This World is the Greatest Reward

“…We can’t have our Yul-ah wearing himself out.”

“We can always throw a banquet another time.”

“It is a bit disappointing, but let us look forward to the next opportunity.”

“Thank you.”

If the eldest hadn’t stepped in with the perfect words at the exact right moment, the family really might have gone ahead and set a banquet in motion.

Glancing at him with a heart full of gratitude, I met his gaze as he called my name.

“Yul-ah.”

“Yes, brother?”

“Instead, I was thinking it might be nice if we had dinner right here.”

“I’d love that.”

If we ate in the detached pavilion, I wouldn’t have to move an inch, which was more than fine by me. The moment I nodded along to his suggestion, the eyes of everyone watching me went wide as saucers.

They had surely realized by now that my attitude toward the family had changed, so I had no idea why they were still so profoundly shocked.

Letting out a soft chuckle, I looked at the three of them, and the atmosphere—which had briefly enlivened over the banquet talk—grew warmly sentimental once more.

“My baby.”

“…Our Yul-ah really has shaken everything off and returned to us.”

“What did I tell you? I knew the youngest would overcome it beautifully.”

Trading words back and forth, the three shared a look before turning their gazes toward me. I simply offered a bright smile without adding any further explanation.

“Then I shall have the dinner prepared. Go inside and rest up, Yul-ah.”

“Indeed, it will take some time to shake off the fatigue from your travels. You’ve been through a massive ordeal today, so rest deeply until it’s time to eat.”

At the eldest’s words, the three gestured for me to go on inside.

I flashed a final smile at my family and immediately moved to the adjacent bedroom, practically collapsing onto the bed.

“Huuu.”

The moment I lay down, my body turned completely limp. Just as the eldest had said, I desperately needed the rest. My entire frame felt as heavy as a mountain, as if I were about to fuse with the mattress itself. Rolling over from my side onto my back, I spread out like a starfish, staring blankly up at the ceiling as I muttered to myself.

“I want to take a half-bath.”

There was absolutely nothing better than a warm half-bath to wash away lingering fatigue.

My hesitation lasted only a fleeting second. I immediately called for a servant and ordered them to prepare the bathwater.

“Young Master, the preparations are complete.”

“Up we go.”

They must have started getting the water ready the exact moment I arrived back at the estate. Hearing that it was finished much faster than anticipated, I pushed myself up and practically hummed the word bath to myself as I followed the servant to the washroom.

“Young Master!”

“Yeo-ui? Why on earth are you here?”

I had managed to make a quick escape with Jin-cheong’s help, but Yeo-ui hadn’t been with us. I stared at him in surprise, but he merely grinned and rolled up his sleeves.

“I figured you’d want to wash up the second you got back, so I ran over as fast as my legs could carry me!”

…Looking at his bright expression, he must have found a shortcut to bypass the crowd. Seeing him beam at me, I recalled the sea of people completely packing the streets outside and waved my hand dismissively.

“Go get some rest. I can wash up on my own. There are other servants here anyway.”

“Absolutely not! Other people? You can’t just go revealing your bare skin to just anyone!”

We were all men here, so I had no idea why he made such a massive deal out of this every single time.

As I let out an exasperated laugh, Yeo-ui stepped forward with his sleeves firmly rolled up and led me further inside.

“Everyone else, out. Don’t even think about coming near this place.”

“Yes, sir.”

At Yeo-ui’s sharp warning, the servants who had been setting up the bathwater quickly filed out. Watching them leave, I stood still and allowed Yeo-ui to tend to me as he rapidly began undressing me.

“Make sure you soak deeply in the tub today. I’ve thrown in everything that’s supposed to be excellent for the skin.”

“You didn’t have to go overboard.”

“Overboard? Not at all! Do you have any idea how deeply I regretted not being able to properly serve you over the last two months?!”

We had technically traveled together the entire time, yet I had no idea where he got this endless supply of energy. Clicking my tongue as I watched him, I realized I was down to my undergarments and immediately stepped into the bathtub.

“Haa.”

“How is the water temperature?”

“It’s perfect. Just like always.”

It was truly impressive how he managed to hit my exact preferred temperature flawlessly every single time. As I let out a satisfied groan, Yeo-ui let out a bright giggle and began gently scooping water over my shoulders.

Sitting there for a long while, the pleasant warmth began to thoroughly dissolve the tension in my muscles. I directed my gaze toward the window situated slightly above my eye-line on the opposite wall, taking in the scenery outside.

