The Idle One
I met Seol-hee in front of the main building's entrance. She was coming out with both hands full of trash, and when she spotted me, she approached.
“Ah, Lee Hyun. I… I heard you were in a battle this morning. You’re alright, aren’t you?”
It was past the end of the daily routine. Seol-hee looked visibly exhausted. She even smelled strongly of sweat.
‘Has she not washed up yet?’
A few questions crossed my mind instantly. What kind of work could a level 20 Awakened have been doing to look this visibly drained? If she was that exhausted, why was she doing chores instead of washing up and resting? And finally:
‘Where is Go Mi-hye and what is she doing?’
I had recruited Go Mi-hye specifically to handle those kinds of tasks. Of course, it wasn't as if Bom and Seol-hee had completely stopped doing housework, but there was a limit.
“Let me just throw this away, and then I’ll go up and use my skill on you.”
As I thought about this, the uncomfortable feeling I’d had at the noon-night wheat field during lunch resurfaced. It was a vague, nagging feeling for which I couldn't find the exact cause.
“Lee Hyun? Are you okay?”
“Seol-hee, why are you the one throwing that away?”
I decided to have a conversation with her. I felt like I might find a clue.
“It was just in my sight, so I brought it down. If I leave it, it starts to smell… and I wanted to clear it before you saw it.”
Seol-hee had lived with me back at the Muhwadong house, too. Ever since then, she had been so diligent that there was never anything for me to find fault with.
“You should have made Go Mi-hye do it. You look tired.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay. Mi-hye is preparing dinner right now.”
There was a waste disposal area a short distance from the main building. I told her we should talk while we walked. Seol-hee kept a slight distance from me as she walked.
“Maybe you should go up first… I smell.”
“It’s fine.”
I checked her emotions. Right now, joy was the most prominent. It was just like how Bae Bong-sik had felt when I took an interest and spoke to him.
‘I had stopped paying attention because her depression seemed to have faded…’
About two weeks ago, I had sensed significant depression and anxiety from Seol-hee. I had tipped off Bom, and a few days later, Seol-hee’s emotions seemed fine. But now, focusing my Object Detection more intently, I could see those emotions still lingering. They were just smaller, and Seol-hee hadn't been showing them on the surface.
“Is there a lot of work lately?”
“Hmm… a little? I guess it’s because the number of people has increased.”
Seol-hee spoke in a tone that suggested it was nothing. Her job was to use her skill on people who had physical ailments. I had never assigned her any other duties.
“What about other work?”
“There isn’t really any other work. Why do you ask?”
Because of the heat, it was possible to sweat just by walking around. But that didn't explain her exhausted face.
“Seol-hee.”
“Yes?”
“Tell me in detail how your day went.”
Seol-hee answered with a puzzled look.
“I woke up, took care of Hyerin… got ready and went out, then came home at lunch to eat, and went back out.”
“Did you prepare lunch yourself?”
“No. Mi-hye had it set out…”
“What about after the meal? Did you go straight out?”
“Ah, I had a little time left, so I did some room cleaning…”
I grilled her about her daily routine. Seol-hee, while confused, searched her memory and answered faithfully.
“What about yesterday?”
“Yesterday was similar.”
Hearing her story, I understood why she was tired.
“So, you’re saying you bathed the baby in the evening and even did the laundry before going to sleep?”
“Yes. Everyone does at least that much…”
“And you’ve been diligently attending the Time of Cultivation while maintaining combat equipment?”
In short, she had no time to rest. Her wake-up time was early enough as it was, and Hyerin often whined in the middle of the night, so there were days she woke up from her sleep. Those days had continued, and fatigue had built up without her realizing it.
“You’re busier than when you were running gates with me.”
“Yes? Ah… but I’m not doing anything life-threatening or difficult. I’m just moving diligently.”
We arrived at the waste disposal area. Seol-hee sorted and discarded the trash she had brought.
I watched her, lost in thought.
‘She’s just keeping herself busy by finding work to do…’
Working hard is good. But this wasn't right.
“I’m all finished.”
“Seol-hee.”
“Yes?”
“Bom is often busy taking care of me, too.”
