A Forest flowing with Milk and Honey - Chapter 3.1

The bloodshot eyes gleamed ominously as they scanned the CCTV footage. Since Taeo remembered the exact day when a mark appeared on Urim’s neck, he thought it would be easy to find the suspect. However, no matter how many times he checked, no suspicious person appeared on the CCTV.
“What the hell is going on?”
Whoever did this must have targeted a time when Urim wouldn’t notice—likely while she was asleep. Since the petals had increased at weekly intervals, it had to be someone who could repeatedly approach her.
There were a few people who had entered Urim’s room since Chairman Baek collapsed, but none had entered when Urim was there.
“They didn’t break through the window…”
Urim’s room had security bars installed on the windows. Though it didn’t look good, they prioritized safety due to the unusual things that often occurred around her.
Taeo didn’t suspect Urim. She wasn’t the type to lie, and her trust in Taeo was blind. No one knew better than Taeo how frustrating it was when, even after enduring that bizarre event, Urim still looked at him with those innocent, clear eyes instead of being scared.
So, what could it be? What kind of deranged lunatic had come up with another twisted scheme?
Taeo glared at the CCTV in front of Urim’s room, deep in thought.
3 a.m. Urim’s door opened.
________________________________________
Ten minutes earlier.
A dark shadow appeared over the deeply sleeping Urim. It writhed, unable to take a proper form, and hovered near her neck, sniffing like it was trying to catch a scent.
Three petals. More than half had appeared. The eerie shadow bubbled like boiling liquid, forming torn lips.
“Kek. Heh heh.”
A soft, sinister laugh echoed nearby, causing Urim to stir in her sleep. But her body was as stiff as stone, completely immobilized. Her eyelids fluttered and then opened wide as she saw something she shouldn’t have.
“…!”
Urim’s eyes widened in horror at the sight of the shadow and its torn lips. She tried to scream and thrash, but her paralyzed body, pinned by sleep paralysis, could do nothing. All she could do was watch in terror as the shadow drew closer. It spiraled like a vortex, sucked into her body.
Thud! It felt like a punch to her gut. Cold sweat broke out, and her insides twisted as though they were being ripped apart. As if that wasn’t enough, or perhaps because something displeased it, the shadow didn’t settle even after it seeped inside her.
Thud! Thud! It felt like a giant hand was rummaging through her organs. The foreign mass tore through her body, ripping and shredding everything in its path.
‘It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts…!’
The sensation of torture made Urim’s wide-open eyes roll back, showing the whites as she almost passed out. Her face, drenched in saliva and tears, trembled as her lips repeatedly whispered someone’s name. Her tear-streaked eyes were hollow and desolate.
How much time had passed in that nightmare? The shadow, which had settled over her limp body, now lifted Urim and began to stumble towards the door. There was no will of her own in these movements as her feet shuffled across the wooden floor, opening the door.
The shock of her body moving on its own and the pain of something forcing control through her brain turned Urim’s face a deathly pale, like a corpse.
“What are you doing up?”
Her body, about to descend the stairs, flinched at the sight of Taeo standing below. After momentarily sizing him up, the entity controlling her hesitated, backing away.
“Urim?”
Taeo had an unusually keen intuition. It was as if he immediately sensed something was wrong with Urim, his mood suddenly dark and unpleasant. He swiftly started up the stairs.
Ugh! Uuuugh! The shadow, glaring at Taeo, growled like a beast from within Urim and began to claw at her insides with its nails. It violently thrashed inside her before finally leaving her body.
“Ugh, cough…!”
Urim doubled over in pain, collapsing onto the stairs. If Taeo hadn’t rushed to catch her, she might have hit her head badly.
“Sa-save me… Taeo… oppa…”
Urim’s sweat-drenched body went limp in Taeo’s arms.
It was six hours later when Urim regained consciousness.
She saw a white hospital ceiling and heard the sound of an IV dripping nearby. Trying to move her stiff body, she wiggled her fingers and sat up. Her whole body ached as if she had been beaten, but it was bearable. The pain she felt the night before now seemed like a distant, faded memory, almost like a dream.
