YCHW Ch 47

“‘Dare’,” he says. He certainly holds me in high and mighty esteem. Not that he disliked it, and because he wouldn’t be afraid of anything as long as Hwi was by his side, Yoonso let his lips break into a smile.

“I want to be a good family to you, sir.”

Forming a bond with him meant becoming a family, not just simply becoming a married couple. He had not yet established a solid foundation for that ambition and meaning, but at the very least, certain things were clear.

A home he could always return to, an embrace he could trust and fall into, and a deep affection that would not change no matter what happened. He thought that such things could be called family.

Hwi gazed down at Yoonso with a gentle look before soon covering his eyes. The tips of Hwi’s fingers tapped lightly around Yoonso’s eyes. A sweet slumber crept in at the patting touch, and Yoonso let out a sweet breath.

𓇢𓆸

Yoonso smoothed down the neat, newly tailored clothes with his hands. It had been a long time since he had worn silk clothes, so it felt strangely awkward, but he liked the blue color because it reminded him of the clear waters of Dragon’s Sojourn Lake that he had seen back then. It also went well with the jade donggot topknot pin Hwi had gifted him, which made him feel even better.

After finishing his preparations, he let out a light breath and went outside. He saw Hwi standing in the middle of the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back. He was wearing a long robe of a slightly brighter color than the dark blue garments he usually wore.

Hwi, sensing his presence, turned around, and Yoonso swallowed a gasp of admiration at the handsome man’s face, which seemed especially radiant today.

Hwi took a step closer and scanned Yoonso from head to toe. Yoonso grew needlessly tense, curling and uncurling his toes as he waited for what he would say. However, as only a peculiar gaze continued, he could not hold back and opened his mouth.

“Why are you not saying anything?”

“The one who will be my husband is so excessively beautiful that I was at a loss for words.”

It was Yoonso, rather, who was at a loss for words. His face grew hot, and Yoonso worked his lips before averting his gaze.

“Were you someone who knew how to say such things?”

“I know how to say even more, shall we put it to the test?”

“No, thank you.”

Honestly, he was just dying for any chance to tease him. Yoonso feigned a curt expression and walked past Hwi, and Hwi, who had strode closer, snatched Yoonso’s hand and held it tight.

“The color blue suits you well.”

“…Bright colors suit you well too, sir, so why do you only wear dark ones?”

“If you like it, I will dress like this from now on.”

It was enough for Hwi to wear whatever was comfortable and pleasing to him, regardless of what color of clothing suited him, but his kind reply made Yoonso’s fingertips tingle. Just as Yoonso smiled foolishly and squeezed the hand he was holding, a servant approached and handed three flowers to the two men.

Yoonso and Hwi, each holding a flower in one hand, walked slowly toward the seaside shrine. On the way to the shrine, stacked towers of round stones were piled up here and there. After passing the path that held the wishes of many people and climbing the stairs, a small shrine appeared.

An old priest who guarded the shrine came out and greeted them politely. The priest guided the two men to the Dragon’s Altar.

The Dragon’s Altar was not inside the shrine, but in the center of a railing built along the cliff. Yoonso stood side-by-side with Hwi in front of the altar. It was a custom in Daeyeong for a man to wear blue clothes and a woman to wear red before they tied the knot of marriage, and to make their vows while offering flowers to the Dragon God. Standing here, the fact that he was getting married today finally sank in deeply.

Beyond the Dragon’s Altar, the brilliant sea stretched out endlessly. The wind chimes tinkled with a clear, resonant sound in the gently blowing breeze. The scent of flowers, carried on the wind, faintly brushed the tip of his nose.

Yoonso briefly met Hwi’s eyes before they each placed a flower in front of the altar. After Hwi also made his offering, the priest approached and poured the prepared alcohol into cups.

Hwi raised his cup toward the sky, took a sip, and then turned his body. He extended the cup toward Yoonso, took another sip, and then scattered the remaining alcohol on the ground.

“With this, my heart and soul are bound to you, and I pledge an affection that will not change for the rest of my life.”

Hwi handed the cup to Yoonso. When Yoonso accepted the cup, the priest filled it with alcohol. The clear, brimming alcohol gave off a mellow fragrance.

Yoonso took a deep breath in and out, and then, just as Hwi had done, he raised the cup toward the sky and toward Hwi before taking a sip from each. Finally, he sprinkled the alcohol to wet the ground and faced Hwi without wavering.

