《My Lady》 Chapter 1.1 Thud, thud-! The rough axe swung down as it split the sturdy log in two. The young man holding the handle of the axe straightened his back as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. ¡°Take it easy.¡± The pile of firewood this young man had chopped today had already grown into a large heap. An elderly woman with white hair handed the young man a gourd full of water from the well as she glanced at the front gate. ¡°Who are you waiting for? You¡¯ve been staring at the front gate for a while now.¡± The young man¡¯s name was MuGyeom. He was a servant, so he didn¡¯t have a surname. ¡°Today, my lady is supposed to arrive. But she¡¯s running late, so that¡¯s why I keep looking at the gate.¡± ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the youngest daughter of our master in Hanyang (TN: now called Seoul), Lady EunSeo. Did you not hear the news?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that our master in Hanyang has three daughters.¡± ¡°Lady EunSeo is our master¡¯s youngest daughter. She was married off early this summer, but¡­¡± The elderly woman let out an ¡®Aigoo¡¯ as she wrinkled her nose. ¡°She¡¯s quite unlucky. I know there¡¯s a saying that all beauties are cursed, but my lady was so kind, so how¡­¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± A full year hadn¡¯t passed since MuGyeom had become a servant of this household. He still didn¡¯t know the specific details about this family. They were currently taking care of the country house of the influential Lord Yoon YeoPyung. This house was situated in a tranquil countryside far removed from Hanyang. Although none of Lord Yoon¡¯s family members lived in this house, the family would often come here for a few days to spend some time away from the busy capital. For this reason, there weren¡¯t a lot of servants in this house. The only ones working here was a seventy-five-year-old, half-deaf woman who had served the Yoon family for about sixty years and MuGyeom. That was it. The elderly housekeeper would cook and nag a little, but otherwise, the rest of the housekeeping duties rested on MuGyeom¡¯s shoulders. While there wasn¡¯t much work to do in a house like this, with the arrival of autumn, the most important task was to prepare enough firewood for the upcoming winter. Since MuGyeom began to serve this household, Lord Yoon and his family had never come down here. Therefore, the youngest daughter who was on her way here would be the first member of the Yoon family MuGyeom would meet. ¡°Our Lady EunSeo was the loveliest one among the daughters. My own hands helped bring those three daughters into this world, but Lady EunSeo was the loveliest. Ever since she was a child, she was lovely. That¡¯s why I thought she¡¯d live a good life, but aigoo¡­¡± No matter how he looked at it, something bad had happened to the youngest lady. That¡¯s why the old woman spoke of a beauty¡¯s curse. ¡°I heard in the summertime that she had married into a good household, but a few days ago, I heard that she¡¯d be coming here to recuperate. I didn¡¯t know what had happened, so I asked around. Turns out she was abandoned by her husband¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Abandoned¡­?¡± So a woman who had married into an abusive household was kicked out and sent back to her parents¡¯ home. Usually, a woman was abandoned by her husband¡¯s family if she couldn¡¯t bear a child, showed signs of jealousy, or didn¡¯t serve her in-laws properly. Since she had married during the summer, it probably wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t have a child. ¡°Our lady always had a weak constitution, but what did they do to her so that she suddenly can¡¯t use her legs?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t use her legs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. She can¡¯t use her legs and can no longer walk or do anything. I¡¯m sure her in-laws made her that way and eventually abandoned her by taking her back to her parents¡¯ house¡­ I¡¯m sure the Madame has lost face by having a daughter return after being abandoned by her husband. That¡¯s why she¡¯s not keeping her in their residence in Hanyang. She said she¡¯s sending our lady here for her recuperation, but that¡¯s all in name only. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re planning on having her live out the rest of her life here.¡± They claimed she was abandoned, but it was basically the same as divorce. He had heard that there were occasionally a few households who sent back their daughters-in-law after divorcing them. Usually, the woman¡¯s household would lay low and quietly remarry her off to another household. But in this case, the woman had lost use of both her legs, so remarrying her would be impossible. Therefore, they sent her to the countryside like this. They were embarrassed that their daughter had been abandoned, and they were even more embarrassed of the fact that their daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to use her legs. When it came to the nobility, face was everything. The face of the nobility. MuGyeom scoffed. MuGyeom was a nobleman¡¯s bastard. No, actually, he couldn¡¯t even be considered a nobleman¡¯s bastard. His mother used to be a servant in a noble household before she had been raped by the master and given birth to him. Originally the wife¡¯s handmaid, his mother was a lovely woman. She had caught the eye of the master of the house. When the wife had gone back to her parents¡¯ home, the master raped her. Afraid that his deeds would be caught, he quickly sold her away before his wife returned. Unaware of the fact that the nobleman¡¯s seed had taken root, his mother had been surprised to see that her stomach was gradually expanding. However, she couldn¡¯t go back and claim that she was pregnant with her previous master¡¯s child. Thankfully, she met an elderly, unmarried servant in the new household, and they got married. And so, although he was actually the son of a nobleman, he grew up as the son of the elderly servant. From a very young age, his mother often sat him down and told him that ¡®noble blood flows within your veins.¡¯ She told him that half of the blood in his body was noble blood. That he was different from the other children of the servants. However, as MuGyeom grew older, he realized how laughable that was. He realized how trivial it was to carry half of a nobleman¡¯s blood in his veins. He learned how many noblemen didn¡¯t have a care in the world as they spread their seed into the bodies of servant girls. He learned that many bastard children were born from these incidents. MuGyeom wasn¡¯t proud of the fact that half of his blood belonged to a nobleman. He actually viewed it as dirty blood. He felt that the blood of a man who raped a handmaiden was incredibly disgusting. All they cared about was their face. When he looked behind this mask, he could clearly see that they were all dirty lumps of lust. He found the nobility to be the most despicable. ¡°Will she stay here long?¡± ¡°Probably, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I see.¡± MuGyeom and the elderly woman were the only ones living here, and he really liked the peace and quiet. MuGyeom had worked for three masters so far. The first was the master of the house he had been born into. When he was twenty-four, he was sold to his second master¡¯s house. This nobleman¡¯s personality was incredibly nasty. However, MuGyeom didn¡¯t suffer much under the nasty nobleman. Instead, trouble came in the form of his legal wife and his concubine. MuGyeom was a head taller than most men, and he had wide shoulders to fit his large frame. His biceps and thighs were muscular due to chopping firewood at a young age. The veins in his arms bulged as he did his work, and whenever he went out to the wrestling grounds during the festivals, he¡¯d always come back having won an ox. He was just that strong. Because he was a lot more handsome than the noble scholars, it was only a given that the legal wife and the concubine would show an interest in him. The wife and the concubine began a silent war as they tried to win him over. When the nobleman was out of town for a few days, the wife took the opportunity to call MuGyeom to her bedroom in the main residence. At first, she told him her leg was hurting, so she ordered him to massage it. Then she ask him to take off her clothes for her before pushing herself onto him. MuGyeom pushed her away and made his escape. However, due to the humiliation of having her advances rejected in such a manner, the wife ripped her own clothes and screamed. She called everyone to her. Then she accused MuGyeom of trying to rape her, and that he had run away when he was unsuccessful. Having been charged with the accusation of attempting to rape his master¡¯s wife, MuGyeom was a dead man walking. However, when the nobleman returned home, the concubine snitched on the actions of the wife and thus MuGyeom¡¯s life was barely spared. However, because he didn¡¯t want others to find out what his wife had done, the nobleman sold MuGyeom to another household. And the place to which he had been sold was Lord Yoon¡¯s country house. MuGyeom liked living here. The things that had occurred in his second master¡¯s house had happened in his first master¡¯s house as well. Because the girls would constantly fight over him, MuGyeom¡¯s masters would end up selling him away. Because he had come across these situation wherever he went, MuGyeom liked living in a secluded place like this. This was Lord Yoon¡¯s country home, and only an elderly housekeeper lived here. He¡¯d rather live here and chop firewood for the rest of his life. However, that peace and quiet would soon be disrupted by this ¡®lady¡¯. All his past experiences caused him to feel a bit nervous, but because he had been told that the lady couldn¡¯t use both of her legs, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to push herself onto him. He was thankful for this. ¡°Aigoo, it looks like she¡¯s arrived.