"Rinnie, do you love leering at beauties?" Taehyung asked and moved closer to Seorin.
Seorin smiled and moved back on the bed.
"Rinnie, do you want someone to serve you?" Taehyung asked in a deep husky voice and with a frown.
"Why in the earth you behave like this, Orabeoni", Seorin asked.
"Rinnie, this is for leering at other men, touching another man's hand, and letting another man be near you," Taehyung said.
Seorin cursed internally.
Seorin knew she was in trouble but it was not too late to escape.
She gently picked up the cup of wine from the table, drank the wine like nothing ever happened in the world.
"Rinnie, do you want someone to serve you?" Taehyung asked after getting no response from her. "Your husband will serve you well."
Seorin choked a little and wine flowed out of her mouth.
Seorin felt like her brain was gonna burst, she tried to give an exact answer to Taehyung, but suddenly she felt too much thirsty and moved to reach for the jar of wine.
But Taehyung was faster than her and already snatched the wine before she was able to reach it.
Seorin couldn't reach the wine jar but she suddenly felt something is wrong with her body.
Taehyung didn't want her to drink the wine at Aroma of Riches when that thing was brought by those who served them and was about to pick up the teapot to help her to drink some water instead of wine, but she already grabbed the wine jar.
Seorin tilted her head back and poured all the wine into her mouth.
Taehyung watched Seorin gulp down the whole jar of wine and mentally facepalmed.
After finishing the jar completely, Seorin out of nowhere declared, "Taehyung, my body feels hot,".
Taehyung didn't know why Seorin's body felt hotter suddenly, but when he saw a strange look that filled with primitive need in her eyes, he immediately have an intuition that there is something wrong with her.
"Seorin, wait," Taehyung said anxiously, but she already smashed her lips onto his.
After Taehyung heard Seorin's moan through the kiss, he completely understood what is wrong with her. He urgently hit her in her nape to stop her to do something explicitly obscene outside of their house.
Afterward, Seorin fainted on Taehyung's chest.
Taehyung looked at Seorin's naïve face and wondered if she didn't have a good tolerance of wine then why she is so fond of drinking. In his memories she loved wine. He remembered she used to steal sips of wine from his teacher in Daegu. But she never drank a whole jar of wine, maybe that's why she didn't know her capacity of wine tolerance.
Taehyung glanced at the untouched food on the table and he gently patted Seorin's cheek. "Rinnie, don't sleep yet. Wait until we're home."
Seorin nodded her head in a trance. She struggled to stand so she held Taehyung's arm.
"Let's go home together," Seorin said after being able to wake up slightly.
These warm words spelled by Seorin entered Taehyung's heart and his eyes stung happily.
Taehyung wrapped an arm around Seorin's waist and he helped her walk toward the door.
Suddenly Taehyung wondered why earlier Seorin's body was strangely hot. Was she drunk or did she desire him?
Taehyung turned his head around and his eyes swept the room and stopped at the table. Was there medicine in the food? The Aroma of Riches was famous for their food and wouldn't risk their reputation. Then he stared at the fragrant pouch... after he returned to the manor he would send his guards to secretly investigate Aroma of Riches.
Taehyung braced Seorin's shoulders outside the room.
The Aroma of Riches's other guests was curious about the identities of the handsome Taehyung and the drunk Seorin. But it was an unspoken agreement that each of Aroma of Riches's guests would be blind to other guests' behavior to protect their own identities.
At that moment Seorin's head spun, and she felt pain crawling in her whole body from her nape. She didn't remember what happened but she didn't doubt it was Taehyung's fault. She was about to curse him but her eyes saw someone familiar in front of them and her mouth gaped open.
Taehyung's eyes followed Seorin's gaze. There was nothing unusual to see a young handsome beauty in front of them. It was the familiar young man next to the beauty that was a surprise – the crown prince.
Namjoon was shocked to see Taehyung in a place unsuitable for a gentleman. But he felt like he was possessed by a demon, he was curious to see what kind of man Taehyung desired. He looked at the drunk man Taehyung was supporting and his heart jumped... it was Seorin.
Taehyung was startled to see the crown prince was smiling inappropriately at Seorin then he pulled her into his chest and shielded her from the crown prince's view. Inwardly he sighed, she lost her gentle lady image in front of the crown prince.
