The mansion was thrown into chaos thanks to the large man carrying me around and running wildly. The attendants, seeing the mess I was in, whispered that the young master had fallen from somewhere and been seriously injured. That rumor quickly reached the butler.
“Young Master!”
The butler burst into the room in a panic, searching for me. As I turned to look while putting on fresh clothes, I saw his face twisted as if he was about to cry.
I shot him a look that pleaded, Please, don’t do this, but it was too late. The butler had already believed the rumor completely, and behind him, the doctor came rushing in, out of breath.
Should I at least be grateful that Se-yul wasn’t here? If he had been, the next person to show up would undoubtedly have been Han Jae-hoon. He’d have come running in a frenzy, completely forgetting any notion of keeping calm, and then burst into tears right in front of me.
“This is all your fault.”
I glared at the man, who shrank even further under my fierce gaze. “I’m sorry,” he murmured in a small, pitiful voice, his massive frame seeming to shrink even more.
I had already scolded him plenty before the butler arrived, and continuing now seemed excessive—but then again, thanks to him ignoring my words, the entire mansion was in an uproar. A little more scolding wouldn’t hurt. Let him reflect for a good while.
“Young Master, are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”
To prove my point, I even flexed my pale, muscle-less arms at the doctor, but all I got in return was a curt order to come over. In the end, I had no choice but to sit still and endure a tedious examination.
“You have a few bruises, but nothing serious seems to be wrong.”
“Thank goodness.”
The butler, who had been anxiously shifting his weight from foot to foot, finally let out a relieved sigh. The doctor pulled out an ointment from his bag, explaining that while the wounds were shallow, they could leave scars if not treated regularly.
Accepting the small container, no bigger than my palm, I nodded. The butler would likely keep a close watch, so I made a mental note to diligently apply it until the wounds were completely gone.
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Don’t mention it. If anything had actually happened to you… considering how the district chief is…”
The doctor trailed off, shaking his head with a grimace. He, more than anyone, knew just how deep Han Jae-hoon’s obsession with his son ran.
“In any case, make sure to use the ointment regularly. And if you feel any pain, let someone know immediately.”
“I will.”
Satisfied with my answer, the doctor left. The butler stepped out for a moment, saying he would see him off.
Now, it was just me and the man left in the room.
“You can stop cowering now.”
The man, who had been hunched over, slightly straightened his shoulders at my words. Even on a second look, he was really big. Judging by the axe he had been holding earlier, he was probably one of the servants who chopped wood. Maybe that was why his arms were so thick.
When I lowered my gaze, all I saw were my own slender, pale arms. If I hadn’t manifested as an omega, I wouldn’t have bulked up as much as him, but at least I could have built up a decent amount of muscle.
But this body of mine was weak to the point of collapsing with just a little strain. No matter what I did, I couldn’t build muscle. As if I was meant to stay this way forever.
“What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“Your name. You never told me.”
The man’s eyes widened. No matter how much I searched my memory, I couldn’t recall the name of someone this massive. I wasn’t even sure if we had met before.
He raised a hand and awkwardly pressed down his short hair, looking uncharacteristically shy. His large body squirmed uncomfortably as he hesitated before finally speaking.
“Seon-woo.”
“Seon-woo?”
It sounded familiar. Was it the name of a friend I knew back when I was still Jung I-hyun? While I was lost in thought, the man stared at me with eyes full of anticipation. He must have believed that as soon as I heard his name, I would remember him.
“Sorry, I don’t know who you are.”
As soon as I said it, he looked like a big retriever whose wagging tail had suddenly drooped. Should I comfort him? But what could I say? Sorry for not remembering? Sorry for not knowing who you are? No matter what I said, it would probably just make things worse.
“A long time ago—when we were really little, Young Master asked me to send a letter for you.”
“A letter?”
“Yes, you asked me to deliver one….”
“To where?”
Fidgeting with his fingers, he hesitated before finally answering in a small voice. “To Sector 2.”
At that moment, I realized. The man standing before me was the same little boy I had once asked to deliver a letter.
But back then, he was smaller than me.
“You were that kid?”
