When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 87
Chapter 87
A beautiful full moon hung in the sky.
The cloudless sky poured clear moonlight onto the verdant garden below.
The sounds of insects created a poetic atmosphere that drifted through the scenic landscape.
By the lake, lotus flowers swayed gently in the breeze, spreading their subtle fragrance far and wide.
Many rooms had their windows open to enjoy the cool breeze and beautiful scenery.
However, one bedroom had its windows tightly shut and even the storm shutters drawn. This was to conceal the sounds from within.
In Sehwa's darkened bedroom, only muffled groans revealed someone's presence.
"...ugh..."
This was the result of repeatedly drawing out and absorbing all her spiritual power from her body.
The fever that rushed to her head made her vision blur. Her sensitized skin interpreted even the soft touch of silk bedding as something sharp.
Sehwa curled up tightly against the persistent pain.
Still, fearing that the three sisters or father might hear, she carefully wrapped herself in blankets to muffle any sounds of pain that might escape.
Today at the hunting grounds, she had used the same method Choi Deokmun had employed to join the Six Clans alliance.
By converting spiritual power into spirit orbs and completely removing them from the body, one could perfectly disappear from warriors' spiritual sense.
Since spiritual power was like life itself, no one would drain it to their limit – that's why no one had discovered this method.
She too would never have known if the Six Clans alliance warriors hadn't tried it first, ready to sacrifice their lives for the war's outcome.
However, this method severely damaged one's divine spirit, which was practically the soul of mystic beings.
Just like in her past life, when her parents had damaged their divine spirits trying to give her spiritual power.
While it might be worth risking once or twice, it wasn't a method that could be used repeatedly.
Beads of sweat formed on her pale forehead. Her lips, which let out soft groans, were parched.
As her body weakened, rough nightmares engulfed her.
It was then that a large hand gently patted her curled-up body.
"It's alright. Shh. It's alright."
While soothing her, the hand stroked her feverish forehead.
'Ah...'
It felt like a cool breeze was circling around her.
Her body gradually cooled down.
As the fever subsided, the pain that had been hammering her body and the splitting headache slowly faded.
She desperately clutched at whatever was wrapped around her body. While doing so, it felt like everything would be fine.
Her expression gradually became peaceful.
Finally, she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, she realized she was cradled in someone's arms.
Large hands were steadily stroking her now-calm body at a constant pace.
She was half-sitting, leaning against him who had climbed onto the bed.
There was no mistaking who this person was. The familiar scent of wood reached her nose.
Through her half-opened eyes, she could clearly see his masculine jawline and strong neck with a prominent Adam's apple.
As she raised her gaze slightly, she met deep blue eyes that seemed to have never looked anywhere else.
As if it had always been this way, as if it were natural, his lips slowly descended.
Though he gave her time to avoid it, she didn't want to.
As if checking her temperature, his dry lips touched her cooled forehead.
Perhaps because he had been by her side when she was in pain.
Even those light kisses, repeated touch after touch, made her eyes warm and her heart flutter.
"The fever's gone down. Thank goodness."
He whispered where their breaths intertwined, his forehead pressed against hers.
"Don't be in pain."
"..."
"Never be in pain again."
Though he looked very stern, like someone who wouldn't bleed even if pricked with a needle...
Yet his gaze when looking at her was always this gentle. His deep blue eyes contained affection so intense it could barely be concealed.
'Why? Why, why me?'
Even while thinking this, she never wanted to lose this gaze.
After quietly gazing at his eyes that met hers from such close proximity, she was the first to press her lips against his.
He responded immediately, but perhaps considering her previous pain, this kiss wasn't as intense or arduous as the last time.
His tongue entered gently, as if trying to cool her mouth that had been burning with elevated temperature, caressing her sensitive inner flesh.
But as he traced her teeth and stirred her tongue, heat began to mix in once again.
As moist humidity mixed with their breaths, color returned to her pale lips.
"I want to kiss you tenderly."
He spoke through increasingly rough breaths.
"But when I touch you, that becomes difficult."
His lips, which had been falling along her mouth, cheeks, and pure jawline, sucked at her neckline.
She shivered instantly. Her body immediately curled up.
He embraced her body once more, as if soothing a child.
Pressing his lips against the neck he had sucked as if wanting to devour it, he rose again to consume her lips.
His tongue, enveloped in hot breath, traced her teeth again. He wrapped around her tongue root, pulling it into himself and stirring it.
But that was all.
Though his Adam's apple vibrated intensely as he swallowed his desire, he pulled his lips away. Then he repeated light, soft kisses on her cooled face.
While he seemed to be considering her illness, she felt just as regretful.
