Chapter 49.1

Chapter 49.1

The next day, the goblin realm was clear as if it had never rained.

Thanks to that, Ara felt very good. When she came out to prepare breakfast, the snack basket she had checked was completely clean. This meant that the gift she had given had contributed, even a little, to lifting his gloomy mood.

‘…Thank you.’

If he acted just like yesterday, she would gladly make even more elaborate snacks.

Ara couldn’t help but smile as she recalled Seok-kyung’s slightly embarrassed face. It was a smile filled with indescribable pride and a hint of satisfaction.

“That was definitely a bit cute…”

“What was? Our king?”

Suddenly, a bright voice interrupted from behind.

“KYAHHH!”

Ara screamed as she fell on her bottom, startled by the figure squatting in front of the flower bed.

“Did you commit a sin without me knowing? Why are you so surprised?”

Like a ghost from a horror movie, Seol-do had popped up unexpectedly. She had approached without making a sound, standing with her legs crossed and looking down at Ara from an angle.

“I didn’t commit any sins. I just have a lily liver.”

*lily liver means cowardly

Ara pouted and brushed off the dirt from her bottom. It was a relief that she hadn’t accidentally torn the precious mint she had been carefully tending to.

“Right. A lily-livered human, Na Ara. What’s so cute about it? Tell me.”

The smooth voice brought the topic back to the original point. Ara swallowed hard and patted the intact soil of the flower bed.

“What do you mean, just…”

“Just?”

“That Baekseol eats well is cute.”

As soon as Ara finished speaking, Seol-do clicked her tongue.

“You should be glad you were born a human.”

“Huh?”

“Even if you can’t lie, you can still insist you did well.”

“……”

Is it that obvious?

As Ara questioned her own expression, Seol-do let out a short sigh.

“Enough. Go inside and get ready to go out.”

“Why? Where are we going?”

Ara tilted her head. Seol-do crossed her arms and tapped the ground with her foot.

“We promised back then. You said you’d go with me to buy clothes.”

“When… Ah.”

Ara’s face showed a delayed realization.

‘So, in the end, you didn’t buy anything at all.’

‘Let’s go out together next time.’

Seol-do had said that on the day she went to the market with Seok-kyung instead of her.

“Is it really so sudden?”

“Sudden? You’ve been looking like a beggar for more than a day or two, haven’t you?”

Seol-do looked down at Ara intently. The clear gaze swept from the top of Ara’s head to the tips of her toes, and her previously straight brows furrowed dramatically.

“I’ve been waiting for the right moment. No more excuses, just follow me.”

Yes…”

Under the overwhelming pressure, Ara dusted herself off and stood up obediently.

She wanted to say that there were no holes or tears in her clothes, so she looked fine, but a strong instinct warned her that saying so would only lead to verbal beatings.

Once inside her room, Ara quickly finished her preparations. Preparation meant simply grabbing her wallet and phone to put in her eco bag, which she always carried.

However, the way Seol-do had been glaring at her bothered her, so she changed into a new white shirt and cotton pants. That was the least worn-out outfit among the few clothes she had brought.

Still, she really needed to buy new sneakers…

Tying the laces of her old sneakers, which were still holding up despite being quite worn, Ara stepped out of the front door with determination.

“……?”

But she stopped before she could take a single step.

There were not one, but two goblins waiting for her in the front yard.

“Oh, you’re out. Come here.”

Of course, there was Seol-do, who should have been waiting, and—

“……”

And there was Kim Seok-kyung, who shouldn’t have been there at all.

“Why is Kim Seok-kyung here?”

“This is my house.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Ara trailed off, turning her gaze to Seol-do.

“We’re all going together?”

“Of course.”

Seol-do shrugged casually.

“You’ve seen our king dressed up, right? You can trust him. He’s got the best taste, recognized even by Baek-mok and Lee Cheong-seon.”

Of course, Ara acknowledged Seok-kyung’s fashion sense. He dressed so well that he could easily be a cover model for a professional fashion magazine, no matter the moment he was captured.

But that was precisely the problem.

Ara had little interest in fashion. She couldn’t afford expensive clothes, and she certainly didn’t have the knack for finding and matching inexpensive yet pretty items.

For her, the best clothes were those that were comfortable to move in, durable, and neutral enough to wear anywhere without standing out.

It was already tough enough dealing with Seol-do’s constant teasing about her always wearing tracksuits, but how was she supposed to endure Seok-kyung’s critiques, which seemed to come straight from a fashion magazine?

“Is it uncomfortable for you that I’m going with you?”