Mirror, Mirror - Chapter 28.1

Chapter 28.1

Ara reached out her hand, pointing to something in the distance. Baekseol, who had been lazily sipping makgeolli beside her, craned her neck and squinted her eyes.

“What, those purple flowers?”

“Yes. Don’t they look like honeywort?”

“Honeywort?”

Baekseol tilted her head, puzzled.

“Maybe. I’m not really sure. I don’t know much about flowers.”

“Hm. They really do look like honeywort to me…”

Ara stared intently at the cluster of violet flowers before suddenly standing up.

“Where are you going?”

“To pick some flowers. Honeywort was Grandma’s favorite.”

Honeywort, also known as hakucho, was a plant that held the essence of Mal-soon’s life. Like its name, meaning “honey plant,” it had been a sweet presence, decorating various moments of her life.

‘You see this, Ara? Your grandma’s been nibbling on this since she was your age. After a long day digging and turning the soil in the field, just tasting one made everything feel sweet.’

Ara remembered her grandmother, Mal-soon. She used to give hert flower that brought brief happiness after a challenging day.

The tender shoots of honeywort often became part of simple meals they enjoyed together—humble dishes on their modest table.

“Even though she’s not here now, maybe she’ll stop by while I’m away. Wouldn’t she be happy if I left some flowers behind, just to let her know her granddaughter came by?”

Ara glanced at Baekseol, seeking approval.

With a piece of potato pancake halfway in her mouth, Baekseol looked between Ara and the cluster of honeywort. After a moment, the pancake disappeared into her mouth with a soft chomp.

“Yeah. For someone, that could bring a lot of comfort.”

Her dark eyes tilted up at Ara, glinting with a faint hint of green. As the angle shifted, they followed the sun’s position as if marking the passage of time.

“The path’s about to change soon. That area will be outside the maze garden. If you stay too long, you might run into someone. So just pick the flowers and come right back.”

“Got it.”

With a brisk nod, Ara turned and walked off. Her worn sneakers made purposeful strides toward the flower cluster.

As she drew closer, she confirmed that they were indeed honeywort. The layers of violet petals were stacked delicately, forming a flower that was both simple and beautiful.

How long had they been blooming here? She hadn’t seen them during her last visit to the grave. What winds had carried them here, where they’d taken root and bloomed so firmly…

Filled with admiration for nature’s resilience and mystery, Ara crouched down in the middle of the honeywort patch.

Her slender fingers gently caressed the tender petals. Every breath she took was tinged with the faint, sweet fragrance that tickled her nose.

“I wish Grandma could smell this.”

Would she stop by, even once, if these flowers were planted in the garden at home?

Ara knew it was a foolish thought, but even so, she made up her mind.

She would pick a few to leave by her grandmother’s grave, and transplant just one into the courtyard of the goblin house.

*“Ara, get a grip. What are you here for, a vacation?”*

Suddenly, Soek-kyung’s cold words echoed in her mind, but Ara quickly shook her head, brushing away the anxiety.

*“Eat as much as you like. I won’t make you pay for it.”*

Though he was a particularly unlucky fellow, the goblin king, as Baekseol had mentioned, a goblin with a soft spot. At first, he had been reluctant to even let her in the house, but now, he was saying she didn’t have to pay for her meals.

“Well… picking flowers should be fine. It’s not like I’m taking someone with me.”

What could she do with what she already had? Maybe he’d scold her for planting something in his yard without permission, but he wouldn’t go so far as to uproot it and throw it away.

If worst comes to worst, she’d plant it in a pot and keep it in her room.

With Plan B now set, Ara’s hands worked faster. Maybe all of this was destiny in a way. Soek-kyung’s message that he’d be out until evening felt like a stroke of luck.

The mysterious purple honeyworts were now being judged carefully under her watchful eyes.

She gathered the flowers she planned to leave at the grave into a small bouquet, using her hair tie as a makeshift ribbon. She carefully dug up the strongest-looking one, which hadn’t fully bloomed yet, making sure to preserve its delicate roots.

How should she wrap it for the trip back? Did she bring a handkerchief? Was there something in her bag? Or maybe in her pocket…

Just as she was rummaging through her pants pocket, a voice called out.

“Ara!”

It was Baekseol’s voice, calling from afar.

Looking back, she saw Baekseol wandering near the grave, sniffing the air.

“Do you smell something strange?”

“Smell?”

Ara took a deep breath of the surrounding air, following Baekseol’s lead. The cool, slightly damp scent of the mountain filled her lungs.

“I don’t know. All I smell is the mountain.”

“That’s strange. I keep catching a whiff of something rotten…”

Baekseol trailed off, sniffing the air again before taking a few steps closer to Ara.

Please consider supporting this novel by leaving a review on Novelupdates! If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels!