If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 107

Uncovering the lid that was keeping the seven-dish spread from getting cold, a mouth-watering aroma wafted out. Looking down at the young lady’s breakfast table with a pleased smile, Yeonrye’s spine suddenly turned cold. That was because over the past few days, whether it was a tea tray or a lunch tray, a man would appear like lightning whenever it was set up.

Sure enough, as the door opened precisely on time, cold sweat broke out on Yeonrye. The man who used to gracefully review his math books after class ended must have been taken away by the heavens. Seeing Yirok enter through the kitchen door with an air of composure and pull out silver utensils, Yeonrye secretly let out a sigh.

“Are you here again, Haenang Yirok?”

“Yes.”

As if unable to take a hint even when given a pointed look, he started scooping up the young lady’s rice first with the silver spoon. The reason she couldn’t scold him for eating what was meant to feed the precious young lady first was all due to Yirok’s extreme fussiness. Having returned from the hwanchō world not long ago, his concern for the young lady’s health surpassed even that of her blood relative, the landowner.

If she fed the young lady a snack without telling him, Yirok would hurl curses with bloodshot eyes. A few days ago, Yirok even reached the point of asking if there was any medicine to induce vomiting, causing Yeonrye to throw up her hands in surrender. How could she bear to watch him drain what was inside the young lady’s stomach? Lacking trust in Yeonrye, Yirok turned into a kitchen hand the moment class ended, using his hands—which still bore clear ballpoint pen marks—to busy himself with the utensils.

“This is a side dish I haven’t seen before….”

“I seasoned a little bit of it in case the young lady didn’t have an appetite. Can’t I even make a single side dish as I please now? I’m serving a king here, a king.”

She wanted to pinch that unlovely face grimacing as if the seasoning wasn’t to his taste, completely unaware of how much the young lady loved the radish salad she had seasoned. Even as she made her displeasure abundantly clear, Yirok solemnly lowered his eyes, finished food testing, and lifted the tray. Though the salary she received was the same, her work had been cut in half. It was all thanks to Haenang Yirok.

“I’m telling you, no one drops anything in it on the way. Who in Nanjubeol would dare tamper with the young lady’s dining table or tea tray?”

“There is someone.”

“Who? Just pick one and name them.”

“Me.”

“Oh, my….”

At least he had a conscience, putting the old saying about not spitting on a smiling face to use. Behind Yirok, who smiled charmingly with his eyes and carried the tray away, Yeonrye giggled softly.

These were truly good times. Who could have known that Yirok, who used to be like cold winter rain, would fall head over heels for the young lady? That was also why she left the food-testing duties to him. At any rate, hadn’t he taken on such a troublesome task just to protect the young lady?

“Don’t you have haenang class right after delivering that?”

“I’m fine, so… please take good care of Chaehwa while I’m not looking.”

“I’ve been taking care of her since I changed the young lady’s diapers. What a thing to worry about, really. If the landowner comes to know about this one day….”

The words she spoke in jest crossed the line without her realizing it. Was he not currently bearing the stigma of being a gigolo? Biting her tongue in realization, Yirok remained as calm as if a dog were barking somewhere. Feeling even more sorry seeing his composed demeanor, a flustered Yeonrye spoke up bustlingly instead.

“Uh… come often. I’m on the young lady’s side, after all. To me, the person who puts the young lady’s mind at ease is the most precious person.”

Out of respect for his devotion in carrying the tray all the way to the young lady’s quarters, she wanted to offer a warm word of blessing. It was unexpected that Yirok, who she thought would brush it off with an expressionless face due to his personality, halted his steps. With a bright face fitting a young man entering adulthood, he faced Yeonrye, resting a foot on the threshold of the inner gate while showing off a pure and elegant smile.

“I also think you’re the finest person here, Yeonrye, second only to Chaehwa.”

Even though she knew it was a courtesy greeting, Yeonrye’s heart fluttered for a moment as if she had returned to her youth. As if refusing to allow even a brief lingering lingering memory, the fox-like Yirok hurriedly moved his steps toward the quarters. Hoping he would forever forget the time she whipped his calves in the past, Yeonrye followed briskly behind him.

She felt deeply regretful that the heavens had lacked foresight and failed to grant Yirok a noble birth. Whether judged by his devotion or his appearance, the top candidate for a groom was right before her eyes. Unaware that she herself had become the very first supporter of the Chaehwa-Yirok couple, Yeonrye’s sigh floated over the wall.

🌹₊ ⊹

They say people who enter and exit the hwanchō world suffer a ruined sense of time. That statement seemed to be true. Yirok could hardly believe that the end of the year was approaching and he would soon become an official adult. Standing before the mirror and tidying his hair, Yirok slowly let his hands drop down.

It was a situation where nothing was good. Sarira was happily opening her maw, waiting for Chaehwa to fall; the whereabouts of the vanished snacks remained lost in a maze; and Chaehwa’s fiancé, whose very existence made his head burn hot, was residing in the main house.

However, his eyes reflected in the mirror were telling a different story. Even while grumbling that she didn’t want to, Chaehwa wouldn’t eat anything unless he permitted it. Oh, the joy of placing snacks into her lips parted like a baby bird’s. The image of Chaehwa smiling brightly with puffed-up cheeks could not be shaken from his mind. Day and night, his thoughts were occupied with nothing but what to feed Chaehwa.

Perhaps he was merely using Sarira’s snacks as an excuse to indulge his own greed. He wanted to boast to the household members, including the kitchen staff, that even with a proper fiancé present, the young lady only cared for him. What a petty and deceitful heart. In Nanjubeol, where Sarira’s spy lived and poisoned snacks were floating around, his face had bloomed like a flower.

