FIB Extra 3 [END]

PR by neji

The hot steam rising from the hot spring made everything look blurry.

A few years after giving birth to Yuha, MoonWon gave birth to their daughter, SeoHa. Because they were busy raising their two children, they hadn’t had any time for a vacation.

When MoonWon had suddenly caught a cold, Heon left the two children with Yusun and Yeori and brought MoonWon to the hot spring.

“My body feels limp after staying in the warm hot spring.”

When they first arrived, MoonWon could barely eat the rice porridge she was served. But now, some color seemed to have returned to her face. Wearing a thin dress, MoonWon entered the hot spring and sat down in front of Heon. Heon placed his chin on the crown of her head.

“We should come here often.”

“How can we do that when we have children?”

“Rather than getting exhausted to the point of catching a cold, it’s better to leave them with the others and come here from time to time.”

Due to her bad cold, MoonWon had lost some weight. She still stubbornly insisted on returning to the children after a few days. Heon decided he’d better feed her as much as he could while they were here.

“But it’s been a while since it was just the two of us. It’s a bit exciting.”

The slight flush on her cheeks from the heat of the hot springs was nice to see. Heon knew he should not tire her out, but he could feel her body through her thin clothes, and she felt soft.

“Haa, darling, really…”

Heon’s hand brazenly plunged through the fold of her dress and closed around MoonWon’s plump breast. His rough hand squeezed the breast, changing its shape within his grasp. As he continued his caress, her nipple perked up. He had brought her to the hot spring and told her to get some much needed rest, but what was he doing?!

As she lifted her hand to push him away, Heon grabbed her wrist.

“Mmph.”

As she sighed, Heon took her lips in a deep kiss. In one smooth motion, he pulled her dress down from her shoulders. He swallowed the hot breaths coming out of her mouth and grabbed her soft tongue. Their essences mixed together, and they sucked and swallowed as if they were trying to tame their thirst.

“Haa.”

Heon bit down on her lip. After gazing with satisfaction at the way her lips had become swollen from his kiss, Heon buried his lips against her neck.

MoonWon’s wet hands took off Heon’s clothes before grabbing onto his shoulders.

The fever between them intensified the heat from the hot spring.

Heon wasn’t sure if it was sweat or the water from the hot spring, but he licked and sucked it with his lips. Meanwhile, Heon’s large hand grabbed MoonWon’s round bottom and pressed her body even closer to his.

“Hnng.”

When she felt his hard cock against her thigh, MoonWon blushed. Although it didn’t feel unfamiliar, whenever she touched his erection, her body trembled. Heon pulled away from her collar and buried his face against her fragrant bosom.

His hands began to move from her shoulders and traveled down her spine as it went lower.

Whenever he saw how red she became from his touch, he felt like he was going to go insane from arousal. The only one who could see such a disheveled side of MoonWon was him.

As he nibbled on her hardened nipple, his hard cock plunged into her tender entrance.

“Hnng.”

“Huu.”

MoonWon’s moan and Heon’s sigh burst into the air. He left traces of himself on her body to his heart’s desire, but MoonWon’s inner walls never failed to drive him crazy. Even when he entered her after making sure she was sufficiently wet, her soft walls always clung onto him and never seemed to let him go.

“Haa…”

MoonWon crouched as if she were embarrassed to be making love at the hot spring. Whenever she did this, her walls closed around his cock even more, tempting him further.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to return for a few days.”

“We need to go back tomorr… haa.”

For the first time in a while, it was just the two of them. Heon could not let this rare opportunity slip through his fingers.

After holding firmly onto MoonWon so that she couldn’t escape, Heon began to pump his hips. As his movements grew rough, MoonWon bit her lips.

“…Nng… Haa.”

The sound of the splashing waters of the hot spring and their moans rang in the air. Although it wasn’t unfamiliar, they were still not used to the pleasure that took over their bodies. The intense ecstasy made it hard to breathe.

Heon entered deep within her body and slowly pulled out. Then he plunged in deep again. As she felt her walls push and pull, MoonWon began to tremble.

“Haa.”

She bit her lips to hold back the moan, but she quickly bit down on Heon’s shoulders as if she couldn’t take it anymore. The slight sting mixed with the intense pleasure caused Heon’s hips to pump frantically.

When they reached the climax of their animalistic mating, Heon burst inside her. As she felt the unusual sensation of being filled up, MoonWon’s walls squeezed around Heon’s cock.

