Chapter 23…………………………………….
As the light brightened, Dowoon squinted as if blinded for a moment before slowly opening his eyes.
The two of their gazes tangled in midair, hanging by a thread.
“Why are you just sitting here in the dark without even turning on the lights?!”
So startled that she forgot, for a moment, her decision not to speak to him, Chohui was the first to shout.
“…Are you only coming down now?”
“W-Weren’t you in the study?”
“Did you come here thinking I would be in the study? If you’d known I was here, would you not have come?”
“Of course not!”
“Then were you planning to keep starving yourself?”
“Whether I starve or not is none of your concern.”
“Yes. It’s none of my concern.”
Dowoon murmured as if speaking to himself, rising slowly with an indifferent expression.
Strangely, that blank face felt colder than anger.
As if he had a headache, he pressed his forehead with his thumb and middle finger.
“Even if you don’t want to see me… you should still eat.”
“So you know you’re unpleasant to look at?”
“With no answer from you all day, it’d be strange not to know.”
“And someone like that doesn’t even apologize?”
“…Apologize?”
Dowoon repeated, looking genuinely puzzled—
as if he were hearing the word for the first time.
So even after saying those things… he hadn’t intended to apologize at all?
There was a limit to shamelessness.
“…If I apologize, will you stop starving yourself?”
“Are you saying you’d apologize for that reason?”
Chohui was speechless at how ridiculous he sounded.
What on earth was going through this man’s mind?
“You—”
But Dowoon couldn’t finish.
Soonhwa rushed in, breathless, cutting him off.
“Oh my goodness, young master! Where have you been? Come out quickly!”
“What is it?”
“Madam has arrived!”
“…Now?”
Before his startled words could even fully fall, a middle-aged woman in an elegant hanbok entered the dining room.
“My son… so you were here.”
“Mother.”
The moment she appeared, Dowoon greeted her with a calm smile, as though nothing had happened.
But Chohui knew.
That picture-perfect smile was nothing but acting.
It was the exact same smile he wore in front of Minamoto.
What kind of relationship was it, that he acted even before family?
Chohui frowned.
Whether intentional or not, Dowoon subtly positioned himself so as to partially block her from view and continued smoothly.
“You came without notice… what brings you here?”
“Is it so strange for a mother to visit her son’s home?”
“I was only surprised. At such a late hour… if you’d told me, I would have met you at the station.”
“Hm. If you had, then the young lady behind you would already have been sent far away somewhere else.”
With that, Dowoon’s mother immediately found Chohui and smiled.
A smile that never reached her eyes.
“Mother, it’s late. Let us speak again tomorrow.”
“There is a guest in the house. Shouldn’t I greet her first?”
Still smiling, she narrowed her eyes and spoke directly to Chohui in Japanese.
{Young lady, I am Dowoon’s mother. My name is Na Heejeong. Who are you, and why are you in this house so late at night?}
Japanese?
She must think I’m Japanese.
Should I answer in Japanese? Or Korean?
“This person cannot speak Japanese.”
Thankfully, Dowoon quickly covered for her.
But Madam Na’s brow creased even deeper in displeasure.
“What? Then she’s Joseon?”
“She is British.”
Dowoon’s calm lie nearly made Chohui choke.
No—there was such a thing as going too far.
Anyone could see she was Asian.
“She lived in England for a long time, so she is not fluent in either Korean or Japanese. It may be difficult for you to speak with her, so please speak to me instead.”
Ah…
He lied so she wouldn’t be able to talk to her directly.
Understanding his intention, Chohui smiled innocently and extended her hand toward his mother.
In this situation, she had no choice but to act along.
She wasn’t completely clueless.
[Hello, ma’am. My name is Lucia. I suppose I stayed too long.]
At the unexpected English, Dowoon’s mother looked back and forth between them in confusion.
“Let us go to the study first, Mother.”
Dowoon spoke, then turned his gaze to Chohui.
[Go to your room for now. I will come shortly.]
[Alright. It seems we have a lot to talk about.]
[Indeed.]
Dowoon gave her a brief nod and led Madam Na out of the dining room.
“Haa…”
She’d improvised, but…
He would handle the rest, right?
Letting out a quiet sigh, Chohui slipped upstairs as discreetly as she could.
***
Dowoon led Madam Na into the study across the corridor.
Unlike the earlier panic, his mind felt strangely clear now.
Chohui had played along well enough.
