His lips were softer than she had expected.

Unpleased with how tightly she was keeping her lips closed, Taecho caught her lower lip between his teeth and bit it lightly. Yeon-woo’s lips parted in surprise.

His tongue slipped through the opening.

Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, she tried to pull away instinctively. Each time his tongue sought hers, she recoiled. After she had avoided him several times, a long sigh escaped his lips.

It sounded almost like a warning.

It was as though he was daring her to keep running from him.

The unfamiliar sensation of their tongues touching made her shoulders tense repeatedly. When he pursued her tongue once more, she tried to turn her head away.

But he seized her chin.

His fingers pressed firmly against her lower jaw, forcing her mouth wide open. Yeon-woo opened the eyes she had kept tightly shut.

“…….”

She had never seen such intensity in his gaze before.

Intimidated by his direct stare, Yeon-woo could only tremble beneath it.

Tae-cho let out a quiet, amused laugh. Tilting his head in the opposite direction, he captured her lips again. Still holding her jaw open, he prevented her from closing her mouth while his tongue slipped inside and entwined with hers.

“Mmm…….”

Yeon-woo had never shared an innocent kiss with anyone before, let alone one as intense as this. Despite her lack of experience, she could tell that Taecho’s kiss was rough and overwhelming.

The force of it pressed her whole body into the mattress.

As the kiss deepened, a dull ache spread through her. She pushed him away with both hands on his chest, but he didn’t budge.

Pinned beneath him, Yeon-woo could do little more than part her lips and try to keep up with his relentless pace.

He kissed her as though he intended to savor every last trace of her, leaving her breathless. Before long, her hands moved from pushing against his chest to clutching his arms.

At this rate, it would hardly be surprising if she fainted.

He needed to let her breathe, if only for a moment. Yet Taecho behaved as though something within him had finally snapped.

He claimed her lips as though the kiss had stripped away his reason. Yeon-woo could not understand why this felt even more intimate than any of his previous touches.

She shuddered at the unfamiliar sensation of their tongues entwining. Even then, her heart raced wildly, and the restless heat between her legs made her hips twitch. Trapped beneath his large body, she could do nothing to ease the unbearable feeling, and heat swiftly engulfed her.

He must be trying to kill her.

Otherwise, he would let her breathe…

Just one breath…

The color gradually drained from Yeon-woo’s face. Her thoughts blurred and the strength slowly left her body.

At that moment, he parted his lips briefly and tried to turn her head the other way.

“Phoo!“

Only then did Yeon-woo finally exhale.

“I-I can’t breathe!”

She blocked him as he tried to pry her lips open and press back in. She snapped her head away to avoid him, but—

“Open your mouth.”

He warned her in an overbearing tone that he would make it hard for her otherwise.

“I feel like I’m going to faint because I can’t catch my breath. I’m dizzy!”

A breathless huff escaped him.

‘What is this? Is he mocking me?’

Feeling as though he were laughing at her for not even knowing how to kiss properly, Yeon-woo’s face flushed bright red. Yet her eyes remained resolute, filled with determination.

Seeing how skilled he was at kissing made her stomach twist.

She wanted to see him flustered, just like her. She wanted to watch that relaxed expression crumble.

Just before he lowered his head again, Yeon-woo reached out her hands. She felt him stiffen, but having already made up her mind, she had no intention of backing down.

Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, Yeon-woo summoned her courage and lifted her head. Right after, she took his lips into hers.

She shoved her tongue through the gap of his parted, startled lips. Entangling her tongue with his bewildered one, she sucked on it greedy-style, just as he had done to her.

Fluttering her long eyelashes upward, she looked at him, still frozen in place. Widening her round eyes, she whispered in the softest voice possible.

“Slowly… please do it, slowly.”

Stiff.

He froze once more.

“Lee Yeon-woo, you…….”

Was he angry? A growling bite ran through his tone.

His face, usually devoid of emotion, slowly contorted.

‘Ah……’

Only then did she realize. She had provoked a wild beast for nothing.

“Hnngh!“

Regret came too late. Her lips had already been swallowed up.

He poured down a kiss far rougher than before. Her mouth went numb, and breathing became impossible. She trembled with the terrifying sensation that the root of her tongue was about to be ripped out.

“…Ngh! “

He grasped her br*ast and twisted her n*pple hard. Yeon-woo groaned in pain as he squeezed her br*ast as if trying to crush it. Yet his lips clamped down on hers, preventing her from crying out.

