Chapter 517 – Stray Dog (2)

Lately, Lee Si-heon had been calling his executives together more frequently.

The financial strain was considerable, and in the face of an overall economic downturn, above all, Lee Si-heon appeared increasingly troubled. Whether it was due to losing his crown or a need for healing, the volume of work he was shouldering was so immense, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was overwhelmed.
The World Tree of Patience was the first to notice this shift.

“Last time I saw him, he was sighing heavily while looking at the tablet screen.”
“Oh, why? Is he ill?”
“Who knows?”

The World Tree of Patience casually tossed this observation to Mary.

“Si-heon is having a tough time!”

Mary relayed to Cotton,

“The King is under a lot of stress, Suho, Ji-ah. Let’s not add to our King’s worries, alright?”

Cotton spread this news to everyone. The whispers even reached the ears of the noble tree, Dongbaek.

“Camellia, is there anything I can do to help?”
“Lady, please.”
“I-I’m sorry! I know Camellia dislikes him, but still…”
“……”

While Lee Si-heon was busy outside, such rumors grew within the castle walls. So today, when he announced a meeting, the King’s women, each with their concerns, responded to the summons.

What if Lee Si-heon is worn out?
Could they claim any credit separately?

Their concerns were genuine, but sadly, they turned out to be baseless.

“So, that’s the situation.”

The women, upon learning of Lee Si-heon’s ordeal, let out hollow laughter as if the story was absurd.

“……Oh.”
“Um…”
“……Ah.”

Gu-seul stood with her arms crossed and lips pursed in displeasure, a gauze tucked into her mouth. The fact that ‘she’, Gu-seul, had lost meant the woman before them was a monster with incomparable skills. The women’s gaze shifted from Gu-seul to Lee Si-heon. Nestled between Lee Si-heon’s thighs, a yellow pup sat on the chair, snuggled in Si-heon’s embrace.

“Do-won… again, another… woman.”

Hong-Yeon, evidently very upset, pinched her thigh. Mary looked shocked, her mouth agape. Ebony appeared to be growing tired of her master, her head slowly starting to shake.

King Mokryeong.
They knew he had many women, but they hadn’t expected this.

“Si-heon.”

The pup in Si-heon’s arms made itself comfortable, rubbing its back as if to claim its spot. Whether Sansuyu’s natural behavior was an act was unclear, but it was enough to cause cracks in the women’s smiles.

“Hmm?”
“Why are they all women?”

A guileless question voiced in an innocent tone.

“Just happened that way.”
“Oh, okay.”

Sansuyu scanned the women’s faces with her impassive eyes. It was clear who held affection for him. Sansuyu recalled the names of the women Lee Si-heon had introduced.

Hong-Yeon, Mary, Camellia.
And… a tree dressed in a nun’s habit. Was her name Healing?

All four of them harbored feelings for Lee Si-heon. Sansuyu’s gaze clashed with theirs, a ripple of unrest threatening the tranquility of the kingdom. In the midst of this, Gu-seul, her cheek swollen, asked Lee Si-heon:

“So, you’ve decided to stay with us?”
“For a few days, yes, after that, we need to talk.”

Sansuyu, undoubtedly, was the best bet for enhancing strength, but accepting her would contradict the behavioral norms Lee Si-heon had established initially.

He seemed to be deeply conflicted about it. Gu-seul chose to remain silent, despite having advice to offer.

‘What does he see in that creature?’

She had already lost her libido and didn’t even have the desire to use her own body anymore.

‘Hmph.’

She knew it was due to the absence of the crown, but the thought of Lee Si-heon touching Sansuyu stirred an unexpected discomfort within her, even though she bore no affection for Lee Si-heon.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“SUPER EMERGENCY!!!!”

The first union meeting of the kingdom.

– Bang! Bang!

“Let’s unify the kidnapped World Trees and seek enlightenment!” cried Mary, the head of the private sector.

“Si-heon, you’re not playing fair!”

Childish as it may seem, everyone present felt it.

“Well, it’s been a while since we’ve met. Be understanding,” Mary retorted while pinching the thigh of the World Tree of Patience.

“Ouch! Seriously, this kid!”
“I am serious.”

