TM | Chapter 11

He had inherited the blood of the Lee Clan, so like Lee Seol, his features were fine and his body was both slender and firm. But as expected of someone from the Cheong Clan, his eyes were sharply slanted.

Cheongrok, who was both Lee Seol’s cousin and Yoon Sung’s childhood friend, chuckled with his characteristic mischievous grin, his shoulders twitching.

“Put him down, you bastard. The servants might see.”

At his blunt remark, Lee Seol gently set Yoon Sung down from his embrace.

His words could have been offensive, yet Lee Seol only smiled softly.

Yoon Sung, who had momentarily stiffened, cast a brief glance at Cheongrok before lowering his gaze.

Cheongrok, looking at the two of them in disbelief, took a step closer.

“Seol, did you ditch me just so you could go and share your affection with Sung?”

“Yeah.”

At Lee Seol’s bright and carefree response, Cheongrok clicked his tongue and smirked before shifting his gaze to Yoon Sung.

“Sung, did you even think before accepting Seol’s proposal?”

“……Yeah.”

Cheongrok narrowed his already slanted eyes and stared intently at Yoon Sung. As he watched Yoon Sung fidget with his lips, he exchanged a look with Lee Seol, his mouth twisting into a smirk.

“If it were me, I’d rather off myself than marry this bastard.”

“Could you shut your mouth?”

“……That’s a bit harsh.”

At Cheongrok’s sharp remark, Lee Seol warned him with a graceful smile, while Yoon Sung, unable to tolerate the over-the-line comment, spoke up to stop him. Cheongrok, grinning with his slanted eyes, reached out and ruffled Yoon Sung’s hair.

“Well, who else but you could handle this guy? If he gives you a hard time, just slap him in front of me. Got it? I’ll back you up.”

With a playful wink, Cheongrok delivered his affectionate yet scathing words before casually glancing at Kang Taegwon, who stood across from them. 

Then, with a grin as if nothing had happened, he narrowed his slanted eyes so much that his pupils almost disappeared. Stretching out both arms, he draped them over Lee Seol and Yoon Sung’s shoulders.

“Let’s go in~.”

Pushing them forward, Cheongrok led them toward the entrance of the gibang^[1]. Since childhood, the three had been close, and their interactions were as natural as their conversations.

Kang Taegwon stood frozen, blankly watching as the three disappeared into the gibang. Though he was also considered their friend, he couldn’t blend in with them. He remained alone in the middle of the street.

His mind was haunted by the confirmed reality of Lee Seol’s affections, solidified by Cheongrok’s appearance. The way Yoon Sung had locked eyes with him, his gaze filled with restrained fury, lingered in his thoughts.

It was the first time he had ever seen Lee Seol smile so radiantly.

That sweet voice whispering of love. The dreamy smile he wore as he buried his face in Yoon Sung’s chest.

And yet, in stark contrast, Yoon Sung stood there with a solemn, hardened expression.

His blood boiled. The hand that had grasped Yoon Sung’s arm trembled.

It was a combination he had never once considered. It was absurd. Impossible. Marriage was something done between families.

“Is his head so small that there’s no room for thought? I knew he was a fool, but I never imagined he could be this foolish… That aside, how could Lee Seol be so naive and pure? He’s been locked up in his household for too long to know better… He should be well aware that marriage is a matter of family and lineage. And yet, he still went and did something like this.”

He muttered bitterly, clenching his fists. The soft sensation of Yoon Sung’s arm, which he had grabbed just moments ago, surfaced in his mind, making his lips twist.

“What on earth does he see in Yoon Sung? What is it…?”

The seething heat within him bubbled up, clouding his mind in darkness. The image of Yoon Sung, that small face, those clear, wide eyes looking up at him, flashed in his thoughts, and his brow furrowed deeply.

***

In the largest square-shaped room of the gibang, where darkness had settled in, ten men sat gathered. This was a simple gathering held every spring and autumn, where only alcohol and conversation were exchanged.

Friends who had reunited after half a year asked about each other’s well-being, gave advice on any changes they noticed, and raised their voices in laughter—offering congratulations to those with good news.

Yoon Sung listened to their stories as he emptied yet another cup of liquor. He had long lost count of how many drinks he had consumed. His cheeks were already flushed from the alcohol. 

The moment he put his cup down, Lee Seol refilled it. 

Watching this, Yoon Sung glanced across the room at Kang Taegwon, taking in the rotten expression on his face. 

With deliberate showmanship, he raised the cup Lee Seol had poured for him.

Look at this, you rotten bastard. The Lee Seol you admired and longed for is now my husband. That body you praised so highly, the one you coveted, is now in the arms of the very person you used to pine over.

Serves you right.

It was so satisfying he could die from sheer delight. Yoon Sung barely managed to suppress the smirk creeping up one side of his lips.

Just then, a side dish was lifted toward his mouth, and he accepted it. Lee Seol carefully picked out only Yoon Sung’s favorite dishes from the table and continued feeding him.

“Does it suit your taste?”

At Lee Seol’s words, Yoon Sung nodded while downing another shot of liquor.

“Sung-ah, slow down. You have no tolerance and get drunk so quickly.”

