"Our engagent ceremony...?"
Seo-jun's mind whirred faster than it ever had before.
‘Wait, surely I haven’t forgotten sothing as important as an engagent ceremony, right?’
He had never considered himself that dense. He was fairly certain this was the first ti he’d ever heard about it.
Still, he needed to respond carefully.
The key was to listen closely and give a safe, agreeable answer that wouldn’t cause any issues.
“It’s a bit sudden, but, um… everyone’s been asking when we’ll hold the ceremony. So, I was wondering if maybe…”
“Yeah, you’re right. Holding it soon sounds like a good idea.”
“R-really?”
Namgung Sua’s face lit up. Her smile was as radiant as a blooming flower.
“That’s a relief… I was worried that bringing up sothing like an engagent ceremony out of the blue might catch you off guard.”
So, he hadn’t forgotten about an engagent ceremony after all.
Seo-jun felt a wave of relief wash over him. It was good to know he wasn’t quite the fool he feared he might be. He nodded earnestly.
“Having an engagent ceremony, then a wedding—it just ans two happy occasions instead of one. That’s a win-win…”
His words faltered. A sudden thought of Chun-bong struck him like a lightning bolt.
‘Wait a second…’
Wee-woo! Wee-woo!
His ntal alarms blared louder than ever. This was a massive ergency.
Namgung Sua’s engagent and their eventual wedding were non-negotiable. Namgung Sua was the epito of a perfect bride, the kind of woman who could proudly claim the title of the most ideal spouse in the entire martial world. Seo-jun had never encountered anyone else with such incredible qualities.
Marrying her wasn’t just an honor—it was sothing he would thank the heavens for.
But there was one colossal problem: Chun-bong.
She had made a bold confession, asking him to live with her. If she found out he was suddenly having an engagent ceremony?
It wouldn’t be surprising if she went into a qi deviation from sheer heartbreak.
If the roles were reversed, Seo-jun was certain he’d ascend as the Heavenly Demon on the spot.
‘Crap. What do I do?’
Canceling the engagent ceremony wasn’t an option. That would only hurt Sua instead.
Just look at her now, with that dazzling smile. Seo-jun had never seen Namgung Sua look so happy before.
Was he capable of shattering her joy by saying, “Uh, actually, I’ve reconsidered the whole engagent thing. Haha…”?
Seo-jun wasn’t even sure if that kind of remark could be called courage. It sounded more like madness.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Sua asked, giggling softly.
Despite his internal turmoil, Sua didn’t notice a thing. His acting skills had beco remarkably refined, but more than that, Sua was currently in one of the best moods of her life.
She was putting every ounce of effort into holding back her beaming grin and stopping her shoulders from bouncing with excitent. Focused entirely on keeping herself composed, she didn’t pick up on Seo-jun’s struggle.
“Oh, nothing important,” Seo-jun replied, forcing himself to calm down. This wasn’t an issue to rush. He needed to think things through carefully.
As he tried to focus, Sua poured so liquor into his cup and held up her own.
“A toast?”
“A toast.”
Their glasses clinked, and both drank.
With light snacks and drinks, Sua seed unable to stop smiling. She laughed softly several tis, her voice mingling with the fragrant aroma of the liquor wafting through the pavilion.
“Should we leave choosing the date to Father? He’ll know how to pick an auspicious day.”
“Yeah, if anyone can read the heavens, it’s him.”
“Then let’s set the date and make the ceremony grand. Sothing big enough for everyone in Hefei to see.”
“That sounds great.”
Sua, more talkative than usual, chattered away, occasionally bursting into soft laughter.
“Why are you laughing so much?” Seo-jun asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just too excited.”
“It’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, but… don’t I seem a bit silly?”
“No, not at all.”
Seo-jun scratched his head awkwardly. There’s only one fool here, and it’s .
Feeling fed up with his own hesitation, Seo-jun downed the rest of his drink.
At this point, continuing to agonize over the situation felt foolish. What was done was done. He decided to enjoy the mont and figure out a solution later.
‘Besides, look how happy she is.’
Seeing Sua’s bright smile eased so of the weight on his chest.
Seo-jun turned his focus entirely to the present, sharing drinks and laughter with Sua.
As the atmosphere grew warr from the alcohol, Sua moved the now-empty plates aside and leaned forward.
Sua’s sudden closeness made Seo-jun smile faintly.
“Are you drunk?”
“Not at all.”
Her cheeks were flushed red as she crawled closer on her knees, wrapping her arms around Seo-jun’s neck.
“You know I can hold my liquor better than you, right?”
“Oh? Challenging my pride now? Let’s settle this tonight.”
“Hmm, next ti.”
The moon hung high above, bathing the pavilion in soft light. Even the maids had been dismissed, leaving the night quiet, save for the chirping of crickets.
Sua’s red-tinged cheeks caught the moonlight, her blue eyes gleaming as they locked with Seo-jun’s.
“Rember that ti?” she asked.
“That ti?”
“You know…”
She tapped Seo-jun’s lips gently with her finger.
“When we kissed.”
The mory ca flooding back—their first kiss, a touch more passionate than expected.
“Looking back, it was too sudden. I wish it had been a little different.”
Her smile shone as her blue eyes sparkled.
“I want a do-over. Would that be okay—ah!”
Before she could finish, Seo-jun leaned in and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
Sua let out a trembling sigh as she lted into his embrace, her slender figure leaning into him.
Their bodies pressed together as they toppled slightly, Sua perched atop him. As their lips parted briefly, a silver thread lingered between them, and Sua’s breath ca in soft gasps.
