Chapter 42.2

Chapter 42.2

Seok-kyung returned late in the afternoon, long after lunch.

The office was quiet. Baekmok was absent, taking care of urgent matters on the list. The twin brothers and Seol-do had not come to the palace today, and the other goblins didn’t come and go freely in the king’s office unless summoned.

Ultimately, there was only one thing waiting for him.

Seok-kyung walked toward the window, his footsteps muffled. He stopped in front of something.

On the sofa, where the sunlight poured in gently, Ara had drifted into a sweet nap, stretched out comfortably as though it were her own home.

“…Anyone would think she’s the owner of the house.”

He muttered in disbelief, but his gaze, which fell upon her, was not filled with contempt but with a faint affection.

Perhaps she’d fallen asleep reading a book, as a book lay across her chest, turned upside down. The History of Goblins I. Next to it, the gemstone necklace he had given her sparkled.

The energy was clean, so nothing seemed wrong…

Seok-kyung checked the time on his watch after confirming that everything was fine while he was gone. There were still about thirty minutes until Baekmok would return as promised.

Today’s business was mostly wrapped up. The palace’s owner wasn’t Baekmok; it was Seok-kyung himself, so he didn’t need to wait for her to return before heading home.

But Seok-kyung didn’t immediately wake Ara.

He stood like a pillar by her bedside, silently watching her face as she lay vulnerably in sleep.

To be so carefree… If anyone else had such audacity, he would have been appalled.

He clicked his tongue, somewhat exasperated by Ara’s reckless behavior, but soon found himself reflecting on his own foolishness for letting it continue.

Was he truly under the spell of some spirit? Why else would he keep indulging her unpredictable actions?

Even while muttering in frustration, Seok-kyung couldn’t tear his gaze away from Ara’s face.

With each rhythmic breath, his own breathing gradually matched Ara’s, slowing down as well. Even his eyes, once sharp from the heavy workload, were now softened by a peaceful energy.

How much time had passed?

“Hmm…”

As if dreaming of snacking, Ara suddenly smacked her lips and turned over. Her book, which had been resting on her chest, fell to the floor with a soft thud.

It was only then that Ara woke up, her eyes blinking as she stirred.

Seok-kyung had no time to turn away, and their eyes met as he was still gazing down at her.

“…Kim Seok-kyung?”

“…”

Instead of answering, he hurriedly looked away and took a step back, as if he were a stray cat sneaking around a fish market.

“Are you done with your work?”

“The tasks that needed to be handled here are done.”

While Ara stretched and rubbed her eyes, Seok-kyung bent down to pick up the book that had fallen.

“Where did you get this?”

His calm voice shifted the conversation as naturally as possible, as though nothing had happened.

“Since I said I was bored, Baekmok brought it for me.”

Ara yawned widely, confirming what he had picked up.

“Wait a minute. That answer is strange,” she said, suddenly scrunching her face and tilting her head.

“Are you telling me you still have work to do at home?”

“Yeah.”

Seok-kyung answered, and Ara looked up at him with the face of someone who had just discovered an exploited worker.

“Kim Seok-kyung, you’re basically the boss, so even if you work overtime, you don’t get paid extra, right? That’s rough.”

Seok-kyung couldn’t help but chuckle at this kind of sympathy, which he had never experienced before.

“Are you teasing me right now?”

“No? I’m genuinely comforting you, Kim Seok-kyung. For real,” Ara said, widening her bright eyes and shrugging her shoulders.

Seok-kyung looked down at her face, which was so innocent it almost seemed annoying. He placed his hands behind his back.

As if his empty hands were grasping at thin air, he spoke again with an indifferent expression.

“Real sympathy isn’t something you throw around so easily.”