It was a bright, moonlit night.
‘Ah, a deadly moon.’ I would have made the sa joke, but I was in a situation where I could actually die. Caution was imperative.
Soon, I would be at the bridal chamber. I wondered if Moyong Sang-ah knew about the fate of the Kang family. It was safe to assu she did. Regardless of how she sent the evidence to the Joseon court, she must have had her own communication network with Joseon.
If I had received the news about the annihilation of the Kang family, it was reasonable to assu that Moyong Sang-ah also knew. Even if she didn’t, I had plans for that too. I needed to think fast and escape as planned.
There was no one in front of the bridal chamber.
In Joseon, there was a custom of peeping through paper windows, but it seed that was not the case here. In the past, I thought it was just a funny scene, but now it just seed like a Joseon version of an adult streaming service.
Especially since it was a live broadcast of a virgin and a bachelor. For people of an era without AV, it must have been irresistible.
If no one was around, escaping from the bridal chamber would be easier.
“Ahem!”
I deliberately coughed to announce my arrival at the bridal chamber.
There was no response. Should I just enter?
“Entering now.”
As I entered the bridal chamber, small lanterns were the only source of light. A pleasant scent wafted from the lanterns, suggesting the oil inside was mixed with fragrances to enhance the mood.
There was a slight movent on the bed. As I approached cautiously, I found Moyong Sang-ah lying down with her eyes closed.
In the lantern light, Moyong Sang-ah looked enchantingly beautiful.
Gulp.
I swallowed unconsciously. Facing a woman ready to accept her husband, especially one called the most beautiful in the world, was nerve-wracking.
Survive. Don’t fall for it. If I did, I’d be dining in hell tomorrow.
I reaffird this to myself and looked at Moyong Sang-ah again.
Could there be a man capable of mistreating a woman as beautiful as Moyong Sang-ah? Unfortunately, her brother and husband were such n, a misfortune for her.
I unconsciously stroked Moyong Sang-ah’s cheek.
“Madam.”
She was no longer Miss Moyong Sang-ah, but Madam. The problem was, I only had about 30 minutes left.
Quietly calling her, Moyong Sang-ah didn’t respond. Her irregular breathing confird she was awake.
I looked over her upper body, covered by the blanket. The soft blanket outlined her figure clearly.
Even hidden by the blanket, the presence of her chest was unmistakable, pulsating irregularly. In her hand, under the blanket, was sothing clearly outlined.
Sothing that shouldn’t be in the bridal chamber.
A sword.
So, she was thinking of killing .
My mind raced. I needed to live. This wasn’t an unexpected scenario. I had already considered it. Why wasn’t she killing right away? She was hesitating. She wanted to kill when I opened my eyes, but she didn’t want to. I would use her hesitation to my advantage.
“Madam.”
Moyong Sang-ah flinched.
“Please, kill .”
To live, pretend to die. With that, I started the biggest bluff of my life.
“Sir!”
Moyong Sang-ah sat up in shock.
“You were awake.”
“What do you an by asking to be killed?”
Moyong Sang-ah tried to hide the sword subtly. What else? That was what she had been planning to do.
“Have you heard the news about the Kang family?”
“……”
Moyong Sang-ah turned pale and avoided my gaze.
“You know, then. The Kang family was implicated in treason and annihilated.”
“There must be so misunderstanding. Treason?”
Misunderstandings were just that, misunderstandings. The source of this misunderstanding was right in front of . However, I had to pretend to be oblivious to maximize Moyong Sang-ah’s guilt.
“My father engaged in nurous illegal acts to amass wealth. Ginseng smuggling was just the tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, he turned a blind eye to many shady individuals to increase our family’s wealth. If one of them was involved in treason, it’s likely our family couldn’t escape unscathed.”
Kang Yun-ho believed the treason was a problem caused by his family. He wasn’t aware that all this was Moyong Sang-ah’s doing. He emphasized that point.
“There must be so misunderstanding. A thorough investigation will reveal it as a fra-up. Don’t give up.”
“No. Our engagent with the Moyong family of the Central Plains might not have been viewed favorably by the Joseon court. I might be killed if I return to Joseon.”
“Sir, being involved in treason doesn’t necessarily an death. There must be a way if you return to Joseon.”
“My father has already been executed. All my relatives have been beheaded, and the won in my family have been turned into slaves. What path could there possibly be?”
This was your doing. He dwelled on Moyong Sang-ah’s guilt. Hearing this, Moyong Sang-ah avoided my gaze and looked down at the floor.
By saying this much, she surely wouldn’t dare to admit that she’s the real culprit.
“You can rebuild if you gather the Kang family’s assets outside of Joseon.”
