Episode 76
Obligations?
Both Yerin and Doyul widened their eyes. Of course, there were certain duties that the Lord and Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace should bear, primarily the protection and care of the people of the North Sea Castle.
‘But somehow, it seems like they’re not talking about that kind of duty…’
As Yerin squinted her eyes, Kyuyulwonju, who had been quiet until then, suddenly made a bombshell statement.
“That is, the production of the successor.”
“What?!”
“What?!”
Yerin and Doyul were equally astonished.
In response to their reactions, Kyuyulwonju seemed unexpectedly calm.
“Did you really never consider that?”
Kyuyulwonju asked nonchalantly.
Doyul stuttered unknowingly in response, “Oh, no. It’s not that, but…”
Naturally, as a married couple, they had thought about eventually sharing a bed. However, it had always been just a thought. Despite sharing a room multiple times, Doyul had never consciously considered Yerin as a woman.
‘Wait a minute.’
For a moment, Doyul’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.
‘Did I really never feel that way?’
This doubt arose.
Had I never regarded my wife romantically? Was there never a moment when my heart raced while looking at her smiling face? The countless times he couldn’t meet her eyes properly and averted his gaze to hide his flushed face?
Doyul closed his mouth tightly.
However, at that moment, Yerin, who had not heard the conversation, intervened.
“But we’ve been like siblings since we were young.”
Doyul’s pupils shrank.
Siblings.
Strangely, that word struck his heart.
Yerin glanced at Doyul with a sidelong glance.
“Things like sharing a room are still a bit…”
No, our rabbit-like husband finds it burdensome, right? Why pressure him like this?
Yerin was momentarily bewildered as she looked at Doyul, who seemed sulky.
“Huh?”
Why does our husband’s expression suddenly look dark?
“Did I say something wrong?”
Yerin hastily reviewed what she had said.
“No, I haven’t made any mistakes.”
From Yerin’s perspective, she just wanted to help Doyul, who seemed uncomfortable. She had not expected his reaction to be so unexpected.
Kyuyulwonju nodded.
“Yes, we are not suggesting that you should share a room immediately.”
“Then why…?”
“At some point, you should be aware that you have to produce an heir by sharing a room.”
Although Kyuyulwonju’s face was smiling, there was an oddly felt pressure.
Ah, Yerin realized.
“Right, the Lord and Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace should naturally produce an heir.”
To maintain the existence of the North Sea Ice Palace, having a successor was essential. Through Sejin, the family line had been continued consistently.
But…
“That’s a task for the heroine.”
Caught up in her own confusion about the responsibilities of the heroine, Yerin failed to notice that Doyul was silently looking at her.
* * *
“After that, please rest well.”
After seeing off Kyuyulwonju like that.
Doyul turned to Yerin.
“Lady.”
“Yes?”
His face, which was usually calm, now looked somewhat serious, and Yerin stiffened her shoulders.
At the same time, as if he had made up his mind, Doyul spoke.
“I have no intention of forcing you, Lady.”
“Forcing? What do you mean?”
Doyul, who had been cautiously watching Yerin, weakly trailed off.
“However…”
However, what?
Yerin tilted her head in confusion, and Doyul shrugged his shoulders.
“…I just hope, Lady, that you won’t avoid me.”
“Huh? Why would I avoid the Lord?”
“Just now… when the talk of sharing a room came up.”
Doyul spoke with a puppy-like expression, as if his owner had scolded him.
“Didn’t you look disgusted at the idea?”
“What? No, that’s not…”
It’s not about me; it’s about the heroine being the one who should continue the family line!
Unable to express those thoughts, Yerin just felt frustrated.
However, Doyul’s expression clouded strangely.
“….”
Doyul pressed his lips together.
At that moment, Yerin, consumed by her own confusion about the responsibilities of the heroine, failed to notice that Doyul was silently observing her.
* * *
“After that, please rest well.”
After bidding farewell to Kyuyulwonju like that,
Doyul turned to Yerin.
“Lady.”
“Yes?”
Unlike his usual calm demeanor, his face looked somewhat serious, and Yerin stiffened her shoulders.
As if he had made up his mind, Doyul spoke.
“I have no intention of forcing you, Lady.”
“Forcing? What do you mean?”
Surreptitiously glancing at Yerin, Doyul weakly trailed off.
“However…”
However, what?
Yerin tilted her head in confusion.
Together with that, Doyul shrugged his shoulders.
“…I just hope that you won’t avoid me, Lady.”
“Yes? Why would I avoid the Lord?”
“Just now… when the talk of sharing a room came up.”
Doyul spoke with a puppy-like expression, sulking like a scolded puppy.
“You seemed disgusted earlier.”
“What? No, well, that’s…”
You’re supposed to connect with the heroine, not me!
