Chapter 41
“She must have felt uneasy, because she washed herself while fully clothed, pouring water over her own body.”
“Gasp.”
Eunha was left speechless. She really did all sorts of things in the middle of the night.
If she poured water like that, her clothes would have gotten completely soaked. It made sense now why she had to take off all her underwear as well.
“I’m sorry… I behaved so embarrassingly again.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
Dohoon muttered softly, as if speaking to himself. He had never thought of it as shameful. In fact, he had felt so sorry and protective that he had struggled all night not to hold her. He couldn’t have slept sober, so he calmed his upset stomach with whiskey until dawn.
However, Eunha, waking up with a queasy stomach, ran to the bathroom and vomited several times. Worried, Dohoon went in with her and patted her back. Then she insisted on washing up. Her clothes got completely wet from the water, so he had no choice but to help undress her…
From that moment, Dohoon found himself tested. The touch of her bare skin as he helped her undress was so pleasant that he had to restrain his excitement several times.
Moreover, perhaps because she had been drinking, Eunha was honest with her body’s reactions. Every time Dohoon’s hand touched her, she made suggestive sounds, making it incredibly difficult for him to control his desire.
After enduring several such dangerous moments, morning finally came. If it weren’t for the tormenting feelings he had toward Eunha, he would have held her all night, drunk or sober. Even thinking about it made him feel a stirring below, and he quickly shook his head.
“Go wash up. Breakfast is ready.”
Dohoon left Eunha and went to the kitchen.
“You’re crazy, Yeo Eunha! Why on earth…?”
Eunha kicked her feet in embarrassment under the covers. She covered her burning face with her hands and regretted it, but it was useless. At times like this, all she could do was steel herself. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and hurried to wash.
When she came out, a simple breakfast was laid out on the table: rice, soup, and a few side dishes. Could it be that Dohoon had prepared this himself? Eunha couldn’t believe it and looked back and forth between him and the table several times.
“Dohoon… did you make all this…?”
“It’s pollack soup. You drank a lot last night, so it’s to settle your stomach.”
Eunha still stared at him blankly. It really seemed that he had prepared it himself. Feeling embarrassed for having misbehaved after drinking, she felt even stranger about eating the soup he had made.
Then Dohoon got up and brought another bowl of soup, placing it in front of Eunha. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Yesterday was your birthday, right?”
Dohoon had placed a bowl of seaweed soup in front of her. Eunha stared at him, speechless, and after a long pause asked,
“…How did you know?”
She had never expected him to remember her birthday, so she was genuinely touched.
“After the commotion you caused yesterday, how could I not know?”
“….”
What kind of commotion did she cause yesterday? Eunha frowned, trying to recall the memory, but it was useless.
“They say you shouldn’t celebrate a belated birthday, but I thought it would be better to prepare something than to let it pass.”
Dohoon repeated what the bakery owner had said the day before. At first, he tried not to care, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Since it was her birthday, it wasn’t too much to do this much, right? In the end, Dohoon compromised with himself and decided to quietly take care of it.
“You did this yourself?”
“I asked Director Park. We didn’t have the ingredients at home anyway.”
“Oh… I see.”
It wasn’t essential that he make it himself. Buying the soup and preparing the table still counted as effort, and without genuine care, he couldn’t have done it. Moreover, the food was prepared just for Eunha. He seemed to habitually skip breakfast himself.
Had Eunha prepared it, she would have invited him to eat together. Waking up late and receiving a meal he prepared made her feel embarrassed. But she knew that eating well was the polite thing to do, so she picked up her spoon diligently.
“I’ll eat well. Thank you.”
Eunha first tasted the soup. Beyond the flavor, it truly settled her stomach.
“It’s delicious.”
“Of course. I went to a 30-year-old traditional restaurant early this morning to get it.”
Eunha couldn’t help but smile slightly at his earnest answer. Then she remembered and asked, worried about work,
“But aren’t you going to work today?”
Dohoon, who usually left very early, staying at home in the morning felt unusual.
“I told them I’d be a little late.”
“Oh….”
Eunha smiled again. Yesterday, every action of his had been irritating, but today, everything he did pleased her. The thought that he had gone late to work just to prepare her breakfast moved her even more.
Come to think of it, how had he picked her up yesterday? She thought he had a schedule to go to his family home and would have met Seoyoung there. That’s why she had been upset.
“I thought you were going to your family’s house last night… what happened?”
“I canceled.”
“What? Oh… I see…”
Eunha cautiously asked, and his brief reply left little room for further questions. She wondered if it was because of her, but that didn’t seem likely. Regardless, knowing he didn’t go to his family home and came to see her made her heart flutter.
“Are you still being called around to your family?”
Dohoon, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable thinking Eunha might still be under her father’s orders. On the day of his U.S. business trip, he deliberately took Eunha to his family’s house for a meal as a warning not to trouble her. Though she told him not to intervene, he couldn’t ignore it. If she was pushed around even when he was present, he knew it would be worse while he was away. That’s why he had even brought up the pregnancy as a small shield.
“No. I just happened to overhear when I went to get herbal medicine. It was the medicine Grandpa prescribed to help with pregnancy.”
“…I see.”
Eunha blushed unconsciously as she mentioned the medicine. But Dohoon simply nodded, relieved she hadn’t been forced to go to her family.
Feeling a little embarrassed for worrying him, Eunha enjoyed her pollack and seaweed soup.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Dohoon was surprised to see Eunha finish a bowl of rice and two bowls of soup so quickly.
“It was really delicious. I eat well when I eat well.”
Seeing his expression, Eunha quickly added an excuse, worried she might have eaten too much. Dohoon found her explanation cute and chuckled.
“I see.”
At first, she had been uncomfortable and reluctant to eat with him… but he could tell her heart had opened a lot.
Suddenly realizing reality, Dohoon’s smile faded. Before her feelings deepened any further, he had to address the topic. It was time he could no longer postpone. In fact, he had kept the morning free to talk to Eunha. How could he explain that he didn’t want their relationship to develop beyond a contractual one?
When the truth of the past incident was revealed, he didn’t mind if Eunha resented him, but he wanted to protect her from being hurt. He prayed her feelings weren’t greater than his.
Just as he struggled to speak, Eunha, after clearing the table, spoke first with a slightly awkward expression.
“Um… I need to ask a favor.”
“Go ahead.”
“Well… um…”
“What is it?”
Eunha hesitated, and Dohoon watched her curiously. After a moment, she seemed to make up her mind, smiling as she proposed:
“Could we talk in the garden?”
“The garden?”
“Yes. Spring is in full bloom now, and the weather is so nice.”
Dohoon hesitated briefly, then nodded. Whatever she wanted to talk about, he intended to accommodate her. He didn’t want to spoil her bright mood. Once he told her his matter, her mood would inevitably drop.
“Alright.”
Eunha smiled brightly, carried water and something on a plate, and walked ahead. Dohoon followed her into the garden.
He had wondered when spring would arrive, but now the breeze was warm and pleasant. After all, it would soon be May.
As Dohoon strolled through the garden, lost in thought, Eunha squatted by a flower bed.
