Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 139: Seo Yeon

I woke up a few hours later to find that everyone was still asleep apart from Seon-Ho who was no longer in my brother's home. We had come to my father's village to spend a little time with our new family before our wedding and we arrived very late into the night. I wandered around a bit to look for him, but I couldn't help but feel that I really wanted to settle down here with my man. I went along with his image for the sake of his job that we both worked hard for him to achieve, but my memories went back to the days when he would step out of of his world to join my brother into his and he didn't run into any problems. Honestly I could see and feel that he was happier and comfortable with us, and I know that he & my brother were desperate to reconnect again...if only they hadn't gotten themselves involved with the Royal family...

I found him by a small lake sitting by a big oak tree, watching some children play and wrestle with each other. He had a a rather contemplative look on his face as he watched them. I interrupted his thoughts as I placed my hands around his waist and planted an annoying kiss in his cheek just to get a laugh out of him at least. "Are you thinking the same thing as I am my love?" He just chuckled without even looking at me "did you really think I didn't have an idea of what you've been trying to tell me you kidnapped me here? You're not that clever you brat." "Oh really? well...it's not like you like it here anyway to let's just leave then" I teased him indignantly and slowly began to walk away but he pulled me into his arms so I couldn't see him blushing. "Look at you, blushing like a child. You know you've fallen for this place. Even though it needs a lot of work I know you want to grow our family here just as much as I do." I tried to bat my eyelashes really hard like I always used to whenever I wanted something from him or my brother. He just laughed at my cheekiness and pulled me into a loose embrace, as my brother could wake up any minute now. "Just imagine...you give me 2-3 chubby babies that can grow up in a peaceful environment, free from the city's greed and corruption. Our children may receive benefits from having an army general as a father but they will also fear for your life everyday. It will mean much more for them to have a stable father than a flashy servant of the palace. Take that from people with experience." I begged him but I knew his struggle as well; him and my brother were only working on their revenge but I couldn't just leave him alone in the palace whilst I stayed here to raise our future family. And I know he long wanted to throw away his nobility that he never felt a part of. He just looked at me sadly and I didn't press on the matter anymore. I gave him another kiss, showing him that I understood, but I begged him to speed the matter up and bring me here as soon as we were ready to have children. "Don't worry, when you have given me 12 sons I'll move you here" he quipped and I looked at him indignantly "what 12 sons? I'll give you 3 sons but I promise you that you will be begging me for a daughter as well. Even the bravest of men turn soft when they have a daughter clinging onto them as if he is her world. And he is; a woman's first love is always her father. And any man she chooses to be her spouse cannot even be half the man her father is, he must match up to you." He looked merry at the thought although I knew he wouldn't admit to it. But I knew; he would just as easily cherish his daughter as my father and brother did to me. In fact he'd treasure them a lot more than his sons, I knew him better than he knew himself. He'd be happier and so much more at peace if he had more daughters than sons. He took my hand as me made a round by the village before returning back to Hwi as we were to marry tomorrow.

"So...10 children then?" He looked at me wistfully "if you want 10 children, you give birth to them yourself then. As for me I want only twins or triplets, and one on each gender for sure. I do not know which gender my mother-in-law prefers so I want to have both for her and myself" I felt him freeze for a moment before he replied quietly "mother always wanted me to have a sister. That is why I cherished you as my own when we first met" he smiled weakly. I kissed him in appreciation "I know, you both spoiled me. And I love you both for it".

We were on our way to meet my brother until Seon-Ho got ambushed my a bunch of children who couldn't get over his tall and built frame, fit only for a soldier. We also saw Hui-Jee nearby playing with some girls so I finally ran into my brothers arm when I spotted him and nearly knocked him over like I used to. He held onto me tighter though this time and dragged me to a private place still attached to each other before we both broke down. We couldn't spend any time with each other due to our circumstances...I dearly missed his earthly smell, the cuts and bruises he had on his hands from work...and his broad shoulders, neck and chest that I could alway disappear into whenever I felt sad, anxious or lonely...or when I missed my parents.
But we both knew that Seon-Ho would never tear us apart. He was even refusing dowry from my brother and instead insisted on giving him something in return for me although he wouldn't tell me what it was no matter how much I pressed him. We both talked about our parents and the future they had laid out for me, and we were both lucky that I had found a man who was not only willing to tolerate marrying a woman who was not meek and weak willed, but he even encouraged me to be true to myself. And I would receive no better protection than being his wife. We then made plans upon plans after the men concluded their business in the palace to always stay in touch and close to each other; it was the only condition my brother had for Seon-Ho.

We all had a fantastic time; we ate, talked and played with new and old friends alike to our hearts content before we had to return to the palace for the wedding in the morning. Instead of sticking to the plan that only myself and my man would go back together and our friends and family would just meet us in the palace we all went back together was we had plenty of rooms to house everyone, and I had long wanted to host them. But what made me happier was how everyone had forgiven my man and let him in their circle; I had really never seen him so joyful before. He now had a family of a different kind, people that he could rely on...and he had finally reunited with my brother at long last. I always thought myself extremely lucky when Seon-Ho finally returned my feelings but I really didn't know that I could be this happy, even before my own wedding...although to this day we still hadn't said a single word about the other women he was to marry. I didn't know anything about her and I didn't want to. I only brought it up once and it put him in such a bad mood that I didn't dare to bring it up again. He loved me so much he really did...but he also put so much of himself into me that he knew how to torment me as well until I made his pain go away. But I knew this was also his way of loving me, what else did I expect? He was so lonely for such a long time...but I guess this is what it meant to be soulmates.