## Chapter 240 – (14)
I succeeded.
This fact alone was heating up my mind and heart.
I had to think long and hard before sending the photo.
But, there was no other way.
The situations from the novel I had read just weren’t happening.
For example, moments where I could worry about the Grand Duke of the North, who was suffering from the wounds he sustained fighting barbarians and monsters in solitude.
Or moments where I could be a companion to him, who seemed to have a lot of loneliness.
The story just wasn’t progressing.
I had no choice.
Novels and reality are different.
But one thing remained unchanged.
Sunghan was definitely the Grand Duke of the North.
‘I can tell from his eyes and body.’
I couldn’t tell when I first saw Sunghan.
But when I met his eyes, it was like a lightning bolt struck my head.
The cold eyes looking down at me, and the strong body that was clearly built through rough battles, not ordinary exercise.
He was definitely the Grand Duke of the North.
Sunghan didn’t see me as a woman.
No, it seemed like he didn’t give his heart to anyone.
He was just enjoying the resort, fascinated by the entertainment program.
Then, Sunghan started to pay attention to someone.
I wished it was me.
Sadly, it wasn’t.
Ella.
Sunghan started to show interest in Ella.
Quite boldly, too.
I started to feel anxious at the sight.
‘It’s different from the novel.’
Reality isn’t a novel, and I wasn’t the main character.
If I didn’t act first, nothing would change.
I had to create opportunities, not just wait for them.
I tried.
I got a ticket, played a game with Kangryul and won, and switched rooms and partners.
I ended up staying in the best room with Sunghan.
Even so, it was hard to get Sunghan’s attention.
The situation improved a bit after we were in the same room, though.
I made a mistake.
Assigning me to the same room as Sunghan was good.
But putting Ella and Kangryul in the tent room was a mistake.
I thought that showing Sunghan how good Ella and Kangryul looked together would make him give up on Ella.
I forgot.
My Grand Duke of the North was someone who didn’t know the meaning of giving up.
Even in front of Kangryul, Sunghan didn’t care and showed Ella a lot of kindness.
Kangryul was even impressed by it.
I could even feel that Ella was gradually falling for Sunghan, as if she couldn’t resist.
And this morning.
Sunghan received two votes.
‘Who is it?’
My heart started beating fast when I found out the voting results.
Could it be Ella?
They were supposed to exchange votes with Kangryul, but did she end up being captured?
In a way, it was a natural progression.
Even if Sunghan tried to hide it, it would naturally come out as they spent time together.
Sunghan’s charms.
Splitting logs in one go, running across the beach, and even his low voice that made listeners feel comfortable.
It seemed like someone else had realized his charms, not just me.
I couldn’t put it off any longer.
I had to act more aggressively.
I had to show something that would make even Sunghan turn away from Ella and towards me.
And as I was thinking that, I remembered what I had brought in my suitcase.
‘Come to think of it—’
There was a swimsuit in my suitcase that had very little fabric.
I didn’t originally buy it to wear.
I bought it because I was surprised by the openness of Hong Kong.
This swimsuit was being sold proudly in a department store.
Honestly, I even thought it could be YouTube content.
But.
‘Is this it?’
It was as if my past self, who bought this, was telling my present self.
That I had to go this far.
To win Sunghan.
I put on the swimsuit as if possessed by that thought.
It was definitely too revealing, but at the same time, I felt like this was enough to convey.
My feelings.
I put only one photo, the one I liked the most out of dozens or hundreds, on my phone.
Then I went around the resort looking for Sunghan.
‘Ah, here it is.’
A space that only participants with two or more votes could enter.
Sunghan also received two votes, so he would be inside.
I slowly opened the door, and Ella and Sunghan looked at me with awkward expressions.
Ella’s expression was flushed, and the tips of her ears were red.
It seemed like something had happened between the two, but I was relaxed now.
I had faith that the photo on my phone would solve a lot of things.
If this photo wasn’t enough—
‘…I still won’t give up, though.’
I would have to find another way.
I approached Sunghan and asked for his phone number.
I smiled slightly as I saw Sunghan added to the phone number list.
[Grand Duke of the North]
I saved his name like that and sent the photo.
After Sunghan’s phone rang, I just kept watching Sunghan’s expression.
What kind of reaction would he show?
He might look at me with contempt, or maybe he would notice my feelings and accept them.