Her blue eyes wavered as she looked at Seo-jun, her face a deep shade of red.
Her nose crinkled slightly as if pouting, but she brought her face closer, her breath warm against his lips.
“You surprised …”
“I have to take the lead once in a while.”
“Just once?”
Sua’s heartbeat thundered loudly, and before Seo-jun could respond, she pressed her lips to his again.
This ti, the kiss was deeper.
Under the moonlight, a soft breeze cooled the heated air between them, though the warmth they shared refused to dissipate.
Seo-jun opened his eyes slightly, catching a glimpse of Sua’s face as she focused entirely on their kiss. Her long lashes glistened faintly in the moonlight.
Family…
His heart pounded harder than ever.
*
"Marriage is not as simple as it sounds.
Traditionally, a wedding goes through several stages: Proposal, Informal Agreent, Choosing the Date, Gift Exchange, Formal Proposal, and Accompanint to the Bride's Ho. However, in Seo-jun’s case, the first stage, Proposal, was unnecessary.
The Proposal involves the groom’s side formally expressing their intent to marry the bride. Unlike a casual proposal, it usually involves a diator presenting the marriage arrangent.
Even if a separate romantic proposal is made, there was no need for Seo-jun to go through this formal process.
The Informal Agreent, which entails the bride’s family sending a docunt listing details about her lineage, social status, and birth date, was similarly unnecessary. The Namgung Clan didn’t place much importance on these formalities.
The next step, Choosing the Date, traditionally involves divining an auspicious date for the wedding. However, Namgung Jincheon had a firm stance on this:
“Don’t let ill ons deter you. Even if the heavens declare this marriage inauspicious, I’ll rewrite the skies myself.”
Namgung Jincheon’s expression was unusually bright as he spoke. It was clear to anyone that he eagerly anticipated his daughter’s marriage.
Seo-jun felt his breath catch. Should he bring up the solution he had been considering for days?
If Namgung Jincheon drew his sword upon hearing the suggestion, Seo-jun couldn’t exactly bla him.
‘No, I need to talk to Chun-bong first.’
It wasn’t that he was afraid of his father-in-law’s sword. Sooner or later, this was a conversation he had to have.
It was simply common sense to consult Chun-bong first, as this would leave a significant mark on her life.
With that resolved, Seo-jun decided to find Chun-bong, who was training as usual, alongside Namgung Sua.
“Oppa!”
Chun-bong dashed over and jumped into Seo-jun’s arms. After enjoying a mont of affection, she hopped down to proudly show off her progress.
“Look at this!”
Whoosh! Her sword glead with a bright platinum energy. The radiant light danced like starlight, and Chun-bong’s smile was equally dazzling.
The energy dissipated after a mont, as she couldn’t yet sustain it for long periods.
“I’ve got the hang of it now. It’s not quite ready for actual combat, but hey, this is still progress!”
“Of course! My Chun-bong is amazing!”
“That’s right! This is !”
Chun-bong threw her arms up triumphantly, a confident grin on her face.
Seo-jun bit his lip, hesitating for a mont, before closing his eyes and blurting out the words.
“Chun-bong.”
“Yeah?”
“Can we talk for a bit?”
“Talk?”
Chun-bong, noticing his unusual expression, tensed up. It wasn’t often she saw Seo-jun look nervous—was he even capable of that?
Swallowing hard, Chun-bong nodded.
“Okay…”
*
Since it wasn’t a conversation suited for the training grounds, Seo-jun brought Chun-bong and Namgung Sua back to the room.
He sipped on tea, appreciating the skill of the Namgung Clan’s maids in brewing it.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” Chun-bong asked impatiently, her words cutting through Seo-jun’s brief mont of escapism.
How should he approach this? The thought process had been long, but the action ca quickly.
“Chun-bong.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m getting engaged.”
“Huh?”
Chun-bong laughed awkwardly, scratching her ear.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
But sothing felt off. By now, Seo-jun would usually counter with so absurd joke, but he didn’t.
Her lips twitched nervously.
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh… okay…”
Chun-bong’s eyes darted around anxiously. For so reason, her eyes stung.
The words hit her out of nowhere. It took her a mont to fully process their aning, and when she did, she fought hard to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.
‘So sudden…’
Her chest felt tight. Thoughts collided chaotically in her mind until her head felt completely blank.
“Congratulations.”
Chun-bong finally managed to speak, forcing a smile.
“Well, I don’t mind being second!”
When she thought about it, it made sense. Namgung Sua, a direct descendant of the prestigious Namgung Clan, was a far more fitting first choice for marriage than Chun-bong, the last surviving mber of the fallen Geum Clan.
“What are you talking about?”
Seo-jun waved his hands, flustered. Chun-bong’s lips quivered.
“Wait… you an I’m not even second?”
Finally, tears stread down her face. The smile she’d been struggling to maintain crumbled, and she began to cry.
“I can’t even be second?”
Her quiet sobs filled the room.
Seo-jun hadn’t expected this reaction and felt completely unprepared. His ntal state took a hit, and he knew he had to act quickly.
Originally, he had planned to discuss everything carefully with Namgung Sua present, but it was clear that wasn’t an option now.
Abandoning his prepared words, he jumped straight to the conclusion.
“The engagent ceremony—let’s do it with all three of us together.”
He blurted it out and turned to gauge Namgung Sua’s reaction.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t what he expected.
Namgung Sua’s eyes widened with genuine admiration.
“Oh, that’s an option?”
“Huh…?”
“I assud Chun-bong would go first, naturally.”
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