1440 - Chapter 9

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 9
“Please bear with me even though it hurts. I’ll be as careful as I can.”
Yeon-su pretended not to notice his shame, draping a towel between his legs. Then, from his neck along his arms to his fingertips, from his chest to his lower abdomen—across his thighs and knees, over the prominent ankle bones—she cleaned his entire body with gentle, deliberate strokes.
Pus came away on the cloth with nothing but soft wiping. Raw skin peeled away, and blood welled up. Yet the man showed no sign of pain, only turning his head aside.
That cut deeper into Yeon-su’s heart. It would have been better if he’d whimpered and cried when it hurt. Instead, he sat like a person whose emotions had been stripped away—like an unfeeling doll.
Suppressing her ache, she cleaned and disinfected the wounds, then applied the medicine she’d brought. She wondered if human remedies would be effective for him, but doing something was better than doing nothing.
After applying the medicine, she wrapped the affected areas lightly in bandages to keep it from spreading elsewhere. His body was soon nearly covered in wrappings.
“Don’t hurt.”
—Don’t hurt.
Recalling that voice, which hadn’t faded even after nearly twenty years, she added those words. Only then did the man’s hand, held in Yeon-su’s grip, tremble slightly.
Yeon-su dressed his bandaged body in a fresh inner robe—not the cheap, thin fabric that let skin show through faintly like before, but a thick, soft microfiber gown.
She’d considered preparing pajamas, but decided that something similar to what he normally wore would be more comforting, so she’d gone with the gown instead.
She’d deliberately ordered the gown in an extra-long length, but it turned out even longer than expected. The hem draped all the way down over the tops of his feet.
“When I saw you as a child, you seemed like such a tall, imposing person.”
Now look how small and delicate you are. Swallowing the rest of her words, she pretended to straighten his garment while lightly brushing his ankle.
The man withdrew his foot, apparently ticklish even through the bandages. Yeon-su barely suppressed the laugh that threatened to escape at how endearing the gesture was, and lifted her head.
The man stood, and Yeon-su knelt before him. She naturally looked up at him and spoke.
“As I mentioned earlier, I’ll handle all your needs personally from now on. There will only be servants here on the rare days I need to be away for extended periods. But that will hardly ever happen. So if there’s anything you need, just tell me whenever.”
With that, she pushed the door open wide.
“I understand you can’t leave the Separate Annex, but you can move freely inside, yes?”
The man nodded slightly. Yeon-su touched the tips of his swaying hair briefly and continued her explanation.
“My room is up these Stairs. If climbing becomes difficult, use the fan on the small table beside the Stairs to tap the wall. I’ll come right down.”
Until now, the man had never asked for anything from any servant or anyone else. So he would never summon Yeon-su to ask her to do something for him. And yet, he nodded once more.
Yeon-su smiled with deep satisfaction. Her round, clear eyes—like those of a model student—lit up. Deep dimples creased her cheeks.
The man etched that moment deeply into his mind.
9
The man, who’d tossed and turned all night, only managed to fall asleep around dawn when the morning sun was rising. But it was only a shallow sleep, and his consciousness slowly drifted back as small sounds filtered in from beyond the door.
The soft tap-tap-tap of a knife against a cutting board. Water bubbling to a boil. Then, barely audible, Yeon-su’s murmur: “Mmm, this should do.” Her voice was small and muttered.
The man slowly lifted his heavy eyelids. Looking down at his own body, he found it far warmer than usual.
He ran his palm over the inner robe Yeon-su had dressed him in yesterday and the cozy quilts she’d prepared.
It’s not a dream.
How long had he been dreaming of moments like this? The man’s body suddenly curled in on itself, flooded with overwhelming sorrow. But he suppressed that welling emotion and pulled numbness back over himself like a cloak.
Having gathered his feelings with practiced ease, he heard a knock-knock at the door.
“Are you awake? I’m Baek Yeon… ah, right.”
Yeon-su murmured to herself, then cleared her throat softly and spoke again with mature formality.
“I’ve brought breakfast. Did you rest well?”
The man unfolded his curled body and walked directly to the door, sliding open the shuttered door that had been tightly closed.
Through the narrow gap—wide enough for only one person—Yeon-su and the man’s faces met. Yeon-su, startled that he’d opened it himself, soon smiled gently and took hold of the door. She pushed it open slowly enough that it didn’t feel forced, revealing the full room.
“Would you mind if I ate with you?”
Yeon-su, who’d brought a larger table set for two servings, asked.
The man could not refuse. Yeon-su, too, had expected that he wouldn’t.
Moving the large table to the center of the room, Yeon-su checked from the corner of her eye whether he was dressed properly and whether he looked unwell, then lifted the lid from the rice bowl.
“Today’s side dishes are Twobu-guk and Red Pepper Leaf Seasoned Vegetables, and Decursinol Leaf Pickle. And this is bean paste—gently crushed beans. If you eat it on top of your rice, it’s quite savory and delicious.”
After introducing what was on the table, Yeon-su took a small spoonful of the bean paste she’d made and gently placed it on top of his white rice.
The man stared at it, then slowly brought it to his mouth. The bean paste, with its strong savory flavor over saltiness, suited his preference for simple tastes perfectly.
Watching him begin eating without hesitation, Yeon-su felt pride well up and nearly smiled. She pressed her lips together to hold back the smile, stirred her own soup, and let it cool.
“Yesterday I realized I didn’t even tell you my name. I’m Yeon-su Baek. The second child of the Baek Family, you could say.”
As she spoke, Yeon-su felt a slight tension.
What were the Baek Family to this man? They’d kept him in a box-like prison, and now they exploited his very body—worthless trash. What if he saw her the same way because of their blood?
…Does he remember that you sometimes cared for him when he was young?
Yeon-su stole a glance at his expression. Just then, the man who’d been looking at her met her eyes directly.
Caught looking at Yeon-su, the man lowered his gaze as if to spoon his rice. But he showed no negative reaction—he didn’t flinch, stiffen, or refuse to eat.
Yesterday, he hadn’t pulled away from her hands as she treated him either.
Satisfied with that, Yeon-su took a spoonful of soup. The warm, simply seasoned broth flowed down into her, loosening the tension she’d been holding.
After finishing her meal quietly, Yeon-su deliberately brought out grilled meat without seasoning and set it on the veranda. Then she opened the door wide so morning sunlight and fresh air could flow inside.
Even though she’d removed all the incense, the scent lingered so deeply that it wouldn’t fade quickly. She’d need to air the room out whenever she had a chance for some time.
Today too, Yeon-su draped her outer robe around the man’s shoulders. Though he was already wrapped carefully in the microfiber gown, she didn’t want even a hint of cold to touch him. Only after she’d seated him on the bed and tucked the quilt around him did she feel at ease.
“I’ll leave the door open for a bit.”
With those words, Yeon-su left the room.
The man turned his head slightly at the sound of the Separate Annex’s front door opening. The range of what he could see was limited. He used his X-ray Vision to steal a glimpse of Yeon-su’s departing figure as she stepped outside the Separate Annex.
Where was she going? Beyond the Separate Annex lay a barrier his Spirit Sight could not penetrate. Watching Yeon-su’s retreating figure disappear beyond the dark veil, he clutched the Outer Robe she had draped over him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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