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The erogame "Delightful Bliss" was a popular video game played by a large population of the female population; it came out when Kim Dokja had started college, thin as a stick accompanied by a Han Sooyoung who prattled about how much she hated the game's storyline and how everyone played it just because it was popular and people loved to follow what others did; she borrowed her copy (and game console since Kim Dokja didn't have one, she barely had a small one room apartment to stay in) to Kim Dokja in hopes that the slightly older girl would agree with her.
To Kim Dokja's surprise, she was pleasantly impressed by the game; sure, some sex scenes between the MC and her different harem men were quite distasteful but she could look past it considering that she genuinely enjoyed the world building and the lore of the world of the videogame.
Hearing this criticism, Han Sooyoung wanted to yank her hair from her skull at Kim Dokja's admission to her but accepted to dialogue about what Kim Dokja liked.
If Kim Dokja had to criticize one thing, it was that the devastation of the main villain Asmodeus wasn't enough. He was a major big bad that had caused the MC so much pain and suffering, even threatened to rape her countless times, that you’d think he deserved to suffer so much more.
But just because she disliked that one part of the erogame, it didn't mean that she was okay waking up as one of the countless NPC servants that served the cruel Grand Duke who was often referred to as 'useless'.
Kim Dokja's mind replayed the animation in which the cruelest ML would wreak devastation onto the Grand Duke's estate and his vassals, the poor staff of the estate getting absolutely wrecked by him that even the MC had to tell him that he overdid it.
Upon a vivid recollection of the entire game playing in her mind at the realization, Kim Dokja submitted her letter of resignation, taking the final payment and what the NPC had saved up (Kim Dokja was sort of grateful that she still had her same face but also bummed out that she didn't get some sort of a glow up because what do you mean it’s not like in the manhwas where the MC transmigrates into a beautiful trash?!?!?!?!?!) underneath her mattress, obviously hiding it from the other maids. Kim Dokja bid her farewell to the NPC servants who would all die once the bloodthirsty ML arrived to wreak havoc on Grand Duke Asmodeus for trying to even look at the MC. One time, Kim Dokja thought that it had been deserved but now that she would've died if she had been there, she's certain that it was a little bit way too much.
Kim Dokja purchased a small cottage up in the mountains near the border between the kingless lands and the territory of Asmodeus; having purchased it from an old widow who refused to stay in the cottage after her husband passed so she bought it from her, promising to maintain it in perfect state.
The cottage had a small den, a kitchen, room for a small tub and a small nook for her to sleep on; outside of the cottage, there was a small garden with flowers and herbs good for healing and sleeping, according to the herbology book (she had stolen from Grand Duke Asmodeus' library, not like the man would miss it; she didn’t even think he’d notice, the man barely looked like he could read more than 5 sentences of a book) along with a large amount of vegetables and some fruit trees.
Kim Dokja wasn't sure if she had arrived to this realm to do something grand but Kim Dokja had never been much of a protagonist, instead preferring to act as her name dictated; to be as a reader.
So Kim Dokja just lived as a reader immersed in the book she had read; she sold her vegetables and handwriting to the wealthy people of the village near them, the OG NPC was good at embroidering and so Kim Dokja took advantage to sell handkerchiefs and embroidered blouses and skirts to the wives of the wealthy men she sold her handwriting services to.
"Little Miss Kim, are you ready?" A stouty woman spoke as she packed up a loaf of bread that Kim Dokja had ordered, her children clinging to her skirt.
Kim Dokja cocked her head in reply, confused. "Ready for what, Madam?"
"Oh right! You aren't from here, Little Miss Kim. The winters here are quite harsh and especially in the mountains where you live. The old madam who lived there before you was unable to leave once the snow fell heavily. So you should try to stock up as much as possible before it's too late." The Madam answered with a wide smile, patting her child's head.
Kim Dokja nodded slowly before telling her that she would take her words in mind as she continued to do her shopping.
She had thankfully managed to harvest most of her vegetables and fruits, selling half of them while keeping the rest in a small den near her house that kept them at a lower temperature, making sure they’d be fresh for her use until she’d have to do the ye old canning method; she had bought furs and fabrics to make thicker coats and skirts for herself during her leisure time.
Even though she wasn't good at this, she was good enough to make sure that she'd be able to survive the winter.
Kim Dokja dully remembered a recipe for sourdough which allowed for longtime preservation so she'd be able to make enough dough for bread during the entire season.
Kim Dokja ignored the looks of the men who tried to stop her in her tracks as she made her way back to the cottage, telling them that they would talk the next time she was in town.
Kim Dokja was ready to hole herself in her cottage and just spend her time cooking and sewing.
She would enjoy her free time as much as possible! With little to no inconvenience at all!!
Or so she had thought as she stared at the large bloodied man near her cottage, the large man was clearly bleeding out and had fainted, his black thick fur coat sticking to his body.
Kim Dokja could be a cunt and leave him there to freeze to death....
But instead she did her best to drag him to the cottage herself, lamenting that she hadn't bought herself a donkey or a small mare for easier dragging; Kim Dokja dragged him slowly to the cottage as she couldn't risk worsening his injuries.
Eventually Kim Dokja managed to drag him all the way there, although the first snow marking the start of the harsh winter had fallen as she labored, dragging him to the cottage, dragging him to warmth and safety.
Maybe she was lucky and the man would be healed up before the snows were too heavy for him to leave.
She wistfully thought so as she wiped his face, removing all the dirt and blood on it, stilling at the sight of such a handsome face; although the man had some prominent scars on his face, he was still an undeniable beauty (in her original world, he would definitely be an actor, a film emperor of the highest rank); Kim Dokja held back the urge to faint as she undressed him to clean up and redress his wounds.
She hoped he'd be okay.
The man woke up around two hours before dawn, Kim Dokja had fallen asleep on the floor next to the small cot, chest leaning on it as she had dozed off after applying an antiseptic poultice on his wounds. Kim Dokja jolted awake when she heard a sound, head immediately looking up to meet with a lovely pair of obsidian and gold eyes, the eyes were filled with confusion and pain (she could see some small hints of anger in them before they went blank) as he looked at the startled woman in front of him.
