Chapter 21. Stirring Things Up
It was a hundred years ago.
That was when Ah-hee, crying her heart out, met Seo-hyo as she was passing by.
It was a year of severe drought—rice paddies cracked open, and people’s hearts had grown just as harsh. Ah-hee, still a young deity, couldn’t adapt to the starkly different atmosphere from the year before.
She knew people were struggling to survive. Anyone with eyes could see the dried-up fields.
“I didn’t mean to act so thoughtlessly…”
Ah-hee wiped away her streaming tears.
Everyone was having a hard time, but she just wanted them to find even a little strength.
That was all—she simply felt sorry. Just last year, neighbors laughed and chatted together, yet now they could only snap at each other like enemies. That was what made her so sad.
“Tsk tsk, you still don’t understand how the world works?”
“At a time like this, you should be more restrained.”
“You really are still just a child.”
Ah-hee, who had tried to create even a small gathering where people could come together, ended up being scolded and criticized by the other gods as well.
“Sniff…”
That was when Seo-hyo, who had been passing by, approached her.
“The Goddess of Festivals?”
Under a tree with withered leaves fallen away,
Seo-hyo stopped walking, sat down beside her on the dirt, and spoke.
“There are joys in this world so overwhelming they can’t be explained. But there are also sorrows that no matter what you do, you can’t help. Right now is one of those times. People are so exhausted just from ‘surviving’ that they’ve lost the room to smile. And moments of joy, along with days as difficult as these, pile up little by little to become a life.”
“A life…”
“Just because they don’t want it right now doesn’t mean your existence is worthless, Ah-hee. That much I can tell you for certain.”
Seo-hyo took Ah-hee’s tear-soaked hand in hers.
“You’ll come to understand in time.”
From that day on, Seo-hyo became Ah-hee’s friend.
“Eek!”
Having folded all the towels in an instant, Ah-hee stomped her feet, barely able to contain her excitement. She seemed to find this situation even more entertaining than most festivals.
“The day I get to give Seo-hyo advice has finally come!”
There was only one reason.
Cha-eon.
Though it was annoying to admit, her butler—who excelled in many ways over his own mistress.
“Come to think of it, I’m glad I got married early! If I hadn’t, Seo-hyo probably wouldn’t be taking my words seriously right now, right?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
If that were the only reason to be glad about marriage, wouldn’t Ah-hee’s husband feel a little hurt? Seo-hyo found herself thinking of her friend’s absent husband.
They hadn’t met many times, but he always wore an easygoing smile—the god of luck.
You might expect someone in charge of luck to feel like a sharp, shrewd merchant, but in reality, he was closer to a generous scholar.
Of course, Cha-eon—who saw Ah-hee as a nuisance—had nothing nice to say about him.
“He’d suit running a fortune-telling stall in the market, luring in housewives with that clean face of his.”
My butler really is twisted to the core, Seo-hyo thought, almost impressed.
She shook her head inwardly. It was hard to believe she kept getting entangled with someone like him.
Ah-hee and the god of luck were a well-matched pair. A husband who simply laughed off whatever outrageous things his wife did, and a lively, cheerful wife like a young girl.
Even among the gods, people said they were well paired.
But Seo-hyo and Cha-eon were… well.
“Let me ask you just one thing.”
Ah-hee clapped her hands, drawing attention.
“Could you live without Cha-eon?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, have you ever imagined a life without him?”
She had. Recently, in fact. Ah-hee kept pressing, clearly wanting an answer.
“And what was it like?”
“…I didn’t like it much.”
“Tut tut.”
They say you become like the person you love—Ah-hee had already started copying her husband’s way of speaking.
“That’s not honest, Seo-hyo. And it’s not detailed either. No effort.”
“Is it just me, or do you look pretty excited?”
“You ‘didn’t like it much’? That’s it?”
No. Just thinking about it had been a shock—it felt like something inside her chest had been hollowed out, leaving an aching void. It even frightened her. A life without Cha-eon was something she couldn’t imagine.
And didn’t want to.
“Don’t tell me… you don’t even want to imagine it?”
Seo-hyo’s eyes wavered.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Oh my, oh my—so that’s how it is!”
Ah-hee wriggled with excitement, almost dizzying in her enthusiasm.
“Our dense, oblivious Seo-hyo. Looks like the answer’s already there.”
“What answer?”
“Just answer yes or no. Keep it simple. Seo-hyo, do you dislike Cha-eon?”
