episode_0128

***

The second night of the festival passed without incident.

As Emma said, it was an event to select the queen of the village, and the women of the village came out and danced, showing off their own charms.

Inho was so far away that he could only see people moving around, but he could still feel the bustling atmosphere of the scene.

Each person dances, and men pass by and throw artificial flowers.

The dance becomes more intense and extravagant as the flowers pile up.

Eventually, the queen of the village is decided, and she wears a wreath made of white flowers on her head.

With the queen at the center, women form a line and walk around the street.

“Is that an artificial flower on your head?”

Looking at the procession that had arrived near the mansion, Inho asked Emma.

“No, it is made by plaiting flowers that bloom in the winter.”

A colorful wreath waved from the queen’s head.

“This year’s queen is prettier than the last queen.”

Emma spoke calmly, and Inho looked up at her with an incomprehensible expression.

“Emma is prettier?”

At Inho’s humorless words, Emma’s face became redder than a colorful garland.

The second day passed, and it was the last day of the festival.

Perhaps because it was the finale, the loud noises continued from dawn.

Even In-ho, who was able to just focus on writing on the first and second days, stopped writing on the last day and walked around the garden.

Emma brought up the topic again, saying it would be better to block the sound with a wooden plank, but In-ho said that they would just have to endure it for today.

The noisy atmosphere continued until evening, and Inho sat down at the table and looked at Emma’s cooking with great enthusiasm.

Perhaps to commemorate the festival, there were more items than usual, and all of the menus were filled with Inho’s favorite foods.

– mulberry

Emma opened the wine bottle and poured it into Inho’s glass with elegant movements.

A slightly viscous red drink quickly filled his glass.

“I don’t have much to prepare, but I hope you enjoy it.”

Emma spoke politely and sat across from Inho.

“There is nothing prepared. Will the table bend?”

Inho’s eyes widened at the exquisite feast, and drool flowed from his mouth.

For the first time since coming here, I felt an appetite.

Inho picked up the knife and cut the steak in the bowl.

It was grilled to the right degree and cut well without much effort.

Inho put the meat with the brown sauce in his mouth and mumbled.

The juice that came out with every bite made my tongue tingle.

“Delicious.”

A straightforward evaluation without any rhetoric. This was what Inho said every time, but Emma smiled proudly.

“The owner enjoyed the meal, so I think I’m already full.”

“Still eat it. You don’t often get a chance to eat something this delicious.”

If I were to continue eating food of this quality, I wouldn’t have any money left.

Inho swallowed his words.

“I… master.”

Emma cautiously opened her mouth to In-ho, who was eating steak.

“Huh?”

“If you allow me… can I have a drink too?”

Emma’s eyes turned to the bottle of alcohol, and Inho nodded willingly.

“Because I can’t drink it all anyway. Emma drinks too.”

“Thank you.”

Emma grabbed the bottle and poured a drink into her own glass.

“Shall we make a toast?”

Inho suggested, holding up the glass with his index and middle fingers.

“Yes, of course. What should I say as a toast?”

“Uh… Well, I’m not sure. Would Emma do it?”

One day, In-ho smiled awkwardly, recalling the toast that Namgung So-yu forced him to say.

You can’t just come all the way here and say, ‘Get it wet.’

“Then, although it is not enough, I will raise a toast.”

Emma thought about her toast for a moment, then slightly raised her glass and said.

“For the owner’s happy time.”

“For.”

– Jang

Glasses clinked together with a clear sound, and the meal proceeded happily.

***

After drinking for a long time, Inho became greedy and asked for another drink.

Emma refused, but because of In-ho’s persistence, she raised her back and decided to drink the remaining drinks while she and In-ho watched the fireworks.

By the time we set up the drinking table in his room, the sun had already gone down.

The winter days were short.

Looking at the commotion outside, Inho sat down in the armchair and Emma poured another drink.

Before we knew it, the highlight of the festival, dance time, had begun.

When the piled firewood was ignited, it became a huge campfire.

People gathered around the campfire, and the queen of the village, decided the day before, began dancing with her favorite partner.

Exciting music played, and people in their respective pairs began to dance.

“Emma. Isn’t it a pity?”

