Thump thump.
Ben’s heart rang loudly. He put his hand on his chest. His heart was pumping strong enough for him to feel the palpitation in the palm of his hand. He was even worried that his heart would be dying because it’s as much as 10 times faster than usual. His face was hardened with embarrassment.
‘Why would you think… .’
He put his hands on both cheeks that rose to red. He felt like he was getting burned all over his body because of the burning heat that struck his stomach.
“You’re crazy, even if you go crazy…”
Such an impure thought of Chersenia, who has done him much favor.
With a strange imagination that can’t be for her kindness to be repaid with, Ben wanted to hide in the rat hole because of the shame of being caught on the ground. He goes back and forth trying to calm his heart quickly, perfectly before she comes back.
Ben left the chair and headed to the door. It was because he thought that if he felt the cold wind breeze, his heat would soon subside and his hot face would also cool down.
The afternoon when the sun rose high, Ben came out of the yard and found a pile of laundry, and then began to hand wash them all. At the construction site, he was always the youngest to take care of the chores, so he was able to do laundry and cleaning well.
However, he has never been able to cook, so he was awkward. There was no situation to cook. There was always bread given to him and diluted soup for him to eat.
“I wish I could have cooked…”
If so, he would have been able to serve chersenia with warm food. He was sorry. After he finished washing the laundry, he shook the wet water out of the clothes and hung it on a line separately. The wind will be cool and they will dry quickly.
What Chersenia had asked him to do was only one. “Don’t do anything”, she’s an angel, but Ben wanted to see Chersenia smiling at him.1
His hands were frozen red because of washing in cold water, but if he could only see Chersenia’s smile, he could do this one hundred and two hundred times. Washing by hands in the middle of winter, of course, is more difficult than this.
‘I have to finish it perfectly before Chersenia comes. “
He hung up the laundry a little more speed. He wanted her to come back and smile as soon as possible. He also wanted to see her quickly, with her gently smiling at her through her tender red eyes.
“Ben!”
At that time, a voice happily called out to him. His head turned to the source of the voice. He had no tail, but just like a dog greeting its owner, he was ready to bounce at Chersenia at any moment. There was little joy and gladness in his face. Everyone who sees can tell he’s happy with such an expression.
Chersenia was coming up from the hill. Taking heavy loads of grocery with urgent steps.
“Chersenia.”
Ben ran toward her. Haeng, it was a measure she would listen to because she was carrying heavy things. As soon as he went down the hill, he stood in front of Chersenia. He reached out to lift her luggage, but Chersenia first put it on the floor.
“Are you okay?”
Chersenia held Ben’s shoulders with both hands. She looked at every corner of the body where there was no injury. Her attention was urgent. Ben’s heart was shaken as she touched him again. He can’t figure out the situation even after really trying to understand, and it worried over him.
“I’m fine. What happened?”
He asked anxiously, ignoring his fast beating heart. What happened in the town? Somehow Chersenia acted as if she had lost her usual composure.
“Did anyone come or anything happened?”
“No, no one’s here.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
Only then did Chersenia let go of his arm and breathed with great difficulty.
“What happened to you?”
Ben asked, worried about Chersenia, who was sighing in front of him.
“I was afraid you broke another plate.”
Chersenia laughed as if it was no big deal. Ben couldn’t take his eyes off her smile. No, he couldn’t take his eyes off that lip. Her softly curved, moist lips were like a trap. An indescribable trap. Beyond the white, almost transparent complexion of her face, her red lips completely enchanted his eyes. His mind was colored with the desire to taste that lip again.3
Ben gulped down his dry saliva. Knowing that his thoughts were impure, he couldn’t stop. His heart was pounding faster than before. At this rate, he felt like his heart was about to burst just like balloons.1
“What were you doing?”
At Chersenia’s question , his spirit that had been leaving his body returned. Only then was Ben able to take his gaze off her lips.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Chersenia. I also did some laundry.
Ben smiled as if he could cover his mind that was stained with impure thoughts. Unlike his usual self, however, the corners of his lips were shaking.
‘Please, I hope she doesn’t notice. I hope that this vulgar heart will not become even wilder.’1
“Really? Well done.”
Fortunately, Chersenia smiled and just combed his bangs with her hands, as if she had not felt anything unusual. At that moment Ben’s eyes shook greatly. His forehead, which had been brushed by Chersenia’s hand, was as hot as a fire. His heart was pounding because of the heat in his forehead.
“Please…”
He groaned low inside. The desire to grab her hand and kiss her on the knuckles of her fingers was driving him crazy.2
Why does he think like this? It didn’t make sense to think such thoughts about her unless he was a pervert. What is this mistreatment for her, who’s taking such good care of him?
Ben reprimanded himself. He smiled awkwardly at Chersenia and headed home with a cold load on the floor. It was too much to forcely remove this lingering feeling in his heart.
So he will embrace it a little bit more. When it’s time to say good-bye, his vain greed will naturally fade. Ben had firmly believed that it would be.2
***
“I’m sorry.”
Lewis looked at him and bowed his head. He has searched everywhere. He even ran on his own foot, but he couldn’t find the woman’s whereabouts. He couldn’t even get a small clue because she lived discreetly ever so tightly.
Lewis’s tight lips trembled slightly for fear of another round of rebuke from the Viscount. There was no sound in the study other than the breath of two men. Lewis was even more nervous and gulped.
Viscount Montenegro, sitting cross-legged on a turquoise velvet sofa wrapped in a bright gold frame. He lifted the teacup in front of him with a tranquil movement. The sun was shown setting from the wide window.
He looked at the sunset with ease, and gracefully sipped his tea. It wasn’t unexpected. When Lewis started dragging a long report, he was guessing that he would not be able to find that woman. That’s why he had already made other plans.
Viscount Montenegro put down his teacup on the table with a thud.
“Prepare 30 million shillings.”
He raised his hands clasped to his crossed legs and told Lewis.
“30 million shillings?”
Lewis asked if he didn’t know English.1
“Yeah, she has 30 million shilling chips to be exchanged with the money, so she will definitely bring the slaves back in 3 days.”
The woman surely promised to come for her pay in a week. That said, if he had prepared money and waited, she would come to his feet by herself.
“Will you give her the money?”
The question “Why would you give her the money now when you ran away because of the money?” was drawn around Lewis’ eyes. The Viscount laughed at Lewis’s stupidity.
“Oh, I don’t have a thought like that. First, I have to give her the money, so she’s going to hand things back to me.”
It was also a noble virtue as a Viscount to give explanations to ignorant human beings. He kindly explained to Lewis, who was lacking in front of his own superiority.2
“First of all, you will go to the place where you will receive the goods and follow up behind her.”
“Then, then what?”
“There is no need for you to recover the money yourself.”
A mean laugh lingered from the Viscount. Witnesses may appear in the gambling room. Of course, it was because he didn’t want to create an awful thing at his gambling house that he decided to do this. After finding out where she lives, he is going to play a foul when the night comes.
He has already hired professional assassins. The mysterious power of the woman Lewis said was a little annoying. He didn’t want to do this, but if there were rumors that were bad for his workplace, it was really bankruptcy that will come after. How much investment he has done to do this business. It’s ridiculous to have come this far and fall at such a trivial thing.1
In the beginning, the system was created so that it could not be easily picked up, so the question was how she was able to win such a large amount of money. So, if only the woman disappears, everything will be solved.
“Okay, I’ll prepare 30 million shillings.”
Lewis replied silently. He’s been working long enough to know what will happen, but that’s all he needs to do, and he’s not going to be involved.