"Oh, you're awake." Kim Dokja sighed in relief, smiling sweetly as she reached her slender palm to press against his forehead to check for a fever; the man looked at her hand with suspicion but still allowed her to do so. The skin was still scalding hot and had started glistening with sweat.
"You have a fever so I'll be right back."
Kim Dokja got up to her feet, making her way outside to grab a handful of snow in a small bowl before shutting the door and grabbing a basin of water and pouring it into the basin, hoping to get some cold water that would help lower the man's fever; she hummed a lullaby her mother (she missed her and hated her at the same time, ah yes the dichotomy of parent-child relationships) had taught her as she made her way back to the man's side who stopped looking so wary and looked at her with poorly concealed confusion.
Kim Dokja soaked a rag in the cold water and wringed it out before pressing it against the man's forehead. "I hope that the fever goes down." Kim Dokja murmured with a gentle smile.
The man cocked his head and Kim Dokja felt her heart sink; it reminded her of seeing children that didn't understand their parents' words.
"Sir, do you understand me?" Kim Dokja questioned with wide hopeful eyes.
The man looked at her before murmuring. "Ābrazȳrys."
........ great, she rescued a man who can't understand her and she can't understand him.
Kim Dokja sighed before putting her hand to her chest, the man's eyes trailing her every move. "My name is Kim Dokja. Kim. Dok. Ja."
".... Kim Dok—" The man started speaking but frowned and shook his head. "Ābrazȳrys."
"What....? Then who are you?" Kim Dokja asked, moving her hands in a way as if trying to ask him with them instead.
"..... Āeksio Yoo, jeva valzȳrys." The man replied with a stern tone, his gaze turning more proud and haughty.
The first word seemed more like a formal title rather than a name but the second word did seem like a surname.
"Mr. Yoo?" Kim Dokja asked, by the way the man lightened up, it was evident that she was right.
"Well, Mr. Yoo, I'll be taking care of you until you recover." Kim Dokja spoke slowly, in hopes of the man understanding a word aside from his name.
Kim Dokja started making a pot of stew in hopes of warming up the man and helping him eat something not too heavy.
She felt him staring at her.
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
Yoo Joonghyuk had been many things during his tenure as a lord of the Northern Tribe but he will never forget a backstabbing traitor such as Lady Anna Croft; she'd pay dearly for sending mercenaries after him as he scouted the mountains to pose an easier attack to the lands across; they would remain unconquered for as long as Yoo Joonghyuk was able to.
Sure he slayed the mercenaries but they killed his horse and mortally wounded him; Yoo Joonghyuk was certain that'd he'd pass away from his lands, away from his sister and trusted allies, his soul would never rest, forever thirsty for revenge.
And yet, Yoo Joonghyuk awoke, to live another day, to live in search of his revenge.
When he woke up, he was lying down in a warm bed surrounded by the sweet scent of hibiscus along with mint and dried parchment.
His people believed that in death, one's entire body would be healed one final time by the Grand Saintess; thus one could only be healed by her warm touch through the disciples blessed by her.
If someone other than a disciple (they were easy to recognize with their braided hairs and veiled lower faces) healed you and fed you, it was considered as a marriage proposal by the other person; after all, why else would you dedicate precious resources and time on another who wasn’t of your blood if not to marry them?
Yoo Joonghyuk was stunned at the sight of a small delicate woman who turned to look at him with relief, her hair was black as the night sky as it was let down, her silver eyes glimmered like the shining stars, her pale skin reminded him of the most rare pearls found by sailors, she looked weak and gentle but she had somehow single-handedly been able to rescue him from where he had fainted due to his injuries and heal him up, she smiled at him delicately.
And more so! She took care of him so diligently, sleeping by his side as she waited for his awakening.
The small woman obviously wanted to wed him! She had proven her worthiness as a wife to him, tending to his injuries, caring for him.
Yoo Joonghyuk was a highly esteemed lord, he had waged several battles and had never lost a single one but he had never taken a wife.
So he'd take this woman to wife, his ābrazȳrys.
His wife obviously didn't understand his language but the moment he heard the words 'Kim Dokja' from her lips, he knew that was her name.
But she was to be his wife so there was no need to call her by her name.
He in turn told her his rank and surname, the things he would pass down to their future offspring; Lord (āeksio) Yoo.
And what she was to him: her husband (valzȳrys).
His wife seemed relieved as she repeated his surname along with a word he didn't understand before she got up; Yoo Joonghyuk frowned, should she stay by his side as his wife?
Until he noticed the scent of a savory meal, evidently showing off to him that she would be able to take care of their offspring well.
As Yoo Joonghyuk stared at her back, he noticed that his wife was quite small and lithe, like the dolls his sister Mia loved playing with.
He sincerely wondered how she managed to bring him into the house on her own and admired her all the more for it. Once he was fully recovered, he would repay the debt ten times.
She would need to eat more of her own food, instead of trying to feed him herself as she didn't trust in his strength yet.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at his wife like a hawk soon after his first night in her small home; it would barely be comfortable for child rearing, it was too small for even two grown adults to live in, he couldn’t imagine living in there with small children.
Yoo Joonghyuk understood that the person proposing was the one in charge of acquiring a house and the rest of the house expenses but his wife's home was just too small; he was a lord, he lived in a large estate with enough space to raise children in.
Yoo Joonghyuk would apologize to her once they went home to his estate; she'd be the lady in all but in terms of acquiring the house for them.
Although he had to admit that he was quite disappointed when his wife preferred to sleep on the floor instead of with him.
"Skoro syt ȳdra daor ao ēdrugon rūsīr issa?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked after the third day in which she refused to share a bed with him; was he that hideous?
Then why would she marry him if so?
His wife looked at him from where she was arranging the small nest of blankets and fur that she slept on; the falling snow seemed to make her wistful as she often looked out the window as the snow fell.
The floor was cold and unforgiving despite the warm fire she always made sure to maintain strong throughout the day while tending to him and his injuries.
His wife tilted her head before muttering words he didn't know and they just looked at each other in confusion for a while until she made a gesture with her slender and delicate hands that she did not understand him.
