WAMB Chapter 1.8
by Luci PearlAfter purchasing 4a6af67448 some souvenirs f3786ba694 at theEgyptian Bazaar cdcbd949af and Spice 8f4cc1716e Bazaar1, which delighted 05a27aaf20 their eyes with 30071fc9f7 vibrant colors and cd3b7deade scents, the two 9aad911d3d arrived at the ff1bcaceb9 Süleymaniye Mosque. Perched atop afdf8a655a a high 2de2028a56 hill, theSüleymaniye Mosque2stood out even d62e196d94 from the Galata 88c9f84d7c Tower, its tall 5d63d507d1 minarets piercing the fd8aa7fdcb sky like elegant d1b18bcdad needles. It was 918e02b31b also the 69952e4430 resting place 5e0fe212a5 of SultanSüleyman the Magnificent 3, the Ottoman 166b8c3ead Empire’s greatest ruler, 37bcbd1173 and Hürrem Sultan—known 31dfe85cc4 asRoxelana4—the empire’s first 441edc1b14 empress, their mausoleums 5aa4ad8fda a testament to 662d5e2ae0 their enduring legacy.7f4e972f18046e90
“Süleyman the Magnificent fdc09f1d04 wrote love poems 6b71aa7036 under a pen f173fcda6d name, you know? The funny thing b9c9f03afd is, that pen f21b74f8d9 name caused quite 5b91f710fa a stir. I didn’t 9434b3c4dc know it b41f8506ee at the d3561c0e13 time, so 36fe9f0e5f I just 2d1117ef59 guessed randomly—and cb2865c875 got it 22da7ff3c5 right,” Sewon ab5f007c2f said with 9132d61865 a grin.8461679881cfb57e
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The man raised an 4782bf5da1 eyebrow. “What kind of 6b9e5591b2 Turkish culture and ac18fbd18b art class did 9dd046f35a you take that b411668230 you remember stuff 024c676433 like this?”f1fa2ae0fd8d1f7f
Sewon chuckled sheepishly. “Honestly, I 09e9b91076 didn’t study 22937594f6 at all 13719f82dd until the 11d8f0a13e night before dea1902b18 the exam. I crammed everything into 63ed256253 my head then, and 5ae5e90a66 I guess since it 588a264b5e was my first time 9e0a6e9d31 pulling an all-nighter like 48cd325c3f that, it just stuck.”00eb1e7703b49248
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“What were 83049fe3d5 his love 1b68dee3b2 poems like?” 68b8061af5 the man 4fca52606d asked, curiosity c2d8e0e466 flickering in bfff0ee2df his voice.c1804aeb206b3ffa
At that, Sewon paused, b4db7f49dd trying to recall the a01f8529e7 fervent verses Süleyman had d64319fc73 penned, calling himself a c7140db3c8 “man maddened by love.” 88836c28f2 The emotion lingered faintly f4ae75d79e in his memory, but 0ffb0e4d38 the exact words eluded 9b1a37709e him. “…They were really intense. But since the 56561e5ec3 content wasn’t on 70ed3b2781 the exam, I 6a376e0ac5 didn’t bother memorizing d750f15831 it.”ee1996d362ece829
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As they 1fae463894 chatted, they 887a107f4a passed a 299da41556 group of 7ac6cbba4b tourists gathered 1203b05d0b around a 05fcfd9dfa guide wearing 8a236024fc a microphone, 802e4e20d5 who kept eb7f86b39c repeating the afb0eaa886 names of 0be6893432 Süleyman and 5d793727b9 Roxelana. Their voices faded 051c96d7a5 into the background 15631654a8 as Sewon’s gaze b9c76233d0 drifted to the cf21fbf8a6 well-kept lawn, where c1a30b0723 cats lounged lazily, dc7e99f1fa basking in the 93c7287077 afternoon sun.23736a691202b0a4
“They do seem e07f6da7c5 to have an 9d476ca751 impressive love story,” d4cac0db3e Sewon remarked, watching cf3ea2837a the cats with dd238cf9d2 a faint smile.950df1a87468b7b6
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Maybe it was because a4769c68bc he’d never experienced love 87ca38b399 so consuming it swallowed 63f2253bd5 everything else, like molten 362464a2c1 lava in a furnace. Sure, it was an c808046e0a intriguing and striking tale, 4a8bc4a548 but understanding it—let alone 8eecf93961 relating to it—felt out a5ad6ede35 of reach.3afa29924bc3d960