Even though I knew the chances were slim.
I couldn’t help but expect it.
And Sunghan really accepted my feelings.
Sunghan looked at his phone and slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
I felt like I had been saved just by that.
Sunghan looked at me.
My heart pounded when I met his eyes.
His eyes had changed.
Eyes that seemed to see through me.
I became anxious because it felt like all the dark intentions I had hidden in my heart were being exposed.
‘I might get eaten…’
I felt like prey in front of a beast.
It was that intense.
After that, both Sunghan and I were just killing time.
Until this interview video was over.
In my head, I wanted to go somewhere without cameras with Sunghan as soon as possible.
I didn’t care what happened to me there.
No, to be honest, a little—
I wanted it to happen.
After the video ended, Sunghan and I walked side by side, making excuses to Ella that she didn’t even ask for.
We didn’t talk to each other.
We just walked side by side, listening to each other’s breathing.
“Hoo…hoo….”
“Umm…”
We weren’t walking that fast, but my breathing became heavy.
My heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t breathe quietly.
Therapy Room.
As the space was originally for massages at the resort, the room was filled with leather beds and towels.
There was also an unknown fragrant floral scent and soft orange lighting.
Click.
Sunghan turned off the microphone on his waist first.
And I turned off my microphone late.
Even though the microphones were off, Sunghan and I didn’t readily make a sound.
We just looked at each other intensely.
Sunghan slowly headed to the deepest part of the therapy room, and I followed him.
There were two beds, separated by a partition.
Behind the partition, Sunghan’s hand slowly reached for the zipper of my windbreaker.
Ziiip.
Hoo.
When the zipper was opened, the windbreaker opened weakly, revealing a swimsuit that was almost naked inside.
My body was a little hot, so it felt like a hot heat was spreading out.
Even I could feel a slightly sexy scent coming from my body.
I wondered if Sunghan would dislike this side of me, but.
Sunghan was looking down at me with a light smile.
“Haa…”
I felt a strange sense of liberation as the cold air touched my body, which was a little hot because of the windbreaker.
“Someone’s coming.”
“Yes?”
“Hold in your moans.”
“What…”
Click.
Sunghan turned on the microphone again.
Then I really heard someone coming in.
Surprised, I hid my body close to the partition.
Sunghan slowly lay down on the bed and started stroking my body with his hand.
“Oh? Hyung?”
‘Who is it?’
It was a voice I didn’t know well.
It definitely wasn’t Kangryul or Taesung’s voice.
That means—
‘The one who voted for me…’
I heard that Kangryul voted for his partner Ella, and Taesung also voted for his partner Jinju.
Sunghan voted for Ella.
Then the other two men voted for me.
‘If I get caught in this state by someone like that—’
Sunghan calmly stroked my body, which was stiff with tension.
My body unconsciously relaxed every time Sunghan’s hand passed over my body.
“I didn’t see you during the water activities, Hyung. Were you resting here too?”
“Yeah, I’m a little tired.”
“Me too, I’m exhausted from the water activities and interviews… But I can’t rest in the room because I’m conscious of my partner.”
The man sighed.
In response to that sound, I carefully let out a sigh.
The emotions contained in the two sighs were quite different.
“Are you not getting along?”
“Yes? Yes… I voted for Jessica.”
“Is that what you fought about?”
“We didn’t fight, but I’m conscious of it…”
Sunghan looked at the man over the partition and smiled.
He slowly stroked my chest with his fingers.
As if he was praising me.
Each time, I had to cover my mouth with both hands.
‘His hands are rough…’
These rough hands had a strange curve, and every time he stroked me, it stimulated my body as if electricity was flowing through it.
I never thought my chest would be this sensitive.
“Is there a reason why you voted for Jessica?”
“Yes? Well… she’s pretty.”
“That’s right.”
“And she reads a lot of books, speaks well, and smiles a lot. I’m a fan.”
“Is that so?”
A quick glance.
Sunghan’s gaze swept over me from top to bottom.
Then Sunghan asked with his lips.
‘How is it?’
How is it, the feeling of being molested in front of a fan.
There was no way I could feel good.
That’s what it should be.
But, is it because I’m being touched by Sunghan, by the Grand Duke?
The feeling is too—.
“…Hng…”
I bit my lower lip.
So that a moan wouldn’t leak out.
