II - 40

I-ryeong was now riding a wild stallion driven by its instinct to run.

Looking down from above felt strange. Capturing his gaze as his eyes shook wildly also felt oddly thrilling.

“Ha. I-ryeong…”

Seeing him spill his desire with a twisted expression was dizzying. That look in his eyes, as if he wanted her desperately.

I-ryeong greedily moved her hips, firmly held by him, and continued to shake them.

She could feel his arousal twitching inside her.

She gripped his waist tightly and moved her hips. Regardless of the speed, his length swelled as if it might burst. The sensation of it pressing against her lower abdomen felt insanely good.

She moved her hands from his waist to his chest. She grabbed his stiff nipples, small and hard, and twisted them.

“Ugh!”

He let out a gasp and jerked his hips. The intense thrusting made her lower abdomen feel full to the point of bursting.

“Ah…”

The dizzying sensation of him going even deeper left her unable to think. All she wished for was that this moment would last forever.

I-ryeong moved her hips like she was pounding a mortar. His arousal, soaked in the fluid that endlessly flowed, was visible.

The sticky fluid on his red, swollen length looked sweet. It was so tempting that she wanted to taste it immediately.

“Ah, ah…”

As she imagined it, her hips moved faster.

Moist gasps spilled from her swollen lips. The spreading heat of excitement was impossible to resist.

His hands, which had been gripping her waist, moved to her vigorously bouncing breasts.

“Ah!”

Her ample flesh spilled through his fingers. I-jun gripped her breasts tightly, as if he wouldn’t let even the smallest part escape.

Her swollen peaks rubbed against his palms. There was no pain, only a growing desire.

As his thrusts quickened, she gripped the bedsheet tightly, feeling like she might collapse. Even so, she didn’t stop moving her hips.

Her hands, which had been clutching the bedsheet, moved. Just as he had done, she grabbed his chest and raced toward ecstasy.

The firm chest muscles showed just how seriously I-jun took his workouts.

“Ah, ah!”

The woman, now driven purely by instinct, let out louder moans.

Then, I-jun pulled her into his embrace.

He devoured her earlobes and the nape of her neck, stained with heat, while moving his hips. Their skin, pressed together, was soaked as if coated with high-quality lubricant.

“Ugh, I-ryeong.”

She could feel the strength in his voice and hands.

He usually called her by her name. For some reason, she felt a pang of sadness as he approached his climax.

A warm sensation bloomed below her lower abdomen. Soon, I-ryeong collapsed onto his chest, which rose and fell rapidly.

Thump, thump. Listening to the sound of his heartbeat in her ear, she also caught her breath.

“You should’ve dried your hair properly.”

He brushed through her still-damp hair.

The atmosphere felt like time was moving slowly, and her chest tingled. She didn’t dislike it.

“What if you catch a cold?”

“A cold in this spring weather?”

Who was the one who stripped her bare, yet now worried about her catching a cold?

I-ryeong lightly scratched his side with her fingers and let out a laugh. She could feel him twitching under her touch.

What expression would you make if I said you were cute?

She left the thought as just an imagination, got off him, and lay down beside him.

As if by some unspoken agreement, the couple lay side by side, looking at each other.

“I want to torment you the same way.”

His voice slowed.

“Strangely, my eyes are getting heavy.”

The drowsiness clinging to him also affected her.

I-ryeong pulled the blanket over them and patted his back.

“If you’re tired, take a nap.”

“Do I look tired?”

“You woke up early. Of course, you’re tired.”

“It’s strange. Whenever I lie next to you, I always feel sleepy…”

As if lost in thought, he soon let out steady breaths and fell asleep.

I-ryeong stifled a laugh and continued to pat him for a while longer.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the same leisure as today, she savored this time before going to work.

She lingered in bed for quite a while.

As time passed, his sleeping face became clearer in the darkened room.

His sleek, sharp nose and tightly closed lips, as if asking for her attention, caught her eye.

‘He’s handsome even when he’s sleeping.’ Lee-ryeong unconsciously reached out her hand.

With only a centimeter left between her hand and him, her hand trembled in mid-air. It felt as if her hard-won courage had hit an invisible wall.

She felt like she would ruin a sculpture perfectly crafted by God. She let out a hollow laugh at the thought that the world was so unfair and got out of bed.

Even though he didn’t seem like he would wake up even if she left, Lee-ryeong moved quietly, just in case.

She picked up the scattered clothes on the floor and put them in the laundry basket in the small dressing room attached to the bedroom.

“I should keep the hanbok in the dressing room.”

Lee-ryeong’s eyes clouded as she looked at the hanbok in the basket.

The trouble the hanbok had caused was dizzying. It was more dangerous than any weapon.

“I need to hide it so Lee-joon can’t find it.”

Lee-ryeong looked for simple clothes and picked out a monochromatic dress. It seemed like she would look properly dressed if she put on a light cardigan over the thin dress.