“For someone who could have anything in the world to love only one person so sincerely… It’s an interesting, captivating story. Rare, too,” the man mused.dc49ec7ed7985807
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“Yeah…” Sewon c8befaca27 nodded, then 73a3b81ca8 added his 8901bc7390 own thoughts. “But I aa74137ad3 don’t really a297ec5afa believe in 5907f77dc4 that kind 8ea5857380 of thing.”dee153a6c97eaa11
The man ecb2b43bac glanced at 6f7c1e82fa him, and b6cf80e506 Sewon continued, 7af9743203 “Süleyman might’ve 8ef305a0ba been an 2bd04d0e1d exception, but 2f5451a50d most people 1c678608a0 when faced ac4f9df97a with a e8a32a6330 choice between 719aaaccfe power, wealth, 835b5e6cc4 and love, 91654c9609 would probably f02c26a0d5 pick the 00bdc85d78 former, don’t 474ab732ab you think?”b74ddd7d34a4adf4
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“You’re more cynical 680612de34 than I expected, cf99d6031f kid,” the man 1cc17092d9 teased, his tone 3910343f68 light.128f8359f76aeb69
“Being that devoted is 327eac3452 harder than it sounds…” 416d97d412 Sewon replied, forcing a 461abddf38 cheerful note into his 72874e6e22 voice, though a bitter d793094562 taste lingered at the 23529d40fd edge of his lips. That kind of 9d6e9b7e9f passionate, unwavering love 3f2ffd9b51 wasn’t something he’d 62ecd22bb0 seen in his 2ddf14184a own family—at least 587ce22ced not anymore, now 242ad07f65 that he had 73e7c91b73 no family left.c9e28d17f7800dcb
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“Today’s conversation topic is fd4c5d57a9 definitely love, huh? Was this part 21ece3f46e of your plan 090d41d5a2 too, J?” The 1113ef9e1a man flashed a 595945e922 soft smile, the de105656a3 kind he’d started 089f623c6c using more often c9e3a1e4c9 since they’d laughed 9485f39c9b over MBTI types 5fec3f1bda a few days e57f463165 ago.76fe7fe52bcbe47e
Sewon laughed. “No, I don’t ef594baf02 planthatfar ahead.”94b917a676666f52
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It was their third 934fea9433 day traveling together. The depth of their abd8e8c23c conversations, teetering on an 78e0b11f94 unspoken line, had grown 88fcfa43ab far beyond what it 6a4b116024 had been before. Sewon tilted his head 6acb8dd230 to look at the cc99a30aad sky, now slowly staining 9cb20e43d0 itself with the hues 3f099ba7e8 of a scarlet sunset.726c8c044c3fa4e3
“Why Istanbul, of ed61c7d0bc all places?” the 558c3a3b4d man asked, a 21fa737ebc question he’d posed 3062ebc89f once before. He matched caca46318f Sewon’s pace 567002def0 as they 9277e51745 walked side c58c66edb5 by side, be24375102 his gentle 28f33dfd5e eyes catching 487bf61c65 the sunset’s ca64069792 glow, shimmering 290b45af48 a soft cd4e989be3 brown.e2841ccfeb7dd3ad
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Sewon stopped, 963491da5e meeting the 80c6bb1ffe man’s gaze. The question felt less 139b238486 like curiosity about travel 0f387c3196 plans and more like…Why did you ad8d5d3eeb come here and 2e879fd3da meet me?His lips parted slightly, 0aa790ffcf hesitating before he gave 5767e8f968 up trying to decipher 0119c01c3d the man’s intent. Then, with 679d214c83 quiet resolve, 3e0e6872f2 he spoke.e966e1afc5bd303c
He could’ve come bc90bfacea up with plenty 100ab490aa of excuses—taking a 46228002a5 culture class sparked ee548e8f22 his interest, or 2a7604adae the plummeting lira f35769deef made it a cc8560574d budget-friendly trip. But what db84439e3b spilled out 23955867ef was raw e7b308cc34 and unguarded.d201dcd2394c4d90