Mary had just seen Sansuyu, who had claimed Lee Si-heon’s lap at the table. That large, greedy buttocks of hers had been wrapped tightly around Si-heon’s lower regions. She even had the audacity to sway her hips provocatively.

“I saw it all! That’s my spot!”

One of the unspoken rules of the eighth leaf: Lee Si-heon’s lap was the exclusive territory of Mary, the young troublemaker. This held true only in the absence of his beloved daughter, Wiki, but there were no exceptions beyond that. A flame ignited in Mary’s eyes.

“Isn’t their meeting quite romantic, though? Wasn’t it… Sansuyu?”
“Mom!”

As the World Tree of Growth placed a hand on her cheek and spoke, Mary patted her shoulder. Cotton, finding such behavior from Mary endearing, stroked the top of her head and spoke:

“One day is fine. It’s been three years apart. Imagine, Mary, if you were three years away from the king.”
“I met him three years ago too…”
“Oh, right.”

Having met after three years, becoming the world tree, and following him all the way here, all she wanted was a bit of love. Mary’s face, now ferociously inflated, was ready to burst. No one offered her any sympathy.

“Hey, you!”

Mary cast a stern gaze towards the last standing World Tree – The World Tree of Healing. Despite boasting the most formidable physique, it was, in fact, the youngest amongst the Four Shadow Trees.

“Huh?”
“Don’t you feel resentment?”
“…”

Truth be told, the World Tree of Healing was no less an eyesore to Mary than the others. Yet, she bore with its existence, considering it a colleague, a friend, and a younger sibling. The memory of the night when Lee Si-heon was covered by the healing’s nakedness was etched indelibly in her mind.

Healing, wearing a dress with a side slit, squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s only natural for my husband to have many women.”
“What? How is that natural?”
“He is a powerful man… It’s only logical for him to attract many women with his towering stature. All I need is to bear his child… Because I love him. And I continue to.”

At Healing’s words, Patience stuck out her tongue in disgust, while Cotton widened her eyes at the romantic sentiment Healing had revealed.

“There’s no denying that.”

It was a historical fact that powerful men attracted numerous women. The reverse held true as well. Patience looked at Mary pitifully and broke the silence.

“Weren’t you aware?”
“Aware of what!”
“His Majesty… The King, he has numerous women.”
“There should be a reasonable limit!”

Patience suppressed a chuckle at the sight of Mary thumping the table in frustration. There was a time, not so long ago, when she had been kidnapped and nobody sympathized with her sensible words.

Is this karma, she wondered, as she watched Mary fume and huff.

“Heed my words, everyone.”
“Huh?”
“I may have been the first to suffer, but… The day will come when you all will too.”

Mary’s words came out sharp and bitter.

In the face of the large dog invading Mary’s territory, they remained silent. For they did not love Lee Si-heon.

But Mary knew. She knew that when the large dog’s hand fell upon them, there would be no one to speak up for them.

‘I need to find someone who loves Si-heon.’

Fuelled by this thought, Mary hurriedly made her way towards Hong-Yeon’s room.

* * * * * * * * * *

It had been a while.
She had much to ponder.

Could she really forget them?
Especially Cornus, a product of her stubbornness and conflict, one of the miracles she had brought about.

“Shhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

She had endured so much because of her, even fought with her master. But seeing her alive brought a sense of relief.

“Si-heon… Shampoo got into my eyes…”
“Hold on.”
“Mmm.”
“But did we really need to bathe together?”

Cornus, instead of replying, tried to rub her foamy eyes. Si-heon felt a shiver run down his spine and grabbed her wrist in response.

“Don’t rub it, you’ll only make it worse!”
“Eh.”

The shower head hovered over Cornus’ head, causing her frothy hair to sag heavily. Her stunning golden locks clung to her shoulder blades, and pale, soapy bubbles slid down her rear, perched on the edge of the bath seat.

As she reached out to cleanse her face, her soft breasts grazed against her hand.

“…Cornus.”
“?”
“I told you to keep the towel properly wrapped around you.”

The shower towel she was given to maintain some modesty while they bathed together. It seemed to have annoyed her, as she had discarded it halfway through washing her hair.

“Sigh.”
“…Bam, you’ve seen me naked every day.”
“That was in the past.”
“Do you… dislike it now?”

