Chapter 8
There was no need to hear polite words about how delicious it was.
It wasnāt in Eok I-geonās nature to say such things anyway, and the bowl without a single drop of broth left already spoke for his feelings.
āThen I shall take my leave now.ā
Cheon-gang had advised me to refrain from speaking as much as possible in front of Eok I-geon, but from my half-day experience, he actually tended to demand explanations quite often.
Though I was still nervous, I intended to say what needed to be said from now on.
I didnāt want to die for not answering.
Huh?
But why wonāt this lift?
I had already given my farewell, so it was time to take the table away.
But this damn table wouldnāt budge at all.
The noodles were all eaten and the ice water was completely drained, so it should be lighter than before, yet it wouldnāt move as if it had become a boulder.
āā¦Y-Young Master?ā
Finding the cause wasnāt particularly difficult.
Sure enough, it was because Eok I-geon was pressing down on the table.
With just one index finger.
He wasnāt even applying force, just resting his finger on it, yet the table seemed glued to the floor.
Flustered, I held both sides of the table and faced Eok I-geon in an awkward position.
As expected, he was glaring at me menacingly again.
If you want something, just say it, you bastard!
What the hell are you going to do with that mouth of yours?
Do I have to read minds on top of everything else?
All sorts of curses swirled in my mind, but at the same time, I frantically racked my brain.
What could Eok I-geon want to say to me at this moment? What did he want?
Could it beā¦ that?
Eok I-geon was nineteen years old.
In our countryās terms, that would be about a high school senior.
Boys that age wouldnāt be satisfied with just one bowl of noodle soup.
Isnāt that the prime age when theyād cook several packets of ramen at once?
Moreover, Eok I-geon was someone who used his body physically.
I didnāt have any athletes around me, but Iād heard they ate enormous amounts.
āShouldā¦ should I bring more noodles?ā
Eok I-geon neither nodded nor replied.
He simply removed his finger. It was a silent command to bring it immediately.
āGeez.ā
The sisters at Jami-gwan would be thrilled.
I ran while carrying the table. From Eok I-geonās expression, it seemed like something terrible would happen if I was late.
Fortunately, there was plenty of chicken noodle soup prepared, and I returned to the pavilion without delay.
Eok I-geonās noodle slurping began again.
Just in case, I had brought nearly twice the amount as before, and he devoured it all in the blink of an eye.
Yet not a single drop of broth splashed, and he ate so cleanly that his natural elegance showed through.
After finishing his second bowl and putting down his chopsticks, Eok I-geonās face looked very satisfied.
It might be good to serve different types of noodles for lunch for a while.
He probably wonāt grab the table legs and hold on again.
Contrary to my worries, this time the table lifted very easily.
Finally able to escape from Eok I-geon, I was genuinely delighted and quickly moved my body to descend from the pavilion.
Though the ordeals of dinner and late-night snacks still remained, having safely completed lunch made me feel much more at ease.
Letās get as far away from here as possible.
For the sake of my mental and physical well-being, it was a necessary measure, even if brief.
āThe Young Master seems to have a good appetite today.ā
On one side of the training grounds stood a zelkova tree with quite a thick trunk.
Cheon-gang, who had been watching Eok I-geon from beneath it, walked toward me with a smile.
Oh, my favorite is smiling at me.
Just this morning he seemed to find me pathetic, but this was remarkable progress.
āHe must have been very hungry. How about you, Cheon-gang?ā
Since I happened to have something to give him, I set the table down on the ground and asked.
āI didnāt see you eat anything for breakfast or lunch either. Arenāt you hungry?ā
āDonāt worry about my meals. Youāre the Young Masterās maid, so you just need to take care of the Young Master.ā
āYes, thatās true. But people need to eat to work. What work can you do on an empty stomach? Especially for a bodyguard like you, shouldnāt you eat more?ā
āNo, Iāmā¦ā
āHere, this. I got this from a friend at Jami-gwan, please have it, Cheon-gang.ā
What I offered was a rice ball that Sook had given me.
She would occasionally pack them for me to eat at the laundry area, and they tasted absolutely amazing.
Despite her clumsy personality, she was naturally gifted at cooking.
āThis is really delicious. Even just one will completely fill you up.ā
āIām really fine. I canāt take something your friend gave you out of consideration.ā
āI didnāt say Iād give you all of them, did I?ā
āā¦What?ā
āI have one too.ā
I triumphantly pulled out the remaining rice ball from my sleeve.
It wasnāt an empty boast ā one rice ball really was filling enough.
āActually, what you told me this morning was very helpful. Iām giving this as thanks for that, so please donāt refuse anymore. Itās embarrassing for me.ā
Surely heāll accept it after Iāve said this much?
Who could understand this feeling of wanting to feed something delicious to my favorite?
āAlright, I understand. Thank you.ā
Yes!
Cheon-gang finally gave in to my earnest tone.
He smiled as he took the wrapper containing the rice ball, then immediately took a big bite right there.
Whoa, heās eating it here?
I naturally assumed heād eat it quietly alone indoors, but apparently I had misjudged Cheon-gang.
He seemed to be a much more easygoing person than I thought.
āYou werenāt just being polite.ā
After swallowing a bite of the rice ball, Cheon-gangās expression had changed.
āThis is the best rice ball Iāve ever had.ā
āRight? My friendās cooking skills are no joke.ā
Before I knew it, the rice ball had completely disappeared from Cheon-gangās hands.
What crossed his eyes after finishing it was clear regret.
Oh yeah, successfully fed my favorite!
I never expected to experience the joy of tribute here.
āIāll get more for you next time.ā
āIāll be in your debt.ā
Given Cheon-gangās usual personality, he would have refused, saying he couldnāt be a burden, but the rice ball must have been exceptionally delicious.
Indeed, nothing beats food when it comes to winning people over.
āWell then, Cheon-gang, Iāll be going now. Iāll see you at dinner!ā
Time was tight if I wanted to sweep and clean the interior of Geonyeong-gak again.
The booklet Lady Gwak gave me stated that Eok I-geon had mysophobia and required cleaning twice a day without fail.
Anyway, heās so high-maintenance.
I picked up the table I had set down and walked toward the training grounds entrance with heavy steps.
Thatās when I turned my head, curious about what Eok I-geon was doing.
āā¦!ā
I nearly dropped the tray right then and there.
What, what was that?
Why was he glaring at me with those eyes again!
I donāt know when it started, but Eok I-geon had been shooting lasers at me.
His aura was so murderous that despite the considerable distance between us, I felt as if my throat was being sliced.
It was a miracle my heart didnāt stop, and I felt goosebumps rising all over my body, threatening to turn into hives.
Thank goodness I didnāt lose my composure.
What had I done wrong this time?
It was Eok I-geonās habit to glare as if he wanted to kill me at the drop of a hat, but thinking about it, there was always a reason.
But now, no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldnāt find that reason.
When did he eat two whole bowls of noodle soup, and now heās throwing a fit?
As expected, Eok I-geon was someone I couldnāt let my guard down around for even a moment.
I thought the atmosphere had relaxed somewhat over food, but that was my arrogance and delusion.
Right, what kind of person is Eok I-geon.
Thereās no way heād become docile so easily.
To preserve my life, I had to maintain a constant state of tension.
Feeling that fact painfully once again, I fled from the Training Grounds.
The brief beautiful moment with my favorite had long since disappeared into the depths of memory.
