Chapter 46

“…!”

Fluster. Another light, airy kiss landed on his startled neck. A high-temperature lip pressed deeply against his back, which was unable to move after the initial flinching reaction.

Swish-swish. Seonjae’s hand, which was holding Yeon-oh, undid the knot of the nightgown and took off his top. The man’s lips pressed against the area with the uniquely low temperature, and his hot tongue rolled over the bare skin.

The moment the man’s lips touched him, Yeon-oh tightly sealed his lips and swallowed his breath. The blue-tinged dawn momentarily vanished into darkness and slowly returned. The dizziness, as if his head had been shaken, could not be determined if it was a side effect of Baekhong or Ja-an-hong. For a moment, his mind drifted away, and he felt suffocated.

Every time the high-temperature lips buried themselves in his bare skin, a tingling sensation surged through Yeon-oh. Due to the momentary suffocation, ragged breaths started to escape through Yeon-oh’s lips at some point.

Seonjae, who was holding the cold skin and rolling his tongue, touched the gasping chin with his hand. Yeon-oh’s face, with reddened eyes, turned to look at the man. Seonjae lowered his lips to Yeon-oh’s face, which held the heat that was difficult to decipher as either the trace of tears held back or excitement. A soft shower of kisses followed the curve of his cheek.

High-temperature lips locked with the faintly parted lips. Yeon-oh returned the kiss, taking the lips that were holding and sucking his own.

The wet sound of sucking on flesh continued for a while. When Seonjae’s lips withdrew, Yeon-oh’s lips gasped for breath. Hot lips brushed and descended over his panting neck, collarbone, and shoulders. Yeon-oh felt suffocated by the ticklish, warm, and strangely soft vibration.

The man’s lips, giving off hot and ticklish breaths, searched Yeon-oh’s chest and took his nipple into his mouth.

“Your-Your Majesty… Hng! ”

The hot lips deeply engulfed the stiffly protruding nipple and rolled the tongue over it. The wet and hot piece of flesh crushed the hard, exposed nipple, which was on edge. Seonjae’s head moved with a clinging tenacity, following the heaving of Yeon-oh’s chest, which was struggling to catch his breath. The man fiercely sucked the stiffly erected flesh until it hurt.

The sensation of his bare skin being sucked was so incredibly strange that Yeon-oh writhed his waist. It felt as if his heart, not just his chest, was being entirely devoured. His heart pounded terrifyingly fast. Heat surged into his eyes instantly, and a sobbing sound escaped his lips.

“Hmm…”

He felt ashamed to hear his own crying sound. Yeon-oh instinctively raised his arm to cover his face. He was flustered that the other nipple, which the man hadn’t even touched, was so sensitive that he could feel the air brushing past it. His head felt like it was about to explode from the impossibly fast-beating heart.

Seonjae slowly released the nipple, which was wet with saliva. The man touched the wet nipple with his hand and then buried his lips on the opposite one. Yeon-oh was at a loss, overwhelmed by the man’s hands, which were tormenting the wet flesh, and the hot lips, which were pouring out a strange sensation.

“W-What… Ah! Hah. ”

Every time the man’s lips sucked in and released the sensitive flesh, Yeon-oh’s shoulder twitched. Goosebumps rose all over his body at the sensation of the hot, wet tongue touching the nipple, which was drenched in saliva. The slightest lapse in attention would result in a moan escaping Yeon-oh’s throat.

Seonjae cupped his bright red face with his hands and looked into his eyes. Yeon-oh, who was continuously panting with a helpless expression, struggled when his eyes met the man’s calm gaze that was observing him.

“Your-Your Majesty. Euh-hah! Ah, eung…!”

Seonjae lowered his hand and touched the unguarded, wet nipple. The sensitized flesh spread an intense pleasure from the slightest stimulation. The face, which clearly showed his lack of immunity to such things, poured out moans.

“Did you dislike it?”

The man whispered in a cracked voice. His voice and the hand stroking the nipple contained a certainty that this could not be true.

“That’s, hah.”

Seonjae lowered his head again and sucked the nipple that had been intensely sucked and was now deeply red. Yeon-oh’s chest rose and fell heavily as he gasped for air.

Making a loud sucking sound, the hot lips withdrew from Yeon-oh.

“If I were to suck below, you would cry, Consort Gwi-bi.”

The man put the nightgown back on Yeon-oh, who was gasping heavily. At his words, Yeon-oh’s face turned as red as it had been when his bare skin was sucked. Seonjae chuckled at the reaction of the innocent person whose face, neck, and ear tips were all red.

“…”

Yeon-oh gasped, trying to return to reality.

“How suggestive. What are you thinking? Hurry up and sleep.”

The man who had suffocated him shamelessly rebuked Yeon-oh and returned to his side. He pulled the heaving Yeon-oh back into his arms. The man’s thing, pressed against his back, was fully erect.

Yeon-oh felt wronged and utterly exasperated. However, he dared not throw a tantrum at the Emperor. He just hoped that his own thing, which had grown as large as the man’s, would calm down soon. He was bothered by his chest, which the man had fiercely sucked, and his thing below, whose tip was wet with excitement, but he could do nothing. He wished to fall asleep quickly, but it was not easy. The sound of his wildly beating heart spread throughout his entire body. The thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat subsided only a long time later.