“…Haa.”

Heon’s body heat felt a lot warmer than the waters of the hot spring. Unable to even lift a finger, MoonWon clung onto Heon and burrowed even deeper into his arms. Embracing MoonWon’s limp body, Heon let out a satisfied sigh.

* * *

“Your holding strength has gotten a lot better since the last time I saw you. It’s no joke! Try holding on even more!”

As soon as Heon and MoonWon returned from the hot spring, they met Doyoon, who should have been in Ju. They didn’t know why he found the bamboo grove to be so entertaining, but he would come and visit once every few months. 

When Heon saw that Yuha was holding onto Doyoon’s arm, he sighed.

“Your Majesty.”

“Unlike you, Yuha is a lot more friendly.”

“Why did you come here?”

“I came here to see MoonWon and Yuha, of course. Don’t tell me you thought I came here to see you!”

A vein began to throb on his temple. Not even a stranger would have believed that. There was no way Ju’s Yeon Doyoon would ever do something without a motive. It was impossible.

When he saw Heon’s eyes urging him to tell the truth, Doyoon smiled. After putting down the dangling Yuha, he poked the boy’s pale cheek.

“You’re always no fun. Can’t you say, ‘Now that you’re here, you might as well enjoy your stay before going back’?”

“Your Majesty!”

“Yuha.”

“Yes, Godfather-nim?”

When he heard Yuha’s bright answer, Doyoon grinned joyfully back at him. When everyone else called him ‘Your Majesty’, he was always happy to hear Yuha call him ‘Godfather-nim’. Although his facial features were identical to Heon, his clear eyes were definitely MoonWon’s.

Whenever he came to the bamboo grove, he always had such a good time that he never knew where the time went.

However, this was only what Doyoon felt. It was not the same for Heon.

“When will you be going back?”

“I’m not sure. I’m thinking of heading back when things have settled down.”

Despite being the emperor of the great nation of Ju, Doyoon was always carefree and relaxed.

However, Heon understood what Doyoon meant by ‘settle down’, and he quickly closed his mouth. He knew that the Palace was unsettled over the selection of the Empress.

Doyoon had managed to avoid it until now, but it looked like the nobles did not plan on letting the issue go this time. They kneeled in front of the Palace as they begged him to take an empress.

There were many who asked Heon to intervene as the emperor’s adopted brother, but forcing someone to choose a wife was not something that should be done by force.

“Haven’t you already decided on who will take that spot, Your Majesty?”

Doyoon’s eyes widened at the unexpected observation.

Just as he was about to declare that Heon was no fun, Heon had caught him off guard. This unfriendly guy was incredibly observant. On the other hand, he liked the fact that this guy knew all along but chose not to say anything.

“Yuha, it looks like Godfather-nim and Father need to speak to each other.”

“Okay! I’ll leave!”

Yuha bowed to Doyoon and Heon before leaving the room. Once the sound of Yuha’s boisterous footsteps disappeared, Doyoon looked at Heon and smiled.

The cunning emperor laughed.

Something felt ominous.

“Do you have any intention of working by my side, Duke MyungHyun?”

“None whatsoever, Your Majesty.”

When he heard Heon’s sharp answer, Doyoon shook his head. Whether it was Heon or the woman he liked… Why were all the people he liked so stubborn and cold?

‘It’s my fault for falling for someone like that.’

Even if he whined and complained about it, nothing would change.

He hated seeing the nobles who begged him to take an empress, and he didn’t want to see any more women vie for his attention.

But the one woman he did want an answer from did not open her mouth.

“I have quite an unlucky destiny, Duke MyungHyun.”

“Try saying that to someone else.”

Heon shook his head at the ridiculous statement. He didn’t know why he always popped up here to turn his life upside-down. He wanted to kick him out immediately, but, unfortunately, he was merely a subordinate that needed to follow Doyoon’s orders.

“How did you win over MoonWon?”

Doyoon sighed when he heard the question. He found it a lot more comfortable to trick people and oppress them with his authority.

“How did you manage to bring that stubborn MoonWon back to the bamboo grove?”

Doyoon let out another long sigh. Heon stared at him for a while before giving him his answer.

Hearing the unexpected answer, Doyoon narrowed his eyes.

* * *

“Orabeoni!”

As Yuha made his way back to his room, a little girl grabbed onto him. With her hair in pigtails, the girl’s silk dress shook as she ran. Her skirts fluttered with the breeze.

