Chapter 14

TL: pineapples

ED: sid

***

“Hik!”

My hairs stood up at the voice from the dark. Freezing in place, I just blinked.

Following the sound of footsteps, the person I was looking for appeared in the shadows.

“… Young Miss?”

Aku Ryun looked super thin. His cheeks were hollow, only his eyes shined. It was inevitable because he would only eat those food pills.

“How… did you get here?”

“I walked here.”

“I’m not asking you that. Who dropped you off here?”

If I told him I came with Seoyoung, he would scold me so I just shook my head.

Aku Ryun seemed not to believe me, but he did not question me further.

“This is not a place where Young Miss should be. Go back.”

“I know, I know I shouldn’t be here. I just wanted to give you this and leave.”

“…what are you giving me?”

I gave him the bag.

He didn’t even glance at the bag. He kept staring at me quietly like a beast that only acted on instincts. Every fiber of my body was chilling, but I walked to him pretending nothing was wrong. But then I tripped on the stone floor.

“Ah, ah!”

I flapped on the stone floor and fell flat on my knees.

‘Ak! Hurts like hell!’

I thought I split my knee in half. I squatted down and dusted off my knees.

“Oh? My bag…”

I must have dropped it when I fell. The bag was at the feet of Aku Ryun with half of its contents spilling out.

Only then did Aku Ryun, who had only been watching me fall, lowered his head. The dried persimmon, candy, and medicine had rolled out of the bag. He looked down at the contents quietly.

I had packed the bag with all my heart and soul, but why does it look so shabby? I whispered quietly to myself, concealing embarrassment.

“Eat it, you are probably hungry.”

“I can’t eat regular food during closed-door training.”

What kind of bullshit was that? Since all of his meridians had opened up, he was not affected that much by eating regular food. If the waste piles up, it was fine to expel the waste through his pores.

‘Do you think I brought you food without knowing this?’

All he needed now was nourishing food, not abuse under the guise of training.

‘You don’t need to pretend that you can’t eat regular food’

I ignored my throbbing knees and picked up a dried persimmon. After brushing off the surface, I blew off the dust. Then I held it out towards Aku Ryun.

“Just eat a little bit.”

Even though I stretched out my arms and brought it near his lips, Aku Ryun did not open his closed lips.

‘Maybe he thinks it’s poison?’

Well, that makes sense.

You can’t take my sudden kindness as is. He saw the Cheonma as the devil and me as the devil’s spawn.

I took one piece of the dried persimmon and put it in my mouth.

“Wow, this is really tasty! It’s the best!”

… did I go too far?

I folded my raised thumb slightly. Then I put the dried persimmons back near Aku Ryun’s mouth.

“It’s really tasty. You saw me eat it, right? It will be fine if you eat it.”

The silent Aku Ryun said quietly.

“Why on earth…”

“Yes?”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Bro, you gave me your precious life-saving oil. This is nothing compared to the oil.

I knew he would be the one that would kill me. But that’s in the future. Now he’s the one who saved my life. Since you’ve given up the most important thing you needed, isn’t me doing this much fine?

I wanted him to rest and eat the food I gave him. After all, he was suffering like this because of me.

I lowered my gaze for a moment. I could feel the look of Aku Ryun on my face. As I lifted my eyes again, I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand anything.

“Huh? What? Did I do something wrong?”

“Wooo~.”

Aku Ryun let out a sigh. He must be wondering how much a little kid would understand.

Successful in deceiving him, I pushed some more dried persimmons on his lips. Some of the white sugar of dried persimmon had imprinted on his dried lips.

Aku Ryun stood still. If he really didn’t like it, he would have pushed me away.  But he didn’t do anything. Encouraged, I pushed in the dried persimmon a little more. The tip of the dried persimmon went through his lips. At that moment, he closed his eyes tightly.

The sweetness must have spread through his mouth, which had been accustomed to those disgusting food pills.

In the end, Aku Ryun could not overcome the temptation. He cut the tip of the dried persimmon a little bit with his front teeth and chewed slowly.

“Hehe, it’s yummy right?”

“…”

“Eat this all. I’ll bring you some more later.”

Aku Ryun’s eyes, which had been relaxed by the sweetness, changed firmly.

“You can’t do that. Don’t come again.”

I neither said yes or no to that statement. I could just come anyway.

* * * *

“…Young Miss.”

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit weird to put five-scented meat in this silk bag? It will cool down before the sogyoju can eat it.”

“Is that so? If the meat is cold, it won’t be tasty right?”

I put the dish away. I wanted to bring him something warm, but there’s nothing that fits well. At that time, Seoyoung started yelling.

“Young Miss! You’re going to go to the sogyoju again? You promised me that you wouldn’t go again!”

Oops! I was so distracted by the food choices that I had forgotten about this watchdog nanny!

I slyly looked at Seoyoung’s expression.

“…I’m only going to give him food.”

“You can’t do that! It’s very rude to visit a soldier who’s training in the closed-door training area!”

“I’m not going to even see his face. I’ll just leave this there.”

“You said that last time, but you waited until he finished eating!”

“……because I thought he was going to throw it away. If you throw away your food, you will go to hell.”

“Young Miss!”

Gosh, our little Seoyoung must be mad. I put down the bag and hung it on Seoyoung’s neck.

“Nanny, imagine I’m stuck in a cave alone and eating only grass. Can you stay still and do nothing?”

At this point, Seoyoung, who I had expected to give in after this, replied sternly.

“The situation is different between you and the sogyoju. The position of leading the Magyo is not usually achieved by the efforts of ordinary people. The sogyoju does not just study martial arts through closed-door training. He learns how to stay aloof from all emotions and desires. That’s how he can lead the Magyo.”

But nanny, Aku Ryun didn’t want the job.  No one except me knows about Aku Ryun’s dream since I have read the original novel.

His dream was to live a normal life raising livestock. Not to live the life of a magician.

“All right. I’ll only go this time.”

“… for real?”

“Yeah, this is really the last.”

For this month.

* * * *

Now I opened the familiar door like it was the door to my house and went into the cave.

However, even going deep into the cave, I could not see Aku Ryun. He must have decided to avoid me because I wouldn’t listen to him whenever he told me not to come.

Do I just have to go back?

“I want to see him eating though…”

In the past, I was busy eating and living alone, so I didn’t know that I had this hobby. But I guess I liked to feed someone. When Aku Ryun ate the food I brough, I felt so proud and full. But I don’t think I can see that today.

“I’m disappointed…”

I put my bag down next to the well used for drinking water. As I was about to turn around, I heard the sound of pain somewhere.

“Uggg…..”

I was definitely Aku Ryun’s voice. I ran towards the sound.

On top of a makeshift bed was Aku Ryun who was sweating profusely.

“Aku Ryun!”

I ran to him. He was shaking like an out-of-control fire.

He couldn’t even open his eyes even though I shook his shoulders wildly. I heard his harsh breathing and sounds of pain. I went to the well and cupped my hands to fill it full of water. When I slowly spilled water on his parched lips, he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

“Are you awake?”

“… water…”

“Water? Okay!”

He needed a lot of water, but my hands were too small. But there was nothing in the cave that I could use as a bowl. I went back and forth from the well. Until he was satisfied, I carried water to him with my cupped hands.

Then, he tore the clothes that he wore inside, soaked them in water, and wiped his face with it. Only then did Aku Ryun open his eyes. There was a voice that broke out in between his pale and cracked lips.

“You’re… here again?”