When the west dawns - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

It was a bright and beautiful day.

The sunlight was gentle, and a cool breeze softly brushed through the air all day long. The hems of the young ladies’ dresses fluttered lightly in the wind.

For once, the three of them had decided to close the pharmacy during the day and go out to see the city.

It had been Miryang’s fiery request. “Just one day of rest won’t hurt,” Seohyo had agreed, and naturally, if the two young ladies were going out, Chaeon wasn’t going to stay behind to guard the pharmacy alone.

But for different reasons, both ladies were making Chaeon uncomfortable.

First, there was Miryang.

Simple—she was annoying.

Like a little puppy, she followed him everywhere, watching every move he made, worried about his mood.

Maybe because she was young, but if he merely glanced at her with a blank face, she’d panic as if she had done something terribly wrong.

He didn’t like her much to begin with, and having a child who found meaning in every sigh of his was… exhausting.

And then there was Seohyo.

“You seem really excited, Seohyo-nim. It’s been a while since we went out, hasn’t it?” said Miryang, walking beside him and glancing at Seohyo, who was a few steps ahead.

Chaeon barely held back a sigh.

Miryang, who was so attentive to him, was unbelievably dull when it came to Seohyo.

Seohyo wasn’t excited—she was keeping her distance on purpose.

Even during conversations, her gaze subtly drifted elsewhere, and she avoided being alone with him.

She tried to hide it, but a master deceiving her butler? Impossible.

Chaeon remembered exactly when her attitude had changed—ever since the day the traveling merchant came.

The moment he lifted the red veil above her bridal crown, Seohyo had started acting strangely.

If that wasn’t intentional, then it was a lie.

The wicked butler mocked himself.

When he saw Seohyo sitting there awkwardly, smiling beneath the bridal crown, all he’d thought was that he should go to her.

She seemed startled by his sudden action, too.

Her shy expression under the red veil—he could never forget it.

But still, even if she’d been embarrassed…

Wasn’t this too much?

He only wanted to tease her a little, maybe make her jealous—and now she was acting like he was a stranger.

“Chaeon-nim, which item did you like most from yesterday?” Miryang asked, peeking up at him as they walked.

Every time he thought the questions were finally over, another one followed.

To be honest, he had been tempted to toss Miryang into the river Baekogang days ago.

Patience was not one of his virtues.

All of his kindness was reserved for Seohyo alone.

“I feel like I’ve said this about eighty times,” he muttered quietly, hands clasped behind his back.

“I have no intention of marrying anyone.”

“Y-yes…”

“And I’ve never been to Haeju twenty years ago.”

“Yes, you mentioned that too…”

“Good. Glad you remember.”

He had no interest in the city’s scenery. From the moment they’d left the pharmacy, his eyes had been fixed on Seohyo’s back.

“But if I had to pick,” he added, “I’d say the bridal crown looked the best.”

“The one Seohyo-nim wore?”

“Yes.”

Now Miryang understood.

The only person Chaeon ever called Agassi—“my lady”—was Seohyo.

Ever since that small mistake on the first day, he’d drawn a clear line in how he addressed them.

Seohyo was always Agassi. His one and only.

Miryang was just Miryang-nim.

Seohyo probably hadn’t noticed, but between Chaeon and Miryang, there was an unspoken rule about this.

“Surprising. I thought you’d prefer something simple and elegant,” Miryang said cheerfully.

Had he? Honestly, he couldn’t even remember what the crown looked like in detail—it had simply looked beautiful because she was wearing it.

Just seeing her like that had reminded him of a small flower.

And when he imagined her in a full wedding gown… he couldn’t even picture it.

A wedding outfit? No. He wouldn’t let anyone else see her like that.

The thought of all her past suitors made him grind his teeth in irritation.

“Maybe I should ask Seohyo-nim what she liked best,” Miryang said, hurrying ahead toward Seohyo, who had wandered further off.

That’s when it happened.

Chaeon’s eyes caught sight of a cart piled high with wooden stools, wobbling dangerously as it rolled down the street.

The man pushing it was drenched in sweat despite the cool air, clearly in a panic.

“Move aside! Coming through!” he shouted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

And then—

“Ahhh!”

The wheel hit a stone, and the cart tipped over. The stacked stools tumbled straight toward the women.

They were solid wood, the edges reinforced with iron—deadly if they hit someone.

Chaeon rushed forward, reaching to pull Seohyo out of the way—

—but Miryang screamed and fell first.

“Kyaa!”

“Ugh…”

He couldn’t shove her aside, so he caught her in his arms—

Crash!

“Good heavens, Agassi! Are you alright?”

“Ah…”

“Oh no, oh no, I’m so sorry, truly sorry!”

But his hand hadn’t reached Seohyo.

She had taken the full hit from the falling stools and collapsed on the road. Her forehead red and swollen, she groaned, clutching it in pain.

A passing woman helped her up.

“Ow… that hurts…”

Tears welled in Seohyo’s eyes as she rubbed her forehead. It wasn’t bleeding, but the swelling was already spreading.

“Oh dear, are you alright?”

“Yes… I think so.”

She looked around in confusion and finally saw the overturned cart and scattered stools.

“You were moving all of these alone?”

The man nodded guiltily.

“I usually work with my brother, but he’s sick today. I was in a rush and—ah, I’m truly sorry!”

“It’s fine,” she said with a faint smile. “I’m hurt a bit, but we own a pharmacy. I’ll put on some ointment and be fine.”

The man stammered his apologies again, but she urged him to go. “You said you were in a hurry. Go on. I’ll be fine.”

When he hesitated, she even asked a young passerby to help him lift the cart.

Only after he finally left did she turn away, still smiling—and then immediately winced, muttering that her forehead really did hurt.

