episode_0116

***

Emma’s sniffles didn’t stop easily.

In-ho slowly leaned forward, probably feeling uncomfortable with the wet woman on his back.

I was trying to avoid it without hurting her feelings, but Emma was quick to notice.

Emma, who had returned to her upright posture, stood next to Inho and lightly wiped away tears with her finger.

“Sir, I’m sorry. I am in charge…”

“Oh, no. There must be some reason that I don’t know about.”

“Please feel free to speak. Because no owner treats a maid with respect.”

“Really? Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. Please.”

Emma felt as if she was talking to a man her own age, rather than her owner, who was always calm and unresponsive.

She cleared her throat slightly and cleaned up the bottles lying around.

“But, there are no other maids… huh?”

Inho, who was watching Emma tidy up the dishes while clattering, asked behind Emma’s back.

“Another maid… you mean?”

After pausing for a moment, Emma turned and made eye contact with her owner.

She raised her white hand and placed it on her chest.

“I am the only occupant of this mansion. Master.”

“Why? It looks pretty big…”

The questioning gaze of the owner stayed in the air for a moment. He stared at the empty space for a while, wondering if he could see something in the air.

“Number of dimensional shifts: 6 times… Cause of death: Galsa…”

Seeing the owner mumbling something incomprehensible, Emma thought that his condition had improved again.

“Other employees are snobs who only care about money.”

Emma said with hatred. Inho asked back, his voice strangely sharp.

“Snob?”

“Yes. When the tide went down, they were snobs who ran away.”

“Umm….”

Inho smoothed his chin. His unsightly beard tickled his palms.

“First of all, I don’t know what it is. I don’t remember anything. My body is also unfamiliar.”

Emma asked cautiously, hearing the owner’s clear words.

“Master, by any chance… do you remember how old you are now?”

At Emma’s question, the owner rolled his eyes here and there.

He looked like an old man, but the gun in his eyes did not belong to him.

“Me? I’m… thirty-one.”

Like a student answering a question posed by a teacher, Inho also carefully answered Emma’s question.

“Ah… I understand. You are thirty-one.”

Emma nodded with a slightly flushed face.

“First of all, rather than continuing to talk here, I will take you to a more convenient place.”

Emma showed her palm and extended her hand to Inho.

Inho looked at it for a while, then put both hands on his knees and gave strength to stand up.

Emma’s eyes widened when she saw that.

“Where should I go?”

“Ah… Ah, you can follow me.”

After being dazed for a moment, a smile spread across Emma’s face like a flower.

***

Inho returned to the room following Emma’s guidance and sat down in a comfortable armchair.

Emma excused herself for a moment and brought snacks, which looked like pudding to Inho, who did not know much about types of desserts.

I was handed a small spoon, and as I took a spoonful, the gently sweet taste spread throughout my mouth.

Inho slowly took another spoonful, and in the meantime, Emma told him about her master’s lost memories.

Emma, who spoke for the first time, spoke in a quiet tone, but did not stop and talked about what had happened for 30 minutes.

Although Emma’s explanation of ‘what happened so far’ seemed to contain a lot of her personal opinion, Inho was able to grasp the general context.

‘Should we consider him a fallen nobleman…?’

At first, I thought it was England from the 19th century, but as I listened to the story, I realized that it was a completely different world.

Just in case, ‘America’, ‘Germany’, etc. He hinted at something about a country he knew, but Emma responded that it was her first time hearing about it.

Fortunately, Emma saw herself as an elderly person with dementia, so In-ho felt very fortunate that she didn’t raise any suspicion even if she told nonsense.

‘By the way, you’re a novelist. Was the nobleman a novelist? Or did the novelist become an aristocrat?’

Anyway, it is said that he was a successful novelist in his prime.

It is said that as soon as he wrote the book, it sold like hot cakes, and when he finished it, he was even invited to the royal family.

‘Well, you can’t keep doing well.’

It is said that as he got older, his popularity gradually waned, and he was gradually pushed back to publishing his articles serially in local weekly magazines.

Now, even that has been pushed back and I have to retire.

Anyway, as the income decreased, the family income gradually declined, and there was no room to hire servants. It seems like they left the mansion one by one.

