Chapter 6: The Ideal Guardian (5)
Back in her room, Seohyo laid out the ointments, salves, and bandages on the table and pulled up a chair. Peering into the hand mirror, she noticed that the bump on her forehead was swelling more and more.
“Ouch…”
She carefully applied the salve and let her bangs fall over it. In the mirror, she saw a version of herself that looked completely normal.
Of course, if a gust of wind blew her bangs aside, the forehead with the salve plastered on it like a seven-year-old’s mischief would be exposed, but for now, it looked acceptable.
“Of all things, why did the stool have to fall right there?”
She felt embarrassed thinking about how, like a child, she had been so absorbed in the pinwheel toy that she hadn’t noticed.
The pinwheels of different colors and sizes spun prettily in the gentle wind, and she had been watching them when Mirang’s voice reached her—followed immediately by a loud crash.
Seohyo couldn’t even think of telling Chaon that she had been distracted by a pinwheel.
A pinwheel? You mean, you were so engrossed in a pinwheel that you didn’t notice until the accident happened?
She could almost hear Chaon’s stern voice in her imagination.
Especially his gaze—it would be unforgettable.
“Shall I spin you around like a pinwheel?”
It would probably feel more satisfying than not feeding her at all.
“Ugh…”
Seohyo shivered.
It seemed her butler had become the kind of presence that felt like he was right next to her, even when he wasn’t in the room.
“I’ll take care of your arm.”
“Eek!”
Seohyo’s fine hairs stood on end. When she turned her head, Chaon was standing right behind her.
“Wha… when did you come in?”
“…I knocked and announced my presence. I thought it strange when there was no response.”
Chaon’s gaze pinned Seohyo down.
Under the silent reproach, the young lady instinctively turned her head elsewhere.
He can’t be seen.
He can’t be heard.
I have no idea why he’s like this.
“You got hurt earlier, didn’t you?”
“Did I?”
“You should be more careful.”
The long-standing lecture began anew. Chaon nagged about many things, but he was particularly obsessive about Seohyo’s safety.
And seeing blood was the worst.
The last time she had cut herself while slicing dried herbs, he acted as though her finger had been severed. If any blood had appeared today, he wouldn’t have spared anyone—neither the laborer, nor Seohyo herself, nor even a passing stray dog.
Does my butler just have a temper he can’t control?
Seohyo wondered this several times a day.
It was bad enough to get hurt, but having to tiptoe around him too made the young lady’s plight almost unbearable.
“Stop letting your mind wander like that.”
“You’re like a ghost,” Seohyo muttered softly.
“You’ve applied the salve on your forehead. Then I’ll help with your arm.”
“I appreciate it, but I have perfectly fine eyes and hands, Butler. I can reach it just fine myself.”
“Are you certain that they’re really fine?”
A clear reproach.
This time, Seohyo rolled her eyes, but the butler didn’t flinch. He rolled up her sleeve and examined the darkening bruise carefully. The color had become darker than it had at the restaurant, and Seohyo was the one who felt flustered.
When did it get this bad?
It’s just a bruise, yet it looks so serious.
Chaon silently looked at her forearm and then opened the ointment jar. The pungent smell of herbs wafted into the air.
Seohyo waited for an opening to speak as the butler applied the medicine to her left arm before moving to the right.
“I’m sorry I made you worry because of my carelessness.”
Chaon didn’t pause his movements.
“I’m not a child, so I can apply ointment to my own arm, you know?”
“Perhaps.”
Chaon set down the jar of ointment and picked up the bandages with his usual stern expression.
Though it hurt, Seohyo tended to forget her injuries and handle the affected area carelessly. Wrapping it in bandages ensured the medicine would be absorbed, and the stiffness of the bandage reminded her that she was injured—a double benefit.
Perhaps Chaon wanted to bind her tightly with bandages to prevent her from going anywhere or causing any accidents.
Waiting for his next words, Seohyo suddenly realized this possibility.
“I know you can do it yourself.”
After a slight pause, Chaon spoke.
“But helping you this way makes you more uncomfortable.”
“What?”
“You flinch under the silent glares and reproach, unsure of what to do, wanting to remove your arm but unable to do so, fidgeting anxiously.”
Chaon deftly tied the bandage’s end.
“You wanted this. It’s your punishment.”
“Seriously…”
Seohyo could barely continue speaking.
He deliberately made her uncomfortable knowing it would distress her. Truly a considerate and admirable butler.
But what left her speechless was what he did next. Chaon wiped his hands on a towel and instructed her to turn around.
When she asked why, he replied that she should remove her clothing and show her back.
At the restaurant, they hadn’t been able to check her back because they were outside.
“It’s fine… my back? Why all of a sudden…”
“I saw the stool fall on your back. It must be sore by now.”
