Chapter 134
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134
The cabin door closed. A gust of wind rustled the partition screen, sweeping through Seo-ah’s hair before vanishing. Yet, the physician's words and the blue gaze that had watched her from beyond that screen lingered, refusing to fade.
“He didn’t eat or sleep for two weeks…?”
Muttering blankly, Seo-ah scanned the small space. The two-story wooden cabin was so simple there was little to see. If she sat on the narrow bed—just large enough for one person—she could take in the entire first floor at a glance.
In this cramped space, old furnishings mingled with newly brought-in items.
While the wooden chair and table beside the bed seemed original, the mattress and blanket she had slept on, as well as the curtains at every window, were brand new. Fresh firewood was stacked high beside the fireplace, where embers still glowed, and a damp white cloth hung near the foot of the bed.
This was the only proper house in the area, and there was absolutely no space on the first floor for Oscar to sleep.
As if possessed, Seo-ah took a step forward. Passing the partition screen, she saw the staircase leading to the second floor. The sound of running water echoed from above. After a brief hesitation, she set foot on the stairs. With every creaking step, the temperature dropped. Unlike the first floor, which was free of mustiness, the second floor smelled increasingly of dust.
On the dark second floor, devoid of a single lamp, only a few articles of clothing that seemed to belong to Oscar lay scattered about. There was nothing on the floor to use as bedding. He couldn't possibly have slept here—and if he had, that in itself was a problem.
Her gaze drifted toward the wooden door from which the sound of water originated.
Then where on earth did you sleep?
“Since you lost consciousness, Young Lady, he hasn't slept for a single moment. Let alone sleep, he hasn't even had a proper meal.”
Was that really true?
Had he truly gone without sleep or food the entire time she lay unconscious?
Why…?
Her fingertips began to tremble.
“I will be back by six at the latest. If anything feels wrong with your body, tell my physician immediately.”
He probably had no idea what kind of emotions those words stirred within her.
Her grandfather, her master… whenever they left after saying such things, her time would begin to revolve around the hour they promised to return. A few days left. A few hours left. Waiting only for them, her entire existence would become colored by their return.
Had that childhood habit become deeply engraved in her soul?
After Oscar left the cabin, Seo-ah's time began to flow that way once more.
Whenever she snapped out of her daze, she found herself staring at the empty space where he had disappeared. It was pathetic. What on earth was she doing?
What did it matter whether he returned by that hour or not? To him, and to her, those words were likely nothing more than a meaningless parting remark. It was hardly a promise.
Yet, as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness slowly blanketed the forest, a restless fluttering stirred deep within her chest. Defying her will, the sensation only grew more intense.
Seo-ah almost wished he wouldn't make it back in time. She wished he wouldn't even remember what he had said, that he had merely tossed the words out as a thoughtless, empty greeting.
Yet, the man who had left with those words returned before six o'clock had even struck.
Oscar, walking toward her with the sunset at his back.
Seo-ah could only watch as he walked straight toward her. Cloaked in the reddish glow of the dying sun, he was breathing heavily. As he stepped inside, the scent of the forest mingled with the faint smell of sweat.
It was as if he had run with all his might to get here.
Just as she recalled the cold touch of his hand on her forehead, the sound of running water from upstairs abruptly stopped.
“……!”
Her heart plummeted.
Seo-ah spun around and fled down the stairs. But upon reaching the first floor, she froze.
She was suddenly struck by how cozy the space had been made. Initially, this floor must have been just as desolate as the second. Devoid of warmth, choked with dust and cold air, it would have looked entirely different from how it did now.
Looking at the plush mattress, the clean blankets, and the sheer curtains hanging from the windows, her wildly racing heart felt heavily weighed down. As a suffocating pressure squeezed her chest, Seo-ah drew in a deep, ragged breath.
But it brought no relief. Everything in her sight seemed to be closing in on her.
Why? Why on earth?
Clutching her chest, unable to bear the sight of her surroundings, she cast her eyes downward.
Right… It’s because… because…
Yes, the key. It's because of the key. She had become a living key. Without her, he couldn't open the Pelfe Bank vault. And that vault was filled with things he absolutely needed.
