episode_0150

[Episode 150: Punishment]

Hyangdan swallowed nervously.

“That’s…”

“Go on. We’re family now, so what is there to hide? If you’re going through tough times or feeling sad, I need to know so that not only I but the rest of the family can help you.”

“Kim… husband…”

Family…

The brief word seeped into my heart.

And it was equally embarrassing.

Because I wasn’t feeling troubled or sad at all right now!

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have made up excuses about being sick in the first place.

Ugh… Just as I was examining my condition, I got caught pretending to be unwell, which led to revealing that I was perfectly fine.

“Um… Could it be that Heaven is punishing me for something? That can’t be right… No matter how much I check, my body is fine… Could it be a matter of the heart?”

“Is Hyangdan hurting inside?”

“Huh? Uh…”

I shouldn’t have brushed it off so casually.

It seems like that’s why my adorable puppy has been worrying about me all day.

“Sari worries about you so much… You know Sari doesn’t talk much, right? But when you speak, you do so eloquently, like a bird chirping. It seems like Sari really values you as a friend. So if you were sad all day, Sari couldn’t help but worry.”

“Ah…”

Realizing that I’ve made my cute friend worry made my heart ache.

What I thought was a small lie seemed to have caused more concern for my family than I anticipated, making me feel even more guilty.

Moreover, Kim’s story about his friend was so heartbreaking…

“Sari actually has many emotional scars. Due to being misunderstood by friends because of their unique nature… That’s why I couldn’t leave you alone. Sari knows that emotional pain hurts much more than physical pain.”

“….”

“Sari asked me to make you happy just like I made them happy… I feel the same way as Sari. I want you to be happy. Your smile is so beautiful.”

Oh my goodness!

Kim’s words suddenly pierced my heart like a dagger…!

He said my smile is beautiful…! I’ve never heard such words before!

What was all that teasing from the goblin uncles about! Weren’t they telling me not to smile so boldly like a man?!

But was it beautiful in Kim’s eyes?

It made me even more embarrassed coming from someone so handsome.

Should I call it a delicate beauty or a decadent beauty?

Even my weak, pale face lying on the sickbed started to flutter with excitement…

As I kept looking at that sight, my heart felt strange, and my stomach trembled…

“Yeah… Let’s say it’s both delicate and decadent…”

“Um… Was it too much to reveal your true feelings? It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself to speak if you don’t want to. Just that you seemed gloomy since yesterday. Maybe because of that night…”

“Oh..! N-no, Kim… It’s not because of that, right? You don’t think I was feeling down because of that, do you? Please tell me! I was so happy when you denied it because of that incident!”

“Huh…? Uh… I’m relieved it’s not because of that… I actually thought it was because of that… I felt like I might have been too pushy with you… That’s why I wanted to apologize.”

“N-no…! You absolutely…! You don’t need to think that way…! Don’t apologize; it was better that way… Ugh… Anyway, it’s definitely not because of you, Kim!”

Ugh…!

Why did I have to be caught off guard while staring at Kim’s face! I couldn’t even properly explain myself…

What if I cancel the acceptance of the apology due to such a trivial misunderstanding?

Ah… It’s not because of that…

From the start, I wasn’t feeling down!

Yeah, to be honest, it was all because of what happened that night.

So, it felt like a sharp jab in my heart.

Of course, it didn’t mean I became depressed or suffered a huge shock like in Kim’s thoughts.

Didn’t I say it! I absolutely wasn’t struggling or feeling down!

Just like getting pricked by a thorn while taking a step back after catching a mouse.

If I were to confess… How should I put it… Whenever I think about that night, I feel strange and eerie, for some reason…?

I don’t know why, but along with a melancholic feeling, the events of that night kept vividly replaying in my mind all day long.

That massive, hot pillar…

The grotesque figure of the pulsating flesh pole, as if about to burst, began to flicker before my eyes like a hallucination, causing my legs to involuntarily tremble…

Even now, look,

It shouldn’t be happening, yet suddenly my mouth feels dry, and there’s a hint of night-blooming flowers in the air around my nose.

