Cliff's Edge (4)
"...Yes?" Early in the morning, I found myself slightly flustered by my attending doctor's words.
"There don't seem to be any particular issues, and your condition looks much better.... You can be discharged immediately. We'll take care of the paperwork on our end...."
I had just finished breakfast and was about to head out to see Soyeon. But the doctor suddenly burst in, telling me I was healthy enough to leave. It was definitely good news, but did they usually tell people to get out first thing in the morning like this?
"The Association has prepared a car, so you just need to head down as you are."
On top of that, the way they kept rushing me gave the distinct impression they were trying to get me out of there as quickly as possible. It was a suspicious situation no matter how you looked at it.
"Um...."
Feeling that something was off, I was about to speak to the doctor when....
Knock, knock— Someone rapped on the hospital room door, then slid it open and entered with a slight bow of the head.
...Huh? This person....
It was Shin Daeyong, Chairman Jeon Nando's secretary.
Shin Daeyong approached me, bowed once more, and spoke in an impeccably polite tone.
"Good morning, sir. I've come to escort you personally."
Me? What possible reason would Shin Daeyong have for coming to see me? It had to mean Jeon Nando was looking for me. No matter how much the old man disliked me, he wasn't eccentric enough to harass someone who was hospitalized.
It seemed like an urgent matter.
I leaned back deeply into the seat, staring blankly at the buildings whipping past the window, lost in thought.
"...."
Why had Jeon Nando called for me so urgently? I'd asked Shin Daeyong if he knew anything, but he'd dodged the question by saying I'd find out when I got there.
At any rate, it was definitely related to the Toyland incident. I'd been deeply involved and possessed various pieces of information, so it wasn't strange for the Association to summon me in a hurry.
While I was in the hospital, I don't know what strings my wife had pulled, but even while the world buzzed about the Gujae Church, not a single reporter—or even an ant—could be found near the hospital. Naturally, no one from the Association had visited either, so I hadn't been able to provide any information until now.
Thanks to that, I'd gotten plenty of rest, but.... With the Association currently locked in a tense standoff with the Gujae Church, even if I couldn't be of major help, I could probably offer some assistance.
I was organizing the information I would pass on to Jeon Nando and staring blankly out the window when it happened.
"...Huh?"
Suddenly the car began heading in a strange direction.
...Was this right? We definitely needed to turn right at the previous intersection to reach the Association or the Academy. Yet the car was going straight ahead, as if the roads had changed overnight.
I straightened up slightly and watched Shin Daeyong in the driver's seat. He continued driving as if nothing was wrong. The navigation showed no special destination. That meant he was taking a familiar route....
Having worked beside Jeon Nando for years, he wouldn't have mistaken the way to the Association or the Academy.
"...Where are we going right now?"
When I asked cautiously, Shin Daeyong, still looking forward, gave a vague reply.
"...You'll know when we arrive."
The way he kept his mouth shut as if he knew nothing only amplified the suspiciousness.
...This was extremely suspicious....
I pushed down all the negative thoughts about Shin Daeyong and quietly scanned our surroundings, ready to use magic if necessary.
"...."
Before long the tall buildings vanished, and a familiar road began to appear. A wide, clean street lined on both sides with large, luxurious homes. It was the neighborhood where my wife's new house was located.
...What the hell? Why were we coming here?
Startled, I looked around frantically, but no matter how I examined it, this was definitely where my wife lived. Had Jeon Nando moved? From what I remembered, he lived in the neighborhood between the Association and the Academy. He had chosen that house with great care, declaring he would live there until he died, so it probably wasn't a move.
...Then was this just a short visit? Given his master-disciple relationship with Ju Yeonhee—which was practically that of father and daughter—this seemed the most plausible guess.
The car moved a little farther and naturally entered my wife's house. Shin Daeyong let me out, then sped away before I could ask him anything.
"...What the..."
Just as I'd feared, it seemed Shin Daeyong had betrayed me! Well, not exactly the same situation, but I still couldn't understand why Jeon Nando would have called me here of all places.
Deciding I should at least go inside, I was slowly walking toward the house when....
"Jihwan, my boy! Welcome!!"
The housekeeper I'd worked with greeted me warmly, as if she'd been waiting.
Glad to see her after what felt like a long time, I returned the greeting. She fussed over me in response.
"I heard you went through so much this time!! Madam was terribly worried.... You did well, you did well!"
