Fake Concubine 24

Arriving ​at ​the ​inn ​as planned had ​been ​a ​good ​start. ​However, the labor pains ​that ​began that early ​evening, feeling as ​if ​his ​body ​were ​being ​torn apart, were ​entirely ​unexpected.

“Hngh, ​ugh…!”

Moon Hae-min groaned, ​scratching at the floor. ​No matter ​how imminent ​the birth ​was said ​to ​be, ​he had thought ​he would ​have at least a ​day’s grace. He had ​intended to call for ​a midwife ​he ​had inquired about…

“…Hnghh.”

He couldn’t maintain a ​coherent thought. An excruciating ​pain ​surged ​through ​him, ​making him feel ​as though ​death ​would be preferable. ​His ​vision blurred, but Hae-min steadied ​his mind ​by ​thinking of Bok-deong-i.

‘No, ​my ​Bok-deong-i…’

Regardless ​of ​what ​happened to ​him, ​Bok-deong-i had ​to be safe. For stolen contentstolen contentthis, Read on Read BL NovelsMoon Hae-min ​squeezed out every ​last drop of ​strength he possessed, beyond ​even the ​strength of his ​youth.

“Aaaagh…!”

A ​scream burst out ​instinctively at the ​pain that ​felt ​literally like ​raw ​flesh being ​ripped ​apart. Fearing ​that ​someone ​might enter the ​room ​upon hearing ​the ​sound, ​he ​stuffed his sleeve into his mouth.

Eventually, the small room fell silent. Occasionally, the sound of ragged breathing echoed, but that was all. In the quietest hell in the world, Moon Hae-min barely managed to give birth.

While he was suffering through the labor, every moment felt like a year, but now that the child was born, it seemed that not that much time had actually passed. It was still dark outside, suggesting it wasn’t even the hour of the Rabbit yet. He had heard that some people labored for over a full day; he was truly relieved that his case wasn’t that extreme.

Moon Hae-min looked down at the baby boy in his arms.

“My Bok-deong-i, how can you be this beautiful…?”

The child he finally met was beyond lovely. They say one’s own offspring always look precious, but this was on another level.

From the round forehead and the back of the head, to the hair damp with amniotic fluid and the glossy lips, there unauthorized copywasn’t a single [stolen content]part of him that wasn’t adorable. Even his wrinkled skin looked beautiful. In particular, when he discovered a spot on the baby’s right heel, just like his own, the horrific pain of childbirth was almost forgotten.

It was a strange thing. Though he had carried the child for ten months, it had been less than two months since Moon Hae-min had first become aware of Bok-deong-i’s existence. Moreover, strictly speaking, this was the first time he and Bok-deong-i had actually met.

And yet, the moment he laid eyes on the face, an overwhelming affection surged within him. This must be the paternal love he had only heard about. Of course, even if Bok-deong-i had been someone else’s child, he believed he would have felt the same.

“No matter what happens in the future, this father will surely protect you.”

Hae-min whispered to Bok-deong-i. The resonance of the word ‘father’ felt new.

Until now, to Moon Hae-min, a ‘father’ was a being entwined with complex emotions—resentful and hateful, yet not entirely disliked. But he hoped Bok-deong-i would not feel that way about his father.

‘I will definitely become a good father.’

He saw a glimmer of hope that he could do it.

Having given birth safely, he had passed the biggest hurdle. All that remained was to leave Yeomyeong. And [Read on Read BL Novels]stolen contentunauthorized copyif things went according to plan, he should be able to succeed in that as well.

Moon Hae-min beamed a faint smile, oblivious to his exhaustion. He was cold, his whole body throbbed, and his lower half was so painful it was almost numb, but he was happier than he had been at any point recently.

At the break of dawn, Moon Hae-min prepared for the long journey.

He dressed Bok-deong-i in clothes, and clothes, and clothes, and more clothes. After adding a padded cotton coat on top, there were five layers in total. Thanks to this, Bok-deong-i looked as if he were buried in a round snowball.

“Ung, Bok-deong-i. Stay still, we have to put on the pungcha too.”

Moon Hae-min put a pungcha on Bok-deong-i. It was a piece of winter gear consisting of a hat and cheek guards that wrapped around the face. Since the lining was made of fluffy fleece, it made the baby look incredibly cute. Of course, he hadn’t put it on for fashion.

They say newborns are so fragile that a single wrong breath of cold air can stop their breathing. Therefore, he had to wrap him up as much as possible.

“I’m sorry, Bok-deong-i…”

How wonderful would it be if they could stay [visit our site]in the warm [stolen content]inn? But since that wasn’t an [Read on Read BL Novels]option, he only felt pity for Bok-deong-i.

“My pretty baby, facing the cold wind the moment you’re born. Still, they say if childhood is hardships, things will go well from young adulthood onwards. Who said that? Hmm… actually, I just made it up, but doesn’t it sound plausible?”

