Chapter 25.1

Chapter 25.1

Ara, Seol-do, and Baekseol stood silently, as if by some unspoken agreement, their eyes fixed on the hallway that connected to the front door.

“Ta-da! Your idol, superstar, and the incredibly handsome and adorable Cheong-seon is here! You missed me, right?”

Soon enough, the Seon twins appeared. Cheong-seon, his face still faintly bruised, caught Ara’s gaze and immediately ducked behind Hong-seon, waving shyly from behind his brother.

Seol-do, as if she hadn’t even noticed the unexpected guests, turned her head away coldly. She stood up and gave Ara a gentle tap on the shoulder.

“If you ever need help, just let me know. I’m willing to cooperate.”

“That’s not what I—”

“Trust me, I’ll be more helpful than him. But I don’t work for free. You know I love Tomahawk steaks, right? Medium-rare, please.”

Even Baekseol, wagging her tail, couldn’t resist hinting at wanting something in return. It was like she’d already gulped down a whole jar of kimchi soup, despite there being no offer on the table.

Regardless of Ara’s bafflement, Seol-do and Baekseol turned and headed toward their respective rooms, leaving her standing there.

“What’s going on? Why’s everyone so tense as soon as I arrive? Were you talking about me? Huh? What’s the deal?”

Sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere, Cheong-seon bounded over to Baekseol, begging for attention with exaggerated cuteness. Meanwhile, Hong-seon gave Ara a simple nod before heading upstairs in search of Seok-kyung.

Before long, Ara was left standing alone in the spacious living room. A deep sigh escaped her, as if it could sink her straight into the ground.

“It’s really not like that…”

Her words, a defense with no one left to hear, echoed like a lost refrain in the empty room.

***

Dinner that evening, with four goblins, a dog-spirit, and a human gathered around the table, was as lively as any large family meal.

The stars of the night were the vegetables Ara had bought from the market. Combined with her cooking skills and a gift of pure, 100% domestic sesame oil, the meal’s flavor was nothing short of perfection.

Ara’s culinary talents were on full display, and the feast disappeared rapidly. Seol-do, Baekseol, and Cheong-seon, in particular, devoured the food at an alarming rate. The phrase “eating as fast as a blink” would have been the perfect way to describe the trio.

In contrast, Seok-kyung and Hong-seon ate at a much slower pace compared to the trio. Though their portions and speed were perfectly normal by any typical standard, the aggressive way the others devoured their food made it feel as if they weren’t keeping up.

“If you’re still hungry, just let me know. I set aside some extra side dishes, just in case,” Ara said, sliding each of their favorite dishes toward them while trying to ignore the piercing stares from Seol-do and Baekseol throughout the meal.

Their silent gazes, though devoid of words, carried a weight that made ten spoken sentences feel lighter.

“What’s with you two? Why are you staring at Ara like that? Did something get in your eye? Come here, our Princess Baekseol. Cheong-seon will blow on it for you,” he teased.

“Shut up. Don’t talk while we’re eating.”

“Oh dear, Cheong-seon has lost to the food again today. It’s disappointing, but what can you do? Food is just as important to the princess as it is to me. Now, Seol-do, why don’t you explain? You’ve been acting suspiciously since earlier.”

“What does it matter if someone opens their eyes in triangles or squares? If you’re clueless, just back off.”

“What are you talking about? Where else would you find a goblin as perceptive and sharp as me? I know everything, but I figured you’d want to say something, so I’m just making it easy for you. It’s okay; don’t be shy, just say it, okay?”

On a normal day, Cheong-seon’s exaggerated chatter might have been irritating, but for Ara, it offered a momentary distraction from her predicament. Perhaps because of their previous lively encounter, Cheong-seon couldn’t bring himself to ask Ara directly and instead harassed Seol-do and Baekseol.

But there was no respite. Now even Seok-kyung and Hong-seon had picked up on the strange atmosphere, focusing intently on Ara’s every move.

“Hmm, I’m full. Maybe I snacked too much during the day,” Ara finally said, lifting her half-empty bowl and getting up from the table.

Typically, she would linger after finishing her meal, but this time, her discomfort made it hard to stay.

“Snacking? You went to the market and didn’t eat anything…” Seok-kyung began.