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed before repeating himself while gesturing to her and the bed.
His wife seemed to have understood by the way her face immediately flushed.
Blushes suited her quite nicely; he'd make sure to always keep her flushed once she allowed him between her legs, to pleasure her as was his marital duty to her.
(Not that he would mind doing his duty with her)
His wife immediately proceeded to gesture to him that they wouldn't share the bed (even valiantly resisting the way he patted the soft small mattress of the cot in an attempt to allure her onto the bed), even making an X with her forearms, shaking her head that they wouldn't share the best; she even tried explaining to him that they wouldn't fit on the mattress together.
(As if Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't going to build her a slightly bigger bed once he was better!)
Yoo Joonghyuk resolved it by gesturing that they would fit if she slept on top of him but that seemed to make his wife's reaction even worse by the way she seemed to almost faint before shaking her head more fervently before pointing at his bandaged up torso.
Yoo Joonghyuk waved her away and immediately proceeded to double over in pain when she poked him.
His wife immediately closed the argument, helping him lay down on the bed before blowing all the candles off, settling into her small nest.
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
Kim Dokja was officially snowed in with the man she had rescued, Mr. Yoo; earlier in the day, she tried to make her way down the usual path towards the village (Mr. Yoo observed with a frown as she pointed aggressively for him to stay at the door, only compromising when she allowed him to stay as she wrapped one of the furs around his large shoulders, he still went through small bouts of fevers since his body was doing its best to avoid an infection [from what she remembered of eighth grade biology class]) and almost tripped and slid down the frozen path, she had to grab onto one of the trees to avoid falling even more, Mr. Yoo had barked something from the door as he was also startled.
Mr. Yoo trekked all the way to where she stood, holding onto the tree like a lifeline; Kim Dokja could only look at him impressed by the fact that she was excessively bundled up and Mr. Yoo was barely covered, and yet she was the one suffering from the cold more.
Mr. Yoo led her back to the doorframe before trekking back to where she almost tripped to look at the path before shaking his head, speaking in his language.
"Jikagon ilagon bisa path se ao'll morghūljagon, idiot ābrazȳrys." Gesturing with his hands that she would trip and die if she tried it again, tsking as though she was an idiot. (TL: Go down this path and you'll die, idiot wife.)
.
.
.
..... Okay, maybe she was.
Kim Dokja sighed before heading back to lead him back into the house, not noticing the soft blush that came across her guest's ears by her action.
While Mr. Yoo had been a spectacularly perfect patient to tend to as he never seemed to be annoyed by her fussing and instead leaned into her touch; he respected when she fed him his medicine.
The only complaint she could have about the man was that he was quite insistent to share a bed with her which would be technically impossible considering the fact that he barely fit in the cot.
(Sleeping on him wasn't an option for her and it would never be!)
Mr. Yoo seemed to dislike her small nest of blankets and quilts by the way he glared at it when he thought she wasn't looking.
If he were better then he'd be the one sleeping on the floor instead of her but he was injured.
Mr. Yoo was incredibly attractive, his voice was so deep she felt she could drown in it, his eyes (sometimes they flickered a golden tint) were a dark obsidian that always looked at her; if Kim Dokja had to be honest to herself, Mr. Yoo was her ideal type.
She'd always been miffed that 'Delightful Bliss' didn't include a ML like her ideal type (like Mr. Yoo) as part of the romanceable characters.
But she was Kim Dokja, thus she was a reader and a man like Mr. Yoo shined brightly like a protagonist.
She wouldn't dare to be so foolish to think she could have a chance with him.
(Such a foolish wish would be dashed against the wall once the snow started melting away and Mr. Yoo would leave her, thanking her in his language and leaving her alone.)
Kim Dokja often read out loud to Mr. Yoo as she bundled him up on the bed during a fever spike or she would sit next to him as she did countless embroidery to sell once the winter passed; Mr. Yoo would follow her hands carefully with a sharp gaze.
Sometimes she tried to teach him some words in her language and would receive the term in his language.
She showed him her book as she said the word with perfect enunciation. "Book."
Mr. Yoo cocked his head before realizing what she was doing. "Tembyr."
Kim Dokja repeated the word and received a prideful look from Mr. Yoo; she grabbed the man's hand, tracing it as she spoke. "Hand."
Mr. Yoo looked at her stunned before coughing, a reddish tint on his cheeks; oh, she hoped his fever wasn't getting worse. "Issa ābrazȳrys wants naejot mazverdagon issa vēdros, huh? Hand." (TL: My wife wants to drive me mad, huh?)
Kim Dokja clapped as she ignored whatever he said before pointing at his hand, asking for the word; Mr. Yoo stared at her hand before grabbing it and tracing it just as gently the way she had done. "Ondos."
Thus, they spent an hour daily trying to teach each other words that the other used often; Mr. Yoo refused to call her by her name, still insisting to call her ābrazȳrys.
Despite her best attempts, she never did manage to decipher what the word actually meant.
Kim Dokja eventually reached the conclusion that it must mean hostess!
Once Mr. Yoo got better though, it was as though the dynamics of the small cottage had shifted.
One day, Kim Dokja woke up in her small warm nest of blankets but there was an additional fur quilt wrapped around her as she was on the bed.
.... but she had fallen asleep on the floor.
DJ immediately shot up from the small bundle she was wrapped in, only to be greeted with the delicious scent of food filling her nostrils; she turned to look at the small kitchenette to find Mr. Yoo's large back (scar filled back along with perfect muscles, stop drooling Kim Dokja!) over the small stove she often cooked on; there was already a large assortment of meals placed on the small table they had started eating together on.
"— um, Mr, Yoo?" Mr. Yoo turned to look at her with a soft gaze before snorting at the sight of her so ruffled by sleep.
Kim Dokja untangled her legs from the quilts and blankets before placing her sock covered feet on the cold floor, making her way to the kitchenette but was pointed by Mr. Yoo to sit at the table.
Kim Dokja made her way there, sitting down and opening her mouth to ask him why he cooked when he's injured but the question got stuck in her throat when Mr. Yoo handed her a plate filled to the brim with food and only muttered a single word.
