Munjeong - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

Startled by the soft greeting, Chaeon barely managed to steady herself, almost twisting her ankle in the process.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

The man, who had been leaning casually against the wall, furrowed his brows slightly as he straightened his posture. His low voice flowed smoothly, like water.

 

Who is he?

 

The man, with a tall and broad frame as striking as Jang Taeha’s, had fair, flawless skin and soft brown hair that gleamed under the sunlight, as though he’d never engaged in hard labor. He had an overall light and clear appearance, as if his features were suffused with softness.

 

As Chaeon unintentionally stared at him with wide eyes, the man chuckled softly and asked again.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“Oh, no, I’m fine. Sorry about that.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

His voice, languid and leisurely, carried a faintly melodic tone. As she thought about it, the man suddenly coughed lightly and asked Chaeon a question.

 

“Are you a new employee? You look quite young.”

 

“My mom started working here recently, so I come by occasionally to help her out.”

 

“Ah—”

 

The sound of understanding escaped his lips. Chaeon turned her gaze toward the sound of clinking coming from the wooden box slung over his shoulder, curiosity glimmering in her eyes. Inside were hammers, chisels, and various nails of different sizes. Noticing her interest, he looked at his box before grinning slightly.

 

“Oh, this? It’s a hobby of mine.”

 

“Oh, then…”

 

“Yep. I made them all myself.”

 

His cheerful response made Chaeon’s eyes widen further. This must be the second son Mr. Kim had mentioned. A sibling of Jang Taeha. However, their aura was worlds apart.

 

His playful, broad grin exuded an effortless warmth. If Jang Taeha had an imposing and tense presence from the start, this man was…

 

An angel.

 

That thought arose unbidden. Usually, people judge someone’s character when comparing them to angels or demons, but with him, it was purely based on the atmosphere he carried. While Jang Taeha seemed sharp, decadent, upright, and striking, this man felt gentle, soft, fluid, and delicate.

 

As his light gaze roamed over Chaeon, she felt as if he could read her innermost thoughts, causing her eyes to flutter nervously. His stunning features were so overwhelming that her gaze wandered elsewhere for a moment.

 

“So, you’re the one everyone’s been talking about, huh?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Someone mentioned that a visitor’s been staring at my Madonna statue during their walks lately.”

 

Despite his teasing, radiant smile, Chaeon felt an odd embarrassment that he was aware of such details.

 

“Oh, um…”

 

As she bit her lip hesitantly, she whispered softly,

 

“…It’s beautiful.”

 

It was her first time openly expressing such sentiments to anyone, and her gaze faltered as a hot flush crept over her ears. The man studied her silently for a moment before a hint of amusement sparkled in his eyes, and he gave her a small, teasing smile.

 

“That’s a relief. I like beautiful things too.”

 

The enigmatic, languid response left Chaeon blinking in confusion, staring at him despite herself. Meeting her gaze without hesitation, the man added,

 

“Beautiful things.”

 

The more she looked at him, the more peculiar he seemed. She suddenly realized that she quite liked the subtle fragrance that emanated from him. It was only after a quiet moment, with their gazes still locked, that she noticed this.

 

The man tilted his head slightly, and it wasn’t until then that Chaeon snapped out of her daze, hurriedly lowering her head.

 

“Excuse me. I should get going now.”

 

Even without looking, she could feel his gaze lingering on her. Unlike the tension she felt when facing Jang Taeha, her chest tingled with a peculiar sensation.

 

When Chaeon glanced up again, he was quietly observing her, as if gauging something.

 

“Um…”

 

“Have you been crying?”

 

His soft interruption caught her off guard.

 

“Pardon?”

 

In an instant, he closed the distance between them. Leaning toward her, he peered intently into her eyes. Caught off guard by how close he was—close enough to count his eyelashes—Chaeon instinctively held her breath and leaned back.

 

What is this…?

 

“Or were you about to cry?”

 

“No, not at all…”

 

“Ah.”

 

As she flusteredly took a step back, the man offered another one of his charming smiles and murmured smoothly,

 

“Then, your eyes must naturally look like that.”

 

“My eyes?”

 

“They look like they’re about to cry.”

 

The soft tone of his words seemed to tickle her ears, sending her heart into a frenzy. It thumped wildly, as though about to burst from her chest—an unfamiliar sensation caused by being so close to a man.

 

Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heart raced chaotically until he finally stepped back.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

His warm voice asked.

 

“Yoon Chaeon.”

 

“Chaeon.”

 

As if savoring her name, he murmured it softly, then smiled as he introduced himself in a low voice.

 

“I’m Jang Yeonjun.”

 

As their eyes met, he spoke his name, and her heart raced even faster. His beautifully curved eyes stayed fixed on her as he gave a small nod.

 

“Let’s see each other often, Chaeon.”

 

“…”

 

A tepid breeze passed between them. His smooth brown hair swayed gently, momentarily obscuring his eyes before revealing his white, flawless forehead again.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

His farewell matched the soft tone of his initial greeting, accompanied by a smile so charming it felt almost hypnotic.

 

As she watched his retreating figure, her heart continued its strange rhythm. Feeling a sense of dizziness, Chaeon rubbed her chest slowly.

 

Jang Yeonjun… Jang Yeonjun… Jang Yeonjun.

 

She repeated his name in her mind, like a verse from a poem. “Let’s see each other often,” he’d said. What a ridiculous thing to say. What could someone like him want from seeing her often?

 

She didn’t want to cross paths with someone so far removed from her world. After all, her father had ruined himself by associating with people like that.

