Episode 117: Board Game (4)
Yu Hana carefully lifted Jung Haein up and draped his arm over her shoulder.
With one arm around his waist and the other gently supporting his hand, she slowly helped him walk.
The faint scent of blueberry-infused liquor mixed with his natural scent tickled her nose.
Whether it was the alcohol or him, her heart began to race faster.
She carefully checked each room one by one. Most were empty.
After wandering for a while, she finally opened the bedroom door.
A neatly arranged room.
…And two pillows placed at the head of the bed.
Yu Hana bent her knees and carefully laid him down on the bed.
Without thinking, she raised the back of her hand and wiped his forehead.
“… Haa.”
Her head was spinning a little.
She was drunk.
But Yu Hana didn’t try to shake off the intoxication.
Because this was her first time… and she needed courage.
She didn’t even know why she was doing this.
Even though it was a face she had just met, she felt an unconscious pull toward him.
She kept falling deeper.
His scent clouded her thoughts and made her vision spin.
The faintly exposed nape and collarbone through his shirt.
Just a little closer…
Her fingertips touched his buttons.
One.
Two.
As the buttons came undone with ease, his firm chest muscles were revealed.
She rested her palm on them for a moment.
‘… So warm.’
She thought she might actually get burned.
Murmuring to herself, she let her fingertips gently trace along his body.
As his breath grew closer than her own—
Creaaak.
The sound of a door opening echoed through the room, followed by a soft female voice.
“…Who are you…?”
It was Jung Haein’s wife.
Yu Hana immediately sobered up.
She quietly buttoned his shirt and tidied her hair.
Composing her expression, she calmly turned around.
The woman standing at the door, wearing a white nun’s habit with a coat over it, looked startled and wary.
Yu Hana hadn’t planned for her return.
“Hello.”
Yu Hana greeted her with a gentle smile.
The wife’s gaze flickered behind her for a moment—
There lay Jung Haein on the bed, shirt unbuttoned, still showing traces of Yu Hana’s touch.
Cheon Yeoul’s expression subtly shifted.
Yu Hana met her eyes, calmly nodding.
“I’m the new lord posted to Madus. Your husband kindly offered me a meal… I apologize for dropping by unannounced.”
Then, naturally, she added one more sentence.
“And since he was sweating profusely, I thought he seemed overheated, so I just…”
Letting her voice trail off, she lowered her gaze.
“Ah… I see…!”
Cheon Yeoul responded quickly, extending both hands.
Her expression was unexpectedly bright.
“My husband must’ve caused you trouble… oh dear…”
She smiled softly, her lips curling gently.
As if her guard had dropped in an instant.
But her eyes were focused instead on Jung Haein, lying on the bed—silently, but warmly.
Yu Hana noticed it.
From her demeanor, she could feel just how much trust she had in her husband as his wife.
And how deep their bond was.
Yu Hana quietly tried to leave the room.
But just then—
“Oh, right…”
As if she had just remembered something, Cheon Yeoul lightly clapped her hands.
She pulled something from her pocket and approached.
“I believe this belongs to you, Lady.”
It was the white handkerchief embroidered with fine stitching—
The one Yu Hana had placed over the photo frame.
Holding it out respectfully with both hands, she smiled brightly.
Her expression was pleasant.
But Yu Hana sensed a subtle tension behind her gaze.
Though her eyes were smiling brightly, something cold lurked underneath.
Her guard had not been lowered.
It felt as if she were silently asking:
‘Why is your handkerchief here?’
Yu Hana realized it, but calmly took the handkerchief back.
Returning the same smile, she replied,
“Thank you. Yes, it’s mine…”
Within those words, another meaning was hidden:
‘You know it too, don’t you?’
“I thought so…”
Cheon Yeoul smiled just the same.
But in that brief conversation and fleeting exchange of glances,
They had said everything that needed to be said.
***
His head throbbed as if it were about to split open.
Jung Haein groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
It had truly been a long time since he drank that heavily.
It had been hard to refuse the drinks offered by the Lady.
Because of that, he seemed to have lost control and ended up drinking too much.
“Ah… my head…”
He couldn’t remember how they had parted ways last night.
But in that moment, he noticed the emptiness beside him.
‘She still hasn’t come back?’
A wave of anxiety rushed over him, and he suddenly sat up.
Just then, the door slowly opened.
Creak—
Someone stepped inside.
“Ah…”
It was his wife, Cheon Yeoul.
“Thank goodness.”
He let out a sigh of relief, but on Cheon Yeoul’s face, there was none of her usual warm smile.