“Oh my goodness! You’re awake! Are you feeling better? You’re in the hospital!”
Hearing the voice of Kim, the butler, Urim turned her head—and froze.
A chorus of eerie, high-pitched giggles echoed in her ears. Pale-eyed ghosts were hungrily licking their lips, eyeing her like prey. She blinked in shock, and they were gone. Not because they had left, but because she could no longer see them. Urim trembled, aware of this truth.
“Miss? Look at all this cold sweat…”
Kim fussed as he reached out a hand, but the movement seemed like a clawed grip trying to snatch her face away. Overwhelmed by an irrational fear, Urim lashed out, slapping his hand away.
Slap! The sound was sharp, louder than she intended—or so it seemed to her.
“S-sorry…”
“It’s fine, really. I should’ve been more careful knowing you don’t like being touched.”
Kim smiled gently, shaking his head as if to calm an anxious cat. His gaze was kind, filled with sympathy, but it made Urim feel suffocated.
“Shall I call the nurse?”
“No, it’s fine. I’d rather be alone.”
“The director said not to leave you alone…”
Taeo had insisted that Kim not leave Urim by herself, especially given her unstable state.
“I’ll tell him I asked to be left alone.”
Urim spoke clearly, her voice steady. Reluctantly, Kim stood and slowly left the room.
“I’ll be just outside. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Kim handed her phone back to her and left the room.
“…”
As soon as Urim was alone, her face crumpled with exhaustion.
What happened last night? And just now? Was she hallucinating, losing her mind?
Now that she could no longer see the apparitions, it was harder to tell whether they were real or not. Staring at the now-empty hospital room, Urim shivered and curled into herself.
Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
Her phone vibrated.
「Taeo oppa」
Urim’s face lit up immediately at the sight of the caller ID. A sweet, radiant smile bloomed like a flower on her face.
“Hello?”
• I heard you’re awake. How are you feeling?
“I’m okay. When can I leave the hospital?”
• That’s up to you. If you feel better, just tell the butler. There’s no point staying there longer than necessary.
Despite having been the one to insist on her hospitalization, Taeo sounded disgruntled. He hadn’t slept at all after dealing with the chaos from the night before, yet it was Urim, who’d slept soundly after receiving a sedative, whose voice was hoarse, which bothered him greatly.
• Keep that thing on you. I’ll check on you later.
Even while on the phone, Taeo was busy. His workload had increased ever since he took on the role of interim chairman, and it was clear he was swamped.
He was competent. Beyond his work skills, Taeo had a natural eye for seeing the bigger picture, something his grandfather often praised. Despite being young, his strong support from the chairman, who owned a significant share of the company, had allowed him to take the interim position without much opposition.
Taeo was a hard worker and naturally resilient. He often got by on less than four hours of sleep, taking short naps between tasks, yet he remained full of energy. In contrast, Urim, who spent her time resting at home, felt weak and fragile next to him.
• Where did you get that herbal medicine you used to take? Was it from Hongje-dong?
Taeo’s abrupt question came as he spoke to his assistant about something else.
“Yes, it was from Hongje-dong… Are you really busy?”
• Hold on. I just need to sign this. It’s urgent…
The sound of paper rustling and the quick scribbling of a pen came through the phone. Urim lay back on the bed, listening to the sounds. The scent of disinfectant filled the hospital room, but it didn’t bother her much.
• So, when are you leaving?
“Are you coming by later?”
• In the evening. Around 7 or maybe 8… If you’re still at the hospital, I’ll come there. If you’re home, I’ll head to your place.
Though Taeo had been avoiding Urim recently, using work as an excuse, his timing was impeccable. He seemed to subconsciously sense that leaving Urim alone right now wasn’t a good idea.
“I’ll go home.”
Good. Make sure you finish your IVs and get a check-up before you leave.
Urim nodded, smiling as she listened to Taeo’s nagging. She nodded energetically, even though Taeo couldn’t see her.
Answer me.
“Yes.”
Good.
Without any kind or affectionate words to wrap up the conversation, Taeo abruptly hung up. But even after the call ended, Urim felt a bright and cheerful energy, humming softly to herself.