Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 153: Seo Yeon

He reached out for me as soon as the assembly was over and dragged me home, his fingers digging deep into my skin, but I didn't even wince. I didn't do anything wrong, I just held my head high and looked him straight in his eyes. My confidence seemed to have done the trick; he eased his grip on me and I just held his hands onto mine, fully aware of what was going to happen when we arrived home. I was determined to fix my husband's ill mistrust once and for all. The minute the sedan touched the ground I ran playfully into our home to check on the children with my stepson in hand, running past my husband with a stunned look on his face. I just laughed and we both ran inside before my husband could catch up to us. Trying not to alarm Bong-Ju, I handed him over to a servant and instructed him to rest a little before me and his father took him out to play in the fields, something he hadn't done much of before. He looked like he was about to cry but I could only kiss him on each cheek before running to my wing before Seon-Ho could catch me.

He caught me by my arm before I could escape, clearly not used to my behaviour but I just laughed at him before kissing him passionately and dragging him to my wing for once. We were finally happy and I wasn't going to let anything or anyone destroy it. I would protect it this time.

I embraced him as much as I could and wanted to, as much as his scent could cover me. We then lay in bed for what seemed like hours together until Bong-Ju almost knocked our door down, waiting to be taken out. We just laughed and embraced each other again as quickly as we could before my poor stepson lost his patience. We walked hand in hand like a real family until Bong-Ju ran into some of his classmates and they all ran to play in the fields. I leaned on my husband as I watch him look thoughtfully at his son. "I was really afraid of him and his future. But I knew I could rely on you to help him develop, as long as I looked for you." He whispered to me. I felt her tears run down my face; I was so ashamed that I ran away from him and never doubted that he would choose anyone over me, despite his having his bloodline reinstated. I held his hand and apologised again before kissing him on the cheek subtly so no one could see...

We had a nice time out and I got my husband to bond with his son; to play with him and help him compete in weaponry competitions against his school friends. We were out for hours until dark, and he had fallen asleep in his father's arms. But all hell broke loose when we came back to the mansion and was met with a hysterical Chun-Ae who acted like I kidnapped her son. She immediately stormed up to me, slapped my face, and starting pulling on my hair hysterically before Seon-Ho stepped in and flung her across the courtyard.

I was too shocked to move; I had blood dripping down my face and my hands had begun to shake before I knew it, which still happened when I got nervous. Seon-Ho took one look at me and carried me in his arms to my wing with his wife and son screaming hysterically in tow. Bong-Ju was trying to climb into bed with me but his mother pulled him away so hard I feared she had snapped his arm. Seon-Ho faced her and slapped her so hard that she fell onto the floor. Bong-Ju grabbed his chance to lay in my bed with me and I just held him until Chun-Ae returned to her senses.

"Where did you go to today husband, when you were supposed to be at the palace?" She seethed with venom laced in her words. "Or have you forgotten how hard we worked together to keep your position for all these years? How dare you throw it all away on some epileptic tramp who's beneath you?!" She screened at him. Those words stung me like a slap in the face but I could tell she had hit a nerve with him. He pulled her up off the floor and started pinching her so hard I could tell she was in a lot of pain, but he wouldn't let up, no matter how much I shouted at him to stop. But he didn't take his eyes off of her. She just cried in as much shock as I was "You are my husband, not hers. She abandoned you, I never left your sight. I gave you a legitimate son and that tramp bore you nothing but bastards. I have always loved you from the moment your father moved you in at your rightful place inserted of leaving you with your whore mother. So why do you betray me over and over again for her? A poor girl who has only leeched off of you since the day you met?? Why?! Even today when she humiliated me in front of the edging and his court you just left me on my own to people's judgment of me as a bad mother and wife! How can you abandon me so early after everything I have done for you?"

He made his way towards her with a dark look I knew all too well. Her words had me in tears but the look in my husband's eyes scared me; it was pure disgust. He had the servants hold her down while he made his way towards her and declared loudly for everyone to hear "you are nothing to me at all, not even my concubine. I rejected you when we were children because you were a part of my father's filthy noble world: someone who would do anything for money just like him. And understand this well; I married her years ago before you followed me everywhere" he snarled. Her head shot up in shock "yes we did...what...what are you saying? We got married in front of the king himself..." he just laughed to himself and looked back at me, his eyes met with mine "I married Seo Yeon years ago, therefore, she really is my first wife."

We both looked at him in shock, I thought he was joking but the look on his face told me a different story. He just held me in his gaze as usual "do you not remember my love, when I took you to that temple one day and I had the monk bless us as a spiritual couple a few days before you left? And he made us write our wishes? Over and over again? I had him make our wedding vows and signatures from it. I told you it wasn't real but I lied to you Yeonnie. I couldn't risk losing the only person in the world who out genuinely love me like you have since we met."

I could only gasp in shock, taking a serious look at the boy I grew up with who transformed into such a man I thought only existed in my books. But here he was, in front of me as my husband and soulmate. I had no idea he would go as far as he has done for me...

He turned his attention yet again to the women he was paired with politically "so you see, you are in fact my second wife. Oh, and another thing; your son isn't mine" he looked at the boy pitifully whilst all she could do was stutter in confusion "what are you saying? He is...is your adopted son...what does that witch have you telling yourself?" "I could never in my life lay with someone else other than Yeonnie let alone have a child with them. You were so desperate to get my attention, you kept throwing yourself at me and you even dared to interfere with my relationship with Yeonnie. So while you drank with me, kept me company, and tried to seduce me, little did you, I knew that you went so far as to seduce a man in the gibang when I threw you in there to scare you. He fathered the child and kept me under the pretence that he was to join our family just to keep me" All I could do was cry; in confusion, in anger, and in gratitude. He really when that far just for me? Did he confine me in these conditions just for me? And he really didn't betray me? Was he even aware of how many sleepless nights I had when heard about his marriage? How depressed and heartbroken I was? All for this to be a charade and teach me a lesson?

Chun-Ae looked as white as a ghost "You...you did all of this just for her? You had me believe in a false marriage and knew I father a child of unknown origins for what? For her?" Her voice trembled. "You tried to separate me from my love and have her almost killed in my home how many times as well as my children. Now, you will keep your mouth shut unless you want the whole world to know of this and bring shame upon your family. Unfortunately, I still need you in court so until then you will be moved to a smaller residence without complaint as my wife until I can rid myself of you for good and I can restore my real wife and children to their rightful places in this wretched society" he stated viscously. And before either of us had time to absorb what he had just revealed he had the servants drag her out from the mansion with her necessities already packed waiting for her. She couldn't even scream in case she attracted more attention to herself as people from the neighbourhood were starting to watch her being escorted from the mansion. The boys tried to drag Bong-Ju away who had already fallen asleep from his day out but I pleaded with Seon-Ho to let him stay until he agreed and had the servants take him to his room. He then turned to me, and it looked like he had one final thing to do to wash from the darkness that he was trying to rid himself off. And his wife, I could only obey...