Because of Ko Yeon-ju’s request, Kim Soo-hyun ended up being played by Jo Seung-woo’s plan, and he didn’t return to Mercenary Castle until well past evening.
The castle was so quiet you could hear the sound of breathing—eerily silent.
But maybe that was to be expected, given how late it was?
Kim Soo-hyun pressed his temples, weary, and dragged his tired body up the stairs.
He climbed without suspicion, but his steps faltered when he reached the office door.
In the dim hallway, a single pale note was taped to the door.
“Rooftop!”
Such a brief message.
“What’s this?” Soo-hyun tilted his head in confusion, but soon he obediently headed for the rooftop.
No matter what it was, after a long day of hard work, a few more flights of stairs weren’t a big deal.
He even half-hoped his beloved wives had prepared a surprise event.
So when he flung open the firmly locked rooftop door—
“…Huh?”
His half-closed eyes snapped wide open.
When the castle was renovated, the rooftop was designed as a resting place, built like a garden.
The floor was covered with soil and grass, and scattered trees weren’t unusual.
But the large heart-shaped outline made of candlelight reflecting cross-shaped flames,
the table set with a feast inside that heart,
and the plush-looking bed—
all of it was definitely strange.
No, none of those details affected Kim Soo-hyun’s feelings.
What startled him was the woman standing right in the middle of this dreamlike scene, bathed in the bluish moonlight from the full moon overhead, mingling with the reddish glow of the candles.
The woman standing where his gaze landed was an angel.
Two pure white wings on her back confirmed it.
“Se—”
Just as he opened his mouth, still dazed, the angel slowly, hesitantly turned around.
And when they met face to face, Kim Soo-hyun let out a soft, almost breathless sound.
How to describe her?
Her usual silver hair was elegantly twisted up and curled, held in place by a shining silver hairpin.
Her hanbok dress, decorated with violet patterns, was so white and translucent that even in the dark, the skin of her shoulders faintly showed through, drawing the eye.
A white sash tightly cinched her slender, willow-like waist, and the full skirt that hugged her long legs shimmered softly with a pale sea-blue hue—perfectly harmonious.
“……”
Her clear, colorless eyes, like transparent quartz, looked slightly frightened as they slowly met his gaze, and Kim Soo-hyun finally realized his heart was pounding wildly.
The woman, hands politely folded, waiting for him, possessed a vivid beauty that instantly overwhelmed his mind, protected by his inner vision.
Then Seraph’s lips parted.
“Se—”
Her voice was small and faint, as if barely crawling out of her throat.
She hesitated for a long moment, as if something weighed on her mind, then suddenly bit her lower lip hard.
And then she cried out,
“Husband…!”
Her words squeezed out like a whisper, then she slid smoothly into his arms.
Kim Soo-hyun instinctively embraced her, sensing how much courage it took for her to act like that.
Because the flesh and fabric trembling under his palm told him everything.
Though his body stiffened at the shock of the word “husband,”
Seraph felt it too.
Clinging to him with a “come what may” spirit, the firmness and warmth of his chest were more comforting than she had imagined.
“Hu… husband…”
But when she got no response, Seraph pleaded softly, gently pulling him closer.
Her strength was so slight that with a little effort, he could have pushed her away, but already captivated by the word “husband” and her delicate beauty, Kim Soo-hyun was helplessly drawn in.
A little while later, beneath the starry night sky, the two sat facing each other across the table.
The table was laden with all kinds of delicacies, but Kim Soo-hyun’s eyes remained fixed on the angel.
And it was no wonder.
Seraph was already beautiful, but dressed up with light makeup and matching accessories, her charm had soared beyond any limit.
Especially the synergy between her Western features and the traditional Korean hanbok was overwhelming, enough to completely steal Kim Soo-hyun’s breath away, who was used to seeing her in her usual form.
“Um… are you okay? I mean, are you feeling alright?”
Was his enchanted gaze making her happy?
Her voice, slightly stronger than before, made Kim Soo-hyun blink, finally coming back to himself.
“You keep closing and opening your eyes… I wondered if you might be really tired…”
Her hesitant voice trailed off, and he quickly shook his head, speaking honestly.
