Chapter 118
「 What’s this? 」
「 It’s hangwa. Rice is puffed and then coated with grain syrup… 」
「 No, that’s not what I meant. Why are you giving this to me? 」
「 Ah. 」
Jin’s cheeks turned red. It felt like I was teasing a well-raised young master.
「 My mother asked me to deliver it to you, as a token of her gratitude. She wanted to thank you for helping out at the tavern. 」
「 I’ve only caused trouble for her… Is it really alright for me to accept something so precious? 」
「 Estira-nim, you’re a precious person too. 」
As I gazed at the hangwa glazed with sweet grain syrup, secretly salivating, I turned my eyes to Jin at his low, gentle words.
Judging by the words alone, it sounded almost like he was trying to seduce me. It tickled my heart. But blinking up at Jin, he only wore his usual calm expression as he poured water into my teacup.
‘Does he not even realize he’s flirting?’
With his hair neatly braided to the right, Jin simply went about his business in silence.
Thanks to that, just as a spring breeze was about to blow in my heart, I hurriedly shut the window. That was close. I almost embarrassed myself.
「 So… Where’s Nari? Why are you doing this sort of thing, Jin? 」
I quickly changed the subject.
Since this village in Dongguk is modeled after Joseon-era Korea, a preference for sons and a clear class hierarchy is present. Of course, Jin was always quick to help Okhee and didn’t have a particularly patriarchal attitude, but jobs like this were mostly done by a maid like Nari.
As I hovered behind him and asked, Jin suddenly lifted his head and looked at me.
His deep green eyes fixed directly on me. As expected, this stiff man wouldn’t come to my room for no reason.
Jin glanced out the window briefly. From his demeanor, it was clear what he wanted to talk about.
「 Is it about swordsmanship? 」
「 Ah. 」
「 It’s written all over your face. 」
I let out a small laugh, and Jin scratched the back of his head. He looked so bashful, like a country boy, that I ended up laughing again.
‘Ah, come to think of it, I really do laugh a lot more since coming here.’
I touched the corners of my mouth, awkwardly turned up. Until I met Declan, there was nothing to make me smile in my life. Somehow, I’d ended up in a place where I could laugh so easily and genuinely, just because I was having fun.
Sticking it out and surviving through all of it… Maybe it really was the right thing to do.
I get to see such a handsome man right in front of me, too?
Now, he just had his hair in a braid, plain clothes, and straw shoes, but in the future—when he cuts his hair short, slicks back his bangs, dons a white uniform, and carries a sword—he’d be as handsome as Declan, the male lead, is described to be.
I smiled brightly, imagining what he’d look like once he became a knight.
「 You were brave to ask. Actually, since Ariel left, Feyden’s been really bored. 」
「 Is that so…? 」
「 He doesn’t seem like it? Feyden looks like he hates and bullies Ariel, but they actually got along really well. 」
Jin averted his gaze awkwardly and didn’t respond to my words.
How funny. Maybe that’s how it looked to others, but I knew the truth. They were perfect travel companions. How could someone who’d only seen them together for a fortnight know that?
I pressed on, undeterred.
「 Anyway, I’ll talk to Feyden about it. It looks like he trains every morning before sunrise. What do you think about joining him? I’ll let him know. 」
「 I wouldn’t want to be a burden… It’s enough for me just to watch from the side. 」
「 Okay. Understood. 」
Crunch. I fully savored the sweet taste of the grain syrup spreading in my mouth.
I offered some to Jin, but he firmly refused. It was delicious, so what’s the problem?
「 But, why did you suddenly make this decision? Wasn’t it because you wanted to hide learning the sword, so your father wouldn’t catch you and scold you? 」
「 I’m still… worried. If my parents ever find out, they’ll be very angry. 」
「 Hmm. Right. 」
Taking a big bite, I looked at Jin. He had a rather serious expression, so I set down the hangwa I was holding and looked at him.
「 I learned a lot from Ariel-nim. 」
Ah, right. The two of them seemed to communicate wordlessly, and I’d often see the two quiet types spending time together. They were the same age and had similar personalities, so I guess they had a lot to talk about.
I wondered what he could have learned from Ariel, who was always filled with thoughts of praising God, and picked the syrup crumbs from my lips as I asked.
「 What did you learn? 」
「 The strength to persist in your determination to learn, even if it means giving up what is most precious to you. 」
「 Hm? 」
That was quite philosophical. I tried to figure out what he meant, and ended up choking.
And then came Jin’s absurd answer.
「 I learned from the steadfast heart that would leave behind even you, his lover, in order to go to the Holy Kingdom and study theology. 」
「 Pardon…? 」
His gaze lingered, just for a moment, on the letter tucked beneath my pillow.
What’s with that look? Why does he seem to pity me?
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