Chapter 128
Choi Lina
I sit awkwardly at the edge of the bed, my back stiff, my palms pressed tightly against the embroidered red silk beneath me. The weight of the robes drags on my shoulders; the headpiece digs into my scalp. I've worn heavy training gear before, but this feels different. This feels… suffocating.
All day, the world has been nothing but a blur through the crimson veil. Hazy faces. Blurred outlines. The endless parade of bows, smiles, and congratulations.
And now—quiet.
"Hey," Jihun's voice cuts through the silence.
My breath catches. My husband.
The word still feels foreign, like it belongs to someone else. But he's here, standing in front of me, tall and steady, the sleeves of his ceremonial robes brushing against my knees as he leans down.
His fingers—gentle, almost hesitant—brush the edge of my veil.
Slowly, he lifts it away.
The red world I've been trapped in dissolves, and suddenly it's just him.
I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting, and then—oh.