¡± At that moment, they heard some noise coming from outside the gate. It was the sound of the palanquin bearers lowering the palanquin. MuGyeom followed the elderly woman and walked through the gate. The palanquin bearers had come a long way and were wiping the sweat off their foreheads with the towels hanging around their necks. ¡°It must have been difficult for you to make such a long journey.¡± The elderly woman opened the palanquin door and greeted the person inside. ¡°You, there. You¡¯ll need to come here and help us.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°My lady cannot move on her own, so you will need to escort her to her room.¡± That was when MuGyeom remembered that ¡®my lady¡¯ couldn¡¯t move her legs. Because she couldn¡¯t use her legs, she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk to her bedroom on her own. MuGyeom leaned over so that he was half inside the palanquin. Inside, a small maiden was sitting with her legs stretched out. She was so small that MuGyeom felt like he could lift her up with one hand. Her head seemed smaller than the size of his hand. How could someone¡¯s face be so small? On top of that, her skin was as white as snow. Her cheeks were rosy, and her lips looked like they¡¯d been tinted with spring flowers. No, it looked like the petals themselves. Her neatly combed hair was pulled back and held up with a hairpin. It was the only indication that she was actually an abandoned wife*. ¡°Ah¡­¡± When MuGyeom completely entered the palanquin, his body filled up the entire space. Because of his large frame, he had to bend down in order to enter. His body took up the entire space inside the palanquin. The lady was bewildered and shrunk back. As she withdrew further into her seat, she lowered her head. Her unusually long eyelashes were trembling. MuGyeom¡¯s eyes gazed at those trembling eyelashes. The eyes underneath the lashes looked like those of a scared chipmunk. MuGyeom placed his hand underneath her thighs and wrapped his other arm around her waist. He felt as if the slightest pressure would shatter her slender body. He carefully pulled her to his chest and brought her out of the palanquin. He straightened his back as they exited. The legs resting on his arm remained limp. There was no doubt about it. This lady could not use her legs. She was so lovely. How could something like this have happened to her? As he carried her in his arms, MuGyeom could smell the faint fragrance of camellias. It was a sweet scent. He also heard the sound of her breathing. Her reddened ears. Even though he was merely a servant, he was still an unfamiliar man. Her ears were red because she felt bashful. ¡®These noble ladies are all the same¡­¡¯ He was an unfamiliar man¡­ A servant. And yet being carried in the arms of a servant made her ears redden like this. MuGyeom scoffed in his head. It doesn¡¯t matter how lovely she looks on the outside. When one has a glimpse of what is inside, they will see all the dirty, lustful thoughts. She ended up losing the use of both her legs and was abandoned and sent to her family¡¯s home. And yet, her ears still reddened at the sight of another man. MuGyeom found this all laughable. About half a month after the lady¡¯s arrival, a problem occured. The problem was that the seventy-five-year-old housekeeper missed a step as she was leaving the kitchen and broke her hip. Because of her old age, the doctor told them that her broken hip wouldn¡¯t heal easily. This elderly woman had worked in the Yoon household since she was fifteen years old. During this time, she had given birth to sons and daughters and had even lived to see the birth of her grandchildren. As thanks for all her hard work, Lord Yoon emancipated her and her children, so she wasn¡¯t a servant who was tied down to this household anymore. However, she merely let her children go and decided to stay behind. And she had continued to watch over this house until now. After hearing that their mother had injured her hip, her children had come to take her away. The elderly woman had no choice but to follow her children and leave the house. Because of this, only MuGyeom was left behind. Because MuGyeom couldn¡¯t cook, the elderly housekeeper had taken care of the cooking and was in charge of taking care of the lady. However, with her departure, it was now up to MuGyeom to cook the meals and take care of the lady instead. Of course, they were told that a replacement for the elderly housekeeper would come in ten days. When the main residence in Hanyang had learned of what had happened to the elderly housekeeper, they sent word that they would send someone. However, they said it would take ten days. MuGyeom wasn¡¯t sure why it would take ten days to find someone to cook and take care of the young lady, but there was nothing he could do about it. While he didn¡¯t feel comfortable of the fact that only he and the lady were left in this house, MuGyeom decided not to think too much of it. After all, what could this lady do? All he had to do was keep his distance and merely help her with her daily necessities. At this point, any woman trying to stick close to him were like bugs to his eyes. They were all disgusting. ¡°My lady.¡± MuGyeom stood outside her door with a washbasin in his hands and called out to her. He had brought the water for her morning wash. Starting today, MuGyeom was in charge of taking care of the lady¡¯s needs. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the water for your morning wash. I¡¯ll be coming in.¡± However, no sound came from the other side of the door. He couldn¡¯t enter until he received her permission. She was, after all, the daughter of a noble household. Even men and women of the nobility couldn¡¯t freely be in each other¡¯s presence, so a mere servant definitely couldn¡¯t enter the room of a noble lady without permission. ¡°My lady, may I enter?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± A thin voice flowed out from inside the room. However, the voice didn¡¯t give him permission to enter. ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°I look a mess right now¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t that obvious? It was morning. She had been lying in bed all night, so of course she looked a mess right now. That¡¯s why he brought the water for her to freshen up. ¡°Shall I return a little later?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. Just come inside.¡± The lady spoke with a helpless sigh. *In ancient Korea, a woman¡¯s hair was left down in a simple braid before marriage. After marriage, they put their hair up to indicate their marital status (and basically the loss of their virginity). TN: Although I used the word ¡®servant¡¯ here to describe MuGyeom, they were basically slaves. Slaves and their children were treated like livestock and were often traded and sold off. They didn¡¯t make any money like the other paid servants and continued to work for the family they were born into or sold off to. Chapter 1.2 MuGyeom opened the door and entered the room. He gazed at the lady as she sat up from her bedding. The blanket was draped over her lap, and she didn¡¯t seem as disheveled as she claimed. Actually, her hair and clothes looked so tidy that it was almost hard to believe that she had just woken up. MuGyeom placed the washbasin down next to her. Then he took the small table and placed in on top of her lap before putting the washbasin on top of the table. He did all this because the lady could only bend down. She put her graceful hand into the water and began to wash her face. MuGyeom glanced at her. He had a cotton cloth draped over his arm. Every time she washed a part of her face, water splattered. ¡°Some of the water splashed out. What should I do?¡± EunSeo turned her damp face to MuGyeom and gave him an apologetic look. ¡°It¡¯s fine, my lady.