“But still…”
Seohyo’s face flushed as red as the evening sky. Her arms were one thing, but her back was a completely different matter. Rolling up her sleeves was simple; showing her back meant removing her top.
Then her underwear would be visible.
“The back is the part you can’t reach yourself.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’re not embarrassed, are you?”
Of course she was embarrassed. Completely, genuinely embarrassed. In protest, Seohyo mumbled.
Chaon rolled his eyes at her contradictory embarrassment.
“How amusing. If you’d shown such embarrassment before I’d spent over 150 years doing your laundry, it would have been thrilling.”
Ugh.
Caught off guard, Seohyo pouted.
Chaon had long taken over the household chores, including laundry. Every morning, he would demand her laundry—underwear, handkerchiefs, or towels she thought clean—and scrub them thoroughly.
So he hadn’t just seen her underwear; he had touched, massaged, and twisted them.
Until now, she had never felt awkward or embarrassed about this. It was Chaon’s work, and she accepted it as normal.
Still, showing her body while wearing the clothes was a different matter. Even if Chaon was consistent, it didn’t change her feelings.
“Just…”
“Hurry up.”
Before she could finish speaking, she was cut off.
Hesitantly, Seohyo slowly turned around.
Her hands fiddled with the knot at her side and finally undid the first button. The second came off even slower, and after the third, the top could only be pulled down.
Her ears burned red.
She hoped Chaon couldn’t see through the braid covering her back.
Ugh, this is weird.
Hesitantly, she pulled down her apricot-colored top. Her hunched, delicate shoulders were revealed first, then her white arms. The soft fabric slid down along her arms.
Her red, flower-embroidered underwear contrasted vividly with her pale, flawless skin.
The bra, tied with a knot at the neck, left more than half of her back exposed, so Chaon could apply the medicine without her removing everything.
She could feel Chaon’s gaze on her back.
She couldn’t tell if the heat rising in her skin was from his eyes or her own embarrassment.
“You have a bruise here as well.”
His sigh confirmed the truth.
Seohyo pulled her top close over her chest, silently wishing this moment to end.
“Ah…”
A cold sensation touched her back. Startled, she tensed, but Chaon told her to remain still. She tried to straighten her back, but each time his fingers touched her, her body curled automatically.
Like a shrimp, right?
Awkwardness. Endless embarrassment.
Trying to joke to herself to ease her discomfort was of no help.
When Chaon gently applied the ointment over the bruise on her back, she felt strange, and her toes curled.
The itchiness was unbearable.
Her back, shoulders, even a corner of her chest—it tickled so much that breathing became difficult.
Yet Chaon seemed unaware of her reaction, focusing solely on the injuries. Though his words were cold, he was clearly upset about her being hurt.
Any rough touch would have pressed the bruise painfully, and she could feel the caution in his fingertips.
His touch was lighter and gentler than even his frequent sighs.
“Aren’t you applying it too slowly?”
Unable to withstand the ticklish sensation, Seohyo asked.
He retorted immediately:
“Whose fault is it that the bruise is so wide?”
“Mine…”
“Good that you understand.”
Chaon blew cool air over the ointment he had spread.
When she was young, her mother had done the same. The cool air made the pain feel temporarily better, giving the illusion that it would heal faster.
Chaon was doing the same, but unlike her mother, there was no warmth in his breath.
Or perhaps it wasn’t Chaon’s fault at all.
Seohyo felt the fine hairs on her neck stand on end.
“You’re not hurt anywhere else? You seem unwell if you have a fever.”
Each time Chaon spoke, warm breath brushed her back.
It felt so strange. By now, her back must be flushed red.
She lowered her head, unable to straighten her curled body. Then Chaon’s hand moved forward to touch her forehead, checking her temperature.
“Ugh…”
A pained sound escaped her.
“Lie down immediately.”
Chaon’s stern voice instructed, and his hand left her forehead. With his large hand gone, she felt a bit of relief. As he moved toward the bed to check it, she felt she could breathe again.
The strange heat and awkward feeling would disappear the moment he left the room.
I’m acting strangely because of Chaon.
Her neck wasn’t injured, but she couldn’t speak, unsure how to explain that she felt strange even though he had only applied medicine.
With no choice, Seohyo obeyed.
She lay down until the medicine on her back dried, letting him cover her waist with a blanket to keep her warm, though his fingertips brushed against her bare skin.
This time, she closed her eyes tightly instead of letting out a whimper.
I’m not a pervert.
Absolutely not a pervert.
Even until Chaon closed the door, she kept repeating this to herself.
A fresh new day dawned.
There were more customers than usual at the pharmacy. Usually, only four or five people visited a day, but today, customers had been streaming in since morning.
