When the west dawns - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Wait… Butler, why are you doing this to me?

Seo Hyo wanted to grab Cha Eon by the shoulders and demand an explanation.

She couldn’t have misheard that—right? Her ears weren’t playing tricks on her?

Sure, she had skipped drinking the ear-cleansing wine during last year’s full moon festival because she overslept, but that shouldn’t have caused this kind of madness!

She was already feeling unsettled because of Mirang’s sudden arrival—but this? This was enough to blow every strange feeling right out of her mind.

Cha Eon… liked her?

The man who spent every day thinking, “How do I get this clumsy lady to actually work?”—that same butler had just confessed his feelings?

The shock almost swept Seo Hyo away, but she barely managed to hold onto her sanity. It was bad enough that Mirang, who didn’t know better, got caught up in this—she couldn’t afford to lose her composure too.

This must be an excuse, she told herself.

After all, since ancient times, people have used this classic method—pretending they like someone else to politely reject a confession.

That must be it.

In fact, Cha Eon was probably relieved that Mirang had jumped in first with such an assumption.

Seo Hyo secretly poked Cha Eon’s side under the table.

Her eyes said, “Come on, Butler, that’s not funny.”

But his shameless reply came smoothly,

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, my lady.”

“What are you even talking about?” she muttered, giving him another jab in the ribs.

She was surprised at how firm his body felt—when did he even get muscles like that?

“Just admit it,” he said casually.

“Admit what?”

“That you noticed my feelings long ago.”

He said it without blinking, lying so smoothly that Seo Hyo felt like she had swallowed a dry potato whole.

She always knew her butler was good at nagging, scolding, and sarcasm—but apparently, he was also a talented actor.

If she stayed quiet, she’d only be crushed under his nonsense. Seo Hyo tried to speak up, but Cha Eon was faster. He lifted a hand slightly—stopping her—and struck with a sudden counterattack.

“Then try to deny it. Didn’t I help you with your bath that night?”

“I—You only helped!”

Of course, she left out the part where she had fallen off a ladder and broken her leg. And how all he really did was carry her from her room to the bath.

“You also remember that I couldn’t sleep that night, right?”

“Well, yes, but—”

That was because their elderly neighbor had pounded on the apothecary door crying that he was dying!

Instead of calling a doctor, he’d run straight to their place. Seo Hyo had brewed medicine and watched over him all night. Since she couldn’t sleep with her injured leg, it wasn’t like Cha Eon could either.

Why is he leaving out my part of the story?!

Cha Eon gave a low chuckle.

“You also said, with your own mouth, that if you couldn’t find a proper husband, you’d marry me instead. Remember that?”

“Huh—!”

Seo Hyo’s breath hitched.

“That was ages ago!”

“But you did say it, right?”

“…I did, but I was drunk! I’d emptied two bottles that night!”

“There’s a saying that drunken words are sober thoughts.”

Don’t just twist things to your convenience!

She was burning with frustration. He wasn’t even giving her the chance to explain the truth. Maybe the real problem was that she kept responding to him at all.

Seo Hyo glared at her butler with all the strength she had.

Naturally, Cha Eon didn’t flinch.

“When you were sick, I stayed by your bedside all night.
When you wanted something to eat, I got it no matter what.
Every time you mentioned marriage, I told you to stop looking and just stay by my side.”

His eyes locked on hers—so serious that his acting almost gave her chills.

“You should’ve noticed by now.”

Then, with a helpless little laugh, he added,

“You really are dull, my lady.”

Seo Hyo could only stare stiffly. And of course, Mirang—who would believe Cha Eon even if he said the moon was made of beans—was already teary-eyed.

Her nose was red, her eyes watery.

No matter what Seo Hyo said, it wouldn’t help.

“I even dreamed about… marrying Cha Eon-nim…”

Mirang sniffled, wiping tears away. Seo Hyo could not understand why such a sweet young lady would fall for this infuriating man. She wanted to tell her to run far, far away.

Yes, that must be it, she decided. That weird feeling I had—it must’ve been worry about Mirang marrying him.

So Seo Hyo tried to comfort her.

“I’ll try my best. I’ll do everything I can to change Cha Eon’s mind.”

Mirang dabbed her tears with a handkerchief and said firmly,

“I’ll do my best too.”

Seo Hyo’s hand, which had been reaching across the table to comfort her, froze in midair.

“I’ll work hard,” Mirang added with determination.

She was far more persistent than she looked.

From that day on, Mirang followed Cha Eon everywhere.

“Cha Eon-nim! How do you keep this house so spotless?”
“You’re really amazing!”
“What kind of lady do you like?”

Seo Hyo watched from the second floor, wrapping herbal medicine.

It had already been three days since Mirang had come to stay. Originally, Cha Eon had kicked her out without hesitation, but she neither went home nor rented a room elsewhere.

She’d declared that she’d wait outside until he forgave her. And so she sat there, by the apothecary’s door like a lost puppy, rain or shine.

In the end, Seo Hyo had brought her in out of pity. The poor girl would’ve caught a cold sitting in the night dew.

Cha Eon hadn’t stopped her—but he wasn’t happy about it either.

Seo Hyo thought Mirang would eventually give up after facing Cha Eon’s constant coldness.

But she was wrong.

Surprisingly, Mirang’s bright energy and Cha Eon’s frosty attitude somehow worked together.

