Chapter 407

Chapter 407

Chapter 407

After that incident, I noticed that the furniture and windows in the house were strangely dark-colored and mostly opaque.

Most of the furniture was made of sturdy wood, with surfaces so matte and smooth that they hardly reflected anything. The windows, too, seemed heavily tinted; one had to get close to them to notice even the slightest change in the shade, and they didn't reflect images as normal glass should have.

Above all, there were no mirrors in this house, including in the bathroom. There were faint traces where mirrors might have been, like inside the shoe rack and above the bathroom sink, but I couldn't remember when they had been removed.

I lay in bed as I contemplated.

‘There was that time when I was seriously ill for about a month...'

I remembered that Seo Dawon nursed me back to health when I had suffered from a high fever, but my memories were frustratingly vague. Of course, despite my suspicions, I didn't feel creeped out or unsettled. I was just curious. Why did Dawon adopt such a cold expression?

‘Was I really that sick?'

Dawon-ie wasn't the type to get angry at me, but he was quite sensitive when it came to my safety and well-being. Perhaps this was an occupational hazard...or perhaps he had become obsessed with my health after my repeated bouts of illness.

Sometimes, his mindset–his perspective–generated, at least from my point of view, nonsensical actions, but I trusted that Dawon-ie generally had the right judgement. Therefore, I followed him in most matters...

‘When did he clear away all the mirrors? This actually bothers me.'

The more I was left alone in the house, the more strangely low-spirited I felt. So, wanting to shift my train of thought, I stood up from bed and slowly walked out of the bedroom.

"......"

As soon as I exited, I could see Dawon's busy back–he seemed to be cooking something in the kitchen. Though he looked as if he were immersed in cooking, he looked back casually when I stood there, staring at him. "Did you sleep well?"

His tone indicated that he’d known I was watching him for quite some time.

I nodded slightly, "Yep... What are you making?"

"Just, this and that? I read a cookbook while you slept earlier; I saw a few things that looked tasty, so I tried my hand at them."

"......"

Dawon-ie smiled nonchalantly, but I couldn't return that smile. Recently, he had been forgoing going into the guild office and instead spent his time cooking for me and entertaining me.

"You're hungry, right? Just wait one minute," he said.

"......" I was happy that Dawon-ie was focusing solely on me and neglecting his work to do so... but, I couldn't help but feel like a burden. Furthemore, I was skeptical about how long this lifestyle could last.

‘...He might get tired of this.'

No matter how much Dawon loved me, wouldn't there come a point where he couldn't cling to me like this anymore? Even if his current actions were out of consideration for his sick partner, he was still the guildmaster of the best guild in South Korea... Knowing how busy Dawon usually was, my guilt only deepened.

‘Someday, Dawon-ie... will get tired of this.'

I knew I had the morbid habit of being unable to focus on the present and instead fixating on a future that may never come... But, the sight of Dawon's back as he cooked brought me more sorrow than joy. What should I do if he ever says he can't accommodate me anymore?

‘I should have kept quiet...'

If only I had exited the bathroom calmly and fell deeply asleep in his arms as if nothing had happened...Then, I wouldn't have needlessly wasted his time.

Dawon giggled at my muttered words, "Understood–I'll make a living for us for a long, long time."

"......"

"Are you relieved now?"

"Yeah."

"You feel better?"

"...Yeah."

"As I thought, eating something makes you feel better, right?"

Instead of answering, I took a bite of the crunchy fried food in front of me. Dipping each piece into the sauce that Dawon gave me, I polished off my plate, relishing in the delicious taste.

Dawon was right. My belly was full, and he was by my side; my emotions soon stabilized. Nothing strange was happening. I was happy, as if I believed this moment could last forever... No, rather, I believed I could become happy.

[Is that really true?]

However, once again, I heard an auditory hallucination; I lowered my head to hide my distorted expression. Fortunately, Dawon didn't notice anything amiss this time, so he continued to speak, "Aren't you a bit frustrated being at home all month?"

"......"

"Do you want to go play on an island next week? The place belongs to Kim Olim; just before I went on vacation, she said she'd lend it to us if you liked the idea."

"Ah, Olim-ssi said that...?"

"Yeah. I've been there with the other guild members before. The villa is well furnished, and outsiders can't come near unless they're on a boat. It's a great place to have a vacation. Plus, the beach there is great too." Dawon smiled prettily; his excitement was apparent. My heart began to beat, infected by the cheer of his smile. An island where I could spend alone time with Dawon?

However, once again, the chilling auditory hallucinations kept ringing in my ear.

[If you go that far, it'll really be the end, Choi Lee-kyung.]

"......"

I flinched; my shoulders shook. Dawon continued to look at me with his pretty smile, waiting for my answer. Therefore, I of course needed to say ‘I want to go...'

[This place will be so beautiful and fun–like a paradise. It'll be everything you've dreamed of. The weather will always be sunny, and Dawon will be even more loving and affectionate than today.]

"......"

The hallucination persisted in speaking to me, and I couldn't answer. The voice was accompanied by a piercing headache, as if someone was poking my head with a skewer.

[Therefore, if you go all the way there, you'll never wake up from your dream. How could you? If you stay here, you'll receive Dawon's eternal love...]

"Lee-kyung-ah?"

[If you were to open your eyes and wake up, you would have to accept that everything is a dream.]

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TL: It's the calm before the storm, ya'll. It gets... pretty intense from here.