Even though she didn’t have to be mindful of others in the detached house, she couldn’t dress as comfortably as she did at her parents’ house in a place where someone might suddenly barge in.

She had to endure the titles of Seo Lee-joon’s wife and the youngest daughter-in-law of Dogok-dong, titles she found repulsive.

As he said, this was Dogok-dong and the place she had chosen, so she couldn’t show any signs of dislike.

Leaving the sleeping Lee-joon, she took only her phone and left the bedroom.

Unlike the quiet morning, an orchestral piece filled the living room.

The couple’s bedroom was located at the innermost part of the first floor.

The moans she had spilled out in a frenzy of pleasure earlier came to mind, stimulating her heart and making her face flush.

Lee-ryeong fiddled with her earlobe and parted her lips slightly, letting out a sultry breath.

‘He didn’t hear, did he?’ The tips of her feet, hidden in her slippers, curled up.

Lee-ryeong raised her head, scanned the living room, and swallowed dryly. Then, she slowly moved her steps, turning her gaze to the artwork on the floor.

Very calmly, as if nothing had happened, as lightly as a butterfly.

“Did you wake up?”

Mrs. Choi made her presence known as she came out of the kitchen.

At her smiling expression, Lee-ryeong stuttered, “Yes? Oh, yes. I just closed my eyes for a moment and woke up.”

Lee-ryeong fidgeted as if she had done something wrong. She didn’t do anything bad, but she felt inexplicably embarrassed.

She wriggled her tense toes and couldn’t settle down.

“Madam, how would you like your meal?”

Mrs. Choi’s conversation focused on the meal, as if she was being considerate.

Lee-ryeong felt strangely ashamed.

‘We’re newlyweds, aren’t we?’ Why was she embarrassed in her own home about a relationship that was natural for newlyweds?

“I’ll eat with Lee-joon when he wakes up. Oh, by the way, ma’am, has the thing I ordered been delivered?”

Thanks to that, Lee-ryeong treated her with a more relaxed attitude.

Her stiff face relaxed, and a smile bloomed, just like Mrs. Choi’s.

“Yes, madam. I received it this morning and put it in your study. It was just made, so they asked me to let it cool down before refrigerating it.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Lee-ryeong turned around, saying she would go to the study.

The feelings of embarrassment had already turned into excitement, beyond her control.

The study that Mrs. Choi referred to was on the second floor.

Lee-joon had created his own study and included one for her as well. It was his stubbornness, following the hot springs bath.

At the time, she thought it was an excessive gift and consideration and refused, but now, looking back, she thought it was a good thing she accepted.

She climbed the stairs, passed the reception room overlooking the garden, and arrived in front of the study.

“I should have come here first…”

Lee-ryeong lingered in front of the door, unable to enter the study.

Her heart was pounding as if it would burst, and she placed her hand on her chest. She pressed her palm against her chest, repeatedly catching her breath.

“It’s okay, everything’s okay.”

After a few repetitions, she carefully opened the door.

Her gaze was drawn to the transparent window where sunlight poured in.

She couldn’t believe that this beautiful space was hers, and a completely private space at that.

I-ryeong quietly closed the door and stepped into the space. 

Suppressing the heavy emotions welling up in her throat, she looked around the study. 

The luxurious furniture that caught her eye at a glance had all been prepared by I-jun. 

Approaching the desk after glancing at the empty bookshelves—thinking she should visit a bookstore first—she paused. 

“Ah...” 

There it was: the bouquet she had set aside earlier, now half-dried but beautifully preserved, as if carefully dried with care. 

“Mrs. Choi must have taken care of this.” 

Sitting with her back to the window, I-ryeong held the bouquet and lost herself in thought. 

The grand and lavish wedding ceremony, fitting for a marriage in a large corporation, failed to surface in her mind. 

That once-in-a-lifetime moment—the most important day—felt like it had been erased, as though blacked out from her memory. 

Was it because it had been the worst moment she didn’t want to remember? 

Even when she asked herself, the answer wasn’t clear. It was a marriage she had chosen freely, without anyone’s coercion, yet the memory of that day remained hazy. 

“It’s because I was tired. Just tired…” 

Shaking her head firmly, I-ryeong opened her eyes. 

She scolded herself for letting her thoughts wander so strangely while feeling so physically relaxed. Placing the bouquet back down, she rose from her seat. 

In one corner of the room, she spotted the item Mrs. Choi had mentioned—a fairly large icebox. Inside were rice cakes she had ordered in advance as wedding favors before the ceremony. 

Worried about Dongha and Ari, she hadn’t invited her college friends or acquaintances to the wedding. 

As a result, the guest seats had been sparse, but thankfully, her teammates had filled the void. 

“I need to wash and repackage these.” 

Her gaze lingered on the soft, chewy rice cakes before shifting back to the furniture. 

For some reason, her younger brother, Jungmin, came to mind.