Chapter 136

He was faced with a close call every day while he was staying with Kyosul.

Without any sense of wariness, she would sleep on the sofa right next to him or on the bed in her room soundly. The fact that he shared the same bed with her thrilled him so much that he couldn't sleep at all. It was the happiest time in his life that he just looked at her moonlit face when she was asleep.

Seven days passed since he brought her stay at the East Palace to punish her for hiking to Mt. Mokak.

He escorted her there. It was the first time they took a walk after the wedding.

He took her for a walk on the back path of the East Palace. He enjoyed walking there. In fact, walking along this road with Kyosul was his simple wish.

There was heard the sound of a brook murmuring along. As the back path bordered with the wall of the East Palace, there was a waterway leading to the outside of the palace.

"Wow!"

Kyosul, who was following him, suddenly exclaimed out of joy.

When he turned around, she was squatting in front of a pile of flowers, forgetting to follow him. Confirming the flower instantly, he found his heart was throbbing.

"They are cuc.u.mber herbs."

"Pardon?"

"I just said the name of the flower is cuc.u.mber herb."

She looked up at him in surprise. Feeling her glance, he also focused on the flower, hoping that he would not blush.

"They are not blooming anymore."

"Really?"

"…Because they are only blooming in summer. "

"Oh, I see...By the way, how come you know the name of this little flower? "

He didn't answer.

For some time, he used to receive letters from her every day. She wrote down her personal preferences on it, in which she said she loved flowers.

So, he remembered it and secretly delivered flowers, but he could not confess to her. If he could, he would not have sneaked into her residence at dawn every day. He hung an empty single note on the flower and turned back, swallowing what he wanted to say to her.

Now that summer was over, he had to find another flower, even though he couldn't write anything on the note.

***

Kyosul came to see Bipaan again. He vowed that he would no longer expect her visit. He took pains to keep down his longing for her.

"I would like to visit the royal guest house in Kongrimok."

"Guest house in Kongrimok?"

"Yes. It's getting chilly… I hear that there is a hot spring palace…"

"Kongrimok is in the southern area."

Suddenly, it occurred to him that recently Ruhae went down there in connection with the state civil service exams this fall.

He felt she was funny. He also felt she was cute.

He just laughed that her intention was too obvious.

As if she also read his mind, she looked nervous. While watching her mischievously, he again pretended not to know.

"Okay. Several seasons already passed since you came here. I think it's okay for you to tour other areas of the Mok Kingdom as the Crown Princess."

"Oh, are you willing to approve my request?"

"Sure, but let me go with you."

His mischievous accompaniment began like that.

Although he headed for Kongrimok with her, he avoided her when they arrived there. He was annoyed because he was often reminded of the reason why she visited this place.

'Oh my god… How could I be jealous like this?'

He was surprised to find himself feeling jealous about her close relationship with Ruhae.

Nonetheless, he wanted to have dinner with her, but he didn't convey his message.

In the meantime, time passed, and he received a message from the Imperial Palace.

'I can't do anything as I'm greedy.' He felt ridiculous about his situation.

He thought to himself, 'She will like it better if I leave.'

He thought she would be better left alone because she could meet Ruhae freely.

He smiled bitterly.

Spending the last night meaninglessly in Kongrimok, he went to the open bath with a heavy heart.

He was taking a hot bath when he heard someone's voice.

"Is this the open hot bath area?"

He never expected he would hear someone's clear voice there. He flinched momentarily, but tried to focus on the hot bath, thinking he heard wrong.

"Wow!"

The exclamation that followed was clearly Kyosul's voice.

Splash!

He heard someone splashing water, breaking the silence.

When it was clear that someone entered the bath, he was embarrassed.

'Should I avoid pretending or not be ashamed to greet her?'

Hot vapor disturbed his thinking. As he was so embarrassed, he was at a loss what to do. He wasn't sure whether he should just pretended not to know or greet her indifferently. While he was hesitating, Kyosul noticed him first and exclaimed, "Ugh?"

Now he had no other choice but to greet her.

"I didn't know you would come here."

He pretended to stay calm as if it was not a big deal. Disguising his true feelings without being caught by others was his strength.

"Your Majesty!"

He could feel how embarrassed she was, given her tone.

Splash!

The wave rippled, and her figure loomed through the steam. Her skin was exposed through the thin nightgown wet in the hot spring water. Her flushed skin exposed through the see-through gown was sweet. Her see-through fabric aroused him more than her nudity.

He thought she was only a little girl, but she was a woman by any standard.

He smelled the fragrant scent of her skin in the fresh wind of the open air.

He stepped towards her through the steam.

As she was shy and embarrassed, she covered her b.r.e.a.s.t.

Was it because of the steam? He approached her right up to her, as if he had been bewitched by something. Her eyes popped out in embarrassment. He was not agitated, though, while looking into her blinking eyes.

"Well, I just…"

She rolled her eyes without finding an excuse. She blushed more.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were taking a hot bath here…"

She hurriedly lowered her head. As she was so concerned with covering her n.a.k.e.d body and stepping back after greeting him hurriedly, she slipped.

Splash!

Water sprayed while she was shaking her hands and staggering. He quickly grabbed her body as she lost her balance.

"Be careful. Although the people here take care of this place all the time, it's very slippery under the water."

While he was stumbling while trying to balance himself, he got close to her and whispered to her, which he didn't mean at all.

As she suddenly turned her head, she was close enough to touch his nose. She breathed in and stumbled again. This time he wrapped his arm around her waist to stop her from slipping.

"I told you to be careful."

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he stiffened. He grabbed her right wrist. It felt as if he could hug her from behind right away.

She was dressed in thin clothes while he was almost n.a.k.e.d. If they touched even slightly, it was like them touching their bare skin. Although he married her a long time ago, he still found it unfamiliar and difficult to touch her bare skin. He felt like his heart would burst if he did so.

Quiet followed.

Only the sound of water drops falling intermittently was heard in the quiet hot spring.

Tut, tut.

He held his breath amid the sound of the water drops falling.

He felt even his breathing was awkward at the moment.

The quiet moment created a tense atmosphere. Although he soaked himself in the hot spring, he felt cold and got goosebumps on his upper body.

'Let me pull myself together.'

It was Bipaan who came to his senses first. When he took his hands off her, she quickly moved away from him.

"Thank you." Her voice trembled.

He comforted himself, thinking, 'Yeah, it's good I stepped away from her.'

She said, "I'm going to leave now."

"You just came into the hot spring, didn't you?"

As she was about to leave, he grabbed her. He did not want to let her go because he would never get another chance like this.

"As this open hot spring is open to many people, you don't have to leave."

Then he sat close to her, pretending not to notice. Although he deliberately tried to enjoy the hot bath, he was totally focused on her.

His body was heated up because of the steam, but his heart was pounding hard, which made him feel short of breath.

He made an excuse. He thought he would be swept away by the heat of hot springs.

With the sound of splashing water, he jumped up. He approached her and looked down at her. She looked up at him blankly.

Drops of water dripping from his hair fell on her cheeks.

"As you happen to be here, I think I had better tell you this."