Now three years old, Yuha’s little sister, SeoHa, ran over to him as soon as she saw him. Seeing her clumsy movements, Yuha quickly grabbed her small hand.

“SeoHa, do you want to play with me?”

“Yeah!”

SeoHa was born when Yuha was four years old. At first, he thought she looked wrinkly and ugly, but as time passed by, she looked more and more like MoonWon. Despite not wanting a second child, Heon especially treasured SeoHa because she looked like a little MoonWon.

“Last time, Father showed me a fun place in the bamboo grove. Let’s go together!”

“A fun place?”

“Yeah! Let’s go there together in secret!”

If Yusun and Yeori heard what he said, they’d pass out, but it would be fun to go there without any adults around. It was a place that would be difficult for a full-grown adult to go, anyway.

Doyoon and Heon were in the middle of a conversation, and MoonWon was completely distracted as she served them, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go there for a bit.

“Hold my hand tight. You can’t let go.”

“Okay!”

SeoHa grabbed tightly onto Yuha’s hand as her eyes gleamed.

They avoided other people’s eyes and left the residence without getting caught.

The sky was full of clouds, and it looked like it was going to rain at any minute, but they’d only be gone for a little bit. Holding tightly onto SeoHa’s hand, Yuha retraced his steps and entered the bamboo grove.

* * *

As MoonWon entered the residence with Doyoon’s guard, a surprised Yeori approached her.

“M-Mistress!”

“I asked him for help because my baggage was a bit too heavy.”

“I could have gone to help…”

“He was glad to help, so I came comfortably. I’m sorry to ask this, but can you bring it into the room?”

Bringing another male other than Heon or Yuha into the inner residence was a scandalous thing. Yeori tried to discourage MoonWon with her eyes, but MoonWon had already invited the guard into the room.

When the guard entered the room, MoonWon closed the door.

“I’m sorry. I could have done this myself, but it seems that I’ve asked an unreasonable request of you.”

The beautiful man with the willowy physique bowed to MoonWon. The man looked so beautiful that women and even men would take a second look when they passed him. Although he was wearing black clothing, it only made his face look even paler.

“My lady, if that is all, I will take my leave.”

“Aren’t your menstrual cramps painful? I’m sure you can’t rest when you’re dressed as a man, so why don’t you rest a bit here?”

All the blood seemed to have left the guard’s face. When she saw that the guard was at a loss for words, MoonWon smiled. When the door opened, Yeori came in with some tea. MoonWon placed a cup in front of the guard.

When she smelled the fragrance coming from the tea, the guard seemed to have regained her composure. She looked cautiously at MoonWon. When she saw how flustered she looked, MoonWon’s eyes softened.

“Whenever I have my menstrual cramps, my stomach twinges and my head hurts. It looks like my husband’s conversation with His Majesty is going to take a while, so rest here before you go.”

“How did you know?”

The man’s low voice suddenly changed into a woman’s sweet tone. She was a beautiful woman, but her voice sounded pretty as well. Even she was struck by the woman’s beauty and voice, so how much more of an effect would they have on a man?

Although she didn’t know the specifics of the guard’s situation, MoonWon thought it might be for the better.

“My husband told me.”

“Duke MyungHyun did?”

Although the guard hadn’t seen MoonWon much, she did see the duke at the Imperial Palace from time to time. However, because he gave off a sharp aura, she found it difficult to approach him and merely lurked in the shadows. 

Additionally, there weren’t many people who were as talented as Duke MyungHyun, Lee Heon. 

Had he realized she was a woman after only walking past her a few times?

“And I also happened to see a ring hanging around your neck. My husband told me about your identity, but I noticed that the ring around your neck was one of the rings that His Majesty wore. I saw it on his finger when he came to visit me at Yeon before.”

Heon was Heon, but she could not be careless about his wife, MoonWon, either. She had accompanied Doyoon on his trips to Yeon, but she never thought MoonWon would have noticed something like that.

Of all of Doyoon’s rings, it was the simplest one made of silver.

Although her identity as a woman must not be revealed, she had been caught. And of all people, it had to be the Emperor’s closest friends, the Duke MyungHyun couple.

What should she do?

“I’m sure you have your reasons, so I won’t ask. But this is a tea that’s great for menstrual pains.”

