Chapter 189:
On a crisp, clear late autumn day…
The Constitutional Court delivered a landmark ruling, etched forever in the annals of Korean constitutional history.
「Ruling: The respondent, President Kim Joon-pil, is hereby removed from office.」
It was an expected outcome, but no less emotional, no less cathartic.
People, who had been unknowingly living under a veil of lies, manipulated by a regime built on deceit and bloodshed, embraced each other, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
Some cried out, their voices filled with a fervent hope for a future free from suffering.
Perhaps the most deeply affected were the Awakened, who had suffered through the inhumane experiments.
“It’s finally… here.”
Haeil Guild Headquarters rooftop.
Seo Jae-yi, perched precariously on the railing, watching the broadcast of the ruling on her phone, sighed, a long, slow breath.
It was an expected outcome, and yet, her heart pounded in her chest.
She didn’t feel empty. This was a moment she had longed for, a moment she had dreamed of.
Only a sense of relief, of closure, of justice finally served, filled her.
“It’s… even better than I imagined. I’m so happy. It’s like… all the knots in my heart have finally untied.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled, a genuine, happy smile, bathed in the clear, crisp autumn sunlight.
Baek Joo-won, sitting beside her, put his arm around her shoulders, his touch firm and reassuring.
The shoulders that had once been so frail, now strong and dependable.
“You’ve been through so much. Thank you for enduring it all.”
“I have. It was… difficult.”
She had endured for over a decade, not just to see them imprisoned for a few years, but to utterly destroy them, to ensure they would never again rise to power.
The fruit of her patience was sweet, intoxicating.
She would never forget this moment.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, experiencing this. You helped me achieve my revenge. Thank you, Hae-wi.”
It had been almost a year since they first met.
She hadn’t dared to dream of a day like this, not even when she first received his power, his Yeouiju, and her life had been extended.
She hadn’t imagined she would be sitting here with him, witnessing the culmination of her revenge.
“Then don’t even think about… dying. Stay with me, always. That’s the only repayment I want.”
He was teasing her, reminding her of her words months ago, when she had declared she would rather die than force someone to stay with her against their will.
“I won’t. I won’t let you go, even if you want to leave. Not that you ever would.”
“You know me well.”
They smiled at each other.
Nothing, save death, could separate them now.
“Then… can you lift the no-touching ban now?”
Baek Joo-won, who had been forbidden from touching her for a week, seized the opportunity to plead with her.
Hugs and kisses were allowed, but not… anything more, and it was torture. He knew how good it felt when her body temperature rose, how could he possibly endure it?
A week was long enough.
“No touching for another four days.”
“Four days isn’t the problem, honestly.”
“Then what is? I thought that was why you banned me from touching you.”
“There’s… a bigger reason.”
Baek Joo-won frowned, confused.
What could be more important than that?
“Why… do you keep growing? When will it stop? And… four days with that… was a bit much, don’t you think?”
“…”
Ah, that.
Baek Joo-won’s eyes darted around nervously.
“Well, my feelings for you are… growing, so… it’s… a reflection of that…?”
“What?! My feelings for you will only grow stronger as we spend more time together! Does that mean it will keep growing… indefinitely?!”
Seo Jae-yi pushed him away, horrified, and Baek Joo-won quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
“Of course, my feelings will grow, but I’ll… try to control… that. I didn’t have a reason to control it before I met you, so I’m… a bit… inexperienced.”
She stopped struggling, hearing him say that she was the only one who could evoke such a reaction from him.
Baek Joo-won pulled her close again, into an embrace.
“I’ll try to control myself, even when I’m… excited. But what size is… ideal? Smaller than… last time?”
“…No. That was… perfect.”
“Perfect? But you said it was… difficult.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?! You spent four days… acclimating me to that size! Do you think I’ll be satisfied if it gets smaller now?!”
Baek Joo-won burst out laughing at her undeniably logical argument.
“You’re an expert at… molding my body to your preferences. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. I’m also being molded to your preferences.”