Just as he finally drifted off to sleep, Yeon-oh felt the soft touch of lips against his ear. He couldn’t confirm it as he was just falling asleep. Since he was half-asleep and it wasn’t clear, he simply thought it was a delusion. The difficult day was finally coming to a close.

******

In the Imperial Palace, Boknyeong-jeon, a spired roof rose above a building with equal side lengths. The lines extending from the large central ornament on the roof to the short, single-layered eaves were elegant yet sharp.

Boknyeong-jeon was originally the Emperor’s resting place. In one era, it was where the Emperor’s clothes were kept, and in another, it was the space where the Emperor usually stayed and processed memorials.

Currently, Boknyeong-jeon was the Imperial Family’s treasury (寶庫). The Emperor hosted a banquet here on Lunar New Year’s Eve and held the final Jeonsi (殿試, the final hurdle for the Jinsa who passed the Hyangsi and Hoesi).

Yeon-oh was kneeling in front of the hall, which exuded an air of elegance and majesty.

“By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Following the deep affection and guidance of the Empress Dowager, Madam Gyo, from the Goksan Gyo General’s Household, who is of gentle and virtuous character and currently holds the rank of Jae-in, is hereby elevated to the First Rank Consort, Gwi-bi.”

The Grand Supervisor read the Imperial Decree aloud.

“I am overwhelmingly grateful for Your Majesty’s grace.”

Yeon-oh bowed to Wan Taegam, who held the Imperial Decree. Court Lady Dong helped him rise after he had paid his respects by his side. Having finished the ceremony, Yeon-oh received the Imperial Decree from the eunuch, followed by the gold book and the gold seal.

“I congratulate you on your Investiture Ceremony, Consort Gwi-bi.”

Wan Taegam smiled and offered his congratulations to Yeon-oh as he rose.

“Thank you, Grand Eunuch.”

Yeon-oh smiled faintly, echoing the smiling Wan Taegam.

“I congratulate you, Consort Gwi-bi.”

Court Lady Dong was as delighted as if she herself had been promoted.

“Thank you.”

The Investiture Ceremony was sudden. Although it was held on an auspicious day chosen by the Ministry of Rites, Yeon-oh only heard the news that the ceremony would proceed the day before.

The ceremony itself was simple. What bothered Yeon-oh was the Imperial Decree, which contained much to ponder. ‘Following the deep affection and guidance of the Empress Dowager‘, ‘from the Goksan Gyo General’s Household, who is of gentle and virtuous character‘, and ‘Madam Gyo, currently holding the rank of Jae-in‘.

The Empress Dowager has deep affection, he wondered if that wasn’t a great sarcasm. Moreover, it seemed to imply that Yeon-oh became a Gwi-bi because he was from the Gyo General’s Household, and the Gyo General’s Household became the Gwi-bi‘s family because of the Empress Dowager’s request in the form of ‘guidance’. He didn’t know how he was when he was in Goksan, but since coming to the Imperial Palace, Yeon-oh knew that he had become far from a gentle and virtuous person. He suspected that the Emperor was being sarcastic by saying he was gentle and virtuous.

The biggest question was how he received the great grace of becoming a Gwi-bi directly from a Jae-in, bypassing the ranks of Cheob-yeo and Bi. It might simply be to simplify the procedural issues, but it vaguely bothered him.

“The sedan chair is prepared.”

“Okay.”

The sedan chair Yeon-oh rode scattered beautiful curtains as it headed toward Giryung Palace.

When they approached Giryung Palace—

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

Yeon-oh, sitting in the high sedan chair, leaned toward Court Lady Dong, who was walking closely by his side.

“Court Lady Dong, what… what is that?”

In front of Giryung Palace, the imperial concubines from the concubines’ halls and the grand ladies in formal attire were kneeling and paying their respects.

“It is Consort Gwi-bi, is it not?”

Court Lady Dong smiled like a virtuous noblewoman.

“…”

Yeon-oh quickly composed his expression, which was about to falter, and sat upright. As Giryung Palace drew closer, the loud sound intensified. At the very front of the concubines and grand ladies paying their respects were Consort Bi and Consort Hyeok. The two consorts held the highest rank among the concubines, excluding Yeon-oh.

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

Yeon-oh entered Giryung Palace, listening to the loud sound of countless people shouting in unison. The loud sound of many people shouting at once formed a wave, hitting the air, scattering Yeon-oh, and passing through. They were merely following the Imperial command and the proper etiquette. Yeon-oh also moved according to the established protocol.

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

Silent glances were exchanged among the concubines who were kneeling, prostrating, and bowing their heads to pay their respects in front of Giryung Palace.

“…”

Consort Bi looked at Consort Neung (Neung So-yong), who was paying her respects behind Consort Hyeok, with quiet, composed eyes. Neung So-yong also bowed and gave Consort Bi a meaningful glance. They simultaneously looked at Consort Dam (Dam So-ui), who was paying his respects behind Consort Hyang.

“We greet Consort Gwi-bi. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy great fortune!”

Dam Seo-jun, who had been praised for his gentle and kind impression since entering the palace, followed the etiquette coldly with an expressionless face. Besides Dam So-ui, keen glances and complex emotions flickered beneath the well-composed expressions of the concubines who were paying their respects.