Chapter 25.1

Chapter 25.1

“Ha… Now I’m responsible for the chopsticks rotting too?”

“Inspecting for defects is part of the labor assignment.”

Even Eyes hadn’t mentioned that. Everyone just shoved the chopsticks in without thinking, so why were mine the only ones overflowing with defects? How was I supposed to know whether they had rotted after I packed them.

“…So what am I supposed to do? Pay for them or something?”

He was a guard, after all. And if he held grudges, he might not be feeling very kindly toward me right now. I couldn’t give him anything to latch onto.

“I don’t have any money… you know that, Deputy Ki.”

“…”

“Should I repackage them? I can go to the workshop right now.”

I wanted to end this quickly and go back to my room to think about the letter. Maybe another name or address would surface.

As I stood and brushed past him to head toward the workshop, a hand closed around my forearm with noticeable strength. I lifted my gaze. Beneath the shadow of his cap, an even darker voice resonated.

“Were you always this oblivious?”

It was the first time I’d heard such pressure in his voice, and I faltered.

Ironically, Deputy Ki had every reason to be intimidating with his rank, his build, and everything else, yet he had never really shown that side to me.

But now, the energy radiating from him alone made me flinch.

My breath felt tight when he exhaled a deep sigh. He quickly released my arm and removed his cap. The look he gave me carried a heavy shade of guilt.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Seeing the face I knew calmed me at last. It must have been the cap. Not seeing his eyes made everything feel wrong.

Since I stayed silent, he studied my face for a while, then ran a troubled hand through his hair. After that, he pulled something from his pocket and held it out.

I lowered my gaze.

In his large palm lay a neatly folded floral handkerchief. Clearly a woman’s.

“…Are you, by any chance, giving this to me?”

“…I went into town, and… thought of you….”

His voice trailed off, and he looked painfully embarrassed. It wasn’t hard to imagine the whole ordeal. That big man, picking out a handkerchief, paying for it, and then working up the nerve to hand it to me… He must have wanted to crawl into a hole.

As always, the faint blush at the corners of his eyes gave him away. He pretended not to care, but kept studying my reaction. For some reason, that softened me a little. I reached out and took it. The fabric’s soft texture, something I would never touch inside this prison, brushed against my palm.

“Thank you. But… why are you giving this to me?”

“…”

“You’re trying to make up with me, aren’t you?”

Oh. I get it. So this was an apology gift. A gift because he felt bad for upsetting me with whatever he had said. Once I thought of it that way, my mood lifted in a surprising rush.

Honestly speaking, what use was a handkerchief in this prison? A bra would have been ten times more practical. But it wasn’t the gift itself. What pleased me was that Deputy Ki had tried to match my mood.

“Well, you gave it to me, so I’ll accept it. Should we go to the workshop now?”

For once, the man hesitated.

His thoughts were transparent. He had brought a gift, so why wasn’t I melting into his arms? But once my mood sours, a scrap of fabric won’t turn it around instantly.

I stayed silent, simply looking up at him as if to ask what he expected. His gaze locked onto mine. For a moment his eyes wavered, then suddenly flared, as if someone had struck a match.

“Can I kiss you?”

“……”

Strangely, my mouth wouldn’t form the words to refuse. Eyes had talked about Hongyeomsal*, whatever it was, and if it existed, Deputy Ki definitely had it. His handsome face dipped slowly toward mine; my eyes fluttered shut as if I were hypnotized, and our lips met.

*Hongyeomsal (홍염살) is a fortune-telling term for a magnetic, sensual aura that makes someone irresistibly attractive and emotionally stirring to others.

His lips brushed mine softly at first, almost like a knock. Then they drew back, only to return with more certainty. This time he parted my lips, gliding along my neat teeth, wrapping around me as if finding his match.

His lips and tongue shed that polite mask he always wore. They clung to me with a hungry urgency, devouring my mouth as if he’d been parched for days.

“…Hh… nngh….”

I smacked his forearm, gasping for breath, and only then did he pull back as if giving in. His gaze clung to my wet lips. Unlike me, struggling to catch my breath, he stayed steady and calm as he ran his tongue over my mouth.