Chapter 145: Three Peaches (5)

Chapter 145: Three Peaches (5)

Hmm.

Droplets of water fell from my still-damp hair. Hongyeon was holding some documents, and I carefully read through them.

Hey.

?

This doesnt seem to be the part I was supposed to handle, does it?

What, really?

A troubled look appeared on Hongyeons face. Even after checking the documents again, it was clear that this was not the task I had been assigned.

She quickly skimmed the documents in her hand, then narrowed her brows, realizing her mistake.

Sorry. It seems Ive been forgetting things here and there with all the work lately.

That could happen. Its easy to make mistakes when youre suddenly overwhelmed with work.

I took the documents from Hongyeons hand and read through them carefully.

Ah. Suddenly, a familiar name caught my eye amidst the long sentences.

-Cheondo.

Among the newcomers starting tomorrow was the name Cheondo.

Why is she here?

I was puzzled. It would be hard to find time for training, so why?

Cheondo was known to dedicate herself entirely to training, except for the occasional shift at the inn.

It seemed she had decided to assist with this stressful task.

Ill ask her tomorrow.

Since we were going to meet tomorrow anyway.

I handed the documents back to Hongyeon after finishing reading them. Hongyeon took the documents with both hands.

.

The hands that received the documents were trembling, for some reason.

Her eyes, filled with fear, were bright red. Anxiety was evident in Hongyeons complexion.

Arent you going to scold me?

After a while, she finally spoke.

Scold? Why would I scold you?

Thinking my eyes are bad, that I should be able to handle something like this properly.

What?

As my voice rose, Hongyeon hastily shook her head from side to side.

No, no! Sorry. I guess I was talking nonsense.

Hongyeon apologized again, looking disheartened and pressing her brow.

I always thought thats how it was, so I assumed it would be the same today.

What do you mean always?

.

She looked at me earnestly.

What, why?

When I stood my ground, Hongyeon looked down like a dog who had lost a fight.

No matter how much I tried to be nice, it always ended up like this. I sat down next to Hongyeon and pulled out a few file folders.New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

Ill help out for today. Go to bed early. You dont need to stay up all night following me. Im a special case, and youre not.

I started organizing the documents, holding the pen firmly.

Hongyeon stared at me, then gave a bitter smile and bowed her head.

Thank you.

What would you do without me here?

The sound of the pen was pleasantly crisp. The sensation of dipping the quill and writing was incomparably satisfying.

Hongyeon also held a pen and focused on processing the documents.

Its funny. To start all this and then run away alone.

What are you talking about? Wasnt this what you intended to do?

Right.

Hongyeon chuckled softly, laughing out loud like a hearty colleague at work.

I raised an eyebrow. Have I ever seen this woman laugh since I came here? All I remembered were faces grimaced in pain or soaked in fatigue.

Are you actually resting?

I am. When I sleep.

So, youre saying you work whenever youre awake.

The more I saw Hongyeon, the more I thought that she was someone politicians and businessmen would go to great lengths to accommodate.

Dowon is a place created by that old man. I only have affection for it. Working there is hardly different from playing.

She had a sense of responsibility for her work and was wise beyond what one might expect for someone at Dowon.

Theres a fruit wine brewed from peaches. The sticky aftertaste and the overwhelming fragrance are exceptional.

What a sales pitch.

Deal.

Deal?

It means Im in.

Sometimes alcohol was the best medicine. Now was one of those times.

The day after drinking with Hongyeon, I received training from Cheonma and went to work in the morning, where I immediately noticed a new face with a familiar look.

Even compared to those around her, she had a radiant face.

One of the three beauties of Dowon, Cheondo, was smiling brightly at me.

How are you doing, Young Demon~

When I showed a dumbfounded expression, Cheondo gestured with one hand as if asking me to play along.

I asked her softly, trying to match her tone.

Why did you start working?

I wanted to learn about work.

The strength in her voice made it clear that she was sincere in her desire to learn about work.

I had other questions, but it seemed I would only be able to ask them after her work was done.

I called over a woman who was awkwardly fumbling with the printer.

You.

Yes? Did you call me, Young Demon?

Teach her how to work. Start with what you do.

Simple tasks like document processing that could be learned on the first try. Or listening to complaints from people living in Dowon.

Cheondo was all ears, her shoulders tensed with eagerness.

Can you do it?

I have to.

Hey. You dont have to do this. Its just manual labor.

I whispered so that the other employees couldnt hear, but Cheondo didnt respond.

She was stubbornly determined. I sighed and lightly tapped Cheondo on the head.

Go ahead and try. Youll get used to it. You might get scolded at first, but thats how everyone learns.

Understood Should I follow this lady?

Given it was her first time, she would inevitably make some mistakes, but her pretty face might save her from getting scolded too harshly.

I watched Cheondo until she was out of sight, and then Hongyeon asked me a question.

Is that girl the one you called for?

Eh? No, thats not it.

I thought it was clear you had a special interest in her since shes new. Guess I was wrong.

Sometimes, I directly recruited promising newcomers to work as laborers.

Hongyeon must have thought I was doing the same with Cheondo.

Shell figure it out, right? Shell find her own work to do in three days.

Cheondo was one of the few women in Dowon who had received some education.

Hongyeon looked at Cheondo and shrugged her shoulders.

If you say so it must be right.

Hongyeon seemed much friendlier after we shared a drink yesterday.

We looked around, shared a cup of tea, and then went back to our respective tasks.

During breaks from work, I checked on Cheondo and, as expected, found her sweating profusely every time she showed her face.

If you cant do even the simple tasks, what will you do?

Im, Im sorry.

Ill teach you again. Come here.

A civil servant scolding the Young Demon.

In some way, it was quite a spectacle.

Fortunately, due to the interest of many people, there was no shortage of work to be done.

Theres nothing more painful than coming to work and not finding anything to do.

I finished my tea and went back inside the office.

-Slurp.

After hours of processing documents, eating, and occasionally answering external calls, the day quickly turned to dusk.

The end of a day at Dowon without overtime.

I left the office to look for Cheondo.

I saw the lonely back of a girl, not sensing any presence from her.

Ugh.

As expected, Cheondo was leaning on the desk with a soulless expression.