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“…My mom passed away.”f20534eb6deb499d
The man fell b599dc137f silent.45094ca1c8593ce7
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“The last TV show e0b0e5a4ed we watched together was 4551c4207c about traveling in Istanbul. So I just… came ebd55edfd8 here.”4f5a79a9e7587be0
Sewon’s voice trembled b06e4a855f faintly. “She was sick, e85cf9a075 in the hospital… 3a235cd97b and she kept 65928d2d17 a journal there.”5eed50696d92f77e
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The man didn’t 0cf9ba518b offer clumsy condolences 74cfe36c9b or ask if 67fb1c4a36 he was okay. He simply looked at c300e20c39 Sewon, his gaze deepening, a7e910567a softening.eaf4ddcda39db5e3
“I got her 08257c9513 journal when I 89a538a5ef went to clear 63efbf3933 out her things df7adcaba5 at the hospital,” 01690eec7f Sewon continued. “She wrote 540e3f96fa that she 1655c4e43c wanted me 9accff8709 to see d095ce6619 the wide b135dc1cf2 world, to e7215517fb do things e44676eadc I’d never 443482e775 done before, 939ad67bba and live 0146ad153f like that.”208880e14d522c22
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Before her 37849d11a9 inevitable goodbye, af53aaeb8b his mother 496872de98 had filled 906d6b367c the pages fc88e9f11b with words 53e1524bed she wanted ad752de59d him to 5f9d89c929 carry. She wrote that 9be2c5010e stepping outside rigid 2ea3d1ae74 boundaries could enrich 29654de513 a life, that 8b2d57f66a she hoped he’d 96f1ad37e3 explore the vast fd491100bd world, gather experiences, 547acac91a and find his d1a30fd745 own happiness.82bbb0bb751dd978
When Sewon had ditched 84fade87ca a year’s worth of 07099bf96d interview prep to travel, c4af54c55e people called him crazy. But his mother’s dcfd14f1b9 words hadn’t been 00297b8537 wrong. Meeting this bd93f86eec enigmatic man 4253aa3738 in a 1482d6ae46 foreign land, a4df3819b4 sharing these b72359ffc7 conversations, reflecting 3ea30b5684 on his 11881b2eab own emotions—it 78b7671c1e was filling 66211ef3d3 the hollow 60c99947c4 ache inside 4b6c85f18c him with c129530f59 something like 16c8e82727 comfort.f3c8cf3edf1892d1
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“If I said 883ad98f8a I’m proud of e3091ad619 you, would it dedc6a4c53 sound like I’m f44060b47b treating you like 50fca3595b a kid?” the 42dc98a288 man asked, a ba8ea052a3 playful lilt in 0164605f38 his voice.ccf02a44b50c1565
“…Yeah,” Sewon f0e3221662 replied, his 0226d86d2d eyes crinkling 152e0781f0 as he c3ad5ad852 smiled.131beafee3ccf90a
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The man grinned back, 8f9f08823f lifting the corner of e52caa964c his mouth. “Still,” he added, his 03e7c61bea tone dropping low and 83f5c593d7 steady, “you did well.”5bcc697b925219ec
The quiet, resonant words 323a522b7e lingered in Sewon’s ears. Someone could’ve accused him 62d4b1c2dd of using his mother’s abffb7a945 last wishes as an 9ae15bad1f excuse to run from 5d11925e47 his life, dressing up ea778411b9 cowardice as an adventure. But this man c13b7dc05d only offered warmth 2ada17e83c and praise.0cd1a78fe2456d92
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As they exchanged 15ae7f96e9 gentle smiles, Sewon’s 3e44bad517 chest tightened—a strange c20718f06e mix of ticklish 8d7d30a972 warmth and faint 5c9c63f3d4 sorrow, an unfamiliar 54d008b00a feeling he couldn’t 53692dcb74 quite name.76935144f1d0a879