“This is nice.”

“Right? See! There really is no place like home, Young Master.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

Traveling around the provinces had its own distinct charm, but absolute comfort was ultimately the greatest luxury. Staring at the tiled roof of the outer wall and the lush, green leaves swaying outside the window, I subtly leaned my upper body back. Recognizing the movement instantly, Yeo-ui naturally began washing my hair.

“Mmm.”

Every single time he did this, I was reminded of just how magnificent his technique was. His touch as he massaged my scalp, before smoothly moving down to my neck, shoulders, and behind my ears, was nothing short of extraordinary.

My eyelids were growing incredibly heavy, and I was completely losing myself to his touch when his voice drifted down close to my ear.

“Young Master, would you like a quick massage? It’s been quite a while.”

“Sure.”

In reality, Geum Seo-yul’s body was exceptionally sensitive. A mere light touch from someone could cause an unexpected rush of sensory stimulation, which was why I usually avoided massages entirely—but today, I was simply too exhausted to care.

Perhaps thrilled by my rare permission, Yeo-ui rapidly brought over a portable cot. Slipping into a thin robe, I lay face down on the cot, letting out a soft sigh as a deep, heavy languor washed over me with every stroke of his hands.

“Haa.”

“Does it feel good, Young Master?”

“Yes.”

It felt so incredible that I genuinely wondered if this place was a slice of paradise on earth.

Hearing my response, Yeo-ui smiled and continued to work through the massage with absolute dedication. I lost track of how long I lay there, but as the deep fatigue began to leave my muscles, a sudden wave of goosebumps erupted across my skin wherever his fingers brushed.

“Mnh…!”

I desperately tried to swallow down the sound, but as the stimulation continued unprompted, my body gave a series of involuntary twitches. That wasn’t all.

Another, entirely different kind of sound threatened to slip past my lips if this kept up.

“Does it hurt terribly?”

Perhaps noticing my pronounced physical reaction, his worried voice drifted down from above my head.

Taking a long moment to thoroughly steady my breathing, I immediately forced a casual excuse.

“I’m starting to feel a bit chilly.”

“Oh, then let us move you back to the water right away.”

The truth was that I wasn’t cold at all; rather, Geum Seo-yul’s body was actively reacting to every single touch of his hands. However, I had absolutely no intention of correcting his misunderstanding. Testing the tub water first, Yeo-ui clicked his tongue, brought over the fresh water he had set aside, and rapidly began adjusting the temperature.

“…….”

It was a massive relief that his hands were off me, but my body had already become incredibly, painfully sensitive. Pushing myself into a half-sitting position, I glanced down to find a semi-erect arousal between my thighs, along with my nipples visibly prodding against the wet fabric of my inner robe.

I had desperately hoped that only my lower half would react, but I hadn’t expected my chest to betray me so explicitly as well.

I quietly lowered my gaze, staring down at my exposed form. The longer I looked, the more a strange, unidentifiable emotion welled up inside me.

It had been five years since I transmigrated into this body. By now, I was completely adjusted to living as Geum Seo-yul. Yet, there were still moments like this where everything felt profoundly alien.

It felt as though I were peeking at someone else’s private, intimate moments, making my heart race frantically against my ribs. I was staring fixedly at the distinct flush of red showing through the water-logged fabric when Yeo-ui’s voice abruptly snapped me back to reality.

“Young Master, your body will catch a chill. Come along, quickly.”

“…Right.”

Yes, this was absolutely not the time to be spacing out. Purposely acting as if I were merely adjusting my robes, I gripped the wet fabric to ensure my lower half remained entirely hidden from view. Then, before Yeo-ui could even offer a hand to support me, I slid directly back into the water.

“Aren’t you going to take off those clothes first?”

“In a bit.”

“Alright, then I’ll start rinsing you off right away.”

I couldn’t tell if my cover-up had been flawless or if Yeo-ui was merely pretending not to notice.

Either way, his casual response instantly put my mind at ease.

As I sat back and allowed him to attend to me, the soothing warmth gradually calmed my overstimulated senses. Once I registered that both my chest and my lower half had finally returned to their normal states, I immediately spoke up.

“Yeo-ui, let’s head back now.”

“Already?”

“Yes, I want to go get some proper rest.”

“Well, that’s true. You definitely need your rest, Young Master. You suffered so much over the last two months.”

“You should rest up too.”

“Yes, sir! Don’t you worry, I’ll head straight to my quarters the second I finish cleaning up here.”

