My Lady

“Huu.”

MuGyeom blew out the candle.

A darkness settled inside the room.

“Please rest comfortably, my lady.”

“You’ve worked hard today as well.”

EunSeo’s tired voice rang in the air.

Four days had passed since EunSeo had begun to practice walking.

At first, she had to rely mostly on MuGyeom’s strength as she moved her hands along the poles. However, today, she managed to support herself on the poles on her own.

When MuGyeom had taken his hands off her, she still managed to keep herself upright on the poles and succeeded in moving on her own.

Of course, her legs were still dragging behind her on the ground.

While she could take steps, whenever she let go of the poles, she would end up collapsing onto the ground.

While her legs were still unable to support her weight, when they were stretched out, she could slightly move her toes against the ground.

Although it was only her big toe, when EunSeo realized that she could move it, she was overcome with emotion.

Six days ago, she had tried to throw herself down the well. To think that she could move her big toe after six days…

EunSeo’s daily schedule started when MuGyeom would carry her on his back for their morning walk. After they ate lunch, EunSeo would practice walking until the sun began to set. MuGyeom would then douse a cotton cloth in warm water and apply it to her feet and calves.

MuGyeom told her that because she was beginning to use muscles that hadn’t been used in a while, they would have to do this in order to keep them from being overworked. Therefore, he never missed a day and diligently remembered to apply the warm cotton to her calves and feet.

Whenever he was applying the warm cotton to her calves, MuGyeom didn’t know where to look.

EunSeo still hadn’t realized the way his ear reddened whenever he held her pale calves and ankles.

“I’ll take my leave.”

“MuGyeom.”

Just as MuGyeom began to rise from his seat, he heard EunSeo’s voice call out to him.

“Yes, my lady?”

“You told me to… live for others to see. To live so that those who abandoned me could see how happy I am…”

“Yes, my lady.”

“What do you think will happen to me if I can walk again?”

MuGyeom remained silent.

He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

If EunSeo could walk again…

If her two legs had returned to normal…

She’d probably go back to Hanyang.

There was no reason for Lord Yoon to leave a perfectly fine daughter here for the rest of her life.

But he wasn’t sure if she’d be able to return to her husband’s house that had abandoned her.

Even if it would only take 1 year for her to walk again, within that year, her husband would probably remarry.

Did EunSeo want to return to her husband’s house?

She might.

Although he was the man who had abandoned her, she might never forget the man who had once been her husband.

‘You don’t know… You don’t understand…’

Rather than the fact that she couldn’t use her legs, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to return to her husband’s side might have been the reason why she had been in such despair.

Maybe. Probably.

If it had only been due to the frustrations of being unable to walk, she would have probably ended her life before she even came all the way over here.

Therefore, the true reason why she wanted to die was probably not due to the fact that she couldn’t walk. It was probably due to the love she could not sever.

It was obvious.

One couldn’t say that it was strange.

But for some reason, MuGyeom felt angry.

That man threw EunSeo away.

That household threw her away.

Even Lord Yoon threw her away.

After everyone threw her away, he was the only one who took care of her.

But EunSeo wanted to return to the ones who had abandoned her.

That made MuGyeom angry.

“Do you think I’ll be able to go back?”

“You will, my lady.”

“I’m not sure if I can.”

“Of course you should go back. You cannot live here for the rest of your life.”

After saying those words, MuGyeom opened the door and exited the room.

Tap.

After closing the door, MuGyeom walked down to the yard. Instead of opening the gate, he turned around and looked back.

EunSeo’s door was shrouded in darkness.

If he wasn’t here, EunSeo wouldn’t be able to do anything.

She might be able to crawl out the door, but she wouldn’t be able to drink or eat without him.

She might be able to change into another set of clothes, but she wouldn’t be able to change her underwear.

Until now, MuGyeom was the one who had changed her underwear. He was the one who’d changed her underwear and taken care of her.

But that wasn’t all.

He had also been the one who had doused the cotton washcloth and cleaned her body.

But EunSeo was only thinking of going back.

Although it was to be expected, the obvious reality made MuGyeom angry for some reason. It was so obvious that feeling angry would be ridiculous. So what was the cause of all this rage?

MuGyeom stared at the unlit room.

As if he’d turned to stone… As if his feet had been rooted into the ground… He blankly stared at the unlit room.

On the eighth day, it began to rain.

The autumn rain gradually wet the ground, so they were unable to go out into the yard.

Because of the cold autumn breeze, MuGyeom lit a fire in the furnace.

Splash.

MuGyeom plunged a cotton cloth into a brass washbasin before taking out it and lightly squeezing the water out. Then he began to wash EunSeo’s knees and calves.

