Chapter 29…………………….
“Will you stay by my side from now on?”
It was probably meant as a casual question, but Chohui’s words caught in her throat.
Stay by his side? This man’s side?
“I-I will, at least until Madam Na leaves…”
“A model answer.”
Dowoon rose with a faint sneer. It was still pitch-dark, so it must have been deep in the early morning.
“I woke you up.”
“It’s okay.”
“I may keep waking you up for a while.”
“Do you have nightmares that often?”
Just what kind of nightmare was tormenting him so relentlessly?
Dowoon didn’t answer. He only let a small smile fall.
“Is it because you’re sleeping in an uncomfortable place?”
“Uncomfortable?”
“In the study, and here too… You always sleep on the sofa. That’s probably why. If you slept in a bed, it might get better.”
“Are you telling me to come to the bed now… Have you finally prepared yourself?”
“Of course not now—later, after I leave!”
Chohui snapped, and with the hand that had been touching his face, she lightly pinched his cheek.
“You’re always trying to tease me, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’ve been found out.”
“I’m not going to fall for it so easily anymore.”
“What a shame. Your flustered expression was rather cute.”
“C-Cute?!”
“Just like now.”
Seeing him return to his usual sly self made her feel relieved.
Dowoon laughed, and Chohui tried to pinch his cheek again, but he caught her hand. His large palm completely covered her hand and wrist.
She twisted, trying to pull away, but he was immovable like stone.
“Now that you’re awake, let go.”
“No.”
“No—why are you being so stubborn?”
Before she could finish speaking, Dowoon tugged her closer. Her body lost balance, and her face landed helplessly against his chest.
“What are you—”
“Just for a moment. Stay like this for a moment.”
He placed her head gently on his chest and stroked her hair softly, as though she might shatter like glass.
He hadn’t tried to show it, but it seemed the nightmare had shaken him more than he let on.
Seeing this fragile side of him for the first time, Chohui couldn’t move.
“…What kind of dream was it?”
“……”
“You did a lot of bad things in the past, didn’t you? Some dream where bad people chase you or something. I knew it.”
“I haven’t done that many bad things.”
“Then something shameless?”
Dowoon laughed, and the warmth of his body vibrated against her ear.
“It was just… something from the past.”
“Something bad?”
“A sad thing. My comrades died.”
Chohui flinched at his unexpected confession.
His comrades died… Could that be the “incident” Madam Na had mentioned?
“I’m telling you because you don’t understand. After that happened, I was terrified my son might make a drastic choice…”
She had suspected it. That Dowoon’s past might hold a darkness beyond imagination.
But she had never known what kind.
And it felt wrong to pry. Like crossing a line.
Everyone had pain in their past. In these times, it was impossible not to.
So she would listen if he spoke, but she never intended to force him.
She never dreamed he would say it so calmly.
“My comrades died because of me.”
And even more shocking was how flatly he said it.
How many times had he stabbed his own heart inside, to be able to speak like this without trembling?
Chohui was still afraid to even speak of her father. Her emotions still overflowed too painfully to let out.
“Why do you think it was because of you?”
“It’s not something I think. It’s the truth.”
“Did you kill them yourself with your own hands?”
“Not exactly, but—”
“Then you didn’t kill them. Why say something so ridiculous?”
Chohui slipped free and lifted her head, staring straight into his eyes without wavering.
“It was my mistake.”
“Then call it a mistake. Not death.”
“The cause and effect are clear.”
“There’s no absolute cause and effect in this world. How much absolute influence do you think one person can really have on another?”
“…Are you comforting me?”
“Is it comforting?”
“Well… a little.”
Dowoon laughed again, low and quiet. He looked far more stable than before.
Watching him calm down made her suddenly embarrassed.
Maybe it was the early morning haze, but touching him so freely… and him touching her… none of it was something she would’ve done in her right mind.
But he’d had a nightmare.
It couldn’t be helped.
“Haah… I’m sleepy. I should go back to sleep.”
To hide her awkwardness, Chohui yawned exaggeratedly and quickly stood up.
She lay back down in bed, forcing her eyes shut.
Sleep well.
She thought she heard his voice, but soon she drifted off again.
The Next Morning
Madam Na took a sip of coffee. The rich aroma refreshed her senses.
“Mother.”
At Dowoon’s voice, she set the cup down.
“We will hold another wedding ceremony in Gyeongseong.”
“Of course you must.”
