episode_0033

[Episode 033] Age Difference

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“…So, the millstone that fell into the sea is still turning round and round~ continuously making salt. Now, Hyunkyung, do you understand why the sea is salty?”

“Yes! The millstone is turning round and round, so it makes it salty! Hehe, interesting. But Samchun! Shouldn’t we go find that magical millstone?”

“Haha, it’s probably hard to find because it’s deep in the sea, right? Why? What will you do if Hyunkyung finds the millstone?”

“Hehe, if I have that, I won’t have to work with Mom and Dad. I’ll become rich with the millstone! Then, I’ll give everything to Mom and Dad once I become super rich! I’ll give a little to Samchun too. Hehe, then we can go to the amusement park with that money…”

“….”

Even now, it was a painful memory. How much did they long for their parents’ affection to say such things…

But what did I say back then?

“Oh… Did I see such a scary child… Hyunkyung. That’s something you should never do… Have you heard of inflation? Your actions affect the value of money…”

“…. Waaah!! Waaahhh! … Mommy, huuuhh! Samchun… Waaah Samchun said something weird again waaahhh!”

…Was I just a brat back then?

****

“Iris, come here.”

Round and round~

Swoosh swoosh!

The millstone turns, pouring clear water into the water jar.

“Wow, this is really convenient, isn’t it?”

“Hehe, as long as we have this, we won’t have to struggle to fetch water. Right, Master?”

“True, even though I told you not to fetch water, it’s a relief you didn’t listen.”

“Hehe, but when you do fetch water and spill it, you seem to like it a lot~”

“Cough! Ahem!”

“So, why were you so sad yesterday?”

“Ah… that?”

Blushing for no reason at her teasing question, he bowed his head.

As the millstone turned, pouring out a transparent liquid.

Unknowingly, tears wouldn’t stop for me.

Just thinking about my mother who used to cough and sigh.

Even more tears flowed from my eyes watching the turning millstone than the transparent liquid dripping on the floor.

Heesun quietly stopped the millstone, approached without a word, hugged me tightly, comforting me… and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, the room was tidied up, and Heesun was sleeping, holding onto my arm.

I felt a bit embarrassed as if I had acted like a child in front of Heesun.

“I thought of my mother. That’s why I acted that way.”

“Master….”

As I spoke, Heesun came closer, wrapped her arm around my neck, pulled me into her embrace.

Without a single muscle tensing, I buried my face in her chest.

Thump thump thump thump

Heesun’s heartbeat was regular.

I closed my eyes, savoring the rhythmic sound like listening to music…

“Sob… Sniff!… Huhu….”

???

“What, why are you crying, Heesun?”

Startled, I tried to pull away to look at Heesun.

But she held me tightly with the arm around my neck, so I couldn’t help but bury my face in her chest again.

“Huhu… My heart hurts, sniff! Huhu… I… I didn’t understand… sniff… why didn’t you… comfort me more… sniff… Master…”

The crybaby fairy started crying again.

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Yes, maybe it’s because of you that I can laugh like this…’

I lowered my arms that were wrapped around her thin waist, lifted her behind her knees like a princess, and sat down with her in my lap.

“Sob sob. Master?”

Like a child, Heesun, nestled in my arms, opened her eyes wide in surprise and sniffled.

I found those swollen red eyes of hers so innocent and lovely.

Heesun. Still, I think it would be nice to see this occasionally.

Gently kissing her cute cheeks, marked with tears like sticky rice cakes, I then imprison Heesun in my firm chest.

This time, let Heesun hear the sound of my heart. Until she is satisfied to the point of breathlessness, for a long time….

“Why did it naturally change from me trying to comfort you to you comforting me?”

Heesun narrows her green eyes at me, embarrassment and shyness making her look so adorable.

“How can our fairy be such a crybaby, haha.”

“I’m not a crybaby! You’re the real little groom here!”

“Ugh!”

As Heesun playfully teases me, catching my weakness, she finally smiles with a hint of triumph as I am embarrassed.

“Hahaha. What did you say back then? Hm? Hm? Hmm! Lived seven hundred years~ Kya-haha but you’re twenty~”

“Ah.. no…”

Now mimicking my tone, she teases me about what I said back then…

I really am thirty-seven!

Oh! How do I explain this? It’s unfair, so unfair!

…Wait?

But did Heesun ever mention her age? How old is Heesun? Wait, isn’t Heesun a fairy? Let me see… What’s the average age in heaven?

Ugh, why do I need to know about heaven?

“Um…. So, h-how… how old are you…?”

I ask awkwardly, switching to formal language after being casual.

But why are you so flustered? Am I too old? Turning thirty?

“Uh.. uh… I’m eighteen….”

Heesun says her age in a voice as if entering a mouse hole.

Why is your face turning red like that?