Seon-woo gave me a shy smile and nodded. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about him after staying with Vin. I had asked the butler to make sure he wasn’t punished, and that was enough for me.
After all, it wasn’t a fond memory for either of us. The kid had nearly gotten in trouble because a young master, who had never even spoken to him before, suddenly gave him an impossible request. And I… I had been too preoccupied with my own problems to worry about him.
“You’ve been working at the mansion this whole time?”
“The pay is good, and the work isn’t that difficult.”
I had heard before that working in the district chief’s mansion was one of the most desirable jobs for the people in the sector. The wages were as high as those in the factories, but the work wasn’t as grueling. No wonder it was so popular.
They say that once a servant starts working at the mansion, they often stay until retirement, but it still felt strange that the boy I had seen as a child had stayed here long enough to grow bigger than me.
I guess it finally hit me just how much time had passed. Strangely, it felt like time was racing forward for everyone except me. The time of the man standing before me, Seon-woo, was moving forward. So was the time of Vin, whom I had left behind in the western forest.
“I just wanted to say hello since it’s been so long. I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble.”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Before he could sink into guilt again, I quickly waved it off. Looking reassured, Seon-woo grinned brightly. A faint flush spread over his freckled cheeks.
“Young Master, would you like some light porridge—”
The butler, having just returned from seeing off the doctor, cut himself off when he saw that Seon-woo was still standing in front of me. Seeing him, Seon-woo hurriedly excused himself, saying he needed to get back to work, and rushed out of the room.
Then, as if remembering he hadn’t properly said goodbye, he suddenly turned back, bowing so deeply his head nearly touched the floor. Still in that position, he peeked up cautiously and asked,
“Can I… greet you next time we meet?”
“Do whatever you want.”
I gave a half-hearted reply just to get rid of him quickly, and his face lit up with a bright smile. Clearing his throat, the butler made a small, pointed noise, and Seon-woo straightened up and quickly left.
Once the door closed, the butler immediately asked the question he had been holding back.
“Was that the one? The fool who carried you around the mansion?”
At the reminder of that nightmare, I lifted a hand to press against my throbbing forehead. Letting out a deep sigh, I gave a delayed response.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“You know him?”
“Mm… sort of?”
The butler’s eyebrows rose slightly. Given how little interest I had ever shown in any of the mansion’s servants, it must have been surprising that I even kind of knew one.
He looked like he had more questions, but he didn’t push. Maybe he could tell from my entire body language that I had no desire to talk. Either way, it meant I didn’t have to say more than I wanted to, so that was good enough for me.
“Are you hungry? It’s almost time for dinner.”
“No, I don’t really feel like eating today.”
“Then I’ll prepare some simple rice balls for you, in case you change your mind later.”
“Mm. Thanks.”
Once the butler left and I was alone, I finally let out the deep breath I had been holding. What a mess. But at least, thanks to all the commotion, I had managed to go this long without thinking about him.
Yet the moment I was alone, memories of him flooded back. The way I had lied to him over and over again. Wondering whether he had returned to the annex after I left him in the western forest.
— I never once wanted to see you. So stop deluding yourself and go back to your sector once you’re done here.
His face came back to me, the way he had looked when I spat out those words. Even though he was angry, he hadn’t been able to take it out on me, and instead, he had just stood there, lost and confused. That image of him refused to fade from my mind.
Was I too harsh?
But if I hadn’t said it that way, he wouldn’t have been able to let go. He would have kept circling around me, clinging to something that was never meant to be.
He didn’t even know it was me who had sold him off. I couldn’t let him waste the rest of his time on me.
He had to be happy. He had to live a life far better than the one he had with me, enjoying everything he could in that place. He had to spend his days there, leaving me behind, forgotten.
I did the right thing, didn’t I?
The answer was obvious, yet I kept trying to convince myself—just to keep from being crushed under the weight of guilt. But really, what was the point?
I lay down on the bed and shut my eyes. Half the week was already over. In a few more days, he would return to Sector 1.
I just had to hold out a little longer.
I had survived eight years. Surely, I could endure a single week.
Tomorrow, I would tell Se-yul. I can’t do what you asked. I never really did, not even for a day, but I should at least tell you.
“…Then, this will all be over.”