“Those assets were accumulated because of the Kang family’s reputation in Joseon. How can I protect them now that the Kang family na has vanished?”
“Sir, you mustn’t give up.”
Sure, I wouldn’t give up. Why should I care? It was neither my assets nor my family.
“I haven’t given up. I’ve decided to save my wife; how can I give up?”
After the shock treatnt, it was ti to reveal my true intentions.
“……”
Moyong Sang-ah looked at with anxious eyes.
“Today, I must die for my wife.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If things remain as they are, you won’t be able to reclaim the Moyong family. Should we consummate the marriage tonight, you beco the wife of a traitor. Taken to Joseon, you’ll end up a slave. Even if I escape or remain with the Moyong family, you’ll be seen as an outsider, never fully accepted. But if I die tonight, all that becos null.”
“That’s not a reason for you to die!”
Moyong Sang-ah protested.
Despite her original intention to kill for that very reason, hearing it from changed things.
I needed to continue to exploit her guilt. Shaking my head, I went on.
“No, it is a reason. You are all I have left. After tonight, I won’t be able to protect you.”
I tenderly stroked Moyong Sang-ah’s cheek. She was truly beautiful. I had to express my affection quickly.
“Sir…”
Moyong Sang-ah’s eyes began to moisten. She couldn’t cry yet; there was still much groundwork to lay.
“Would you accept this?”
I pulled sothing from my pocket and presented it to Moyong Sang-ah.
“Isn’t this a Baekpaek-silver ring?”
“It’s my mother’s keepsake. In Joseon, a husband’s gift ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. It serves as a reminder of the husband, even when he’s far away. Would you accept it?”
I was almost there, but to cover any contingency, I needed to offer a token of love.
As I reached for Moyong Sang-ah’s left hand to slip the ring on, she gently pushed my hand away.
“Sir, I cannot accept this.”
Moyong Sang-ah cradled her left hand with her right, her expression pained.
“I’m sorry. Right… wearing a ring from a husband for just one day wouldn’t look good.”
“That’s not it, Sir! It’s because I am a sinner.”
No, she shouldn’t do this.
Her confession in front of complicated everything.
“Because you have to kill ? You have a father, family mbers, and subordinates to protect. Don’t feel guilty for a man you’ve known for only a few days. The real culprits are those who involved my father and relatives in treason. They repaid kindness with enmity. You shouldn’t feel any guilt.”
You, yes you.
Moyong Sang-ah’s eyes trembled without pause.
Yeah. After saying all this, she couldn’t possibly reveal the truth.
Let’s hurry up.
“Now, cut my throat.”
I closed my eyes and feigned readiness for my neck to be slashed.
You wouldn’t really kill after all the groundwork I had laid, right?
I was a bit scared.
…
As I opened my eyes a fraction, Moyong Sang-ah was staring at with a determined look.
“I absolutely cannot do that.”
Thank you, Moyong Sang-ah.
“Can’t you really cut ?”
Moyong Sang-ah shook her head emphatically.
“Haah… Then, there’s no other choice. I’ll have to use my own thod to save my wife.”
I sighed and spoke with apparent reluctance.
“What would that be?”
“Tonight, I will be struck with a shoe.”
Being struck with a shoe on the first night was a huge insult to a wife. It typically signified that the husband disliked the wife and expelled her imdiately on the first night. In this situation, it ans the groom will quarrel with the bride and leave the house for so ti.
“What are you talking about?”
“I thought it was too much to ask my gentle wife to cut my throat. So I’ll spread the rumor that I was hit with a shoe because I dislike my wife, and then I’ll leave the Moyong family.”
This way, as in the original story, it was proven that Moyong Sang-ah remained pure.
“Moyong Bi will be satisfied to hear you’ve been struck with a shoe. After all, the marriage has been consummated, and it’s just a question of disgracing you. I will say I’ll spend just tonight away and then depart from the Moyong family. Afterwards, I’ll head to Joseon. So, please send Changbongdae after to take my life and send my body to Joseon.”
This maintained the original story’s flow.
“Sir!”
“This is the best course of action. It must be done.”
I spoke firmly.
“Sir, how can you do this for soone like ?”
Well, otherwise you were going to kill . While comforting a sobbing Moyong Sang-ah, I spoke.
“I decided to stake everything to help you.”
I spoke as tenderly as possible, tickling Moyong Sang-ah’s heart.
“Sir!”
Then Moyong Sang-ah threw herself at .
What? Why? Her face was getting closer.
Uh oh.
What?
Who put their tongue in on the first kiss?
Where did she learn that?
Ohhh.
The kiss with Moyong Sang-ah was wild and rough, filled with raw emotions.
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