Chapter 224
The bombshell answer, delivered in his usual calm tone, left her mind reeling.
Though she’d been to this world once before, Jaha was an Earthling to her core. She couldn’t adapt to this mythic turn of events—it felt like her modern common sense was being outright denied.
“So… the ‘evidence of sin’ you mentioned before is this seal? And the ‘sin’ was breaking a taboo?”
He didn’t deny it. Cold sweat trickled down Jaha’s nape.
Just what kind of person is this man?
No ordinary human would bear such a seal.
Whether in a good or bad way, he was beyond her capacity to handle. Behind that refined face might lurk someone dangerously extraordinary. She ought to distance herself immediately. But…
“Does it… hurt? Or cause you any suffering?”
His jewel-like blue eyes blinked slowly, as if he didn’t understand the question.
“I was just wondering if the seal has any negative effects on your body.”
Isn’t it something you often see in myths? The sight of a human suffering under divine punishment. Maybe that’s why I felt worried first. And then a sigh rose up. I realized I liked this man much more than I thought.
“That’s not the case. There’s no particular pain or anything…”
The reply came a little late. For some reason, he looked utterly bewildered. As if he’d never imagined Yoo Jaha would worry about him.
Separate from her relief, Jaha felt a slightly strange emotion at his reaction.
‘Did he see me as some kind of heartless monster?’
It’s not like they were sworn enemies—weren’t they supposed to be in a relationship?
Sometimes, there were moments when she could feel how excessively low this man’s expectations of her were. ‘Low’ was even an understatement. Rock-bottom. Nonexistent.
Even in interactions that were perfectly natural between lovers, for some reason, he seemed to believe such things could never happen.
‘He’s definitely not the type with low self-esteem, so why…?’
If he were the kind of person starved for affection—someone who’d cling desperately to the slightest kindness, disbelieving and humbled by any attention—she could’ve understood. But from what she’d observed, this man was the complete opposite. The type who knew full well how exceptional he was, who took others’ admiration for granted.
Whether it was his nature or a product of a hierarchical society, he was a man cloaked in arrogance.
Jaha knew. Even if someone worshipped her like a goddess, this man wouldn’t bat an eye. Unlike her, who’d be flustered and restless, he—
If Jaha was an ordinary person with no power, this man was an inevitable ruler.
‘But then why…?’
Why was it only in his relationship with her that he lacked confidence?
As if being loved by her was something impossible.
As if there were some disqualifying reason that made him unworthy of her love.
His breathtaking looks, dignified bearing, affectionate demeanor—by all rights, it’d be stranger not to love him. Was it simply that he became endlessly small in front of someone he liked?
‘Or did he do something unforgivable to me…?’
Jaha consciously stopped her train of thought.
That wasn’t the case, wasn’t it already settled?
She’d decided not to think about it anymore, hadn’t she?
To bury it, to free herself from the past and live happily.
Clenching her teeth silently, Jaha struggled to shake off her distracting thoughts and changed the subject.
“Would it be better to make the ring into a necklace?”
Knowing he had to wear gloves, she thought that might be preferable. But he shook his head.
“No. I’ll wear it over the gloves.”
“Shall we try it on?”
Since there was no time to have it custom-made, she had chosen one that roughly matched the thickness of his fingers. However, since it was purchased with the assumption that he wouldn’t be wearing gloves, there was no telling if it would actually fit.
“If it doesn’t fit, we can always call a mage to adjust the size with a spell.”
“Huh?”
His casual reply left Yoo Jaha stunned.
She wasn’t entirely sure, but the cost of such magic would likely be several times the price of the ring itself. A gift that forces the recipient to spend even more money—how embarrassing would that be?
“Since it’s off-the-shelf, we can exchange it if it doesn’t fit. Or have a new one custom-made.”
“I don’t want that. This is the first gift you’ve ever given me.”
“No, I mean…”
The words “Don’t read too much into something so trivial” rose in her throat before sinking back down.
For some reason, she felt like a failure. It was as if she had answered “1 plus 1 equals 2” and received thunderous applause and praise—excessive to the point of humiliation.
‘I’ll probably give you plenty more gifts like this in the future.’
While grumbling inwardly, he slid the ring onto his gloved finger. Fortunately, it slipped smoothly down to the base of his ring finger.
“Fits perfectly.”
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