Heart-Pounding Tiger Meat Delivery
They say winter tiger meat is good for the body. I'd sent the tiger pelt to Hanyang for the official report, so for now, the bones and meat were all mine. Of course, in a communal Joseon society like ours, I couldn't just hoard it all because I was the one who caught it. I gave the tiger's head—eyeballs and all—to Kim Jin-sa, the front leg bones (supposedly great for virility) to the Hyeon-gam, and the gamey meat to the folks in Hwacheok Village. Even after that, there was still way too much bone and meat left over. A real headache.
"Hmm. Eori. Hey. Nah, too childish maybe."
The real headache, though, was how to act around Eori. As I headed to her house with some meat in hand, I rehearsed what to say.
"Lady Eori, greetings? Ugh, gross!"
Even married guys started using that stiff formal speech, but I had zero interest in talking like some pompous ass for the rest of my life.
"Hello, Miss Eori? Too stiff."
I kept muttering to myself without breaking stride. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her house.
"Mm! Mmm!"
I cleared my throat a bit before calling out, double-checking that I didn't look too weird. Only then did I shout.
"E-Eori! You home?"
No answer. But I'd heard straight from her father that she was home, so I wasn't giving up.
"Eori! I know you're in there—I heard it all! Come out for a sec!"
"……Yes, young master."
After a few seconds of what sounded like hesitation, her voice came back, and the sliding door creaked open. The moment she poked her head out, my heart nearly stopped.
Her skin, tanned like her father's, gleamed with a healthy sheen. Long lashes and double eyelids gave her an exotic, Middle Eastern beauty vibe. And those full red lips—they made me swallow dryly without thinking.
"You called for me, young master?"
She stepped out, oblivious to how much harder my heart was pounding than when I'd faced the tiger. As she slipped on her shoes and approached across the yard, she radiated a totally different vibe from the little girl I used to know. Even with her head bowed, she was tall enough to meet my eyes. Her loose hanbok couldn't hide her voluptuous figure, and every step she took oozed mature allure.
"……!"
Tall, glamorous, and stunningly mature. She was like she was sculpted to my exact tastes. My mind went blank.
"Young master?"
"……!"
"Young master? Are you all right? Are you feeling unwell, perhaps?"
"Ah, uh, n-no. I'm fine. Totally fine."
The kid who used to run around the village holding my hand was gone. In her place stood a beauty who could captivate a man with a single glance.
"No, I mean, haah, whew, Eori."
Even after deep breaths, my heart kept thundering. I ignored it as best I could and pulled out the greeting I'd prepped on the way over.
"Uh, Eori. Hey."
"Y-yes, young master. How have you been?"
"……."
"……."
"……."
"……Young master?"
Disaster. I was already out of material.
"No, I mean, look, Eori."
"Yes, young master."
"You don't have any tiger meat at home, right?"
What the hell is wrong with me?!
"They say winter tiger's good for you. Here."
My mouth ran off on its own, and before I could stop it, my hands thrust out the tiger meat like an offering.
Eori stared at me blankly for a moment, then bowed her head and took the bundle tied with string.
"Th-thank you?"
"Uh, yeah. Eat up. Actually, it doesn't taste great. Maybe 'cause it only ate meat. Super gamey. The pelt was gamey too. Just think of it as medicine and choke it down."
"Yes, understood."
"Uh-huh. Yeah. Eat well. No, eat it properly."
"Yes, young master."
"……."
"……."
"……Young master?"
"So, uh, how've you been lately? What's up?"
I couldn't stand the silence and blurted out the lamest check-in ever. We hadn't talked this long in ages, so it should've been perfect, but it felt like I was rubbing in how she'd been avoiding me.
"N-no! I mean, just curious. Yeah, curious!"
I waved my hands frantically to fend off any misunderstanding. Eori gazed at me steadily, then spoke.
"Just... getting by, sir."
"Just? How?"
"H-helping Father with work, helping Mother..."
"Yeah? What kinda work?"
"W-well, Father's work... the butcher shop..."
"Ah, no. You don't have to say. It's fine."
Butcher work was obviously butcher work. Slaughtering cows and pigs, prepping them for eating. Bloody hands for bloody money. Not the kinda thing to chat about with a girl.
"Ah! But wait! Eori!"
Before the awkward silence could settle again, I switched topics. Something from the magistrate's office that morning.
"Why didn't you come by the office today? You missed my beating."
"You got hit, sir?!"