Seeing him smile so brightly while offering such a dutiful reply, I realized there was no need to say anything more. I allowed him to help me finish up, and soon, I returned to my bedroom and lay back down.

“Haa.”

“Get some sleep, Young Master. I know you won’t let me dry your hair today either, so I’ll make sure the windows are tightly shut so you don’t catch a cold.”

“Perfect. Go get some deep rest yourself.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Tucking the blanket securely all the way up to my chest, Yeo-ui flashed a bright grin and quietly slipped out of the room. Listening to the heavy door click shut, a hollow laugh escaped my lips as I felt a deep, heavy slumber instantly begin to claw at my consciousness despite having just lain down.

If I allowed myself to fall asleep right now, dinner would undoubtedly be pushed back to tomorrow. And if that happened, I might actually end up trapped in that massive week-long banquet.

More than anything, though, I simply didn’t want to disappoint the people who were eagerly looking forward to sharing a meal with me tonight.

“…….”

For the past five years, while I had been running around acting like a complete scoundrel under the guise of Geum Seo-yul, these people had never once failed to embrace me with unconditional warmth. I absolutely refused to let them down now.

“Geum Seo-yul, I really envy you.”

Some people were instantly discarded by their families the second they were forcibly outed, while someone like him had a family that completely protected and shielded him no matter how horribly he misbehaved.

“Haa.”

That wasn’t all. Geum Seo-yul possessed immense wealth and breathtaking looks—he was a character completely blessed with everything. Yet, he had lost his entire mind over a single man and spent his life committing all sorts of atrocious acts.

“…….”

Thinking about that man brought the image of Namgung Hwi—who had come to fetch Yeon Ji-oh—rushing back into my mind.

Unlike his usual flawless appearance, his face had been entirely stripped of vitality, which was honestly a massive shock. He had stared at me with completely hollow, sunken eyes, and the unidentifiable intensity in that gaze was something I couldn’t even begin to describe.

“If you’re going to lose weight, you could at least look a little less handsome.”

True to his status as the main top of this novel, the absolute problem was that Namgung Hwi still managed to look breathtakingly handsome even while looking entirely wretched.

“Of course his face just happens to be my exact ideal type.”

It was entirely thanks to that face that I had managed to endure the last five years in this world, but it was thoroughly ridiculous that I was still thinking about him like this after not seeing him for two whole months.

I sucked in a sharp breath to cut off my exasperation, shaking my head violently to clear my thoughts as I focused back on the scenery outside the window.

Watching the leaves above the outer wall dance gently in the light breeze, the memories of everything that had transpired over the past five years, followed by the events of our two-month journey, began to play out in perfect sequence behind my eyes.

Silently tracing through the past, I subtly twitched my index finger.

Instantly, the blue holographic system window materialized in the air.

“As expected, nothing has changed.”

I had wondered if returning to Hefei would trigger some sort of update, but there wasn’t a single difference.

Scanning the text on the screen—which looked exactly the same as it had when we discussed breaking off the engagement by the lake—I swiftly dismissed it and stretched out flat on the bed.

“Whatever the case, the fact remains that I am here, and I am Geum Seo-yul.”

Yes, whether this was all some elaborate trick engineered by the quest system or not, I was still living out my days here even after successfully concluding the main quest. And I was doing so in absolute comfort, without a single shred of worry.

While absentmindedly chewing over the 99.9% completion rate that naturally came to mind, a sudden realization flashed through my brain, causing my eyes to snap wide open.

“Could it be…?”

What if missing that final 0.1% achievement meant I was permanently locked out of returning to my original world—but in exchange, it had granted me a family that cherished me with every fiber of their being?

“A reward, huh.”

The mere thought of the word reward made my heart begin to hammer frantically against my ribs.

I placed my left hand firmly over my chest. Listening to the loud, rhythmic thudding beneath my palm, I quietly organized my thoughts.

Until now, because I lived under the constant anxiety of not knowing when I might suddenly be ripped away from this world, it was an undeniable fact that I had desperately tried my best not to give my heart to the people here. But moving forward, it seemed there was absolutely no reason to hold back anymore.

“Regrets can wait for later.”

Even if I did somehow end up returning to my old world eventually, completely immersing myself in this life would leave far fewer regrets than constantly keeping everyone at an artificial distance.

“Alright, let’s thoroughly enjoy the present.”

I would live this life so intensely that someday in the future, I would look back at this exact moment with profound, aching nostalgia.