Unable to say that, Yerin felt frustrated.
At that, Doyul’s expression darkened like a cloudy sky.
“I genuinely don’t mind.”
“Uh, let me at least explain…”
“I never had any intention of burdening you, Lady. I just…”
Doyul struggled to find words, eventually offering a feeble smile and turning his head slightly.
“I still have some unresolved matters. I will just check on that and then head straight to my chamber.”
Doyul was about to leave.
“My Lord, wait a moment!”
Desperate, Yerin grabbed Doyul’s wrist.
“It’s not like that!”
Doyul widened his eyes and looked down at Yerin.
“It’s not that I don’t want to…!”
Yerin froze, unable to continue.
What, what should I say?
“My, my apologies.”
Even though she wracked her brain, she couldn’t think of anything else.
Yerin felt her vision darken.
“Really, the only excuse I could come up with was that…”
Even after mustering her courage to grab Doyul, she froze.
Well, what else could I say?
“I, I’m embarrassed, that’s all.”
…Was that really the only excuse I could come up with?
Yerin felt the urge to shake her head vigorously and pull at her own hair.
Then.
“…Is that so?”
A clearly relieved voice reached Yerin’s ears.
‘Huh?’
Perplexed, Yerin cautiously lifted her head.
Doyul had a bright smile on his face.
“I’m glad.”
“What, what do you mean?”
“Still, Lady, it’s fortunate that you don’t avoid me.”
Doyul’s genuinely cheerful smile seemed to express his joy.
Yerin’s heart swelled with emotion.
‘What should I do with this guy?’
Meanwhile, there was someone quietly watching their interaction, tsking and sticking out their tongue.
– It seems it will take quite a while for the contract holder and the Lady to share a room.
That someone was none other than Manyeonbingjeong.
Manyeonbingjeong rarely looked at the Lady with a pitiful gaze.
– Lady, you’re in for a tough time.
The Lady regards the contract holder as an intimate partner, while the contract holder treats the Lady more like a younger brother. Well.
‘Well, it’s none of my business.’
With that thought, Manyeonbingjeong yawned widely, stretching its body.
* * *
Afterwards, Doyul headed to the office to handle the remaining tasks.
Once separated from Doyul, Yerin went to find Mugongwonju.
“Welcome, Lady.”
Mugongwonju greeted Yerin with a welcoming smile.
“It seems like the Lady personally sought me out for the first time today.”
“I’m sorry; I’ll make sure to visit more often.”
Yerin responded with a wry smile.
Mugongwonju warmly invited Yerin to take a seat.
“Please, have a seat here.”
“Oh, sure.”
As Yerin waited to sit down, Mugongwonju looked at her with a serious expression.
“Lady, is it because of the matter we couldn’t discuss earlier that you came to find me?”
“Yes.”
Yerin nodded heavily.
“Please tell me more about what happened when the previous Lady returned to Hae Sim Palace.”
“…I see.”
Mugongwonju’s gaze darkened.
“This will be a somewhat lengthy story.”
“Yes.”
Yerin straightened her posture and leaned in to listen to Mugongwonju’s narrative.
As she listened, she learned the following:
One day, the members of the Blood Sect suddenly attacked Hae Sim Palace without any prior warning. This, in itself, was unusual.
Hae Sim Palace was a significant place where the remains and spirits of the previous North Ice Palace Ladies were enshrined. In other words, it was a place of great importance in North Ice Palace, solely dedicated to the ancestors.
Externally, Hae Sim Palace had no tempting elements for outsiders; it was a place where only the Lady of North Ice Palace and her entourage would find meaning.
Yet, the followers of the Blood Sect attacked Hae Sim Palace frantically, as if desperately searching for something.
Upon hearing this news, the previous Lady and Mugongwonju hastily led the search party and headed to Hae Sim Palace.
The outcome was…
“The death of the previous Lady.”
Yerin couldn’t help but shudder. The whole situation felt incredibly eerie.
“So, what did the Blood Sect steal from North Ice Palace?”
“Oh no, they didn’t steal anything.”
“What?”
Yerin questioned Mugongwonju’s words, feeling suspicious.
Mugongwonju tilted her head.
“They didn’t take anything. After the incident, we thoroughly examined everything, but there was no damage or missing items among the relics or the remains.”
Yerin became even more confused.
‘This can’t be.’
After the conversation with Mugongwonju concluded, Yerin secretly slipped out of the main palace.
‘I should visit Hae Sim Palace again.’
Something about this situation felt off.
Even though a significant amount of time had passed, she couldn’t shake off the suspicion that there might be some traces left related to the Blood Sect.
‘Well, I can’t just sit idly without doing anything.’
With that determination, Yerin quickened her steps.