While I smiled appropriately at her fussing, another housekeeper came running over to greet me too.
"Jihwan, my boy! Welcome!!"
"Hello! It feels like it's been a while."
After receiving all sorts of praise from both housekeepers and stepping inside, I casually asked them a question.
"By the way, where is the Chairman?"
"...Huh? The Chairman?"
"Why are you looking for the Chairman here? Do you have business with him?"
Huh? Something felt off.
"...I came because I was told the Chairman called for me."
They looked at each other as if this was the first they'd heard of it.
"...He called you?"
"No? He didn't say anything...."
The housekeepers really seemed to have no idea. What was going on...? Then why was I here....
At that moment, one of the housekeepers shrugged and spoke.
"Maybe Madam didn't tell you?"
Madam? ...Ju Yeonhee?? Why would my wife—who should be busy nursing Soyeon—be involved?
"...Madam called for me?"
The housekeepers looked at me as if they couldn't believe I didn't know and said,
"You didn't know, Jihwan? They said you went through a lot this time, so she was going to... what was it? Healing? Anyway, she said she was going to do something for you."
"That's right. She said you'd be staying a few days."
"When did she say that?"
"She told us yesterday evening!"
Yesterday evening. It felt like I'd been hit in the back of the head. No, what the hell was this woman thinking...? I couldn't understand why she'd hidden this, and even less why she'd sent for me first thing in the morning. How had she even recruited Shin Daeyong? Staying for a few days? Why?
As I fell into confusion, trying to guess my wife's intentions....
Click— The sound of the back entrance door opening reached us.
"Oh? Madam's here! Go ask her yourself."
The mastermind behind all this had appeared right on time.
Tap tap tap! I hurried to the entrance and found my wife casually taking off her heels.
"...Madam?"
When I called her cautiously, she glanced at me and held out the shopping bag she'd been carrying on her shoulder.
"...You've arrived? These are Soyeon's clothes. Drop them off and come to my room."
I stared at her silently, then quietly took the shopping bag.
...What on earth is she thinking...?
Step, step— As I headed to my wife's room, I let out a short sigh while looking at the heavy box in my arms. It was the box the housekeepers had given me after I handed over Soyeon's clothes. It seemed to be some kind of magic tool that required mana to open, and it gave off an ominous feeling.
"...."
I gently shook the box up and down to gauge its weight. Whatever was inside easily seemed to exceed ten kilograms.
When I'd received the box, I'd asked what was inside, but they'd dodged the question by saying I'd know when I gave it to Madam.
Whether it was Shin Daeyong or the housekeepers, they all seemed to follow my wife's words with unusual diligence.
A short while later, I arrived at my wife's room, adjusted my grip on the box, and knocked.
Knock, knock— She told me to come in.
I entered without thinking and saw her sitting at a table in one corner of the room, fiddling with a tablet. She glanced at me, then quietly set the tablet aside.
...Had she always used something like that?
Finding the sight of my wife strangely unfamiliar, I approached slowly and held out the box as I spoke.
"Where should I put this?"
"...Just put it anywhere. I'll be using it soon."
I felt a strange sense of incongruity at her words. She was going to use something that had been tightly sealed with a magic tool, right here in this room...?
Deciding to simply follow along for now, I quietly set the box down.
"Won't you sit?"
She pointed to the chair opposite her.
I obediently sat down, crossed my arms, and gazed at her intently. Meanwhile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she pulled her chair closer, slipped off her slippers, and casually draped her feet over my leg.
This woman....
I uncrossed my arms, grabbed her foot, and began firmly massaging her soft sole and calf as I spoke.
"...So, why did you go to such lengths?"
She let out a faint, pleased moan and offered her other foot.
"...What did I do?"
I pressed down on her pale, almost translucent foot and sighed.
"...What about Soyeon?"
"...She's resting deeply. I was gathering some things she might need while hospitalized."
So that was why she'd brought the clothes. My wife closed her eyes halfway, as if satisfied with the massage, let out a faint sigh, and said.
"...Rest here for the time being. It's better than the hospital."
Then she moved her idle foot and began trying to spread my legs apart.
Startled, I clamped down on her foot with my thighs and urgently stopped her.
"No..., I need to go back to Soyeon."
She glared at me, then put strength into her foot and forcibly tried to spread my thighs.
"...Soyeon told you to come rest, didn't she?"
...Is this what resting looks like...?