"Ipradagon."
"Mr. Yoo, why did you get up? Your injuries are still fresh and you can't move much because they might open— MMPH!"
In the midst of her babbling, Mr. Yoo had grabbed a spoonful of food and gently spooned it in her mouth, his other hand coming to cradle her jaw before repeating the same word.
"Ipradagon." Well, apparently that word meant 'eat'.
At the sight of Kim Dokja slowly chewing the food, Mr. Yoo looked like a proud cat who had just caught a mouse, he grabbed another spoonful and held it to her mouth, nudging it against her pouting lips. "Drāmmagon." She's almost certain she's being told to open her mouth.
Kim Dokja swallowed and opened her mouth, allowing him to spoon the food in her mouth; once the food came in contact with her tongue, she immediately released a squeal at how good it tasted.
"Mr. Yoo, this is so good!"
Mr. Yoo looked at her with a shocked look before shaking his head and spooning more food for her, despite how much she insisted that he should hand her the spoon.
Maybe it was customary in his culture to feed those who nursed them to health.
“Ao sagon tolī vasrie. Iā rytsa riña kostagon daor sagon āzma hen iā lumie muña." Mr. Yoo spoke gently with every spoonful he gave her, pleased every time she swallowed and opened her mouth for him to place another spoonful in her mouth. (TL: You're too thin. A healthy child can't be born from a sick mother.)
.... wait.
"Mr. Yoo, where did you get bird from?!"
[Yoo Joonghyuk had left at the break of dawn to hunt down some hawks for their meal; hawk broth was good for ill people to gain some weight, or so Healer Lee often told him.]
Eventually it became a competition to see who could wake up earlier to make breakfast.
(Mr. Yoo won 8/10 times and she's certain he only let her win the two times because she had cried the previous day.)
Mr. Yoo would wake up early to hunt for birds or fish; she tried to follow him but he would pick her up and roll her up like a taco so she couldn't move.
Kim Dokja tried to tell him that it was okay; they weren't in desperate need for food, that she had been so worried for winter that she stored everything she could, that she ate less so he could eat more but Mr. Yoo would continue to do so every four to five days.
It seemed that hunting the small animals wasn't such a hard task for him and it didn't strain his injuries so she couldn't complain too much about it.
She tried to see it in a more self centered way, tried to see it as Mr. Yoo trying to repay her for what she had done for him in the early days of his injuries.
But she didn't do what she did to be repaid for it in the long run, she did it because Kim Dokja couldn't bear to see someone injured and just walk away.
Eventually this became their routine.
One that Kim Dokja held dearly to her heart.
She would miss the routine once the snow melted and Mr. Yoo left her.
But one night, something happened.
That night she opened up a bottle of wine she had been given by a wealthy employer's wife, and although it wasn't soju, it was still a good drink; she served a cup for herself and one for Mr. Yoo who immediately scowled like a child that disliked the taste of something.
Kim Dokja kept drinking, serving herself more wine while Mr. Yoo nursed the same cup of wine.
Kim Dokja's mouth soon loosened thanks to the alcohol lowering her inhibitions.
"You—" Kim Dokja got up on stumbling legs, making her way to her small closet and grabbing a skirt she had tried on earlier that week and didn't fit her anymore. "Mr. Yoo, how are you going to repay me for this? You're making me fat! Look, look, it doesn't close from here like this one! Stop cooking so much food for me!"
Mr. Yoo looked at her fondly, chuckling when he noticed what she was prattling about. "Ao sagon sīr gevie. Iksis bona ziry? Nyke kessa sindigon jeme se grēza jaelā, ñuha jorrāelagon." (TL: You're so beautiful. Is that all? I shall buy you all the dresses you want, my love.)
Kim Dokja huffed when she realized that Mr. Yoo probably wasn't taking her as seriously as she wanted, so she sat down in place next to him.
Kim Dokja dazedly looked at Yoo Joonghyuk who stared at the blazing fire with stern eyes, eyes that had seen so much yet yearned to persevere.
Kim Dokja finally realized that she liked him.
She liked Mr. Yoo even though she knew little about him; she knew that he didn't seem to like wine that much, he liked to see her bundled up and warm, he liked to watch her face contort in joy whenever she ate his food, he liked to listen to her voice as she read to him, he liked it when they practiced words in each other's language.
She didn't like him just because his face suited her ideal type but he gave her a sense of companionship that no one else in the world had ever given her.
She liked him, she liked him.
And her liking him would drive her mad.
"I like you, Mr. Yoo. I really do, it must be the stupidest thing ever. To like someone when you can't even speak the same language but..." Mr. Yoo turned to look at her at the soft sound of her voice, tilting his head like a puppy since he couldn't understand her. "I really really do like you, Mr. Yoo."
Kim Dokja's hands grabbed his calloused hand in her own, tracing the calluses before making the hand cup her cheek and allowing her to nuzzle into it. Mr. Yoo didn't seem to mind, instead he kept looking at her fondly.
"Mr. Yoo... is it normal for liking to feel like my heart is being wrenched by you? Just by being caught in your gaze?" Kim Dokja whispered softly, voice barely heard over the fire. "I don't know if you like me, no one's ever liked me. But it has to be okay for me to like you, right?"
"Mr. Yoo,—" the hand cupping her cheek started thumbing the skin near her lips before his deep voice spoke in a comforting tone.
"...Yoo Joonghyuk, issa jorrāelagon ābrazȳrys, bona iksos issa brōzi." (TL: my dearest wife, that is my name.)
.... Ah, even his name is such a protagonist's name.
"Joonghyuk-ah, I like you a lot." Kim Dokja smiled. "So let me like you until spring comes, let this mere reader spend time with you. And once the spring comes, you can leave and I'll make my heart forget you."
Kim Dokja felt confident (aside from the lack of inhibitions thanks to the wine) saying all of this to Mr.— Yoo Joonghyuk since he didn't understand a single word she said aside from his name.
Kim Dokja got up from her seat and leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead before crashing on the bed.