The hand that had tormented her br*ast for so long slid downwards.

Yeon-woo tilted her head back at the surging sensation, her mouth moving soundlessly. It was only after some time had passed that she realised his lips had pulled away.

Moving in and out quickly, he repeatedly emptied and filled her. Yeon-woo’s eyes welled up with tears.

It felt as though he were scratching an itch that had been bothering her since yesterday, comically enough. Unconsciously, she bucked her hips upwards.

Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes.

It was hot.

Despite knowing it shouldn’t be possible, the heat was so intense that she felt as if her whole body was melting.

“Ah……!”

Yeon-woo’s upper body shot towards the ceiling before falling back down again, limp.

The stimulation was that intense. With every breath she drew, heat spilled from her lips, unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

She felt as though she were going crazy. It was humiliating.

Breathless m*ans escaped Yeon-woo’s lips. Sounds like those of a child throwing a tantrum tumbled past her teeth, as if they were escaping against her will. Trying to pull herself together, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced them open again.

Overwhelmed by shame, she raised her arms to cover her face.

“Hnk… hnk. Hnk.”

Until yesterday, she had never experienced this feeling. The fear hit her like a rush, making her feel as though she had turned into a completely different person.

Amidst all this, he let out a low chuckle.

“I told you not to hide your face.”

At his quiet warning, she quickly lowered her arms. Looking up at him through tear-filled eyes, she saw satisfaction on his face.

Her head was throbbing and spinning from the relentless action. It felt as though her whole body was pulsating.

She felt like she was going crazy. Was it because the stimulation was too intense? Something must have gone wrong in her mind.

She almost wished he would just put it in already. Whether she broke or not, she just wanted him to tear through her.

Then, if he did that, this empty ache might finally be filled.

When she unconsciously bucked her hips, he smirked.

“No. You’ll get hurt.”

If he wasn’t going to use it, he shouldn’t have rubbed it there.

She wanted to ask him why he was just circling the area. Above all, though, she just wanted him to relieve the tension that was driving her mad.

Yet he didn’t seem to have any intention of putting anything inside her. At this rate, she felt as though she might have to reach down and touch herself.

Although she resented him for making her feel this way, she couldn’t help hoping that he would put something inside her.

“…Ah!”

When time passed and he still wouldn’t give her what she wanted, a wave of sorrow rushed over her.

“Please…. Taecho… please…….”

Even at her pleading, spoiled tone, he remained cold and indifferent.

While he was completely composed, she alone fell apart over and over beneath the pleasure.

“Haa…! No!”

Because of that, she let out a sharp scream and squeezed her eyes shut.

Yeon-woo’s body went limp without a drop of strength.

“…Hnk… hnk. Hnk… hnk.”

Sorrow tore through her throat and spilled out. As she lay weeping, he collapsed over her body.

“……Move.”

Only then did he step aside, and she curled into a ball to avoid him. Her body still hadn’t calmed down.

“You really made a mess.”

Not understanding what he meant, she turned her head to look at him.

“Here. It’s a mess.”

Following the direction he pointed, Yeon-woo’s face turned pale white.

“I don’t know anymore.”

Dragging her heavy body, she sat up. Tears pricked her eyes as she looked at the ruined sheet.

Sniffle, sniffle.

Did the sheet always get this dirty when doing that? Every time? Then… did people wash the laundry every single day?

Since it was her first time, she knew nothing. Asking him wounded her pride, so she could only sniffle in silence.

“Why are you so sensitive about the sheet? You were like this in Seongbuk, too. The maid’s going to wash it anyway.”

“How can I show this to someone else?”

‘What would they think if they saw it completely soaked?’

“Are you going to do the laundry right now?”

“I don’t know…. I don’t know anymore. So why… why do you keep…….”

‘Why do you keep doing weird things?’

She was about to confront him, but bit her tongue.

“Why? It’s not like I was the only one who came. You leaked, too. Don’t make it sound like I’m the only guilty one.”

“Quiet! Be quiet!”

She covered his mouth with her hand. At once, his tongue licked her palm.

Yeon-woo’s face flushed red as if it might burst.

“What now? Red in the face just because I licked your palm? Between people who’ve sucked each other down there…….”

“Stop it! Just stop!”

Finding something amusing, he laughed—his shoulders trembling—after tossing out vulgar words so nonchalantly. To think Ma Taecho was laughing. The world must be going mad today.

“Forget about the sheet for now. Sleep more.”

Laying her back down on the bed, he kneaded her br*ast.