Why did this act of merely entangling lips feel so good?
She wanted more. To press more skin together, to embrace each other more tightly-
A cracking voice full of regret penetrated her ears.
"We can't. Though I want more too, you've just recovered from being ill, and it's already dawn."
'Dawn? What does that matter... Ah!'
She came to her senses in an instant.
Breaking free from his strong arms, she ran to the window and flung it open.
The edge of the sky was beginning to lighten. Dawn was breaking.
"!!"
Sehwa turned back and pulled on Baek Giha's arm as he sat comfortably on the bed.
"My sisters will come to attend to me. If Father finds out you were here, there will surely be trouble-"
"It's fine. I can slip away in my divine beast form while concealing my presence."
Unlike someone who had been soothing her all night, he stood up without a single wrinkle in his clothing.
Just as when he had come to meet her before, he was in formal attire without the slightest dishevelment.
"It's alright. I can leave without being detected. Come here for a moment. We still have some time, so I want to check once more if your spiritual power has stabilized."
"I'm fine now. I feel lighter."
"I'll check once more. Come here."
"..."
"Come on."
She approached hesitantly.
Unable to hide his worried expression, he took her wrist and channeled spiritual power into it.
Something warm flowed in through her wrist and circulated through her body.
"Though I've been infusing spiritual power all night, your energy and blood are still unstable. Never use such a dangerous method again."
"It's not that dangerous. I had to heal the three sisters who followed my example of drawing out and absorbing spiritual power. I couldn't let them remain in pain."
He looked like he had much to say, but he didn't add more words.
"You don't feel nauseous or any body aches?"
Sehwa nodded and asked in return.
"By the way, why are you dressed like that again?"
When she asked why he was in formal wear, he looked as if he didn't understand what was strange about his attire.
"The clothes I wore at the hunting grounds yesterday got a bit stained, didn't they?"
He elegantly referred to being covered in blood.
"No, I mean why are you in formal attire instead of sleeping clothes? Did you go somewhere early this morning?"
He was wearing a light sky-blue robe embroidered with gold thread that she had never seen before.
His hair was so neatly combed and tied that he looked not like someone who had been resting, but like someone about to go out.
With his hair tied with a gold silk ribbon matching the embroidery and color of his robe, he looked incredibly dignified.
"Ah, of course I should dress like this. It's an important moment. I wanted to wear better clothes, but what I brought wasn't quite suitable."
After making this incomprehensible statement, he hesitated for a moment with his hand inside his sleeve.
Then he abruptly asked.
"Um, before that, I wanted to ask something. About us. That is, about you and me."
"??"
With slightly reddened eyes showing through his stoic expression, he asked while looking elsewhere.
"Since your two brothers and Madam haven't arrived at the mansion yet, it would be difficult to do anything now, right?"
"What?"
"Besides, this is Ju clan territory. Still, if we do it at the Baek clan, I'll have time to prepare and that would be better-"
"?? Do what? Are you talking about the farewell banquet at the Baek clan?"
"Hm?"
Baek Giha froze for a moment at Sehwa's questioning expression. Somehow, her reaction was very different from what he had expected.
"No, I mean about you telling the Young Lord about our marr..."
"..."
"Marr..."
"Marr, what?"
"...Never mind?"
"??"
"...I see. ...Right."
Baek Giha's voice gradually grew quieter.
He pushed whatever he had brought in his sleeve back inside, shaking his head and saying it was nothing.
"Anyway, since the hunting ground incident failed, they must know they won't succeed through normal methods. From now on, they might try to take you by force. You need to be careful."
"Yes. I know."
"Wouldn't it be better to go to the Baek clan quickly? We could adjust the conditions to say our side wants to bring the hostages sooner. We could bring Elder Ju, Madam, and your brothers together."
"The suspicious Mystic Ruler wouldn't allow that. He'll use whatever means necessary to keep at least one of our family members. That way, neither I nor Father can act rashly."
'The fortunate thing is that at least they won't be able to order me to marry... Ah!'
Marriage.
Finally realizing what Baek Giha had been trying to say, Sehwa clicked her tongue at her own thoughtlessness.
So that's what he was trying to say.
"Not that? ...Never mind? ...Right."
Thinking of his disappointed voice, her heart suddenly began racing and she felt urgent. She didn't want to make him wait even a moment.
So even though it didn't fit the context of their conversation at all. Without even taking time to return to their earlier topic with "about what you said before".
"And about marriage... please wait just a little longer. Until I finish everything I need to do."
Looking down, she clasped her hands together inside her long sleeves and, for the first time, whispered her heart's truth.
"Because I'm waiting for that day too."
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