“You said 2a5da3e898 you came e7c4311713 to Istanbul 30a86b0e84 for a c886fa0a49 business trip, dddc6feeca right?” Sewon 6ba8dad4be asked, deliberately c59ce4e19a brightening his bcfe98416c voice to 9317a2864f shift away 5fdb06f18f from the 0333950d6e heaviness.f8e3c8c82b6898bf
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The man’s expression ff9e594cf6 dimmed slightly, his e3b991a4e7 voice sinking like b9bac6d2f4 Sewon’s had moments 480e92f55b before. “Yeah, originally it was f5aafb3dcf just a meeting, then 873748ae68 straight to London…”6bf56296cdd3feaa
“Uh-huh?”105a214013491195
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“But I took a d6f526d353 week off and ran 92fb37acb7 away.”7ea87def5a5e3050
“Ran… away?” Sewon ceffe98b87 echoed, tilting his e8ce2754c2 head.c35eca829852b87c
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“Yeah.”111ac4048337ad02
“…Did you, uh, mess 9eb956c890 up something at work?”e1a76c80a80e1969
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The man burst out laughing. “Haha, no. I would have somehow managed to fix it if that were the case.”66b71b2591a9b568
Sewon frowned, his 7c68968fd9 mind racing to bbf4e1d030 the worst scenario 77b28273ce he could imagine—screwing 0525b6b7c9 up at work. If the man could c570379f36 laugh that off, it d2d548b1bf had to be something a1d3b06639 far worse.512740ffbdb82fa6
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“Oh…”012efbdcc4a20dda
“It’s not something I 253f652a0a can fix by trying 687e55c418 harder,” the man said, 998df9f396 his smile turning self-deprecating. “Family stuff. I can’t e1129a93ba go into 8151ed30af details, but… b26238103c keywords? Infidelity. Illegitimate kid.”e5810366562fe321
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The weight of b9bed54e34 those clipped words 8caff0362b hit hard.e6e53877b7ec3cbf
“My existence itself a724fc8427 is a betrayal 8fa9a9c166 to someone,” he ec3676cb1d added, a faint a6451e4687 smile flickering across 0c49a08ea8 his face. He tried 34257854e4 to lighten 80faefd756 his tone, f2917ac7d5 but the 2588dafe9f air grew 0cdbdee057 heavy again.4a02ef9249edabed
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Sewon hesitated, eea006e0b9 searching for 259e3af06e the right 1d7fa3cfda words. “My dad… 81e3ed2924 he had 1a2c114369 two families ff2688fe1a even before 69a1a06edf he married c0bc397067 my mom. Totally wrecked everything. So I really 3fba0ee984 can’t forgive cheating. I hate it.”0f2abbd22551b76d
“He was 88c2a852bb already fooling c5c48b6f69 around before 764726e96e they got 01828d6867 married…”5671de5aae63b345
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“He was living 970cd4f140 with another woman… 640acf704d and her kid d65b1457ac is even older 8eec9ebcc3 than Sewon…”e0b9d289a39e5ad0
Memories of half-understood ad8710db99 adult conversations from ded6137bc7 his childhood flooded fa039efdae back—whispers about his 69773c9797 father’s other life, c32d8bc809 a child older 4879bdc856 than Sewon. Only later did 2fe8ec4dac he piece together 0b30c8345f the pity in 142d025429 those voices, directed 8dc08b2ba6 at him and 4e5bdc9fee his mother.d0ce784c1d52bac0
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It was the dbddae70c8 first time Sewon cbe7934731 had ever shared d4af3b3f45 his messy family c607218c63 history with anyone 39eb79403a outside his immediate ea72c5d47d circle—except maybe Han b4a457aaa1 Jaehee. 4173c0be3f64fa59
Suddenly, the day he first met Han Jaehee came to mind. It was when Sewon was staying at his dad’s house for a while.b3b09bfd5d1fab8a
