A large crowd of onlookers lined the road, watching a ceremonial procession carrying a palanquin approach Chan Min's house. Inside was the bride, Ha Eun. She was the one the whole village was whispering about today, and the whispers were venomous.
— She's from a poor family, you know, — one woman whispered, hiding a smile.
— How could he marry such a simple girl?
— Someone must have bewitched him, — another replied.
— There's no other explanation.
— They say she's from a poor family.
— And she's not even a beauty…
— Why did he choose her then?
Ha Eun lowered her gaze. It all seemed too much like a dream. After long years of poverty and humiliation, she had become the wife of a man whose name inspired awe. The palanquin stopped at the main gates of the residence.
— The bride has arrived! — came the jubilant cry of the maids, who hurried to open the palanquin for the bride to step out.
As soon as Chan Min heard that Ha Eun had arrived, he personally came out to meet the bride, defying all traditions. His actions shocked all the onlookers and sparked a new wave of gossip.
— Who is she that an official of such high rank meets her personally? — She definitely bewitched him.
Chan Min did not care about public opinion. He had waited so long for this moment to call Ha Eun his wife. Seeing how Chan Min exalted her person, the girl still didn't understand why this influential man had chosen her.
Before her was the courtyard, adorned with lanterns, music playing, and priests preparing for the ceremony. The wedding began. She bowed to the heavens. She bowed to the earth. She bowed to the man to whom she now belonged. Beneath the beautiful wedding ceremony, Ha Eun recalled the cold nights when she prayed to the gods for mercy. And now it seemed to her that perhaps her prayers had been answered. Maybe Chan Min was the one sent by heaven.
Later, in the bridal chamber, Ha Eun sat looking into the mirror. Her fingers trembled. She waited. Chan Min rushed to her, not waiting for the banquet to end. He didn't need this whole ritual at all. The only one who mattered to him was Ha Eun.
The door opened. He entered — Chan Min.
In white silk, with a soft smile and eyes that held something wild, primal, that stole her breath away. He was handsome, calm, noble — and too tender next to her.
— You are under my protection now, Ha Eun, — he said, touching her cheek. — I will never allow you to suffer again.
— My lord… — she lowered her eyes.
— Don't call me that, — he touched her cheek, and his thumb slowly traced the line of her lower lip. — Today you are my wife.
The fact that she was his wife intoxicated him more than any wine, igniting the fire of a possessor in his blood. Today he would be her husband, and he had waited an eternity for this.
His kisses flared on her skin, burning not with pain, but with hungry desire. Ha Eun responded — timidly, with a gratitude that quickly escalated into a reciprocal, instinctive thrill. Chan Min's kisses became more persistent until they drew a low, unexpected moan from her. He didn't want to rush, but he couldn't wait. He desired to savor her to the point of ecstasy. He desired to torment her with his caresses until she moaned with unbearable desire.
His touches to her hips made her body writhe, causing agonizing pleasure. Ha Eun's body, fluttering like a captured bird, seemed not to believe this sweet intrusion, yet did not push it away.
Chan Min pressed her close, his voice a low growl at her ear:
— Now I will allow no one to separate us. Neither men nor gods.
He surged into her — deep, masterful. From the sudden fullness, she let out a long, shattering moan. Chan Min continued to move, enjoying her open, husky moans beneath him. He did it again and again, more fiercely. She writhed with pleasure, choking on the sensations, unable to contain the bliss consuming her.
— I love you, Ha Eun. I love you, do you hear? — his confession was part of this same madness, part of the capture.
He took her until she was utterly exhausted, until the girl went limp from loss of strength. She fell asleep in Chan Min's strong embrace, who held her so tightly as if afraid she would vanish.
— Now you are truly my wife, — Chan Min whispered, kissing the top of her head. — And no one, not even the gods, can take you away.
Exhausted after the long night, Ha Eun fell asleep, unaware that next to her was a God. But most importantly: she did not remember that she was a Goddess. The Goddess of Love. But the most terrifying truth was yet to come.