So all of this is for the key, and ultimately, for what lies inside the vault. Pulling her from the rubble of the explosion, going without food or sleep, transforming this cabin for her… it was all for that.
It was then.
Before she could even react, she was spun around.
“……!”
Oscar had appeared out of nowhere and turned her to face him. Seeing her clutching her chest, his eyes narrowed sharply.
“What's wrong?”
Droplets of water from his damp hair dripped onto her face. Without even drying himself properly, he pressed his palm to her forehead, just as he had done earlier, before checking the pulse at her neck.
“Does your chest hurt?”
Her throat tightened, her breath catching.
Was it truly because of the Pelfe Bank vault?
It had to be. It had to be because of that…
A heavy wave of sorrow and guilt choked her. It felt as though a thin sheet of paper had been pasted over her windpipe. Every breath she tried to draw struggled to pass through the fragile barrier.
From deep within her chest, a tearful voice cried out.
No… Please, no.
The breath she managed to squeeze out rattled hoarsely, and the words she couldn't utter only made her lips tremble.
In an instant, Oscar's expression hardened. Gripping her shoulders, he swept her up into his arms. Within a few strides, he laid her down on the bed and immediately spun around, intending to call for his physician.
Instinctively, Seo-ah reached out. The moment she grasped his damp hand, his urgent movements ground to a halt. His hand was far too large for her to hold in one of hers. Clinging to it as best she could, she spoke.
“…I'm not hurt.”
Oscar looked back at her. Staring only at his hand, Seo-ah spoke as calmly as she could.
“I am fine now.”
“……”
“I am fine, Your Excellency.”
Oscar remained silent for a long moment, his thoughts unreadable. Just as she was about to release her grip, his voice washed over her.
“Then why were you acting like that?”
His low voice seemed to weigh on her chest, prompting her to blurt out the question before she could stop herself.
“There is nowhere for you to sleep here. Where have you been sleeping all this time?”
She desperately wished he would name a place. Or better yet, snap at her that it was none of her business. But Oscar remained silent for a long while before offering a completely different response.
“Look at me.”
“……”
“Raise your head and look at me.”
His voice was cool, carrying the weight of a command.
Seo-ah slowly lifted her head. Her gaze traveled past his sharp jawline, his firmly set lips, and the straight bridge of his nose, until she finally met his blue eyes. In that instant, the rest of the world seemed to recede.
Ah…
His eyes were breathtakingly beautiful.
Like the calm sea she had gazed upon from beneath the pine trees. Like the vast, boundless ocean that had silently embraced her through every painful, grueling moment of her life.
The strength slowly drained from her fingers. But before she could slip away, he squeezed her hand tightly.
Oscar felt both cold and burning hot.
“I am fine now. Please do not worry.”
She repeated the same words.
Standing over her like a stone statue, he parted his lips several times, only to close them again. After a long, silent struggle, the word that finally escaped him was…
“Han Seo-ah.”
It was her name.
Her mind went completely blank.
At that moment, the image of the woman she had faced in the bathroom of Reinhardt Manor flashed before her eyes—the woman dressed in a pale yellow jeogori and a light blue chima. The woman who had clung so desperately to her own name.
Han Hong-heon's daughter.
That is not my name…
“Han Seo-ah.”
He uttered her name as if exhaling ash.
An inexplicable urge to weep welled up inside her.
After everything I’ve been through to get to you, how can you call me by that name? Why do you say it so desperately? It isn't even my real name. I'm even hiding my true name from you.
Instead of crying, Seo-ah let out a soft laugh.
Oscar stared blankly at her as she smiled, her laughter as gentle as sunlight sparkling on the surface of the sea.
Han Seo-ah was smiling again.
Without averting her eyes, without a trace of fear, just looking at him.
Oscar's eyes narrowed.
The strength drained from the hand that had been gripping hers so tightly. Released, Seo-ah's hand fell limply onto her lap.
Having let go of her, Oscar abruptly sank into the chair. It was as if she had suddenly vanished from his sight.
The smile faded from Seo-ah's face.
The way he sat there, staring blankly at the pillow, was painfully, achingly familiar. Oscar didn't even blink. But as she watched him closely, she realized his eyes were unfocused, as if his mind were somewhere far away.