A season passes, and Baekhyun realizes just how right Chanyeol’s mother is. After returning to his home for a week of wedding preparations, Baekhyun returns to the Park’s estate for their marriage, which is greatly celebrated in the valley they live in. They are married, and while Baekhyun is nervous nothing happens between the two. The first kiss they share I short and chaste, as if Chanyeol doesn’t want to show affection towards his wife. It disappoint Baekhyun, because he had really come to hope in his week away, that this would be the start to his love. But he was wrong, easily misguided by the tales often told by his aunts during his preparations. There was no wedding night, and while he had listened well to the elder’s tales so that he wouldn’t disappoint his husband, they were of no use to him. Chanyeol left as the sun was setting and Baekhyun was cleansing his face, galloping off with his father to the city square for a reason Baekhyun was too disappointed to care about. Chanyeol’s mother came to him that night though, silencing his worries of being a displeasing partner to Chanyeol She gave to reason as to why he ran off though, only tell him to be patient, because love come with time.

A week passes before Chanyeol returns, and even then they have little to no contact with each other. He’s always too busy with councils and horse practice to even acknowledge Baekhyun, always sitting patiently in front of the rice paper doors on his little mat he had received as a wedding gift, his hands always busy sewing cautiously. Although he always manages to prick himself with each passing minute, Baekhyun wants their child, if the gods allow there to be one, to have a hand sewn garment as the tradition asks them to have after their birth. Baekhyun doubt Chanyeol has time for a child though, he never has time for anyone is Baekhyun’s eyes. He sits and watches his husband train in the gardens, practicing archery and sword fighting with his father, but he never speaks, never acknowledges now is acknowledged. He begins to wonder, what is the point in having a wife, if he is never put to use? There are so many servants, he’s been ordered not to work with the slaves in the garden, and Chanyeol’s mother constantly tells him not to put too much pressure on himself, because what he’s trying to do won’t allow the love to come easily. At first Baekhyun doesn’t understand, all he wants to do is be of use, but then he realizes she’s seen through his intent even when he hasn’t. He wants to prove his worth, he wants Chanyeol to proudly acknowledge him as his wife, and he can only think of labor as a way to do so.

Sadly, as the air cools and Baekhyun is forced inside to do his sewing tasks, they re