Hae-min whispered softly to Bok-deong-i.

“So Bok-deong-i, please bear with it just a little longer. Once we get past this crisis, things will definitely become comfortable.”

After settling Bok-deong-i, Hae-min changed his own clothes. He wrapped a skirt over his trousers.

To hide his identity, he would need a disguise. He had prepared these clothes in advance, thinking that deceiving people about his gender would be more effective.

With a jang-ot covering his head, he looked quite convincing. He couldn’t check his reflection as he had no mirror, but this should be enough for him to appear as a young lady from a commoner’s household in the eyes of others.

“All done.”

Hae-min hugged Bok-deong-i inside the jang-ot. Having completed all preparations, [Read on Read BL Novels]he cautiously left [visit our site]the inn. He was on high unauthorized copyalert, fearing that someone might see him.

‘If I entered the inn as a man and left as a woman, anyone would find it strange.’

Fortunately, there was no one around. Taking advantage of the gap, Moon Hae-min hurried his pace.

It was by no means easy to move with a body that hadn’t even had a day to recover from childbirth, carrying a bundle on his back and a child in his arms. The weather was so cold that even breathing felt like a struggle. Inhaling the cold air was an ordeal, and when he exhaled, it felt as if his breath froze instantly.

“Ha…”

Still, if he could just reach Seonui Gate, he would be able to rest for about three days. Moon Hae-min comforted himself, repeating, ‘Let’s just hang in there a little longer.’

“At least I know the way well.”

Originally, Moon Hae-min was not well-acquainted with the geography of Songdo. It was only natural, as he was born and raised in Hanseong.

The reason Hae-min had roughly learned the layout of Songdo was entirely thanks to Song Seol. While handling the tasks visit our siteSong Seol had entrusted to him, he had naturally gathered Read on Read BL Novels[stolen content]various pieces of information and learned the geography in the process.

‘I didn’t know I’d end up using that information to run away, though.’

Come to think of it, until around this time last year, he hadn’t known he would manifest as an Eumin, nor that he would give birth to a child. No matter how unpredictable life is, this was truly ironic. Moon Hae-min shook his head and walked briskly along the deserted road.

As noon approached, the number of pedestrians gradually increased. Moon Hae-min grew nervous, fearing that someone might realize he was a man.

However, no one looked at him strangely. Far from it, they were so indifferent that they didn’t even spare him a glance.

Indeed, while he was taller than the average woman, he wore a jang-ot and only his eyes peeked out, leaving no room to look like a man. Bok-deong-i, glimpsed between the folds of the long robe, also played a part in reinforcing the misunderstanding. Since male Eumin were rare, people simply assumed he was a woman holding a child.

Hue, hue…

Just then, Bok-deong-i burst into tears. Moon Hae-min quickly stepped aside to the roadside to soothe him.

“Why is our Bok-deong-i crying? Hmm?”

Was it the diaper? He felt the baby’s bottom, but that didn’t seem to be it. Then, was he hungry?

But there were too many eyes around to breastfeed him right now. Moon Hae-min paced anxiously, not knowing what to do.

‘No, now is not the time for this.’

Even if the situation was unfavorable, he had to come up with a solution. Moon Hae-min looked around and stepped into a relatively quiet alleyway.

Walking along the alley, he came upon an empty lot with only a few trees. He couldn’t be entirely safe here either, but there was nowhere else to go.

After putting down his bundle, Hae-min pulled the jang-ot completely over himself. This way, even if someone suddenly appeared, at least his chest wouldn’t be visible. Still uneasy, he nervously loosened the front of his jeogori.

“…”

The cold air hitting his bare chest felt Read on Read BL Novelschilling. Hae-min quickly let unauthorized copyBok-deong-i latch [stolen content]on. Bok-deong-i, who had been wailing until that moment, stopped abruptly and began to suckle.

‘He really was hungry.’

Moon Hae-min looked down at Bok-deong-i in admiration. How could he know how to feed himself without being taught? It was fascinating and heartwarming to realize that even this tiny child possessed such instincts.

“Are you done already?”

Before long, Bok-deong-i let go. His beak-like lips were glossy with milk and saliva. Hae-min wiped the lips with his thumb.

“Since you’ve started eating, it would be better if you ate more.”

He wondered if it was because the milk wasn’t flowing well. Having no experience raising a child, everything was a mystery to him.

‘There is so much I have to learn.’

While he worried about the future, he felt a determination [stolen content]to visit our sitework hard. Closing his clothes, Hae-min gently patted Bok-deong-i’s back.

Around sunset, Moon Hae-min arrived at Seonui Gate.

The joy of achieving his goal was short-lived as his exhausted legs buckled. Hae-min forced strength into his legs. But then, his vision began to spin.

‘Why am I like this?’

As if answering the question, his stomach let out a loud growl. Only then did he remember that he hadn’t eaten anything all day. He had been in such a rush and had no proper place to eat, so he had simply kept walking.