“It’s not that bad. I’ll return to my post, so…”

Just as she was about to turn around, a piercing pain in her stomach caused her brow to furrow. The fact that she had been caught as a woman was already giving her a headache. In a situation where she had to leave as soon as possible, her body wasn’t helping at all.

Unable to do anything else, ultimately, the woman sighed.

“I’ll rest for a little bit.”

Her voice had returned to a man’s tone as she sat back down, her body tense. MoonWon handed her the cup of tea and sat down across from her.

“Whenever my menstrual bleeding starts, my head always hurts. And it’s difficult for me to bring it up to my husband. The doctor tells me it will go away and gives me medicine, but even if I take it, it doesn’t get any better. So every month, when I get my period, I’m always in pain, and it’s difficult to get out of bed.”

Although she tried to avoid speaking with her, as MoonWon continued to speak in a calm voice, the woman couldn’t help but open her heart. Although she had consistently stayed by Doyoon’s side, as she listened to MoonWon talk about Doyoon from a woman’s perspective, the guard couldn’t help but feel like all the information was new.

“He is very considerate, but one never knows where he’ll go or how he’ll move. However, it’s not like he doesn’t say anything. He only throws a small tidbit at us and makes us all curious. Then he claims he’s having fun and just disappears. If he wasn’t the Emperor and was someone else…”

“I would have punched him.”

MoonWon’s eyes widened. But a few moments later, she hunched over.

The guard gasped. Even if she were comfortable and relaxed, how could she have said that she wanted to punch Doyoon?

However, unlike the guard, MoonWon couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

“Hahaha… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh, but… it’s just so refreshing.”

MoonWon tried to remain calm, but the laughter wouldn’t stop. She hid her mouth behind her hand and tried to hold them back, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the guard was right.

Whenever Doyoon played around and was up to his annoying tricks, people wanted to give him a good punch to the head.

“Please forget I said anything.”

Although others would have been appalled, MoonWon received it gleefully. 

Unlike the cold Duke MyungHyun, his wife MoonWon was kind and comfortable. The menstrual pains that had been plaguing her for the past few days disappeared.

It was because she was like this that Duke MyungHyun treasured her.

“And now that I think about it, I don’t know your name, my lady… I mean, my lord.”

Usually, she did not reveal her name. However, if it was MoonWon, the woman who spoke about the side of Doyoon she didn’t know and who was comfortable to talk to, she didn’t mind growing closer to her.

“My name is…”

They suddenly heard a noise coming from outside. Before MoonWon could get up to see what was going on, Doyoon and Heon entered inside.

“Your Majesty. Husband.”

MoonWon smiled, but the woman burst out of her seat and lowered her head. Even if Duke MyungHyun knew her true identity, it was still not proper for a man to enter the inner residence.

 As she began to think of what to say to explain this, Doyoon turned his eyes to her.

“Why are you here?”

* * *

‘Your Majesty must not be showing your truth.’

Doyoon had thought that Heon would ignore his question about how he had managed to get MoonWon, but Heon replied. As if to show off the fact that he had fallen in love and gotten married first, Heon nonchalantly told him the answer.

Even though Doyoon knew that it was an answer that would be difficult to pry out of someone like Heon, he still felt incredibly annoyed at the feeling of being looked down on.

‘If you show her your true feelings, your heart will reach her.’

The husband and wife were the same. He had asked MoonWon behind Heon’s back a little later, and she had freely given him her answer. As if she already knew what was going on, she looked back and forth between Doyoon and the guard and whispered in a voice that only he could hear.

‘If she didn’t have any feelings for you, she wouldn’t have listened to your stories or shown any interest, right? Your Majesty just needs to show her your truth. Then you will be able to receive your answer.’

Although he had been unsure when he heard Heon’s response, when MoonWon said the same thing, he believed it. However, the problem was that what more of his heart could he show her?

“My truth…”

“Your Majesty, did you say something?”

The guard following behind him asked, but Doyoon shook his head. It was much easier to mull over political matters and ponder future moves.

He thought he had a good grasp of how people’s hearts worked. However, lately, he felt a lot more uncertain.

‘But I still feel a lot better after I come back from the bamboo grove.’

It felt great to see MoonWon so relaxed and Heon so at peace. However, he would be needing Heon for his future plans.

‘But how am I supposed to bring him back to Ju?’

He shouldn’t have returned the bamboo grove to Heon. He had gifted the bamboo grove to Heon, and now Heon did not seem willing to leave.