"Is fifth sister drunk?" Namjoon asked.
Taehyung nodded his head.
"Tae, I have a horse carriage waiting outside," Namjoon offered.
"My carriage driver is waiting outside for my wife and me," Taehyung declined politely.
A silence followed after Taehyung and Namjoon's polite exchange.
"Crown prince, you're soo handsome, How cute are your dimples," Seorin said in her drunk state.
Taehyung thought Seorin became more daring by the day while her gentle lady image was gradually thinning. She even dared to tease the crown prince. He felt it was an injustice that she praised other men's looks but didn't praise his looks.
Taehyung pinched Seorin's arm to warn her to stop speaking nonsense.
"You vile man, why do you love pinching me?' Seorin asked and pinched Taehyung's hand.
Taehyung choked helplessly. He was helping Seorin protect her lady image but she was ungrateful.
Namjoon looked enviously at Taehyung and Seorin's loving exchange.
"Fifth brother and fifth sister's loving bond makes other people envious,' Namjoon said.
"My wife is drunk," Taehyung said. "Hyung, forgive her drunken behavior. I'll take her home first."
Namjoon nodded his head and he watched Taehyung carry Seorin downstairs.
"Master, do you want to continue playing?" a young man asked.
Namjoon shook his head. "I'm not in the mood to play anymore."
The young man knew the crown prince had a good personality but the crown prince was a difficult master to serve. The crown prince was someone if given a new toy, they would play with it a few times and throw it away. The past few days the crown prince was unhappy so he suggested the crown prince should visit the Aroma of Riches for a new experience. The crown prince agreed but he didn't expect the crown prince wouldn't be in the mood to play the moment the crown prince arrived at Aroma of Riches.
Namjoon didn't know what he was thinking. He could only say to others that he didn't like something but he couldn't voice what he truly wanted. Since he was a young boy, everything good was set in front of him, but his elders always made his life decisions for him.
Namjoon wanted to be free of his cage and experience the outside world. But the furthest his cage extended was to a place like Aroma of Riches. It made him feel like he was living a hopeless life.
Day and night, Namjoon felt like that sense of hopelessness was burning him. Each day Sang-Hee would ask a palace maid to deliver a love letter to him. He read the first few love letters then later he asked one of his servants to read them and write a reply in his stead.
That night in the palace Namjoon laid in his bed and thought about Seorin. He remembered her liveliness and as well as the red bite mark on her neck from the day of banquet, His heart shattered, he feel like he drowned in the river of hopelessness.
Away from the palace, Taehyung carried Seorin's limp body to the bed. Afterward, he laid next to her and stroked her head. "Rinnie, inside your heart am I only someone who loves to pinch you?'
Seorin didn't answer. But the night air cooled and her body searched for the warmest spot on the bed. After the warmest spot was found, she slept peacefully.
Taehyung didn't dare move. Seorin's head was laying on his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she draped a leg over his legs. If he moved then it will be led to an accident.
Taehyung pinched Seorin's nose. She scrunched her face but refused to wake up.
"Seorin," Taehyung said.
Seorin opened her eyes, saw Taehyung, and closed her eyes again.
"Seorin," Taehyung said.
"Huh?" Seorin murmured.
Taehyung stroked Seorin's head and whispered in her ear. "Seorin, the Taehyung who likes to pinch you, do you love him?"
Taehyung knew Seorin was an honest drunk and he anticipated her answer.
"I don't love him," Seorin said and rolled over.
Taehyung whisper shouted. "Heartless little demoness. I treat you well but you don't hesitate to say you don't love me.'
Seorin rubbed her ears and slept again.
"Then is Taehyung a handsome man?" Taehyung asked.
Seorin didn't open her mouth.
"Seorin?" Taehyung asked.
Seorin snored.
Taehyung hugged Seorin. He felt like he was hugging a precious piece of his life and dozed off later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following morning Seorin woke up and started to wonder what happened last night.
Seorin looked at Taehyung was hugging her and remembered what happened last night. She shook her head and frowned... how did she do those shameful acts in the Aroma of Riches?
