Chapter 6
Joo-hee was very surprised by what the man said.
He had lost his memory?
That was something she hadn’t expected at all.
She remembered seeing blood coming from his head when she first found him—maybe that was the reason.
Even though she had healed him completely with the help of a spirit, this situation had still happened, which left her confused.
–Joo-hee, what should we do?
Mel whispered in her ear.
Joo-hee had planned to send him away once he woke up, but now that he didn’t remember anything, she couldn’t do that so easily.
After a short pause, she gently tapped the back of his hand.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“You really don’t remember anything?”
The man thought for a while. Then his eyes lit up.
“Rowen.”
“…”
“I remember someone calling me Rowen.”
It wasn’t much to go on.
Just a name wasn’t enough to figure out who he really was.
While Joo-hee was seriously trying to think of what to do, the man hesitantly asked again:
“Um… I asked this earlier, but why am I here?”
“You collapsed in front of my house, so I brought you inside.”
“Then why are my clothes covered in blood?”
“They were already like that when I found you.”
She didn’t mention how badly he had been injured—since the water spirit Undine had healed him, there were no visible wounds anymore.
Joo-hee didn’t feel comfortable telling a stranger everything.
She asked him more questions to try and figure out who he was, but all he could remember was his name.
“Haa…”
Joo-hee let out a sigh, and the man flinched, giving her a sheepish smile.
It was a really difficult situation.
Even though she didn’t usually care about other people, she didn’t feel right about sending someone with no memory away.
Besides, the village could only be reached by crossing the forest. There was no way he could make it alone.
No matter how she thought about it, there wasn’t any better option.
–Joo-hee, what are you going to do?
Mel asked anxiously.
Joo-hee frowned slightly.
There was only one solution.
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Huh?”
The man’s eyes widened, thinking she was going to tell him to leave. But instead, she said something completely unexpected:
“You can stay here until your memory comes back.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
She figured his amnesia was temporary and his memories would return soon.
She had already helped him this far—it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more kind.
And if he ever tried to hurt her, she could just summon a spirit right away.
The man bowed his head over and over, full of gratitude, then shyly looked up at her.
“Um… if it’s okay, may I ask your name?”
Joo-hee looked at him. His bright eyes made her feel dazed for a second, and she replied:
“…Joo-hee.”
She didn’t give her last name—there were no surnames like “Kim” in this world anyway.
“Joo-hee… That’s a beautiful name.”
Rowen repeated her name a few times, like he was trying to memorize it.
Joo-hee stared at him for a moment, then turned away.
For some reason, she felt a bit uneasy. Maybe she should’ve just sent him back after all.
But it was too late to take her words back.
And just like that, their awkward life together began.
* * *
“Umm…”
“…”
Joo-hee stared at Rowen with a blank expression.
Rowen was sweating nervously as he spoke.
“S-Sorry. I’ll clean it all up.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The kitchen was a total mess—and yes, it was Rowen’s fault—but Joo-hee wasn’t the kind of person to make a sick person clean up.
Still, because her face always looked expressionless, Rowen thought she was angry and kept fidgeting.
When he kept pacing around and getting on her nerves, Joo-hee cut him off sharply:
“You’re being distracting. Just go rest.”
“Okay…”
Looking dejected, Rowen trudged back to his room.
Joo-hee let out a silent sigh and began cleaning the kitchen.
A few hours ago, she had asked Rowen if he could cook.
He nodded confidently.
Since he wasn’t fully recovered, she told him to make something simple like a stew, while she went out to pick fruit.
When Joo-hee returned home with the fruits, the first thing she saw was the kitchen—completely wrecked.
She realized she’d made a mistake by trusting someone with no memory.
She assumed cooking would be a basic skill he’d still know.
After cleaning up the mess, Joo-hee started cooking the stew again from scratch.
The burnt pot was no longer usable, so she threw it out without hesitation.
In the end, she had to cook everything by herself again.
Soon, a delicious smell filled the house.
–Yum! Smells like stew! Meat stew today!
Mel chirped excitedly.
Joo-hee had brought out meat especially for the injured man.
Even without refrigeration, the meat stayed fresh thanks to a powder Mel had sprinkled on it.
She chopped it into large pieces and added it to the stew.
When it was ready, she filled a bowl and called out:
“Rowen, time to eat.”
“I’ll definitely cook next time, I promise.”
Joo-hee gave a nonchalant nod.
Rowen, who had been sitting quietly on the bed, came out with a downcast look and sat at the table.
A steaming bowl of meat stew was placed in front of him.
“It should taste fine.”
–Joo-hee’s cooking is the best in the world!
Mel chattered happily.
Joo-hee even gave Mel a small portion of her own.
Rowen noticed her putting a tiny bowl on the windowsill and tilted his head in confusion.
He thought someone else might show up—but no one did, even after the meal was over.
Strangely enough, when he looked again later, the bowl was completely empty.
His curiosity about Joo-hee only grew.
But he didn’t ask questions.
He figured she was already cautious of him, so he didn’t want to push.
Instead, he quietly asked:
“I feel kind of sticky… um, where’s the bathroom?”
Come to think of it, Rowen hadn’t had a proper wash since he’d arrived.
His bed sheets were still stained with blood too—they needed to be replaced.
Joo-hee replied:
“Follow me.”
She tidied up a little and took Rowen outside.
But there was one big problem—she didn’t have a single set of men’s clothes.
So she decided she’d go to the village the next day and buy some for him.
“I’ll get you clothes tomorrow in the village. Just bear with it for today.”
“Alright, thank you.”
When they reached the pond, Joo-hee said:
“You can wash there.”
“…Just like that?”
“Yes.”
Rowen was a bit surprised but didn’t argue.
He walked toward the pond, unbuttoning his shirt without hesitation.
Joo-hee panicked and quickly turned around, leaning against a tree.
She thought he was a strange man, completely unbothered by modesty.
She heard his clothes drop into the grass and then the sound of splashing water.
–Joo-hee.
Mel giggled.
“…”
–Your ears turned red.
Joo-hee touched her burning ears without saying a word.
Her heart thumped strangely, but she brushed it off as just surprise.
Mel kept pestering her for an explanation, but Joo-hee pretended not to hear.
In the end, she avoided the question, rolled her eyes, and buried her face in her hands.
* * *
The next day, Joo-hee got ready early to go to the village.
Rowen, watching her out of the corner of his eye, asked carefully:
“Can I come too?”
He had mustered up some courage, but Joo-hee didn’t hesitate.
“You should rest.”
“…Okay.”
If he had ears and a tail, they would’ve drooped at her answer.
Joo-hee ignored him and continued packing—until she suddenly stopped and turned back.
“What’s your clothing size?”
“Ah… Actually, wouldn’t it be better if I just came along and tried them on myself?”
“…”
Joo-hee thought he had a point.
If she bought the wrong size, she’d have to make another trip to the village.
It felt odd to go out in bloodstained clothes, but it was his choice.
When she didn’t reply right away, Rowen added quickly:
“If you’re worried about what people will say, I can go by myself.”
“Worried about what?”
“You know… rumors. People might say bad things.”
Joo-hee was surprised.
It was the first time someone had shown concern for her since she came here—and it didn’t feel bad at all.
Rowen grew nervous at her unreadable expression, but then Joo-hee finally said:
“No need to worry about that. Let’s go together then.”
“Really?”
Rowen was so excited that he jumped up—only to trip and fall off the bed.
His face turned bright red, more from embarrassment than pain.
“Haha… I’ll get ready right away.”
He smiled awkwardly and put on the shirt he’d hung loosely on the chair.
