The Maid and the Master – 1

Emma, returning to the mansion with quick steps, went to her master’s room first.

Like someone who had held their breath for a long time, she hurried up the stairs.

Creak, creak.

Leaving behind the sound of the old wooden stairs, Emma stood in front of the room.

“Ahem, ahem. Hem.”

Afraid of showing a vulgar, disheveled appearance, Emma straightened her clothes.

Knock, knock.

Emma, knocking lightly so as not to wake her master, carefully opened the door.

There were two reasons why her master shouldn’t be awakened.

One was for her master’s health, who was lacking energy.

The other was to see her master’s face while he was sound asleep.

All the morning’s work was done, and there was time left before preparing dinner.

Emma intended to use her 3-4 hours of free time to look at her beloved master’s face.

This was her rest time.

Creak.

Opening the door as little as possible, Emma entered the room, muffling her footsteps.

And looking at the bed, she stopped abruptly.

“M-Master?”

The shape of her master, which should have been bulging under the blanket, was not visible.

Wondering if he had fallen off the bed, Emma quickly looked around the bed, but her master was nowhere to be seen.

“M-Master!”

Just in case, she pulled back the blanket, but there was only a trace of someone having been there, and of course, the person she was looking for was not there.

Emma blamed herself for being careless, having been relieved by her master’s recent healthy appearance.

“Oh, no.”

If she couldn’t find her master due to her carelessness, Emma would never forgive herself.

“I have to find him.”

Emma went around the entire second floor, checking the rooms.

The servants’ rooms, guest rooms, study, dressing room.

She mechanically opened the door, looked around the room, closed the door, and left.

Bang! Bang!

The sound of the doors closing loudly echoed through the house rhythmically, making Emma even more anxious.

Having searched the entire second floor, she went down to the first floor.

The clothes she had neatly arranged for her master were in a mess in a short time.

Creak! Creak!

Emma hurried down the stairs, and a faint rattling sound was caught by her heightened senses.

“Master?”

The sound came from the kitchen.

When Emma entered the kitchen, she saw her master drinking water from a bottle.

“Master… Whew….”

She was able to relax her tense body for a moment.

If he had gone outside, it would have been difficult to find him. She stroked her chest.

She didn’t know how he had drunk the water, but the kitchen floor was all wet.

There were already four empty water bottles around him.

Worried about her master drinking his fifth bottle of water, Emma cautiously approached him.

He was already mentally unstable, and if she forcibly took the water bottle away, he would surely get agitated.

This was common sense for Emma, who had been assisting him for a long time.

Even so, the old man stopped drinking as Emma appeared.

“Ah, well… I was thirsty.”

Could it be that he didn’t remember her?

Seeing her master using polite language, Emma’s heart sank.

Just a moment ago, he had been calling her name, smiling at her, and stroking her hair.

Emma felt like she was about to cry, but she soon put on a bright smile.

“It’s okay. Do you want to drink water?”

“Ah… yes.”

“I’ll pour it into a cup for you. Please sit here.”

Emma kindly pulled out a chair, and the old man sat down.

Emma adjusted the position of the chair so that the old man would not be uncomfortable, and took out a cup from the cupboard and poured water into it.

“You must have been very thirsty.”

The water from the bottle splashed into the cup.

“I’m sorry.”

The old man bowed with an apologetic face, and Emma shook her head.

“No, it’s okay. After all, this house belongs to you, Master. Who would say anything if you drink water?”

“Master?”

“Yes! You are the master of this mansion.”

“I am?”

“Yes.”

Emma said with a bright smile, and the old man touched the glass as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So that’s how it is.”

The old man muttered, looking at the calm surface of the water in the glass.

“Then, who are you?”

When the old man asked, Emma bit her lip slightly.

“I’m Emma. I’m your master’s loyal maid.”

“Emma. Emma…”

The old man repeated Emma’s name several times, as if trying to remember it.

“Master, do you perhaps… remember your name?”

Emma asked as she wiped the water from the table and floor, and the old man nodded slightly.

“Kang In-ho…?”

When the name came out of the old man’s mouth, Emma stopped moving.

“Ah….”

Emma jumped up and looked at her master’s face.

“Ah…”

Emma couldn’t form any sentences and only repeated meaningless sounds like a baby.

“???”

The old man tilted his head and widened his eyes.

And Emma carefully hugged the old man from behind.

“You… remembered. Master. You mustn’t forget me either, Emma.”

Seeing Emma sobbing, Inho thought.

‘What’s wrong with her? Scary.’