Chapter 44.1

Chapter 44.1

Tok, todok, tok.

Transparent water droplets collided and rolled down the kitchen’s wide glass window. It seemed the cloudy sky had finally begun to pour rain.

“How unusual for it to rain like this…”

Ara muttered to herself as she stood up.

While arranging the trimmed spinach to one side and spreading out a bag of bean sprouts, the raindrops outside quickly thickened, turning into a heavy downpour.

The trees in the garden will be happy. Is it windy too? I hope the flowers don’t fall…

As she worried about the garden’s flowers and sat back at the table, she suddenly sensed movement behind her.

“Looks like His Majesty is in quite a mood.”

It was Cheong-seon who entered the dining room. He had gone upstairs two hours ago to work with Hong-seon, suddenly bursting into the house.

Seemingly parched, he pulled out water from the refrigerator and gulped it down.

Under normal circumstances, Ara might have made him a glass of misugaru, but still holding a grudge from earlier, she coldly picked at the bean sprouts.

Just seeing his blue hair brought back the embarrassment from that day.

“Are you in a bad mood too, Ara?”

Cheong-seon brazenly sat down across from her, having read her mood perfectly.

“If you know, stop causing trouble and go do your work.”

Ara snapped back, then tilted her head and looked at Cheong-seon.

“Wait a minute. What did you just say?”

“Just now? I asked if you were in a bad mood.”

“No, before that.”

“Oh. I said it seems His Majesty is in quite a mood today.”

Ara furrowed her brow.

Seok-kyung had been holed up in his room since returning from the palace yesterday. She had only seen him briefly during dinner, and today he had skipped breakfast and gone to the palace, remaining completely out of sight.

“What do you mean? Did something happen to Seok-kyung?”

“Maybe?”

Cheong-seon shrugged lightly. Seeing Ara’s expression demanding more details, he gestured towards the glass window in the dining room.

“It’s raining.”

Despite his casual response, Ara’s furrowed brow remained. Cheong-seon picked up one of the bean sprouts she had prepared and crunched it while resting his chin on his hand.

The goblin realm is always clear. A cloudy day means the realm’s owner is troubled.”

Come to think of it, this was the first time it had rained since she arrived. There had hardly been any cloudy days. The sky had always been filled with warm, bright sunlight, completely clear without a single cloud.

“So the sky has been cloudy since yesterday evening…”

Ara’s face grew serious as she plucked a bean sprout.

“So?”

Cheong-seon quickly caught the tail of her words, not missing any suspicious details.

“Did something happen between you two yesterday? I asked Baek-mok, and she said nothing happened at the palace.”

“Nothing really…”

“Nothing…?”

Cheong-seon leaned in closer.

It was obvious that confiding in this mischievous goblin wasn’t the best choice.

Yet Ara couldn’t easily brush him off with a “It’s nothing.” The truth was, she had no one else to talk to about this.

Hong-seon felt somehow distant for such intimate conversations, Seol-do had left with Seok-kyung, Baekseol was napping, and Baek-mok was at the palace, making meeting her impossible from the start.

“Promise me first. No mean tricks, and you won’t spread rumors to other goblins.”

Finally, Ara decided to take the risk with some safety measures.

“I promise.”

If you break the promise, it won’t end with just a nosebleed this time.”

“Okay, okay…”

Cheong-seon flinched and touched the tip of his nose. It seemed the memory of his previous beating had resurfaced.

Ara hesitated for a while before letting out a heavy sigh.

“I think Seok-kyung is in a bad mood because of my unnecessary meddling.”

“Meddling? What kind of meddling? Tell me more.”

“Yesterday, when Seok-kyung was coming home after finishing work…”

Ara briefly recounted the events from their journey home to Cheong-seon.

She hadn’t exactly said he was angry, but it was clear he was uncomfortable. She wondered if her words had seemed like excessive interference.

“Ara.”

After hearing the entire story, Cheong-seon made an incredibly complex expression. It was too serious to be mocking, yet there was a subtle hint of subtle satisfaction.

“You’re definitely a special human. Did you know that?”

“Me?”

Ara pointed at herself, puzzled by the unexpected comment.

“I thought I was an incredibly ordinary human.”

“Maybe in the human world. But here, at least to our king, you’re not.”

“Because I’m a human who has to take responsibility due to the contract?”

“No. Because you are an exception.”