ushernet Chapter 32
Chapter 32
A gentle breeze caressed my face. The cool sensation of the blanket against my skin as I moved my arm was pleasant. The sound of breathing seeped into my ears. The tranquility of the morning was delightful. I moved my arm.
As my arm slowly rose above the blanket, I felt a soft and warm sensation at the tip of my arm. Soft and tender. Yes, this was...
“Are you awake?”
At the sound of the voice, I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight filtering through the blackout curtains gently illuminated the room. Lying next to me was Hyuk Dojin, with whom I had completed the wedding ceremony yesterday.
And my hand was resting on his cheek. As I moved my fingers, I naturally pinched and grasped Hyuk Dojin’s soft cheek. Hyuk Dojin allowed me to do as I pleased without any reaction and chuckled.
“Do you like it?”
“...It’s soft.”
“Sowol is soft too.”
His hand slowly rose and touched my cheek. Feeling a strange ticklishness from the warm sensation, I giggled, and Hyuk Dojin’s eyes widened before a gentle smile appeared on his face.
“I didn’t know you could laugh like that.”
“What?”
As I looked at him with a smile still on my face, Hyuk Dojin also let out a small chuckle.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you laugh in a way that suits your age.”
“Is that so?”
Come to think of it, there were times when I had no reason to laugh, and I wasn’t in the mood to laugh either.
But since coming here, it seems I’ve found myself laughing unexpectedly quite often...
I tilted my head slowly, and it sank softly into the pillow.
“Mmm...”
“Does it feel good?”
“Somehow, I feel like I’m in good physical condition.”
At my words, Hyuk Dojin let out a small laugh and nodded.
“Well, of course you’d be in good condition after sleeping in so late.”
“Did I oversleep?”
“It’s well past breakfast time. I had to forcibly restrain Geum Baekcheon, who was anxious, saying he needed to feed Sowol.”
“Oh my...”
“Anyone who saw him would think he was a papa bear. Fussing with that huge body of his, insisting that you must eat. I felt even more anxious just watching from the side.”
I let out a small sigh. Since coming here, I had received kindness from many people, but Geum Baekcheon, the chef, was particularly special.
That’s because the dishes he prepared were all easily digestible. Moreover, because the food he made was so digestible, I gradually increased the amount I ate.
Previously, two dumplings had been my entire meal, but now I could eat a whole plate, even if I had to force myself a bit.
Of course, it was still far from enough to be considered a proper meal, but for me, it was a remarkable improvement.
“I should apologize to Geum Baekcheon later.”
“It’s alright. He said he prepared something light for you to eat since you skipped breakfast, so I’ll have him bring it.”
Hyuk Dojin finished speaking and leisurely rose from his seat. The bed he had been lying on sank, causing my body to tilt. The resonance felt somehow amusing, and I lifted the corners of my mouth. Hyuk Dojin also smiled similarly and lightly cracked his neck from side to side.
“Come to think of it, Sowol seems to be quite a deep sleeper.”
“...Is that so?”
As I struggled to sit up, Hyuk Dojin extended his hand and helped me up. After getting out of bed and leaning against the wall, I stretched my languid body and glanced around.
Sorry. She apologized with a smile.
I silently looked at her before shaking my head. Joo Hwarin didn’t need to apologize. She didn’t have any ill intentions, and even if it wasn’t such a custom, if she had simply insisted, there was no need to get angry over such a trivial matter.
“By the way, Miss, despite being very thin, your arms are quite firm. You have a lot of muscle too. Did you also train in martial arts when you were young?”
“Yes. My condition isn’t good now, but in the past, it wasn’t this bad. So I often learned various things, following my older brother.”
“I see. Ah! Do you know this? They say that even if someone who trained in their youth stops midway, the traces remain when they grow up. Something about the bones being aligned that way? Anyway, I think those traces might have remained in you too, Miss.”
I glanced at the arm she was touching and chuckled.
“I suppose so.”
Joo Hwarin and I finished the short bath while engaging in various conversations. When we came out, Hyuk Dojin was just entering the room, holding a plate in his hand.
He welcomed me as I emerged from the bath and set the plate down on the table.
“The weather is nice today.”
“Really?”
“If your condition allows, how about taking a short walk along the shaded stone path today? The weather is mild, and the breeze is refreshing. I’ve been worried since you’ve only been staying in the room lately. What do you think?”
Hyuk Dojin smiled and lifted the lid of the plate. Inside were fruits that had been cut into bite-sized pieces. As I approached while drying my wet hair, I picked up a green grape and popped it into my mouth before nodding.
“I think that would be nice.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t gone outside since coming here. I had either stayed in the room or briefly strolled along the corridor, never leaving the pavilion. I had been feeling a bit suffocated, so Hyuk Dojin’s suggestion felt simply delightful.
“Hmm, but since it’s not quite summer weather, it would be best to wear warm clothes.”
“I will prepare them.”
I watched Joo Hwarin move swiftly, as if she had been waiting. I quietly observed her small back before shifting my gaze to Hyuk Dojin.
He was silently watching me eat the fruit. Putting another grape into my mouth, I tilted my head.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
At my question, he gave a refreshing smile.
“Because you’re eating well.”
“Pardon?”
As I blinked my eyes, Hyuk Dojin lightly shrugged his shoulders. His smile felt so gentle that it seemed to be present even before it appeared on his face. Sighing, I finished putting the remaining grapes into my mouth.
“Mmm... I think chicken sesame soup would be good for lunch today, like what we had yesterday. Perhaps it’s because I drank last night, but I’m craving something like that.”
“I will have it prepared.”
I chuckled softly at the sight of him elegantly bowing like a butler. I turned my body.
Joo Hwarin approached with clothes in her hands. After examining the clothes, I glanced at Hyuk Dojin. He was blankly gazing in my direction.
I looked at the clothes again, then at Hyuk Dojin once more.
He tilted his head, following the direction of my gaze. Receiving the clothes from Joo Hwarin’s hands, I looked at Hyuk Dojin and spoke briefly.
“I’m going to change. Are you going to watch?”
As I smiled brightly, a small smile also appeared on Hyuk Dojin’s lips.
“Is that not allowed?”
“...”
That man, I didn’t know he could make such a brazen expression.
It’s said that you discover new sides of a person after marriage, and I could feel that those words weren’t wrong.