficult.
She didn’t know the details, but this must be what it felt like to have her spiritual energy drained.
She had expected it, but it was far more exhausting than she had imagined.
It wasn’t that she refused to do it. She had only hoped he would be a little gentler.
As if mocking her silent plea, the corner of his mouth curved upward with more seductive allure than ever before.
Who said you could decide?
His low, resonant voice carried an unmistakable sensuality.
Did I not tell you? Do you even understand what it means to give me your spiritual energy?
The hand that had been in her hair slid down her spine and settled at her waist.
“Ah! W-wait—”
The chilling sensation made Yeo-won frantically try to escape his embrace, but Shin-wol easily pulled her hips forward and laid her down on the silk bedding.
He climbed over her, sweeping his long hair behind his back.
Now, open your mouth.
His body pressed down on hers like a heavy weight. Their lips met again, and his slick tongue filled her mouth once more.
She had been mistaken because they could speak and hold conversations. She had thought he might understand her struggle and show some consideration.
Helpless against the sticky press of his mouth, Yeo-won caught a glimpse of the moon through the narrow gap in the door.
A thin, fragile crescent moon.
An ominous night belonging to Shin-wol.
That was the last thing she saw before sparks exploded in her mind like fireworks, only to fade into complete darkness.
*
With a flick of his fingers, Shin-wol opened the sliding door. A cool breeze swept in from the garden.
He picked up the long pipe beside him, lit it, and took a deep drag.
How long had it been since he last felt this kind of comfort?
Just a small amount of spiritual energy had cleared his mind and filled his body with renewed strength.
It almost felt as if his body had returned to its former glory.
A satisfied smile spread across his lips as he lifted the pipe for another puff—only to be interrupted by the sound of a tiny sneeze.
“Achoo.”
It had come from Yeo-won, who lay sprawled across the silk bedding.
Her body, which had been limp and drained, was now curled into a tight ball. Her breathing came in irregular shivers, so Shin-wol flicked his fingers again.
A thick quilt instantly settled over her with a soft thud.
Before long, her breathing evened out. Only then did Shin-wol bring the pipe back to his lips.
So fragile.
Was she truly so delicate that she couldn’t even withstand a cold breeze? Shin-wol exhaled a plume of smoke and gazed down at the sleeping girl.
Even when he had touched her waist, she had felt so small he could have gathered her in one hand. The wrist peeking out from beneath the quilt was as thin and brittle as a winter branch.
Physical contact was essential if she was to properly provide him with spiritual energy. The deeper and more intense the contact, the greater the amount an spirit creature could absorb. The most effective method was to join their bodies, which had been his intention tonight.
But Yeo-won had lost consciousness before they could even begin, falling into a deep sleep.
He could have forced her, but that would have shattered her tiny frame. So he decided to be satisfied with what he had taken today.
It was still far from enough, but at least he had recovered the power he had expended on Mu-ho.
A gentle breeze stirred outside, carrying a few flower petals into the room.
Behind the petals that danced like butterflies, faint afterimages shimmered like heat haze.
Look, my lord. The apricot blossoms have bloomed so beautifully.
I prefer apricot blossoms over peonies or irises. If we wait just a little longer, we can enjoy their delicious fruit!
The sudden memory made the floating petals in the room turn to ash in an instant and scatter into the air.
The insects in the garden fell silent. The grass lost its vitality and drooped. At that very moment, Yeo-won murmured in her sleep.
“Grandfather…”
The frozen atmosphere softened ever so slightly at her words.
A faint, hazy light flickered around her like a lantern as she called out for her grandfather in that sorrowful voice.
The dim blue glow circled her protectively. It looked as though it were guarding a child, or perhaps offering comfort.
Shin-wol watched the phenomenon with indifferent eyes and spoke.
So you were the one protecting the child.