¡± MuGyeom replied stiffly as he held out the cotton cloth to her. MuGyeom had never smiled for a woman before. Other than his mother, he had never smiled at another woman in his life. If he even so much as looked at them, the women had a tendency to want something from him. No, even if he left them alone, the women always gave him ogling looks. Both servants and nobles alike, they all did this. One time, MuGyeom was serving his master and accompanied him to a brothel. The courtesans there began to flirt with him nonstop. Because of all these experiences, MuGyeom¡¯s heart didn¡¯t race when he came across a woman. Instead, he avoided them. There was another reason why MuGyeom kept his distance from women. It was his status as a servant. If he married a female servant and had children with her, his children wouldn¡¯t be able to escape their status as servants. No matter how much they struggled, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape their fates. He didn¡¯t want to pass his status down to his children. If a servant and a free civilian had a child, the child would be a servant. If a servant and a noble had a child together, the child would unquestionably be a servant. This was because a servant was a servant from the womb. Because of this, MuGyeom never embraced a woman in his life. He never planned on passing down his status as a servant to his children. He never wanted to give them the chains he had to bear. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± EunSeo asked quietly as she returned the cotton cloth to MuGyeom after wiping her face. ¡°My name is MuGyeom, my lady.¡± ¡°I see. MuGyeom.¡± ¡°If you have an order for me, please feel free to speak up at any time.¡± ¡°How is the weather outside?¡± ¡°The wind is not yet cold. The sunlight is also very nice¡­¡± ¡°Then can I have my breakfast on the floor outside?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± MuGyeom couldn¡¯t help but stare at her when he heard the unexpected words. A shadow of anxiety flickered across her face. ¡°I¡¯m only asking because I feel that eating alone in my room will feel too suffocating. I¡¯d like to slowly eat my breakfast as I take in the view of the yard.¡± ¡°I will prepare it, my lady.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She gave him a small smile. However, her smile seemed so lifeless. Although she was alive, she didn¡¯t show any signs of life. At least, that¡¯s what she looked like in MuGyeom¡¯s eyes. The woman whose ears had burned red when he carried her into the house on the first day¡­ There was no trace of her. It wasn¡¯t difficult to prepare her breakfast on the first day. This was because the old housekeeper had prepared side dishes the day before she left. ¡°My lady always eats porridge in the morning, so you must make sure to prepare some porridge for her. She must take her medicine in the morning and in the evening. Even if she says she doesn¡¯t want to take it because of the bitter taste, you must convince her to take it.¡± The old housekeeper nagged him and left these instructions before she left. He placed the bowl of porridge on top of the table and placed the table on the floor. MuGyeom then entered EunSeo¡¯s room and carried her to the table. Because she couldn¡¯t walk on her own, she needed MuGyeom¡¯s help. ¡°In your eyes¡­¡± EunSeo picked up her chopsticks and spoke with her head lowered. ¡°I must look like a useless invalid, right?¡± ¡°Not at all, my lady.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying. MuGyeom had never thought of her in this way before. He didn¡¯t have have any concern for EunSeo, and even if he did, he had never seen her as a useless invalid just because she couldn¡¯t use her legs. MuGyeom actually hated the way people belittled others. MuGyeom had been treated with disdain and despised just because of his status. He had been treated in contempt because of the unsurmountable chains of his servitude, so how could he look down on someone for something that was beyond their control like losing the use of their legs? ¡°I can¡¯t leave my room without someone¡¯s help, and I cannot do anything on my own. How am I not a useless invalid?¡± ¡°You¡¯re merely sick, my lady.¡± ¡°I often wonder if I have to continue living on with a body like this.¡± MuGyeom didn¡¯t know why she was telling him this. But if he thought about it, he could kind of understand how she felt. For EunSeo, realizing that she had to live like this for the rest of her life was a terrible feeling. She wouldn¡¯t be able to walk or go where she wanted to go. She would always need someone¡¯s help to move around. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that EunSeo felt so terrible. But how did EunSeo become like this? Did she catch some kind of disease? MuGyeom still didn¡¯t know anything about EunSeo. She was the youngest daughter of Lord Yoon, and she had been married off. However, she had been abandoned and returned. That¡¯s all he knew so far. ¡°It must be nice for you. You can walk around with your own two legs.¡± Her voice trembled at the end. Although her head was lowered, MuGyeom felt like he could tell what kind of expression she was making. Her eyebrows must be trembling, and she was probably biting her lips. She was doing her best to hold in her tears and sorrow. She was sad, but she kept her eyes closed and bit her lips to hide her sorrow from others. MuGyeom knew that feeling very well. MuGyeom had always felt this way whenever he had been treated unfairly, but he couldn¡¯t do anything as a servant. He couldn¡¯t raise his fists to the offender or complain. At times like that, he merely lowered his head and bit his lips as his brow trembled. ¡°My lady, please eat your porridge before it cools. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± In the end, EunSeo put down her chopsticks. Unable to convince her to change her mind, MuGyeom helplessly carried the porridge away. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here and enjoy the view for a little while longer. You can go and do what you need to do. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± EunSeo said as MuGyeom took her breakfast away. Thanks to this, MuGyeom¡¯s day was pretty carefree. He placed the pot of EunSeo¡¯s medicine on top of the brazier and went outside to rake the leaves. He put the pile of leaves into a straw bag. As he was doing this, he recalled that there were a lot of fallen leaves in the yard as well. There was still some time left before the medicine was ready, and since he was already throwing out the leaves over here, he thought it would be a good idea for him to head back to the main building and rake the leaves there as well. ¡°Where¡­ did she go?¡± He carried a broom over to the yard of the main residence and didn¡¯t see any sign of EunSeo. He was a bit bewildered. EunSeo had definitely been sitting on the floor of the outer corridor when he left her. But now she was gone. Where could she have gone? She couldn¡¯t walk anywhere by herself. ¡®Did she go back inside?¡¯ She could have crawled back to her room. She might have gotten bored and didn¡¯t feel like calling for his help. She probably crawled back inside herself. The door to her room was closed. ¡®Should I check?¡¯ But her door was closed, so it would be ridiculous for him to open it just to see if she was inside. ¡®She might be crying inside all by herself.¡¯ Judging from her expression this morning, it wasn¡¯t too farfetched to think that she had shut herself up in her room to cry. ¡®I better take care of the leaves first¡­¡¯ Suddenly¡­ As MuGyeom began to sweep the yard, he noticed something strange. There were traces of something being dragged across the ground. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± MuGyeom stared at the traces left behind on the ground. The tracks started from the main residence corridor and went across the yard before disappearing through the inner gate. The servants¡¯ quarters were on the other side of the gate. Why did these tracks head for the servants¡¯ quarters? ¡®It looks like someone dragged a sack across the ground¡­¡¯ From one angle, it seemed like a sack had been dragged across the ground, and from a different angle, it looked like the tracks had been made by someone crawling on the ground. Someone crawling. ¡°No way¡­¡± MuGyeom raised his eyes. The inner gate. The servants¡¯ quarters. There was a well located in the back yard of the servants¡¯ quarters. The well was very deep, but there was no water inside. Tap. MuGyeom threw down the broom. He followed the tracks and began to run. ¡°Damn it¡ª!¡± He hoped he was wrong. He ran through the gate and headed for the back yard of the servants¡¯ quarters. When he arrived at the back yard, he saw EunSeo using all her strength to try and pull herself over the well. ¡°My lady¡ª!¡± MuGyeom rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders. ¡°Let me go!¡± As soon as MuGyeom put his hand on her shoulder, she struggled to escape. ¡°Let go of me!¡± EunSeo¡¯s clothes were covered in dirt. Her white nightclothes were a mess and covered in yellow dirt. Her clothes weren¡¯t the only things that were a complete mess. Her face was also covered in tears. ¡°Let me go¡­!