DKM 4

“Good work today, get home safely!”

“Yes, goodbye!”

The work was finally over. I left the inn carrying the bundle of food Jinmi-nuna had packed for me. I wondered what she had packed today, looking at the bundle with expectant eyes.

“Let’s hurry home and eat. You’re hungry too, right?”

“…….”

“Oh, right. Did you fill the water jar this morning? I want to drink a glass of water as soon as we get home.”

“…….”

“Myoryeong?”

I turned my head. Myoryeong was staring blankly at two men having a spat nearby.

“Ah, it was going so well! Why the hell are you dragging me out!”

“Just stop it and let’s go, okay? It’s too late today.”

“Get lost, I’m staying for more drinks.”

“I told you, let’s drink tomorrow.”

Why are they staring at them? Just then, Myoryeong muttered.

“Crazy Shou and tender Gong.”

“……Let’s just go, Myoryeong.”

“Got it.”

We walked through the crowd again. I chewed over what Myoryeong had said and finally spoke up.

“Hey, Myoryeong.”

“Yeah, what?”

“I’ve always wondered, how are the Gong and Shou decided?”

“You just know by looking. For example……”

Myoryeong’s eyes landed on two men passing by.

“Beautiful Gong and handsome Shou.”

“Why? Isn’t that person bigger?”

“Who decides Gong and Shou by size these days?”

“But earlier, you called the bigger one the Gong.”

“Sigh, you really don’t know anything.”

“…….”

As expected, I don’t think I’ll ever understand that world. Then, Myoryeong spoke.

“Can I ask you something too?”

“What is it?”

“What do you think is the difference between an obsessive Gong and an Archduke of the North?”

That’s a difficult question. After thinking for a moment, I said:

“It must be where they live, right?”

“Where they live?”

“Yeah. An Archduke of the North absolutely must live in the North where blizzards rage, but an obsessive Gong doesn’t necessarily have to be in the North.”

“Can’t an Archduke of the North live in a warm place?”

“Of course not. If he doesn’t live in the North, he’s not an Archduke of the North. However, I’ll allow it if he conquers a warm place and moves there for the female lead. But moving just because he’s cold? Absolutely not allowed.”

“I don’t know the details, but isn’t an Archduke a high-ranking [stolen content]style="display:none;" aria-label="visit our site">visit our siteperson? Why can’t he decide where he lives?”

By the time I finished talking with Myoryeong, we had arrived home. After a delicious dinner, we went to bed. Since I have nothing to do, I end up doing nothing but sleeping at home. I yawned and was about to close my eyes when I suddenly snapped awake.

“Myoryeong, there’s leftover food.”

“To give to the protagonist?”

Right, flirting with the protagonist. I almost forgot. At my question, Myoryeong got up from his spot.

“I’ll take it today. You rest.”

“No, I actually wanted to get some fresh air.”

“Then let’s go together.”

We headed out together with the food.

“Yoo Seolhwa was always home at this hour, right?”

“Yeah, it’s dangerous to wander around this neighborhood at this time. And the old man is always asleep by now, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s about time we start hearing the old man snoring.”

We listened closely in front of the house next door. However, there was no sound of snoring. What is it? Is he not sleeping today? We peeked stealthily into the house. The interior was excessively quiet.

“What, is nobody home?”

“Not today then. Let’s go.”

Just then, I caught a metallic, stolen [stolen stolen contentcontent]contentfishy scent. Reflexively, I grabbed Myoryeong, who was trying to head back home.

“Wait.”

“Why?”

If I wasn’t mistaken, this smell was surely……. Just then, the clouds covering the moon vanished. The moonlight brightly illuminated the yard, and we saw it.

Yoo Seolhwa, collapsed in the middle of the yard.

Yoo Seolhwa’s head was soaked with blood. We both moved simultaneously. Myoryeong was a BL otaku and I was a Ro-Pan otaku, so we both knew how exhausting it was to get entangled with a protagonist. But we weren’t such trash that we could ignore a child collapsed before our eyes.

“Is he dead?”

“No, he’s breathing! Myoryeong, hurry home and get some money!”

I carried the child on my back. I could feel stolen contentstyle="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]-->stolen contenthis faint breath. I ran through the neighborhood frantically with Myoryeong. And I kept muttering incessantly.

“It’s okay, you’ll be okay.”

These were words that wouldn’t reach the already unconscious Yoo Seolhwa, but I kept muttering them. In the distance, I saw the physician’s house. Myoryeong pounded on the door.

“Physician! Please save him! The child is dying!”

That night, we didn’t sleep a wink. Fortunately, the physician said Yoo Seolhwa wasn’t injured critically and would be fine if he ate well and got plenty of rest. As I carried Yoo Seolhwa back home, Myoryeong asked.

“Isn’t he heavy?”

“No, he’s not heavy.”

After a long silence, Myoryeong spoke.

“What do we do now?”

“…….”

“I really didn’t want to get entangled.”

After another long silence, I spoke.

“Let’s just try to live our best lives.”

Myoryeong nodded slightly. I was glad I wasn’t alone. I patted Myoryeong on the shoulder.

---

“Hello, Hanmin-hyung.”

“You’re here.”

After laying Yoo Seolhwa on the bedding, we went straight to work at the inn. I was Read on Read BL Novelsdriven unauthorized copynearly crazy with worry about the future, but there was no choice if we wanted to make a living. I quickly grabbed the broom.

