The Atmosphere of the Festival

The doctor advised Inho to stay overnight at the hospital since it was late.

It was out of concern that an accident might occur while traveling on a cold night.

Thanks to the doctor’s consideration, Inho stayed in a two-person room, and Emma took the bed next to him.

Complete night fell, and Inho was the only patient in the hospital.

The small gas lamps lit by the nurses dimly illuminated the ward and the hallway.

“Emma, aren’t you sleeping?”

Inho asked Emma, who was sitting on a small chair next to the bed, not on the bed, and looking at him.

After returning from treatment, she had been constantly thinking about something.

Although it was difficult to see because of the darkness, Inho thought she looked a little uncomfortable.

“…Master, I’m sorry.”

Emma apologized every time Inho spoke to her, as if she was very sorry for something.

“No, it’s my fault for moving without you.”

Inho replied to her.

“I was foolish. I shouldn’t have left your side. I’m sorry, Master. I won’t disappoint you again.”

Emma pulled the chair forward a little and held Inho’s left hand with both hands.

Her warm warmth was conveyed.

“It’s okay. Don’t blame yourself too much. I overestimated my body too. It’s not Emma’s fault.”

Inho felt her somewhat excessive and clingy heart and tried to soothe her gently.

“Still….”

Emma made a small, fading sound.

“…Go to sleep. You’re very tired today.”

As if telling her to go to sleep now, Inho pulled the blanket up to his neck.

“Yes.”

Even with her master’s kind words, Emma’s mood, which had already fallen, did not improve.

Just as she was about to go to the bed next to him, Inho made a sound as if he had just remembered something.

“Ah, right. Emma. Do you see luggage under the bed?”

“Luggage, you say?”

Emma bent down and looked under the bed.

She saw something lying in the dark ward.

Emma reached out and picked it up.

“Master, what is this? It looks like… an envelope.”

The paper bag rustled.

“Can you see what’s inside?”

At Inho’s words, Emma took out the contents of the envelope.

She felt something soft in her hand.

“This is? Isn’t this clothes?”

Emma tilted her head, taking out something with considerable volume.

Clothes, wasn’t it? And women’s clothing.

“Yeah, it’s a gift.”

“Who should I deliver it to?”

When Emma asked, Inho asked back as if it was out of the blue.

“What are you talking about? It’s for Emma.”

“Yes? Mine?”

“Yeah, one for winter, one for spring.”

Emma looked back and forth between the two pieces of clothing.

A moderately thick fur coat and a yellow dress shone in the ward.

“I thought you’d need to be warm if you’re going out in winter… so I bought one. The spring clothes are a bit early, but it’s better to buy them in advance than to buy them later….”

Inho, who was talking about the clothes, stopped when he saw her shoulders shaking.

“Sob… sob….”

“Is the design a bit off? You can return it….”

Emma shook her head.

“I… I always only receive from you, Master.”

Emma sobbed, burying her face in the clothes.

“I haven’t… done anything… properly… for you, Master….”

Inho couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

What a wonderful and kind child, he thought.

Thus, as the night deepened, Emma’s hot tears did not stop.

Two days had passed since he was discharged from the hospital.

There was a big change in Inho’s boring routine. He, who had officially given up writing, had started writing again.

Of course, Emma was the only one who knew this fact.

Emma spends most of her time beside Inho, except for housework.

Even when Inho advised her to rest, Emma did not try to leave his side.

It seemed that she was worried because Inho had collapsed the other day.

Emma liked that her master had started writing again.

It also meant that he had regained confidence in his writing, and even Emma, who did not know much about literature, thought Inho’s writing was always warm and heartwarming.

When Inho wrote in his study, Emma sat on a chair at a suitable distance and observed her master.

She was curious about what he was writing and who the characters were, but… she held back, thinking that looking at the work her master was writing was disrespectful.

Inho would often ask Emma about various things while writing, and Emma thought of it as a kind of interview.

Emma was honored to answer his questions. It was because she felt that she was contributing to her master’s work.

‘What do you think Emma will be doing in 20 years?’

‘What are Emma’s hobbies?’

‘What does Emma usually do when I’m not around?’

Although the questions were somewhat vague, Emma thought that her wise master must have a reason for everything.

–

Pshoooong bang!

–

Hey! Why are you lighting it!!!

A loud noise came from outside the mansion.

Someone preparing for the festival must have accidentally set off a firecracker, and a small firework appeared in the sky and quickly disappeared.

“The festival preparations are in full swing.”

Emma explained as Inho stared blankly at the sky where the fireworks had been brilliantly displayed.

“I see. It already feels like a festival.”

Inho still looked out at the street through the window and said.

He seemed to be thinking about something deeply.