Ever since returning from the family estate, a quiet unease had settled in one corner of Seo Yunhan’s chest.
That night, after Aran had fallen asleep, he sat alone in his study, staring at the flickering candlelight without really seeing it.
At first, he hadn’t thought much about explaining marriage to her. Every time he came home and saw her face, all complicated thoughts would vanish. He was simply happy. The warmth of her body, the quiet nights they shared — that had been enough. Time had slipped by in a haze of contentment.
But now, after speaking with his mother, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
If I suddenly tell her we’re getting married without any explanation… will she be angry?
She was still learning to speak. Did she even understand what marriage meant? Would she see it as another form of restraint? Another cage?
And yet…
A soft, foolish smile crept onto his lips as he imagined it.
If she called me “darling”…
The word alone made his heart flutter wildly. He could picture her silver hair spilling over the pillow, her voice — still a little clumsy but sweet — whispering that word to him.
He buried his face in his hands, ears burning.
What am I thinking…
He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.
First, I should give her more gifts. Take her to nice places to eat. Spend more time with her outside. And then… naturally bring up the topic of marriage.
Yes. That seemed like the right approach.
He couldn’t rush this. Not with her.
Because she wasn’t just anyone.
She was Aran — the only woman who had ever made the great Chancellor Seo Yunhan lose all reason.
Their outing was arranged with extreme care.
Because Seo Yunhan was the Chancellor, they didn’t have to face the noisy streets. Merchants brought their finest goods to a private, luxurious pavilion, and the most renowned restaurant cleared out an entire floor just for them. No one dared to stare or whisper openly.
Everyone treated Aran with the utmost respect.
They called her “Madam” and “Lady Aran,” naturally assuming she was the Chancellor’s wife. When she spoke in short, clumsy sentences, people simply smiled warmly, thinking she was shy or reserved.
Seo Yunhan’s eyes were filled with honey the entire day.
He wanted to pull her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her until her cheeks turned red and she couldn’t speak at all. But they weren’t married yet, so he endured it — barely.
What truly tested his self-control was the sight of Aran crawling.
Her silver hair swayed gently with every movement. Her hips moved in a soft, natural rhythm. Every time she crawled a few steps ahead of him, Seo Yunhan had to clench his fists tightly, his ears burning crimson.
So unbearably cute… I’m going to lose my mind.
Aran had begun speaking in short, broken words.
“No.” “Don’t want.” “Give me this.” “Hungry.”
And when she wanted a kiss, she would look straight at him with clear, demanding eyes and say:
“Give… me.”
While resting in a quiet corner of the restaurant, Seo Yunhan suddenly sat down on the floor beside her instead of using a chair.
He gently took her hand — the one she still used like a front paw — and pretended to brush away invisible dust.
“There’s something on your hand,” he murmured softly, even though there was nothing there. His long fingers slowly stroked hers, playing with them one by one.
Aran tilted her head, watching him with clear suspicion.
Seo Yunhan looked up at her with perfectly innocent eyes.
“Instead of saying ‘give me’… try saying ‘kiss’.”
He leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips.
“Kiss. Like this.”
What kind of ridiculous trick is this? Aran thought, narrowing her eyes. You damn peony scholar…
But she didn’t pull away.
Because every time their lips met, warm energy flowed into her body. The curse’s heavy chains loosened just a little more.
Seo Yunhan smiled, looking incredibly pleased with himself.
He wasn’t really teaching her to speak properly.
He was simply creating more excuses to kiss her as often as possible.
Aran glared at him, but her cheeks were faintly flushed.
“…Kiss,” she mumbled reluctantly.
Seo Yunhan’s eyes curved beautifully.
“Yes. Good girl.”
He rewarded her immediately with another deep, sweet kiss.
As their lips parted, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear.
“There’s actually a way we can kiss a lot more… and for a much longer time,” he whispered, his voice low and slightly teasing. “Would you like to hear it?”
Aran raised one eyebrow, looking up at him with clear suspicion.
What kind of trick is he trying to pull this time?
Seo Yunhan took a slow, deep breath, straightening his upper body with a serious expression. Then he leaned in again, his lips almost touching her ear.
“Since men and women should not sit together after the age of seven… yet we are always this close, isn’t this situation actually unfair to you, my Aran?”
He exhaled softly, his voice filled with mock remorse.
“It is my negligence. I have acted irresponsibly. As a man of conscience, I cannot continue like this with a clear heart.”
He paused, then whispered the decisive words:
“So… shall we set a date for our marriage? How about one month from now? My family has already agreed.”
Aran froze in his arms.
…What did he just say?
Her eyes widened as she stared at him.
Marriage???
This bastard… has he gone crazy?
For a moment, her mind spun. Her body was getting better, but the progress was still too slow. She needed to suck more of his yang energy — and if this peony scholar suddenly decided to marry someone else and stopped giving it to her, that would be extremely inconvenient.
But saying “I’ll marry you” out loud? Absolutely not. She would rather die.
…Then I’ll answer with a kiss.
Aran looked up at him and slowly nodded. Her eyes remained fixed on his as she tilted her head slightly, signaling him to come closer.
Seo Yunhan understood immediately. He leaned down, bringing his face close to hers, eyes wide with nervous anticipation.
Aran cupped his face with both hands and kissed him.
Deeply. Intensely. Without giving him any room to speak.
Yunhan tried to pull back for a second. “Wait, so your answer— mmph—”
But Aran didn’t let him finish. She kissed him even harder, pouring all her confusion, reluctance, and strange fluttering feelings into it.
After a long moment, the corner of Seo Yunhan’s mouth slowly curved upward even as he continued kissing her.
…I’ll take that as a yes.
He closed his eyes and surrendered completely to the kiss.
To hell with the gentleman’s code. We’re getting married soon anyway. What’s the point of holding back? Whether we’re married or not, she is the only woman for me. I’ll just obey her for the rest of my life. Right now, kissing her feels too good to stop.