“Oh! Not now! At least when Kim isn’t here…! No one else around…! When I’m alone…!”

“Ugh..!”

“Hey, Hyangdan? What’s wrong? Are you okay? Something bothering you?”

“Uh.. No, no… Anyway! I’m fine! I just needed some time alone…! I’ll explain to the dog and cat…! So, Kim, don’t worry about me; focus on resting your body! Your handsome face doesn’t hurt my feelings… Ugh… That face is quite attractive, though… Anyway…! Kim needs rest too, so I’ll go now!”

“Just a moment, Hyangdan…!”

I had to get out of here quickly.

So… I had to comfort my crying conscience like a child throwing a tantrum.

Perhaps that’s why I didn’t go find Kim with the dog and cat this time!

Of course, she knew well about my mischief, so I refrained from intervening between the dog, cat, and Kim, thinking it would only make Kim more restless, but also because I hadn’t properly resolved the tension that had built up earlier. Seeing Kim return home, I rushed over, hugged him, and ended up making things even more awkward… That’s why I said I wanted to be alone.

Sending the dog and cat to Kim would finally give me a perfect opportunity to be alone!

Since both the dog and cat liked Kim almost as much as they liked me, naturally, I expected to have more time alone, but…

What could I do… My friends were so worried about me…

Maybe this was also fate…

Hyangdan thought.

At first, she had no idea what it was.

Continuously haunted by the events of that night, the handsome face of Kim, and the terrifying sight of the bat, coupled with the tingling sensation in her lower body, she thought she was just feeling unwell.

The realization came when Kim and her eldest sister left to meet the Crown Prince, and even the dog and cat went to pick fights, leaving her alone in the room.

Was it a woman’s instinct?

Unconsciously, her fingers slipped inside her skirt, and as they lightly touched the damp area, a tingling sensation ran down her spine, relieving some of the discomfort and unease.

It would have been better if she had stopped there…

It was intriguing and sparked curiosity, and the uncomfortable thrill tormenting her lower body momentarily eased when she lightly touched the sensitive spot, but the problem arose when she tried to relieve this feeling by pressing and rubbing the area with her fingers.

Wanting to reach somewhere… Needing to touch…

No matter how hard she tried to alleviate it, she kept feeling an emptiness, a hollowness that couldn’t be filled…

She couldn’t possibly have known that the feeling of relief from that act was outweighed by the guilt it piled on her at that moment…

In her pursuit of an unknown destination, she mindlessly flicked and prodded that hot, moist place with her fingers as if possessed, only to abruptly stop as the door creaked open.

“Are you okay, Lady Hyangdan? Oh my! Your face is all red…!”

“Hyangdan… don’t hurt… or be sad….”

“Nyaaa….”

And… it was incredibly embarrassing.

Her friends and companions, who had just been watching her frantically touch herself like a madwoman, now looked at her with concern and reproach…

A rush of shame washed over her, jolting her back to reality.

That’s when she realized.

The true nature of the act she had just been engaging in…

It was none other than masturbation.

An act where a lonely female substitutes for a male, yearning and desiring for a mate, using her own hand to comfort her desires.

Yes, her body… her womb… was longing and craving for Kim Seobang, seeking solace and satisfaction through her own hands.

Naturally, she did not want anyone else to discover the act she had just been performing…!

Therefore, even while undergoing an examination,

“I cleaned up here, but… what if the smell lingers?”

Heavenly doctors were said to be knowledgeable about medicine; would they find evidence that she had engaged in masturbation somewhere on her body?

How fearful and anxious she was.

She truly reflected upon her actions.

If only she had known back then that what she was doing was not just harmless fun but something shameful and embarrassing to show others…

She wouldn’t have tried to captivate the Kim Seobangs with her beauty.

She wouldn’t have turned into a spectacle, holding a broomstick in the alley and comically teasing her waist.

…Perhaps this was heaven’s punishment for playing such a wicked prank.