(Yoo Joonghyuk could only sit in shock, hand wanting to trace and feel the warmth her lips left on his forehead but didn't in fear of erasing it.
He adored her.
She sounded sad but there wasn't a reason for his wife to be sad, aside from the shitty wine.
He would never make her sad.)
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
After her drunk ramblings, the next day Kim Dokja woke up with an objective (and a hangover thanks to the wine): "Either have a wintertime romance with Yoo Joonghyuk or try to survive the remaining two months of winter without being an idiot in front of him."
It wasn't as though their daily routine had changed, they still competed over who would make breakfast or they'd learn each other's language by teaching the other a word.
But now, she found herself doing little things for Yoo Joonghyuk; she sewed him a new shirt and jacket (even embroidering little wolves onto the collar of the shirt since they reminded her of him) along with a thick fur cloak (after he returned victorious with a bear's carcass one day, she had been startled to see him dragging the bear).
Kim Dokja handed the objects to him with a pink flush after dinner one day; upon unwrapping them, Yoo Joonghyuk gave her a wide smile before nodding in gratitude to her.
"Kirimvose, issa jorrāelagon." (TL: Thank you, my love.)
"You're welcome."
Kim Dokja felt that she was getting closer to Yoo Joonghyuk in terms of understanding one another.
Little touches grew more and more in their frequency, sometimes Yoo Joonghyuk would place his head on her back as though to listen to her heartbeat as she embroidered or read another book or raved about her favorite novel that she left unfinished back in her world.
While they kept switching on whose turn it was to sleep on the bed, sometimes when she fell asleep while doing something, Yoo Joonghyuk would pick her up and gently place her on the bed before laying her down on it.
So it became the most natural thing in the world to lean down and press a kiss to his cheek when she got up from sitting next to him before stopping in shook as her mind caught up with her body.
Kim Dokja stood frozen as her face flushed and her heart started beating wildly at her actions, refusing to turn around to look at the potential sight of disgust on Yoo Joonghyuk's face. She heard the creak on the floor as he got up, making his way towards her.
He would grab her by the wrist and push her away, mocking her for thinking that he would be into her.
Instead she was greeted with the warmth of Yoo Joonghyuk's chest being pressed against her smaller frame, his calloused hands clasped her smaller ones, thumbs gently rubbing over the back of her hands; a gentle kiss was pressed to her exposed nape, and then another and another until he pressed so many kisses against her nape that she lost count, her nape and face blushing a deep red that obviously showed how embarrassed she was.
Yoo Joonghyuk's deep voice spoke fondly from behind her as he pressed another kiss to the crown of her head. "Ñuha jorrāelagon prūmia." (TL: My dearest heart.)
Kim Dokja exhaled a breath as bravely as she could and turned around to look at him.
Oh, 𝐨𝐡, 𝑜ℎ!
𝒀𝒐𝒐 𝑱𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆.
At the sight of her blushing red face and teary eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk chuckled as he smiled beautifully at her, tsking as he wiped the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she was relieved by the lack of rejection from him.
"Hurt?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked her, eyes filled with concern, his hands still rubbing gentle circles on her glistening cheeks, doing his best to wipe them away.
Kim Dokja let out a soft giggle before shaking her head, leaning into the touch of his hand, nuzzling into one as she locked eyes with him. "Biare." (TL: Happy.)
Yoo Joonghyuk looked impressed and filled with pride at her answering him in his language rather than hers.
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned down to boop the tip of his nose against hers before going back to his seat, allowing her to continue doing what she had planned on doing.
Although she felt quite dazed by the actions that happened that night; her heart swelled with joy.
Yoo Joonghyuk liked her back and because he liked her back, her heart beat faster than it ever did before.
Because Yoo Joonghyuk liked her back, the fire truly warmed her entire body.
Because Yoo Joonghyuk liked her back, she truly felt content and filled with joy.
(While Yoo Joonghyuk was glad that his little wife was finally content, his heart ached at the fact that his wife had shed tears.
Did she truly believe that he did not reciprocate her affections?
As if!
She was everything he desired and more.)
Her mornings always started with a gentle kiss to her lips by Yoo Joonghyuk who was the early riser of the two of them as she finally accepted to share the bed with him, practically almost sleeping on top of him, her head tucked safely into his chest while his hands clasped together on the small middle of her back.
If anything, Kim Dokja was surprised by how warm Yoo Joonghyuk actually ran; when pressed against him, she barely found the need for extra quilts.
(Although she did notice the victorious look on his face and petty kick to the folded extra blankets and quilts that had served as her bed previously.)
It was nice, surprisingly domestic.
Something she had never seen and had only heard about in books; all of Kim Dokja's memories of her childhood were filled with a mercuric and destructive household.
Her father would rather beat her and her mother bloody than be comforting or good to either of them.
Once her father died and her own mother went to jail, she started living with relatives who were cold to their spouses.
To a young Kim Dokja, gentle domesticity was a concept that only existed in books.
But going through it with Yoo Joonghyuk, it was nice and comforting to her.
And she couldn't even speak the man's language!
To her, Yoo Joonghyuk seemed like a touch starved puppy by the way he would settle his head on her lap, looking up at her with fond eyes as she carded her fingers through his thick curly hair.
But Kim Dokja would also slump her head on his shoulder so she could receive the press of his soft lips against her temple.
Was this what people on social media called the 'honeymoon period'?
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
They came up with a new routine to perform at night; they'd kiss each other to sleep, soft presses of lips against the other's or against the other's exposed warm skin, sometimes their kisses were hungry and desperate while other times those sweet kisses were slow and devouring.
But this night, Kim Dokja found herself looming over Yoo Joonghyuk's larger frame, his hands held tightly onto her waist, his obsidian eyes stayed glued onto her heavily breathing form while she looked at him with lidded silver eyes.
Kim Dokja wondered if Yoo Joonghyuk would want to do what she wanted to do with him and decided there was only one way for her to figure out if he wanted to.