“Seohyo-nim is really… amazing,” murmured Miryang, still trembling.

“I could never be like that… she’s truly… kind.”

“That’s not kindness,” Chaeon said coldly.

His eyes were sharp as blades, locked on Seohyo.

“Not taking care of your own body—that’s not kindness.”

He hadn’t reached her in time.

Just one more step and he could’ve pulled her out of the way. But he’d been too slow.

Her falling under the stools kept replaying in his head.

She was safe, yes—but the fact that he hadn’t been able to protect her burned inside him.

It didn’t matter if it was wood or a sword. The point was—he’d failed.

“Chaeon-nim, are you alright? Your hand is cold,” Miryang said nervously. His whole body was stiff and freezing.

Then Seohyo came over, rubbing her head and saying lightly, “I guess that was my bad-luck event for the year.”

He couldn’t even look at her.

Later, the three of them stopped at a restaurant for a late lunch.

It had been two hours since the accident. Seohyo and Miryang were cheerful again, but Chaeon’s mood still lingered in darkness.

Neither woman dared to meet his eyes.

Why were they the ones who got hurt, yet he looked the most terrifying?

So they chose noisy, crowded streets—anywhere to avoid that chilling silence.

Eventually, hunger won, and they ducked into a restaurant just after the crowd had cleared.

At a four-person table, the three of them sat—Seohyo and Miryang facing each other, Chaeon at the side.

A silent pact between the ladies: Sit together. Avoid eye contact. Maybe we’ll survive lunch.

A hopeful thought.

“Tea is served!”

The waiter placed steaming cups in front of them. Seohyo welcomed the interruption, and Miryang praised the rich aroma over and over.

But pretending only worked for so long.

Unlike Miryang, Seohyo wasn’t used to tiptoeing around her butler.

Ever since their awkward moment under the red veil, things had been tense. And after the accident, everything felt even more fragile.

Maybe she should just laugh it off now.

Otherwise, Miryang would choke on her food from stress, and Chaeon would probably end up glaring at her bedside tonight.

Who’s really the master here… Seohyo sighed inwardly.

“Chaeon?” she called carefully.

He looked up at her with a face sharp enough to cut. Even Seohyo flinched.

“Relax your face a little.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I feel like I’m already getting indigestion, and the food’s not even here yet.”

Without asking, he reached over and rolled up her sleeve. A deep bruise was already forming on her pale skin.

“Oh dear, you caught that.”

Chaeon clenched his jaw.

“Are you trying to decide whether to kill me first, or the man who dropped the stools, or maybe Miryang-nim?”

Miryang jumped, startled.

But Seohyo only smiled calmly. “Don’t be like that, Chaeon. We all live together in this world.”

“And does that mean you have to get yourself hurt to prove it?”

“I didn’t see it coming.”

“What?”

“I don’t have eyes on the back of my head, do I?”

“Hah.”

He clenched and unclenched his fists on the table, his anger barely restrained.

“Then at least scold the fool who caused it.”

It was basic carelessness. Even if he’d been in a hurry, he hadn’t tied the load properly.

If he had, Seohyo would’ve had enough time to dodge.

Instead, she’d pitied the man who hurt her. That was what infuriated Chaeon most.

“It already happened. He apologized sincerely. My scolding him won’t make the bump on my forehead go away,” Seohyo said, trying to sound reasonable.

Seeing his face darken again, she quickly changed her expression and smiled.

Smile. Just smile.

They say no one spits on a smiling face.

Unfortunately, her butler was not “no one.”

He stared at her bright grin and spoke in a low, cold voice.

“You have a lump on your forehead, a bruise on your arm, and you’ll need at least four patches of ointment today. Whose fault is that?”

Seohyo froze mid-smile.

Was he actually about to spit?

“Uh… mine?”

“If you had been more hurt, who would’ve taken care of your duties for you?”

“…Chaeon?”

“Haven’t I always told you to prioritize your own safety above all else?”

“Every single day.”

So much that her ears had probably grown calluses.

That answer seemed to calm him down a bit—or maybe he’d just realized there was no point scolding her anymore.

“Braised meat, stir-fried bean sprouts, shrimp soup, and three bowls of rice!”

The waiter arrived with food, and Miryang nervously picked up her chopsticks. Seohyo smiled as if to say everything was fine.

“See? The food’s here. No getting angry at the table, Chaeon.”

She picked up the biggest piece of meat and placed it in his bowl.

“Eat this, and stop being mad, okay?”

She smiled brightly, leaning forward.

It was rare—Seohyo had never acted cute toward him before.

Because really, what kind of lady acts cute to her butler?

Normally, a young lady should pout, argue, or pretend not to hear when being scolded.

That was how Seohyo usually was.

But today felt different.

Today, Chaeon looked truly, truly angry.

And though she thought he was overreacting, Miryang’s comment about how stiff and cold he’d been earlier bothered her.

“Oh—Miryang-nim, you should eat too.”

Seohyo placed another big piece of meat in front of her, then finally started eating herself.

After a while, Chaeon finally lifted his chopsticks.

Whether his anger had cooled, Seohyo didn’t know—but for now, that was good enough.

Sure, it wasn’t normal for the one injured to be the one worrying about everyone else.

But that was just who Seohyo was.

That’s me, she thought, sticking her tongue out playfully in her mind. That’s just how I am.

Her body would heal soon, but if she snapped at others because of pain, she’d feel awful later.

If she could endure it, she’d rather care for others first.

Chaeon might never like that part of her, but—

“Eat plenty, Chaeon,” she said with another soft smile, trying to charm him again.

Even if her butler didn’t smile back.

TO BE CONTINUED…..