While trying to read the room, Hansol kept sneaking glances at Lord Bihyeon. Then he noticed the fox carrying dishes alone. He immediately sprang to his feet and hurried over.
“Here, let me.”
“Hmmm… will that be okay?”
After seeming to hesitate for a moment, the fox handed half of the load to him.
Ugh.
The moment he took it, the weight made his whole body sway.
W-what is this? They’d carried it so easily that he thought he could handle it too, but that had been incredible arrogance. His eyes widened as he froze in place, stunned. Then someone behind him took all the dishes from his hands.
When he looked up, the tiger was standing there, tail lazily swishing as they lifted the dishes with ease.
“It’s that human from before.”
“Oh—hello, Tiger.”
The tiger slowly waved their tail from side to side before setting the dishes down where the fox gestured.
“Yeonho, go help Lord Hyeonung.”
“Okay.”
Hansol scratched his cheek while watching the tiger walk into the dining hall on all fours at the fox’s instruction.
I tried to help and almost caused a disaster.
Thank goodness I didn’t drop anything.
He rolled his eyes around the room, searching for something else he could do, when the bear approached him.
“Hey, human. Anything you want besides beef?”
“Hmm… honey pastry? The one Lord Bihyeon gave me before was really good.”
He answered immediately, touching his lips as he spoke seriously. The bear’s mouth twitched.
“…Ahem. Kid, you’ve got good taste.”
“Pack plenty of honey pastry for him later.”
A voice came from right behind him. Hansol lifted his head.
Lord Bihyeon had somehow walked right up beside him. When their eyes met, the bear opened his mouth wide in a grin.
“I’ll wrap some up for you myself. Specially because Lord Bihyeon asked! That’s why you’re getting it!”
“Yes. Thank you. I’ll savor it carefully.”
“What do you mean savor it? If you want more, you can just come again… ha, honestly.”
It was strange to see a bear’s face turning red. Hansol chuckled quietly as he watched him, fidgeting with his fingers.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Nope! Oh right, I never even asked your name. What’s your name?”
“Hansol. Yoon Hansol.”
“…Even if I asked, how can you just tell someone your name that easily?! You better watch out or you’ll get scammed! Honestly. Being that nice is dangerous….”
Muttering to himself, the bear scratched his head vigorously before moving around the kitchen with unnecessary irritation as he cooked.
“You’re distracting me. Get out! I’ll call you when it’s done.”
“Oh—”
He was shoved out of the dining hall.
The push was so strong he staggered, but Lord Bihyeon caught his arm.
“That’s unusual.”
When their eyes met, Hansol shrugged at Lord Bihyeon, who had murmured that with a small smile.
“Oh, right. Lord Bihyeon. Does this mean I can’t leave my house anymore?”
“Why? Are you worried the door might cause trouble again?”
“No… it’s not really the door’s fault…”
I’m going to get scolded.
Definitely going to get scolded.
His eyes were shining with a strangely cold light, and Hansol hurriedly shook his head with an awkward laugh.
“Haha.”
Lord Bihyeon laughed softly and began walking slowly across the yard.
“I won’t scold you. This time.”
So next time you will.
Hey… don’t ever open toward my side again, okay?
Hansol glanced at the door meaningfully.
The tree beside it swayed gently and flower petals fell. For some reason, it felt like the door had just refused his request. The feeling left him uneasy.
“Most people would be scared.”
“Huh? Of what?”
“Not knowing what might happen to you here, yet walking around so boldly. It’s not like you want to die….”
Hansol blinked and looked at Lord Bihyeon.
He should say no.
But the words wouldn’t come out.
They held eye contact for a long moment before Hansol looked away and exhaled quietly. Then, a bit late, he shook his head.
“…Of course not.”
They went and sat in the pavilion.
After sitting there silently for a while, the air growing slightly awkward, the dining hall door suddenly burst open and the bear shouted,
“Lord Bihyeon, Hansol! Food’s ready!”
“Let’s go. We should eat and then you’ll have to get ready to go to work.”
Hansol nodded and followed Lord Bihyeon toward the dining hall.
The beef looks delicious.
“But Hansol. Did you grow up starving or something? Why are you so scrawny?”
It wasn’t wrong, so Hansol gave an awkward smile and sat across from Lord Bihyeon.
The bear set down a bowl in front of him that was bigger than his face, filled with rice and soup.
The portion was enormous.
This could be two days’ worth of meals for me…
“Um… I can’t eat this much. I’d have to take out more than half to finish it.”
“What? This isn’t even the full course! This is all there is! Just this and beef!”
“Good grief…”
Muttering, the bear scooped out about half the rice anyway before sliding the bowl back toward him. Then he slowly looked Hansol up and down.
“No wonder you’re so skinny eating so little.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
Hansol bowed politely to the bear who had given him such good food. Then he glanced at Lord Bihyeon.
Lord Bihyeon gestured as if telling him to eat and took the first bite himself.
After confirming that, Hansol lifted his spoon and took a big bite.
“Wow, this is good. The soup is—”
“Of course it is! I’ve been cooking for hundreds of years!”
Hundreds… hundreds?
Hansol was about to take another bite when his spoon slipped from his hand and clattered into the bowl.
“Haha…”
He laughed awkwardly.
Not dozens. Hundreds.
Did I hear that wrong?
“Hyeonung.”
“Yes? Should I give you more too, Lord Bihyeon?”
Someone whose ancestor’s ancestor must have lived hundreds of years ago was speaking politely to Lord Bihyeon.
Just what kind of being is Lord Bihyeon?
Some kind of incredible god?
Maybe the highest among gods.
