episode_0005

Huh… What’s happening right now…?

Hwang Bo-seol felt a momentary sense of unease and was taken aback.

But as quickly as the unease came, it dissipated just as fast, leaving her unable to even acknowledge that she had felt such a thing.

“Maybe I thought something might be different…”

Her own thoughts made her feel even more inadequate than the other men around her.

Beyond disappointment, she now felt a slight sense of injustice.

Why are there only men like this?

She straightened her back slightly, as if to calm her sluggish body with the continued confrontation, and cleared her mind.

“Please have the next person come in.”

A response to her request was heard, and soon a man walked in.

He was dressed in a white crane coat and wore a neat scholar’s headband. His face was quite handsome.

Huh?

In a moment of strange impulse, Hwang Bo-seol was flustered.

As their eyes met, a strange feeling briefly throbbed in her mind.

And soon, a thought occurred to her.

Somehow, a face-to-face meeting…

As if in a struggle of the heart, Hwang Bo-seol’s pale hands, which had hesitated for a moment in the air, moved again and removed the face mask, placing it down.

“Huh?”

It wasn’t just Hwang Bo-seol who was taken aback.

Bang So-un, who had been about to greet her, froze upon seeing her bare face.

His gaze was fixed on her as if captivated by an illusion.

With jet-black hair as dark as ink, a slender, pale neck like a stem of a water lily. Her large eyes, filled with a faint attraction, had long eyelashes densely packed, and a light shadow under her slightly lowered eyes.

Her transparent, slender arms, long and slim, and her body against the white palace wall formed graceful curves.

It was a noble and magnificent appearance, but to her, it seemed so familiar that there was no sense of awe.

Rather, her demeanor combined elegance and passion, creating a strange charm.

It was as if she hadn’t been born of a human, but had come to the world as a guest from the divine realm.

Oh my goodness…

She’s stunning… She’s absolutely stunning…

Her mind went blank.

Standing still like this all day wouldn’t be tiring at all.

No, it wouldn’t just be not tiring, it would be dizzyingly blissful.

The rumors were not exaggerated.

If anything, they fell short.

It was unbelievable that such a woman existed in the world.

Unbelievable.

While he had seen beautiful women before, Hwang Bo-seol was a being of a completely different caliber.

It was Hwang Bo-seol who broke the silence.

“Um…”

Her thin, red lips parted to reveal white, even teeth, but then closed again as if unsure of what to say.

“Um…”

Bang So-un also couldn’t find the words to speak.

His head felt as heavy as a rock.

Unintentionally, the awkwardness lingered in the room for a moment, unsettling the air.

If the tea hadn’t arrived to break the tension, the awkward atmosphere would have lasted even longer.

“Oh my?”

The tea arrived, eyes widened in surprise.

The room had a strange atmosphere.

Most of all, what caught her gaze was not her mistress’s face covered by the face mask, but the fact that she was bare-faced.

With a surprised expression, Sibi paused for a moment before quickly realizing something and breaking into a joyful smile.

As she set down the tea, she lightly brushed against Bang Sooun’s ear, who had been standing stiffly.

“······Please do your best, Master Gongja.”

With that, she hurriedly left the room, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

Upon hearing Sibi’s words, Bang Sooun finally regained his composure.

“······Hello, Miss Hwangbo. I am Bang Sooun, the eldest son of the Chupungpyoguk. May I sit?”

“Oh··· Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.”

Somehow, his expression softened on its own.

It seemed that he couldn’t harbor any negative emotions in front of her.

Meanwhile, Hwangbo Seol, despite her revealed inner turmoil, appeared quite flustered.

Why did she undress···?

It was undoubtedly her own will to remove the veil.

There must have been some psychological motive for her.

What could it be······.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart fluttered.

She couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact nature of this emotion.

Hwangbo Seol opened her mouth with a slight tilt of her head, so subtle that it went unnoticed.

“I will begin with a question, Master Gongja.”

“Yes.”

He had come prepared for this, so Bang Sooun subconsciously moistened his dry lips with his tongue.

Do well.

Absolutely do well.

If he could make this woman his wife, he wouldn’t mind living as a beggar for the rest of his life.

“The first question is about the famous 32-character poem by Na Gwanjung in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

“Sohn Quan is bad!”

······Oh no!

Due to having immersed himself in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms since he was young, the emotionally charged words against Sohn Quan, who killed Guan Yu, naturally slipped out.

