The soft chime announcing the end of the working day rang out, quiet but enough to dispel the solemn stillness that had accumulated in the office throughout the day. I tidied the stacks of files on my desk, checked tomorrow's schedule one more time, then placed the important documents inside the drawer and locked it. The first thing I did before leaving the office was not put on my coat or pick up my car keys, but take out my phone and send Tae-seon a brief message:

I'm done for the day. Getting ready to head home. Where are you?

Less than half a minute later, the screen lit up. I put on my earphones and listened to his voice message.

"I'm on my way home. Almost there. I'll stop by the supermarket and pick up some fresh ingredients. Chae-ha, drive carefully, and don't go too fast."

I smiled, carefully slipped my phone into my pocket, and headed down to the parking garage. As my car rolled out of the Danhyeon Branch and merged into the stream of traffic heading toward the small city where we lived, my thoughts began to drift along with the streaks of evening light scattered across the windshield.

Summer was drawing near, bringing with it both the increasingly dense heat and the cool, fresh breezes drifting in from afar. I suddenly thought of the vacation the two of us had coming up.

True to the habits of someone who had once lived a withdrawn and frugal life, I tended to favour simple, inexpensive holidays close to home-perhaps a trip to a seaside town not too far away, where the sound of waves and the salt-laden air could help me shed the exhaustion left behind by long-running cases.

That was simply the kind of person I was. I was nostalgic, fond of familiar things, and, on top of that, rather inexperienced. I had never had many opportunities to travel, so some part of me still longed for the quiet blue seaside holiday we had taken the previous year.

But Joo Tae-seon had hinted more than once that he wanted to take me abroad.

Whenever he brought it up, I felt a little nervous, but at the same time, I was filled with anticipation. Truthfully, I had no real concept of what "abroad" even meant. There were still so many places within Korea that I had never seen, let alone anywhere beyond its borders. My entire youth had been a long struggle for survival, scraping together enough for meals, tuition, and living expenses. The thought of boarding a flight to another country therefore felt both utterly unfamiliar and faintly intimidating.

And yet, the desire to step out into the world with Tae-seon was greater than all of that.

I planned to sit down and discuss the trip properly with him this weekend, when we would have two full days free together. When it came to things I had little experience or knowledge of, I would rather place my complete trust in Tae-seon than waste time fumbling around on my own.

My lover had always been my strongest source of support. He was not only a brilliant prosecutor, but also an extraordinarily dependable man. With every decision, big or small, he considered things carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on his experience and knowledge. Whatever he did, he wanted to give me the best possible thing, in whatever way would make me feel most comfortable and safe.

He understood my innate timidity. He knew every one of my little habits, and he always spoiled me in his own particular way-still as principled as ever, still possessing that unmistakably domineering streak, but with an abundance of patience and a quiet instinct to protect me.

When I opened the door to our warm, cosy apartment, the fragrant smell of grilled meat and steaming kimchi stew had already spread throughout the living room.

Tae-seon had beaten me home. He had already changed into his house clothes and was busy at the stove.

That ordinary little scene always made my heart ache softly with happiness. This peaceful, uneventful family life was something I had once never even dared to dream of, because it had seemed far too unrealistic.

I walked over and obediently wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, burying my face against his broad back, still carrying the lingering trace of his familiar cologne.
"I'm home, honey."
"Traffic was a bit heavy today, wasn't it? You took about ten minutes longer than usual. Go change, wash your face, and rest a bit before dinner," Joo Tae-seon tilted his head to drop a gentle kiss on my hair. His voice retained its usual composure, but I could catch the familiar fondness tucked beneath his words. He had never expected me to share the housework. Taking care of me, spoiling me, seemed to be a quiet pleasure of his-as much as he cherished me itself.

Dinner unfolded beneath the warm yellow light. Just as I had expected, the man still had not quite gotten over his irritation at the fact that the two of us now worked in separate places. While putting food into my bowl, he began grumbling in a tone that sounded stern on the surface, though the actual content was filled with the most childish jealousy.

"That new investigator in your department-has that rascal stopped being a nuisance yet? I heard you spent the whole morning teaching him today. How did he manage to get through training only to become such a complete idiot once he actually started working? Or is he deliberately acting helpless so you'll pay more attention to him?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze as sharp as though he were interrogating a suspect.

"And then there's Mr Kim. He clings to you every single day, going on and on about completely meaningless things. Don't spoil them too much. Just tell them you're busy and they'll figure out how to handle their own work."

Looking at his hardened expression and irritated tone, my heart filled with sweetness.