Seohyo, as always, got up without even cleaning the sleep from her eyes and ate breakfast. Fortunately, she had already returned the empty herb jars to their places early on.
What’s special about today?
Was there a cold or flu outbreak in the village?
The number of customers made her wonder this.
After a hectic morning, lunchtime arrived. Finally taking a breather, Seohyo headed home for a meal, but the sound of the door opening made her turn around.
A young lady had come in for headache medicine.
Despite her illness, she had dressed up meticulously from head to toe. Seohyo left briefly to ask about her symptoms and get the medicine. When she returned, chaos had already erupted.
The source of the loud noise was Mirang and the young lady, who had started fighting.
Screeches and cries filled the air.
It was clear from the noise that the argument had begun with the customer.
The young lady, who had visited before, seemed to have a liking for Chaon. She was evidently irritated by Mirang, who had been spending time with Seohyo and friends.
Mirang had openly shown her affection for Chaon even when out, so it was natural that the young lady’s feelings were upset.
Thus, she had come to the pharmacy under the pretense of buying medicine.
Enemies meet on a narrow bridge: just as Seohyo stepped away, Mirang encountered her.
“Are you a new maid?”
The young lady called Mirang over and asked.
Judging by Mirang’s appearance, one would never mistake her for a maid, yet the young lady still asked. Her dissatisfaction was obvious.
Who are you? What’s your relationship with this household? Are you a relative of the young lady?
She could have asked in any number of ways.
But she asked about being a maid, and the innocent Mirang answered honestly.
“No, I’m the one who’s going to marry Chaon.”
“…What did you just say?”
The war had begun.
By the time Seohyo returned, both were crying and screaming. They were about to grab each other by the hair, and Seohyo barely managed to separate them.
“Waaah! Seohyo! That girl said Chaon can’t be mine!”
“You! That doesn’t make sense! Hic!”
The young lady pointed at Mirang through tears and snot.
“Chaon isn’t getting married! How could some little newcomer think she can marry him!”
“I will! I will! I’m going to! Waaah!”
“You can’t! Don’t think I’ll let you!”
“You evil human!”
How had a peaceful pharmacy turned into such chaos?
Seohyo sighed and first calmed the young lady down before sending her off. She had to promise, as best she could, that she wouldn’t let Chaon go to anyone while accompanying her out.
Lucky you, Chaon.
There are so many young ladies who wish for you to grow old alone.
All with the same desire.
On the other hand, calming Mirang was even more difficult. Seohyo briefly locked the pharmacy door and brought Mirang inside, seating her in the courtyard and giving her a handkerchief.
“Sniff… Seohyo.”
Mirang wiped her endless tears with the handkerchief, sobbing bitterly.
“Humans are cruel. Saying such awful things as if nothing!”
“That young lady seems to like Chaon too. That’s probably why she said sharp things.”
“Exactly… She even said I should go back to drinking my mother’s milk! But my mother… is already gone!”
“Oh my.”
Seohyo patted Mirang’s back.
Perhaps she was crying excessively, but thinking back, this was the same young lady who had trembled under Chaon’s stern nagging.
She had never heard harsh words from anyone else before.
So it was only natural that she couldn’t endure the jealous words of another. Mirang sobbed for a long while, venting her frustrations.
She confessed how much Chaon’s cold demeanor had hurt her, how he would show a faint smile after making her feel down, giving her hope again.
“Sniff… marriage… sniff…”
By the end, she could barely speak, crying uncontrollably.
Seohyo worried she might collapse and gently patted her back.
Then Chaon approached.
“Chaon, just in time.”
Seohyo gestured toward Mirang, still sobbing.
“Mirang got into a fight with the customer. She’s crying so hard she must be thirsty. Could you pour her some tea?”
“More importantly…”
Chaon looked toward the pharmacy.
“Why is the front door closed? Two customers can’t get in and are just standing there.”
“Oh, customers came?”
“Go see to them. You’ll need a lot of rice with the increased number of customers.”
Leaving Seohyo to work hard with the customers, Chaon went off to take care of the household.
Seohyo wanted to get up but couldn’t move, only able to shift her eyes.
Watching Mirang secretly, she saw the young lady’s eyes brimming with tears—perhaps from Chaon’s words. Wow, that was harsh. Treating her as a mere “extra mouth” while she’s crying right in front of him.
All the wrongdoers were gone, leaving only Seohyo with Mirang.
Ah, she’s crying. Again.
Seohyo, standing awkwardly, patted Mirang’s back again. The young lady sobbed, hiccupping as tears poured out.
“Waaah! It’s so different from what I imagined! Sniff, sniff!”
Being the daughter of the River God, her tears were extraordinary. Seohyo comforted Mirang, pitying her for falling for the cold-hearted butler.
