Wandering Through Vol. 2 Chapter 62 - Kidnapping 01

After marriage, Yiseo endured ten years of neglect.

She wasn’t outright mistreated or cheated on, but since her husband never once entered the inner quarters, she was naturally treated as if she didn’t exist in the household.

Yiseo quietly withered away there.

Had she not been kicked out, she might have died in those inner quarters at the age of twenty-one, unnoticed.

 

…Now, she didn’t feel any resentment toward those ten years of neglect. 

 

To be honest, after regaining her past-life memories, those years felt like a distant dream.

So instead of echoing Leegwang’s mutterings—which carried the implication that she would have been mistreated after marriage anyway—Yiseo bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

 

Leegwang lifted her chin and kissed her.

As he licked the lower lip she had been biting, she let out a faint moan. 

 

Instead of a deep kiss, he kept lightly brushing his lips against hers and her cheeks—soft, fleeting touches.

 

“I’ll treat you better from now on. I’ll fix your legs, make sure you never suffer again…”

 

A single night had passed, and they should have gone their separate ways—so what did he mean by ‘from now on’?

Once the sun rose, Ban would return from the temple. Yiseo tried to subtly push his shoulder away, but Leegwang didn’t budge. 

 

Instead, after her attempt, he kissed her deeply.

 

“Mmph…!”

 

Their tongues intertwined, and her head tilted back.

Feeling her ragged breaths, Leegwang tangled his tongue with hers. He pulled her closer as she kept trying to retreat. When his hand cradled the back of her neck, he could feel her slender throat trembling. 

 

The faint bitterness of medicinal herbs lingered on his tongue.

 

Yet, strangely, to him, she tasted sweet.

 

A single night? 

 

What nonsense—he’d spend his whole life devouring her. A mere promise made in words could be broken anytime. 

 

Now that he’d held her once, he couldn’t imagine ever letting her go.

 

Leegwang parted his lips and pulled Yiseo, who was gasping for breath, into his embrace. He rested his forehead against the nape of her neck, gently stroking her back as she panted, then lifted his head.

 

Over the wall, he met a pair of eyes glaring at him. 

 

Leegwang twisted his lips into a smirk.

 

It was the scholar from the Jeongseung residence, who had vehemently insisted that Yiseo was like a younger sister to him.

 

Even from a distance, the murderous aura was palpable. Leegwang mulled over the words he had just spoken to Yiseo.

 

What kind of younger brother looks at his sister like that?

 

At any rate, that bastard knew Leegwang’s face. He knew exactly who Leegwang was. So he wouldn’t dare come inside and make a scene. 

 

What could he do besides glare from afar?

 

What right did a mere nobody have to lay a hand on a woman the Grand Prince fancied?

 

🦋

 

Yiseo, sitting alone on the wooden floor organizing her belongings, stared in bewilderment as Ban came down energetically carrying an axe. 

 

Ban flinched upon spotting Yiseo.

 

“…Why the axe?”

 

But instead of answering, Ban swiftly raised the axe and pushed open the closed door to the room. She rummaged through the neatly folded blankets, then flung open the wardrobe. 

 

Desperate to find something, she even peered into the lit fireplace before finally turning to Yiseo with a look of disbelief.

 

“Where’s the owner of those big shoes from yesterday?”

 

“Of course, I sent him away in the morning. That’s why I told you not to come until then.”

 

“He really just left? Really?”

 

Ban’s eyes widened as she muttered, “That can’t be,” several times. 

 

Yiseo sighed and gestured dismissively.

 

“Hurry and return that axe to the temple. What’s the point of adding more to our load when we should be lightening it?”

 

With a thud, Ban set the axe down on the floor and exclaimed incredulously.

 

“That man really left? Just left you behind?!”

 

Ban looked Yiseo up and down. Her clothes and hair were neat, as if untouched by a man’s hands.

“You’ve never been like this before! Of course, of course I thought the lady would be crying, so I even brought an axe!”

 

Her tone suggested she had expected to hear Yiseo’s sobs through the closed door, but Yiseo shook her head. 

 

What exactly did she plan to do with that axe—hurt someone?

 

“It was only a one-night agreement from the start. Stop causing a scene in the yard and go return the axe. While you’re at it, deliver these as well.”

 

Yiseo handed over the items Leegwang had dropped in the yard the day before, now cleaned. 

 

Ban, with a suspicious glance, scanned the room several times before finally obeying and heading to the temple with the items. 

 

Watching Ban’s distrustful retreat, Yiseo could only sigh.

 

An axe, really?

 

When will she ever grow up?

 

Just when she thought the girl had matured a bit, it was clear she still lacked worldly sense. 

