Chapter 13.1

Chapter 13.1

Ara put down her spoon entirely and turned to face Seok-kyung. Her head tilted slightly as she rested her face on her hands.

Seok-kyung glanced at Ara but remained silent.

“See? She’s a quick learner, always catching on fast.”

Cheong-seon made finger guns with both hands and pretended to shoot at Ara, even winking with one eye.

“Ugh.” Seol-do pretended to gag and went to get more stew.

“Let’s get back to the point. You were curious why our Geumsang Jeonha is so exceptionally handsome, right?” Cheong-seon continued, unfazed by Seol-do’s antics, maintaining the demeanor of a top instructor.

“Goblins’ human appearances are greatly influenced by the form of their original objects.”

“Like how your hair is blue, Hong-seon’s hair is red, and Seol-do’s hair is white?”

“Exactly. But it’s not just about the color. The effort and materials that went into creating the original object determine how detailed and beautiful the goblin’s human form will be.”

“Ah, I see.”

“The mirror that is Geumsang Jeonha’s original form… is a hand mirror adorned with pure gold and twenty-eight types of gemstones.”

“Gasp…”

Ara’s mouth fell open. Pure gold and twenty-eight types of gemstones? She couldn’t even name that many gemstones.

“Now you can guess how extravagant Geumsang Jeonha’s original form is just by looking at his face, right?”

Ara nodded, almost entranced.

‘Do you not realize how handsome you are?’

‘I know.’

‘I am quite an exceptional beauty. It’s because of my origin.’

Ara recalls their conversation when they first met. Now, she could understand why Seok-kyung had said that. With such a precious mirror as his original form, it made sense to call his origin special.

“But that’s a bit strange. The original mirror is made of gold and gemstones, so why is Kim Seok-kyung’s hair black?”

“Being a mirror goblin, he’s very interested in fashion. He changes his hair color frequently.”

Indeed. With his colorful suits, metallic watches, leather shoes, and silk ties, he could easily pass for a fashion magazine model.

Maybe it’s because mirrors are tools for checking appearances?

Ara pondered deeply, then suddenly remembered something she had forgotten.

“Right. So, who is the Yeonwon? Whose mirror was Kim Seok-kyung originally?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Clang!

A loud noise erupted from across the table. It was the sound of a spoon clashing harshly against the marble tabletop.

“How long are you going to chatter at the dining table?”

Seok-kyung glared at Cheong-seon with an irritated expression.

His voice was sharper than usual, causing not only Hong-seon and Seol-do but even Baekseol, who had her head buried in her bowl, to take notice.

“If you have more to say, talk after the meal.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cheong-seon immediately shut his mouth and sat up straight. He brought the now-soggy dongchimi noodles in front of him and gave Ara a quick nod.

Ara returned an awkward smile to Cheong-seon.

Though she was smiling, she didn’t feel like smiling at all. The excitement she had felt moments ago had vanished, replaced by a subtle sense of discomfort that was slowly taking over.

Does he not want to tell me who his Yeonwon is?

Ara picked up her spoon again. Seok-kyung’s face, which she glanced at once more, was now covered with a strangely cold shadow.

***

After the meal, Seok-kyung shooed everyone out, saying they were in the way of cleaning up. That included Ara.

Seol-do took Baekseol outside, saying they were going for a post-lunch walk. Hong-seon also disappeared to the third floor, claiming he had urgent matters to attend to.

In the end, only Cheong-seon and Ara were left in the living room.

Ara sat on the sofa, hugging a cushion and tapping her toes. The sound of running water at a steady pressure could be heard from the nearby kitchen.

In the morning, she could hear Seok-kyung’s voice mingling with that water sound. Strangely, she didn’t have the nerve to approach him now.

‘Ara, get a grip. Did you come here to sightsee?’

‘How long are you going to chatter at the dining table?’

Those cold words echoed in her ears like a hallucination.

Cheong-seon, who had been fiddling with his smartphone for a while, looked at Ara, who seemed oddly melancholic.

“Ara.”

Knock, knock. Cheong-seon lightly tapped the coffee table to get her attention.