Bang Sooun had come to despise Sohn Quan due to his strong affinity for Guan Yu.

Whenever the topic of the Three Kingdoms came up in conversation, he would launch into a tirade against Sohn Quan.

That habit had unintentionally surfaced at that moment.

“Uh···?”

Hwangbo Seol froze in place.

She had intended to ask about the literary significance of the famous 32-character poem by Zhao Zilong in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

However, she was cut off before she could even finish her sentence.

Realizing his mistake, Bang Sooun furrowed his brow and tapped his head.

His expression exuded a dark and gloomy atmosphere.

“Uh··· But still, Sohn Quan is definitely bad··· Sohn Quan, he’s a damn rat······.”

Bang Sooun continued to speak in a voice that kept pushing the situation further.

He didn’t even realize that he was speaking out of turn.

“Pfft.”

Suddenly, Hwangbo Seol turned her head and laughed.

For some reason, even her eyes twinkled as she let out a small chuckle.

With her laughter, the room seemed to brighten in an instant.

A surge of emotion washed over him, causing his heart to flutter.

Bang Sooun also forced a smile on his face, feeling awkward.

For some reason, that seemed to be the appropriate atmosphere.

“Uh··· Well, sorry. Master Bang, you’re quite an interesting person.”

“Actually, I’m a bit··· Ahaha······.”

Bang Sooun chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head.

Although the response seemed favorable, he couldn’t simply like it without knowing the reason.

Had he successfully executed his plan as he had intended?

When he had locked eyes with Seol Hwangbo in the hallway earlier, she had seemed somewhat anxious, but it appeared to be just a misconception caused by tension.

‘Strange······.’

Hwangbo Seol had that thought.

It would have been his usual self to cut off the conversation midway and coldly rebuke the man in front of him for saying such absurd things.

But for some reason, the man’s actions seemed so mischievous that he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

It had been a long time since he had laughed in front of a man.

It didn’t feel bad.

It was closer to refreshing.

“Since you made me laugh, I’ll consider your first question answered.”

“Thank you.”

“What should I say… Your demeanor is quite impressive.”

“…Excuse me?”

Hwang Bo-seol blurted out without realizing it, surprising herself.

As if to hide her embarrassment, she quickly continued speaking.

“The second question… um… I want to know about Master Bang’s life goal.”

This time, she made another mistake.

It was the first time she had asked a personal question to someone.

It might make it seem like she was interested in him.

Feeling awkward, Hwang Bo-seol avoided looking at Bang So-woon, who was staring at her.

This question was really embarrassing.

…So, my servant is talented and we get along well.

We have set goals together.

We will dominate women who are strong and noble, whom everyone respects and fears.

We will make them kneel with bare feet and lick our soles.

They will become cute concubines, submissive, kind children.

We will gather such women and establish a powerful faction.

A faction stronger than any prestigious family.

Everyone in the world will be shocked and afraid to the point of losing their souls.

We will enjoy those looks to our heart’s content.

But I’m sorry.

You are also included in our plans…

…I couldn’t say that, of course.

I didn’t want to lie by making up something.

After a moment of contemplation, Bang So-woon spoke in a serious tone.

“I will not lie. My life goal depends on Miss Hwang Bo.”

“Excuse me…?”

What a ridiculous thing to say.

No… Wait.

Is it that Bang So-woon’s life goal is to marry the daughter of the Golden Dragon General?

It sounded like nonsense no matter how much I thought about it.

It was an audacious and groundless statement.

Normally, I would have felt insulted.

But today is a really strange day.

Even though I tried not to think that way, it felt somehow positive to want to make marrying oneself the goal of one’s life.

“What do you mean…?”

“I can’t explain in detail right now. If Miss Hwang Bo agrees to marry me, she will know everything. And Miss Hwang Bo will also agree with my goal. I will make it so.”

“Is it something you can’t tell others?”

“Yes, but I can tell you this. It’s not just a wish or a dream. I have put everything on my life goal.”

“I see, but…”

For the first time since starting the conversation with Bang So-woon, Hwang Bo-seol’s gaze sharpened.

Her soft voice seemed to have a hint of coldness.

“From what Master Bang said, I can guess that you need the power of me and the Golden Dragon General to achieve your goal. To be honest… it’s unpleasant. I have no intention of being a stepping stone for someone’s dream, and I have never even imagined such a thing. Even if it’s my husband.