“Cha Eon-nim, Cha Eon-nim~”

Mirang called his name in the sweetest tone imaginable. Even Seo Hyo couldn’t understand how a human voice could sound that soft.

Was it something in Baekok River’s water? Or did girls in love naturally sound like that?

And the most shocking part—

“It’s heavy, don’t touch it.”

Sometimes, Cha Eon actually replied to her!

Seo Hyo puffed her cheeks. Seriously? The same man who once made her cry now answers Mirang?

“It’s fine, I can do it!”
“It’s my job, I’ll handle it.”
“But I want to help!”
“Your thoughtfulness is enough.”

And little by little, without realizing it, Cha Eon’s attitude softened.

Seo Hyo could see them from the courtyard—Mirang glowing with adoration, and Cha Eon shaking his head but smiling faintly.

Then Mirang said softly,

“It’s the first time.”

“What is?” Cha Eon asked.

“You smiled at me.”

He smiled again—clearer this time.

“You react to everything I do, like I’m someone important. It’s amusing.”

For a moment, his gaze drifted upward—toward where Seo Hyo stood on the second floor.

“You’re very different from the person I usually serve.”

“If you smiled because of me, I’d gladly make you smile again,” Mirang said, her voice full of joy.

Cha Eon told her not to try so hard, but his gentle tone only made Mirang’s face brighten even more.

Seo Hyo, watching from above, suddenly felt like an outsider.

Sure, it was better than the two of them arguing all the time… right?

But then why did her chest feel so heavy?

She remembered what Mirang had said the day before—about seeing Cha Eon at a grave.

Every year, on the same day, he’d visit a nameless grave with a small bouquet of fresh flowers.

He would stand there for hours, then return home looking even gloomier than before.

When Mirang finally went to see whose grave it was, she found that the tombstone had no name. Weathered and faded, it had stood there for centuries.

“At least a hundred years old… maybe more,” Mirang had said softly.

Cha Eon had lost someone—so precious he couldn’t even bring himself to mark their name.

Mirang’s heart had ached for him.

“I want to be the place where he can finally rest,” she’d said.
“When he’s tired or hurting, I want him to find comfort with me.”

Seo Hyo had muttered quietly to herself, Tired and hurting, huh…

In all the years she’d lived with him, she had never once seen Cha Eon look weak or weary.

Her butler had always been the same—steady, unshakable, unreadable.

Maybe I’ve never really tried to understand him at all, she thought.

He must have emotions, too—feelings he’s never shared with anyone.

“Why didn’t I notice?”
“Why didn’t I even try to know?”

The words never left her lips, but they circled in her heart.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of a knife hitting a cutting board echoed crisply.
Green onions, eggplants, cabbage, and mushrooms—all chopped into even slices, neatly arranged on plates, then tossed into stir-fry or steamed dishes.

Cha Eon worked swiftly, preparing, cooking, cleaning—all in perfect rhythm.

Tonight’s soup was Seo Hyo’s favorite: egg soup.

He hadn’t meant anything by it, but when Mirang peeked into the kitchen earlier and saw it, her face had lit up.

“That’s my favorite dish!”

“How fortunate,” he’d replied politely.

But inwardly, his thoughts were sharp—I couldn’t care less. Just leave.

He didn’t care what a seventy-year-old river spirit liked or disliked. If he’d hesitated because of someone’s age, half the people he’d eliminated over the years would still be alive.

To be honest, he’d even considered snapping her delicate neck when she first started talking about marriage.

Once upon a time, he would’ve done it without hesitation.

But maybe living with Seo Hyo had softened him.

Give it another decade or two, and he’d probably be bringing home stray kittens. The great Cha Eon—reduced to that? Unthinkable.

Still, life was full of surprises.

“What a joke,” he muttered.

He had quietly taken care of every fool who’d dared propose to Seo Hyo—each one frightened off, ruined, or conveniently “accidented” before she could even notice.

It was easy. None of them had the guts to stand up to him.

And the best part? Seo Hyo had no idea what her loyal butler was truly capable of.

Could she imagine her gentle housekeeper swinging a sword like a storm and tossing men into the air? Never.

She would just laugh.

“Our Cha Eon? That’s impossible!”

In that sense, her ignorance was perfect.

Even when others had tried to warn her, she’d only laughed and brushed it off like a silly rumor.

That innocence—her complete trust—was both comforting and dangerous.

“Ignorance really is bliss,” he murmured.

Leaning against the wall, he folded his arms and looked outside.

“If only she could stay that way forever.”

But then a sigh escaped him—long and heavy.

He wondered… was there a way to let her see just enough? To make her understand, at least a little?

To know what he’d felt every time she talked about marriage—every time some fool hovered near her.

Maybe Mirang had her uses after all.

If handled right, she could awaken emotions in Seo Hyo that had long been buried.

Just observing them for a few days had already been… enlightening.

Perhaps, through this, Seo Hyo might finally see what it felt like to stand in his place.

“Enough.”

Cha Eon stopped himself.

Desire was dangerous.

He knew that better than anyone.

If feelings always obeyed reason, life would be far simpler.

He knew he should stop. He knew it clearly.

Yet still…

“It’s getting hard, my lady,” he whispered toward the closed door—
where Seo Hyo sat, unaware of everything.

TO BE CONTINUED…..