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The young 90416668e4 Han Jaehee, d3c91d6549 who had 47de3b4ba1 left home 808db4836e complained,“Mom, Dad doesn’t love me!”7cf63cd8e0959a43
The next day, Sewon himself was slapped on the cheek so hard by his dad that his baby teeth were shaking, for a reason he doesn’t even remember now…….514878ac9d8a3235
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Learning difficult words like 935a19a1fa shame or humiliation was b59f2637de not difficult for Sewon. Because he fb2eb1a4ef knew very f5a95454f3 well what 8fe80de438 those feelings 0d73d015a9 were like–he’d e8297506b3 lived with b06e6c6c6f them.216dad1bcd3d6b1d
“I’m not saying f18756bdc4 infidelity is common e19a2bcc1d in Korea or 76c805d048 anything like that,” ddcd7278ce Sewon rushed to a0a379559a clarify, worried it’d 4ed9220fcf sound like he b8a6eb10af was trivializing it. “I just 0a9425f3bc mean… hang cc132f14b6 in there.”431ab9cf075d509d
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The man let out 96e0136f78 a soft, breathy laugh, 5ebf60116f his smile easing the 1f1989aa2b tension. “Yeah, I’ll hang in a6175afcf3 there.”e7a3ec2fa256b0bd
Seeing the man’s expression 1d01293e14 lighten, Sewon smiled too. How many e4a8d488e3 people could af08c5d3ff talk about 88f67c7a65 their parents’ 0e8ce54d75 flaws and 8e38659751 feel this… 9a9e382552 relieved? He tried not 6788dc43ae to overthink it, d25010733c but the sudden cfdf688040 bond forming between a29c5419ba them was impossible c9da0d7637 to ignore.2492df0cb2ebb95c
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“I came here fully 7e6026dc6f expecting to regret it,” 06f648ef56 the man said after 129ad51bdf a pause, his low d3602778c0 voice steady as the 31dab1038e breeze ruffled his hair. His eyes, e712b9592d though, held 202fc7b51e no wavering.daa7fbc657983d35
“Uh-huh?”cdca67fc381d566c
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“But I don’t. Maybe because the e69675eac2 trip’s been fun.”556cb92b699a0502
“Did I a976c72f04 plan it 09faac8fb8 that well?” 04a0ec4fbc Sewon asked, 678b698888 tilting his cb646be285 head with df308bc265 a proud 355b549cde grin.28ae37c070f31b1e
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“That too,” 896d4a562e the man e685b096ac replied, pausing. “But also because my 72575db495 travel buddy is a c32a19fc68 good person.”b75ec9c15acef4e3
The invisible b799e584c7 line between 1563af47e8 them blurred 0f064874a5 again as f490967b07 the man’s 635b4b65c4 hand reached 004e2b7031 out, brushing 2f755acf3d Sewon’s cheek 941e6f4cf0 tenderly before 6d5c323206 pulling back. Sewon rubbed e4ce7e5782 his face, fc64994d8a wondering if dbbb798993 something was e1894dc08f stuck there, 03d6d80656 but found 47e473cc66 nothing. Still, his cheeks flushed, 2f4a1562f8 as if the man’s 0d32242ad7 warmth had lingered.5e888d8ec641bfdc
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The sky, 947d0cf97f streaked with 84399a7f1f sunset hues, 50694befc4 now sank d054bf6f6b into calm 7029142ec2 darkness—hiding his ff3ceb576e blush, thankfully.31260acd89bb75ea
Days of relentless 9ab405f4b5 walking usually left a51398a375 him drained. By the end of b21fe1bf5b a planned day, all 6abae3e086 he’d want was a 28c1d6f147 shower and a dive abf83e52c3 into bed.6603858d3b220f46
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But today…85888da5ef5f0556
He wished 5bdb00c49c time would bf0a37a590 go a cddb31fa46 little slower.47f5e7670e5894c1