Hansol shoveled rice into his mouth while secretly watching Lord Bihyeon as much as possible. Their eyes met, and he quickly turned his head away.
“Eat. And have more if you want.”
“This is already a lot.”
The bear looked at him from the side.
His expression clearly said, You can’t even eat that much?
Normally he could eat this amount, but lately his condition had been terrible. More food just wouldn’t go down.
Hansol avoided the bear’s gaze and laughed awkwardly.
After finishing more than half the bowl along with the beef, he forced himself to keep moving his hand.
I’m going to get indigestion…
“Hey, Hansol!”
“…Yes?”
He had been concentrating on his bowl when the bear suddenly rushed over and spoke to him, startling him so badly he nearly dropped everything.
Hansol placed a hand on his chest, calming himself with an awkward smile.
The bear had already started kneading dough, but his eyes were fixed on Hansol with intense curiosity.
“Do you happen to know any good tips for making cookies?”
Someone who had been cooking for hundreds of years was asking him for cookie tips?
Ah… he must be from long ago. Cookies might be unfamiliar.
Come to think of it, all the snacks in the bowls and dough had been honey pastries.
“Should I write down a recipe for you?”
“Oh! You’d do that?”
“Of course. I’ll organize it next time and give it to Lord Bihyeon.”
It’s not difficult or anything.
Hansol smiled lightly and politely gestured toward Lord Bihyeon.
Their eyes met.
Lord Bihyeon tilted his head slowly.
“Hmmm. If something is given, something should be returned. Then what should I give? Perhaps a secret recipe for making honey pastry delicious?”
“Really? Please…!”
A recipe from a craftsman with hundreds of years of experience!
Isn’t that far more valuable than anything I could offer?
Hansol’s eyes sparkled as he started nodding, but then he glanced nervously at Lord Bihyeon.
Seeing that, the bear burst into hearty laughter.
“Alright, alright! I’ll give it to you! Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve liked someone this much since that kid—”
The bear’s voice suddenly trailed off.
He quickly covered his mouth.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The fox carrying plates and the tiger casually stealing bites both glanced nervously at Lord Bihyeon.
Because of that, Hansol also started reading the room. He hurriedly finished eating, cleaned his bowl completely, and showed it to the bear.
“Thank you for the meal. I finished everything!”
…I’m really going to get indigestion.
The bear laughed awkwardly and placed a neatly arranged plate of honey pastries in front of him.
Hansol met the bear’s eyes and, with a solemn expression, picked one up and took a bite.
His eyes sparkled.
Chewing happily, he raised a thumbs-up toward the bear.
The bear laughed loudly again.
Then suddenly his expression darkened.
“I’ve been wanting to ask since earlier… what kind of curse are you under? The smell is awful. What is that? Rotting corpse…?”
Hansol lifted his arm and sniffed.
Sniff, sniff.
As expected, he couldn’t smell anything at all.
“How about letting him stay the night? There are plenty of rooms. Feed him breakfast and send him off in the morning.”
Hansol shook his head frantically at the bear’s suggestion.
“It’s okay. Lord Bihyeon already drew talismans at my house. And I have to go to my part-time job…”
“Part-time job? At this hour? Don’t humans die if they don’t sleep?”
Hansol smiled as if it were nothing and shook his head again.
Well… if you sleep too little, you probably could die…
“It’s okay.”
He answered with a small smile.
At that moment, the others looked at him with strange expressions before sneaking glances at Lord Bihyeon and returning to their tasks.
“I was planning to make galbitang and savory pancakes tomorrow morning…”
Galbitang? Pancakes…?
He was tempted for a moment.
But he shook himself mentally.
No. Today is the last time I impose on them.
Completely the last time.
After finishing the snacks and tea, Hansol slowly stood up.
He rolled up his sleeves to help with the dishes.
Then the fox and the tiger grabbed both of his arms.
…Huh?
Hansol flailed his arms in the air and looked between them.
Then he was escorted straight out of the dining hall.
“Huh?”
He tried to go back in.
But this time Lord Bihyeon grabbed both his shoulders.
“I said I’d wash the dishes.”
Hansol protested with an aggrieved look.
Lord Bihyeon laughed.
“Yes. Next time.”
“At least let me help clean up…”
“That too. Next time.”
Still smiling softly, Lord Bihyeon pushed him outside and sat him down on the wooden floor.
“Wait here a little while until Hyeonung brings the snacks.”
“…Okay.”
Hansol watched Lord Bihyeon walk away to get the food and soon sighed deeply.
He kept leaning toward the dining hall, glancing over because it bothered him that he hadn’t helped clean up.
Ding-a-ling—
Huh?
That clear sound again.
He heard running footsteps along with a child’s laughter.
The sound was heading toward the door.
Hansol jumped to his feet and followed it.
Strangely, he felt anxious.
Like he absolutely couldn’t miss that child.
Just as he tried to step outside, the slightly open door slammed shut.
THUD.
Hansol stared blankly into the air with his hand still outstretched.
Then he looked up.
The eyes of the baby guardian lion drawn on the door were now pointed directly at him.
He stared at them for a moment.
Then he exhaled the breath he’d been holding and collapsed onto the floor.
“What…?”
It wasn’t a malicious presence.
But the feeling was suffocating, like his chest was tight.
Rustle.
A warm breeze passed by.
“…Oh, right. Door. You helped me earlier. I forgot to say thanks.”
Hansol spoke quietly and glanced behind him.
None of them had come out yet.
“But you don’t have to help me anymore. Next time I really think Lord Bihyeon will scold me.”
Wait.
Did the baby guardian lion drawn on the door just move their heads a little?