“Oh, so you’re younger than me! Haha, wait! Huh? But eighteen?? Uh? Oh… oh… no…! What have I done to a child until now?? Oh no! This, this is a big, big problem…!”

“Why is that. Sir? Is a two-year age difference too much of a conscience issue…? Sir! Wake up! And ‘child’? Who is this girl you’re talking about! Are you planning to marry her already! If you want to take a new wife, you should properly fulfill your duties from the first night!”

“……”

My life is over. I am a beast. I am trash..

To think I did something to a child nineteen years younger than me….

“Sir! Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!”

She shakes me around like a half-dead body, waking me up.

“Hee, Heesun…”

“Yes! Are you finally awake, brother-in-law?”

“Now, just call me ‘uncle’….”

“What? Why all of a sudden… why ‘uncle’…? Not ‘sir’… nor ‘brother-in-law’… Uncle, you say… Are you… Are you trying to abandon me?… Saying that girl will be your main wife?”

“Oh, no… haa….”

Well, the legal marriage age here is fifteen, so eighteen isn’t a big deal, which means she might not understand.

Anyway, this is my personal matter….

“I-I… I’m really. I… I’m going to abandon you, niece? I… I’ll give up everything. Everything I can give…. Why are you abandoning me…? Huhu… huhuhu…”

Huh? Heesun… why do your eyes suddenly seem unfocused?

“Uh, Heesun? First, there seems to be a misunderstanding…”

“First… first… if I stamp first, I win… yes… let’s stamp now… that bad girl! Trying to seduce my husband! Just wait… I’ll become the main wife today… yes… very meanly… huhuhu….”

“Hee, Heesun! Why… why are you like this? Why are you looking at me like that? Hey! What are you doing! Uh… don’t take off your clothes!! Stop! Stop undressing! It’s my fault, my fault!”

“Hey, let go of this! I have to receive today’s seed from my brother!”

“Oh, no! That really can’t happen! This world could become dangerous!!”

“So… you mean Brother sees women from nineteen and up?”

“Y-yes…”

“Is it dangerous for an eighteen-year-old like me?”

“Uh… yeah….”

“Then let’s just wait for a month,”

“Why… why a month?”

“Of course, it’s because it’s New Year in a month! Wait, there’s less than a month left, it’ll be New Year after this month.”

“Oh… right…”

“It’s funny how Brother is fixated on eighteen, but when you think about it, what did we do? Just kissed and hugged each other!”

“T-touched…”

“What did you say?”

“N-nothing…”

Heesun’s eyes narrowed.

I shriveled under that sharp gaze, like a deflated balloon, gradually shrinking.

“No, think about it! When people hug each other, isn’t physical contact normal? So what’s the problem if you accidentally touch chests or buttocks? It’s completely innocent. Besides! If hugging leads to Brother touching my chest with his, why can’t he touch it with his hand? It’s the same, right?”

“Uh…?”

Something… seems illogical…?

“From the start, if a month equals New Year, then what law dictates calling someone ‘uncle’ a month before and ‘husband’ a month later?”

“T-there is…”

“Brother! Remember! Age is just a number. Even with a big age difference, we can still be a couple! Got it?”

“Well, isn’t that a bit… risky? Bad people could use strange excuses…”

“Oh! That’s true! Hmm… then! If marriageable age is over a hundred years apart, it’s not a problem! How about that? Well… from Brother’s perspective, it’s over 19.”

“Umm… that might be okay… but…”

“Be clear! Don’t give vague answers like ‘might be okay’! A hundred or a thousand years apart is fine. Isn’t it?”

“I-it’s fine…”

“Phew… alright then. I’ll endure being a couple with Brother for about a month.”

“H-Heesun is scary…”

Heesun glared at me for a while, then seemed satisfied with my response and smirked.

“I said I’d endure being a couple for about a month… but… you won’t attack me, right, Brother?”

“T-that won’t happen! It’s not even a month yet… I’ll endure… I’ll draw a line starting today and sleep separately! Got it? We’ll even use separate bedding!”

“Why are you saying that? It’s scary for me to sleep alone! It’s lonely! I have nightmares!”

“Oh… well… then… just with arm pillows…”

“Okay… I’ll be satisfied with arm pillows too. But as I said earlier, even if Brother touches me secretly, I’ll pretend to be asleep… hehe.”

“Oh, not like that!”

“Well, let’s check at night. Hehe, by the way, when will you tell me about the Songsa story?”

“Oh… I wanted to tell you.”

“Shall we go to the room first? M-Master?”

“Y-yeah…”

Heesun swayed her large hips as she entered the room.

Is Heaven’s Eighteen naturally so mature…? Why does she seem so sisterly? Why is she so mature…?

What kind of education did Heaven undergo…?

“Why are you taking so long?”

“Uh! I’m coming…”

I followed Heesun into the room, carrying a millstone like a sinner tied to an anchor, trailing behind her.