¡± EunSeo did her best to hold onto the well. Her hands were turning bright red. She had tied up her legs and was trying to throw herself down the well. Her hands had been damaged from grabbing onto the rocks. Her fingernails had split open, and her fingertips had been skinned raw. Seeing this, MuGyeom¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± She had been planning this from the very beginning. That¡¯s why she asked him to carry her out to the floor for breakfast. And that¡¯s why she told him she¡¯d spend some time alone and sent him away. She had planned to do this from the very start. When the old housekeeper was here, she had stayed close to EunSeo¡¯s side the whole time, so that was probably why she hadn¡¯t been able to carry out her plan. And when the old housekeeper had left the house, she realized that this was her chance. She had definitely planned on throwing herself down the well. She planned to take her own life. ¡®I often wonder if I have to continue living on with a body like this.¡¯ Those words from this morning revealed her true thoughts. ¡°Ha¡­¡± MuGyeom scoffed in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe someone was trying to end their lives so easily like this. Was life something you could end so easily? To a noble, was a life something so trivial? ¡°I can¡¯t live like this forever. So please let me go.¡± EunSeo wept as she pleaded with MuGyeom who was still holding onto her. ¡°I can¡¯t live like an invalid for the rest of my life¡­¡± However, no matter what she said, MuGyeom didn¡¯t plan on letting go of her. How did she not understand that throwing away a life was the scariest thing in the world? So what if she couldn¡¯t use her legs? She wasn¡¯t able to walk. That¡¯s all. But she still wanted to end her life because of something like that? At such a bright, young age? ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­ You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± EunSeo burst into tears. EunSeo sobbed into MuGyeom¡¯s bulky arm that was holding onto her. MuGyeom felt her tears on his arm, but he didn¡¯t let go. She cried out of self-hatred. She told him that he just didn¡¯t understand. And still, MuGyeom held onto her and never let go. TN: Whoa¡­ I placed the trigger warning because of the attempted suicide. MuGyeom¡¯s right! A life isn¡¯t something one should take for granted. It¡¯s not something that can be ended so easily. It¡¯s very precious, and please get help if you have any suicidal thoughts!! Chapter 2.1 ¡°Your fingertips have been damaged.¡± MuGyeom murmured curtly as he applied the bandage to EunSeo¡¯s fingers. MuGyeom¡¯s hands wouldn¡¯t have been skinned so badly just from grabbing onto the well with too much force. However, EunSeo¡¯s fingers were so delicate that her fingertips were covered in scratches. EunSeo gazed at her ten fingers which were now all wrapped up in the white bandages. She smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡­¡± The edges of EunSeo¡¯s eyes were still red. ¡°It almost looks like I¡¯m dyeing my fingernails with garden balsam flowers*.¡± ¡°How can you say something like that at a time like this?¡± MuGyeom couldn¡¯t believe it. If EunSeo had successfully jumped into the well and died, MuGyeom would share the same fate. He would lose his life because he hadn¡¯t been able to stop his mistress from killing herself. Or they might even accuse him of throwing his mistress into the well himself. Either way, he would have died. In the end, he didn¡¯t save EunSeo. He saved his own life. If EunSeo died, he¡¯d die as well. That¡¯s how it was right now. And it would continue to be like this for the next ten days. ¡°A long time ago, I bound my fingers like this after dyeing them with the garden balsam flowers.¡± EunSeo gazed at her hands while MuGyeom took the dirty socks off her feet. Her white feet were incredibly small. He almost wondered how she even walked on feet like this. Her leg was limp as he lifted it to slip the new socks onto her feet. ¡°Do you feel anything?¡± EunSeo nodded in response to MuGyeom¡¯s question. ¡°I can¡¯t move it, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°He said I wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for the rest of my life.¡± EunSeo¡¯s clothes were also a complete mess. However, if he had to change her clothes, her skin would be exposed. In this situation, if he told her he had to see her skin, she¡¯d be humiliated and fall into further despair. ¡°May I ask how this happened?¡± MuGyeom cautiously asked EunSeo. He wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d answer him. But he wanted to know. ¡°Do you want to know why I was abandoned?¡± Did he ask something he shouldn¡¯t have? MuGyeom regretted it immediately. ¡°I got married 2 years after my engagement. When I was engaged, I only knew his name. I didn¡¯t know what he looked like, and I waited 2 years for my wedding. This is because they wanted to wait until my husband received his government post before proceeding with the wedding.¡± EunSeo¡¯s voice remained calm as she slowly spoke aloud the words in her heart. ¡°For those 2 years, I went to the temple every single day, drank the sacred water, and prayed for my future husband to obtain his government post. For 2 years, even if it rained or snowed, I never missed a day. It was so difficult¡­¡± How old was she? He only heard that she was Lord Yoon¡¯s youngest daughter. Eighteen? Twenty? MuGyeom truly didn¡¯t know anything about EunSeo. He didn¡¯t really have an interest in her, so he never asked the old housekeeper. Should he have asked her? ¡°Within 2 years, I heard through my father that he had obtained a government post. And so our wedding day was decided. The dowry was received, and the wedding preparations were being made. But during all this, I got sick. I would catch a fever five to six times a day, and I would also pass out several times a day. The doctor said this disease was caused by a lack of yang energy.¡± Lack of yang energy. There was no way MuGyeom knew what that meant. ¡°They said that the devoted prayers and the cold water I drank for two years had transformed into a form of Heaven¡¯s wrath. It had become poison in my body. And so I suffered. I suffered like a dying person for a whole month. And when I woke up, I couldn¡¯t move my legs.¡± EunHa raised her head and looked up at the ceiling. MuGyeom could see that her lips were trembling. Even though she was talking so calmly right now, MuGyeom knew how she really felt. ¡°The doctor said that it might only be temporary, so we proceeded with the wedding ceremony, and I entered my husband¡¯s household. My in-laws told me to peacefully recuperate in a separate residence. They said that as long as I took the yang tonic, I¡¯d be able to walk again. However, one month turned into two, and my legs still wouldn¡¯t move. The eyes of the elders of my husband¡¯s family became so bitter, and that¡¯s when I knew. People can transform at the drop of a hat.¡± MuGyeom finally realized the situation. It was obvious. They were nobles. Nobles considered their faces more important than a person¡¯s life. Having brought in a daughter-in-law who couldn¡¯t use her legs, those nobles¡¯ hearts would have turned bitter from losing face. They thought their daugher-in-law would get better with some time, but now that it seemed like she would never use her legs again, there definitely must have been some kind of commotion. For the nobles, the reputation of their family was more important than the life of a maiden. ¡°Starting then, they began to mistreat me. My in-laws would mistreat me, so the servants began to mistreat me¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I told them that I¡¯d return to my parents¡¯ house. My mother-in-law smiled at me and told me that it was a good idea.¡± EunSeo¡¯s hand clenched on her lap. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I just die then? If I just died from the fever, I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through that. Then it wouldn¡¯t have gotten that bad.¡± ¡°How can you speak of dying so easily?¡± ¡°Then do you call this living? Is this truly what you¡¯d call a life? Like an invalid, I can¡¯t even walk on my own. I can¡¯t go to the bathroom on my own. Is this how a human lives? I¡¯m asking you. Is this how a person lives?¡± EunSeo looked at MuGyeom. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at the man who had barely managed to save her life. When MuGyeom saw her eyes, he realized the reason why her ears had turned red when he carried her to her room. It wasn¡¯t because she was bashful from being carried in the arms of a strange man. It was because she was ashamed of the fact that she couldn¡¯t even walk to her own room by herself. She was the proud daughter of a noble family. ¡°As you live, you continue living. There aren¡¯t a lot of people in this world who live because they enjoy life. They live because they¡¯re alive. They do their best to live because that¡¯s all they can do.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can live¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°What do you know about me?¡± ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d live for others to see. I¡¯d live to show everyone who made me this way how alive I am.¡± ¡°For others to see¡­¡± EunSeo¡¯s lips became crooked. ¡°If I live like this, they¡¯ll only point at me in disdain.¡± ¡°Did the doctor say that you will never walk?