For the first time, real emotion flashed across her face. Her eyes trembled just like when she'd rushed to our house last night.
"A-are you okay? Any injuries?"
"Nah, I'm good. It was all for show. Well, tiger's the king of beasts, right? Can't just let killing the king slide, so they had to make a show of it. Only three swats, super light. The last one stung a bit, though."
"Pfft, really?"
No matter how much she'd blossomed into a mature beauty, that giggle was pure little Eori.
"Nah, they say you gotta act like it hurts in these things. So I'm hamming it up, and bam—the bailiff uncle swings hard on the last one. I was so shocked I rolled right off the frame."
"Really? You're not hurt?"
"Nope. Who do you think I am? Oh, wait—not Haetae Boy anymore. I'm Chaekho Dongja now. Tiger-Slaying Boy. From 'tiger-slaying captain.' Yeah."
"Pffft."
"Hey? Why the laugh? You think Tiger-Slaying Boy's funny? I'm scary, you know."
"Pfhh, n-no, sir."
"What do you mean no. Look at that pretty smile."
"!"
Something went wrong. The giggling Eori suddenly went wide-eyed, tears welling up. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and turned away.
"D-don't tease me...!"
"Ah, no, Eori. I wasn't teasing. For real—you're so pretty, I—"
"Stop it!"
It was the first time she'd ever raised her voice at me. I'd stepped on a landmine, but on the flip side, I'd just figured out why she'd been acting distant.
"You gave me the meat—now go!"
"N-no, Eori!"
"I'll head inside now!"
Her voice trembled faintly as she forced the words out and turned. I followed her into the yard.
"Eori, wait—just hear me out."
"No! You'll just tease me more!"
"I won't! Promise! Eori!"
I grabbed her wrist before she could climb the porch, then tugged gently to make her face me.
"Eori. Look at me. Come on."
"……!"
"Eori. Look. Just for a sec."
Even after I sat her on the porch edge, she twisted her head every which way to hide. But when I cupped her cheeks softly, she couldn't.
"Eeeeng...!"
Tall as an adult, but crying like a ten-year-old. Just like old times, I wiped her tears with my fingertips and soothed her.
"Eori. You're really pretty. No joke. Seriously. Every time I see you, you're so pretty I don't even know what to say."
"L-lies. Stop."
"Truth. Here—set the meat down."
I snatched the meat like a thief and plunked it on the porch. Then I guided her empty hand to my chest.
"!"
Her eyes went round again. Ignoring my jackhammer heartbeat, I babbled on.
"See? It's pounding like crazy around you. Still think I'm lying?"
"B-but, those girls... they said I look...!"
"Girls? Who? What girls?"
"O-other village girls... said I look like a totem pole...!"
Sorry, Eori—but really, truly sorry—I bowed my head to stifle the laugh bubbling up.
"Waaah! Don't laugh!"
Right in my face? Busted. She shoved me away with the hand that'd been on my chest. I closed the gap and bowed deeper.
"No, really—not laughing at you. It was so absurd."
"I know you think I look like a totem pole too!"
"No way. Where's a pretty totem pole like this?"
"Aaang!"
She seemed to like that—the tantrum shortened. Seizing the moment, I traced her tear-streaked face and laid it out.
"A totem pole with squishy cheeks like this? Perky nose? Straight, thick brows? Big round deer eyes? Never seen one. You have?"
"……."
"What? You have? Where? I'll go check."
"N-no, sir!"
"Huh?"
"None! Pretty totem poles—none!"
"So you admit you're pretty?"
"……!"
Her red lips quivered, fighting a smile. I pounced.
"Whoa? What's this? Eori smiling?"
"N-no, sir!"
"Really? Then how are you this pretty? Way too pretty."
"Aaang! Stop!"
"Nope. Gonna keep going."
"Mother's inside!"
"……What?"
First time all day my face lost color. And right on cue, the sliding door opened—straight into the eyes of Eori's mother, sitting in the room.
"Y-young master. A bit... improper in front of her mother."
"Sorry! Ma'am!"
"Not that it's bad. I'll check your fortunes and send a matchmaker whenever you're ready."
Great for me, but—argh! Not just her mom—the little brothers were grinning slyly too.
"Heehee! Tiger-Slaying Boy! Gotta call you brother-in-law now?"
"Whoa! Tiger-Slaying Boy's my bro-in-law! Awesome!"
Better off getting mauled by that tiger yesterday.