 

If Yiseo had truly been pinned under Leegwang and crying, did Ban really intend to strike a royal prince with an axe? 

 

Even a single scratch from Leegwang’s hand would have cost not just Ban’s life, but likely Yiseo’s as well.

 

“I spoiled her too much. From now on…”

 

From now on, from now on…

 

Where should we go?

 

Without a clear destination, she had thought of leaving this place simply to avoid Leegwang. 

 

There were a few places she considered for temporary refuge, but none where she could stay long. Her now-empty body could only survive in secluded places.

 

Of course, if someone as powerful as Leegwang—a divine being—stood by her side, there’d be no need to avoid crowded places…

 

Yiseo’s hands, which had been packing, slowed before stopping completely. She quietly turned her gaze toward the open gate.

 

Leegwang had been showering Yiseo with sweet words, clinging to her as if he would never let go. But as she kept refusing him, he gradually fell silent. His expression darkened, and his eyes grew frighteningly intense, making her tense up. 

 

Soon after, he simply left with an “I understand,” without another word.

 

For Yiseo, who had expected a stronger reaction, the breakup was surprisingly short and simple—almost bewildering.

 

But then again, maybe it made sense for this Leegwang, who had no memories of his past life.

 

Perhaps he had been deeply attracted to Yiseo’s body, but after being repeatedly rejected despite his sweet talk, his pride was hurt, and he stormed off in frustration.

 

After all, even though the prince had suppressed his own desires to comfort her, she kept telling him to leave. He must have been upset.

 

…Is this really the end?

 

Yiseo, still rubbing her sore waist, stared blankly at the gate where no movement could be detected.

 

 The door, which Ban had flung open while grumbling, remained wide open.

 

And the man who had walked out through that gate never returned.

 

🦋

 

The young monk swallowed his saliva as he clutched the candy in his hand and answered.

 

“Yes, my lord. I went down the mountain briefly yesterday.”

 

“To see whom?”

 

Leegwang, sitting on the temple floor, handed the entire bag of candy to the young monk. It seemed the order to keep it a secret hadn’t been properly enforced, as the monk answered freely, looking puzzled by the question.

 

“I met the young master of the Jeongseung household. As soon as I went down, I ran into him and delivered the letter the head monk gave me.”

 

“And then?”

 

“As soon as he read the letter, he said he would come up immediately. But since it was already getting dark, he set out at dawn today to climb the mountain. He was in such a hurry, moving busily even before daybreak—must have been an urgent letter. But I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I opened the head monk’s letter.”

 

Having confirmed that the young lord had received the letter and climbed the mountain at dawn, Leegwang sent out the young monk holding the pouch of malt candy. 

 

The nervous-faced young monk scurried across the courtyard but collided with someone entering.

 

“Be careful.”

 

Suyeong caught the stumbling monk by the shoulder and admonished him. The monk glanced furtively at the two men, bowed his head, and quickly slipped away.

 

After a brief silence, Leegwang spoke first.

 

“I thought you’d come barging in much earlier.”

 

At the words of the man lounging lazily on the porch, Suyeong’s lips twisted. He looked as if he wanted to shout, but was holding it in, which amused Leegwang. 

 

If he was going to hold back anyway, why make it so obvious?

 

Irritated by Leegwang’s attitude, Suyeong finally burst out,

 

“…This is too much, Your Highness.”

 

“What is? Is the woman I took last night your wife or something?”

 

When their eyes had met at Yiseo’s house, Leegwang had already decided that whether he kidnapped Yiseo or followed her, this guy had to be dealt with first. 

 

Before handling that so-called ‘former husband’ of Yiseo’s, he would remove this nuisance from her surroundings.

 

Still, out of mercy—since Suyeong had never laid a finger on Yiseo, and she had only ever seen him as a younger brother—Leegwang had no intention of killing him, even if his intentions were less than pure.

 

Of course, if they couldn’t come to an understanding, there’d be no choice.

 

If he beheaded the son of a high minister, the king might throw another fit, but eventually, he’d tire himself out when Leegwang ignored him anyway.

 

Honestly, Leegwang had hoped Suyeong would just refuse to give up Yiseo and make a scene. 

 

He would’ve been angry, but that anger would’ve given him an excuse to kill Suyeong. Not that he needed one, but at least it would give him something to say to Yiseo.

 

“Even if you were married or betrothed to her, once I’ve taken her, she’s mine now.”

 

Suyeong gritted his teeth. 

 

Leegwang watched, curious about what he would say next—but the words that followed were incomprehensible.

 

“Why act like this now, after you already abandoned her once?”