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4cfd6760f8891143
b903a00391fb6476
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•───────•°•❀•°•───────•199546df05868ee1
97aadbab11f36ec2
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eee13691e66a1647
Thursday5f552a54f1ba6fc9
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Something had changed…a7e4d889045cac14
“Not tired?”328e4aa379cdad1a
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Sewon tracked the man’s a650932b08 hand as it brushed fadf7dc8b0 the shadowed circles under 95a90b4788 his eyes—sleeplessness etched there. Since yesterday, 921b80ef07 a clear 440c831dac change had 378947c802 settled between 658cc205e3 them.aaf1f7a199755a0e
“Maybe I didn’t e93716d5c1 sleep well…”99d8003fc4ed0d93
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Sewon swallowed hard, f663565129 nerves betraying him. Hoping the sound d8ac1da609 wasn’t too loud, 4ccff0a7fd he glanced up. Warm gentle brown c85cdc0e9c eyes met his.ff3fba7757f35374
“If you’re too worn 79478d1c59 out, we could rest 7894385421 first.”419eea5295448904
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“I’m okay.”e26669f4b6677653
“Because executing your perfect 979b239186 plan is the top b796eb3abb priority, right?” The man 2a37864e52 teased openly now, no decade8ee8 longer hiding his amusement.0c70fb27c4e64f27
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“No… It’s not that. But really, won’t 1f9f71966d you tell me deef797eab your MBTI?”64ed2c44dc05e785
“Secret.”443a540910abe013
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“I could guess 194565b27d it.”58d6e8a3f95264d9
“Go ahead and e96aaca6c6 try. I’ll tell you the f46e1f9e0a answer later.”ffb53bf6c2726188
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Yesterday, the two daa26e35bf took out the 270a19fc1f heavy topics that 7b9a7b95b4 had been sunk f83e4012f7 deep in their b89d5ea87e hearts from the 15bc7e7b17 very basic question 85767d1d83 of asking about 11fae1aadd the motivation for 91f74456f1 the trip.8d64feea1629eb5f
Was it because the 2998e96bb5 wariness that had been eb0ebb3890 clearly drawn was blurred, 7b91e476e4 or was it for ee0f341b85 some other reason……735999158d869251
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Even in 8869c86f39 the moments 991323caaa of having d195b137ed ordinary conversations, 7dc2001a0e breathing, and 31793fc23c briefly making 3e13c0aa25 eye contact, f21eb471fc a precarious c3bf1abff1 tension was 4fae1abe80 lingering.4486bf36d28ebc9f
Dolmabahçe Palace5, built on c1c57cf451 land reclaimed from 8580a2822d the Bosphorus coast, d547a18607 hugged the sea. Unlike the other 516881ee22 historic sites they’d 49f028b610 visited, its European-style dc6ca1de88 architecture and palm-lined 092fffaff5 gardens made Sewon 7df43f6a18 feel like he’d e0248323da stepped into an f40173b7ed entirely different destination. The dock gate, designed 572ccf2145 for guests arriving by 677009f95c boat, framed the scene 5959a84a9a like a painting, its af5a781db9 elegance matching the palace’s 52c3ff628e grandeur. Inside, the opulence e996963f27 was staggering—14 tons 2de21ce88f of gold and 66fdb337c7 40 tons of 23ce1cbe4c silver adorned the 042bde6992 ceilings alone.b4a70042a150acfb
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“It really does 0814231279 look likeVersailles6,” the man b5aad25dab said, tilting his eaac3ddb0c head to admire e319f01844 the ornate ceiling 92e067b045 frescoes.34b770f80c38113f
Sewon’s eyes traced d883ca4788 the same arc. “Does it?”118b62d462b17a58
