ARWFF 03

Chapter 3

It was a miracle that the man had happened to appear at that very moment—otherwise, she would have died right there.

The terror from the sudden threat of death did not fade easily. Seol-ah hugged her still-numb arm and shoulder, trying to steady herself.

Her clothes were disheveled, yet the man looked completely unharmed—as if nothing had happened at all.

“…My name is Ye-hyeon. The surname is Hyun.”

“So you are Sir Hyun, then.”

In the dim light of the oil lamp inside the hut, Hyun Ye-hyeon did not look like someone who worked as a groundskeeper. His attire was simple martial wear, but the fabric had a subtle sheen of high quality, and his long outer robe was fastened with a belt that bore delicate embroidery. It was the kind of clothing befitting a noble young master.

Perhaps she had become indebted to a man of high standing. Baek Seol-ah was merely a village girl of modest background, and that made her slightly uneasy. She considered whether she should stand and bow.

But Ye-hyeon seemed unconcerned. Instead, his gaze shifted to her ankle with a look of worry.

“Your ankle—did that thing grab it earlier?”

“…Yes. Ah, I—if you touch it—ngh, ah…”

The man carefully reached for her ankle. It was improper for a man and woman to be so close, and her ankle and foot were places she felt shy about exposing. Seol-ah tried to pull her leg away, but Ye-hyeon’s hand was quicker—he grasped her ankle.

The moment his hand touched her, a prickling pain surged through it. It felt as though blood had stopped flowing from her toes up through her leg, and she let out a small groan. She tried to suppress it, but the sound still escaped her lips.

“Fortunately, it only brushed you briefly, so it has not drained all your vitality.”

“…Ah, let—let go. It…hurts…”

“Please endure it for a moment. If we leave it alone, it could spread.”

The man did not release her ankle. Instead, he wrapped his hand around it, holding it firmly. His touch was surprisingly cold against her skin, sending a chill through the injury.

She wore thin undergarments beneath her skirt, but the fabric was so light that his body heat transmitted through it. The sensation was strange.

Seol-ah hurriedly pulled her leg back and huddled into herself. Sweat dampened her back, making it feel even colder.

“Sir Hyun… men and women should keep proper distance. How can you—”

She protested with a flushed expression. Even if it was only an ankle injury, she could not simply drop her wariness toward a stranger.

In a place like this, she had to protect herself. She could not afford to let her guard down.

Ye-hyeon paused for a moment with an expressionless face, then withdrew his hand. His features were difficult to read, but his movements were slow and gentle, allowing Seol-ah to pull away.

“…Your ankle will be fine soon. I will impose on you only until morning and then take my leave, so please—”

Seol-ah forced herself to speak politely despite the pain. She still sweated heavily and felt her body temperature dropping, but she did not want to show weakness to a strange man.

Ye-hyeon looked slightly troubled.

“That wound must not be left untreated.”

“Thank you for your concern, but please allow me to see a physician in the morning. Because of propriety, I cannot show you my ankle. It is only a little skin pain.”

“If it remains so, it will soon spread.”

She looked up at him in confusion.

“…Spread?”

“The wound will not stay contained. It can spread through the body.”

“…?”

Ye-hyeon’s words flowed slowly, as if trying to convince her.

“Wounds inflicted by those things spread quickly. They can reach the entire body and drain vitality.”

Seol-ah listened in silence. His voice was measured and graceful, somehow soothing.

While speaking, he reached out and gently grasped her ankle again. She nearly pulled away, but his hand was firm and careful.

For some reason, his tone carried a strange reassurance, so she allowed him to continue.

“Though I do not know how you can see them, such things are normally invisible to human eyes. They drift between this world and the next, hunting vitality from both sides.”

“….”

“People often call them wandering spirits. I and others… call them shadows.”

As he spoke, he lifted her leg and placed her foot on his knee.

It was an embarrassing and indecent posture, but Seol-ah forced herself to remain upright. If she became flustered now, it would only look worse—something her personality could not accept.

She kept her leg still and averted her gaze.

“…I see.”

So that was why she always saw them when someone died or suffered great misfortune. They were not always visible; their appearance varied with circumstances. It finally made sense, and she let out a small sigh.

“Ungh…”

A sudden jolt of pain from her ankle made her groan. In that instant, Ye-hyeon’s hands moved swiftly—he lifted the thin underlayer and pressed his palm against the injured skin.

He retrieved a small pouch and took out a bit of medicinal paste, which he placed in his mouth and chewed.

Once the paste became slightly moist, he spread it over her ankle and then unwound his hair ribbon, using it to bind the wound. His long black hair spilled over his shoulder, catching the light.

“….”

Seol-ah carefully tested her ankle. Wrapped firmly in soft cloth, the pain gradually subsided. While Ye-hyeon held her ankle with his large hand, it felt as if he were drawing the pain out of her.

The chill that had spread through her body did not disappear, but the worst of the pain was gone.

“How do you feel?”

She nodded in response.

“Yes, it doesn’t hurt as much…”

“Good. It is a useful medicine—fortunately, I happened to have it.”

Ye-hyeon smiled faintly as he stood. Seol-ah touched her ankle in wonder.

It had been undeniably shameful to expose her bare skin to a stranger. Yet the sudden disappearance of pain was so remarkable that she almost forgot her embarrassment.

The pain was gone, but she still felt cold and shivered.

Ye-hyeon, sensing her condition, brought her a thick blanket. It was warm, yet her body continued to feel chilled—as if her temperature had dropped too much.

“You do not look well. The medicine should have dispelled the cold.”

His tone carried concern. As he said, Seol-ah’s condition was poor. She trembled but forced herself to sit upright and remain composed.

Ye-hyeon went to the kitchen and lit a fire to boil water. Watching him move about, Seol-ah spoke.

“Why did those… things appear?”

“They often appear on nights of the new moon.”

While he prepared tea and handed her a cup, Seol-ah felt a faint sense of shame.

This was an excessive burden. To be rescued by a noble young master, treated, and even given tea.