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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The chirping of morning sparrows, the faint sunlight peeking through the window.
The Heavenly Demon woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in a long time.
The first thing she saw was In-ho’s face.
Then, she felt the firm contours of his chest beneath her cheek.
She remembered using his arm as a pillow, but she must have unconsciously snuggled against his chest during the night.
“You sleep like a child,” she murmured, a smile playing on her lips as she listened to his soft snores.
Lost in thought, she gently pinched his nose.
His snoring stopped, and his mouth moved slightly in his sleep. She touched his lips with her index finger.
Slightly dry lips.
She watched, mesmerized, as her finger moved with the subtle movements of his mouth.
It was a pointless gesture, but she felt a sudden urge to indulge in such pointlessness.
“Mm…”
Perhaps because she had pinched his nose, In-ho stirred.
Wanting to prolong this peaceful moment, she held her breath, afraid to wake him.
“…Na…”
What was he dreaming about?
Her disciple mumbled something in his sleep.
“What kind of dream are you having?” she chuckled, tracing the lines of his face with her fingertips.
His nose, his philtrum, his lips, his chin.
She felt happy.
A feeling she couldn’t have imagined just a few days ago.
She had stared in disbelief at the drawing of his face.
During their journey to Henan, she had wondered if she was under some strange illusion.
Even as they made love and drifted off to sleep, she had doubted the reality of it all.
But her worries had been for naught.
He was here, right beside her.
The realization filled her with joy.
“I never thought I’d feel this warmth again,” she whispered, gently pressing a kiss to his chest.
A pink mark bloomed on his skin.
A brand that proved he was hers.
“Mm… Mi…”
As she continued to trace the lines of his face and body, his mumbling became clearer.
She leaned closer, wanting to hear what he was dreaming about, so she could tease him when he woke up.
“Lee Mina…”
A woman’s name.
A name she had never heard before.
Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at In-ho.
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“Who is Lee Mina? What kind of bitch appears in your dreams?”
I couldn’t look her in the eye.
The atmosphere was as chilling as it had been when she threatened to gouge out the head chef’s eyes.
“Um… well… let me explain.”
“Keep it short and simple. I hate roundabout explanations.”
Where do I even begin?
“Uh… she was… a colleague? We worked together?”
*Squeeze*
Her hand tightened around my chest.
“Ow!”
“Worked together? You said you were a farmer’s son. The only survivor from your village. What kind of work could you have possibly done together?”
“Um… a very long time ago, before you knew me… we worked in the fields together?”
“You’re lying.”
A dangerous glint appeared in her ruby eyes. We were getting along so well just yesterday…
“C-can’t you just… let it slide? It’s personal.”
“Are you keeping secrets from me?”
“What kind of relationship do we have?”
“Master and disciple. Man and woman. We made love last night. We’re in love.”
Straight to the point, as always.
But were we really in love?
I stared at her, dumbfounded by her nonchalant declaration of love, and her expression darkened.
“In-ho.”
“Yes?”
“Do you not love me?”
“What?”
“Do you love this Lee Mina woman?”
“No… I…”
I had wanted to pursue a relationship with Lee Mina.
But was that love?
What even was love?
In my original world, I had felt something for other women.
During my school days, and on a few blind dates.
But was that love?
It was the first time since I started hopping dimensions that I’d been asked this question, and I was at a loss for words.
I had been so focused on adapting and surviving that I hadn’t had the time to think about such things.
“Answer me, In-ho.”
“What even is love?”
I countered, and her mouth dropped open slightly.
It seemed like an unexpected question.
Silence hung in the air. She simply stroked my body, her touch gentle.
She looked momentarily defeated, her eyes darting around as if searching for an answer. I simply watched her.
Finally, with a sigh, she broke the silence.
“I see. I haven’t taught you about love.”
She intertwined her fingers with mine.
“This will be your first lesson since your return. Listen carefully.”
She paused, then continued,
“Love is… valuing someone more than yourself. It’s giving them everything you have.”
“That’s cliché.”
I responded, recognizing the well-worn phrase, and she pinched my nose, twisting it back and forth.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Ow! That hurts!”
She twisted it a few more times before letting go, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“How dare you criticize your master’s teachings?”
“But it’s true. It’s cliché.”
“Clichés are often close to the truth.”
She retorted smugly.
“Remember this, In-ho. Love is valuing someone more than yourself. It’s giving them everything you have.”
“…Yes.”
I agreed, fearing another nose-pinching.
“Good. I’ll give you everything I have, so you must give me everything you have in return.”
“What?”
I puzzledly looked at her, and she scoffed.
“Hmph! I’m the only woman you’ll ever see in this world anyway. You don’t have a choice. So why that look?”
She had a point.
Pursuing another woman while living with the Heavenly Demon was practically impossible. Besides, I had no intention of doing so.
If I continued to live in the Black Heaven Cult, this was how my life with the Heavenly Demon would be.
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I wasn’t sure yet.
Shouldn’t I learn more about the Heavenly Demon, and the Black Heaven Cult, before making a decision?
As I was pondering this, she slapped my stomach playfully.
“Now, it’s time for breakfast.”
The blanket fell away, revealing her naked body.
‘Hmm… my master, she’s beautiful.’
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