“How am I supposed to sleep when you won’t stop touching me?”

Unlike moments ago, his touch was gentle.

“…Where’s the handkerchief?”

Nuzzling her shoulder, he asked, and she blinked blankly back at him.

“…Pardon?”

A handkerchief? Why was he suddenly asking about a handkerchief?                

“You haven’t finished it yet?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I see.”

Why was he curious about the handkerchief meant for Jiwoo? Since he had never asked a question like this before, she tilted her head in confusion.

Was it just her imagination, or did his voice sound faintly tinged with anticipation?

“It tickles.”

Her shoulders flinched as the hand kneading her br*ast slid down to stroke her thigh.

“Don’t go to exercise class.”

“What?”

Thinking she had misheard, she asked again.

“Exercise—don’t go to those classes.”

She hadn’t misheard. She wondered what was wrong with him.

“Mother bought that membership for me. Besides, I want to go.”

Though she had only done a preliminary test, she genuinely wanted to build up her weak stamina.

“I can raise your stamina for you, so don’t go.”

……When she mentioned going to exercise classes at her in-laws, hadn’t he said it was a good idea?

“If you feel uncomfortable saying you’ll quit, I’ll tell her myself. Just don’t go from now on.”

“No…. Why are you deciding that on your own?”

A brief silence fell over the room. His brow furrowed, as if he hadn’t anticipated an answer like this.

“What?”

“What’s wrong with exercising that you’re telling me not to go? You go exercise too, Taecho.”

“…….”

“So why are you the only one telling me I can’t?”

She couldn’t understand it. His mother went, his younger brother went, and he exercised too — so why couldn’t she?

Although she could feel the atmosphere change in an instant, Yeon-woo didn’t back down. She looked back at him resolutely.

“…You’re saying you’re going?”

“Yes.”

At the very least, he should have provided a convincing reason why she shouldn’t attend the exercise class.

If someone says they’re exercising for their health, he should at least support them. He was a truly strange man.

“Some other bastard near your body…….”

Her eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly cut himself off mid-sentence.

“Ha…. Do whatever you want.”

With a twitch of his eyebrow in annoyance, he pulled away coldly. Getting up icily, he walked straight out of the room.

“What’s his problem……? Why is he like that?”

What was he trying to say?

She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet feeling his gaze treating her like a sinner made her feel terrible. Yeon-woo bit her lip and glared at the door through which he had just walked.

“Ridiculous.”

A moment ago, she had wanted to sleep, but now she was wide awake. He kept touching her even after she told him not to. Then, suddenly, his mood changed.

One moment he was burning hot; the next, he was ice cold.

She didn’t know which temperature she was supposed to adapt to.

As she got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, Yeon-woo stopped abruptly.

“…….”

Her clear eyes darted nervously back and forth.

As she slowly lowered her gaze, her messily marked stomach and thighs came into view.

“I can’t take this…….”

Yeon-woo bolted into the bathroom as if her life depended on it.

Her reflection in the mirror above the sink looked unfamiliar. Her lips were swollen from biting them so much, her eyes were red from crying, and her body was covered in bruises.

“Did I always look this provocative?”

“Huh? What’s this?”

While trying to tidy her thoroughly disheveled hair, she discovered the marks left on the nape of her neck. He had been biting and sucking on her so intensely earlier.

“How could he leave something like this?”

She hadn’t realized that the marks would be permanent. But how could she have known, when she had never experienced them before?

Yeon-woo’s eyes dimmed. However, she soon shook her head to dispel the stray thoughts that were threatening to take root.

Either way, she wouldn’t be able to wear a turtleneck while exercising. It was a serious problem.

‘Will I be able to hide this?’

Feeling as though her entire body reeked of that raw, metallic scent, she decided to shower first.

Washing herself far more thoroughly than usual, Yeon-woo sat at her dressing table. She tried applying cosmetics and sticking bandages over the marks scattered across her neck, but……

“What’s this…. You can see right through it.”

It was obvious.

She wouldn’t be able to attend her exercise class until the bruises had faded.

Then, suddenly, her gaze drifted to her swollen lips.

Recalling the sight of him kissing her so passionately, she absentmindedly touched her lips.

Could someone really kiss a woman they didn’t like?

Not having dated anyone before was something she regretted at times like this.

‘I should have at least dated casually.’

No, wait.

Fearing that memories she didn’t want to recall might surface, Yeon-woo stood up abruptly.

She needed to handle the sheet before the maid saw it.