“Aha, aha, aha.”

Late at night, Minhyuk, who had fallen asleep, stirred and opened his eyes at Danjung’s groaning sounds.

‘What’s that noise?’

Minhyuk turned on the light and looked beside him, and Danjung looked very unwell at a glance.

She had been so lively in the afternoon when they had shared sensual moments and had dinner at a restaurant with an exotic atmosphere, but for some reason, Danjung was now sweating and suffering.

“Danjung, Danjung-ah.”

Minhyuk gently shook Danjung’s shoulder to wake her, and Danjung laboriously lifted her heavy eyelids.

“Where does it hurt?”

“I think it’s a body ache. I’m cold and sore...”

Danjung opened her mouth with difficulty, exhaling hot breath.

“Why?”

Minhyuk asked as if he didn’t understand, but he didn’t expect Danjung to answer.

It was just a sound he uttered, his chest feeling tight at the sight of Danjung lying sick.

Minhyuk, his brow deeply furrowed, placed his hand on Danjung’s forehead, and his palm felt damp with sweat and hot with fever.

Even without taking her temperature, it was clearly much higher than normal.

“Just bear with it a little longer.”

Minhyuk immediately got up to find the doctor stationed at the resort.

Even though it was night heading towards dawn, he had no time to think about anything else.

Minhyuk hurriedly ran to the reception, explained the situation to the night shift employee, and woke up the sleeping doctor.

He felt sorry for them, but Minhyuk couldn’t think of any other way.

Only the sight of Danjung in pain filled his mind.

A while later, the doctor came and checked Danjung’s condition, and Minhyuk received some medication from him.

The doctor advised that if Danjung’s condition didn’t improve by morning even after taking the medicine, they should take a light aircraft to the hospital in Malé.

“Thanks for coming. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

After receiving multiple thanks from Minhyuk, the doctor returned, and Minhyuk checked the ingredients of the medicine before giving it to Danjung.

It was a fever reducer and a pain reliever; just as Danjung had said, she seemed to have a severe body ache.

“Let’s take some medicine.”

Minhyuk sat up Danjung, who was wrapped tightly in her blanket, and personally fed her the medicine and water.

Then, he temporarily moved aside the blanket she was covered with to help lower her fever.

“It’s cold.”

Despite having a fever, Danjung was so cold that her teeth were chattering, and her whole body ached as if someone had beaten her.

It felt like the first time in her life that she had been this sick.

“Just until the fever goes down. You took the medicine, so you’ll feel better soon.”

As Danjung curled up tightly, shivering from the cold, Minhyuk went behind her and hugged her tightly to share his body heat.

Holding the trembling Danjung, Minhyuk’s heart ached with guilt.

He felt terribly responsible for Danjung being sick.

He should have listened when she said to go inside...

Minhyuk felt like her condition had worsened because he had been stubborn.

So, he regretted doing sensual things outdoors and blamed his own actions.

But when Minhyuk felt the urge to desire Danjung, he couldn’t control himself at all.

His reason would disappear, and only his instincts would remain, constantly desiring her.

‘Should I not have touched her in the first place?’

Minhyuk wondered if perhaps he should have spent the hundred days cleanly, just as she had said.

But he immediately shook his head vigorously, denying his own thoughts.

No, he absolutely couldn’t just look at her for a hundred days.

Just looking at her made him want to touch her, kiss her, and hold her; how could he possibly endure that?

However, Minhyuk felt like he had been bothering Danjung too much, day and night.

He felt he should at least leave her alone comfortably until she regained her health and her accumulated fatigue disappeared.

Hadn’t she spent busy days preparing for the wedding in a very short period of time?

Rest was absolutely necessary for Danjung.

“Aha, aha.”

After some time, Danjung’s trembling gradually subsided, and her breathing also became more even.

Minhyuk reached out and placed his hand on her forehead, and her temperature seemed to have returned to normal.

Minhyuk carefully got up so as not to wake the sleeping Danjung and covered her with the blanket.

Then, he brought a towel and wiped her body, which was soaked with sweat.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”

Minhyuk looked at the soundly sleeping Danjung and once again resolved not to hurt her.

He would accept whatever she teased him with, and if she said she didn’t like something, he wouldn’t do anything she disliked.

Minhyuk also decided to grant Danjung whatever she wanted.

Seeing Danjung in such pain, he felt it would be better for him to become her loyal servant.

***

The next morning, Danjung, who had woken up, discovered Minhyuk’s arm wrapped around her.

He was clinging to her back, hugging her tightly.

‘He must have had a hard time.’

Danjung looked at the scattered towels and medicine box and thought of Minhyuk, who must have struggled all night.

She had a faint memory of him giving her medicine, wiping her sweat, and taking care of her all night.

Danjung turned around and faced Minhyuk’s face, which must have been tired.

His face, seen up close, was still handsome enough to make her heart flutter.

Soon, Minhyuk, sensing Danjung’s gaze, slowly opened his eyes.

“Are you alright now?”

Minhyuk looked at Danjung with worried eyes and gently stroked her disheveled hair.