“Well, when he nags—”
“Yes or no. Do you hate him?”
That sounded different. She disliked him sometimes, sure—but hate him? Not at all. It felt like she was being led toward a certain answer, but she replied anyway.
“No.”
“You said you can’t imagine life without him?”
“Yeah.”
“And you still want to get married?”
“Yeah.”
“And you agree he’s the most handsome among the men we know?”
That one had obvious intent behind it.
Seo-hyo narrowed her eyes, but Ah-hee poked her side impatiently.
“Fine. If we’re being strictly objective.”
“Do you dislike physical contact with him?”
Ah-hee clarified—like touching hands or bodies.
Seo-hyo had never even thought about that.
If she disliked it, she would’ve shouted long ago to stop him from pinching her cheeks. And when he had carried her after she collapsed in the street, all she felt was embarrassment… and an inexplicable flutter.
“No.”
“The most important one. What did Cha-eon say about your marriage?”
How could she forget?
Seo-hyo recited the unforgettable line clearly.
“Just give up and live with me.”
“Gasp.”
This time, Ah-hee looked more flustered than the one being questioned. She fanned her face, cheeks flushed.
“I didn’t know that part at all!”
She sighed repeatedly, saying she couldn’t even bear to hear more.
“Seo-hyo.”
Ah-hee called her name with sudden seriousness.
“The evidence is all collected. Do you know what humans call a situation like this?”
“…What?”
“Jackpot.”
Seo-hyo’s face twisted oddly.
“Huh?”
“This—exactly this—is what they call hitting the jackpot.”
Seo-hyo knew the phrase, but could it really apply here? Seeing her still confused, Ah-hee summed it up simply.
“Why don’t you just marry Cha-eon?”
Seo-hyo’s mouth slowly fell open.
Marriage, proposals, strange emotions, fluttering, jealousy, that nobleman’s story, anxiety, affection—
And preciousness.
All those vague feelings that had never quite taken shape within her suddenly became clear with Ah-hee’s words.
It was as if a tightly nailed-shut box had been flung open.
She had never once thought about it.
Marriage with Cha-eon. They had always been separate concepts.
But now—
Marriage with Cha-eon.
“…Oh my…”
Her head spun.
“Oh my? That’s what I should be saying. There’s a handsome man right beside you who’s good at housework and would never treat you badly. I thought maybe I’d suggest it since you’ve got nothing to lose, but this twist—wow.”
Ah-hee rolled her eyes.
“Whenever he sees me, he looks like the King of Hell himself, so I never dared bring it up. But with you, he’s burning hot!”
“H-hot?”
Ah-hee’s words were always blunt and vivid.
I’m the one who’s hot right now, Seo-hyo thought, clutching her cheeks. My head feels like it’s boiling.
“Of course he is. He’s usually so cold, yet he openly shows interest in you. Honestly, if anyone else had told me that was something Cha-eon said, I would’ve called it nonsense.”
“Marriage with Cha-eon… Hah, with Cha-eon…”
“Miss, get a grip.”
Seeing Seo-hyo dazed, Ah-hee snapped her back to reality.
“I’m not telling you to marry him tomorrow, and you’re already like this?”
“Ah-hee, I feel really strange right now.”
“It’s entertaining to watch.”
Seo-hyo shot her a look, but it was such a typical Ah-hee response she couldn’t even scold her.
In truth, she didn’t have the mental space to.
Her mind was filled entirely with one thing—
Marriage with Cha-eon.
“You don’t hate it, right?”
“This doesn’t feel like something you can answer with like or dislike.”
She had never even considered it before! Feelings like that came afterward.
Seeing her friend overcomplicating things, Ah-hee—who had a talent for simplifying everything—offered a clever solution.
No need to overthink it.
If this was possible, then it was worth considering progress between a man and a woman.
Even if others thought he looked like a shriveled gourd, it didn’t matter as long as this was possible.
But even the most beautiful man in the world—if you didn’t want to do this with him, it was over.
The way Ah-hee sold her idea was so convincing that Seo-hyo grew impatient.
“What is it?”
“A kiss.”
Ah-hee wiggled her eyebrows.
“Not a little peck like this.”
She lightly pressed her lips to Seo-hyo’s cheek, making a playful sound like she would to a baby.
“I mean that kind.”
Suddenly, Ah-hee’s gaze turned oddly sultry—despite her youthful appearance.
“If you feel like you want to kiss him, then that’s enough.”
