Chapter 592 – Even Crows are Black, but Their Flesh is White (完)

The language of flowers for the oak tree signifies independence. Love, it says, is forever.

Trees bearing a floral language tied to love are pitiful creatures, incapable of erasing their first love from their minds for their entire lives.

Lee Si-heon had misunderstood.
The philosophy and value system of the carpenter are vastly different from humans, making separation far from a trifling matter.

【Stop, Se-young. Just stop!】

-Thud!!

Fists ascended and descended dozens of times.
Se-young, having toppled Lee Si-heon and commenced a pounding, extended her fists with all her might.

-Bang!

It felt as if she was hammering a stone, not a person.
The blood coating her fist was likely hers, not his.

【My bones, my bones are broken. Stop!】

Baekyang made a belated attempt to restrain Se-young.
But Se-young, already blinded by rage, didn’t even pretend to heed her partner’s words.

【Why ruin a joyous reunion with the man you love…!】

Love? Of course, she did.
She was confident that her heart did not lag behind any other woman who fancied him.

But this was a separate matter.
To leave their daughter in Azalea’s care, make her a widow, and depart without uttering a word was unforgivable.

-Thud!

The external rumors that he had committed numerous unthinkable acts to utilize his power as King Mokryeong.
The incidents that threatened him in order to conceal his identity.

“Answer me.”

Se-young, seizing Lee Si-heon by the collar and hoisting him up, gasped intermittently and shouted venomously.

“Don’t give me that bullshit about doing it for me.”

She pinned both his shoulders with her knees, rendering him unable to resist, then fired off questions.
The tears brimming in her eyes smeared her meticulously applied makeup.

“Why did you run away?”

Lee Si-heon’s face, smeared with Se-young’s blood. One of his eyes was closed.
Si-heon’s pupils, staring at her from his other eye, were entirely devoid of color.

Those deep eyes, possibly containing her reflection.
She couldn’t detect any emotion in the dark pupils, so dark that they seemed to suck in the light itself.

He wasn’t like this three years ago.
More playful. More vibrant. A puppy that cowered when confronted with trouble.
She remembered his eyes, more honest with his emotions.

Lee Se-young, who had fallen in love with him at that time, could perceive a stark difference.

‘Has he changed?’

Sorrow swelled from the depths of her heart.
Slowly, like blood oozing from a laceration. She was being consumed by negative thoughts.

Could he stop loving me? Am I no longer of any significance to him?
As a flicker of anxiety began to bloom.

“…….”

A hardened voice slowly emerged from Lee Si-heon’s lips.

“I had a task to complete.”
“What was it?”

No answer came, even as she waited.
It was always like this.

“…Take a look at this.”

Lee Si-heon had a habit of trailing off mid-sentence, a habit that always left me frustrated. My boiling agitation would morph into resentment, my hot breath spilling from my lips.

“Speak clearly. Is it that hard?” I asked, my voice echoing in the silent room.
He remained silent.

“I know you’re in danger. I know that being here with you now endangers me. Who wouldn’t know that? You’re the king, King Mokryeong… But you knew that. You knew what you were signing up for.”

Se-Young hadn’t confided in anyone about Si-heon’s survival except Azalea. She wanted to understand the circumstances first, then decide on her course of action. It was a decision rooted in respect for Lee Si-heon’s choices.

Se-Young’s breath grew ragged, her fist trembling as though her bones were splintered. The strength in her hand, clutching at his collar, began to fade. Drops of blood fell, soaking into his clothes.

“How long will you continue to hide… How long will you torment me… Huh? Can’t you see how much I… How much I… Damn it.”

Her words began to blur in her heaving breaths, emotions surging.

Lee Si-heon attempted to mumble a response, but he was interrupted by Se-Young’s ensuing plea. As if her spirit had already been shattered, Se-Young cried out in a voice filled with desperation.

“Listen, Lee Si-heon….”

She was the first woman, the first love he had met in this world.

“You said you wouldn’t leave. You said it with your own lips.”

Her hand clenched over her heart. Se-Young’s fingernails dug into Si-heon’s flesh.

“You said we would be together forever.”

A large tear trickled down her chin.

“…You said you loved me. That you would cherish me.”

Her face twisted, her eyes filled with anxiety, pleading with him not to deny it.

“Weren’t you sincere? Do you detest me now…?”

Her voice, soft and plaintive, echoed hauntingly in the room. Se-Young began to weep, her shoulders shaking. The tears that fell upon Si-heon’s cheek were icy cold.

Whatever the intention, Se-Young had been left behind. She had to endure the long years alone, had to remain a reliable sister. Se-Young had to carry the weight of being Shiba’s successor.

She yearned for love, to be held in a man’s arms.

She wanted to soothe the bitterness in her heart with the sweetness of a lover’s kiss, not with bitter medicine. She wished to heed the voices of people who proclaimed that love should be filled with love. But she ignored all that.

“…….”

She had only him, only Lee Si-heon.

The memory of his awkward confession in the field still lingered in her mind. One embrace, she thought, for one embrace, she could do anything for him.

Why then, was she always pulling away from his face?

“I came this far, for you….”

Her face had changed so much, causing her even more distress. Even her love seemed to have changed, causing an ache in her side.

Until that very moment, Lee Si-heon’s gaze remained unchanged. As if accepting this as just another incident, his eyes closed calmly and then opened.

A parched touch encased Lee Se-Young’s fist.

Tears welled up in response to the act, devoid of any semblance of warmth.

– Mmm.

The healing power resonated softly in her ears. In the green luminescence, Se-Young’s eyes oscillated from side to side. An ancient memory surfaced in her mind.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Hey, moron.”
“…What?”
“Go make some ramen.”

With a definite kick, I ejected Lee Si-heon, who was dawdling in bed, and he tumbled to the side of the bed, writhing and yelling.

“Hey, no, sis… Why would a student like Hae-nul… Don’t you know corporal punishment is a thing of the past? You can get into serious trouble for this?”
“Keke, what’s the major trouble at the academy? I wouldn’t know unless something else happens.”

As Si-heon rummaged through the trash and fished out a tightly knotted condom, he finally seemed to understand, trotting off towards the kitchen. Watching his retreating figure, an involuntary smile bloomed on my face at his adorable antics.

“Damn it, anyone would think I did it because I liked it.”
“Too much talking?”
“… Should I add Cheongyang peppers too, sis?”
“Add a generous amount.”

Academy city. Naturally, El Academy also provides residences for the teachers. It’s not exactly luxurious, being more like an officetel, but it’s sufficient to invite someone over to share the living space.

– Bubble, bubble.

Si-heon soon appeared, carrying a bowl of appetizingly boiled ramen, and gave a playful tap to my rear as I lay on the bed.

– Smack!

“Huh? Rebelling? Feeling a bit strong today?”
“That’s enough, hurry up and come eat this.”

The lingering burn on my twitching buttocks was a dizzying sensation. Does he not realize that each of these actions would stir a woman?

“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“Come here.”
“Why, I’ve finished cooking all the ramen.”
“Just shut up and come.”

Si-heon, sensing what was about to happen, sighed and approached. Unexpectedly stretching my hand out of the blanket, I pulled Si-heon towards me, and the weakened Lee Si-heon was quickly drawn into the bed.

– Whoosh!?

“Whoa!? No, ma’am!!”

As the blanket was hastily thrown off, Lee Si-heon’s sweat-glossed naked body was exposed. Swaddling his body with the blanket and pulling him into a tight embrace, his face turned a spectacularly shy shade of red.

We’ve become something akin to lovers, occasionally sharing intimate moments at my place. To be honest, I don’t find it unpleasant.

– Thump!

As I pressed my chest into him, hugging his body, the subtly hardening muscles felt satisfyingly real. His hands, seemingly resistant but subtly caressing my body, were endearing. His bashfulness was incredibly cute.

While other men feel discomfort from even a glance toward the chest, this one behaves differently. Our connection was so profound, I almost believed in the existence of destiny.

“Abide by the boundaries,” he requested.

“What? Are these words coming from the man who bit and sucked my breasts just yesterday?”

“My body requires a substantial tribute. Aftercare is calculated by the hour.”