¡± ¡°He said I wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the doctor said this was because you lacked yang energy? That means, with time, it might get better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I drank tonics that preserved my yang energy and tried to recuperate. However, my legs remain limp. That¡¯s why the doctor said there was nothing he could do.¡± ¡°You told me that for 2 years, you woke up at dawn and drank that cold temple water.¡± MuGyeom didn¡¯t know why he was saying all this. His mouth seemed to move on its own. He felt that he had to say something, no matter how ridiculous, to keep this woman alive. If he didn¡¯t, he felt as if she¡¯d burn to death any time he left her alone. ¡°So?¡± ¡°It took 2 years for your body to become sick, so of course it won¡¯t take you a few days to recover. The further you go, the longer it takes to come back. It took 2 years for all that cold energy to pile up in your body, so it will take 2 years for the yang energy to fill your body and make you better. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to wait 2 years?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady. If you¡¯re going to take your own life anyway, just wait 2 more years. If you¡¯re just going to end your life like that, what¡¯s 2 more years going to do?¡± ¡°Then are you going to watch over me for the next 2 years so that I can¡¯t die?¡± 2 years. What 2 years? In 10 days, the lady¡¯s handmaid would arrive, and MuGyeom wouldn¡¯t be in charge of taking care of her. And the handmaid would be in charge of watching over her. ¡°I won¡¯t watch over you, but¡­¡± ¡°Then you must stay by my side for the next 2 years.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± MuGyeom looked at EunSeo in shock when he heard her unexpected words. ¡°You saved me, so you should watch and see if I can walk within the next 2 years. If I still can¡¯t walk in 2 years, I will bite my tongue and kill myself right before your very eyes.¡± EunSeo didn¡¯t sound like she was joking. She wasn¡¯t the type of woman to joke about her legs. ¡°Does that sound good to you?¡± If he said he wouldn¡¯t do it, would she try to kill herself right away? Or she might even go off somewhere to kill herself in the middle of the night while he was asleep. So his hands were tied. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± For now, he needed to stop her no matter what. Stop death. ¡°Fine. So you¡¯ll do as I said?¡± EunSeo¡¯s sigh sounded like a groan as she looked up. Her eyes still carried traces of tears. ¡°I want to get changed.¡± She sounded determined. By telling the servant that she was willing to show him her skin, she was sealing their promise. She would live for 2 more years. MuGyeom took out her new clothes from the dresser. EunSeo had only brought white robes and dresses and nothing else. Like a person who was going to die or someone who planned on dying. EunSeo kept her head lowered and her eyes closed. MuGyeom sat in front of her and began to untie the ribbon on her top. He didn¡¯t feel anything towards her. If he craved women, he would have played around with the noble¡¯s wife and concubines when they threw themselves at him. And he didn¡¯t plan on trying to force someone against their will. Because of how he was born. Because of how his own mother had been raped by a nobleman and conceived him. As a result of that nobleman¡¯s crime, he was born into this world. Completing the cycle by forcing himself on a nobleman¡¯s daughter and having her conceive his seed didn¡¯t make any sense to him. MuGyeom believed himself to be better than beasts like that. After he took off her top, he began to untie her skirt. She was wearing a set of underclothes underneath her dress. However, because her underclothes were made of very thin cloth, her hidden skin clearly shone through. MuGyeom did his best not to look at what was underneath as he changed her clothes. While he was doing this, EunSeo didn¡¯t say one word. She merely kept her mouth shut. MuGyeom could hear the sound of her breaths coming from her nose. EunSeo fell asleep soon after. It was only noon, but she probably exhausted herself by crawling all the way to the well. As soon as MuGyeom finished changing her clothes, she fell asleep. MuGyeom stayed by her side long after she had fallen sleep and watched over her. Although she told him she¡¯d live for 2 more years, he was still anxious about leaving her alone. He wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d do something while he was gone, so he couldn¡¯t do anything else but stay where he was. MuGyeom glanced at the bandaged fingers resting on top of her chest. He had never pitied anyone before. This was because he had always thought his own circumstances were too pitiful for him to feel sorry for others. However, he came to realize that he had met a woman whose circumstances were more pathetic than his. Not just anyone made the decision to die. That kind of decision was made by those who had come to a dead end in their lives. ¡®You don¡¯t know¡­ You don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯ MuGyeom recalled the way EunSeo had sobbed at the well. The sadness that had welled up within her had burst out with her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± EunSeo was right. MuGyeom didn¡¯t know the sorrow within this woman¡¯s heart. He thought he knew, but after really thinking about it, he didn¡¯t know the pain and suffering she had gone through. He thought he understood her sorrow, but in actuality, he didn¡¯t even have a clue. This was because he had never been unable to walk before. How could he know something he had never experienced? The sorrows that he had experienced and the sorrows that she had gone through were completely different. ¡°But even if we have to roll around in dog shit, I still think this life is worth living.¡± If he died, who would remember him? People would only remember him if he stayed alive. What use were anyone¡¯s nice words and comfort after death? ¡°As you live, good days will pass. The heavens are fickle. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to walk one day.¡± However, no matter how fickle the heavens were, even if she could regain the use of her legs or not, a servant would always remain a servant. Would miracles only happen to nobles? Would the heavens lower a rope** for a humble servant like him? MuGyeom glanced at EunSeo¡¯s thin, small wrist. Her wrist was slender, her head was small, and her physique was petite. It almost seemed as if she wouldn¡¯t be able to support her own slender body. ¡°Nobles are very strange. They abandon their own children in order to preserve their reputation.¡± He could understand why her in-laws were acting like this. However, he couldn¡¯t understand Lord Yoon. EunSeo was Lord Yoon¡¯s daughter, wasn¡¯t she? He didn¡¯t understand why he would marry off his daughter who was in this condition. And when she was abandoned and returned, why did he kick her out to the countryside like this? Did he truly not anticipate her desire to take her own life if he abandoned her like this? ¡®Actually¡­ he might have wanted that¡­¡¯ By pushing his daughter to go down to the countryside, Lord Yoon might have been hinting at his daughter to choose death instead of life. What nobleman would be happy to receive a daughter who had been kicked out of her in-laws¡¯ home? He might have thought that they¡¯d be better off if she didn¡¯t exist at all. That¡¯s why he might have sent her here. And having taken the hint, EunSeo tried to throw herself down the well. If that was the case, it all made sense. The old housekeeper and him¡­ They were the only ones taking care of this house. It made sense why they sent their daughter to this house without sending a separate servant to attend to her needs. They sent a noble lady to the countryside alone, without a handmaiden to attend to her, because they knew that she wouldn¡¯t live for very long. They might have thought that an extra servant might get in the way of her death. They thought that if she was in a house with a half-deaf housekeeper and one male servant, she would be able to carry out her death on her own. ¡°Humans can be so cruel¡­¡± Did nobles think their reputations were more important than their own children? His mother, who had been an ignored servant just like the generations before her, hadn¡¯t conceived him out of her own will, but she still knew how to treasure the child she had carried in her belly. Although she let him know that he was a servant, she still cherished him. Despite knowing that the woman he married carried another man¡¯s seed, his father had treated him even better than his own blood-related children. While he wasn¡¯t his birth father, he was the father who had raised him. Because of their lowly stature as servants, they couldn¡¯t do much to help him. However, they never turned their backs on him. Even humble servants knew how to cherish their children, so how could these nobles push their own children to their deaths? ¡°You had better walk. You should walk, and with your own two legs, confidently return to Hanyang. Wouldn¡¯t that make you feel better?