TM | Chapter 15

The first wife, or mother, had shown her anger only until the time Father took in his first concubine. Having lived as a formal couple, she no longer seemed to care about the family, as it had become a routine for her to spend several days at a temple from time to time.

The house had turned into Father’s little paradise, and she couldn’t stand it, so she felt bitter. At least the one good thing was that Father hadn’t fathered any children with other women, aside from the two younger brothers under her.

After having two sons, she seemed to have stopped having children altogether and no longer cared whether Father took in concubines or set up a separate household.

It was as if it was an unspoken agreement—no matter how many women Father had affairs with, he never had any children. I realized that it must have been a kind of consideration for her.

“Marry the second daughter of the Jeong family before this year ends.”

I snapped back to my senses at my father’s sudden declaration. I needed to respond, but I was at a loss for words. I lowered my head, unable to oppose his wishes, but I couldn’t accept this.

The fact that he had decided on the woman I was supposed to live with for the rest of my life without even consulting me made me angry. I clenched my fist. Taking a deep breath, I finally forced my mouth open.

“Father, there is… a man I have in mind.”

It was the words I had been meaning to say during Yoon Sung’s proposal. It wasn’t something I should have said so suddenly, but now that my match had been decided, it seemed like I couldn’t wait any longer.

Father, who had been heading toward the separate quarters where the concubines stayed, turned his head and looked at me.

His gaze of disdain was clearly visible, even in the darkness. Turning his back to me, his hands behind his back, he asked, clearly displeased.

“A man?”

“…Yes.”

With difficulty, I answered, and Father twisted his lips before casually throwing a remark.

“Make him your concubine.”

“But he’s from a noble family; he should be the first wife—”

“You fool!”

At my father’s command, I immediately closed my mouth.

“How could you have feelings for a man?”

“…”

“Are you out of your mind? A man is someone you play around with in your youth. How could you think of making him your first wife?”

“Father, even the queen at the palace—”

“Has there ever been a man chosen to be the queen consort? A man is brought in as a concubine, and only after the queen mother passes away does he become the queen consort. You don’t take in a man as a queen from the beginning.”

“…”

“You continue the bloodline through the first wife and find enjoyment through the concubines. If you take a man as your first wife, how would you know whether the child born from the concubine is of the Kang family bloodline or the first wife’s bloodline?”

“Father, how could you say such things—”

“Our family has worked tirelessly, shedding blood and sweat, to rise up and maintain our position. No other bloodline can carry on our legacy.”

Listening to Father’s words filled with pride, Kang Taegwon nodded silently. As a martial artist, he had reached his position through years of hard work.

“Do you like Yoon Sung?”

At my father’s sudden question, I lifted my head slightly, which had been bowed. He had come to our household several times this year. During that time, I hadn’t paid any attention to women, so it was no surprise that Father would notice our meetings.

However, the man I had in mind was Lee Seol. My lips parted, but the words didn’t come out.

“Is he from a noble family? Are you really thinking of giving a position like that to such a man?”

“…”

“There are plenty of women and men out there. How could you give your heart to such a worthless man? Just comfort him and wait for him. When your child is born, you can just put him as a concubine. All you need to do is make sure that he doesn’t change his mind, take care of him, and embrace him.”

“…But—”

“Are you really going to stir up trouble in the house over such a man? To think you would be dragged around by someone like that.”

Father clicked his tongue in displeasure, and Kang Taegwon, who had been listening, exhaled deeply, keeping quiet.

“Don’t you dare be careless in your martial training, just because you’re being seduced by a man!”

I straightened my posture at my father’s scolding. His displeased gaze lingered on me for a long time, and without saying a word, he turned and walked toward the separate quarters.

After bowing and straightening himself, Kang Taegwon’s mind felt foggy. His father’s words echoed in his ears, and a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

“Concubine… Sung-i as a concubine?”

He muttered quietly, and his eyes caught the white tiger gold ring on his finger. Yoon Sung’s eyes, as he had rejected my proposal, came to mind. 

His eyes were moist with disappointment, as if he were about to burst into tears any moment. Those same eyes had been unfocused when he was engaged to Lee Seol in front of his friends. 

Even in Lee Seol’s arms, he had looked at me with those vacant eyes. It was clear he was lashing out in frustration.

Had he hoped I would stop him?

“If the marriage is called off and rumors spread, we can just say, like you suggested, that the two of them were drunk, joking around, having some fun.”

Cheongrok’s words echoed in his mind.

The Yoon Clan, cloaked in the guise of nobility. Yoon Sung was quiet and had a certain charm, which made him appealing. I had also found him endearing and had embraced him. 

