Chapter 34.1

Chapter 34.1

Seok-kyung, who had been quietly chuckling to himself, finally cleared his throat and composed his expression. Though the laughter had stopped, the faint trace of amusement still lingered at the corners of his eyes.

“Do you enjoy teasing people?”

Ara glared at him sulkily, her voice laced with indignation.

“Of course. That’s my job,” Seok-kyung retorted without even a flicker of reaction to his arm, which had just been slapped.

Pouting in discontent, Ara pursed her lips.

He really is awful. Is it because he’s royalty? Must be why he’s a royal pain.

Grumbling internally, Ara returned to her seat. Meanwhile, Seok-kyung, as if nothing had happened, focused calmly on cooking once more.

The kitchen was soon filled with the quiet sounds of cooking tools at work. The savory aroma of simmering meat and freshly prepared side dishes began to fill the air, imbuing the space with a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Ara, having finished preparing dessert, swung her legs idly at the dining table as she waited. Through the large windows adjacent to the sink and counter, the setting sun painted the sky in fiery hues, nearing the peak of its descent.

“Hey, Kim Seok-kyung.”

Propping her chin on her hand, Ara spoke, her gaze fixed on him.

Hearing his name, Seok-kyung paused his work and turned to look at her. His dark hair and eyes caught the golden glow of the sunset, radiating an ethereal brilliance.

A masterpiece of divine proportions, his form was breathtaking from any angle, at any moment. For a fleeting instant, it felt as though Ara had stepped into another world, one far removed from reality.

“I’ve been wondering about something.”

Perhaps that’s why she let herself ask it.

“Weren’t you worried about me?”

The question tumbled out without warning.

As soon as Seok-kyung heard her words, his brows furrowed deeply. The subtle crack in his elegant features pulled Ara back to reality, breaking her trance.

Oh no. Did I just…?

While Ara, slightly flustered, was struggling to figure out how to handle the situation, Seok-kyung opened his tightly shut mouth.

“Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?”

“Well… I was just curious.”

“Did someone tell you to ask me that?”

“No? Who would tell me to ask something like that?”

Ara widened her eyes in confusion and tilted her head.

Seok-kyung, looking at Ara with suspicion, stared at her for a moment before abruptly turning his body to block her gaze.

“I don’t want to answer.”

The oddly blunt tone came from beyond his sharp shoulder, and Ara’s eyebrows furrowed in displeasure at his response.

If he had just told her not to worry or scolded her for asking, she might have let it go. She could have thought, A mischievous goblin like him could never just turn over a new leaf, and moved on.

But to say that he simply didn’t want to answer?

What kind of childish argument was this?

“You don’t want to answer?”

“Yeah. I don’t.”

“Why?”

“Why does there need to be a reason? I just don’t want to.”

Seok-kyung cut her off firmly. His ruthless response triggered Ara’s competitive spirit. If it was a petty stubbornness, Ara could match him in that as well.

“Fine. But if you don’t answer, can I think whatever I want?”

After a brief internal debate, Ara shifted her attitude. She withdrew her arms, which had been propped under her chin, crossed them, and leaned back against the chair, reclining slightly as she adopted a more defiant posture, just like Seok-kyung had when he had been teasing her earlier.

“Well, I think Kim Seok-kyung was worried about me.”

Seok-kyung didn’t deny her words. Despite his effort to turn away, even his broad back stiffened slightly, unable to fully hide his reaction.

“The note said you’d be back late in the evening, yet you rushed over in the middle of the day.”

“When did I rush—”

Seok-kyung turned around in a huff, and as he met Ara’s gaze, his words trailed off.

“You took it out on innocent Baek-seol, too.”

“….”

“Actually, you were really worried about me, weren’t you? So worried that you rushed in without even taking off your shoes earlier, right?”

Ara was as confident as a general who had just seized victory. Seok-kyung, like a goblin with honey on his lips, tightened his mouth and stared at her with intensity.

“Why are you glaring at me? If you don’t want to admit it, just say you didn’t. Oh, by the way, didn’t they say goblins can’t lie?”

‘You’re not a goblin, so why can’t you lie?’

It was like the saying “Heaven helps those who help themselves.” The moment that thought crossed her mind, Ara delivered a counterattack to Seok-kyung in a way that made it clear.

At that moment, an unexpected thought crossed her mind.

She had started speaking to tease him, but… did he really worry? Did he not want to answer because, as a goblin, he couldn’t lie? Was he too proud to admit he had been concerned about a mere human?

“…If I did, so what?”

Seok-kyung muttered with a tone that suggested he wanted to clear up her confusion.

Wow, maybe it’s true.

Ara smiled softly to herself, feeling a bit giddy. Not only was she pleased to have landed a direct hit on the always-proud Kim Seok-kyung, but there was something oddly delightful about seeing him look embarrassed, making her feel like laughing uncontrollably.

“Why are you laughing?”

Misunderstanding the smile as mockery, Seok-kyung narrowed his eyes.

“Just… because there’s someone who worries about me…”

Ara realized her mistake and paused for a moment.

“Not someone, though… I mean, it’s nice that there’s a goblin who worries about me.”

Seok-kyung’s frown deepened, clearly displeased with her response.

“Since my grandmother passed away, there’s been no one who’s worried about me enough to get angry. So… it feels nice.”