Chapter 48.1

Chapter 48.1

Seok-kyung listened to Ara’s words without responding at all. Instead of even faintly smiling, he furrowed his perfectly shaped brows, looking displeased.

“Do you not like this kind of thing?”

Feeling anxious, Ara pushed the colorful snack basket toward Seok-kyung.

Inside were various treats made from natural ingredients, showcasing vibrant yellow, red, and green colors, along with flower-shaped fried three-color rice cakes and sweet candied apples and lotus roots.

She had put effort into the presentation, making it look so appealing that anyone would believe it was a dish meant for serving guests.

“I thought my arms would fall off from making these all day. So please, at least try one out of appreciation for my effort.”

Yet even after saying that, Seok-kyung didn’t readily reach out for the snacks.

Was she deceived again? Lee Cheong-seon had definitely said that he enjoyed sweets more than he let on and liked snacks despite appearances…

“Why are you giving this to me?”

After a long pause, Seok-kyung finally spoke again. His tone sounded sharp at first, but his eyes remained fixed on the delicacies with delicate craftsmanship.

Ara felt a bit downcast at his unexpected reaction, but she quickly reminded herself of Cheong-seon’s words.

‘Did it seem like he was angry? If it was confusing enough to feel that way, then he wasn’t really angry.’

‘If he’s truly angry, you’ll know. He is honestly, honestly, honestly scary. Even this bold Cheong-seon’s knees buckle.’

It was confusing whether he was angry or not, and it wasn’t scary enough to make her knees buckle. It was just that he was not being honest, not angry.

“There are days like that in life, you know? When nothing goes my way, I feel foolish, and the world doesn’t help me at all.”

So if she could be honest first, maybe that clumsy goblin would also be able to be honest.

“When that happened, my grandmother would sit me by the warm floor and make me sweet treats. Humans believe that eating something sweet makes them feel better when they’re feeling down.”

Ara chattered on as she took a transparent glass jar out of the refrigerator.

Inside the jar was a rich, dark sujeonggwa. As Ara poured it into a teacup, a refreshing and strong cinnamon aroma wafted up, quickly filling the surrounding air.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made a bit of everything…”

After dropping three pine nuts on top, Ara gently placed the teacup in front of Seok-kyung.

“So what I mean is—”

“……”

“I hope the rain stops by tomorrow.”

Seok-kyung clenched his teeth tightly. The muscles in his sharp jawline tensed up.

He thought about asking how she knew the secret of the weather, which he had never told her.

He wanted to say that there was no need to create such a troublesome and annoying situation, that he had told her before that human kindness felt like a debt to him, and that this kind of thing was just excessive interference that he worried about…

He thought he should warn her. That it was the right thing to do.

“But I haven’t even seen all the flowers yet. What if they wilt in this rain?”

Yet, with that innocent and foolish face in front of him, strangely, those words did not come out.

“And I haven’t even checked the mint you moved and planted yet.”

Was that all?

Ara’s clear eyes made him expect something wrong. They turned things he had never done or imagined into something that felt okay and natural.

“Come on. Just try one. Just this one…”

Seok-kyung looked down at Ara, who was pleading while holding a piece of the delicacy. Then, as if entranced by something, he slowly leaned forward.

At last, his lips brushed lightly against the tip of Ara’s fingers before pulling away.

When his shadow returned to its place, the piece of delicacy Ara had been holding had vanished without a trace.

“W-What are you doing?!”

Ara, unable to fully comprehend the scene before her, instinctively pulled her hand back and stepped away, her already round eyes widening even more.

“You said to eat it. So I did.”

Seok-kyung momentarily savored the taste, swallowed, and only then did he respond. His voice was surprisingly calm for a goblin who had just done something so embarrassing.

Ara stared at Seok-kyung with a bewildered expression.

“No, I meant to eat it with my hands…”

“Na Ara.”

Seok-kyung didn’t let her finish.

“Did you eat it?”

“Of course I did. Do you think I would gift it without tasting it?”

Ara answered, still incredulous but responding nonetheless.

Seok-kyung suppressed a rising smile and picked up a yellow rice cake from the basket.

“Still, eat another one. It’s a bit much to eat alone.”

He tilted his wrist slightly toward Ara, as if urging her to eat it with her mouth, just like he had.