I knew exactly who his "spy" at the office was.

Back when they had worked together, he had criticised Mr Kim for all sorts of things, never satisfied with the older man's shortcomings. And yet now he had to rely on him to keep track of what was happening with me.

Of course, given how talkative Mr Kim was, all Tae-seon had to do was ask one vague question and he would enthusiastically tell him everything-probably with more enthusiasm than a criminal confessing in hopes of receiving leniency. There was a very good chance he added a little embellishment too, because exaggeration was practically one of his hobbies.

But even knowing perfectly well that Mr Kim had a habit of turning five into ten whenever he told a story, Tae-seon probably believed at least seventy percent of what he heard.

And his jealousy supplied the remaining thirty.

Honestly, I didn't quite understand why he felt so genuinely jealous when there was absolutely no one around me-nor any real possibility-The new young colleagues were still green and naïve. The older ones had always been ordinary and dull in that quintessential civil-servant sort of way. And Mr Kim, for all his social charm, was old enough to be my father. I did not want to compare them, but if I had to do so simply to make the picture clearer, then I could say that even if you added together all the good qualities of every man in the Danhyeon Prosecutors' Office, they would not amount to half of Tae-seon's merits in my eyes.

That was saying nothing of how handsome he was-to this day, after working together for so long, after a year as lovers and growing so deeply intimate, I would still occasionally pause just to admire his face. On top of that, he was wealthy, held a respected social position, and loved me so deeply. No one had ever cared for me or treated me as wonderfully as he did. If anyone ought to feel insecure or fear losing their partner, it should be me. Yet because of his clear, unconditional devotion, I felt completely secure in his love. Even working apart, I never worried he would stray or that someone might take him away. It was a mystery why he remained so prone to jealousy day and night, to the point where even his usual cold exterior couldn't keep a lid on the simmering envy within him.

I placed a piece of grilled meat into his bowl, smiling gently to soothe him: "He's just a rookie unfamiliar with the work and terrified of making mistakes, which is why he asks for guidance so often. As for Officer Kim, why even bring him up? He's nearing retirement. I don't mind it, so it doesn't bother me. Besides, I'm only maintaining basic workplace courtesy; after all, we need harmony to work together."

I paused, then smiled.

"And why are you paying attention to all those other men anyway? Lee Chae-ha already has the very best man in the world. After that, everyone else just looks the same to me. Who could possibly compare with our Prosecutor Joo?"

Hearing a string of flattering words uttered with absolute sincerity in both my tone and expression, Tae-seon's brow smoothed out slightly. Still, he let out a soft huff before looking down to eat, unable to hide his quiet satisfaction. I counted to five in my head; sure enough, unable to contain his joy at my praise, he set his bowl down and reached over to gently pinch my cheek. "Lee Chae-ha, ever since you became team lead, your skill in talking has really grown. You used to just talk sweetly; now you know how to butter me up."

"I only speak sweetly to you."

That wasn't meant to flatter him; I truly could only speak this gently with him. Nor was it a natural trait of mine. When we first started dating, I hadn't yet shed my rigid, formal way of speaking. But gradually, wanting to match his devotion-wanting to ensure he wasn't the only one giving love through words and actions while I merely received-I practiced. Though I still wasn't someone who poured out sweet words effortlessly, compared to where I began, expressing my feelings had become far more natural. Showing him my heart no longer left me flustered or awkward. Theory means little without practice, and love was no exception. In loving him, I had learned so much about both receiving affection and expressing love to another.
Looking at the man before me-getting restless over me, growing jealous over the smallest details, yet finding such pure contentment in my soothing words-a deep wave of emotion surged in my chest. I had grown up lonely and isolated, spending years fending for myself in the cold expanse of the world, constantly defensive, drawing boundaries as a shield against hurt. Yet when I met him, I was the one who surrendered my heart first. Back then, I had only hoped for a small fraction of his love in return, believing that little bit would be enough to sustain me. Carrying the mindset of someone gathering scraps of affection, I spent endless days trying to decipher whether his actions signaled feelings for me, only to deny it later, convincing myself it was mere imagination. At the same time, the thought that he might not feel the slightest bit of affection for me, that he was only drawn to me because of physical desire, hurt so terribly that I would fall right back into the same cycle-guessing, denying, and then quietly nurturing that tiny spark of hope all over again. Never had I dared to picture a day when Tae-seon would say he loved me, a day when we would become each other's closest confidants, sharing a bed as we did now. Knowing the depth of the love I held for him, I sometimes found it hard to believe that the love returned by Prosecutor Joo Tae-seon-the man I had always admired, respected, and secretly loved-could be this profound, passionate, and fierce. Sometimes, when I woke in the middle of the night and looked at his sleeping face beside me, I still felt as though I were lost inside an impossibly sweet dream.

