Chapter 34
Seo-jun stared intently at Yeon.
Something was a little strange about her today.
The moment they met, she bowed in greetingâsomething she normally didnât do. No matter what he said, her only reply was, âYes.â
And now, right in front of him, she was shaking her head, sighing, then smiling⊠it was like she was performing a one-woman monodrama.
And from earlier, her gaze kept flicking to his lips.
âSheâs going to devour me.â
She tried to hide it, but unfortunately for her, Seo-jun noticed everything.
Yeon was conscious of last nightâs kiss. Quite severely, in fact.
With her like this, Seo-jun was deeply worried about how they were supposed to pull off their âmarried coupleâ act.
Of course, he himself hadnât stopped thinking about that kiss either.
His kiss with Yeon had been the most stimulating of his entire life.
For the first time ever, he had felt thirst while kissing someone, the desperate urge to cling to them.
Even now, just looking at her lips, his throat was parched.
That was why he had been gulping down iced Americanos one after another, but instead of quenching it, the thirst only grew worse.
There was only one way to satisfy this thirst.
Kiss her.
But with Yeon so overly conscious and acting this way, there was nothing he could do.
And then there was the question of whether she would even allow it.
Judging by her eyes, âallowâ wasnât even the right wordâif she jumped him right this moment, it wouldnât be surprising.
Her inability to hide her desire made her look endlessly adorable.
When had that tiny thing grown so sly? And yet, if he so much as touched her, she would dart away in a flash.
Just like a cat rubbing its head against your leg as if begging to be petted.
So the two of them sat there, lost in their own thoughts.
Until they both snapped back to themselves at the same timeâ
It was when the words âNational Consort Selectionâ came from the live broadcast playing on the laptop.
âAh! His Majesty has appeared!â
Yeon focused on the laptop screen.
Seo-jun naturally folded his arms and turned his gaze toward the screen as well.
Beom stood on the podium, officially announcing the start of the Imperial Consort Selection.
Today, the two of them had met to watch the live broadcast together and come up with a foolproof strategy to win the selection.
âItâs exactly as I heard. His Majestyâs announcement.â
Yeon had already obtained information about the selection through various channels.
This time, the selection would take the form of a cultural performance, reenacting the samgantaek (three-stage selection process) from Joseon times.
To ensure openness and equality, eligibility was expanded to the entire nation.
But only men between 25 and 35, in good health, and who had fulfilled their military service could apply.
After a three-day application period at local community centers, five candidates would be chosen according to internal screening criteria. The selected candidates would then enter Gyeongbokgung Palace and undergo three trials.
âHave you prepared your documents?â
âThanks to you reminding me, yes. Iâll submit them the moment the application office opens tomorrow.â
âThey wouldnât dare reject you at the document stage, right?â
The whole point of this selection was to convince the Imperial clan councilâwho opposed their marriageâthat Seo-jun was a worthy match.
The preparations were being handled by the Office of State Rites under imperial command, but there was no guarantee that the Imperial council or the Crown Princeâs faction, both of whom opposed him, would sit still.
Naturally, there would be attempts to eliminate him from candidacy.
So Yeonâs worry was only natural.
But Seo-jun couldnât understand why she was so anxious.
âIf they eliminate me, there wonât be a man alive who can pass. Is there anyone who can surpass my rĂ©sumĂ©? Not to mention my health.â
And he had already taken precautions to ensure the council couldnât tamper with the documents.
Thanks to his assistant detective who had diligently tracked the old geezersâ every move.
Yeon looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.
Seo-jun remained utterly calm.
Even though what he had just said, to anyone else, would have sounded like arrogance far beyond simple bragging.
âAm I wrong?â
He even demanded that she acknowledge it.
Acknowledge it?
Yeon pursed her lips, then finally nodded. His words were indisputable truth.
Seo-jun smirked at her reluctant expression.
Meanwhile, on the screen, Beom had finished the announcement and was now taking questions from reporters.
Yeon suddenly grabbed his arm. Seo-jun looked down at the arm she had seized.
âThe Q&A session has started!â
This was the crucial part.
Among the many reporters raising their hands, there was a familiar face.
It was Bong-uri, the reporter Seo-jun had smuggled into the palace.
Today, she had gone to the press conference on orders from Seo-jun and Yeon to dig up information about the selection.