“No, I’m just surprised. And I don’t want to look away.”
“Huh?”
“I want to keep my eyes open because you look too beautiful to look away.”
“……!”
Seraph’s face instantly flushed as if it had exploded.
A straightforward compliment with no hint of falsehood.
The surrounding scenery seemed to shy away, falling into a deep silence.
But thanks to that praise, the day he had spent feeling like a doll suddenly shone with radiant light.
And how much time passed, he didn’t know.
“Seraph. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you’re uncomfortable, you can relax. Like usual.”
As the angel took several deep breaths, Kim Soo-hyun spoke again.
“No, no.”
Seraph shook her head desperately.
“I don’t know. I’m just… my heart is pounding so much…”
She placed her hand over her left chest.
“It just… feels like a dream…”
A dream.
It really did.
The beautiful night sky,
the dawn air brushing her skin,
the scent of grass tickling her nose,
all the scenery surrounding this moment with the one she loved—it all felt like a fleeting, elusive dream.
A dreamlike situation she never thought she could achieve.
“I wonder if I even deserve this happiness…”
Her voice was faint, almost wistful, and Kim Soo-hyun smiled gently.
“Well, the beginning wasn’t great…”
But there were good memories too.
His feelings toward the angel were best described as a mix of love and resentment.
He hated all angels, but Seraph was the one he always trusted deep in his heart.
He often said, “Seraph’s advice has never once harmed me.”
That was proof.
In fact, she not only clashed with other angels but even sacrificed herself to protect him.
“You chose me. You made that choice.”
More than that, she abandoned everything as an angel to follow him.
If Kim Soo-hyun were to abandon everything and choose the angel before him, could he do it?
Knowing how difficult that choice was, he understood how heavy Seraph’s decision had been.
“So… I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Really, from the bottom of my heart.”
Her eyes closed involuntarily at his low words.
Why was that?
Just the simple word “thank you” stirred emotions so strong she felt tears welling up.
It was more than just feeling “rewarded”—it was an indescribable surge of emotion.
“I, I…”
But at the same time, she felt a pang of regret.
She wanted to respond to his sincerity.
There were so many things she wanted to say.
Countless words circled hesitantly in her mouth.
What to do, what to do, what should I do?
In the awkward silence, even as her mind froze, Seraph recalled the lessons from many women and struggled to grasp the chopsticks on the table.
Nervously, she barely managed to pick up some food and, trembling, brought it to Kim Soo-hyun’s mouth.
“P-please… eat…”
Each syllable trembled.
Kim Soo-hyun, who had been serious moments before, barely held back a laugh.
He enjoyed this fresh side of her he rarely saw and accepted the food she fed him without hesitation.
He didn’t forget to compliment her.
“Delicious. Did you make this, Seraph?”
“No. The food you just ate was helped by my user, Im Hanna…”
At that one sentence, Kim Soo-hyun finally understood the situation.
Why the rooftop was decorated like this, why Seraph had transformed.
Understanding everything, his smile deepened.
Having been fed once, now it was his turn to feed her.
“Seraph, you too, ah.”
She flinched slightly, perhaps nervous.
“Ah~. Ah, eat. Hurry.”
With playful urging, she cautiously, almost biting the chopsticks, took a bite but didn’t move her mouth much, sensing his gaze.
As if today, she absolutely could not make a mistake.
Seeing this, Kim Soo-hyun glanced sideways as if looking at the sky, and only then did her lips move.
That sight was unbearably cute and lovely, and he couldn’t hold back a big laugh.
At his hearty laughter, Seraph’s eyes widened, then she pouted.
“Why are you laughing…?”
“S-sorry. But you’re just too cute…”
“P-please don’t laugh.”
“No, it’s not that…”
The more laughter spilled out, the more Seraph’s head bowed on its own.
Before long, her tone returned to normal.
Honestly, even though she’d followed the instructions, she felt it didn’t suit her at all.
She knew full well how embarrassing and awkward her behavior must have seemed.
It was the kind of feeling where, if there were a hole in the ground, she’d want to crawl into it and hide.
Still, as the laughter showed no sign of stopping, Seraph finally threw herself onto the bed and hid under the covers.