“Yes… Ah, I’m sorry. I should be doing that too…”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
I had left the housework to the women. As long as there was nothing that bothered me, it was fine. That’s why I hadn’t interfered, but I couldn’t let this go on.
On the way back home after finishing the trash disposal, Seol-hee followed me quietly before speaking up.
“Um… Lee Hyun.”
“Yes.”
“I’m just doing it on my own. It makes my heart feel at ease…”
She must have guessed what I was thinking.
“I understand.”
I was suspicious of Go Mi-hye. I felt that she was neglecting her duties, and the fallout was being shared by Bom and Seol-hee.
“I was worried you might misunderstand…”
Was she just kind, or was I truly misunderstanding? Or was there some other reason? Seol-hee seemed intent on defending Go Mi-hye.
“I haven’t decided anything yet. I intend to find out for sure.”
“Yes.”
At my answer, Seol-hee closed her mouth again. I liked this attitude of hers.
‘Come to think of it, there’s nothing about Seol-hee that bothers me either.’
When you spend time close to someone, you eventually see parts that don’t mesh with you. If you don’t see such things in the other person, it’s because they are the ones adjusting to you. I don’t believe in the concept of a "destined match."
“Seol-hee.”
“Yes?”
So, I called Seol-hee again. There was something I needed to check.
“Could you come closer and link arms with me?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. Ah… but… I haven’t washed up yet. I’ll wash up later…”
“Now.”
Seol-hee approached me with a hesitant look. Even with my sudden request, I didn’t feel any unpleasant emotions from her. Only her shyness had increased.
“Um… like this?”
“Yes.”
We walked with our arms linked. It was a distinctly different feeling from when I had linked arms with Yuri-an during the day. Seol-hee felt much warmer and more substantial.
‘That’s it. It’s definitely strange.’
And thanks to Seol-hee, I found the reason for my discomfort.
“That’s enough now.”
“Ah… yes.”
I unlinked our arms and picked up my walking pace. Seol-hee sniffed her own clothes before hurriedly chasing after me. That was how we arrived home.
At home, Bom and Go Mi-hye were preparing dinner together.
“You must be hungry, right? It’s almost ready,” Go Mi-hye said, busily setting the dinner table. She was wearing elegant clothing and even had makeup on. She always moved busily in front of me. Even in the midst of that, from a certain point on, her face and attire had always been neat. I had thought Go Mi-hye was a very diligent person.
“Go Mi-hye.”
“Yes?”
“Stop that and come to the living room.”
Go Mi-hye took off her apron and came out of the kitchen. Her appearance contrasted sharply with Seol-hee’s. Just like Bae Bong-sik and Yuri-an had earlier in the day.
“Do you need something?”
“Yes. Take off your clothes first.”
“Yes? Right now? The others are… Ah, should we go to the room?”
“No. We don’t have time, so take them off quickly.”
Go Mi-hye hesitated, looking toward Bom and Seol-hee, but eventually, she took off her clothes. I could feel a sense of expectation from her.
“Take off your underwear, too.”
“That… I’m embarrassed. Lee Hyun…”
Go Mi-hye said, blushing. She must have been having vain thoughts.
“Bom.”
“Yes?”
“Bring the brazier and the iron.”
Unlike Go Mi-hye, Bom looked at my face and immediately sensed that something was wrong. She moved quickly.
“Um, Lee Hyun?”
Go Mi-hye still hadn’t taken off all her underwear. I approached her and ripped them off with brute force.
“Eek, eek! Why, why are you doing this?”
“It’s noisy, so lower your voice.”
Bom brought the brazier and the iron. I could feel the heat. Go Mi-hye finally realized that the atmosphere was different from usual.
“You two sit over there, too.”
Go Mi-hye stood awkwardly, covering her private parts. I sat in a single-person sofa with her in front of me. Bom and Seol-hee sat side-by-side on one side.
“From now on, I am going to ask you questions.”
“Yes…”
“If you lie even once, I will resort to other means, so answer honestly.”
I had thought about calling Jang Hoseop. But I was confident I could detect a lie even without him, so I just came myself.