She sat down on his hips, dangerously close to where his cock was (she had been witness to it one day as he took a bath after a successful hunt, it was long and thick; her pussy throbbed at the idea of being fucked into by it) and Yoo Joonghyuk shot her a sharp look once he realized where she was sitting; Kim Dokja shot him a sweet smile from above as she leaned in to kiss at the scar that went through his left eyes while her delicate and slender hands came up to her nightgown, untying the front knot that held it up and gently pushing it down, it immediately fell to bunch up at her waist, stopped from falling more thanks to his hands on it.
While Kim Dokja wasn't very confident in her looks, she did end up in a body that was slightly healthier than her original body and especially considering that Yoo Joonghyuk's extremely tasty food ended up fattening her up, she was certain she didn't make a disgusting sight.
Yoo Joonghyuk could only gape at the exposed milky white skin, a myriad of light brown birthmarks dotted the expanse of her upper chest forming a shape similar to the stars he used to guide himself with, her breasts were small but perfect, her rosy pink nipples perked up due to the slight chill from being exposed to the evening chill.
It was an evident invitation.
And only a fool wouldn't accept it.
And Yoo Joonghyuk was no fool.
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned forward, his hands tightened their grip on her waist, to lap at one of the nipples with his tongue before taking it in his mouth and suckling gently on it while wrapping his tongue around it; Kim Dokja threw back her head as she exposed the slope of her neck to him, moaning softly at the warm sensation.
Yoo Joonghyuk suckled for quite a while, pulling out sweet moans from his cute wife's mouth, before switching and doing the same with the other breast; his hips grinded upwards against hers as she wriggled in place, hands coming up to hold on tightly to his shoulders, nails dully digging themselves into his flesh.
Kim Dokja moaned and whimpered as his mouth teased her, a needy whimper slipped from her throat when Yoo Joonghyuk pulled off her nipple to look up at her with hungry eyes filled with desire and yearning.
Kim Dokja could only feel herself drowning in his gaze before leaning down to press a kiss on his mouth; his tongue immediately barged its way into her mouth, exploring everything it could while coaxing her own tongue to play with his.
He stole her breath with that kiss; he kissed her for only God knows how long and when they parted, she realized hazily that Yoo Joonghyuk had flipped their positions and now he loomed over her delicate and panting frame.
She looked up at him with teary lidded eyes; she felt drool trickling from the corner of her lips, due to being kissed until she felt stupid.
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned back to sit on his calves as he admired the debauched sight of her, before muttering hoarsely.
"Issa gevie ābrazȳrys. Jaelagon suits ao sīr sȳrī." (TL: My beautiful wife. Want suits you so well.)
Kim Dokja's hands grabbed the hem of his shirt, trying to pull it off since she felt it was unfair for her chest to be exposed and not his.
Yoo Joonghyuk chuckled at her action before grabbing the hem himself and pulling it off in one fluid movement, allowing Kim Dokja to bask in the sight of his incredibly beautiful abs (she didn't realize how much she missed them until she saw them again) before he leaned down to press another mind numbing kiss to her lips and then the rest of her exposed skin.
Kim Dokja leaned up on her elbows to get a better look at him once he settled in between her trembling thighs, his hands had already removed the rest of her nightgown from her waist and had ripped off her undergarments, allowing Yoo Joonghyuk to take in the look of her trembling and soaking wet pussy.
Kim Dokja's face flushed a deeper red as she realized that Yoo Joonghyuk was doing something embarrassing by just staring at her pussy and tried to close her legs but was unable to due to Yoo Joonghyuk's tight grip on her knees.
"Joonghyuk-ah, stop— please, it's embarrassing." Yoo Joonghyuk looked up at her blushing and shy face, he maintained eye contact with her as he leaned forward to press a kiss on her clit, earning a full body shudder from Kim Dokja.
The look on Yoo Joonghyuk's face was filled with delight and naughtiness as he started lapping his tongue over her clit that soon started swelling due to the excess attention given to it by Yoo Joonghyuk.
"—ohfuck— Joonghyuk— shit shit shit— yesyesyesyes—" Kim Dokja mewled with every fervent swipe of Yoo Joonghyuk's tongue against her clit, writhing in his hold as she fell back onto the bed.
Yoo Joonghyuk simply stayed in between her legs, mindlessly lapping at her clit; feeling brave enough to gently push a finger in her cunt, deciding that she was malleable enough to prepare for his cock.
"— Hyuk-ah— more more more— please please—" Yoo Joonghyuk hummed, his lips wrapped around her clit which earned him a sharp moan from Kim Dokja before he nipped on it with his teeth; a sudden squirt of sweet and warm slick coated the lower part of his jaw.
Kim Dokja looked at him with horror as she started muttering apologies, trying to get up on weak arms but was shocked when Yoo Joonghyuk shoved his tongue inside of her pussy alongside his finger.
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled another two more climaxes from her by teasing her with solely his tongue and three fingers pressing against her sweet spot; he got up from in between her legs and leaned over her to kiss her, his tongue sharing the taste of her slick with her.
He wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding his exposed cock against her wet folds; Yoo Joonghyuk gave her a look as though asking her for permission to push his cock in.
The look on his face was earnest, he didn't need to tell her with words that if she didn't want it then it was okay since he discovered that he enjoyed playing with her clit very much.
But she wanted him so badly.
Kim Dokja's like had turned into want and it felt like wildfire consuming her whole.
She made sure to hook her ankles around the other behind his back and tried pulling him towards her. "Yes yes yes— FUCK!
"Qrugh—" Yoo Joonghyuk groaned as he slowly pushed his cock inside of Kim Dokja's extremely tight cunt, his eyes couldn't decide whether to look at the sight of his cock entering her cunt or the sight of his wife's pleasure filled face.
Of course, he settled for taking in the beautiful sight of her face.
If she showed that she was in too much pain then he would pull out and soothe the pain by eating her out once more, she seemed to like it a lot.
Just as much as he liked doing it.
Soon his hips touched hers, his cock fully inside of her.
Kim Dokja heaved in wide breath after breath; she was so full, her thoughts were solely filled by the weight of his cock inside of her, he was almost kissing the entrance of her womb.
Kim Dokja looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk with teary and hazy silver eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk would never get tired of taking in the beauty of her eyes filled with stars, her hand coming up to cradle his jaw, thumbing gently over his swollen lips.