In truth, she was just following Jeogal Haesol’s last-ditch strategy: “If all else fails, hide under the blanket. The other person will figure it out.”
“Se-Seraph?”
Wiping away tears, Kim Suhyun glanced at the blanket curled up on the bed and chuckled again.
He downed the half-full glass of wine in one go and plopped down onto the bed.
After staring at the shifting blanket for a while, he said softly, “Don’t tease me…”
His voice was faint and fragile as he slowly reached out his hand.
Careful not to startle her, he gently placed his hand on the blanket and softly pulled it down.
“Seraph, Seraph…”
There was only a faint resistance for a moment.
The blanket slipped down helplessly, revealing the face of an angel with glistening, watery eyes.
At that moment, Kim Suhyun held his breath.
The angel lying on the bed looked so beautiful, he half-wondered if touching her carelessly might bring divine punishment.
As he gazed quietly for a long moment, the smile that had lingered on Kim Suhyun’s face gradually faded.
With a calm expression, he reached out again and grasped her wrist.
“!”
Startled by his sudden boldness, Seraph twisted her body as if to escape, but soon realized it was useless and let out a long-held breath.
As she gave in, Kim Suhyun carefully gathered the blanket still draped over her chest with both arms and gently pulled her close.
He brought his face to the nape of her neck, trembling slightly from tension, and whispered softly.
“We… took a long time, didn’t we?”
Seraph silently nodded in response.
“……”
“……”
What more needed to be said?
From the moment Kim Suhyun had come up to the rooftop, it had been decided.
No, as much as they had both longed for this moment, they exchanged a silent permission with their eyes.
And so.
Late at night.
Beneath the moonlight.
The hand that had been holding the angel’s wrist finally moved slowly.
It brushed gently from the crown of her head through her soft silver hair, then reached the knot tied at the center of her chest and carefully tugged it.
Unlike the tight grip it had before—
With a soft rustle—
The garment’s ties slipped loose and fell away.
Had he been too focused on one thing?
Suddenly, the man felt a warm, gentle touch wrap around his neck.
In response to this awkward embrace, Kim Suhyun was suddenly overwhelmed with a bursting joy and rapture.
The night was just beginning.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
As Kim Suhyun said, it really did take them a long time to come together. :)
Honestly, I was even considering ending the Seraph omnibus here.
To be precise, all that’s left are some intimate scenes and a brief conclusion, and I was thinking about skipping the intimate parts.
I’m not very confident writing those scenes myself, and I worry whether I can meet readers’ expectations. Also, with the current trend in adult noblesses, I’m curious how readers feel about such content.
For now, I’m determined to give it a try, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Once the Seraph omnibus wraps up within this volume, the omnibus focusing on Ko Yeonju will begin.
I plan to cover unresolved matters from the main story, probably through flashbacks.
So far, the side stories have been light and humorous, like a light novel, but this next one is a story I really want to tell, so I’m thinking of returning to the old style for a while.
It will have a darker tone, and depending on the reader, some parts might be brutal or grotesque, so I ask for your understanding in advance.
Also, the complete version of the Memorize visual novel has been released as an Android app.
You can find it at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joara.Memorize01Full.g or by searching “다시 길 위” on the Google Play Store. (Searching “Memorize” or “메모라이즈” doesn’t bring it up yet.)
It’s currently on a half-price sale for 2,500 won.
Oh, and a notice says:
“We’ve found an issue where the game doesn’t run properly on devices running Marshmallow OS (version 6.0), such as Nexus 5, Nexus 6, LG G4 upgraded to Marshmallow. We’re working on a fix, so please hold off on purchasing if you use one of these devices.”
If you’re using one of those devices, please keep this in mind.
Also, it seems the rating is 17+, so minors should be cautious…
Well, since it’s a nobless, I’m sure you’re all adults, right? ^^;
This note got a bit long.
Wishing all readers a peaceful night.
P.S. Thank you for celebrating the 1000th chapter and my birthday!
By the way, the first event is now over, but I’ll be back soon with a second event. :)
I still have plenty of my “stickers” saved up, so get ready to claim them!