But nearly a year of living together under the same roof had proven that this was reality.

The love and happiness he brought into my life felt fresh every day, making me endlessly grateful and cherishing of what we had.

The greatest change in me was not simply that my body had become healthier, that I had gained weight, or that I looked more radiant.

It was that I had gradually begun to shed the anxieties, fragmented fears, and exhaustion that had weighed upon me for so many years.

I began to live more happily, more lightly. I learned to focus on fully experiencing the happiness of the present.

And most importantly, I had begun to believe that I truly deserved to be loved, and deserved to have a lasting happiness with him.

Dinner ended, and we cleaned the dishes together before taking turns showering.

After bathing, I stepped into the bedroom to find Tae-seon already resting on the bed, shirtless, leaning against the headboard as he reviewed some documents.
I climbed into bed, slipped beneath the covers, and instinctively rested my head against his chest. Tae-seon tossed the file onto the bedside table, reached out to turn off the main light-leaving only two night lamps casting a soft amber glow-and pulled me close, gathering me beneath him.
"Chae-ha," his voice rasped against my ear, thick with a day's worth of suppressed desire waiting to spill over. His warm breath grazed my earlobe, sending a faint shiver through me. "I was going out of my mind missing you all day."

His kiss descended hungrily onto my lips, intense and possessive enough to leave me dizzy. His lips lingered against mine. Though he restrained himself from biting hard enough to leave an obvious mark, he kissed me with enough force that I knew my lips would surely be swollen afterward.

His tongue slipped skilfully into my mouth, catching my own-hesitant and timid, yet secretly eager-and forcing us to intertwine without letting go. The kiss continued until my tongue tingled and my face flushed from lack of breath, before he gradually moved his attention down to my neck and finally paused to nibble lightly at my delicate collarbone.

His broad hands, slightly rough from years of holding pens and turning through case files, slipped beneath the hem of my sleep shirt, caressing my slender waist before slowly moving upward toward my heaving chest.

The gentle caress of the man I loved was no less intoxicating than intimacy itself, making my body tremble in waves.
"Tae-seon..." I gasped softly, speaking no other words than his name, wrapping my arms around his neck. My fingers threaded through his thick black hair, pulling him closer.

My natural gentleness had always been his strongest aphrodisiac.

At the beginning, when his habits in bed had still been rough, when he had sometimes made me hurt and afraid, I had never refused him. I had never pushed him away. Even now, I remained just as obedient with him. He could read my heart and body through every tiny gesture and know exactly how completely they were drawn toward him.

Joo Tae-seon lifted himself and stared down at me, his eyes burning with an almost feverish possessiveness, as though he wanted to devour every inch of my skin.

He quickly pulled off my sleep shirt and tossed it onto the floor.

My body, once thin and fragile but now softened with healthy flesh, fair and smooth from his meticulous care, was completely exposed before him.

He lowered his head and took one of my nipples into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue and lightly catching it between his teeth. A current of sensation travelled down my spine, making my body arch involuntarily and drawing an embarrassed moan from me.

His other hand continued moving downward, slipping beneath the waistband of my sleep trousers, stroking along the length of my inner thigh before reaching my most sensitive place.

Warmth and moisture quickly gathered beneath his rough fingertips.

"You've gotten healthier. All this soft, beautiful flesh... I raised you well, didn't I, Chae-ha?"

His voice was full of pride.

With one efficient movement, he sent my sleep trousers to join the shirt lying on the floor. Then he opened the bedside drawer and took out the tube of gel he had kept there.

His fingers began to move inside me, slowly but decisively, gradually stretching me open.

The familiar fullness, accompanied by a gentle sense of pressure, made me instinctively tighten my legs around his hips.

I arched up and kissed him of my own accord, accepting the steady rhythm of his fingers.

"Ah... Tae-seon..."

I whispered, opening my eyes through the haze as tears began to gather, looking at the man who had taken command of my body.

My hands caressed his firm back, silently inviting and urging him closer.

We had loved each other for so long, made love countless times, and yet I was still shy as ever. I could never bring myself to say bluntly flirtatious or vulgar things the way Prosecutor Joo could, even when our bodies had already become one. Even when he succeeded in igniting a fire within me-making me crave him, aching for him to fill me-it was still difficult to speak directly. I could only offer subtle hints. Only when my mind was entirely swept away by pleasure did I dare breathe out words a bit bolder than usual.

