Seorin sat on the bed and gripped her leg.
Taehyung was smiling slyly and licking his lips.
"Orabeoni, are you sure you know what you're doing?' Seorin asked.
"Be patient," Taehyung said and continuously moved his hands.
Seorin cried silent tears of pain. Could anyone tell her why this boy suddenly out of nothing began to massage her feet? Why did her feet need to be sacrificed?!!!
Taehyung finally let go of her tortured feet and she rolled over on the bed. She'd rather die than let him massage her feet again. His massaging skills were too deadly.
Taehyung laughed. He stopped massaging Seorin's feet after he heard the wedding guests were far away from the chamber.
"Wifey, are you excited because you're feeling impatient?" Taehyung teased. "Wait, I'll satisfy you."
Taehyung smiled and he left the bed.
Seorin glared at his back and cursed him in her mind.
Taehyung calmly washed his face and brushed his hair. Then he returned to the bed and saw Seorin almost wrapped herself with the blanket in the corner of the bed.
After seeing this he grinned wide enough for his white teeth to be visible.
Taehyung laid on the bed and pulled her to his chest. Seorin's body stiffened because of this action, she tried to struggle but they didn't help to free her. So, sometimes later she stopped struggling.
Taehyung feels amused when his little tigress didn't struggle, but sometimes later his hand started to stroke the back of her head gently that making her body relax.
But the chaos in Seorin's heart continued to stir.
Taehyung could understand her nervousness and said, "Always remember your husband is a gentleman; I've never forced anyone before. Besides, I promised you that I wouldn't force you. You can relax, if you're not willing then I won't force myself on you."
Seorin then hugged the blanket and contemplated whether the scoundrel's words were honest or not. She knew he wasn't someone who would force himself on another person. For the first time, her impression of him improved a little. Taehyung saw Seorin's body relaxed and knew she believed him.
Taehyung sighed. He knows he has to restrain himself because her body is completely affected by the poison, which became deadly if the marriage was consummated. Last night, when he returned to his manor he was informed that his intuition is true. He was already frustrated but his frustrations intensified when he again remembered all things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seorin awoke early the next morning. She immediately saw Taehyung staring at her intensely. God knows what he intends to do.
Taehyung pulled the blanket off Seorin. "Rinnie, we need to leave the bed and greet the elders in their palace chamber."
Seorin glanced at the dim sky outside the window and she frowned and thought, 'What kind of nickname is this?'. She said, "I'll go find an appropriate dress."
Seorin opened a chest. Inside the chest were her scarce belongings. She chose the best dress out of the ordinary dresses she owned.
Taehyung glanced at the items inside Seorin's chest and he frowned. He already removed most of her ugly hanboks but in this chest, although a few of the fabrics of her dresses were of acceptable quality, most of her dresses couldn't compete with the beautiful dress she wore to the banquet in the palace a month ago.
"What is it, something wrong?" Seorin asked.
"Nothing," Taehyung said. "I was remembering my wife looking heavenly the last time we met."
Taehyung diverting Seorin's attention dampened her heart a little more. "Whether I looked heavenly or not, I can't compare with the fifth prince.'
Princess Ji Hoon had asked a dressmaker to make the few new dresses that Seorin owned. In the last two years, Princess Ji Hoon treated her coldly and she never fussed over the poor quality fabrics of her dresses. Each month she was only allowed to have one request granted. She remembered the dress she wore to the banquet a month ago. Indeed her best dress inside the chest couldn't even compare with her most ordinary dress.
Seorin thought that the quality of her dresses was insignificant compared to living a peaceful life.
Taehyung watched Seorin step behind the screen to change into a dress and he then stepped onto the bed. Then he lifted the white blanket, bite a finger, and drops of blood dripped onto the blanket.
"Fifth prince, can I come in?" a flirtatious voice asked from outside the chamber.
Taehyung let go of the blanket and looked at a dressed Seorin who stepped out from the screen before he replied to the flirtatious voice, which gave her goosebumps all over her skin.
The chamber door was pushed open and several maids appeared with a basin of water and washcloths. The maid leading them inside the chamber looked between seventeen and eighteen years old. The maid's long hair was let down with a jade hairpin adorned on the left side of the maid's hair and the maid walked sensually. Seorin praised the maid's beauty in her heart, but she wondered who the beauty was.
"Fifth prince, let me help you change your clothes," the maid said.
Seorin recognized the flirtatious voice belonged to the maid. She was suspicious of why a maid would act as the mistress of the manor. She watched the maid smile flirtatiously while helping Taehyung change his clothes and she realized the maid wasn't an ordinary maid.