Ay, what a dilemma. Even back then, this situation gave me headaches, but her naiveté seems to have only grown. After haphazardly rinsing Cornus’ face, I playfully tapped a wet fist on her head.

-Thump!

“Ouch…”

Cornus, pulling a face, lifted her own hands to her head.

‘Good grief.’

Even from behind, her voluptuous breasts were visible, peeking out from either side of her arms. The sight was made all the more provocative by the water clinging to her skin.

‘This is driving me insane.’

I had forgotten just how overwhelming Cornus’ body could be.

Judging by my own reaction, even without the crown, it seemed I was still in a perpetual battle with my desires, just like three years ago. I picked up a towel from the floor and wrapped it around Cornus.

“It’s uncomfortable.”

Cornus, shifting restlessly against the towel that tightly bound her large breasts.

“Stay still.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not your mother, you know.”
“…Even so, I like it when you do it, Bam.”
“Hoo.”

Her innocent words, so endearing and puppy-like, filled my heart to the brim. I had gone through so much trying to save this one girl. I felt a mix of pride at having done so, and resentment at her sudden appearance.

‘If I had died, at least I’d be at peace…’

What to do now, indeed. Maybe I should ask the sage for advice.

If I were to accept Cornus… someone else from my past might come looking for me. When that happens, I wouldn’t be able to refuse them either. My worries seemed to be multiplying.

“Let’s go to the bath.”
“Yes!”

I rolled up Cornus’ hair to protect it from any damage and helped her to her feet. She was so thrilled that she seemed ready to sprint towards the bath. The sight reminded me of an excited puppy wagging its tail.

-Slip!

Cornus’ body pitched forward, and she fell flat on her face.

“Hey, Cornus… Ah, this is a bind.”

Her bare white thighs, buttocks. The neat crevice of her tightly closed vagina. Her pink anus. At the sight of the faintly raised pubic hair, I closed my eyes and began to recite a calming mantra.

“Get up.”
“Okay.”

Cornus, getting up unsteadily, plunged into the bath, her face tinged with a blush. Her slightly protruding belly was endearing.

And so, we entered the bath together.

-Splash.

Surrendering to the warm water, we remained side by side, our shoulders touching, silent for a while. Sansuyu clung to me, her cheek against my shoulder, her sternum pressed against me.

“How have you been living all this while?”
“I’ve been waiting… waiting for Si-eon.”

We began to unravel threads of unfinished everyday stories. How we had fared in the past three years. How I had survived. Whether we had gone hungry, faced hardships, and so on.

“So, it was the sage’s suggestion that led you to the Time Tower?”
“Yes.”

As the conversation unfolded, it dawned on me that Sansuyu’s visit was orchestrated by the sage. Despite knowing my aversion, he had manipulated events to his advantage.

“Si-eon… Do you dislike me?”
“Not at all.”

Sansuyu asked with a hint of anxiety, followed by a tender smile. She then submerged herself in the bath and slithered towards me.

-Splash.

Sansuyu floating in the bath. Her ample breasts sagged and grazed my thighs. Her enticing bosom, faintly visible beneath the water, brushed against my thighs, eliciting a response I hadn’t anticipated.

The gentle Sansuyu, seemingly oblivious to my reaction, swam towards me and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Si-eon, you’re warm. The water feels good too.”
“Yes.”

Could she not move a bit away? As my arousal touched her, I shifted to prevent further contact, causing the tip of my penis to brush against her breast.

In that instant, Sansuyu’s eyes widened.

“…Si-eon.”
“Yes.”

Had she noticed? Sansuyu, donning a slight smile, clung to me as she swam.

“Hold me.”

A request for an innocent embrace. I was somewhat hesitant, but her eyes were so clear.

Sansuyu drew me into her embrace, her legs coiling around me. A stream of water rose between her soft thighs, soon brushing against my privates. Sansuyu, pressing her breasts against me as much as possible and resting her chin on my shoulder, exhaled gently into my ear.

“I really like this…”

Was it not desire, but nostalgia? Before I realized, my penis, erect at the base of my hips, made its presence known. But Sansuyu remained oblivious, not once giving in to any lewd behavior.

-Slurp.

Sansuyu nipped at my ear.