In this situation, even the mention of a gift was far from reassuring. There was no way to predict what Ah-shin would consider a gift. If he called it a gift while drawing his sword, it would be a nightmare indeed – and Ah-shin seemed exactly the kind of man who would do just that.

“You’ve never seen your bride cry out in joy, have you?”

“What…?”

Do-yoon, taken completely by surprise, hesitated for a moment and lifted his head slightly to look at Ah-shin. But as soon as their eyes met, he was overcome with fear. He quickly lowered his eyes and pressed his forehead to the ground in a gesture of submission.

“When I first saw your bride yesterday, she was stiff and dull – hardly enjoyable. But that’s the way with new things, isn’t it? New things are always difficult at first. You have to use them over and over again, break them in, put your mark on them, and only then do they become really satisfying. Your bride is like that. A pretty face, yes, but underneath? So tight and stiff that I had to fight to get in at all. It was quite an effort.”

What did this man mean? 

Do-yoon, drenched in cold sweat, shivered uncontrollably. His mind raced, unable to fully comprehend the Governor’s intentions, and fear gripped him more tightly with every passing second. 

“It seems to me that you don’t yet know how to treat a woman properly. So I’m going to do you a favour – consider this a preparation for your wedding night. A broken woman is the sweetest of all. When she’s fully warmed up, a mere touch will make her tremble. Like this.”

Ah-shin’s voice was calm, almost playful, but the menace underlying his words was impossible to miss.

At that moment, a soft moan escaped Yul-hye’s lips.

“Ah…!”

Do-yoon winced, his body stiffening. It was a sound he had never heard before.

In the ten years they had lived together like siblings, he had never once known Yul-hye to make such a noise.

“How is it? Doesn’t it sound pleasant? Tell me, have you ever heard her make a sound like this before?”

Although Do-yoon dared not raise his head, he could only imagine what was happening right in front of him.

“Raise your head, will you? You should see for yourself where to touch to make your bride feel good. After all, you’re going to be her husband soon, aren’t you?”

“Hah…! Ah, ahhhhh…!”

Yul-hye’s voice, trembling with unfamiliar sensations, filled the room.

The tension in the air was suffocating, and Do-yoon’s body shook with shame and anger, though he could do nothing but press his forehead harder against the cold floor.

As Yul-hye’s panting and moaning continued, Do-yoon lowered his head even further, shaking with fear.

This had to be a trap. If he dared to lift his head, Ah-shin could accuse him of insolence and gouge out his eyes.

‘No. I can’t look. If I do, he’ll take my eyes.’

Do-yoon thought, his body shaking uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to glance up, no matter what.

“Why won’t you look? I’m generously touching your bride right here, so why not see for yourself?”

At his command, the maids by his side immediately grabbed Do-yoon’s face, forcing his head upward.

But even as his head was wrenched back, Do-yoon kept his eyes tightly shut, trembling violently in terror. Saliva trickled from the corners of his clenched mouth as the overwhelming fear consumed him entirely.

“Look at him. That’s your husband.”

His mocking laughter echoed in Do-yoon’s ears.

“How should I deal with this pathetic man who sold his own bride to another for the sake of securing a position? I’ll do as you wish—spare him if you want, kill him if you want, or even cut off his limbs if that’s what you prefer. So, what will it be?”

Every word Ah-shin spoke sent chills down Do-yoon’s spine.

‘Surely… surely Yul-hye won’t tell him to kill me. After everything we’ve shared, the years we’ve spent together.’

But when he thought about it, Yul-hye had every reason to resent him. It was true—he had sold her off, effectively betraying her.

‘Please, just don’t say kill me. Please…’

“Is the one who sold me the only one to blame? Isn’t the one who knowingly accepted something that wasn’t his just as guilty?”

The unexpected answer sent a shiver down Do-yoon’s spine.

‘No… No! Why say something like that? If he gets angrier, what will happen? If the governor loses his temper, then what?’

Do-yoon’s entire body trembled as the weight of his situation sank in. He was standing on the edge of a knife, and one wrong move could send him plummeting.

Fully convinced that his head was about to roll, he clenched his eyes shut and held his breath. His life now teetered on the next words that would leave the governor’s lips.

“Taking what belongs to someone else is indeed a crime. That much is true. Then how about this: buying what isn’t mine and making it my own? Instead of leaving it as someone else’s possession, it becomes mine entirely. Cancel the wedding. Replace the groom. Problem solved.”

“We’ve already sent out the invitations. We’re as good as engaged, and now you want to call it off? Even if we break the engagement, remarriage under the law—”

‘Yul-hye, Yul-hye, please, for the love of everything, shut your mouth. Please…’

Do-yoon’s heart plummeted. He wanted nothing more than to clamp his hand over her mouth, to stop the words spilling out.

‘Why would you say something like that in this situation?’

His chest tightened, and he could barely breathe as the tension in the room grew suffocating. Each word she spoke felt like a spark dangerously close to an explosion.

‘Is she not afraid?’

“You talk too much.”

With every word, Do-yoon’s heart sank further into his chest. The fear of hearing Ah-shin say, “Cut off this wretch’s head,” loomed over him like a death sentence.

“I thought I’d spread your legs in front of your so-called husband and bury myself deep inside you while he watched. But you keep on babbling and your so-called husband cowers like a pathetic worm. It’s boring.”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance—a small, sharp sound that sent shivers of terror down Do-yoon’s spine.

Was he angry? Frustrated? Was he about to lash out?

‘Should I open my eyes?’

Desperation clawed at Do-yoon as he wrestled with the thought. Perhaps looking up – acknowledging him – might be his only chance to save his life.

As Do-yoon debated whether to open his eyes, Ah-shin’s voice cut through the tension.

“Send him back. The mood is ruined.”

At those words, all the strength drained from Do-yoon’s limbs.

‘I… I’m alive….’

“Go back and in the morning send out notices to cancel the engagement. The wedding is off and you are to leave Gangseo Province for the capital. If I hear even a whisper that you are still in Gangseo in three days, I will personally have your limbs cut off and fed to the dogs. Take my words seriously.”

The finality of Ah-shin’s words hit like a hammer, and no sooner had he finished speaking than Do-yoon felt himself being dragged out of the room.

The heavy thud of the door closing behind him broke the suffocating tension, and Do-yoon let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.

Relief washed over him at the realization that he had survived. But that relief quickly turned to humiliation when he looked down and noticed the front of his pants was soaked.

He had been so terrified that he’d wet himself without even realizing it.