Taehyung's heart was weary of Chae Young's inappropriate closeness. He looked at Seorin and he smile warmly. "Chae Young, I can change my clothes on my own. You should serve my wife."
'But I always serve the fifth prince," Chae Young said and pouted.
"You don't need to," Taehyung said. "Quickly help my wife. It's getting late, my wife and I need to greet the elders."
Chae Young couldn't refuse Taehyung's request and she grudgingly stepped toward Seorin.
Seorin looked at the cold contempt shown on Chae Young's face. Her intuition protested that Chae Young was too daring by looking down on her.
Seorin thought Chae Young must be favored by Taehyung, which was why she dared to act haughtily. She glared at Taehyung, it would be strange if there wasn't intimacy between him and Chae Young. What was there to deny? He didn't need to pretend he had no relation to Chae Young in front of her. Why else would his beauty reek of jealously while standing beside her? She smiled coldly.
Taehyung's eyes met Seorin's gaze and her spring smile, yet his back turned cold.
Chae Young felt jealous seeing Taehyung and Seorin exchange loving glances with each other while acting like she was a corpse. She thought about how since she entered Taehyung's manor three years ago, she was always the one serving Taehyung and didn't need to serve anyone else. She felt it was demeaning to serve a worthless Seorin.
"Ah!" Seorin cried out.
Seorin glanced at the comb in Chae Young's hand and she mourned for her lost hair.
"What happened?' Taehyung asked and rushed over to Seorin.
Chae Young knew she had committed a wrong and forced herself to apologize. "I carelessly pulled mistress' hair... I'm used to serving the fifth prince, it's not easy for me to serve someone else."
Seorin's eyes darkened briefly. She quickly turned her head around and smiled coldly at Taehyung. "Is that true? Then she should continue to serve the fifth prince."
Taehyung didn't get a chance to explain before Chae Young interrupted.
"Mistress is right," Chae Young said. "It's better for a maid who the mistress is familiar with to serve mistress. I've always been a maid close to the fifth prince, it's more efficient if I continue to serve the fifth prince.'
Seorin felt repulsed when Chae Young emphasized 'close.' When Seorin was unwed there were a few maids who were forced to occasionally serve her at the Park Manor, but none of them were close to her. She lived for eighteen years without a personal maid.
In the past Seorin lived with her mother in Daegu. Her father did deliver silver taels to her mother. But her mother didn't spend a single of his silver taels and returned all his silver taels. Her mother worked hard to support their family in Daegu. Although they were fed and clothed, they were not rich and only had one maid who was a widow.
After Seorin's mother died, she wanted to bring the widow to the imperial city because she was only familiar with the widow apart from her mother. Unexpectedly the widow said that there were relatives the widow wanted to be reunited with and didn't want to go with her. In the end, she traveled to the imperial city alone.
At the Park Manor, everyone followed Princess Ji Hoon's lead and treated Seorin coldly, and looked down on her. Before her wedding, her father asked her if she wanted to bring a maid to Taehyung's manor. She didn't want to have a personal maid that wouldn't be loyal to her and politely declined her father's offer.
Seorin understood Chae Young emphasized 'close' to boast that Taehyung and Chae Young's relationship wasn't ordinary. Seorin only smiled coldly at Taehyung to silently ask him to deal with Chae Young.
Taehyung felt his back turn colder. In his manor, the most troublesome person was Chae Young who had a special background so he still hadn't found a suitable reason to kick Chae Young out of his manor. He had anticipated Seorin would deal with Chae Young on his behalf to kick Chae Young out of his manor. Unexpectedly Seorin didn't reprimand Chae Young and Seorin appeared like she was watching an amusing performance. He sighed inwardly. He almost forgot about Seorin's gentle and docile image that she maintained in front of others, and understood he had to get rid of Chae Young himself.
Since Taehyung didn't deny anything, Seorin thought Taehyung did favor, Chae Young. That meant Seorin needed to avenge her lost hair on her own. When Chae Young's back was facing her, she stepped on the hem of Chae Young's dress.
'Ah!' Chae Young cried out and fell to the floor.
Seorin stood up abruptly and feigned concern for Chae Young. "Why did you fall? Did you twist your ankle? Are you hurt?'
Chae Young pushed away Seorin's hand and she looked tearfully at Taehyung. "Fifth prince, it hurts."
