The Reason for Choice

The scent wasn’t overpowering. It wasn’t the kind that made your head spin, like one he’d smelled before.

It was subtle, almost unnoticeable unless you paid close attention.

A fragrance he couldn’t detect at home was gently rising from the flowerpot.

“How does the fragrance strike you, Young master?”

With golden eyes, Chunhyang inquired about the flower she had planted in the pot.

He, the recipient of the question, brought his nose close to the delicate flower.

Hoo. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

The fragrance traveled through his nose, caressing his entire body.

“It’s nice.”

His reply was concise.

“I like that it’s not excessive.”

Kang In-ho’s clear gaze turned to Chunhyang.

Chunhyang understood what that meant.

Chunhyang stroked the petals with a long, white finger.

It was as if she were handling a child.

“…I created this one especially.”

Her eyes, as she looked at the flower, were overflowing with affection.

“I gave the first seed to you, Dearest. This precious and cherished child has finally shown its face to the world.”

“At first, I thought it was the Golden Eye Herb.”

As he spoke, observing the pale color of the leaves, Chunhyang raised one side of her mouth in a bitter smile.

“I hear that in this place, it is called ‘Dearest.’ Isn’t the Golden Eye Herb a child that only I cherish?”

She displayed a crescent-moon-shaped eye-smile.

“I cannot force it upon you.”

It was a statement laden with meaning.

“You’ve changed your mind.”

Kang In-ho’s eyes widened slightly.

“Please see it as a strategic choice.”

Perhaps overwhelmed by his pure surprise and praise, Chunhyang turned her face slightly away.

“It’s just…”

Chunhyang paused for a moment.

“It’s just that, seeing the other people around me, I realized something.”

Chunhyang tilted the teapot she had brought, filling the teacup with water.

The tea leaves, drenched in the warm water, rose to the surface.

“Whether it was a change of heart or a strategic choice… it’s good.”

Kang In-ho grinned.

“First of all, I like that my head doesn’t hurt as much. And I like it even more that I can see your true self.”

He said, looking at her ears that stretched out to the side.

Chunhyang wore a peculiar expression at Kang In-ho’s affectionate demeanor.

She briefly placed her fingers near her heart, which was gradually picking up speed.

She pressed down, calming her heart that was beating wildly on its own.

There was a brief lull in the conversation, and Chunhyang picked up the teacup, breaking the silence.

Kang In-ho readily extended his hand and took the teacup she offered. Chunhyang exchanged the teacup for the flowerpot.

Just as the fragrance had enveloped his body, the warmth of the teacup flowed through him.

Chunhyang brought two small folding chairs from the counter.

Kang In-ho took a chair and sat down, and Chunhyang also sat demurely, facing him.

“This child’s fragrance doesn’t have any particularly special effects. Just a calming effect.”

She continued to stroke the petals.

“I see.”

Hoo-roo. Kang In-ho blew on the steaming tea and sipped it.

“You believe me so easily.”

Her hand, which had been stroking the petals, stopped.

She raised her lowered eyes and looked at Kang In-ho.

“What if even this is hypnosis?”

Kang In-ho drank some more tea. The warm and fragrant scent was conveyed to his five senses.

“Dearest…”

Perhaps displeased by his leisurely attitude, Chunhyang’s eyes intensified.

He had no idea what she was thinking.

“What if I lured you, swaying from the alcohol, with the Golden Eye Herb?”

Chunhyang revealed her own weaknesses.

“What if the resolve and emotions you feel now are the result of hypnosis created by the Golden Eye Herb?”

She deliberately advertised her own flaws.

Chunhyang continued to ask, revealing her own shortcomings.

Why did he come here, why was he so calm?

She wanted to know.

Clearly, he was someone who had pushed her away with unpleasant emotions.

She couldn’t understand why he had come to find her so willingly.

It was a joyful thing that he had come.

It was a happiness that made her heart stop and her blood run dry, a happiness that was beyond expression.

Because it was such supreme happiness, she had doubts.

Why her?

They had spent so little time together, and they hadn’t even had good feelings for each other, so why her?

The fear that had taken root deep in Chunhyang’s heart emerged like a snake raising its head.

“Dearest.”

Kang In-ho did not answer Chunhyang’s question.

Rather, he simply drank his tea and looked at Chunhyang’s face calmly.

“Dearest, are you toying with me?”

Her hand, which was wrapped around the flowerpot, tightened.

“Toying… the nuance is a bit off. Let’s just say I’m teasing you.”

“Dearest!”

Chunhyang’s voice rose at his blunt words.

Kang In-ho raised a finger to his lips.

“Don’t raise your voice.”

“……..”

Having her previous words returned to her, Chunhyang puffed out her cheeks.

Perhaps because the initiative in the conversation had been taken away, Chunhyang had an anxious look on her face.

The silence was long.

Kang In-ho was not silent simply to tease her.

He chose his words carefully. He pondered how he could convey what he felt.

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

After a long silence, he opened his mouth.

“Do you remember when I realized your identity?”

Chunhyang nodded.

“You said then that I might think you manipulated a lot of things, but in fact, you didn’t change much.”

[You might have thought I manipulated a lot of things… but in fact, I didn’t change much.]

Chunhyang recalled her own words.

“I was too excited to accept those words back then. And after that, I was caught up in the Dimensional Shift and didn’t have time to think.”

Chunhyang simply stared at his mouth without reacting.

“But when I thought about it over time… it was somewhat true. It was just that the existence of ‘Chunhyang’ had intervened in the world where humans live.”

“That is truly the case, Young master.”

“And it’s not like I don’t know how it feels to be desperate for love…”

He gave a bitter smile, recalling his previous relationships.

He seemed to have become depressed for a moment, wearing a gloomy expression, but then he clapped his hands and brightened his face.

“So I tried to think about it in a slightly better way. That’s all.”

He put down his teacup and rubbed his hands together, grinning.

Chunhyang was uncomfortable with that smile.

“Dearest. Is that the only reason you came to find me?”

“The only reason…”

“I am glad that you think well of me. But that only means we are standing at the starting line, doesn’t it? I hate to admit it, but… the difference between me and the other women is extreme. I find it difficult to understand why you sought me out.”

Chunhyang gave a somewhat rational reason.

No one would choose her simply because they thought well of her.

He had already had a lot of interaction with other women.

It made no sense to choose her, who had achieved nothing.

“Hmm… do I have to say this myself?”

“Please tell me. I want to hear it.”

“You said it yourself. That I fit your taste perfectly.”

“…Pardon?”

[Young master likes obedient women, and he is interested in pleasure, so he wants a woman who is compatible in bed. I know everything. I am confident that I fit Young master’s taste perfectly.]

An old memory suddenly flashed through her mind.

Chunhyang’s face turned bright red.

“You’re clumsy at expressing yourself, and your inner thoughts are twisted, but…”

“I wanted to try being with you.”

“…Dearest.”

“Of course, I’m still upset that you deceived me.”

“Is that… so?”

Her long ears drooped.

“So this time, without deceiving me, tell me everything about yourself.”

That’s my condition.

He said.