Chapter 6.1

Chapter 6.1

“How can I sleep when the king doesn’t sleep?”

“You sleep even less when I do.”

“I won’t die if I don’t sleep. I’m not human, after all.” She wasn’t wrong. Unlike humans, sleep and food for goblins were merely formalities. They weren’t necessary for survival but were indulgences in pleasure and sensation.

Ever since Nam Seol-do had become the goblin king’s guard, she had almost entirely given up on the joy of dreaming.

This always bothered Seok-kyung.

Although their near-immortal existence meant temporary sacrifices weren’t unbearable, he wondered if it was too soon to force such endurance on Nam Seol-do, who had been a goblin for only seventy years.

“Stop worrying unnecessarily. I won’t die just because you’re not around.”

“The ones who say things like that are always the first to die.” With a casual remark, Nam Seol-do jumped off the roof. Despite the height, she landed without making a sound.

“Go inside and sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll sleep too.” Seok-kyung answered dismissively and glanced to his left. Ara was still deeply engrossed in her dream world.

Nam Seol-do observed Seok-kyung for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

“You like her, don’t you?”

“What?”

Nam Seol-do gestured towards Ara with her chin.

Seok-kyung followed her gaze and then scowled deeply.

“…This?”

Nam Seol-do nodded.

“Did you eat something bad? Or have you gone mad from lack of sleep?” Seok-kyung exaggeratedly twirled his finger next to his temple.

Despite the blatant insult, Nam Seol-do remained unfazed. She stood with one leg crossed over the other and her arms folded, tilting her head slightly as she looked down at Seok-kyung.

“No? Then just kick her out.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Nam Seol-do pressed on relentlessly. Seok-kyung crossed his arms, then slowly stroked his sharp jawline with one hand.

“Think about it. Isn’t it strange?”

“You’re the strangest one right now.”

“Nam Seol-do.”

“I’m right, aren’t I? You’ve kept the Maze Garden open precisely because you don’t want humans to find this house and come here just to make wishes.”

“Exactly. That’s what’s suspicious.”

Seok-kyung snapped his fingers. “An ordinary human wouldn’t have been able to find their way here. How did she manage to get in?”

“Maybe the Maze Garden is broken.”

“No, if that were the case, Baekseol would have reported it immediately.”

“Then… could she be a supernatural being without realizing it?”

“No. I checked.”

Seok-kyung recalled his earlier examination.

He had meticulously scrutinized Ara through the King’s Eye, but there hadn’t been a trace of the unique energy typical of supernatural beings. Not even a whiff of malevolent spirits or a hint of a shaman’s power.

“She’s just a human. A completely ordinary–”

How on earth had she managed to set foot on this land?

The more he thought about it, the more mysterious she seemed.

It was strange that Ara had managed to navigate the treacherous Maze Garden and wasn’t particularly shocked to learn that Seok-kyung was a goblin.

She pretended to be innocent, using her grandmother as an excuse, but in reality, she cleverly manipulated the goblins’ rules to her advantage.

And then there were her card skills. They were undoubtedly beyond what one would expect from a mere human.

“Anyway, I’ll keep her here until we figure out her true identity and intentions for intruding. Understand?” Seok-kyung straightened his legs and got up abruptly.

Nam Seol-do wanted to say, *“You’re just making excuses. You want revenge for losing the bet. Just go inside and take a good look at your face in the mirror.”

Seok-kyung looked at her, unimpressed.

“Alright. But are you really going to let her sleep here?” Nam Seol-do pointed at Ara, who was lying there as if she were in a deep coma.

Raising his brows, Seok-kyung glanced sideways, then stepped down from the threshold as if he hadn’t seen anything. “Just put her in a small room or something.”

As expected. Nam Seol-do stifled a laugh, finding the situation amusing.

“Is that all?”

“Call the Sangseon brothers. I have tasks for them.”

Nam Seol-do nodded in response, carefully lifting the sleeping Ara with one hand and gathering all the scattered belongings on the floor with the other.

Soon, the soft breathing disappeared beyond the old door of the annex and the old house fell into an eerie silence once again.

Seok-kyung stood in the middle of the quiet courtyard, gazing up at the sky.

The starlit night sky remained serene despite the commotion on the ground. It seemed indifferent, continuing its course without a flicker, unaffected by anything visible or audible.

…Perhaps the audacious intruder’s visit was merely part of a predetermined path that had been laid out for him.

“Such an annoying twist of fate.” He clicked his tongue and turned away. The courtyard was finally enveloped in complete silence, with only the bright full moon casting its light over the empty space.