Chapter 10. Because the Pear Blossoms Are Still Beautiful

It was a simple offer, but Do-ah couldn’t respond right away.

Enduring pain was nothing new to her. At Ihwado-ga, she had long learned to act fine no matter how much it hurt. She couldn’t risk being cast aside for being weak. The thought of someone tending to her had always felt like a luxury she wasn’t allowed. Her life had been too lonely and too exhausting for things like that.

If it hadn’t been for Eun-ja, who had embraced her until the end, she would have drifted like pollen that never found a place to settle. Not everyone in Ihwado-ga was on her side.

—No matter what, the real bloodline is Yeon-ah, isn’t it? Do-ah’s a foundling, no one even knows what blood runs in her veins. What if she’s a murderer’s child? That would drag Ihwado-ga’s name straight through the mud.
—But Yeon-ah can’t handle it. She’s always chasing after nothing, wandering outside like her parents. What kind of successor is that? There’s a reason the Master Brewer gave her heart to the foundling.

Whenever she heard such words, Do-ah felt a twinge of guilt. She worried that her existence might stain Ihwado-ga’s honor. With that kind of burden, she couldn’t show a hint of weakness.

I’m fine. I’m fine, really. I’m okay…

No one knew that the words she repeated like a habit were the exact opposite of the truth.

“Let’s check the swelling first.”

His large hand moved carefully toward her ankle. She hadn’t been able to dodge in time, so his fingertips brushed against her ankle bone. His expression immediately turned serious.

“It’s pretty swollen. There’s a lot of heat too. How did you even walk on this?”

The warmth seeped through the thin bandage. He picked up the cold pack he had brought and pressed it gently against her ankle. The cool sensation made her toes curl involuntarily.

“You should be the one using the cold pack, not me.”

“…”

Feeling something for someone she had only met that day was unfamiliar and unsettling. Maybe it was because she was a foundling starved for affection. Yeon-ah’s mocking words echoed in her head.

—The neighborhood guys say you’re starved for affection because you’re a foundling.
—…
—Girls like you are the easiest. Be a little nice and they fall for you in no time. Seong-ju oppa said so too.

Seong-ju was the village chief’s second son and worked as the local health officer. When she was eighteen, she’d confessed a shy crush to him, a senior just a year older. With his refined looks and sharp mind, he was popular at school. He’d always ranked first in the entire school, then left for the city to study at the best medical school in the country.

Unlike Do-ah, who stayed behind at Ihwado-ga, Yeon-ah had gone to a technical college near Seoul and kept in touch with him. Once a month, whenever he came down, Yeon-ah would brag.

—Seong-ju oppa bought me something delicious in Gangnam. Want to see the pictures?
—I’m not interested, Yeon-ah.
—Liar. You liked him. You’re just pretending you’re not jealous.

No, it was the opposite. Do-ah had never had the luxury to be caught up in such emotions. She had rejected Seong-ju’s confession and turned away anyone else’s feelings as well. Those kinds of emotions belonged to people like Yeon-ah, who had grown up surrounded by love.

She had never received love, so how could she give it to anyone else? The only things she had ever learned were loyalty and patience. What Eun-ja had given her was precious, but at times it was lonely too. She thought she had grown numb to it.

As long as she didn’t face kindness like this, everything was fine. She had already learned what such kindness led to.

“I’ll handle it myself, so don’t worry about me anymore.”

That was her solution. It was easier to turn away than to hope and be hurt all over again. At least for Do-ah, it was.

Don’t act like some affection-starved foundling, Joo Do-ah.

Her trembling chest began to harden again.

“This kind of situation makes me uncomfortable.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, I’m sorry.”

Gwon-ha quietly withdrew from the sharp-eyed woman in front of him. He clenched the hand he had pulled back and continued calmly.

“I guess I crossed a line without meaning to. You got hurt because of me, after all.”

“…”

“Honestly, I’ve been looking at your ankle this whole time. I was worried.”