The smile inside Taehyung's stomach was longer than his intestines. He knew the little tigress wasn't an easy opponent, if anyone provoked her then she would repay them. No matter how often he provoked her in the last twelve years, she didn't begrudge him because she always immediately took revenge after being wronged. He felt it was indeed an amusing morning.
Taehyung acted shocked and concerned. "Why did you fall? Someone helps Chae Young up and takes her to Physician Yoongi to examine her. A thousand times I hope nothing bad happened." He turned around to face Seorin and he spoke in a gentler tone. "My wife, are you ready? If you are then let's depart. I don't want the elders to wait long. Come here, I'll support you outside."
Chae Young looked resentfully at Taehyung and Seorin's retreating backs. Wasn't Taehyung supposed to carry her off the floor and fuss over her? Why did Taehyung support another woman? Seorin wasn't the one injured, what was there to support? Chae Young remembered the sounds from Taehyung and Seorin's chamber last night and it made her angrier.
Suddenly Seorin turned around and looked at Chae Young. "I almost forgot. Chae Young, you shouldn't wear long dresses. If you change your dress then you'll prevent falls in the future."
Chae Young ignored Seorin. She looked pitifully at Taehyung and sulked. "Fifth prince, you said that I look beautiful in this dress. That's why I wear this dress often."
Taehyung glanced at Chae Young. "Is that so? Chae Young, you're naturally beautiful. It wouldn't matter what dress you wear you'll still be beautiful, go ahead and change into a different dress." He smiled at Seorin. "Wife, let's go."
After Taehyung and Seorin left the chamber another maid helped Chae Young stand up. "Chae Unnie, do you want to go to see Physician Yoongi and let him examine you?"
Chae Young puffed her chest. "I don't need to see that demon physician!"
Physician Yoongi had been a physician in Taehyung's manor for many years. But he had a scary aura that apart from Taehyung, everyone feared him.
Outside Taehyung's manor, Seorin sat inside a horse carriage and she smiled coldly.
Taehyung propped his chin on a hand and he smiled at Seorin. "Rinnie, were you jealous before?"
"Your wife wouldn't dare," Seorin said without looking at Taehyung.
Taehyung pulled Seorin to his chest and kissed her lips. "Is that so? Then why did you step on her dress to make her fall?"
Seorin pushed Taehyung's chest. She knew he had noticed her stepping on Chae Young's dress before. "Is that so? Why don't I remember? Perhaps the fifth prince was mistaken."
Taehyung happily looked at the denial on Seorin's face. He regretted there wasn't enough time to tease her.
"Her name is Chae Young," Taehyung said. "My adoptive grandfather Lee Jonghyeok who is a court official sent Chae Young to me. She is the niece of the head caretaker of Lee Jonghyeok's manor. She relies on her special background and acts haughtily."
Seorin understood that Taehyung's adoptive mother Consort Lee's relatives' generosity would be hard to refuse. But she also heard Taehyung emphasize 'special' and she smiled coldly. 'Isn't she someone the fifth prince dotes on?"
Taehyung wanted to explain but Seorin stopped him.
"You don't need to explain," Seorin said. "I understand. She doesn't want to serve me and only wants to serve you well. It's admirable she is someone who pursues her dream."
"What?" Taehyung asked. "Rinnie, don't you care if another woman wants to climb into your husband's bed?"
"Of course not," Seorin said. "It's good for you."
Taehyung stared at Seorin's calm face and he wanted to strangle her to death. He had hoped she was jealous before.
A while later Seorin remembered something and she pulled out a jade pendant. "That night you dropped this on my bed. Last night I forgot and earlier there was no opportunity to give this to you."
Taehyung knew Seorin misunderstood but he didn't explain and put the jade pendant back in her hand. "This jade pendant is from Southern Busan. It looks like you. The moment it saw you it didn't want to leave you. If it feels close to you then you should keep it."
"Orabeoni, you're the one that's close to it," Seorin said. "Your whole household is close to it.' She paused for a while. "Orabeoni, why did you take my garments?"
"I don't remember taking your garments," Taehyung denied. "Perhaps they feel close to me and secretly follow me."
Seorin glared at Taehyung and she wanted to bite him.
"My wifey, be good," Taehyung said. "If you want to bite me, you need to wait until we return home tonight and you can bite me. Remember not to glare at me in front of the elders. You're known for being gentle and docile, don't accidentally reveal your's true form."
"Fifth prince, remember to wear your mask tightly," Seorin said. "If you're not careful you'll drop it and expose your true lying scoundrel self."
"We're the same," Taehyung said.
The horse halted and the perfect gentle newlyweds stepped out of the horse carriage.