“With this, my heart and soul are bound to you, and I pledge an affection that will not change for the rest of my life.”

The intensity of the gazes that held each other deepened. After making their vows before the god, an indescribably fierce emotion churned deep in his chest, as if their souls were truly bound. His Guardian Star rippled along with it, so Yoonso took a breath to calmly settle his heart.

The priest collected the empty cups and lit the incense stuck in the censer. Then, he took out one incense stick and waved it in turn near Hwi’s body and Yoonso’s body.

“The two grooms have made their vows and pledged to live together for a hundred years, so may the god, with a merciful heart, grant them his grace.”

The two men, now cloaked in the subtle scent of incense, bowed their heads toward each other. The wind blew in succession, and the wind chimes rang out, almost like a melody celebrating the joyous occasion. Yoonso looked at the man who was now his husband with eyes that sparkled, thoroughly soaked in joy and love.

Normally, the procedure would have been longer and more complicated, but most of it had been omitted and abbreviated. There were no blessings from many people, including family, nor was it a grand ceremony with splendid decorations, but he was not disappointed in the least. He simply felt overwhelmed with emotion, as if he had taken the first step into the world that he and Hwi would build so solidly.

Hwi extended a hand, a gentle smile on his face. Yoonso readily took his hand and bowed his head in farewell to the priest.

Just as they left the shrine that was richly steeped in the scenery of the sea and came down, a palanquin and its bearers were waiting for Yoonso. Yoonso’s eyes widened, and he looked back at Hwi.

“What is this?”

“No matter how humble the ceremony, you should at least get to feel like you are on a bridal procession, shouldn’t you?”

The palanquin was neither plain like a typical groom’s nor splendid like a bride’s. It struck a middle ground between the two, refined and elegant. He had ridden a horse and a carriage, but this was his first time riding in a palanquin.

“Then what about you, sir?”

“I will follow behind, so wait for me.”

Hwi gently pinched Yoonso’s cheek and then let go. Yoonso smiled and nodded, then climbed into the palanquin without hesitation. Soon, the bearers lifted the palanquin, and the sensation of his body rising up was quite pleasant.

The palanquin door closed, and Yoonso relaxed his body comfortably. He placed a hand over his chest as he belatedly felt his heart pounding.

The man he had wanted so much had finally become his. He, too, had become his, lovers and a married couple who had made their vows before a god.

As he slowly looked back on the time from when he first met Hwi to the present, the thought that one never knows which direction life will flow in welled up anew. Who would have known that he would even set aside his single-minded determination to leave this country?

As he was immersed in his happiest moment, inseparable thoughts of his family immediately followed. Yoonso clenched and unclenched his empty hands, making a firm resolve. Since he had left them behind, he had to live just as well. Now, his family and his husband was Hwi. He wanted to build his life with him, without looking back.

In the midst of steeling his heart again and again, the palanquin soon came to a rest. Yoonso stepped out of the palanquin, thanked the bearers, and then went inside the main building. Opening the closed door and stepping into the master bedroom, Yoonso noticed the changed scenery of the room and paused.

A folding screen with a painting of brilliantly colored peonies stood on one side of the room where wedding candles were lit. On the bed was a silk bedding embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks, and dried wisteria petals were scattered over the bedding and the floor.

In the center, a table with drinks and side dishes was set up, and on a long table placed near the entrance, a blue wedding garment was neatly folded. He was so stunned by the unexpected sight that he could not even enter, and was standing there blankly when a presence approached from behind.

“I will assist you with your bath and dressing.”

Yoonso, who had been mesmerized by the bridal chamber he was seeing for the first time, followed the servant into the bathing area. However, Yeondeok had always been the one to help him bathe, and even then, it was only simple assistance, so he felt uncomfortable receiving another person’s touch and sent him out.

A mellow scent of orchids wafted through the air, perhaps because fragrant herbs had been dissolved in the bathtub. Yoonso slowly took off his clothes and submerged his body in the water. The warm water enveloped his entire body, and the tension he had been unknowingly holding melted away like snow.

He splashed water on his face and recalled the bridal chamber he had seen just a moment ago, and a low breath escaped him. That is to say, that place was the wedding nuptial chamber where the first night would take place. He would probably be held by Hwi tonight and become one with him.