“Yes, I’m much better thanks to Minhyuk-ssi taking care of me.”

Danjung, who had groaned all night, hadn’t fully recovered, but she seemed much better.

Last night had been so painful that she wondered if she had ever been that sick in her life.

So, she probably needed to take medicine and rest fully in the room for today.

It felt a bit unfair to come all the way here and stay in the room, but in fact, just being in the Maldives felt healing in itself.

“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

Minhyuk confessed to Danjung what he had felt all night in a calm tone.

“What is?”

“For forcing you to do something you didn’t want to do.”

‘Is he talking about what happened in the pool yesterday? I think he feels like I got sick because of him...’

Danjung wanted to say it wasn’t forced, that she wasn’t sick because of Minhyuk.

But seeing Minhyuk so dejected, she couldn’t help but want to tease him, so she pressed her lips together.

“From now on, I will absolutely not do anything Danjung doesn’t want.”

“Absolutely?”

When Danjung repeated Minhyuk’s words, he nodded silently.

“Then you won’t do anything sensual either?”

“If you want.”

“Really?”

“I’ll try.”

Danjung found Minhyuk, who was trying so hard to avoid answering directly, too cute.

If you’re not going to do anything sensual, you just don’t do it; what’s with “trying”?

“You clearly said you wouldn’t. Just try touching me and see.”

Danjung playfully threatened Minhyuk and snuggled into his arms.

“Ah~ this is nice. I’m just going to stay like this all day.”

“This is a bit problematic...”

Minhyuk felt himself getting hard as Danjung pressed close to him.

But this wasn’t his intention.

It was just a primal reaction that happens to any healthy man.

“What is?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes, I don’t know.”

“Hmm~.”

Minhyuk wanted to flick Danjung’s forehead for her innocent face.

What was he supposed to do when she wouldn’t let him do anything sensual but clung to him like this?

Besides, he had a grueling hundred days of abstinence ahead...

But then, Danjung suddenly started fiddling with his thing.

“......”

Minhyuk, his eyes wide, looked at Danjung with a flushed face.

“Minhyuk-ssi, you’re not allowed to do anything sensual. I’m the one who’s going to.”

Danjung seemed to be enjoying teasing Minhyuk.

Besides, she wanted to see the expression he had made when she touched him again.

It had given Danjung a strange pleasure.

“Does it feel good like this?”

“Yeah.”

“And what else? How else does it feel good?”

Danjung asked innocently with a curious face.

“Can I touch your chest?”

“No, you can’t.”

“You’re so mean.”

“Hehe.”

Danjung, raising the corners of her mouth, gave him a very charming smile.

What was he supposed to do with Danjung, who controlled him so easily like this?

He felt like he wouldn’t be able to live a single day without Danjung now.

“How on earth are you handling things! Do you think I acknowledged a lowlife like you as my successor and kept you by my side for nothing!”

Seongho threw the ashtray on the desk at Siwoo, enraged.

He had just publicly announced a project he had been secretly preparing, after hearing Siwoo say he would soon marry the second daughter of the SY Group.

His intention was to receive investment from the SY Group through Hyemi once Siwoo got married, but he was furious because of the scandal involving Hyemi that had become a big deal in the news.

“Why would that family, lacking nothing, marry their daughter to a lowlife like me?”

Siwoo, feeling wronged and angry at being scolded by Seongho who had summoned him home early in the morning, replied in a calm voice, thinking of his mother who would be waiting outside the door.

“What? So you’ve been deceiving me from the start!”

Seongho gritted his teeth, unable to calm his anger.

“Unless there’s some flaw, wouldn’t you agree?”

Siwoo wiped the blood flowing from his forehead with a meaningful smile.

From the beginning, he had planned to threaten the SY Group if blackmailing Hyemi didn’t work.

And if that didn’t work either, he intended to drag Hyemi down.

But that stupid woman had fallen into the abyss on her own.

“Hmm~ If that’s the case, I’ll wait and see. If you disappoint me again, you better be prepared.”

Seongho, having said his piece, gestured for him to leave. Siwoo bowed his head to Seongho and left the room.

“Oh my, what are we going to do about this blood?”

Siwoo’s mother, Shinyoung, who had been anxiously waiting outside the room, came with tissues, her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t pay too much attention to what your father says. He’s just doing it for your own good.”

‘Ha! Father, my foot...’

As Shinyoung wiped the blood flowing from Siwoo’s forehead, Siwoo pushed her hand away and looked at her intently.

“Are you happy, Mom?”

“Huh?”

“Are you happy?”

“I’m sorry, son. I like things just the way they are now.”

Shinyoung never wanted to go back to her poor and terrible past.

What her beloved husband had left her when he died were numerous debts and a son she had to raise.

Having done every kind of work imaginable, Shinyoung was able to pay off her debts and raise her son after meeting Seongho, her husband’s friend.

That was why she could endure even Seongho’s violent temper and physical abuse.

“Then that’s enough. Don’t worry about me.”

Siwoo lightly touched Shinyoung’s hand once and then left Seongho’s house forlornly.