From behind her, the mild and savory aroma of hangover soup drifted in.
But she didn’t mention breakfast.
With a side glance, she approached in silence and leaned forward lightly,
As if to give him her usual kiss on the cheek.
But this time, it was different.
Smooch.
It was on the lips.
He was momentarily startled, but before he could recover from the surprise, Cheon Yeoul grabbed the back of his head tightly.
Their lips tangled, and her tongue aggressively explored him.
It was not a soft morning kiss.
It was intense and relentless, as if she were trying to leave her mark on him.
Even after exploring him so thoroughly that it left him breathless, she didn’t pull away easily.
When she finally lifted her lips, a thin, seductive strand of saliva clung between their mouths.
“Beh~.”
She licked the string with her tongue and smiled—quietly, but seductively.
Her cheeks and earlobes flushed bright red, she caught her breath and looked into his eyes.
Then, she whispered softly,
“Tonight… just wait and see.”
Cheon Yeoul turned and walked toward the door, then added as she opened it,
“I wrote everything down that we didn’t finish yesterday.”
The door closed quietly.
“…What the—”
Jung Haein’s face had turned completely red.
Her sweet, dangerous scent still lingered in the room.
“……”
Even though it was still morning, both his body and mind were already waiting for the night to come.
***
“………….”
Yoon Chaeha covered her face with both hands, peeking through her fingers at the screen.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and her cheeks burned uncontrollably.
She was fully aware that all of this was just a game.
Frankly speaking, she was the most clear-headed of the six players here.
Yet her breath was growing heavier, and her heartbeat dangerously fast.
“No… this… this is wrong…”
She murmured softly, but her voice trembled more than she expected.
Her cheeks were flushed like overripe fruit, and her gaze was fixed, unmoving.
Her face had turned as red as a ripe tomato, and her eyes couldn’t tear away from the scene before her.
The provocative and dangerously scandalous drama playing out in front of her eyes was reaching its climax.
Yoon Chaeha unconsciously raised one hand and placed it on her chest.
Thump. Thump.
A strange and sensual sensation—unfamiliar and never before felt—spread throughout her entire body.
“I can’t… I mustn’t.”
She barely composed herself and clutched the dice tightly.
She had to end this game soon. Only then could she come to her senses.
Just a few more turns and it would be over.
However—
Her hand holding the dice trembled.
“……”
Tap.
Eventually, Yoon Chaeha dropped her hand powerlessly.
The dice tumbled lightly across the floor.
“Just a little longer…”
She was awakening to a new desire.
***
Time passed, and Yu Hana had firmly established herself as the lord of the remote village.
The reason she was able to blend into the community so quickly was probably because Jung Haein, a powerful figure in the region, had actively supported her at her side.
On the surface, not much seemed to have changed.
If one were to point out a difference…
Yu Hana now visited Jung Haein’s house far more frequently than before.
And on the nights she did, his nights with his wife would stretch on until dawn.
That day was no different—another uneventful, peaceful day.
The only unusual thing was a single carriage that rolled into the village outskirts.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of hooves echoed through the quiet farmlands.
“Milady! Be careful!”
Even before the carriage door was fully open, a woman with deep navy blue hair burst out.
Right behind her, a female knight with neatly tied hair and a fluttering black cloak jumped down.
“I’m fine!”
With no attempt to hide herself, she strolled confidently and cheerfully through the village.
“Huh…?”
Jung Haein paused.
He remembered her.
She was the noblewoman who had bought the entire stock of blueberries last time.
This time, she made no effort to hide her identity. Wearing a dazzling smile, she ran straight toward Jung Haein.
As if she had been waiting for this moment.
“Farmer!”
Her bright and clear voice echoed across the center of the farm.
She rushed over and, without the slightest hesitation, grabbed Jung Haein’s hand.
“Those blueberries you gave me were absolutely amazing! The effects were incredible… Even my father tasted them and was amazed! So…”
The noblewoman’s fingers tightened around his hand.
Her skirt fluttered in the breeze, and her face turned increasingly red.
Just then, the black-haired knight hurried over, slightly breathless.
“M-Milady, slow down… Hah…”
Trying to catch her breath, the knight—Kang Arin—locked eyes with Jung Haein.
A brief silence.
In that moment, her pupils subtly trembled.
Her lips parted slightly, and a flush instinctively rose to her cheeks.
Then the noblewoman raised her voice once more.
“Come to our domain and farm there! We’ll make sure you can grow not just blueberries but anything you want!”
Jung Haein stood speechless.
It was… quite a shocking offer.