Still, I had kept quiet for the sake of his marriage path. The same man, who had shown such consideration, would now fall into Lee Seol’s embrace tonight. And with that, the friends who had once shared affection for him would likely abandon those feelings.

A man was like that—once someone marked as theirs was taken by another, their feelings would cool. Every time he craved the body, he would remember being in Lee Seol’s arms, and how could he ever overcome that discomfort?

Besides, which family would accept Yoon Sung, knowing his scandal? Which family would allow such a man to marry their child? Cheongrok had known all this yet casually secured a room for him. He had blocked Yoon Sung’s marriage entirely. 

Had he made it so only Lee Seol would do? And yet, even with the marriage looking unlikely, Cheongrok had said he would take him in?

Kang Taegwon’s eyes flickered with determination.

Could I not bring him in as my concubine?

He played with the white tiger ring on his finger, the existence of which Cheongrok was aware of. His words from earlier returned to him.

“A kitten, wearing the white tiger ring…”

Kang Taegwon chuckled darkly to himself. Soon, a soundless laugh shook his chest. His voice, heavy with suppressed emotion, descended into the darkness.

“What’s so amusing to you? Do you think it’s funny to know the original owner of the white tiger ring? Can you truly bless those two, knowing this?”

This ring was a token of a proposal, a symbol of my affection. Yoon Sung’s heart had been mine. 

For him, I was his first in everything. His first kiss, his first passionate night. I remembered Cheongrok’s words about how, at our age, we had all already experienced our firsts. Kang Taegwon nodded quietly in agreement.

I agreed. But could I be indifferent, knowing that I was Yoon Sung’s first? Could the friends who had pushed for the engagement earlier laugh about it, as they had before?

Kang Taegwon was genuinely curious about how their expressions would change. His lips twisted, his eyes narrowing. He raised his hand and gazed at the white tiger ring before pressing his lips together.

I feel sorry for Lee Seol, who will be in shock, but what can be done? It was Yoon Sung who deceived him, not I.

In any case, Lee Seol was someone who could never be with me. But Yoon Sung…

He was the one who came when called, and went when told, knowing only me. As my father had said, I would just have to comfort him, cherish him, and hold on to him so his heart wouldn’t drift away. Then, I could take him as my concubine. 

His union with Lee Seol was the result of my rejecting his proposal, so I could simply forgive it with a broad heart. The reputation of the Yoon family, which had never existed, was irrelevant to me.

As I had said, the engagement between the two was merely a drunken joke, a playful moment. Hadn’t Cheongrok told his friends to keep quiet about it? Still, a promise is a promise.

“I guess I’ll have to annul the engagement first.”

His low voice echoed in the air.

***

Tap. 

Yoon Sung snapped back to reality at the sound of the door closing. The room that Lee Seol had carried him into was large enough for the two of them to stay in, but it felt strangely empty. 

Two candles at the end of the long chest of drawers provided just enough light to set the mood. The soft glow filled the room, where a thick blanket was spread across the bed, but the red color of the blanket stood out, almost too vivid. 

Next to it was a simple tray of food.

Yoon Sung, startled, looked down at Lee Seol, who was holding him as he walked. His face was flushed, his cheeks a deep red, and his gaze toward Yoon Sung was so intense it almost burned. 

It was then that Yoon Sung realized what he had done. The alcohol’s effects had completely worn off, and his mind cleared, turning cold.

As soon as his body touched the blanket, he straightened his back, almost as if he had been thrown. The servant from the gibang who had guided them into the room entered, carrying a box of bandages and medicine. 

Lee Seol told him to leave, and the servant bowed and closed the door behind him. As the sound of footsteps faded away, only the soft breaths of the two men echoed through the room.

It was then that Yoon Sung noticed the wound on Lee Seol’s palm. He quickly wiped the blood off and examined the injury. It wasn’t as deep as he had feared, but the skin had been crushed where Lee Seol had clenched his fist.

With a click of his tongue, Yoon Sung hurriedly applied medicine and wrapped the wound with bandages. 

Lacking skill, he fumbled with the bandages for a while, but after some effort, he managed to wrap them neatly, though a bit thickly. 

Lee Seol watched him silently, his smile never leaving his lips.

Yoon Sung tugged at the end of the bandage with two fingers and placed the medicine box in the corner of the room. 

He stood awkwardly outside the blanket, unsure of what to do, but Lee Seol reached out to him. Gently grabbing his hand, he tugged him closer, guiding him to sit on the opposite side of the bed. 

Yoon Sung’s gaze couldn’t meet his; his eyes were lost, wandering aimlessly around the room.

Lee Seol quietly traced the fingers of Yoon Sung’s hand before bringing them closer to his lips. His red lips parted, and the soft flesh of his mouth brushed lightly against Yoon Sung’s fingers.