Feeling my body relax and yield, Tae-seon pulled back to shed his remaining clothing.
Lifting my legs over his shoulders, he pressed slowly and steadily into me. The deep, searing fullness made me gasp for air, my fingers clutching the bedsheets tightly.
"Tae-seon!" I gasped as he buried himself completely inside me.

"Does it hurt?" He paused briefly, leaning down to kiss my forehead, brushing away the beads of sweat forming at my temples, and kissing the tears from my eyes. Reading the answer from my body's response, his hips began to move, starting slow before picking up tempo.

"It's alright... darling... Please, don't stop..."

Though I knew he needed no verbal answer, I encouraged him anyway. That was one area where I felt I had grown, even if Tae-seon still teased that I was stingy with my words. I was trying my best. Still, I couldn't bring myself to speak as openly as he did, whether in dirty talk or endearments. He could easily say, "My Chae-ha grows more beautiful every day," whereas I had never once told him how handsome he was-even though, in my heart, no one had ever compared to him. Seeing his breathtaking intensity as he claimed me drove me wild, but I could only show it in my own quiet way.
The room was soon filled with the rhythmic sound of our bodies meeting, his heavy, low breathing mingling with my soft, broken sighs. Every deep stroke hit the exact spot he knew would bring me to the edge of ecstasy, setting off waves of wild devotion. It was as if he wanted to engrave his presence into every cell of my body, using this fiery intensity to erase the physical distance and his absence during the day.
The powerful rhythm caused the wooden bed to creak softly with every movement. Knowing my body and desires better than I did, he easily drew me into an endless sea of sensation, where peak after peak lifted me up only to submerge me again, leaving me breathless. The only anchor I could cling to was the man submerged alongside me-my partner, whom I was astonished to find myself loving more with each passing day, even when I had thought I was already giving him every ounce of love I possessed.

My man.

"Tae-seon... a little slower..."

My words broke into soft fragments between kisses.

But how could a man so completely intoxicated by desire stop once he had tasted the sweetness he had been longing for?

He kissed me more deeply, silencing my plea against his lips. His fingers intertwined tightly with mine, pinning both my hands above my head as his movements grew faster and deeper.

The muffled sounds of our bodies meeting mingled with our hurried breathing, filling the quiet bedroom.

His intensity seemed to carve a single message into my mind:

I belonged entirely to him.

And he belonged only to me.

I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, receiving every deep movement, so deeply lost in the fever of his love that even without looking down, I could feel the evidence of his presence against my stomach.

Sweat beaded on our skin, blending together in a seamless rhythm of shared warmth. When the final wave of ecstasy broke over us, pulling us into a weightless expanse, I rested my head against his shoulder, breathing heavily as he gently pressed a kiss to my forehead. We lay tightly intertwined, our ragged breathing slowly settling into the silence of the late night. His hand remained resting on my waist, lazily and tenderly stroking my stomach.
"This weekend..." my voice was faint and breathless from the intensity of our intimacy, "...let's talk about the trip abroad... I want to go with you."
Tae-seon smiled, smoothing back my hair, and leaned down to kiss my shoulder where his faint bite mark remained.
"Alright, whatever you want. Now, let me take Manager Lee to get washed up so we can sleep."

I did not even have to walk to the bathroom myself, although I was not exactly exhausted. On weekdays, because he wanted me to get enough sleep and conserve my energy for work, he usually only made love to me once or twice. But I had grown so accustomed to being spoiled by him that I almost never showered by myself afterward anymore. I simply left everything to him.

Joo Tae-seon turned on the warm water, bathing us together so we would not waste time. Afterward, he dried us off, carried me back to bed, dried our hair, applied moisturiser to my skin, then climbed in beside me and pulled the covers snugly over us both.

I suddenly found myself amused by the thought that I no longer resembled a princess so much as someone incapable of managing even his own daily life.

Still, he liked taking care of me, and I liked being taken care of by him, so I was perfectly happy to let things remain this way.

"Sleep well, Lee Chae-ha."

"Sleep well, Prosecutor Joo."

I answered softly and closed my eyes, burrowing deeper into the strong arms of the man I loved. I let his steady breathing, the warmth of his body, his familiar scent, and this profound love surround me completely, carrying me gently into a peaceful sleep.

Sleep well, my prosecutor Joo, my beloved.