“Stupid bastard….”

This was a battlefield where Chaehwa’s neck could fly off over a mistake as minor as limping a step. Was this really the time to feel pleased just because Chaehwa followed him, shining her innocent eyes? He felt he should drink cold water to snap out of it and get some sleep. Just as Yirok was pulling back the curtains to check if the window was closed, he heard his cell phone ringing. Chaehwa’s name filling the screen brought out a mindless smile.

“Why. Can’t you sleep?”

Because Chaehwa was so lovely accepting and eating what he gave her, he had kissed her before. Affection was something that even a tiger-like landowner could not stop. He had fallen ill with a lovesickness more terrifying than smallpox.

—Yirok.

“Yeah.”

Thus, even though Chaehwa’s voice was quieter and softer than usual, Yirok suspected nothing. The flutter of his heart erased the fact that his phone was usually kept on silent, making a ring impossible.

—I miss you, do you want to come out for a second? I’m here at… my quarters.

“Got it.”

At Chaehwa’s words of missing him, an immediate response came without a second thought. Hanging up the phone, it took Yirok less than two minutes to unbutton his pajamas and change into a clean new shirt. He was in the same boat, unable to sleep because today’s share of kisses fell short.

Just in case, Yirok tucked his phone safely into the drawer, opened his room door, and stepped into the dark hallway. It was a desolate and sinister night for the first time in a while, without a single speck of moonlight cast upon it.

Approaching midnight, the stars and moon stuck together like close partners in the pitch-black night. Glowing with a flush like a groom who had received his wedding date, Yirok ran then walked, unable to control his feet. The gently blowing wind stroked the bridge of his nose and his smile. From the moment only a few steps remained, Yirok’s heart fluttered in anticipation. Even if he wanted to act like a demure man, his fast stride ruined it from the start.

“Yirok!”

Beneath a leafy tree, Chaehwa, dressed up as if it were morning, was waving her hand. Yirok’s smile, which had mirrored hers, abruptly withered upon seeing the glass jar held in Chaehwa’s hand. The peanut cookies inside the glass jar painfully pricked his eyes beyond measure. Expressionless, Yirok ran over and ruthlessly snatched the glass jar away.

“Oh my.”

“What is this?”

“What else could it be… it’s what you left behind.”

He almost ended up speaking harsh words to Chaehwa. If he had not seen the note clumsily attached to the top of the glass jar with tape, he would have raised his voice.

Eat them sparingly one by one while thinking of me.

It was a note made by copying his handwriting without fail. There was no shortage of his notebooks and workbooks left behind at the Bansi family. Watching Yirok’s face turn pale from the side, Chaehwa asked in a sunken voice.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t send this? Give it here.”

“No. I did send it. Did you happen to eat any? No, right? You didn’t eat it, right? You really didn’t?”

“…You told me to eat snacks only after getting your permission, even if it’s just one. Even my grandmother doesn’t treat me like that. But give it here.”

“This… isn’t made properly, it’s just thrown together rough. I’ll take it.”

“After making such a fuss telling me you missed me and to come out. Was it to snatch this away?”

For once, he wanted to part ways with Chaehwa quickly. He suspected it might be a gift sent by a spy from the Bansi family, and he grew terrified that he might even begin to suspiciously question how the Bansi family knew to perfectly copy his handwriting. It was still too early to reveal to Chaehwa that he was a spy.

Unable to believe Chaehwa’s words that she hadn’t eaten the snacks yet, Yirok went out of his way to pull out one of the peanut cookies. Tucking it right into his mouth, he rolled it around with his tongue to explore whether there was poison or not. Doing this would also reduce Chaehwa’s suspicion, killing two birds with one stone, wouldn’t it? To look unbothered in front of Chaehwa, Yirok went ahead and swallowed the peanut cookie.

“You really didn’t eat any, right.”

“I told you I didn’t. You’re acting suspicious.”

“Wait, did you say I said I missed you… and told you to come out?”

“Yirok. Why are you being like this? You’re starting to scare me.”

“…Go inside. There’s a book I forgot and left behind.”

“What?”

Even if he were to die from poison, he didn’t want to die in front of Chaehwa. Savoring the rich peanut flavor, his steps returned to the dormitory faster than when he came. Upon returning, he had to narrow down the possibilities regarding the handwriting written on the peanut cookie jar, the strange phone call sent to him, and the person who approached Chaehwa’s quarters. There was not a moment to rest..

Ignoring Chaehwa’s voice calling out to him, Yirok barely reached the dormitory before his knees collapsed beside the bed. Sitting on the ground like a prisoner, he rolled the glass jar containing the peanut cookies in his hand and turned it around.

Judging by how he hadn’t died after eating it, was it not poisoned? However, targeting Chaehwa was an undeniable fact. And using his name at that. Burying his face in his knees with a sigh, Yirok set the glass jar down.

Sarira’s evil hand had finally spread in a way that dragged him into it. The saying that getting caught was only a matter of time had never been as terrifying as it was these days. If possible, he wanted to disappear like a good person to Chaehwa, like the wind. Thinking about being hated after being exposed as a spy was as sorrowful as his brother dying. She will never smile at me again. She will never grant me her lips again. Knowing full well it wasn’t a matter of such trivial things, his wish was impoverishingly simple like this.

“I….”

However, when Yirok raised his head again, his eyes were glowing with an enchanting pink light. Unbeknownst to Yirok’s soul, which was bowing its head in self-reproach, it had fallen asleep, and a new soul had awakened. A smile that an old man with white hair might wear hung upon his face.

“I knew you would succeed.”