It was rather astonishing. Just a year ago, she was in a constant state of distress, clutching a bowl of medicine, ready to fight at the slightest eye contact, and the young master, who used to pour out all kinds of annoyance and frustration, had now become her closest companion.

She knew that he relied on her, and perhaps from the moment she had been incessantly spilling her heartfelt thoughts in front of his room, she too had begun to lean on him.

The young master, having received a name from her, seemed very pleased. “Unhyeok, Unhyeok,” his light pink lips shyly parted and closed. His tongue was savouring his name inside his mouth.

He leaned in and gently took her hand, pressing it against his cheek as though he had to, and then closed his eyes quietly.

“Master.”

“Out of gratitude.”

She wished he wouldn’t keep doing this. She told him not to grab her so thoughtlessly, warning that she might end up giving her heart to him recklessly.

She was already more than halfway in love, but she stubbornly looked the other way. However, she could not shake off the sensation as the soft skin of the gentleman rubbed against the back of her hand. When his handsome eyes curved looking at her, it felt painful like a sting in her heart, more than just a flutter.

She thought she would never know the first flush of young love that boys and girls experience, as so many things that seemed natural to others were not so for her. Yet, admitting it felt like a relief, and her attempts to feign indifference became utterly futile. She found even the heat creeping up her ears agreeable.

While shaking, she managed to keep her voice stern.

“Just promise me one thing. Even after I leave, you will not collude with those evil spirits. There will be plenty of others who will come to you when you’re lonely, not just me.”

“They already flock to me hoping for money.”

“No, somewhere out there, there is a true friend, a lover who will share their heart with you. But master, you have a look about you that could easily be misunderstood if not careful. So smile wholeheartedly.”

“Would there be anything to smile about without you?”

“Don’t put on a fake smile or a forced grin for others; if you treat them with your whole heart, you will certainly find those who will follow you without pretence.”

She took his aimless hand and entwined it firmly like a ring. He looked down at their intertwined hands and asked with his usual smile.

“Do I seem like I’m faking my smile?”

“Your eyes twinkle but your mouth is stiff.”

As soon as she said it, his unnaturally raised lips fell. His expressionless gaze then stuck to her face, just as it did when she offered to give him a name, staring at her as if dead, without even fluttering his eyelids.

“You think I wouldn’t notice? When you live among people every day, you start to see through them.”

“People.”

“Look, like this.”

Impulsively, she reached out and gently pulled up the corners of his stiff mouth with her thumb, drawing a lovely curve. It was a gesture with a hidden affection.

Yet he kept looking directly into her eyes as if embarrassed, as if searching for something within them. Instead of shaking her hand away as if it were improper, he grasped her wrists with both hands.

“Would you like it if I treated you sincerely?”

“That hurts my feelings. I didn’t mean to confess that you’ve been toying with me until now.”

She tried to pull her hand away in pretence of annoyance, but his sticky grip would not let go.

“Do you know what that means?”

“What?”

Was it her imagination that the air around the master suddenly turned cold? The grip on her wrist began to hurt. When she grimaced, he immediately released the strength.

“Anyway, even if I leave, stay healthy, don’t fall sick, and live well, like your distinguished brothers. You’re a person of importance. You understand?”

“You said it yourself. What’s the use if you’re not here?”

“Please refrain from such misunderstandings!”

“I just need you. Does that sound like a lie?”

“Master…”

It was driving her mad. Ever since he heard about her impending departure, his behaviour had become strange, as if he was determined to hold onto her. This was the man who hadn’t even batted an eyelash knowing she was a woman.

Though she had given him plenty of hints, it seemed like it would lead to trouble with the local ruffians if things continued this way. She wanted to ask him, does he not realise that with every kind word he speaks, a wicked thought arises in her?