“I’ll start by cleaning the yard right away.”

By the way, because I was preoccupied with Yoo Seolhwa, I had completely forgotten about Soseo. Is Soseo okay? The moment I looked up at the ceiling, Hanmin-hyung snatched the broom from my hand and spoke.

“That young master. He was moved to the top room.”

“What?”

“Don’t go to the wrong room later.”

Without any further explanation, Hanmin-hyung left for the yard. I hurriedly chased after him.

“Did you know I visit Young Master Soseo every time I have a break?”

“How could I not know?”

Hanmin-hyung asked while sweeping the yard.

“Does that young master treat you well?”

“Yes, he treats me very well.”

“That young master……”

Hanmin-hyung sighed deeply while sweeping the innocent yard.

“Never mind. You know that even if the young master treats you well, you shouldn’t overstep your bounds, right?”

“Yes.”

“People like that young master are fundamentally different from us. Always be careful.”

“Yes, hyung. I’ll always be careful.”

“I’ll clean the yard, so you go inside.”

Did something happen with Soseo? I looked at Hanmin-hyung’s back with curious eyes.

---

Break time arrived. I went up to the top room as Hanmin-hyung had told me. As soon as I stood before the door, I heard Soseo’s voice.

“Come in.”

I opened the door and entered. There, Soseo greeted me with his usual beaming smile.

“Sorry about yesterday. I wanted to rest alone.”

“No. I have times like that too.”

Soseo pushed the book he was reading aside and offered me a seat.

“Sit here. Do you want a cup of tea too?”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

I sat opposite Soseo and asked.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I feel better after getting some deep rest.”

Soseo placed a cup of tea in front of me. I took a sip.

“……Wow.”

An exclamation escaped me naturally. The warm, fragrant tea seemed to soothe my anxious and exhausted mind and body.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes, it’s really good.”

“I have some snacks too, just a moment.”

Soseo stood up. I quickly waved my hand.

“Ah, the snacks are fine.”

“Don’t be like that. They’re delicious.”

“Soseo, I’m really okay. Actually, I’m not feeling great physically right now, so I think it’s better if I don’t eat.”

My body and mind were exhausted from running with Yoo Seolhwa on my back last night. However, a round snack wrapped in thin paper was pushed toward me.

“Eat.”

“No, Soseo. I’m really saying this because my stomach feels bad.”

I looked up at Soseo and continued.

“So the snacks are really……”

My voice grew smaller. Soseo, who had been beaming just a moment ago, was now looking down at me with an expressionless face. Soseo repeated himself while holding out the snack.

“Eat.”

“……Soseo?”

Soseo stared at me in silence. Under that gaze, I eventually reached out.

“A-alright. I’ll eat it.”

I unwrapped the paper and took a bite of the snack. Only then did Soseo smile brightly and ask.

“How is it?”

“……Yeah, it’s delicious.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Soseo spoke with a sigh of relief.

“Actually, these are snacks I specially ordered for you.”

“Really?”

“Sorry for being stern earlier. I was just disappointed, so I did it without realizing.”

“No, if that was the case, you should have told me from the start. I didn’t know that.”

“Here, I’ll give you all of these.”

Soseo handed me the entire box of snacks.

“Go and share them with your sibling.”

“My sibling will ask where I got them from……”

“Just say the owner gave them to you.”

I ended up receiving something from Soseo again today. I carefully tucked away the snack box. Soseo poured me another cup of tea and said.

“I’ll be staying here longer.”

“Really?”

“I was originally planning to return this week. But it looks like I’ll be staying here much longer than I thought.”

Much longer? My eyes widened unconsciously. I still don’t know much about Soseo, but I know he’s a young master from a very wealthy family. That’s why I was worried because I didn’t have the money to prepare a gift that matched Soseo’s status, but he’s staying here for a long time? Then maybe I can save up money and give him a gift fitting for his level? Just then, Soseo grabbed my hand.

“So, Myoha. Please keep playing with me. It’s too boring here.”

What should I gift Soseo? I nodded. Then, the book Soseo had pushed stolen visit our sitecontentaside earlier caught my eye. I asked.

“What kind of book is this?”

“Ah, it’s a book summarizing the history of the Nine Great Sects and One Union.”

Nine Great Sects and One Union? My eyes snapped open at those words. The Nine Great Sects and One Union—one of the terms that made me give up on wuxia novels. Soseo held out the book to me.

“Do you want to try reading it too?”

“Um, Soseo.”

The moment to finally resolve my curiosity had arrived. I asked.

“What is the Nine Great Sects and One Union?”

“Huh?”

Silence fell. Then, Soseo asked with eyes that couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“What did you just say?”

“No, I mean, what is the Nine Great Sects and One Union?”

“…….”

To think the gentle Soseo would have this reaction. I must have asked a truly pathetic question. I’m sorry, I’m a wuxia illiterate. Then, having come to his senses, Soseo asked back in a tone of disbelief.

“Myoha, are you being serious?”

“……Yes.”

“You really don’t know the Nine Great Sects and One Union? You [[visit our site]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]can read, can’t you? Then how can you not know that?”

If I had known this would happen, I would have read wuxia while searching for unknown terms. I had no choice but to hang my head like the male lead of a regret-themed novel.