If MoonWon had only been frustrated with staying in the bamboo grove like Consort Yu, this would have been a lot easier. Unfortunately, MoonWon was as attached to the bamboo grove as Heon was.

‘There’s still some time, so I can think about it some more…’

The immediate problem was his empress. He was at peace now, but when he returned, it would be pandemonium.

He didn’t plan on changing his mind. The problem was the woman dressed as a man behind him.

“I’m really annoyed that the hardest problem is not getting solved. If it were you, what would you do?”

“How would I know?”

Aware of what Doyoon was asking her, the woman lowered her head. As he watched her slyly evade answering his question, a bitter taste filled his mouth. He wasn’t sure where she learned this, but whenever he tried to catch her, she’d run away.

It wasn’t like he had any malicious intent when he tried to catch her. He just wanted them to try spending some nice time together, but she was so stubborn.

“Unfriendly jerk.”

“……”

“You’re such a frustrating rascal…”

“If something is bothering you, please say it. I’ll fix it.”

“Hmph, it’s nothing.”

Even if he told her, she’d pretend she didn’t hear it, so why did she even say something like that? Even if he complained about feeling frustrated, he’d be the one at a loss. Even if he told her about his true feelings, she’d pretend she never heard him.

In the end, if things were to be settled, he’d have to return to the Palace.

“Let’s head back to the Palace for now.”

When she heard Doyoon’s words, the woman lowered her head. As if something bothered him again, Doyoon grumbled. He grumbled, but for some strange reason, his footsteps were a lot lighter as they made their way back.

Was she mistaken? For some reason, she felt dread.

‘But I really liked Duke MyungHyun’s wife.’

Even though they had met for the first time, they got along very well together. She felt comfortable talking to her about all sorts of things that she usually never revealed to anyone. 

Although their meeting had been brief, she was disappointed to leave. If she had just a bit more time, she would have wanted to talk to her for a while longer.

“Aren’t you coming?”

She had been lost in thought, and the distance between her and Doyoon had increased. Doyoon was waiting for her. Just what did she like about that self-centered man that made her want to follow him around? However, because the difference in their status was like heaven and earth, she couldn’t deny him.

“I’m sorry.”

She’d be able to see MoonWon again. For now, she needed to focus not on MoonWon of the bamboo grove but on Emperor Doyoon of Ju.

She urged her horse to move faster. When she drew closer to Doyoon, she lowered her head.

* * *

“Orabeoni, where are we?”

SeoHa’s eyes trembled in fear. When he saw that his sister was nervous, he looked around with gloomy eyes.

When he had come here with Heon, it hadn’t been this dark. He thought he had memorized the path he had taken with Heon, but now that he was actually here alone, he was scared of the bamboo grove. He couldn’t tell if the bamboo tree he saw now was the same as the one he saw before. He was also confused about whether this was the same path as the one they had taken or if it was new.

“…Orabeoni.”

“We’re almost there! Don’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Just trust me!”

Although he told SeoHa they’d only be out for a little bit, it was getting more and more difficult. Should they head back? But all the paths were getting confusing now.

It had been easy when he came here with Heon, but now it was hard and scary.

“We’re almost there. We should be seeing it any moment now.”

After consoling SeoHa with some empty words, Yuha’s mouth went dry. He didn’t know where they were. What if they were lost and couldn’t go back home? He didn’t really care about himself, but what if something happened to SeoHa? Then he’d get in really big trouble by Heon and MoonWon.

Drip, drip.

“Ah?”

“Orabeoni, it’s raining.”

More fat raindrops began to fall. When Yuha saw a drop land on SeoHa’s clothes, he found a place where they could shelter from the rain. Through the dense forest of bamboo, he saw a large tree, and some color returned to his face.

“Over there, SeoHa!”

Yuha’s small hand turned SeoHa’s head. It was a very thick and tall tree with a hollow middle. A child could go through a hole and fit inside.

As soon as they entered the tree, the rain began to fall even harder. SeoHa looked out at the scary rain with gloomy eyes.

“Orabeoni, do you know how to get back?”

Yuha did his best to nod. When he first came here with Heon, he had been so fascinated with this tree, and he liked the small space inside it.

Now that they were in this dark place with the rain pouring outside, he really missed Heon and MoonWon. 

“We got here, didn’t we? Just trust your older brother.”

“Okay.”

