Chapter 154
Hyeon-woo nearly dropped the food he was holding due to Tae-geon’s sudden pull on his wrist. Focused on not losing what was between his chopsticks, Hyeon-woo had no time to notice Tae-geon’s nose burrowing into his hair or the hand fumbling with his wrist.
Tae-geon’s face, which had been kneading Hyeon-woo’s wrist, suddenly hardened, and a strong grip tightened on his hand. Frowning at the tingling pain, Hyeon-woo finally looked down at the wrist Tae-geon was holding.
Trying to understand the sudden behavior, Hyeon-woo noticed that there was braised lotus root near where Tae-geon was gripping.
After shaking his arm forcefully to push Tae-geon away, he brought the lotus root he had just picked up to Tae-geon’s lips.
“…?!”
Seemingly flustered by Hyeon-woo’s sudden action, Tae-geon pulled his head back, but the lotus root touched his lips again.
“……”
“……”
Unable to hide his subtle expression and hesitating as if perplexed, Tae-geon reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the lotus root.
What? Was it really because of this? If you wanted to eat this, you could have just said so!
Hyeon-woo clicked his tongue inwardly while glaring at the incomprehensible Tae-geon. Then again, he wondered if he had ever understood this puzzling person’s inner thoughts. There were repeated moments of thinking he understood, only to realize it was all his own delusion and crumbling.
He didn’t want to foolishly waste what little was left of his heart, which had been slowly worn away by repeatedly boiling and suppressing emotions alone. Especially not with the same person.
Every time he recalled the image of Tae-geon writhing in pain and desperately murmuring his name, Hyeon-woo steeled his heart over and over. He reminded himself that the longing and desire directed at him were nothing more than reflexive reactions unrelated to Tae-geon’s will.
Therefore, there was no need to assign great meaning to his own actions last night to calm Tae-geon’s rut. It was an unavoidable choice because there was no other way to alleviate Tae-geon’s symptoms except through contact with him.
It wasn’t for Tae-geon’s sake, but for his own. Hyeon-woo rationalized his actions from the previous night, telling himself he just wanted to feel a little more at ease from the guilt that was eating away at him.
Before he knew it, the plate was empty. Tae-geon leaned back and took a sip of water. It was a signal that he had finished eating. Hyeon-woo stood up and began clearing the dishes. He hadn’t been able to take a single bite while tending to Tae-geon’s meal. Perhaps aware of this, Tae-geon spoke to Hyeon-woo as he was tidying up.
“You should eat something too.”
When Hyeon-woo pretended not to hear and ignored him, Tae-geon added:
“I feel bad that you couldn’t eat because of me, so please eat before you go.”
His voice was firm. Not wanting to engage in unnecessary arguments, Hyeon-woo reluctantly sat down at the table.
He didn’t want to risk provoking that volatile temper and causing another incident like before. And truthfully, he was a bit hungry. The salmon steak that had caught his eye while feeding Tae-geon was strongly tempting him.
Hyeon-woo set up his portion of food from the trolley on the table and began his belated meal. Only after the food entered his mouth did Hyeon-woo realize how hungry he had been. The exceptionally delicious cooking today also played a part. Scott’s cooking was flawless as always, living up to the rumors that he had served as head chef at a famous hotel.
Hyeon-woo was busily using his chopsticks on the rare dishes that were hard to taste except when dining with Tae-geon. It wasn’t until his rice bowl was about half empty that he finally noticed the gaze staring intently at him. When he reflexively raised his head, his eyes met directly with Tae-geon’s.
“…!”
Startled with his shoulders jumping, Hyeon-woo slowly calmed his breath and hesitantly stretched out his arm to wave his palm in front of Tae-geon’s eyes. Of course, there was no reaction.
…That scared me.
The persistent eyes directed at him were shining so vividly that it was hard to believe they couldn’t see.
Hyeon-woo tried to turn away from Tae-geon and continue his meal, but he couldn’t bear that gaze any longer and ended up putting down his chopsticks. It was becoming uncomfortable even to breathe because of someone who was on edge with his every movement.
Why is he acting like this today of all days?
As Hyeon-woo was glancing sideways at Tae-geon, he heard the sound of windows rattling. The winter wind swirling down from the mountainside was fierce. At that repeated sound, Tae-geon’s gaze finally left Hyeon-woo. Staring blankly at the window, Tae-geon murmured quietly as if talking to himself.