Meeting his eyes made her want to look away. The ankle, still cool from the cold pack, began to feel warm again. She needed to stand up before her hardened heart softened again.

“Then, good night.”

Do-ah rose and stepped down from the porch. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps when his warm voice followed from behind.

“Sleep well, Joo Do-ah.”

For some reason, a tingling sensation bloomed at the pit of her stomach. Maybe even more than in her swollen ankle.

* * *

While everyone slept, Gwon-ha slipped quietly out of Ihwado-ga. He couldn’t fall asleep, and suddenly, he remembered the cigarettes he hadn’t touched all day.

Should I smoke inside? he wondered, but then her voice stopped him.

—Please avoid cigarettes, perfume, or other cosmetics. Their scent could mix with the yeast.

So he climbed over the wall instead. He didn’t want the sound of a door opening to wake anyone. Outside, a completely different night scene greeted him compared to Seoul. The steady chirring of insects added a rustic charm to the view.

“Seriously, what a strange village.”

He walked along the path, cigarette between his lips. He lit it and took a drag. The harsh smoke burned his throat as it spread through him. When he exhaled, a cloud of white smoke dispersed into the cool air.

But it didn’t taste the way he expected. When he looked up at the star-filled sky, the delicate scent he’d smelled earlier came back to him. So did the calm gaze that had watched him while handing him disinfectant.

The warmth that had been simmering inside him grew hotter. He looked down at himself and let out a helpless snort.

“…Shit, stars.”

The stars weren’t at fault, but the curse slipped out anyway. It wasn’t that he was desperate for a woman. Still, this was absurd. Desire for a woman he hadn’t even known for a full day? That was pathetic.

He wasn’t ignorant. This kind of urge was fleeting. Once it passed, it would be nothing. That was the problem. This body was reacting far too easily to someone he’d just met.

If this kept happening every time they ran into each other…

“This is going to be a problem.”

You’re putting me in a damn awkward spot already, Joo Do-ah.

He let out a weak laugh and rubbed the ends of his eyebrows. Then he leaned against a dimly lit streetlamp. He didn’t feel like walking anymore, and ahead lay the pear orchard in full bloom. If he went there, this shameless, unrestrained thing would only perk up more.

“Huuh…”

He drew a deep breath to cool himself down. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he checked the screen, a sly smile spread across his face. So that’s why Secretary Shin was late. He’d been reporting.

Holding the cigarette between his index and middle finger, he tapped the call button.

“Yes, Chairman.”

[So, I hear you’ve taken a room in the Ihwado-ga servants’ quarters.]

“You heard already?”

His voice was relaxed, maybe even a bit cocky. It was the kind of tone that could rub people the wrong way. Chairman Kang was not the kind of man to let that slide.

[This is only the beginning. Don’t get overconfident before you’ve secured the brewing method.]

“Not to brag, but have you ever seen me fail? My uncle and aunt caused such a mess I could barely clean it up.”

Thanks to them, getting into Ihwado-ga had been easier. But among Kang’s direct bloodline, Gwon-ha resembled him the most. There wasn’t a trace of timidity in his voice.

Knowing his grandson’s personality, the chairman spoke again to keep him in check.

[Choi Eun-ja, the Master Brewer, is not someone to take lightly. She may already see right through you.]

See? I knew it. Something’s up.

The hunch that had been nagging at him kicked into high gear.

“By any chance, Chairman, do you know her personally?”

[…]

“It’s just… you two seem oddly similar. And that notoriously picky Master Brewer letting me in without a background check is strange. It doesn’t add up.”

He could hear the silence on the other end. Chairman Kang, of all people, was holding his breath. That in itself was telling.

What the hell is going on? There’s something here.

Just then, a pear blossom leaf floated down on the night breeze and landed at his feet. The image of someone with a face like those blossoms flashed in his mind. Without even realizing it, he crouched and picked up the white petal. His voice turned cold.

“What is it, really.”

He prayed, just this once, that his suspicion would be wrong.