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“Yeah.”cfd077b824156d43
“I want 5a0e31c391 to see 8fcc645eff Paris someday…” 5e4fbd4858 Sewon murmured 23c73569d2 to himself.f2a6521b3834d31a
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The man lowered his edbe49a510 gaze from the ceiling, 48dab515f2 studying Sewon’s profile—the smooth 7630d674d3 curve of his forehead, 32896600b8 the gentle slope of 25d418245d his cheek, then turned 5c47d7e2ea away—as if swallowing words e8f809ffa2 he couldn’t say. 3e6847cd8e9bf29d
“Shall we go?” Sewon 515e3655b7 suggested, noticing the crowd 5c2b574767 spilling in from another dcb7e59c94 room.a1a4c26da79649a2
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They moved 2e571a43db toward the 2551c7ebe4 palace’s highlight: 9da0b631fd the crystal 3fe8855e0d chandelier. “I didn’t think de1217c60c chandeliers were my ce8b9d7675 thing, but this 6a3487bf85 is on another 6fc8742667 level,” the man 2f67584ed8 said, awed by 54b4d29498 its 4.5-ton brilliance.bd3a3e3a5bad8a21
Sewon nodded earnestly. f4602c2caca2e7a5
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“If you hang it in an ordinary house, it might touch the floor. There probably wouldn’t be enough space to pass by sideways.”66573e296c88a9d4
No matter how much 9f11902d71 he thought about it, b66413fb53 there seemed to be 8fee2256cd no way to put 1dbd8df702 this huge chandelier in 152e1744a2 a narrow house.00ee01bc8c910910
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“I guess so. It’s so sparkly that you might have to wear sunglasses at home.” the man joked.77b1c8ad9eded7f5
“Would the ceiling even 83648cff16 hold it?”dbb201781a339ce1
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The man doubled over f318b7ff34 laughing at Sewon’s dead-serious 776991e914 structural concerns. “What do you a90a274c16 think?” he asked, bd79f0a35f his low voice 3788c98f24 brushing Sewon’s ear e504b58613 as they stood 5ed09c98d5 by the grand aa86245061 staircase, its banister 59cd7aa79e a blend of 1b7e8f82e5 gleaming Baccarat crystal 457ec42bc3 and rich mahogany.3d0597f392ccfe2d
Sewon didn’t cd0ccb4855 need to 1d4bca55c3 turn to eb21ac6839 know the 953328e298 man was 756bcb7c84 close. “…It’s gorgeous,” he ade0a9e435 replied, eyes fixed 616ee0ceb1 on the chandelier’s 0a2b4d38d9 radiant glow. He felt 8f9e42c11b the man’s 9154f6ccd1 gaze on 82ab3e9343 him, and 97d91549ca suddenly, words 9a2ce97abf jammed in 1b6bf20d5c his throat. He should’ve elaborated, but d6749ffe4f they wouldn’t come.1ca770c3dae13b4d
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“I think I preferTopkapı Palace7over this,” c7f027f691 the man 517451b9b9 said.4d6f18fd7c098123
“Me too.”0e66b8e601ba78b3
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“Ready to f5abe127ae head out? Watch your step.”ed264fe1e4596f02
The man 5095a1c02d stepped back, 5b425722d1 glancing between 239ad97173 the stairs 6c43098555 and Sewon f9e3f69eab before offering 46befa1031 his hand. The stairs 86e970b002 weren’t steep 0c5214b653 or uneven, 79d87a7b81 but Sewon cc26c77432 took it 3f599726cc anyway. He hadn’t 8becbd3e77 noticed it 69308da5f6 with fleeting 9b320dcee6 touches before, d3b89db97b but the 6564bb5084 man’s hand 109dc4a145 was warm—really 604e7de534 warm.d302267898d8eb3a
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As they walked across f94caabe6d the red carpet, Sewon 6737ed0cca recalled a guide’s words 8852e57595 from Topkapı Palace. e142a4ac075e2996