Because no matter how much Yeon tried, the contents of the selection trials were impossible to obtain in advance.
Seo-jun insisted he could manage even without the information, but Yeon could never rest easy.
So now she was staring at the screen as though she might get sucked inside, desperate for even a tiny hint.
âCan we know what kind of man is Her Highnessâs ideal type?â
When the reporter asked, Seo-jun glanced at Yeon. Come to think of it, he had never heard what kind of husband she wanted.
Even if he was just a fake husband in a contract marriage, even if it would be short-livedâwouldnât it be nice if they could at least give each other what they wanted?
âNow Iâm curious too. Whatâs your ideal type?â
Beom naturally avoided answering that question, but Yeon did not.
âHandsome, tall, smart, with a sound sense of history, wealthy⊠The list could go on forever, you know?â
âGreedy, arenât you.â
Seo-jun chuckled lightly.
âIâm just that amazing. Oh, thatâs our reporter!â
Yeon quickly pulled her gaze away from him.
Today, their conversations never seemed to last long. Seo-jun found that frustrating, even if it was because of information gathering.
âWhat qualities do you expect from the Consort?â
It was Bong-uriâs question. A good one, since it could hint at what the trials would focus on.
âHealth. Physically and mentally. The Imperial family wants someone healthy.â
That was the entire answer. After that came trivial, everyday questions, and the Q&A ended.
Yeon closed the laptop with a disappointed look.
âWe went through so much to sneak her in, but no results.â
âI wasnât expecting much anyway.â
âYouâre not worried at all? What if you get eliminated from the selection?â
âWhy even think that way? Iâm going to be chosen.â
âConfidence is good. But you need reasons. Sure, I admit youâre exceptionalâthatâs why I came to you in the first place. But this is a selection. Itâs not entirely under your control.â
âI know. Thatâs why Iâm going to prepare diligently from now on. Get upâweâre going to the bookstore.â
Yeon looked up at him in confusion, not moving, and Seo-jun suddenly leaned in close.
Instinctively, Yeon shut her eyes.
After staring at her for a long moment, Seo-jun laughed softlyâright next to her ear.
His hot breath tickled her skin, and her shoulders flinched.
âWhat were you thinking? Did you think I was about to kiss you?â
The tips of Yeonâs ears turned crimson in an instant.
âNo, I didnât!â
âToo bad.â
âAre you going to keep teasing me?â
She turned her head angrilyâthen froze.
They were too close. If she turned any further, their lips would bump.
Not that she didnât want it, but not like this.
Steeling her heart, she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.
âIf you have something to say, hurry up. Why the bookstore?â
âHer Majesty the Empress Dowager suddenly sent me a tourist map of Gyeongbokgung. No matter how I look at it, it feels like a hint.â
Yeon thought it over, nodding slowlyâthen her eyes flew wide open.
âHer Majesty the Empress Dowager told you herself?â
Surprised and delighted, she instinctively turned her head.
And since Seo-jun hadnât pulled back yet, their lips met naturally.
It was clearly an accident, but neither of them drew away.
They froze, eyes locked.
Until their different body temperatures merged into one.
It felt as though time and space had stopped.
The only thing proving their existence was the pounding of their heartsâwhether hers or his, it was impossible to tell.
When Seo-jun got home, he washed up immediately and looked through the stack of books he had bought.
At the bookstore with Yeon, he had purchased several volumes related to Gyeongbokgung.
Among them were even books that looked like research studies on palace architectureâthe kind Yeon would have chosen.
As she stacked more books onto his arms, she had kept chattering:
âAre you sure Her Majesty really told you? Why would she tell you? She never even hinted a word to me.â
She kept glancing at him with her head tilted in puzzlement, but Seo-jun never answered.
Because the truth was, it had been his reward for bringing Yeonâs embroidery homework in her stead and keeping the Empress Dowager company in conversation.
âA modest man. If youâd been born a woman, youâd make an excellent wife.â
The Empress Dowager had remarked after seeing his embroidery.
Annoyed by her tone, Seo-jun had immediately retorted:
âIf Her Highness the Princess had been born a man, she would have made a fine general. Wouldnât that have suited her even better?â
The Empress Dowager had trembled with rage, calling him shameless.