And you seem to be mistaken about something else. I, as the next successor of the Golden Dragon General, hold all the operational rights. I have no intention of transferring even a bit of operational rights to a mere son-in-law. If you want that, please leave now.”

“…”

Bang So-woon met Hwang Bo-seol’s cold gaze without avoiding it.

But inside, he was quite embarrassed.

He had made a mistake.

He had made a verbal slip.

Feeling perplexed, amidst such thoughts, a strange sense of branching paths bloomed within me.

It didn’t feel right to apologize while being pressed by her sharpness.

Pride wandered near arrogance, wriggling like an eel.

Yes, you are a wise and capable woman.

You must want to elevate the position of the Golden Dragon Chamber even higher with your own strength alone.

I acknowledge that.

A woman like you, no matter how much you despise men, doesn’t suit being courted by them.

But I am different.

I will shackle your ankles, no matter what.

By any means necessary.

Although the dragon’s anger had not yet subsided, Hwang Bo-seol slowly rose to his feet.

A faint smile played on his lips.

“Why are you laughing?”

“The rumors seem different from the fact that Gangnamjaenyeo is one of the wisest in the world. Now I see, you don’t want a son-in-law, but rather a scrounger who clings to you like a parasite at home, enjoying revelry with the money of the Golden Dragon Chamber. Or is it just a tool for procreation?”

“Are you mocking me right now?”

Hwang Bo-seol shouted in a cold voice.

Procreation… When would she ever hear such vulgar words?

“It’s not mockery. I’m just stating the facts. Right now, you want a man you can put in your arms. Of course, I understand your heart. I understand, but…”

Bong So-woon provoked again with a sneer.

“You’re scared right now. You’re afraid of choosing a man superior to you. You’re worried you won’t be able to handle it. Like a man like me. Isn’t that right? You probably realized at first glance that I’m different from other men.”

“Are you saying you’re better than me right now? You, an unknown, nameless commoner? Can you take responsibility for such arrogant words?”

The term referring to Bong So-woon shifted from ‘Gongja’ to ‘you’ in a more formal tone.

That’s how much he was enraged and wounded in his pride.

“Of course. If you marry me, I can prove it to you as much as you want. I will participate in the operation of the Golden Dragon Chamber with my abilities. That’s how it will be.”

“You have a habit of speaking so decisively. In this world, there are things that can’t be achieved with just honest self-confidence. Keep that in mind.”

“I will keep that in mind, then.”

Bong So-woon ceremoniously bowed his head and left the room.

What kind of man is he…!

Anger surged within her.

She was even more furious at the thought that he might not be a decent man at first.

For the first time in her life, a man had spoken so rudely in front of her.

And a sense of arrogance rose in a corner of her heart.

She wanted to crush that arrogant sneer on his face.

That desire burned hotly in her chest.

Crash!

Unable to contain her anger, Hwang Bo-seol threw the teacup to the ground.

***

“Master.”

I had no idea what kind of spirit had brought me to the main gate of the Golden Dragon Chamber.

As I reached the main gate, Jang-il appeared as if he had been waiting.

“Um?”

“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

“Well… I don’t remember what I said.”

“What do you mean?”

Sigh.

Bong So-woon looked troubled.

“I… I think you have a strong sense of pride.”

“Are you going to keep saying strange things?”

“We fought.”

“…”

Jang-il’s expression turned grim.

***

The truly bewildering event occurred two days later.

– Applicant Bong So-woon Gongja has been selected as the 395th candidate.

Hwang Bo-seol’s handwriting was clearly written on the wall of the Golden Dragon Chamber. Undoubtedly.

“Wow… It, it happened? Master. Did we really fight and come out like this?”

“Frankly, I was surprised.”

However, I could roughly guess what Hwang Boseol was thinking.

He probably wanted to crush my arrogance.

He probably wanted to make me regret my arrogant remarks.

Since she had never heard such disrespectful remarks from a man before, she must have been even more incensed.

Regardless of how the situation unfolded, it seemed to have resolved well in the end.

Her plans, whatever they were, would proceed as expected.

There was no way for her to stop it.

A joyful smile crept onto her lips.

On the long, long wedding night, I will thoroughly teach her.

The manners and etiquette a wife must possess towards her husband.