When Spring Blooms – 1

The winter, with its snow flurries and biting winds, was now coming to an end.

It was still cold, but bearable, and people who had been cooped up at home were now out on the streets until evening, sharing stories they had accumulated.

The first to announce the end of winter were the town’s drunks, whose voices, slurred with alcohol, once again filled the night streets, signaling that winter was indeed passing.

Four months after the festival, Inho, having finished his writing, was in the process of writing a letter to the editor of the Lohid Vissen Weekly.

“Master, is this ready to be sent?”

Emma, who had neatly tied up her hair, which had grown quite a bit during the winter, spoke to Inho.

“Yes. Please take care of it.”

Inho, who had just finished writing, placed the letter in an envelope, sealed it with wax, and handed it to Emma.

Emma, having received it, did not leave the study immediately.

It was because Inho had called her back.

“Aren’t you curious about what I wrote?”

It was a piece he hadn’t shown Emma while he was writing.

She had been secretly curious, as he had asked her various questions, but as a servant, she couldn’t presumptuously look at her master’s work, so she had suppressed her curiosity.

“I, I am curious.”

Emma, who had become more honest in her answers since the festival, said sheepishly, and Inho called her to his side with a warm smile.

“Here, this is it.”

“Oh… uh….”

Emma tried to exclaim in admiration reflexively, but she couldn’t.

The manuscript was filled with unfamiliar characters. Emma frowned.

“Master… what is this?”

At first glance, it looked like meaningless scribbles, but there seemed to be a certain order to it, so it didn’t seem to be due to Inho’s illness.

“This?”

As if expecting Emma’s reaction, Inho pointed to the letters on the manuscript with his finger.

“These are letters I learned when I was younger.”

“Ah… I see. As expected, Master knows a lot.”

“Yes. It’s a work that requires a lot of security, so I can’t let just anyone see it.”

Inho said, carefully stroking the manuscript.

“But Master, eventually, if people are going to read it, it needs to be translated, right?”

“First, I’ll send Ricardo the synopsis, and after we sign a serialization contract, I’ll have to translate it again.”

“Uh… from the Lohid Vissen Weekly? Surely, if it’s a masterpiece, you could sign a publishing contract again.”

Inho gestured with his fingers, wearing a triumphant expression.

“This is the place that gave me a chance to serialize when I wasn’t doing well. When I write again, I was thinking of serializing it in Lohid Vissen again.”

“I see. Master is so kind.”

“Ah, that’s right. Emma.”

Inho took out a small piece of paper and wrote something on it. It looked like the same characters as in his manuscript.

Inho, having written the letters, handed the pen and paper to Emma.

“This is….”

Emma, having received the pen and paper, looked at him, wanting to know his intentions, and Inho opened his mouth.

“The sentence written there means ‘When the blooming spring comes.’ You might forget, so write a note below.”

“Ah, yes.”

Below the sentence Inho had written, Emma picked up the pen and wrote in her own script.

“But, Master, why are you giving this to me….”

“Just keep it for now. You’ll find out everything.”

As Emma wrote the sentence, she asked, and Inho said something enigmatic.

Emma carefully put the slip of paper in her pocket and left the room.

“Master, should I buy some snacks?”

“Um, no. It’s okay. We’ll be having dinner soon.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“By any chance, after dinner tonight, could you shave me?”

“You haven’t shaved in a while. It’s not good for your skin if you do it too often.”

“It’s just… it feels comfortable when Emma shaves me. I feel like I sleep better too.”

“Hehe, I understand. Then I’ll give you a massage instead of a shave.”

“Thank you. You’re the only one for me, Emma.”

“You’re the only one for me too, Master.”

Emma opened the door to the study.

“Emma.”

Inho stopped her as she was leaving.

“Yes?”

His face was briefly obscured by the light coming through the bars.

All that could be seen in the backlight was his smile.

Inho remained silent for a long time.

“Master?”

Just as Emma was about to ask what was wrong, Inho cut her off.

“Have a good trip.”

At the unexpected farewell, Emma smiled slightly.

“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”

“Oh, Miss Emma. Long time no see.”

“Yes, sir. Please send this to the Lohid Vissen Weekly. The recipient is Ricardo in the editorial department. What’s the fastest option?”

“Express delivery will be delivered today. By the way, the editorial department… is Master Inho writing again?”