SeoHa fearfully looked out at the rain and quickly composed herself when she heard Yuha’s reassurance. However, she couldn’t help but grow scared at the darkening sky. She tightly held onto Yuha’s hand.

Yuha was really scared and tired, but he grew up with MoonWon and Heon asking him to be a reliable older brother for SeoHa. 

“Orabeoni, I’m sleepy.”

“Come here.”

Yuha opened his arms, and SeoHa entered his embrace.

Yuha held his trembling sister and looked out at the rain with worried eyes.

* * *

Drip, drip.

When the rain stopped, the water on the leaves began to drip down. Yuha fell asleep with SeoHa held tightly within his arms. His eyelids trembled.

“…Ah. Seo… Ah.”

Yuha and SeoHa began to hear familiar voices. Yuha opened his eyes first. SeoHa began to rub her sleepy eyes.

“Yuha!”

The voice that had woken them up was their mother’s. Now completely awake, SeoHa looked at Yuha and grinned.

“Orabeoni! It’s Mother’s voice!”

“Wait, SeoHa!”

Yuha grabbed SeoHa as she moved to run out. She looked angrily up at Yuha for stopping her, but they needed to be more careful. Yuha peeked his head out of the hole first and looked around.

“SeoHa.”

“Orabeoni! It’s Mother!”

SeoHa poked her head out as well and found MoonWon. She burst out of the hole and climbed down the tree. SeoHa grinned at MoonWon and waved her hand.

“Mother! Over here!”

“SeoHa!”

MoonWon had been frantically searching the bamboo grove. When she found SeoHa, she ran over to her. When SeoHa saw MoonWon and even Heon, her face was full of smiles.

“Mother! Father!”

SeoHa ran into MoonWon’s arms, and MoonWon hugged her. She buried her face against the girl’s shoulder.

“Did you come out without telling Mother?”

MoonWon had been worried that SeoHa would be cold due to the rain, but, thankfully, it seemed like that was not the case. She wasn’t hurt, and SeoHa seemed to be in a good mood.

Within MoonWon’s arms, SeoHa began to move her hands and feet as she talked about Yuha.

“I came here with Orabeoni, so it wasn’t scary!”

“With Yuha?”

“Orabeoni said he came here once with Father!”

While MoonWon had been comforting SeoHa, Yuha had come out. He slowly approached Heon and MoonWon.

Not only had they both come, but they had also brought the servants as well. Everyone’s eyes were on him. He had only planned on coming here for a little bit, but things had blown out of proportion. He realized how shortsighted he had been, but it was too late.

“I liked it when I came here with Father, so I wanted to show SeoHa, too.”

Yuha walked to Heon and dropped his head to his chest. Just seeing MoonWon’s surprised face and Heon’s hardened expression made his heart fill with dread.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Everything was his fault.

If MoonWon and Heon hadn’t found them, Yuha would have wandered around again, and something might have happened to SeoHa as well.

Heon didn’t seem to talk as much as he usually did today, and that made Yuha feel even more scared.

He knew that there was nothing he could do if his father was angry, but now that they were face-to-face, he was filled with terror.

With his head lowered, Yuha walked up to Heon.

“I won’t do it again.”

Heon walked closer to Yuha until he was standing right in front of him. When he raised his hand, Yuha flinched and closed his eyes. Unlike what Yuha had been expecting, Heon’s hand began to stroke the boy’s small head.

“Ah…”

He thought he’d get in trouble, but Heon was consoling him. Tears began to well up in Yuha’s eyes. He bit his lips to keep himself from crying, but Yuha ran into Heon’s arms.

“Waaa, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t want to let it show in front of SeoHa, but he had been very scared.

When he saw MoonWon and Heon, the intense wave of relief and Heon’s gentle hand on his head made him feel so grateful that he burst into tears.

Although SeoHa had just claimed to have had a lot of fun, when Yuha started crying, she began to cry as well.

The worry they had felt when they heard that the children had disappeared was now completely gone. They found the children safe and sound, but before they could enjoy the relief, the children had burst into tears. The couple was now busy soothing them.

* * *

“Isn’t he heavy?”

“Not at all.”

The children had cried in MoonWon and Heon’s arms for a long time. Now they had fallen asleep. Because they couldn’t leave the startled children to the servants, Heon put Yuha on his back and MoonWon carried SeoHa in her arms.

Junghwan offered to take them in the carriage, but they were afraid of waking the children. Heon suggested they let them sleep a little longer and MoonWon agreed.