With that gentle warning, Lee Seol picked up a piece of gogi jeon and held it up to his lips. Yoon Sung simply opened his mouth and accepted it, but an unusual silence had fallen around them. 

The eight other men, who had been chattering noisily, were now staring intently at Lee Seol’s words and actions.

They seemed utterly shocked at the sight of him personally attending to Yoon Sung’s drinks with a rare, affectionate smile. It was understandable. 

Lee Seol had always remained quietly seated, sipping only a couple of drinks. He never went out of his way to care for someone or offer kind words.

Because of the distance Lee Seol maintained and his formal speech, even his close friends were careful to treat him with utmost decorum. 

Yet here he was, looking at Yoon Sung as if honey dripped from his gaze, sticking close to him and even personally feeding him. It was enough to make jaws drop. 

Suspicious glances flew in their direction.

Some were so shocked they furrowed their brows.

Naturally, there were those among them who admired Lee Seol’s near-divine beauty, and others who attended these gatherings purely for a chance to see him.

After all, the Lee Clan, which was entrusted with raising queens and concubines for the royal family, had produced none other than Lee Seol—their most stunning gem.

Yoon Sung took his time surveying the astonished faces around him. Then, with exaggerated flair, he stretched out his arm and draped it over Lee Seol’s shoulder, which sat higher than his own. The deliberate move made the others’ eyes waver.

Sitting diagonally across from them, Lee Seol’s cousin, Cheongrok, who already had thin, sharp eyes, narrowed them even further as he stared in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Lee Seol met each of their gazes one by one, and then, with a smile so bright it nearly reached his ears, he declared,

“I have decided to form a lifelong bond with Sung-i.”

At Lee Seol’s words, the friends’ mouths gaped open. Someone even dropped their cup.

Kang Taegwon clenched his own cup tightly, his eyes widening in shock. His chest heaved with rough breaths, and he gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw bulged with tension.

Watching him, Yoon Sung lifted his cup with a bitter smile. The room had gone silent, as if cold water had been poured over the gathering. But soon, unable to contain their curiosity, someone finally spoke.

“Why Sung-i?”

“No! Why!!”

“Our family is clearly the better choice, so why Sung-i?”

The blatant question, which implied that his lower status made him an unworthy choice, sent a dull ache through Yoon Sung’s chest. Among the barrage of questions, a few were directed at him.

“Sung-ah… you, you… I just heard yesterday that you were looking for a husband…”

“Our family was planning to send a matchmaker to you…”

What the hell are they talking about?

With his mind hazy from alcohol, Yoon Sung tilted his head, puzzled by the two friends staring at him with desperation.

One of them was Kim Hojun, who had lost sight in one eye. The other was Go Cheonseong, a friend from a well-established noble family.

Kim Hojun’s uncertain expression made memories flash through Yoon Sung’s mind like a lantern-lit reel.

I was always a slow learner.

To be honest, too slow. His oldest brother had once wondered if he might be a fool.

Only his elderly father had found even his slow-wittedness endearing, saying it was fine as long as he was healthy. But at the seodang^[2], he had been teased constantly.

He would forget newly learned characters over and over again, so staying behind for extra lessons had become routine.

Every time he failed to grasp the material, his servant was punished in his place, his calves always marked with red welts.

Why punish my servant instead of me? He had never understood.

Out of guilt, he had tried harder—memorizing, studying, doing his best. But his dull mind never quite kept up.

On top of that, he had been smaller than his peers, more than a full handspan shorter, which had made him an easy target for bullying.

Lee Seol had protected him whenever he was around, but on days when he wasn’t, Yoon Sung would return home in tears.

Then one day, one of his tormentors—Kim Hojun—had been struck by a rock out of nowhere, leaving him blind in one eye.

Another bully, who had mocked him as a fool, had nearly died a few days later after eating something that burned his throat to the point of collapse.

No one knew who was behind it, and a reward had even been offered for information. But no culprit was ever found.

Months later, Yoon Sung had finally figured it out—when Lee Seol casually listed off different types of poisons and the effectiveness of a well-aimed slingshot.

He had turned to Lee Seol in horror, realization dawning.

‘Don’t worry. As long as you don’t say anything, no one will find out.’

Back then, he had been so frightened that he cried.

But now, it had become nothing more than a fond memory that brought a smile to his lips.

He pointed at himself and asked, “You had feelings for me?”

Go Cheonseong, who had always been friendly with him, gave a small nod.

Kim Hojun, who had just confessed to hearing about his search for a husband, hesitated before letting out a small sigh.

“…Yeah.”

Yoon Sung let out a short laugh in disbelief.

Since when was I this popular?

These were the same people who had turned a blind eye to him, assuming he was secretly involved with Kang Taegwon.

The realization that they had harbored feelings for him all along was surprising, but before he could dwell on it, Go Cheonseong spoke up.

“Sung-i, I didn’t expect you to actually marry a man after spending all that time with Taegwon.”

Yoon Sung nodded. Of course he wouldn’t have.

Kang Taegwon had frequented the gibang and spent time with women.

I was the only man he ever met with… was that what he used to say?

The alcohol muddled his thoughts, blurring and distorting his past memories like ink bleeding into paper.