“…Is it still snowing outside?”
Hyeon-woo was inwardly surprised by the unexpected question. It was unfamiliar to see Tae-geon, who had been indifferent and uninterested in anything due to boredom, now curious about the outside.
Hyeon-woo’s head slowly turned towards the window, following Tae-geon. The snow had all stopped. Only the fierce, dry wind was noisily shaking the windows.
Tap.
Hyeon-woo tapped the table once. It meant no.
“…Has it piled up?”
Hyeon-woo’s gaze touched the window again. The heavy snow that had fallen continuously even after making snowmen with Jerome had accumulated quite a bit, turning the view outside the window completely white. Hyeon-woo tapped the table again.
Tap, tap.
This time it meant yes.
“I see.”
“……”
“…How much?”
At Tae-geon’s following question, Hyeon-woo’s body stiffened and his brow gradually furrowed. He could no longer answer just by tapping the table. What was the intention of asking like that when he clearly knew this? Hyeon-woo scrutinized Tae-geon with narrowed eyes, as if trying to figure out his thoughts.
However, he felt deflated seeing Tae-geon waiting for his answer with a face that showed no ulterior motives whatsoever. Hyeon-woo, who knew no way to communicate except writing letters on his palm, adjusted his posture to move closer to Tae-geon, but Tae-geon stopped him.
“You can talk while eating.”
“…?”
“I heard from the butler. That you speak very well and articulately.”
“…!!”
For a moment, Hyeon-woo’s mind went blank.
“It seems you’ve been cautioned to be careful with your words and actions in front of me, but there’s no need for that.”
“……”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like you’ve ever been careful with your actions in the first place.”
At Tae-geon’s brazen tone tinged with laughter, Hyeon-woo’s face, which had turned pale, finally relaxed. His clenched fist was drenched in cold sweat from how tense he had been in that short moment.
Phew… Thank goodness.
Although it had been revealed that he was hiding his voice, it seemed like things would pass without much trouble. It was then, as he was feeling greatly relieved.
“I’m curious about what it’s like outside.”
“……”
“Won’t you tell me a bit?”
At those words, Hyeon-woo had to clench his sweaty palm once again. Like someone who had eaten something wrong, he had been doing things he normally wouldn’t do all day, and now he was even making strange requests.
“Has a lot of snow piled up on the mansion too?”
Tae-geon’s question was persistent.
Hyeon-woo bit his lip. If he made a sound, his identity would surely be discovered. His face, which had been fidgeting nervously like a cornered mouse, soon turned to resignation.
…This seems to be the end. Of this pathetic role-playing game too.
For some reason, he felt a bit regretful, but it was a moment he would have had to face someday.
Hadn’t he prepared himself many times for this moment when everything would be revealed in the face of truth? Hadn’t he frequently imagined how Tae-geon would react to his appearance? Although he had prepared for his identity to be discovered the moment Tae-geon regained his sense of smell, it didn’t matter that it came a little earlier.
As if steeling his resolve, Hyeon-woo tightly closed his eyes, cleared his throat, and slowly opened his mouth.
“…It’s all white.”
Hyeon-woo’s voice rang out clearly and distinctly in the silent room.
How will he react?
He focused on Tae-geon with all his senses on high alert. However, he felt no particular sign. At this, Hyeon-woo slightly opened his eyes and observed Tae-geon’s expression. The one who was surprised was actually Hyeon-woo, as Tae-geon showed no reaction, maintaining the same calm attitude as before without even blinking.
He hadn’t expected Tae-geon to fall over in shock at his voice, but he also hadn’t imagined such a composed reaction.
Quickly averting his gaze from Tae-geon, who was just staring at him blankly without moving, Hyeon-woo barely gathered his confused thoughts. Then he looked at the window again. Neungra Mountain, which had revealed its bare branches after shedding its leaves, was wearing a rare white, fluffy winter coat.
Swallowing dry saliva as if nervous, Hyeon-woo slowly opened his mouth again.
“A lot of snow has piled up in the garden and the forest too. The whole world is sparkling as it reflects the sunlight. So much that it’s dazzling.”
“…It’s beautiful, still.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