In-ho asks while taking a sip of his drink. Emma’s expression, who was drinking with her, turned cold.

“Master. If you’re talking about Hans again…”

“That’s not it.”

In-ho chuckled.

“You are also the same age as the people dancing over there.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Emma tilted her head at Inho’s words.

“Sometimes I thought you might want to play with your peers and have fun too.”

“I don’t want to hang out in such a busy place. I prefer being in this mansion.”

“Still….”

Inho trailed off, and Emma gulped down the half of the alcohol remaining in her glass.

– Gulp.

After continuously pouring down her drink, Emma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and quietly stood up.

“I… master.”

“Huh?”

“Well, if you care about me that much… would you dance with me?”

“Dancing?”

Inho looked at Emma in surprise.

Emma twisted her hair with her fingers and slightly avoided her master’s gaze.

“Well, it’s just… I feel bad… I don’t think I’m playing well… Bird, if you think…”

“……”

As Inho stood still with his mouth slightly open, Emma’s face turned even redder.

“That, that, that… I made a mistake…”

“No.”

“Yes?”

“Dance, let’s dance.”

Inho smiled softly.

***

-Piyuuung boom~!

Flowers made of fireworks were embroidered in the sky.

The artificial form created by red, blue, and yellow firecrackers presented beauty to those who saw it.

Under the night sky with fireworks unfolding, people in pairs continued to dance with their bodies close together.

And, a couple was dancing on the second floor of the mansion.

“It’s a little awkward. Because I don’t know how to dance.”

Inho, holding one of Emma’s hands and supporting her waist with the other, spoke with an awkward smile, and Emma shook her head.

“Well, I don’t know anything either. Wouldn’t it be enough to just… dance?”

Emma was desperate to see if her awkward owner would bite her.

“Okay. Let’s work hard among clumsy people.”

Inho smiled and slowly moved his legs according to the sound of music coming from outside.

Their dance to the music was a bit crooked, but it didn’t look funny.

In the middle of the dance, Emma laid her head on Inho’s chest and said in a crawling voice.

“Thank you,”

“What?”

“Well, it’s just a ridiculous request…”

“No. If that’s what Emma wants to do.”

The owner was kind.

They continued dancing.

-Pow, boom, boom!

As the fireworks display reached its finale, the size of the exploding fireworks was larger and more spectacular.

Occasionally, primary-colored light coming through the window illuminated their profile faces.

Perhaps because he had become a little more proficient, Inho squirmed less than before and led Emma.

Emma surrendered herself to her master’s footsteps.

“Lord, master.”

As I turned around and approached the window, Emma called Inho.

“Huh?”

“Well, oh, isn’t today strange?”

“Hmm… It’s not strange. I just didn’t know that Emma had a childish personality, but I found out today.”

“Huh… I see. Oh, I think it’s probably because I’ve been drinking.”

“That could be possible. Because alcohol is a drink that people make with honesty.”

“That means…”

“???”

“Ho, is it okay if I act a little more foolishly?”

Emma continued speaking in a stutter.

“Soo, I was drunk… Lord, I want to make a fool of my master.”

“Okay. Tell me.”

When Inho, who could not have been unaware of Emma’s feelings, agreed, Emma took a deep breath.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling through her nose, Emma controlled her mind and seemed to have regained her composure, lifting her face from her chest and looking straight at Inho.

“Master. Just once… just once… can you give me a big hug?”

In-ho couldn’t think of the option of refusing the request, seeing that face that was yearning for affection but also filled with sadness.

As he was dancing, he stopped, and they stood tall as one.

Inho let go of Emma’s hand and spread his arms wide.

“Ah….”

Inho hugged Emma tightly.

Although his arms were thin, they felt strangely strong today.

“Thank you every time. Emma. Because of you, I find peace in my heart.”

Inho’s voice whispering in Emma’s ear.

“Me too… I am always grateful to the owner.”

Emma responds to Inho’s words.

“Because of the owner, my life has meaning.”

Overwhelmed, Emma’s voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks.

And as if illuminating the scene, the last firework exploded spectacularly, sprinkling yellow light.

The festival ended like that, and four months passed.

The mansion they are staying in is now past the end of winter.