The rain had stopped, and all the clouds had disappeared. Thanks to this, the bamboo grove looked very clear today.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That Yuha and SeoHa would be there? If you hadn’t found them, we would have been wandering in the rain.”

After they sent Doyoon off, they received the news that Yuha and SeoHa had gone missing. MoonWon was ready to start looking for them in the rain. Unexpectedly, the one who stopped MoonWon from sending people out to search for the children was Heon.

He said he knew where they were, so he suggested they begin searching when the rain stopped. Although she still felt a little doubt, she couldn’t do anything but wait. Time seemed to move slowly as they waited for the rain to stop. Her heart throbbed at the thought of something happening to the children.

“Mm.”

“I was so worried that the children wouldn’t be here.”

Heon didn’t say anything in response. Because she knew that Heon was sorting his thoughts on what to say, she did not urge him to answer and merely waited.

The clear breeze blew through the bamboo trees and shook them. A pleasant sound rang through the air.

“In the past, whenever I hid here, my father would find me.”

“What?”

“My father found this place first and showed it to me. I would often hide here in secret.”

Heon’s actions would turn the bamboo grove upside-down. However, when his father found him, he wouldn’t be angry. Instead, he’d stroke Heon’s head. He thought his father would be angry with him, but to this day, he couldn’t forget the warmth of his father’s touch as he stroked his head.

“Whenever I wanted to play with my father, I’d come here and hide. Of course, there were days when I’d hide here all day only to be brought back home by my father.”

These events had occurred before the Consort had gone to the Emperor. Back then, Heon had been a nervous child, but he enjoyed each day surrounded by warmth and affection.

The past that had gone by in an instant. However, when he saw Yuha lower his head like he had done as a boy, Heon couldn’t help but do exactly as his father had done.

“Now you and Yuha can do that.”

When he heard MoonWon’s words, Heon smiled.

At some point, just like his father, he had gotten a son. And he even had a beautiful daughter.

Inside the world that he had made with MoonWon, he was now experiencing the things that his father had experienced all those years ago.

The things Heon was feeling would be the same as what his father felt.

However, he wished he could smile more and be kind like his father had been. He was not as good at expressing himself.

“My father showed his emotions, but I can’t. I’m probably a very lacking father in Yuha and SeoHa’s eyes.”

When MoonWon heard Heon’s complaint, a faint smile stretched across her lips.

Rather than his status as Duke MyungHyun or an imperial adopted brother, Heon worried more about being MoonWon’s husband and their two children’s father.

He was already doing very well, but Heon often revealed his true feelings like this to MoonWon.

“Do you know what Yuha said to me not that long ago? He said he wants to become like his father.”

“Mm?”

“Although he said his father doesn’t talk much, he said he likes that whenever he asks him to play, he plays with him. He said other people’s fathers say they’re tired and run away, but his father is different. He said he wants to be that kind of brother to SeoHa, but he said it’s really hard.”

As if he didn’t agree with Yuha’s comment, Heon frowned. When she saw this, MoonWon burst into laughter.

Heon wanted to be the best father.

“You accept Yuha’s requests more than I do, Husband.”

“He’s my son, so of course I should.”

When she heard him respond without any hesitation, MoonWon’s eyes softened.

Although he still claimed he wasn’t good enough, Heon was a good father to Yuha and SeoHa and a good husband to MoonWon.

With each passing day, many things happened, but because she was with him, she wasn’t tired. She was happy.

“Husband.”

“Mm?”

“Thanks to you, all my wishes have been fulfilled.”

As he carried Yuha on his back, Heon suddenly stopped walking.

MoonWon had said that she never wanted to get married but that if she had to get married, she wanted to marry a normal man.

Although it hadn’t been an easy life, with one word from MoonWon, he felt like he had been rewarded for all his troubles.

“My wishes came true, too.”

Heon’s confession made MoonWon’s heart full.

Because she knew that the only woman he treasured and loved was her, she fell deeper in love.

The man she treasured the most in her life.

They were together now, and they would continue to stay together for a long time. That’s why she was so happy.

“My arms are starting to hurt a little, so why don’t we wake them up? Let’s all walk to the carriage.”

When he heard her whisper, Heon burst out laughing.

After he grabbed her outstretched hand, peace had come into his life.

Now and forever, he’d be with this woman.

Heon’s greatest blessing was MoonWon.