Now the only problem was how to send Madam Na back.
“How is Father?”
At Dowoon’s question, Madam Na smiled in satisfaction.
“He is well. Aside from worrying that his only son is struggling alone in the far northern region.”
“You know it cannot be helped because of business.”
“Yes… I only hope you can settle things quickly and return to Gyeongseong. And so…”
Madam Na cleared her throat, preparing to get to the point.
“The young lady from the kitchen earlier… you truly have no relationship with her, correct?”
“She is my private tutor.”
“No matter what she is, it is not a good look for an unmarried man to have a woman coming and going at such late hours.”
“Do not worry. Today was simply an unusually long conversation.”
“And nothing more?”
“Of course not.”
“Romance before marriage is no shame. But an illegitimate child is unacceptable.”
“It is not that kind of relationship.”
Even though Dowoon smiled gently, Madam Na continued pressing.
Damn it.
He could never allow her to discover Chohui’s true identity.
If her name reached his father, Count Lee Kangwon…
That man would harm her, all in the name of ‘protecting Dowoon.’
Dowoon forced the corners of his mouth upward again.
“Mother… what is the real reason you came so suddenly?”
“I heard a strange rumor. That you brought a woman into your home. I thought it was nonsense… but look at this.”
Dowoon clenched his teeth.
It hadn’t been long since he’d taken Chohui to that ladies’ gathering.
There wasn’t even enough time for news to spread.
Which meant—
Someone among the servants had secretly contacted Madam Na.
A rat in the house.
Dowoon kept his composure through gritted teeth.
“You must have heard wrong.”
Madam Na still looked unconvinced.
Then, as if struck by an idea, her expression softened.
“You said she is an English tutor? I don’t know why someone like you, who graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, would need more English…”
“There is always more to learn.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Madam Na brightened, smiling as though she’d been waiting for that exact answer.
“Then I would like to learn from her as well. That should be fine, yes?”
What…?
She wanted to take Chohui?
“Mother, what are you saying?”
“You just said there is always more to learn.”
“Then I will find you another tutor.”
“Why? I only mean while I am staying here. Hoho.”
Even at Dowoon’s stiff refusal, Madam Na pushed forward with a laugh.
“Unless… you are hiding something, and that is why you do not wish to offer her up?”
“Of course not.”
“Then it is settled. I will see her tomorrow morning.”
Damn it.
Dowoon ground his teeth inwardly, forcing a smile.
***
“What is all of this…”
In the guest room upstairs, Chohui paced anxiously.
She’d acted on instinct because of Dowoon’s mother, but now she wasn’t sure if she’d done the right thing.
And the fact that she was even worrying about this was absurd.
The contract was only to play the role of a wife at the ladies’ gathering.
Yet somehow, little by little, the things she had to do kept increasing.
She should have been complaining.
But—
Urgent footsteps sounded on the stairs.
They stopped at her door, and Chohui quickly opened it first.
As expected, Dowoon stood outside.
His fist was raised, as if he had been about to knock.
He froze like a statue, clearly not expecting her to open the door.
“What are you doing? Hurry and come in.”
“How did you know? That I was standing here?”
“You’re stomping so loudly. How could I not? Hurry.”
“…Then, excuse me.”
The moment he stepped inside, Chohui shut the door quickly and looked up at him.
It was hard to believe that only minutes ago they’d been walking on thin ice with each other.
“Why did your mother suddenly come?”
“…For a ridiculous reason.”
“Then what do we do now?”
“I told her you were my private tutor. That our conversation simply ran late. But…”
“But?”
“She does not seem pleased that you are staying in this house.”
“Of course…”
It wasn’t hard to understand.
What mother would welcome her unmarried son living with a stranger?
Especially one with no promised future.
“Then I should leave for a while.”
“Leave?”
Dowoon echoed as if he’d heard something impossible.
“If I stay here, both you and your mother will be uncomfortable. It makes sense for me to leave for now.”
“…That won’t do.”
“What do you mean it won’t?”
“If you leave… where will you even go?”
“I have an inn I was staying at. I have some money now, so staying a few days is no problem.”
“I said no.”
Dowoon’s stubborn refusal, without any real explanation, frustrated her.
He used to be stubborn before too—
but at least he gave reasons.
“Why do you keep telling me not to go? Leaving would be more natural.”
“Because the place you belong is here.”
Dowoon cut her off sharply.
And it sounded… sincere.
“Because I need you.”