Otherwise, why would similar situations keep happening to her, reminiscent of her mischievous behavior?

Phew… whether this was divine retribution or mere coincidence, I do not know…

One thing was certain: she had to pay somehow.

Enduring this sorrow was impossible.

She had reached her limit.

Maybe if she had known a little sooner, she wouldn’t have tasted the pleasure of relieving that inner sadness…

Since that abrupt halt, there had been no opportunity to alleviate it further.

Now, alone with Kim Seobang… that poignant feeling kept accumulating beyond her control.

All these reasons combined, slowly began to cloud her judgment.

If things continued like this… whether in front of Kim Seobang or her friends… she might suddenly lose control for a moment, put her hand in her skirt, and reveal her shameful act to everyone!

She really didn’t want that!

She may not deserve it, but the last shred of her dignity absolutely refused to let her expose her self-indulgence to others, like those Kim Seobangs who used to mock her antics.

So she sought any chance to be alone…

“If I had known it would come to this, I should have asked for a separate room from the start…”

Regret settled in.

Of course, back then, she simply wanted to share a room with the puppy and kitten.

Huff..! For now, she needed to distance herself from Kim Seobang…!

“Hyangdan…! Just a moment…. Don’t leave, please wait a moment? I have something to say.”

“S-Something to say…? W-What is it…? I-I’m a bit… no, I’m busy right now…?”

At Kim Seobang’s words, Hyangdan, who was about to leave the room in a hurry, froze in her tracks.

She needed to quickly leave to relieve this painful trembling…

[Ahem.. I… I want to say that I definitely take responsibility for you… Perhaps you’re worried and feeling down because of that… Just don’t worry about it. How can a man not take responsibility for what he does to a woman? I also think you’re pretty… I wish I could be your mirror image… So please wait a little bit. I need to explain to Heeseon and Sari… There’s an order that needs to be followed step by step, right? Of course, the order is a bit twisted…”]

“……”

Oh no… If I hear those words now….

Fluttering….

I find myself running into his embrace without even realizing it.

Keuk keuk… The trembling womb….

The rough scent of a dominant male….

The heart pounding like crazy….

The female coyly brushing against the male as if flirting…

‘Oh… I hope the dog and cat are peacefully asleep when I return….’

It seems like… tonight, I might not be able to resist playing along, even if it’s embarrassing.

Even if it’s shameful, taking advantage of my friends being asleep….

Phew… well… this truly feels like divine retribution.

Perhaps I must endure this pitiful and tender desire until the moment Kim Seobang mentioned arrives.

However, even in this agonizing punishment, she did not blame heaven at all.

Since her beloved has acknowledged her as a woman….

‘Yes… I deserve punishment for my mistakes… Thank you, God, for allowing me to meet Kim Seobang…’

.

.

.

.

It was a refreshing morning.

I feel light, as if all signs of illness have vanished.

I thought about getting up right away, but….

Since there’s nothing urgent to do anyway, I close my eyes and enjoy the morning.

By the way, Hyeongdan is really okay, right?

After talking with her yesterday, she didn’t seem particularly gloomy or depressed, just as Sari said….

Well, even if there are issues, I’ll make her happy by handling them better.

Yes, Hyeongdan is not just my friend anymore; she’s my partner whom I must take care of.

Still, just in case, I should keep an eye on Hyeongdan.

She seems to have a kind heart and may not handle criticism well like other people.

Should I start by cultivating some laziness….

Poke..!

Huh? What was that? Who just poked my cheek..? A mosquito?

Wriggle wriggle..!

Poke..! Poke..!

Ugh.. why does something keep poking my cheek..? What is it?

“Husband! You’re awake but still sitting there with your eyes closed like that? You lazybones..! Hehe…”

“Oh… what… Heeseon, was that you? I was wondering. But what’s up? You said you’d let me rest alone….”

“Well, that was yesterday. It’s already bright out! Are you feeling any better?”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Heeseon sitting on the bed, kneeling beside me, gently stroking my head.