It was only natural. Baek Joo-won also wanted to please her.
So he paid close attention to her reactions, adjusting his actions to her preferences, often suppressing his own desires.
He wanted her to enjoy it as much as he did.
“So lift the ban. I’ll be… good.”
“Hmm…”
Seo Jae-yi pretended to consider it, though she was already swayed by his confession that he was also adapting to her.
Baek Joo-won, knowing this, whispered in her ear, hoping to further delight her,
“You’re really not going to lift the ban, even after I prepared this?”
He presented her with a small, dark green velvet box, clearly a ring box.
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened.
“We’re getting matching rings today.”
Baek Joo-won, his arm still around her, opened the box.
Two simple platinum rings, each with a small red stone, were nestled inside.
They weren’t flashy or extravagant. The bands were plain, unadorned, with only a single stone in the center.
And yet, Seo Jae-yi couldn’t take her eyes off them.
“You fight a lot, so I thought a flashy ring would be inconvenient. And you would be worried about damaging it. I don’t want that.”
It was a perfect ring, designed for Seo Jae-yi, who used her hands constantly.
Simple and practical, so she could wear it comfortably, whether she was fighting, tending to her dungeon plants, or doing anything else.
“I’m not interested in flashy things either. I’m content just having… your color.”
He took out one of the rings, and then she noticed something she hadn’t seen before.
A small green stone, on the inside of the band, opposite the red stone.
Red for Seo Jae-yi, and green for Baek Joo-won.
The placement of his color, hidden on the inside, spoke volumes about his possessiveness.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
Baek Joo-won smiled. Seo Jae-yi, who had been staring at the ring, speechless, chuckled.
“Are you seriously asking? Of course I like it.”
She hadn’t even imagined it; it was even more touching because of that.
“Put it on me.”
Seo Jae-yi extended her hand. Baek Joo-won gently took her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly, as expected.
Seo Jae-yi, biting her lip at the cool touch of the metal against her skin, put the other ring, the one with the red stone, on his finger.
She felt a surge of… something indescribable, looking at his hand adorned with the matching ring.
It was a new kind of happiness, a happiness she had never experienced before.
“…I understand why people exchange rings now.”
It was a way to announce to the world that this person was theirs, a symbol of ownership, a tangible representation of their bond.
That was the true meaning of exchanging rings.
“I love it.”
“I’m glad.”
Baek Joo-won smiled, happy to see her so happy.
He also liked their matching rings.
He intertwined his fingers with hers, their rings touching.
Two hands, a pair of rings.
A warm feeling of contentment filled his chest.
“So… will you lift the ban now?”
“Yes, I will.”
Seo Jae-yi laughed at his playful question.
How could she not? She loved him, loved his thoughtfulness, his surprising romantic gestures. She wanted to push him down onto the bed and ravage him.
Buying the rings had been a brilliant move.
“I’ll be good. So don’t lose the ring.”
Baek Joo-won, finally getting what he wanted, smiled happily.
He kissed her cheek.
“I won’t let you off easy if you lose it. So be careful.”
Seo Jae-yi, in her own way, returned his affection, her words both a promise and a threat.
Baek Joo-won, who loved this side of her, nodded eagerly.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
He kissed her at her confident reply.
He pulled away after a light peck, and then Seo Jae-yi spoke,
“Baek Joo-won.”
“Yes.”
“I love you.”
She kissed him, their lips lingering longer this time.
“…Yes. Love only me, always.”
His voice, low and husky, was a clear sign of his arousal. Seo Jae-yi chuckled, amused by how easily he lost control.
She couldn’t stop smiling.
“…Shall we go to the bedroom now?”
“Yes.”
Baek Joo-won, at her suggestion, lifted her off the railing and carried her away.
The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the happy couple, their eyes locked on each other.
Their future together, just like the warm autumn sun, would be bright and beautiful.
***
<Main Story – End>
Me encanta la historia!! Gracias por traducir!