Emma seemed to think it was disloyalty and betrayal.

” Considering the grace I have received from my master, it is right to dedicate my life and serve without pay…”

Emma’s eyes were burning like a freshly lit bonfire.

“It’s natural since we can’t give you a salary.”

As Inho chuckled, Emma widened her eyes as if she was embarrassed.

“The owner is still kind. Even if you were young.”

“I don’t think I’m that kind of person.”

Inho looked away and scratched his cheek at the compliment.

“It seems like there is no one who says that and is not a good person.”

As Emma spoke seriously, Inho’s face became redder.

“Master, I-”

Emma, who was looking at the sight with love, took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

-Jeee

The doorbell rang, something only heard in rich houses, and Emma’s eyes turned to the front door beyond the window.

Inho’s head also turned to follow Emma’s gaze.

“Are you a guest?”

In-ho muttered as he saw the young man standing in front of the gate.

– Puzzle

At that moment, I heard the sound of something being out of sync.

When Inho turned his head to find the source of the sound, Emma with a calm expression was looking at him.

“He is the son of the owner of a nearby general store, and he often sells door to door. If you stay still, it will go back.”

But contrary to what she said, the young man continued to loiter in front of the gate.

-Jeee

“Emma! I know it’s all there! Come out!”

Even though there was quite a distance, the young man’s voice reached the second floor.

“I don’t think the purpose is to sell?”

In response to the owner’s innocent question, Emma bit her lower lip slightly.

“Ah… I think I call it that because I mostly buy things.”

“If you don’t have something to buy, I think it would be better to go and say you don’t have it. Looking at it, it doesn’t seem like it will go back easily.”

“…Yes. All right. Then for a moment…”

Emma nodded and left the room.

Inho looked at the young man outside the window with a happy expression.

“You live with sincerity. Being young is good.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Inho chuckled.

“As the body ages, does the mind also age? I think it’s better when you’re middle-aged. I have no strength in my whole body.”

In-ho laughed self-deprecatingly as he evaluated his own body.

***

“I told you that I didn’t want you to make a fuss since the owner is awake.”

Opening the door slightly, Emma glared at the man.

Despite Emma’s attack, Hans smiled kindly.

“But this is the only way to call Emma. I don’t come to the general store often either.”

“Because I don’t have anything to buy.”

“Lie. Is it because I care? Be honest.”

“I think it’s annoying.”

“Oh, Emma isn’t honest either.”

Hahaha, Hans laughed, and Emma managed her expression by chewing hard on the inside of her cheek.

“Anyway, what is your business? If you say you just came to see the face, I will report you to the police.”

“It’s none other than the village festival.”

“But.”

“Is there anyone who wants to dance?”

“Shouldn’t you ask me if I want to dance first?”

“? Aren’t you going to come to the festival?”

“I won’t go. Why am I going out there?”

“But…. You promised to dance with me.”

“Ha?”

For the first time, Emma’s hardened mask cracked.

Her face was half bewildered and half angry, as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have heard.

“Why did you ask me to dance at the general store sometime?”

Regardless of her reaction, Hans was desperate.

“So what was my answer then?”

“I said, ‘Once the busy work at the mansion is over.’”

“I’m busy these days with a lot of work. Well then, that’s it.”

“Now, wait!”

Hans’ arm roughly came through the closing door and grabbed Emma’s shoulder.

Emma’s face crumpled.

“Is it because of Teacher Inho? Is that why I can’t go out?”

“Why is the owner’s story suddenly coming out?”

“Don’t act like a fool. Teacher Inho, you never thought I would know what we are doing today and tomorrow…”

match!

Emma slapped Hans’ hand with her palm.

In an unexpected action, Hans took his hand back, and Emma closed the door without missing the opportunity.

bang!

The iron door closed and made a loud noise.

“Do not speak carelessly. Mr. Hans.”

Emma gave a low warning and turned around to return to the mansion.

“Emma! I won’t give up!”

Emma ground her teeth hard when she heard Hans’ voice coming from behind.

-Suddenly, softly.

Emma entered the house and rubbed her shoulder as she headed to the second floor.

“How dare this dirty guy touch my body? Dirty, dirty, dirty. The only one who can touch my body is the master… Only the master…”