“Nonsense. This body is now mine, understand? Moreover, it seems you fail to realize the value of my body.”

“A body with a proclivity for forced submission… wouldn’t it depreciate in worth… Ahhh! Damn it, hold on!!”

Upon gripping his vulnerable area, an inevitable weakness for any man, Si-heon squirms as if the sensation sends a chill through him.

“Speak those words once more.”

“No… if you do that, you’ll ruin all the ramen. If you were going to do this, you should’ve started from the beginning.”

Despite his protests, his hand, diligently caressing me, is so characteristic of Lee Si-heon.

I slip my tongue between his lips as his hand, pervertedly, squeezes my breast. He succumbs to the pleasure.

“Uh… uh… Seriously, you’re like a stallion in heat.”

After our passionate encounter, we find ourselves entwined, sharing whispered secrets.

The affection Lee Si-heon imparts is sweet, and every word exchanged between us never fails to set my heart pounding. Even the most trivial of conversations hold my rapt attention. Is this what love is, or is it just infatuation? Regardless, it feels wonderful.

“Ha… How many times did we do it?”

“Perhaps seven times. Honestly, I didn’t keep count.”

“Will you take responsibility?”

“Even if nothing comes of it, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Listen to you. Alright… I’m fond of you, too.”

Lee Si-heon’s hand writhes, then tenderly caresses my lower abdomen. I feared he was about to indulge in another perverted act, but then my entire body warmed, and a comforting air enveloped us beneath the quilt.

“…What are you doing?”

“When I do this, it heals injuries and dissolves fatigue.”

Healing power. He mumbled something I didn’t fully understand, but it had an undeniable effect. After our nightlong tryst, the energy returned to my exhausted body, revitalizing me to the point I felt ready for another round.

“What is this?”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

Siheon, grinning, pulls my head into an embrace. His hand strokes my back. I didn’t find it displeasing.

“…Ah, Bam.”

“Mhm.”

“I love you.”

How his casually spoken words filled my heart! It’s as if he could extract my liver and gallbladder without me noticing.

A giggle escaped my lips.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Quit your pointless flirting and go cook some ramen.”

“…Alright.”

With a crestfallen face, Lee Si-heon rises from the bed and walks back to the kitchen, looking like a large dog tucking its tail between its legs.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

I called him back.

“Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

Sighing, Siheon slowly approached, carefully lowering himself to meet the level of the bed. As I reclined on the pillow, a smile spread across my face, and I closed my eyes. Soon, a warmth washed over me.

I had received a genuine expression of love.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As the ethereal green energy made contact with my fist, the searing pain dissipated instantly.

The mental exhaustion, a consequence of the sleepless night, evaporated completely. Even my vision, previously clouded by the balmy air, regained its clarity.

“…Hey.”

There was no pain. Se-Young, her fist once again clenched, took a deep breath before addressing Lee Si-heon, who lay prone.

“Tell me you love me, just once, quickly.”

It isn’t a difficult task.

If your feelings haven’t changed, you should be able to do it. Even if your feelings have changed, I want you to feign them for my sake.

With that alone, this naïve heart of mine can continue for a considerable length of time. You’re capable of deceiving me. After all, our brief time together was enough to leave me behind.

“Please… hurry.”

A voice, filled with anguish, echoed in my ears, pleading. An older woman hardened her grip, her lips sealed, as she summoned his name in a tantalizing manner.

Then, the man’s hand stirred. His sturdy and substantial forearm encircled Se-Young’s shoulder, pulling her towards him with a gentle tug. It took but a moment for the reclining man to draw Se-Young into his embrace.

A heart that had faded, now brimming with anxiety. A single utterance, as if to sever the sprouts of skepticism.

“I’ll say it now.”

Words that instill more certainty than the remote sentiment of love.

Despite the lifelessness in her eyes, at the sense of tranquility emanating from his words, Se-Young embraced his head as if to smother him.

“Euhm-“

A prolonged, incredibly lengthy exchange of saliva. Tears trickled down their noses, but they continued to nuzzle each other’s noses until the droplets dried.

The bitter yet potent scent of each other filled their senses, becoming a part of them.