If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 45

He set down a basin of water and cloth beside the door and stood in front of Yuseol. Then he showed signs of surprise seeing the chaos of cushions strewn about.

“Ah… it seems it was difficult for you to get up alone. If I had known this would happen, I should have hurried over.”

Yuseol nodded without answering.

Myoyeon examined her with puzzled eyes. Her appearance, which had always been neat even when unwell from the extreme poison, was strangely disheveled. Her hair that had been braided not long ago was full of stray strands sticking out. The skin on the back of her neck was red and bore the shape of large handprints. The area below her ears was also tinged red. Myoyeon looked around the chaotic room again and asked.

“Were you alone the whole time?”

Yuseol opened her lips to answer but stammered. Her clear pupils moved busily, searching for an appropriate answer.

Time stopped like that. She couldn’t say anything, and Myoyeon just kept waiting. It was a silence that seemed like it would never end. Myoyeon postponed hearing her answer and looked toward the door.

“Please sit and wait just a moment. I’ll prepare a palanquin to escort you to your quarters.”

Yuseol, who had been hesitating, shook her head.

“Thank you for your concern, but I think I can go alone.”

She looked at the floor as if avoiding the worried gaze approaching her. She wanted to hide in a dark place where no one was as soon as possible. The farther from here, the better it would seem. Though the only place she could go right now would be her quarters….

She began moving, propping the bamboo rod in front of her. How many steps had she taken?

She could see scratch marks being made on the wooden floor where she propped the rod. Looking back, the entire path she had taken was gouged and scratched. Even her desire to return to her quarters felt like causing trouble. She spoke quietly to Myoyeon.

“The floor because of me…. I keep only causing trouble.”

“It’s just a wooden floor. Please don’t worry about it.”

Myoyeon entrusted Yuseol’s support to women who happened to be passing through the corridor. With the women’s help, she went down below the wooden floor and grasped the wooden rod again.

She began descending the downhill path, enduring the pain that rose with each step. As clouds covered the moon, everything around became dark.

Yuseol finally raised her head that had been deeply lowered. For some reason, a low voice rang in her ears.

“What just happened,”

“…….”

“Consider it repayment for saving your life.”

Suddenly the rod that had been propping against the floor hit a rock at an angle. The rock that bounced up with a thud fell back down onto Yuseol’s hand. Yuseol, who swayed, stopped due to the pain in her injured ankle. She had a premonition that if she walked further like this, it would develop into a bigger injury.

Yuseol looked around her surroundings. There was a well inside the path. Moonlight was reflected in the water that filled the bucket.

Would cooling her head with cold water help?

Rustle rustle. Yuseol’s footsteps moved toward the well.

She suddenly looked at the ground. A shadow stretched long against the dim moonlight was cast over the well. Feeling it wasn’t her own, she looked back. Myoyeon had been following behind all along.

Yuseol, who had been tense, let out a sigh of relief. Then she moved her lips with a heart that didn’t want to cause more trouble.

“I… should rest for a moment before going. Thank you for looking after me.”

Myoyeon couldn’t approach further and stepped back. Soon he looked at the downhill path that had become darker than before. Hesitation appeared in the hand that gripped the hem of his dopo fluttering in the wind. After pondering something a bit more, he spoke gently.

“Then I’ll be getting some air here.”

He leisurely looked out at the forest path as if he had originally intended to get some air. A brown cat that approached rubbed against his legs. He bent down and sat, beginning to scratch the cat’s chin.

It was a peaceful scene. It even felt like nothing had happened today.

Then a low voice rang in Yuseol’s ears as if mocking that momentary illusion.

“Regrettably, that dog hates you.”

Startled, Yuseol struck the bucket in front of the well. The moon in the water full of clouds distorted unstably.

Yuseol crouched urgently in front of it and scooped water with her hands to rub her lips. A chill came for a moment. After that, the hot and soft sensation cut through frighteningly.

Her heart beat abnormally. Her whole body was hot to an unfamiliar degree.

She rubbed her lips with water once more to erase the incomprehensible phenomenon.

That wasn’t enough, so she rubbed the cheek his hand had touched without rest. Soon she also wet her nape where his breath had fallen with cold water.

Water droplets dripped from Yuseol’s long eyelashes.

“Hah, hah….”

The stream of water overflowing from the bucket was soaking her skirt. Yuseol stared blankly at that scene. The pounding sound of her heart seemed to gradually subside. Just as she felt relieved, Mu-yeong’s low voice spread in her head again.

“Consider it repayment for saving your life.”

Yuseol squeezed her eyes shut. It would be a sleepless night.