 

“Let’s see each other often.”

 

Yet, the words lingered, and her heart trembled with an inexplicable fluttering as she turned to leave.

 

—

 

It was a particularly cloudy afternoon.

 

Looking out the window, Chaeon saw dark clouds gradually gathering beyond the rolling hills. She let out a soft sigh.

 

Oh no… Mom didn’t bring in the bedding, did she?

 

Today, Heejung had said she would be away from Songbaekwon for a while to go look at new dishes with Madam Kwon. Since she usually knocked on the door around dinner time to prepare her daughter’s meal, the fact that she had not yet come by meant she had not returned home.

 

Most of the larger laundry items from the staff quarters were usually hung in the backyard, so if Heejung had not yet come back, it was Chaeon’s responsibility to quickly take them down before they got wet.

 

Hurriedly moving her steps and arriving at the backyard, sure enough, the white bed sheets were fluttering violently in the strong wind. With her hair flying wildly in the wind and slapping against her face, Chaeon frowned as she quickly began to take down the sheets that had been hung out to dry.

 

Just then, a large hand reached out and took the bundle of cloth that she had been struggling to keep on her shoulders. Before she knew it, a handsome face appeared right in front of her.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“……”

 

“Why are you doing this alone?”

 

This person—wasn’t he that young master from last time…? Due to the strong wind, Yeonjun’s slightly disheveled hair brushed against his forehead. Slightly furrowing his brows, he swept his hair back with one hand and, without hesitation, picked up the sheets before striding away.

 

“Wait, hold on a second!”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Please give that back.”

 

“Can you carry this by yourself? It looked heavy…”

 

“That doesn’t mean I should let you—no, the young master—carry it.”

 

A young master stepping up to help with the servants’ chores? Setting aside how unusual it was, there was nothing good about anyone seeing such a sight. Whether it was a servant or someone connected to him, this kind of favor was bound to be harmful.

 

“Oh. I can’t help?”

 

Would that be okay? Chaeon, who had been staring blankly at Yeonjun as if he were asking that very question, silently snatched the bundle of sheets back from him. Left empty-handed, he shrugged his shoulders and gave an awkward smile.

 

“…I guess not.”

 

“I’ll just gratefully accept the sentiment.”

 

Chaeon responded curtly, gave a brief bow, and turned to leave. But Yeonjun stepped in front of her again, tilting his head slightly.

 

“You’re really drawing a line.”

 

“……”

 

“Did someone tell you to do that?”

 

The slightly tilted, strikingly handsome face looking down at her seemed to carry a hint of playfulness. Tightening her arms around the bundle of cloth, Chaeon took a step back. Why was he acting like this…?

 

Chaeon found his question hard to comprehend. If anything, wasn’t it stranger not to draw a line? With that face right in front of her, staring at her as if measuring something, her insides felt unsettled.

 

“No, no one said that. I’m just busy, so I’ll get going now.”

 

“……”

 

Although blocking her path had been at least half playful, he stepped aside without resistance. But even as she walked away, Chaeon could distinctly feel Yeonjun’s piercing gaze burning into the back of her head. She suddenly became aware of the stray strands of hair tickling her neck. It was so irritating she wanted to reach up and scratch it immediately.

 

Rumble—A low roar echoed from the dimming sky, like the overture to the heavy rain that was about to pour. As she looked up at the sky again and absentmindedly glanced back, Yeonjun was still standing in the same spot, staring at her.

 

“……”

 

Startled, she turned back around, biting her lips and quickening her pace. As she walked, it felt like her mind was waging war with itself—one side wanting to turn back and the other urging her to keep going.

 

If only she never had to run into him again, maybe her heart would feel a little more at ease. For some reason, after the day she had crossed paths with Yeonjun again, she found herself bumping into him more frequently around Songbaekwon.

 

“We meet again?”

 

It had only been a few days, but this was already the sixth time they’d crossed paths. Though he was usually in the backyard, today Yeonjun was in the sunroom near the garden. Seeing Chaeon passing by, he spoke to her.

 

“Hello.”

 

Clutching her skirt tightly and lowering her gaze, Chaeon remained silent for a moment. She hurried her steps, but suddenly a refreshing yet warm scent enveloped her.

 

“Wait a second.”

 

When she looked up, she was met with a broad chest clad in a white shirt. Startled by the close distance, she almost bumped into him, but Yeonjun leaned in and whispered softly.

 

“You’ve got something on you, here.”

 

His large hand, big enough to cover her entire face and more, brushed aside the hair next to her cheek. Holding her breath as if even breathing would spell trouble, Chaeon froze in place and looked up at him.

 

His slightly lazy eyes crinkled into a smile.

 

“Chaeon.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

What he was holding in his hand was a leaf, though she had no idea where it had come from. If it had been stuck in her hair the whole time, she must have looked quite silly. Embarrassed by the thought of how unkempt she must have seemed, her face flushed hot.

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

“Your face is red.”

 

“……”

 

“Your ears too.”

 

His crescent-shaped eyes curved into a grin, and his soft voice made her heart pound and her ears itch so much that she wanted to reach up and scratch them right away.

 

Bowing hastily, Chaeon hurried past him.

 

From that moment on, their encounters were always like that. Every time they crossed paths, Yeonjun approached her without hesitation, while Chaeon always tried her best to maintain a distant demeanor.

 

That was the only way to handle it. She couldn’t admit that his kindness wasn’t entirely unwelcome. Somewhere deep inside, she kept wondering what it would feel like to be close to someone like him.