"Its okay, Hyuk-ah, I'm okay. You can keep going." Kim Dokja whispered with a soft nod, tightening her thighs around his hips.
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned down to press a kiss against her trembling lips. "Ao sagon vok, ābrazȳrys." (TL: You're perfect, wife.)
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled out until only the tip was inside before gently thrusting inside of her, his cock brushing against her sweet spot with each thrust which earned him a pussy that got tighter and tighter along with the sweet moans coming from his wife's lips, her breasts bouncing enticingly with every single thrust inside of her.
They exchanged feverish and desperate kisses; Yoo Joonghyuk could barely keep his mouth and tongue away from hers and only did so so she could have an easier time breathing as he fucked her.
Yoo Joonghyuk wanted Kim Dokja to know only him, to want only him; his wife would always be the crown jewel of his life, to be allowed the honor of being all hers.
"—ah ah ah ah ah ah— yes yes yes yes yes yes—" Kim Dokja babbled with every thrust inside of her, her hand trailed down to rub her clit, making her release moans in an even higher pitch before she came harshly around Yoo Joonghyuk's cock.
Yoo Joonghyuk growled as he came inside of her, cock spilling warmth inside of her, making her feel even headier than before.
Instead of immediately feeling embarrassed, Kim Dokja felt weightless, she felt as though she were floating on a cloud.
Yoo Joonghyuk leaned down to press a sweet kiss on her lips and she kissed him back because it was perfect.
He was perfect.
And for now, he was all hers to have.
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
What Kim Dokja didn't expect that after having sex once with Yoo Joonghyuk, she'd be desirous to fuck every single day afterwards.
Sometimes Yoo Joonghyuk took the lead, falling onto his knees and spreading her legs wide while she was embroidering to eat her out until she was a sobbing mess that had squirted all over his face twice already, her entire body glistening with sweat, legs trembling and eyes hazy, one of her hands played with her nipple while Yoo Joonghyuk's larger hand fondled and tugged meanly on her other breast, his eyes never leaving the sight of her drowning in pleasure.
Other times, once she managed to convince Yoo Joonghyuk that despite her frail looks, she wasn't so fragile so he could afford to be rougher with her.
An action which rewarded her with an entire of day of just having sex, her skin being bitten and gripped so hard that bruises were certain to appear on her skin the next day (if not in hours after), her throat was unable to muster a single moan anymore, her body slumped onto his as he fucked upwards into her cunt, groaning and sneering in her ear with every thrust, her cunt felt so full of his warm cum.
While on other days, Kim Dokja would pull out his cock to start jerking him off as they talked, his fingers would soon find themselves inside of her pussy; it was a game to see who would crack first.
(She lost most of the times, she blamed his thicker and longer fingers for her loss)
And so winter passed like this.
And she was the happiest she had ever been.
One day, Kim Dokja woke up to the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk dressing himself up in the clothes she had found him in; she had repaired them and even added a certain flair to them.
Kim Dokja wanted to cry, wanted to beg him to stay but would he even know what she said?
Maybe this was all of a dream.
Maybe Yoo Joonghyuk acted like this with every person who rescued him from certain death.
When Yoo Joonghyuk saw that she was awake, he sat on the bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead and lips before whispering.
"Wait here. Return for you, ābrazȳrys." Yoo Joonghyuk looked so earnest, speaking in her language, enough for her to understand his message.
Wait for me here. I shall return for you.
Although she wasn't certain why he included the hostess part, what could she do?
Kim Dokja looked up at him before nodding, pressing a kiss to his chin.
Yoo Joonghyuk rumbled, pleased and content before getting up and leading her to the front door; he wrapped the cloak he arrived in around her as he wrapped the cloak Kim Dokja made around himself.
He leaned down and gave her a hungry and desperate kiss making sure to extract sweet moans from her before leaving.
Kim Dokja watched him go, trying her best not to cry.
(Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't pleased that he had to leave but if he was going to take Kim Dokja back home with him to be his lady wife then he needed to make sure that there were no threats near her.
Which meant that Yoo Joonghyuk needed to go put that fucking traitor, Anna Croft's head on a spike.
He'd come back for his beloved wife.
Who knew? Maybe when he returned, a child might be swelling in her womb.)
And so Kim Dokja waited for Yoo Joonghyuk to return.
Once the snow and ice that had covered the path to the village had melted, she made her way down to the village as though to occupy herself from thinking too much about Yoo Joonghyuk.
She sold every single piece of embroidery she had made during the winter, a large majority of her clients had been waiting for her to come back after the winter.
After selling, she'd buy things and return to her small cottage, hoping to be greeted with the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk waiting for her but to no avail.
It was in one of these trips down to the village that she finally got up to date with the happenings of the world she was in.
"Miss Kim, didn't you hear?" The baker spoke to her as she packed up a loaf of bread that Kim Dokja had ordered.
Kim Dokja lifted her gaze from the littlest child of the baker who tugged on her skirt to thank her for teaching them how to tie their shoes, cocking her head in confusion. "I'll have to say that I'm not privy to much information, madam."
"Oh right! Sorry, I forgot you were stuck in the mountains during all of winter although this was recent. You said that you used to work at Grand Duke Asmodeus' estate, right? The man got killed just a few days ago!" Kim Dokja fake gasped at the words that came from the baker's mouth.
"Oh dear. Do we know who did it?" Kim Dokja knew that the Grand Duke and the entire estate had been massacred by the vengeful ML who was the Crown Prince of the realm.
"Not exactly. It's because two Armies of barbarians were fighting near the Grand Duke's lands, as though coming this way so the Crown forced him to try to cease the dispute or to kill the barbarians." The baker explained, still holding onto Kim Dokja's bread.
... wait a minute.... this deviated from the OG story....
"But the winning army's general killed Grand Duke Asmodeus for being there! But they didn't even get close to the estate to pillage it, they just moved around it. Maybe they aren't as savage as we think."
With that the baker finally handed over the bread to Kim Dokja who nodded in thanks before making her way to the town healer, Miss Aileen, who was a trustworthy person and wouldn't go around talking.