“Until then, please keep it a secret from Father.”
“Why on earth?”
“Because I want to be acknowledged.”
Dowoon sneered inwardly.
Acknowledged?
That was no longer something he could feel toward Lee Kangwon.
To him, Lee Kangwon was no longer a father. Maybe biologically, but nothing more.
He had no father now.
“After I succeed, I will tell him. As you know, my wife is Joseon.”
“No matter if she is Joseon—”
“If I succeed in business here, Father will acknowledge that I can lead a household as a proper man. I wanted to begin with the approval of both Father and Mother.”
“Then you should’ve waited! Why were you in such a hurry that you married in secret without even telling your parents?”
“I was afraid my wife would leave if I waited without certainty.”
“My son…”
Madam Na, unaware it was acting, looked at him with pity.
She could never guess his calculations—that he might dispose of her quickly if things went well.
“If you truly cannot acknowledge it—”
“My son, don’t you know you don’t need my approval?”
“What do you mean?”
“I only wanted you to be happy.”
At her words, the curve of Dowoon’s lips stiffened.
“You are happy, aren’t you?”
The question was full of expectation.
Happiness…
Since the incident three years ago, it was a feeling he would never again be given.
And yet she prayed for his happiness without knowing.
An innocent, foolish mother.
Dowoon smiled again, forcing a lie.
“Yes. I’m happy.”
“Then that is enough.”
Madam Na left for Gyeongseong the next day.
Before leaving, she seemed to have spoken with Chohui once. But when asked, Chohui only shrugged and said it was nothing important.
It was obvious.
Probably a stale lecture about marital duties.
None of it applied to them.
After Madam Na left, two things changed.
The first was that even the servants now knew Chohui was not merely a private tutor.
“I’ll inform the young madam.”
“The young madam is out in the garden…”
Their attitude hadn’t changed much, but one thing had:
Her title shifted from “teacher” to “young madam.”
At first, it sounded awkward, but soon it became strangely familiar in Dowoon’s ears.
He told himself it was only because he heard it so often.
And the second change…
“So… you bought this?”
Chohui stared up at the ceiling in horror.
A massive crystal chandelier hung there.
What didn’t she like? Dowoon thought it suited the room perfectly.
“Don’t we need lighting?”
“We need lighting… so you bought that chandelier?”
“I thought you’d like it.”
“Where did you even get that idea?”
“Didn’t you look at it with wonder?”
“If you find it so fascinating, I’ll install one in your home too. So you can look at it every day.”
“You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?”
“Does it sound like teasing? I can do at least that much.”
“It was just because I’d never seen one before!”
“Then should I remove it? I can replace it with something you like.”
“Forget it! I won’t even be here that long anyway!”
Now that everyone knew she was married to Dowoon, she couldn’t remain in the guest room.
She moved fully into the master bedroom.
And Dowoon brought in the chandelier and furniture he had prepared in advance.
Of course, Chohui protested wildly about sharing the room.
“The same room?! Your mother isn’t even here anymore!”
“But wouldn’t separate rooms be strange?”
“We’ve been in separate rooms this whole time!”
“That was when you were still just a teacher.”
“Then at least put in two beds! This isn’t right!”
“I can’t. What if the servants gossip again and it reaches Mother?”
“Then you sleep on the sofa!”
“So you mean I can have nightmares all I want?”
“I don’t care if you do!”
After a long argument, she finally allowed them to share the room.
Truthfully, it wasn’t even necessary.
Dowoon had already replaced all the servants except Sunhwa-daek, and none of them would dare report to Madam Na.
But somehow…
Once they had shared a room, going back to separate rooms felt… like a waste.
Sleeping on the sofa wasn’t so bad.
Strangely, since the night Chohui had woken him, no matter how uncomfortable his sleep, that dream never returned.
Strangely.
“The ladies’ gathering was today…”
Chohui said gloomily.
“They didn’t invite me again.”
“Didn’t Madam Minamoto get very angry?”
“She did. What do we do now?”
Dowoon watched her pacing back and forth.
Yes. The mission was already over, ruined by Madam Minamoto’s anger.
There was no longer any reason to keep Chohui here.
No need to sit together and worry like this.
And yet…
He kept giving her space. As though there was still a chance.
As Chohui reread the details about Madam Minamoto, her eyes suddenly sparkled.
“What if… we try this way?”
Yes.
Maybe it was simply because…
He wanted to see those eyes a little longer.