Seorin remembered clearly at Aroma of Riches Taehyung hit her at nape. Afterward, she dozed off. And before that she felt her body was hot and she willingly kissed Taehyung... but when did they return to the manor?
Seorin blushed at the memories that flowed through her head. She couldn't believe she on her own initiative kissed Taehyung... she didn't doubt he was going to mock her to death!
Seorin felt she was an insane drunkard and lost her dignity.
Taehyung woke up and saw Seorin was pouting her lips. "Rinnie, what are you thinking about?'
"Nothing," Seorin said.
"Umm, Nothing, then why are you blushing?" Taehyung asked.
Seorin pulled the blanket over her face.
"Who forced you to drink too much last night?" Taehyung asked.
"Last night what did I do?" Seorin asked.
"Rinnie... last night you did too many things," Taehyung teased.
"Like what?" Seorin asked.
"You praised the crown prince's looks," Taehyung said.
Seorin took deep breaths... she lost her gentle lady image.
"Why didn't you stop me"' Seorin asked.
Taehyung sighed helplessly. "Rinnie, don't you remember? I did try to stop you but you were drunk."
Seorin listened to Taehyung recounted what else happened and she wanted to mourn her lost gentle lady image.
"I knew your real personality before you married me," Taehyung said. "So if you lost your gentle lady image, it's alright. You don't need to act gently anymore."
Seorin was too angry to speak. She knew if she lived together with Taehyung there would be a day her real personality would be exposed.
Taehyung saw Seorin was angry from her head to her feet, it made him want to tease her more. "Also... it's a pity you don't remember. Last night, you were excessively aggressive and your gentle husband couldn't cope."
Taehyung smiled at Seorin and licked his lips.
Seorin remembered how she kissed Taehyung. She rolled over and hid her embarrassed face on the pillow.
"Rinnie, you don't need to be embarrassed," Taehyung said. "We're married and even consummated our marriage. But it appears your expectations are too high. For that, you don't need to be shy?'
Taehyung's hands stroked Seorin's head.
Seorin raised her head, glared at Taehyung, and hid her embarrassed face on the pillow again.
A while later Seorin got out of bed and bathed. Afterward, her head still hurt and she wanted to go back to sleep. But she saw a maid carrying out her favorite blanket to wash and she didn't have anywhere to hide on the bed.
Taehyung on the other side visited Yoongi's chamber.
Taehyung recounted what happened at Aroma of Riches to Yoongi.
'Do you think it's strange that even the crown prince was there?" Taehyung asked.
"No, I think it's strange your wife was there," Yoongi said.
Taehyung was speechless.
"You dote on your wife too much," Yoongi said.
"Of course, Hyung" Taehyung said.
"That's not good," Yoongi warned.
"I think we should talk about something else that is stranger," Taehyung said.
Yoongi was skeptically silent.
"I know my boundaries," Taehyung said.
"Destruction under a beauty," Yoongi said.
"Ancient books say that too," Taehyung said.
"Why did the crown prince go there?" Yoongi asked.
"Perhaps he was too free and wanted new amusement," Taehyung said. "When I saw him, he was calm like usual. I don't think he's involved."
"Then why did you go there?" Yoongi asked and gave Taehyung a don't-you-know-you're-a-prince-too look.
"That's what's strange," Taehyung said. "You know I'm a cautious person. I wouldn't go anywhere that's dangerous."
"You suspect someone at Aroma of Riches?" Yoongi said.
"In the past, I ate in the middle terrace of Aroma of Riches and nothing strange happened," Taehyung said. "I think it's someone from the right terrace."
"Brothels usually use aphrodisiac fragrances," Yoongi said.
"Aphrodisiac fragrances are used in the middle terrace too," Taehyung said. "I've breathed it in before and it didn't affect me. I suspected it's the wine but Aroma of Riches is a reputable place for food and wine so they wouldn't tamper with the wine."
"Then what do you want?" Yoongi asked suspiciously.
"I need to inconvenient Physician Min to personally go there and investigate," Taehyung requested.
"No!" Yoongi refused profusely.
"You're a healthy twenty-seven-year-old man but you're no different from a monk," Taehyung provoked.
Yoongi just straightened his jeogori (jacket of the male hanbok) with an audible scoff and left his chamber.