When it came to washing her face or upper body, EunSeo did it herself. However, when it came to washing her hair or from the thighs down, she needed MuGyeom’s assistance.

Whenever MuGyeom washed EunSeo, he’d lay her down and cover her upper body and thighs with a summer blanket.

He covered her body in a thin blanket in case she felt too embarrassed. After doing so, he’d take the wet washcloth and only clean her feet, calves, and her knees.

As he swept the washcloth down her pale legs, her skin glimmered.

Whenever he washed her body, EunSeo grew silent. Of course, MuGyeom was the same way.

This was because both of them weren’t very happy about this situation.

The sound of the cloth sliding down her skin. The sound of EunSeo’s breaths and the sound of MuGyeom’s soft breaths… These sounds shook the room.

Today, these sounds were accompanied by the refreshing sound of the rain outside.

“It’s raining a lot today.”

Unable to endure the awkwardness, EunSeo turned her head and watched the rain falling outside.

MuGyeom didn’t know what she was thinking about in this situation and was filled with frustration.

What as EunSeo thinking about as she left her body in his care?

While she didn’t show it, was she embarrassed?

Or was she feeling resigned because there was nothing she could do about it?

Was she not afraid of him?

He was a man.

And he was a strong man at that.

If he wanted to, he could take her by force.

Unable to use her legs, EunSeo wouldn’t be able to resist him. And because there was no one else in this residence, no one would be here to help her.

Was she truly not afraid of him?

Or was it because she trusted him that much?

If not that, did she think that a mere servant would never dare covet his mistress? Did she not see him as a man at all?

Because MuGyeom didn’t know what EunSeo was thinking, he felt drained.

Well, even if he knew how she truly felt about him, nothing would change.

No matter how much EunSeo relied on him, he was still a servant and EunSeo was still a noble.

The law of rank and status wasn’t easily overcome.

MuGyeom was aware of the punishment a servant would receive if the servant raped a noblewoman.

If a servant had relations with a noblewoman, the woman would be locked away for the rest of her life, and the man’s throat would be slit.

That was the law.

The blood running in his veins were different from hers.

The blood of a noble and the blood of a vulgar servant were so different.

‘My blood is red, and so is my lady’s…’

The color was the same, but it was still different. How ridiculous.

Breaking out of his thoughts, MuGyeom finally realized that his hand was on her upper knee.

Instead of pulling his hand away, MuGyeom glanced at EunSeo.

EunSeo was still looking at the rain outside.

There was no way she didn’t know.

His hand had crossed the line. There was no way she didn’t know that.

The line he should never cross.

It was her knees.

That was the line that MuGyeom had designated for himself.

However, right now, his hand had crossed that line. His fingertips were touching EunSeo’s thigh.

However, EunSeo didn’t say anything.

As if I’m just a tree, she’s not calling my name or acting shocked.

She was merely staring outside with calm eyes.

As if nothing was happening right now.

MuGyeom stared at her.

He couldn’t breathe.

No, instead of breathing, it was as if his heart had forgotten how to beat inside his chest.

He couldn’t hear the rain anymore.

A terrifying calm settled over MuGyeom.

Within the stillness, all he could hear were his own breaths and his heart that had begun to race again. That was it.

His hand didn’t move as if it were frozen.

MuGyeom did his best to suppress the heat that was rising inside of him.

If he gave in to his lust, he would be no different from a beast.

He wasn’t a beast.

There was nothing he despised more than a man who raped a woman.

A nobleman who raped a servant who couldn’t fight back.

However, if he ever found himself doing that, he’d rather bite his own tongue and die.

Despite the reasoning in his head, he felt himself harden within his pants.

“……”

MuGyeom bit his lips.

Would he feel better if he went out and doused himself in the cold rain?

Suddenly…

“MuGyeom.”

EunSeo broke the silence by calling out to him.

Her voice pierced him like a thorn.

MuGyeom’s eyes were on her, and EunSeo’s eyes were still looking outside.

MuGyeom thought she saw him as a tree.

He thought she’d tell him she was disappointed in him for having the gall to lay a hand on a noblewoman’s body.

“What do you think of me?”

The unexpected question left EunSeo’s lips.

“My lady, I…”

“In your eyes, what am I to you?”

If he could, he wanted to tell her that he saw her as a woman.

Not a noble, not his mistress… A woman.

It may sound blasphemous, but in this moment, MuGyeom saw EunSeo as a woman.

A small, feeble, light woman.

While she was pitiful and sad, he couldn’t leave her alone.

A woman.

A beautiful woman.

A woman.

A woman he wanted to protect.

A woman.

The woman who made his heart race for the very first time.