Chapter 115: The Maid and the Master-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: The Maid and the Master-1
Returning to the mansion with hurried steps, the first thing Emma did was head to the room where her master was sleeping.
She scrambled up the stairs like someone who had been holding their breath for a long time.
Creak, creak.
Leaving the groans of the old wooden stairs behind her, Emma stood before the door.
"Ahem. Hmph."
Lest she appear unseemly or disheveled, Emma straightened her attire.
Knock, knock.
Tapping on the door just softly enough not to wake him, Emma carefully pushed it open.
There were two reasons why her master needed to remain asleep.
One was for the sake of his health, as he was currently devoid of strength.
The other was so she could gaze upon his face while he slumbered peacefully.
With her morning duties finished and time to spare before preparing dinner, Emma intended to spend the three or four hours of free time granted to her gazing upon the face of her beloved master.
This was her version of rest.
Creak.
Opening the door just a crack, Emma slipped into the room, muffling her footsteps.
Then, looking toward the bed, she froze.
"Ma... Master?"
The silhouette of her master, which should have been a distinct bulge beneath the covers, was nowhere to be seen.
Thinking he might have fallen out of bed, Emma hurried to check the surrounding floor, but he was not there.
"Master! Master!"
She threw back the duvet just in case, but there was only the lingering indentation of a body. Naturally, the person she was looking for was gone.
Emma cursed herself for letting her guard down just because her master had seemed fine lately.
"Oh, no..."
If she failed to find him due to her own negligence, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"I have to find him."
Emma searched the entire second floor, checking every room.
The servants' quarters, the guest rooms, the study, the dressing room.
She mechanically threw open doors, scanned the rooms, and slammed them shut as she left.
Bang! Bang!
The rhythmic sound of doors slamming echoed through the house, only making Emma more frantic.
After finishing with the second floor, she rushed down to the first.
The attire she had so neatly straightened for her master’s sake had become a mess in that short span of time.
Creak! Creak!
Emma scrambled down the stairs, her senses heightened to their limit, when she caught a faint clattering sound.
"Master?"
The sound came from the kitchen.
When Emma burst into the kitchen, she saw her master with a water bottle pressed to his lips, gulping it down.
"Master... phew..."
The tension finally drained from her body.
Had he wandered outside, finding him would have been a nightmare. She let out a sigh of relief, clutching her chest.
She didn't know how he had been drinking, but the kitchen floor was a literal sea of water.
Four empty bottles already lay scattered around him.
Worried as he started on his fifth, Emma approached him cautiously.
His mind was unstable as it was; if she tried to take the bottle by force, he would surely become agitated. This was common sense to Emma, who had served him for a long time.
Sensing her presence, the old man stopped mid-drink.
"Ah, well... I was just thirsty."
Does he not remember me?
Seeing her master speak to her so formally, Emma felt her heart shatter.
Only a short while ago, he had been calling her by name, smiling at her, and patting her head.
Emma felt tears welling up, but she quickly forced a bright smile onto her face.
"It's alright. Are you still thirsty?"
"Ah... yes."
"I'll pour it into a cup for you. Please, sit here."
Emma kindly pulled out a chair, and the old man sat down.
After adjusting the chair to ensure he was comfortable, Emma took a cup from the cupboard and poured the water.
"You must have been very thirsty."
Glug, glug. The water from the bottle filled the cup to the brim.
"I'm sorry."
When the old man bowed his head with a guilt-ridden face, Emma shook her head.
"Not at all. This house belongs to you, Master. Who would dare say anything about you drinking water?"
"Master?"
"Yes! You are the master of this mansion."
"I am?"
"Yes."
Emma spoke with a wide smile, and the old man fingered the rim of his glass as if he couldn't believe it.
"So that's how it was," the old man muttered, staring at the ripples on the surface of the water. "Then... who are you?"
At his question, Emma bit her lip slightly.
"My name is Emma. I am your loyal maid."
"Emma. Emma..."
The old man repeated her name several times, as if trying to commit it to memory.
"By any chance, Master... do you remember your own name?"
Emma asked as she wiped the water from the table and floor. The old man gave a small nod.
"Kang In-ho...?"
The moment the name left the old man's lips, Emma froze mid-motion.
"Ah..."
Emma stood up abruptly and stared into her master's face.
"Ah..."
She couldn't form a single sentence, repeating meaningless sounds like a newborn baby.
"???"
The old man tilted his head, his eyes wide with confusion.
Then, Emma gently embraced him from behind.
"You... you remembered. Master. You mustn't forget me, Emma, either."
Watching Emma, who was now sobbing, In-ho thought to himself:
'What's with her? This is creepy.'