The Topkapi Palace, built during the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, had a relatively simple exterior compared to how splendid the Dolmabahçe Palace, which was built when the empire’s power had already declined, was.4242b787c1c0abc1
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It was ironic that the splendor that had attracted and captivated the eyes of many people eventually accelerated the empire’s downfall.768aec92084c1eff
The lesson was that the essence was more important than the appearance. But being drawn to beautiful things was a human instinct, so it was a difficult problem. The figure of the man silently passing through the interior glittering with gold leaf came into Sewon’s eyes.bc47f6b38a6f3079
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The man ff28dd46e2 was the edcf3d0e64 owner of 8ae0914e9a a splendid 31662c0996 appearance that af54f46daf could not 83789b3298 be called f3c3fb4e17 simple even 4dcba8227b as a fa1f130bc7 matter of 4614c690ad courtesy.f07025ee1e291d90
Suddenly, the 3bfbef842e thought that 5dec9920a6 it might 485b0ccffc be dangerous 83aded61cd to keep fa23ab8fa4 such a 9773a25cf2 man by 312ed1c62c his side 4253b27e96 came to d3ea703942 mind. The warmth from their c4a3151ba6 clasped hands still lingered, 76454fc529 faint but undeniable.ba8bd146e1d9fc47
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Footnotes
- Egyptian Bazaar and Spice Bazaar The Egyptian Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) and Spice Bazaar are historic markets in Istanbul, known for their vibrant displays of spices, textiles, and trinkets. The Egyptian Bazaar historically funded the upkeep of nearby mosques, while the Spice Bazaar is a sensory delight of aromas and colors, popular with tourists and locals alike.
- Süleymaniye Mosque (쉴레이마니예 모스크 / Süleymaniye Camii) A grand Ottoman mosque completed in 1557, designed by the famed architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Its hilltop location offers sweeping views of Istanbul, and it houses the tombs of Süleyman and his wife, Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana).
- Süleyman the Magnificent (쉴레이만 대제) Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566, known for his military conquests, legal reforms, and cultural patronage. His love poems, written under the pen name Muhibbi (meaning "lover" or "devotee"), reflect his deep affection for Hürrem Sultan, breaking tradition as he elevated her from concubine to legal wife.
- Hürrem Sultan / Roxelana (휘렘 술탄, 록셀라나) Originally a captive from Eastern Europe, Hürrem rose to become Süleyman’s most beloved wife and a powerful figure in the Ottoman court. Known as Roxelana in the West, her influence marked a shift in the empire’s power dynamics, earning her both admiration and controversy.
- Dolmabahçe Palace (돌마바흐체 궁전) A lavish 19th-century palace on the Bosphorus, built during the Ottoman Empire’s decline. Its European-inspired design, including gold-gilded ceilings and the massive crystal chandelier, reflects a shift from traditional Ottoman architecture to Western opulence.
- Versailles The Palace of Versailles, a symbol of French royal excess near Paris. The man’s comparison underscores Dolma Bahçe’s similar grandeur, tying it to European architectural ideals.
- Topkapı Palace (톱카프 궁전) The primary residence of Ottoman sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries, located in Istanbul. Unlike Dolma Bahçe, its simpler exterior belies its historical significance as the empire’s administrative and cultural heart during its golden age.