“If you put it that way…”
Just as Seo-hyo was about to ask her to be clearer, a low voice echoed in her memory.
That day, on the way home—
when her lips had accidentally brushed against Cha-eon’s.
“Back and forth…”
“Oh? You get it!”
Ah-hee beamed and patted her shoulder.
Seo-hyo, still dazed, accepted the praise.
The idea of marrying her butler was shocking, but also vague.
Cha-eon as her husband?
It felt too unreal.
But the thought of their lips touching—
What did he say about kissing that time…?
Seo-hyo suddenly shuddered.
She couldn’t remember clearly—but somehow, she felt it was better not to recall it.
Ah-hee’s suggestion was shocking, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
Seo-hyo wanted to understand the feelings that had been stirring inside her whenever she was with Cha-eon.
If this was attraction between a man and a woman—
“Marriage…”
She murmured quietly.
“Instead of obsessing over marriage, I should figure out my feelings first.”
There was an order to everything. And fortunately, she and her butler weren’t ordinary humans—they weren’t bound by time.
So, first—
A kiss.
The incident at the tavern before had been an accident. If she approached him with the intention from the start, her feelings might change at the crucial moment.
Maybe she’d find it strange.
Or unpleasant.
She decided to follow her instincts, just as Ah-hee suggested.
But there was one problem.
The moment she decided to try kissing Cha-eon, she found herself completely unable to function normally.
She couldn’t figure out when or how to ask, and ended up staring blankly at his lips all day.
Ah-hee and her group hadn’t left yet. She still had to host twenty-five guests. It was a time when she needed all her energy and focus.
Yet she kept making mistakes.
Even Cha-eon began to look suspicious.
“This won’t do.”
He sighed, brushing his hair back.
Even one eye visible gave off a sharp impression—but with both exposed, it was even more striking. Having just caught a dish slipping from Seo-hyo’s hands, he said:
“You should rest, Miss.”
It sounded like concern—but also a warning not to cause more trouble.
This was all because she had been staring absentmindedly as he licked his dry lips.
Kiss.
Kiss.
It was like baby birds chirping in her ears.
“No, I haven’t even done much.”
“What do you mean you haven’t?”
He listed her mistakes one by one.
“You nearly burned the clothes while ironing. You almost crushed your fingers grinding herbs. You bumped into people walking by.”
Apparently, people had even started gossiping about why she seemed so out of it.
“Are you sick?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then go rest.”
The brief concern in his eyes disappeared.
“I can handle things here alone.”
He even added that it might be easier that way.
Seo-hyo didn’t like the idea of resting alone when she wasn’t sick.
And all because she couldn’t stop thinking about a kiss…
“Cha-eon, I—”
“Go inside.”
“…Hey.”
“I’m worried what you’ll do next.”
Before she knew it, he had turned her around and sent her back to her room.
Just before closing the door, she met Ah-hee’s eyes.
Not yet?
Not yet…
Push forward, Seo-hyo. A woman needs boldness!
Easy for you to say, Seo-hyo thought.
Still, Ah-hee’s innocent expression made it hard to complain.
Kiss.
Kiss.
The chirping wouldn’t stop.
Two hours later—
Seo-hyo finally gave in.
Even she couldn’t endure it anymore.
Just then, the noisy group decided to go out to explore the city. Cha-eon coldly told them to stay the night there if they wanted.
They only laughed, calling him amusing.
She could even see a vein twitching on his forehead.
Either way, the house finally became quiet.
Peace returned.
Cha-eon sat in the sunlit courtyard, reading a book.
Seo-hyo watched him for a moment, then prepared tea and joined him.
Sitting across from him, she brewed chrysanthemum tea, glancing at him repeatedly.
“If you leave it, the water will cool.”
He spoke without looking up.
She quickly focused on finishing the tea.
After pouring off the first infusion, she took a sip. The taste and temperature were perfect.
It felt awkward drinking alone.
She was about to offer him some—
but froze.
Since when?
Cha-eon was resting his chin on one hand, quietly watching her.
His slightly lowered gaze, the faint sense of moisture—
her heart dropped.
This isn’t impulsive.
I’ve been wanting to ask.
This was her chance.
Her eyes drifted to his lips.
Ah-hee had even suggested a surprise kiss—but she didn’t want that.
Not yet.
So she would ask properly.
“Cha-eon.”
She set down her teacup.
He responded with his eyes.
Go on, Seo-hyo.
Ask.
“Will you kiss me?”
The book slipped from his hand.
