The Folk Tale World of Reversed Gender Roles (3)
I had to become stronger.
Because I had a blind mother and a frail younger brother.
Our household was always poor because she couldn’t see, and Sihyun and I were constantly hungry.
Even so, I never resented my mother. I knew she was doing everything she could to keep us fed with those sightless eyes.
That was exactly why I had to grow up faster. I ate less, held back from the things I wanted, and gave everything to my little brother.
Thanks to that, Sihyun grew up right, and the three of us managed to live a modest but happy life together.
Once I got taller and my perspective changed, I started noticing things I hadn’t seen before.
“Nuna—! Ta-da~.”
“How interesting. Sihyun, let’s head home now.”
“Nooo… Can’t I play with you a little longer?”
“What a close pair of siblings. Would you like me to buy you something delicious today, dear?”
I understood exactly what those rotten women’s gazes meant. They acted so kind and gentle in front of us, but I could never forget the way they looked at Sihyun from a distance.
Those sticky, disgusting eyes that licked their lips as they stared.
It wasn’t just the adults. Girls his own age did the same—worthless bitches who clung to kind-hearted Sihyun just to satisfy their own selfish desires.
The day I saw one of them “accidentally” grope his body, I nearly reached the end of my patience.
But thanks to a girl named Jeomsun who punched those women in my place, I was able to let it go.
‘I have to protect Sihyun.’
One day, I made a firm resolution. In this wretched world, I would protect my family no matter what.
“Ugh— No, please. If Mother hears this…”
“It’s fine. And if you just stay quiet, your whole family can stay happy, right? You know this house was built because of me, don’t you?”
Evil was quietly gnawing away at our family. The realization that the woman we’d thought was our benefactor—Bread-Deok Lady—had been committing such atrocities made my eyes burn with bloody tears.
My brother couldn’t even resist. He froze at the mere mention of family.
But seeing that and still being unable to do anything made me furious with myself.
There was truly nothing I could do. Without Bread-Deok Lady’s help, we would be thrown out of this house.
We had no savings, so we couldn’t find a new place. That was why I had to endure it for now.
My eyes met hers beyond the sliding paper door, and she smirked at me mockingly.
After that, she came every week to toy with my brother.
Mother remained oblivious, thinking of her only as a benefactor, while my brother grew more and more tainted.
And I…
“I’m thirsty after the long walk. Could you bring me some tea?”
I knew exactly what was happening, yet I stayed silent.
I wanted to curse her, to tear her apart.
“I’ll protect you.”
Since he had protected our family, it was now my turn to protect him.
Even if it cost me my life, I would give everything for my little brother, Sihyun.
***
“Nuna, I got something good today—.”
“Eggs? Where on earth did you get these?”
“You know Jeomsun, right? I got them from her while I was passing by today.”
I should have been happy, but for some reason, my sister’s face hardened.
If someone as kind as Shim Cheong had changed this much, it could only mean I had done something wrong.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out what I’d done.
But instead of scolding me, she pulled me tightly into her chest and began to soothe me.
“I’m not angry, Nuna. Don’t be scared… I was just worried because you went all the way to Jeomsun’s house today.”
“Why is going to Jeomsun’s house a problem?”
Shim Cheong’s explanation went like this: Jeomsun wasn’t a bad kid, but it was extremely dangerous for a boy to visit a woman’s house alone.
If I ended up getting raped there, I might have to live the rest of my life as a concubine.
‘Hmm, I guess that makes sense. She’s only saying it because she’s worried.’
It was a bit of an exaggeration, but since she clearly didn’t mean any harm, I decided to accept it.
“So next time I have to tell Nuna before I go?”
“That’s right. Oh, what should we make with these eggs? Steamed? Roasted?”
“Hmm— Boiling them would be simple, but since Mother needs to eat too, let’s steam them today.”
I was genuinely happy. Cheong Nuna was an excellent cook, so anything she made tasted amazing.
Once she went into the kitchen, I decided to spend the remaining time with Mother and slid open the paper door.
“Mom—!”
“It’s Sihyun. Does seeing Mom make you that happy?”
“Super happy.”
Even though she was blind and kept her eyes closed, she was just as beautiful as the woman who had given birth to Shim Cheong.
Despite being well into her forties, her appearance still radiated light.
She had pure, elegant features and appropriately sized breasts. Because she rarely went outside, her fair skin gave off a delicate, pristine aura.
Being held by my beautiful mother felt like pure happiness overflowing inside me.
“Mom, that’s my butt.”
“Ah, it did feel rather soft. I’m sorry, dear.”
“It’s okay.”
Except for the fact that her poor eyesight made her hands a little naughty.
“That’s right, Sihyun. I have something to tell you, so come sit down.”
“I’m already sitting, Mother.”
I sat in front of her, waiting expectantly for whatever story she was about to tell.
After a long hesitation, Mother spoke in a trembling voice. The unusual atmosphere made me tense.
“I know a good girl. Would you like to get married?”
