Chapter 26.2

Chapter 26.2

Baekseol quickly changed her tune, tugging at the sleeve of her white t-shirt, her tone becoming oddly awkward, leaving Ara with no time to question it.

“Hurry up and make my food. I’ll need you to sit in front of me until I finish eating since we have to eat together. While I polish off two bowls, you’ll finish one.”

Last time, Baekseol took her treats to her room and savored them alone, so what’s gotten into her now?

Is she trying to play along with Seok-kyung’s request, or is there a different rule when it comes to meals compared to snacks…?

“Okay, okay.”

Thinking they were both rather peculiar beings, Ara stood up and headed to the sink. The quiet house gradually filled with the sounds of daily life once more.

“Huh. I thought it was a joke, but you really mean it…”

As Ara rummaged through the refrigerator and pantry to prepare breakfast, Baekseol muttered softly.

“Hmm? What was that?”

Ara asked, having missed Baekseol’s words while taking out dishes.

Baekseol gazed up at her with a curious expression, then shook her fur as if to shake off any lingering thoughts.

“Nothing. I’m just hungry. Hurry up. I’m not good at waiting.”

“Yes, yes. I understand and will serve you.”

Ara shrugged in resignation.

Baekseol sat behind her, watching intently until breakfast was ready, her expression a mix of fascination and curiosity as if she were seeing something extraordinary for the first time.

***

“Let’s eat and then go for a walk.”

Baekseol suddenly lifted her head from the bowl, still focused on her meal.

Ara burst into laughter, unable to help herself.

“Sure, just let me finish the dishes.”

As she plucked a grain of rice from Baekseol’s nose, Baekseol squinted, clearly tickled.

“Where should we go? I saw a big backyard behind the house the other day. Should we head there?”

Ara remembered the garden Seok-kyung had shown her the day after she arrived.

The garden was like a scene straight out of a movie or drama, a paradise that stirred Ara’s heart just by thinking about it.

“Perfect timing—Seok-kyung isn’t around, so I can finally relax and enjoy this.”

Just as that thought crossed Ara’s mind, it was shattered.

“What kind of walk is that?” Baekseol’s grumpy voice cut through Ara’s hopes.

“Why? It was beautiful there. It’s spacious, with flowers and a fountain…”

“That’s too close. You need to at least go to Daeyasan to get some real exercise.”

“Daeyasan?”

Ara’s eyes, which had briefly dimmed at Baekseol’s refusal, brightened again in an instant.

Daeyasan was the sibling mountain to Soyasan, where the goblin house was located. According to the local elders, the two mountains were named so because they surrounded several villages, including Wolcheon Village.

Even after leaving the village, Ara made sure to visit Daeyasan at least once a year.

With the little savings she managed to gather over the years, she had bought a tiny plot of land—just a little over two pyeong—where Mal-soon was buried.

Speaking of which, Mal-soon’s memorial day was coming up soon.

Mal-soon had passed away in the bountiful autumn, the season when everything flourishes. The farmer, who had toiled his whole life to cultivate the land and reap its fruits, left the world at the happiest time of the year.

“Yeah. Why? Is it too far for you to go? But for you, being a regular human, it’s still not even a fraction of the distance you walked with Seol-do.”

Misinterpreting Ara’s long silence, Baekseol started to ramble on.

Ara quickly adjusted her expression to a smile and shook her head.

“No, it’s not that… Actually, there’s a grandmother’s grave there. I just thought about that for a moment.”

A hint of sadness and longing began to cloud her round, wide eyes.

Baekseol observed Ara’s face for a moment before licking her lips and shifting her posture.

“Are you missing your grandmother?”

“Of course. I always do. Haven’t I told you? She raised me in place of my parents.”

Her mother, who passed away too young, and her father, who disappeared without a trace. It was her grandmother who filled the void left by her parents, showering her with adult-like love and cradling her small shoulders.

“Ara, no matter what happens, I’ll always be on your side.”

Ara longed for that comforting touch and voice that would gently pat her back to sleep. After being thrust into society alone as soon as she reached adulthood, she had desperately awaited dreams of her grandmother.

Even though dreams were just illusions, whenever she had those dreams, she felt like she wasn’t alone.

“Alright. Let’s make our walk there today.”

Understanding her feelings, Baekseol suddenly declared with a resolute expression.

“Let’s pack a lunch and have a picnic for your grandmother.”