Kim Dokja had felt ill recently and her period hadn't arrived in over two months; when she was in her world, she had often missed her periods because of how stressed or underweight she was but once she arrived to this world, her periods had always been punctual and had never missed one.
Kim Dokja was 90% sure of the reason why but she needed to confirm it.
"Congratulations Miss Kim, you're expecting a little one." Miss Aileen said kindly after examining her and listening to her symptoms. "Babes that are conceived during winter tend to be quite hardy so don't worry much, I'll give you these to boil to drink as tea, they're supplements to help with the pregnancy."
Kim Dokja thanked Aileen as she left the small doctor's consult, ignoring the men trying to hit on her as she made her way back home.
Her mind repeated the fact that she was expecting a baby, a child conceived from the love and passion she and Yoo Joonghyuk had for almost three months; he was the father of this baby and he might not return.
Not that the child would be less loved if so.
And if Yoo Joonghyuk returned, would he want the child or would that be a deal breaker?
Her head ached from so many worries.
Kim Dokja made it to the cottage and settled her groceries in their place before boiling the herbs and drinking the bitter tea.
She laid down on her bed and started to sniffle, soon she started crying.
She was happy but she was sad.
She already loved the child so much but she worried the child would always want its father's affection and if Yoo Joonghyuk refused to stay once he learned she was with child, she'd be heartbroken but her mother had taught her that a man would never make her happy.
She could make herself happy.
Kim Dokja started muttering names that she liked for the baby; she had a long list in her mind if it was a boy but the list for a girl fell short.
And so she fell asleep thinking about baby names and how cute the baby would look in the clothes she'd make for them.
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
"Ābrazȳrys." A voice whispered in her ear, the soft breath tickling her ear, warmth covered her back.
Kim Dokja blinked open her eyes, yawning as she found herself face to face with a smirking Yoo Joonghyuk.
Ah, it was a nice dream.
Kim Dokja reached out to cup his face, looking over the new scars as he turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand.
At the warmth, Kim Dokja knew she wasn't dreaming and immediately embraced him, kissing his neck as his arms wrapped around her frame, holding her tightly.
"Hyuk-ah, you're back!" Kim Dokja smiled with tears streaming down her face.
"Why cry? I return." Yoo Joonghyuk frowned as he wiped her tears away, sitting up and settling her on his lap.
"Biare, sīr biare." Kim Dokja spoke sweetly before stilling. (TL: Happy, so happy)
She couldn't be like this without telling him about the baby, she wasn't going to let him break her heart and make her cry from sadness after making her cry from happiness.
"Hyuk-ah, I have something to tell you." Kim Dokja cupped his face to look at him before she pulled away. "I'm pregnant, I'm going to have a baby."
Her arms did the motion of cradling a baby and Yoo Joonghyuk's jaw dropped, his eyes widened in shock before his hands immediately came down to cradle her face as he gave her an open mouthed kiss.
"Nykeā rūs?" Yoo Joonghyuk smiled widely at her before pecking kisses all over her face. "Ñuha ābrazȳrys iksis sīr vok!" (TL: A baby? My wife is so perfect!)
Yoo Joonghyuk helped her get dressed as he fussed over her; she wanted to shake him and tell him that she was barely two months pregnant, that there was no need to fuss for now but allowed him to do so.
She simply smiled fondly at him. Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed her hand and led her out the door where she was surprised to find three more people waiting on horses outside, they spoke in the same language that Yoo Joonghyuk spoke.
There were two women and one man but one of the women seemed like a strong warrior while the other seemed more like an outworldly healer beauty by the way her lower face was covered with a veil.
"Hyuk-ah, who are they?" Kim Dokja looked up at him curiously.
Yoo Joonghyuk seemed pensive on the word to use before he found it. "....friend."
Ah, they were Yoo Joonghyuk's friends.
The outworldly beauty walked closer to them before bowing to Yoo Joonghyuk and grabbing Kim Dokja's hand and pressing a kiss to it. "A pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Healer Lee, a loyal servant and advisor to Lord Yoo. These are my fellow advisors, Generals Lee and Jung."
.... wait.
"You can speak my language?! Then why doesn't he speak it?" Kim Dokja pointed at Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Ah, my father was from these lands so he taught me. That is how I know." Healer Lee smiled at her.
..... Lord.....
"So he isn't Mr. Yoo, he's Lord Yoo?" Kim Dokja asked softly.
"Yes! His Lordship has told us much about you, how kind you were to him and how he desired to accept your marriage proposal, although I did tell him that since you're from these lands you might have not actually proposed."
"What do you mean proposed?" Kim Dokja whispered.
"In Kaizenix culture, if someone who isn't a close family member or a Healer tends to one's injuries for a long period of time, it's considered as a marriage proposal. It's done to reward the person for taking the time and resources to care for another person's life." Healer Lee explained kindly.
...... "Healer Lee, what does ābrazȳrys mean?"
"Oh, it means wife."
........... she's a fucking idiot and Kim Dokja is surprised she managed to survive this long.
"Are we married then?" Kim Dokja asked.
"Technically not but Lord Yoo insists that you are but if I tell him that you insisted on a ceremony then yes." Healer Lee answered with a wide smile.
"Ummmm, tell him that I thank him for accepting my proposal although I was only trying to be a good person and that it'd be nice if we had a wedding ceremony." Kim Dokja whispered in Healer Lee's ear, ignoring her apparently fiancé's look of confusion and betrayal.
Healer Lee turned to translate to Yoo Joonghyuk who nodded before picking her up and cradling her towards the horse, sitting her in front so he could protect her.
Apparently Kim Dokja just needed to save a Lord from dying to get a husband.
It would've been nice to know though.
· ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── ·
(Seven months later they greeted their daughter, Biyoo, into the world.
At the sight of his daughter, Yoo Joonghyuk immediately cried.
Eventually Yoo Joonghyuk managed to convince her to have another baby around a year after Biyoo was born.
They decided to use Kim Dokja's cottage as a small getaway destination but they both knew that they just preferred to conceive their children in the small cottage which was a small world made for only the two of them.)