“Get married?”
The sudden marriage question left me completely speechless.
Was she really telling me to get married? She hadn’t shown any interest in it at all this morning.
I had no idea what had changed her mind, but I answered carefully, speaking clearly so she could hear.
“No. I’m not thinking about marriage yet, Mother. I just want to keep living peacefully with my family like we are now.”
“Don’t you want to go to a good house… have children and live happily?”
“That sounds nice too. But my family is more important to me.”
Her eyes had grown moist at some point. I gently wiped them with my sleeve, then stepped outside for a moment.
She probably needed some time alone. While I had time, I looked around outside before heading to the kitchen to help a little.
***
-Thump.
-Thump.
‘Something sounds weird…’
Late at night. The sound of something knocking on the paper door snapped my eyes wide open.
I tried to get up, but I felt something pulling at my body.
No, not pulling.
‘I’m being touched.’
A hand had slipped secretly between my legs and was now inside my underwear.
The culprit was, of course—
“Nuna…”
It was Cheong Nuna, who had been sleeping right beside me.
Even though she was asleep, her hand had somehow found its way between my legs and was gripping my painfully hard rod with perfect accuracy.
‘What do I do about this?’
Accidental touching was one thing, but if I moved and woke her up, it would turn into an incredibly awkward situation.
I held my breath and very slowly twisted my waist, carefully lifting her hand away.
As I pulled it out of my grasp, her rough palm made me feel a pang of pity. She frowned as if something was missing.
Then her hand moved again—this time bringing itself right up to her own nose.
“Hehe—”
“Does that smell good to her?”
I could imagine what it smelled like, which left me with a strange feeling. I hated to admit it, but the term “cock addict” clearly existed for a reason.
I quietly slid the paper door open without waking her and stepped outside.
“Wow… this is actually pretty amazing.”
A mysterious landscape completely different from the skies I’d seen in the modern or fantasy worlds unfolded before me.
Countless stars moved incredibly slowly across the sky, and fireflies danced along the ground, guiding the night world.
Feeling like something was watching me, I turned around. In the grass behind me, I saw glowing eyes like those of an animal.
“There.”
I probably should have been scared, but for some reason curiosity came first.
Had I been possessed by a ghost? I took a step toward the grass, and the eyes that had been watching me rose slightly higher before approaching.
As it got closer, the dark surroundings brightened just a little, revealing its identity.
“A fox?”
“Kyaeng— Kyaeng—”
The fox greeted me warmly, rubbing its head against my ankle.
“You’re cute. Where did you come from?”
“Keng keng.”
“You look plump. Must’ve been eating and sleeping well. You should head home quickly. If people see you here, you’ll end up as a fur coat.”
But instead of leaving, it sat down and acted even cuter against my leg.
Its adorable behavior made me briefly consider keeping it at home, but thinking about our situation, I firmly refused.
The fox eventually left with a disappointed look. I saw it off, then ended up walking out of the house.
The streets at night were dark and scary, but the cool breeze seemed to fill me with courage.
After wandering aimlessly for a while, I spotted a large building.
It looked like an inn. From inside came the fragrant smell of food and the loud voices of women.
“Excuse me— what is this place?”
“What? If you don’t have money, get lost. This is a place for rich ladies.”
The woman who looked like a guard approached me with a fierce expression, clearly trying to chase me away.
Intimidated by the size difference, I stepped back.
“Wait. That child is an acquaintance of mine.”
“I’m sorry, Madam!”
“Auntie?”
The woman walking toward us from afar was none other than Bread-Deok Lady, who visited our house every single day.
I felt glad to see a familiar face, but hearing her called “Madam” made me realize she was the owner of this place, which also frightened me.
It wasn’t forced, but I was led by her hand all the way to a room, where I sat down, tense.
“You couldn’t sleep, so you were wandering around and ended up here?”
“Yes…”
Bread-Deok Lady sat beside me, wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and began massaging it while whispering in a seductive voice.
“You know how dangerous it is for a boy to wander alone at night like this, don’t you? I’m not going to scold you, so why don’t you listen to what I have to say?”
I nodded and focused on her words.
“Life has been so boring lately. Wouldn’t you come keep me company every night? I’ll give you plenty of allowance.”
“Keep you company?”
“That’s right. Just come here, drink tea with me, and chat happily. That’s all.”
She pulled a pouch of money from her pocket and showed it to me.
She took out a few coins, placed them in my hand, smiled brightly, and stroked my head while telling me to think about it carefully.
‘With this, I could buy three full meals tomorrow.’
Thinking of Cheong Nuna, who struggled every day, I slowly nodded.
If it was just talking, it shouldn’t be that hard.
Wanting to be even a little bit helpful, I took her hand and nodded.
“Then shall we start working today? First, go change into that outfit over there.”
“Outfit?”
And there it was—one thin, revealing robe.
————————————-
Here’s today’s delighted Bread-Deok Lady. I wonder why she’s so happy.