The employee, with his stylish mustache, leaned forward, excited.

“Yes.”

Emma, also happy, nodded with a bright smile.

“Wow~ I’m glad he’s recovered his health. I was so heartbroken when I heard that Master Inho was unwell.”

“Now that he’s serializing again, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll send it by express delivery, so you only have to pay the basic fee.”

“Yes?”

“Am I going to be stingy and charge the full fee for such a happy occasion? Hey, I’m not that heartless.”

“Thank you.”

Emma bowed deeply.

Leaving the post office, Emma clutched the fur coat she wore over her maid uniform.

Her heart warmed at the thought of her master’s kindness in buying her the fur coat.

‘I’m so glad.’

Avoiding the puddles formed by the melting ice on the street, Emma thought.

‘Master is healthy, and he’s completed a new work….”

As she passed the clothing store, someone called out to Emma.

“Oh? Isn’t that Emma?”

The owner of the clothing store was displaying merchandise.

“That fur coat looks good on you, right? Master Inho bought it for Emma.”

At the owner’s question, Emma patted the fur coat a couple of times with a proud face.

“Of course. It’s really warm.”

“Well, you’ll be able to wear spring clothes soon. Come by the clothing store sometime when you wear them. I’ll give you a discount on shoes.”

“I understand. By the way, are you displaying spring clothes now?”

“Yeah. Spring is almost here. By the way, didn’t Master Inho need spring clothes too?”

Emma briefly recalled the state of the closet and nodded.

“Yes. He does.”

“I have a few men’s suits. Do you want to buy them now?”

At the owner’s words, Emma touched her pocket.

She had only brought money to send the mail, so her pocket was empty.

“Ah… I, I didn’t bring any money today. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you can buy them next time. I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Emma bowed and hurried on her way.

It had already been 30 minutes since she left the mansion.

After entering the mansion, Emma hurried up to the second floor.

Creak, creak.

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

Ever since Inho collapsed on the street, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling of being separated from him.

See? Even now, her heart was pounding, as if she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

Emma thought so.

“Ahem, ahem, cough.”

Emma cleared her throat.

Knock, knock.

She knocked on the door of the study.

“Master, I’m back.”

There was no answer.

Thinking he might have gone somewhere else, she opened the study, but Inho was nowhere to be seen.

“Did he go to his room?”

Emma turned and headed for Inho’s room.

Knock, knock.

This time, she knocked on the bedroom door.

“Master. It’s Emma.”

There was no answer.

Emma carefully opened the door.

Emma poked her head through the slightly opened door and looked around.

Seeing the shape rising up on the bed, she opened the door wide and entered the room.

“I guess he’s sleepy.”

Well, he’s been staying up late writing these days, so he must be tired.

She muttered softly.

When her feet stopped near the bed, she noticed something strange.

“Huh…?”

She approached her master with quick steps.

“…Huh?”

A puzzled voice came from her mouth.

Her master’s body, which should have been sleeping, was strangely still.

Calming her trembling hands, she brought her fingers to Inho’s nose.

She should have felt a faint breath, but.

She felt nothing.

“…Uh… eh?”

She felt as if all the blood in her body was drying up.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed next to the bed.

“M, Master?”

She called out to her master in a trembling voice, but Inho didn’t even stir.

Groping around the bed, she lifted the blanket.

She saw her master’s emaciated arm.

She grabbed his arm.

She felt no warmth, only the coldness was transmitted to her fingertips.

“M, Master!”

She didn’t worry that her master would wake up. No, rather, she cried out, hoping that her master would wake up.

Despite her cry, filled with urgency, her master showed no sign of waking up.

“Master. I’m here. I, Emma, am here. Master, are you sleeping? Are you so tired that you’ve fallen into a deep sleep? I’m sorry. I don’t mean to disturb your sleep. But….”

She lifted her body slightly and leaned over the bed.

Her face rested on Inho’s chest.

“But… please wake up just once. And then you can go back to sleep, okay? Please. Master. Master….”

She rubbed her face and cried out.

“Ha… ha… if you sleep now… I won’t give you a massage tonight. So… wake up.”

“Let’s go buy spring clothes, Master.”

She felt as if something sharp had pierced her chest.

“Master, I, Emma, am here. Master. Ah… Master!”

“Master!!!!!!”

The woman’s sorrowful cry echoed emptily through the mansion.

Winter was coming to an end.