“Lee Hyun… why are you suddenly doing this…”
“Go Mi-hye, you’re smart, so you know why I’m doing this. I’m only asking with words because I’m considering your past contributions.”
“Ah…”
Fear grew in her heart. She scanned my face, the brazier, and Seol-hee in order. When she looked at Seol-hee, her face momentarily turned vicious.
“Go Mi-hye, what is your job?”
“I manage this house and provide support so the three of you can live comfortably…”
“Yes. Housekeeper and babysitter. That is Go Mi-hye’s duty.”
Go Mi-hye also attended the Time of Cultivation. She had seen how I dealt with those who rebelled against me.
“But you’ve practically let go of taking care of Hyerin, haven’t you?”
“That is…”
“What about the housework? Was managing this house that difficult? So difficult that you couldn’t do it all by yourself?”
I spoke decisively. As if I already knew everything. Go Mi-hye rolled her eyes for a moment before quickly resigning herself. She knew that lies wouldn’t work.
“I, I’m sorry. But please listen to me just once.”
Go Mi-hye came up to me and knelt. Her face looked like she was about to cry. Now, she didn’t even bother covering her body.
“I’m just an ordinary person.”
“So?”
“I truly did it to take better care of you… no, to serve you better.”
Go Mi-hye grabbed my pant leg and pleaded.
“I had to save my stamina so that when you needed me…”
“Stop the nonsense and confess how you’ve been living.”
Go Mi-hye’s face turned deathly pale. That alone was answer enough.
“Think carefully before you speak. I just said it, didn’t I? That I’m considering your past contributions.”
Still, to be sure, I asked again while placing the iron on the brazier. It wasn't a modern iron, but a branding iron.
“Gulp… yes, yes. That is, actually…”
Go Mi-hye swallowed hard and began to ramble. As expected, she had been slacking off.
‘It’s not like she completely let go of everything.’
It was safe to say she had shrewdly taken care of her own convenience little by little. And the method was mainly using Seol-hee. For example, when cleaning, she would skip Seol-hee’s room, or she would put off her own laundry and the baby’s by using me as an excuse. She had been playing and eating in my house during the time she saved by reducing her own workload.
“But it was truly for your sake, Lee Hyun.”
What was more annoying than that was the fact that Go Mi-hye considered her actions justified.
“I am also a woman to you, Lee Hyun. Grooming myself and things like that are important…”
“Go Mi-hye. I hired a housekeeper, not a whore.”
“Yes? A, a whore?”
Go Mi-hye stared at me blankly with a wounded expression. Why did she imagine things and reach conclusions on her own?
“You liked it that day too, Lee Hyun. But how can you say things like this…”
“I used an Onahole once to relieve my urges. Just because I did that doesn’t mean the Onahole becomes my woman.”
I deliberately used provocative words to shatter her vain thoughts.
“But… I’m better than that woman, aren’t I? That person was married and even has a baby…”
I stood up from my seat. I grabbed Go Mi-hye’s neck with one hand. I leaned down and whispered into her ear.
“That’s what you think.”
“No, why on earth… I truly don’t understand…”
I applied force to my hand.
Snap.
Her slender neck broke. With this, the punishment for Go Mi-hye was over.
Bom and Seol-hee stared at Go Mi-hye’s corpse with eyes full of complex thoughts.
“Hyun-ah…”
Bom barely managed to open her mouth.
“Bom. You were wrong, too. You know that, right?”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
I extracted the Magic Stone from Go Mi-hye’s body. Even though she was an ordinary person, I could extract the stone by focusing my mind a little. Go Mi-hye hadn’t rebelled against me. She had just reached strange conclusions on her own, but she did have the thought that she was doing it for my sake. Perhaps if her nature had been a little different, this wouldn’t have happened.
“Seol-hee, you too. I can understand if Bom didn’t know, but why did you just stay silent?”
“That is…”
Go Mi-hye was able to act out because Seol-hee had stepped back. And from what Go Mi-hye said before she died, I could guess the reason.
“I thought Mi-hye was right…”
Gaslighting. It seemed Seol-hee had been gaslighted by Go Mi-hye.
“So, the two of you must have talked about this separately?”
I would have to make sure to address this clearly so that something like this never happens again.