¡± He thought it over again and was suddenly filled with disgust. They sent their daughter to die in a place where only MuGyeom and the old housekeeper lived. After she died, weren¡¯t they going to put Mugyeom and the old housekeeper to death as well? Well, if they were able to kill their own daughter, why would they hesitate to kill a mere servant? ¡°You must live, my lady, and so should I. Don¡¯t you think we should both try to live?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if it would be possible, but MuGyeom and EunSeo were in the same boat. He was going to help her because his own survival depended on hers. It definitely wasn¡¯t because she vowed to bite her tongue and die if she didn¡¯t walk within 2 years. It definitely wasn¡¯t that at all. *Ancient Korean method of coloring one¡¯s fingernails (since there was no nail polish) by crushing the flower petals (light orange color) and mixing it with vinegar. They would apply this mixture to their fingertips and bind them with cotton for a while to make sure it completely soaks the nails. There was also a superstition that one¡¯s first love would be fulfilled if the color remains on the fingernails by the first snowfall. **Possibly a reference to a Korean folktale about the creation of the sun and the moon. Long story short, a brother and a sister are being chased by a tiger. The children pray to God for help. A long rope is lowered down from the heavens, and the children began to climb up. The tiger prays as well, and a rope is also lowered down for him. As they climb higher, the tiger¡¯s rope breaks because it had been rotten all along. The tiger falls to its death, and the two siblings ascend into the heavens and become the sun and the moon. Chapter 2.2 My Lady 2 (The Second Story) part 2 ¡°The medicine is bitter¡­¡± EunSeo woke up just before dinnertime. After having had a long nap, her complexion looked a lot better. Was it because she finally found someone she could confide in? Or was it because she no longer had any thoughts of killing herself? Her eyes looked much more relaxed now. EunSeo received the medicine from MuGyeom. She could barely gulp it down due to the bitterness. MuGyeom recalled the old housekeeper¡¯s warning that EunSeo hated anything bitter. ¡°You must take your medicine in order to get better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if the medicine works¡­¡± EunSeo took another gulp and turned her head away. ¡°It¡¯s too bitter.¡± ¡°I heard that bitter medicine is good medicine.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s so good, why don¡¯t you drink it?¡± EunSeo glared at him. ¡°My two legs are sturdy.¡± ¡°How nice. You have a pair of good legs.¡± Her voice was dripping with resentment. Hey, why did she hate him? MuGyeom stared at EunSeo with confused eyes. Was it his fault that her legs had become like that? Or was having a pair of perfectly fine legs considered a crime? ¡°It must be nice having a pair of healthy legs.¡± Tears welled up in EunSeo¡¯s eyes as she said these words. She bit her plump lips as she tried to hold back her tears. Dumbfounded, MuGyeom hurriedly opened his mouth. He needed to say something in order to soothe her. ¡°I-If you finish taking the medicine, I¡¯ll make it so that you can walk today.¡± EunSeo¡¯s wet eyes widened. ¡°To¡­day?¡± Now that things had become like this, there was no turning back. ¡°Yes, today.¡± EunSeo tightened her grip on the medicine bowl and brought it up to her lips. She didn¡¯t pull it away from her lips until she swallowed every drop. MuGyeom watched her and couldn¡¯t help the chuckle that burst out of his lips. Watching her drink the medicine with such determination, MuGyeom couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was quite a stubborn lady. ¡°This is walking?¡± EunSeo¡¯s eyes, voice, and face were filled with dissatisfaction. In order to help her walk, MuGyeom placed her feet on top of his and held onto her hips as he walked them around. EunSeo didn¡¯t do anything. She didn¡¯t have to press down on her legs in order to walk. No effort was needed at all. With her legs tied to his and her hips within his grasp, MuGyeom slowly walked around the yard. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been turned into a scarecrow.¡± Even as she said this, EunSeo didn¡¯t seem too upset. Actually, she seemed to be enjoying it. Having an unfamiliar man like MuGyeom holding onto her hips must have been uncomfortable, but she didn¡¯t show it at all. ¡°As long as the scarecrow can walk, it doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± ¡°What did you say your name was?¡± She seemed so smart, so why was this lady having such a hard time remembering his name? ¡°It¡¯s MuGyeom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was MuGyeom.¡± ¡°Are you going to ask me again tomorrow?¡± ¡°My memory isn¡¯t that bad. How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty-six.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t married.¡± ¡°How can a servant get married without his master¡¯s permission?¡± ¡°Just wait 2 more years. If I can truly walk in 2 years, I¡¯ll help you get married.¡± While he was grateful for the sentiment, he didn¡¯t really feel like getting married. But if he told her this, she¡¯d ask him why he felt that way. And that would be too troublesome. MuGyeom was tired of saying it, so he kept his mouth shut. ¡°Wait.¡± Suddenly, EunSeo shook MuGyeom¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop for a minute.¡± ¡°Are you feeling any discomfort, my lady?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that the sunset is so pretty.¡± MuGyeo raised his head. Over the tiled roofs and walls, they could see the sky dyed in red as the sun began to set over the mountain ridges. Until now, MuGyeom had never thought the sunset looked pretty. No, he never thought to stop and look at the sunset, so he¡¯d never truly seen one before. But, for the first time in his life, he thought that the sunset looked beautiful¡­ Just as EunSeo said, the sunset was beautiful. And sunset drenched everything in red, and everything it touched looked beautiful. And the reason why EunSeo looked so beautiful in this moment was probably because of that as well. It was because of the sunset. If it wasn¡¯t, there was no reason why she should look so beautiful to him. MuGyeom and EunSeo stood there for a long time. Although she wasn¡¯t standing on her own, EunSeo still liked that she was on her feet. And MuGyeom merely enjoyed watching the evening landscape as the sun began to set. Because of this, both of them stood there for a long time as they watched the sun set behind the mountain ridges. The next day, MuGyeom got up at dawn and began to work diligently before EunSeo awoke. In the past, MuGyeom had seen a crippled man get up and walk. This was back when he had been living in a different province. Back then, the man had been a carpenter. Due to an unfortunate accident, he had lost the use of both his legs. He had been around forty years old and had a young wife and three children under his care. Finding himself in a situation where he couldn¡¯t continue his work as a carpenter, the man¡¯s situation was dire. Either his family would starve to death or he would have to sell himself as a nobleman¡¯s servant. In order to avoid this fate, the man managed to miraculously walk within three months. Although the cripple was a man, it didn¡¯t matter. Whether one was a man or a woman, as long as they had the will to walk, there was always a chance. If she had the courage to try and kill herself, she should be able to find the courage to try walking again. MuGyeom had spent the entire night trying to remember what that carpenter did to walk again. When dawn broke, he got up and began to make something for EunSeo. Of course, he knew that the carpenter had lost the use of his legs due to an accident while EunSeo had become unable to walk due to the lack of yang energy. However, they were the same in that they both couldn¡¯t walk. But all they could do was do everything they could. MuGyeom made posts and installed them in the yard. On top of the posts, he attached a long pole. The posts were spread apart so that a person could fit between them, and the pole was installed as a handrail. ¡°He walked through this every day. Even if his legs were dragging on the ground behind him, he practiced walking every single day. At first, his hands did all the work and his legs dragged on the ground, but at some point, when he tried to bring his legs forward, he began to walk step by step.¡± That¡¯s what the carpenter had told him. He was right. EunSeo hadn¡¯t been able to walk for several months now. MuGyeom wasn¡¯t a doctor, but even he knew. From what he¡¯d heard, ever since she had gotten ill in the summer, she hadn¡¯t been able to walk and remained sitting the whole time. That was several months ago. Even if a perfectly healthy person didn¡¯t walk for that long, they would eventually forget how to walk. In EunSeo¡¯s case, she hadn¡¯t broken a bone, so all they¡¯d have to do is just help her legs remember what it felt like to walk. She¡¯d continue to drink the medicine and replenish her yang energy as she practiced walking. If she did all this, she might truly be able to walk again. In the past, she may not have been able to do this due to her noble status, but over here, there was no one to see her. This house was secluded, and there were no passersby. The walls were tall, so no one could see over them. Therefore, EunSeo wouldn¡¯t be humiliated. What was so embarrassing about a person trying their best to live? ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I put shoes on.¡± EunSeo spoke bitterly as MuGyeom put her shoes on her feet. She couldn¡¯t walk, so there was no need for shoes. They weren¡¯t her usual silk shoes. Instead, he was putting on some straw shoes. MuGyeom thought that straw shoes would be a lot more comfortable for walking than her silk shoes. ¡°Did you make these?¡± ¡°They¡¯re quite sturdy, so don¡¯t worry, my lady.¡± ¡°What would I need these for?¡± ¡°Starting today, I think my lady is going to have to endure some hard work.¡± ¡°I will?¡± The breakfast this morning wasn¡¯t porridge. Instead, he served her a proper meal. He filled the bowl with a heap of rice. As soon as she saw this, EunSeo felt that something was off. Although she couldn¡¯t eat that much, MuGyeom stubbornly made her finish the whole bowl. Everything became strange from then on. She thought that he was acting strange, and now she found out that he had made something strange and planned on making her do something strange as well. ¡°Please get on my back for now.¡± ¡°On your back?¡± ¡°Of course. Then are you going to crawl all the way over there?¡± MuGyeom was right. She wasn¡¯t sure what he was planning on making her do with that strange tool over there, but if she wanted to get there, she¡¯d have to be carried there on MuGyeom¡¯s back. When EunSeo settled on his back, MuGyeom stood up. He thought this on the first day she came to this house, but MuGyeom was reminded of how light she was once again. She was as light as a feather. How could someone be this light? He felt that she was so light that she¡¯d be blown away with the wind. Her hands were small, her body was petite, and she was very light. He could hardly believe she went up to the temple every day at dawn to offer up her prayers for 2 years. How did she feel as she did that? For 2 years, she had gone up to the temple to offer up prayers for the groom whose face she had never seen. How did she feel about that? She poured all her heart and soul into doing this until she had grown ill. And in the end, the groom¡¯s family kicked her out. How did she feel? If MuGyeom had been her groom, he would never abandon a woman who had endured all that for him. Although she had never seen him, she had spent 2 years going up to the temple every single day to beg the heavens on his behalf. How could he abandon a woman like that? Even if she couldn¡¯t move her whole body, he would care for her and stay by her side. He would never pretend that he never knew her. MuGyeom didn¡¯t know what a noble and pure heart looked like. He had never seen one before. Had EunSeo loved the groom whose face she had never seen before? Could anyone fall in love with someone whose face they hadn¡¯t seen? ¡°You just need to tightly hold onto these.¡± MuGyeom placed both of EunSeo¡¯s hands on the poles. ¡°I can¡¯t stand up on my own.¡± EunSeo¡¯s wrists were relaxed in defeat. MuGyeom knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to do this on her own right now. He needed to help her. At first, he¡¯d need to support her. However, he¡¯d slowly pull that support away, and EunSeo¡¯s own strength would replace it. There was no need to hurry. They¡¯d take it slow. Very slow. And then one day, EunSeo would be able to hold onto the poles herself and walk on her own. And once she was used to walking with the poles, she¡¯d probably be able to let go and walk on her own two feet. ¡°I¡¯ll hold your waist. I¡¯ll hold onto you, so don¡¯t worry, my lady. All you have to do is hold onto the poles and move forward.¡± ¡°But my legs won¡¯t move.¡± ¡°You can just drag them behind you.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°There is no one here to see you.¡± ¡°What about you? You¡¯ll see it.¡± ¡°How can a servant be considered a person?¡± Saying it out loud with his own mouth made him feel a bit bitter. How can a servant be considered a person? A servant was considered to be his master¡¯s possession. Not a person. And because he wasn¡¯t a person, he was an item that could be bought and sold. He could be killed at a whim. ¡°Who told you that a servant wasn¡¯t a person?¡± EunSeo spoke as she grasped the poles and began to move her right hand forward. She pushed her hands forward, and her legs began to drag on the ground behind her. As she pushed herself forward, MuGyeom stepped back. The distance between them was exactly one step. MuGyeom needed to hold onto her hips or else she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep herself up. Little by little, her right hand moved forward followed by her left. Every time she moved forward, her legs dragged on the ground behind her. Every time she moved forward, MuGyeom took another step back. Whenever she came closer to him, he stepped back. Slowly. Very slowly. She barely reached his chest. Every time her hand moved towards him, MuGyeom moved his foot back. Tired from all her efforts, strained breaths began to escape her lips. Those breaths brushed against the hems of MuGyeom¡¯s clothes. After a while, MuGyeom noticed her reddened face and the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her ragged breaths, her red lips¡­ His eyes never left her red lips. Tap. At that moment, EunSeo¡¯s forehead bumped against MuGyeom¡¯s chest. He had forgotten to step back because he had been staring at her lips. ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± EunSeo raised her head and looked at him with her clear eyes. Suddenly, MuGyeom felt a warmth rise inside his chest. It all happened in an instant. He felt the warmth rise up, and the nape of his neck grew hot. His hands unintentionally tensed on EunSeo¡¯s hips. He had never felt this way before in his whole life. Chapter 3.1 ¡°Huu.¡± MuGyeom blew out the candle. A darkness settled inside the room. ¡°Please rest comfortably, my lady.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today as well.¡± EunSeo¡¯s tired voice rang in the air. Four days had passed since EunSeo had begun to practice walking. At first, she had to rely mostly on MuGyeom¡¯s strength as she moved her hands along the poles. However, today, she managed to support herself on the poles on her own. When MuGyeom had taken his hands off her, she still managed to keep herself upright on the poles and succeeded in moving on her own. Of course, her legs were still dragging behind her on the ground. While she could take steps, whenever she let go of the poles, she would end up collapsing onto the ground. While her legs were still unable to support her weight, when they were stretched out, she could slightly move her toes against the ground. Although it was only her big toe, when EunSeo realized that she could move it, she was overcome with emotion. Six days ago, she had tried to throw herself down the well. To think that she could move her big toe after six days¡­ EunSeo¡¯s daily schedule started when MuGyeom would carry her on his back for their morning walk. After they ate lunch, EunSeo would practice walking until the sun began to set. MuGyeom would then douse a cotton cloth in warm water and apply it to her feet and calves. MuGyeom told her that because she was beginning to use muscles that hadn¡¯t been used in a while, they would have to do this in order to keep them from being overworked. Therefore, he never missed a day and diligently remembered to apply the warm cotton to her calves and feet. Whenever he was applying the warm cotton to her calves, MuGyeom didn¡¯t know where to look. EunSeo still hadn¡¯t realized the way his ear reddened whenever he held her pale calves and ankles. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°MuGyeom.¡± Just as MuGyeom began to rise from his seat, he heard EunSeo¡¯s voice call out to him. ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± ¡°You told me to¡­ live for others to see. To live so that those who abandoned me could see how happy I am¡­¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± ¡°What do you think will happen to me if I can walk again?¡± MuGyeom remained silent. He hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. If EunSeo could walk again¡­ If her two legs had returned to normal¡­ She¡¯d probably go back to Hanyang. There was no reason for Lord Yoon to leave a perfectly fine daughter here for the rest of her life. But he wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be able to return to her husband¡¯s house that had abandoned her. Even if it would only take 1 year for her to walk again, within that year, her husband would probably remarry. Did EunSeo want to return to her husband¡¯s house? She might. Although he was the man who had abandoned her, she might never forget the man who had once been her husband. ¡®You don¡¯t know¡­ You don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯ Rather than the fact that she couldn¡¯t use her legs, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to return to her husband¡¯s side might have been the reason why she had been in such despair. Maybe. Probably. If it had only been due to the frustrations of being unable to walk, she would have probably ended her life before she even came all the way over here. Therefore, the true reason why she wanted to die was probably not due to the fact that she couldn¡¯t walk. It was probably due to the love she could not sever. It was obvious. One couldn¡¯t say that it was strange. But for some reason, MuGyeom felt angry. That man threw EunSeo away. That household threw her away. Even Lord Yoon threw her away. After everyone threw her away, he was the only one who took care of her. But EunSeo wanted to return to the ones who had abandoned her. That made MuGyeom angry. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be able to go back?¡± ¡°You will, my lady.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can.¡± ¡°Of course you should go back. You cannot live here for the rest of your life.¡± After saying those words, MuGyeom opened the door and exited the room. Tap. After closing the door, MuGyeom walked down to the yard. Instead of opening the gate, he turned around and looked back. EunSeo¡¯s door was shrouded in darkness. If he wasn¡¯t here, EunSeo wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. She might be able to crawl out the door, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to drink or eat without him. She might be able to change into another set of clothes, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to change her underwear. Until now, MuGyeom was the one who had changed her underwear. He was the one who¡¯d changed her underwear and taken care of her. But that wasn¡¯t all. He had also been the one who had doused the cotton washcloth and cleaned her body. But EunSeo was only thinking of going back. Although it was to be expected, the obvious reality made MuGyeom angry for some reason. It was so obvious that feeling angry would be ridiculous. So what was the cause of all this rage? MuGyeom stared at the unlit room. As if he¡¯d turned to stone¡­ As if his feet had been rooted into the ground¡­ He blankly stared at the unlit room. On the eighth day, it began to rain. The autumn rain gradually wet the ground, so they were unable to go out into the yard. Because of the cold autumn breeze, MuGyeom lit a fire in the furnace. Splash. MuGyeom plunged a cotton cloth into a brass washbasin before taking out it and lightly squeezing the water out. Then he began to wash EunSeo¡¯s knees and calves. When it came to washing her face or upper body, EunSeo did it herself. However, when it came to washing her hair or from the thighs down, she needed MuGyeom¡¯s assistance. Whenever MuGyeom washed EunSeo, he¡¯d lay her down and cover her upper body and thighs with a summer blanket. He covered her body in a thin blanket in case she felt too embarrassed. After doing so, he¡¯d take the wet washcloth and only clean her feet, calves, and her knees. As he swept the washcloth down her pale legs, her skin glimmered. Whenever he washed her body, EunSeo grew silent. Of course, MuGyeom was the same way. This was because both of them weren¡¯t very happy about this situation. The sound of the cloth sliding down her skin. The sound of EunSeo¡¯s breaths and the sound of MuGyeom¡¯s soft breaths¡­ These sounds shook the room. Today, these sounds were accompanied by the refreshing sound of the rain outside. ¡°It¡¯s raining a lot today.¡± Unable to endure the awkwardness, EunSeo turned her head and watched the rain falling outside. MuGyeom didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about in this situation and was filled with frustration. What as EunSeo thinking about as she left her body in his care? While she didn¡¯t show it, was she embarrassed? Or was she feeling resigned because there was nothing she could do about it? Was she not afraid of him? He was a man. And he was a strong man at that. If he wanted to, he could take her by force. Unable to use her legs, EunSeo wouldn¡¯t be able to resist him. And because there was no one else in this residence, no one would be here to help her. Was she truly not afraid of him? Or was it because she trusted him that much? If not that, did she think that a mere servant would never dare covet his mistress? Did she not see him as a man at all? Because MuGyeom didn¡¯t know what EunSeo was thinking, he felt drained. Well, even if he knew how she truly felt about him, nothing would change. No matter how much EunSeo relied on him, he was still a servant and EunSeo was still a noble. The law of rank and status wasn¡¯t easily overcome. MuGyeom was aware of the punishment a servant would receive if the servant raped a noblewoman. If a servant had relations with a noblewoman, the woman would be locked away for the rest of her life, and the man¡¯s throat would be slit. That was the law. The blood running in his veins were different from hers. The blood of a noble and the blood of a vulgar servant were so different. ¡®My blood is red, and so is my lady¡¯s¡­¡¯ The color was the same, but it was still different. How ridiculous. Breaking out of his thoughts, MuGyeom finally realized that his hand was on her upper knee. Instead of pulling his hand away, MuGyeom glanced at EunSeo. EunSeo was still looking at the rain outside. There was no way she didn¡¯t know. His hand had crossed the line. There was no way she didn¡¯t know that. The line he should never cross. It was her knees. That was the line that MuGyeom had designated for himself. However, right now, his hand had crossed that line. His fingertips were touching EunSeo¡¯s thigh. However, EunSeo didn¡¯t say anything. As if I¡¯m just a tree, she¡¯s not calling my name or acting shocked. She was merely staring outside with calm eyes. As if nothing was happening right now. MuGyeom stared at her. He couldn¡¯t breathe. No, instead of breathing, it was as if his heart had forgotten how to beat inside his chest. He couldn¡¯t hear the rain anymore. A terrifying calm settled over MuGyeom. Within the stillness, all he could hear were his own breaths and his heart that had begun to race again. That was it. His hand didn¡¯t move as if it were frozen. MuGyeom did his best to suppress the heat that was rising inside of him. If he gave in to his lust, he would be no different from a beast. He wasn¡¯t a beast. There was nothing he despised more than a man who raped a woman. A nobleman who raped a servant who couldn¡¯t fight back. However, if he ever found himself doing that, he¡¯d rather bite his own tongue and die. Despite the reasoning in his head, he felt himself harden within his pants. ¡°¡­¡­¡± MuGyeom bit his lips. Would he feel better if he went out and doused himself in the cold rain? Suddenly¡­ ¡°MuGyeom.¡± EunSeo broke the silence by calling out to him. Her voice pierced him like a thorn. MuGyeom¡¯s eyes were on her, and EunSeo¡¯s eyes were still looking outside. MuGyeom thought she saw him as a tree. He thought she¡¯d tell him she was disappointed in him for having the gall to lay a hand on a noblewoman¡¯s body. ¡°What do you think of me?¡± The unexpected question left EunSeo¡¯s lips. ¡°My lady, I¡­¡± ¡°In your eyes, what am I to you?¡± If he could, he wanted to tell her that he saw her as a woman. Not a noble, not his mistress¡­ A woman. It may sound blasphemous, but in this moment, MuGyeom saw EunSeo as a woman. A small, feeble, light woman. While she was pitiful and sad, he couldn¡¯t leave her alone. A woman. A beautiful woman. A woman. A woman he wanted to protect. A woman. The woman who made his heart race for the very first time. Chapter 3.2 ¡°In my lady¡¯s eyes, what is this servant to you?¡± ¡°I asked you first.¡± EunSeo shut her eyes. Her eyelashes were exceptionally long and thick. That¡¯s why they were all the more beautiful. ¡°How do you think I see you? I see you as a person.¡± Her red lips slowly moved. ¡°I see you as a man.¡± When he heard her say that she saw him as a man, MuGyeom quickly pulled his hand off her thigh. Then he moved and sat down in front of her face. ¡°How can a servant be a person?¡± MuGyeom went silent for a moment before continuing. ¡°How can a servant be a man?¡± EunSeo chuckled softly. Every time she smiled, a dimple would form on her cheek. MuGyeom found the dimple so beautiful. ¡°As long as you¡¯re a man in my eyes, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± When she said this words, MuGyeom lost his breath. ¡°I told you that I didn¡¯t know what to do if my legs became well again.¡± EunSeo slowly turned her head. Her eyes looked into his. ¡°Can I just live here with you? Even if I can walk again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you walk again.¡± MuGyeom stretched out his hand and grasped her chin. ¡°However, even if you can walk again, please do not leave.¡± That¡¯s what he had wanted all along. He didn¡¯t want EunSeo to leave. He wanted her to stay by his side even when she could walk on her own two feet. MuGyeom wanted her to live with him in this house. He didn¡¯t dare wish for something so selfish, so he never let those thoughts leave his lips. ¡°Are you going to scold me for having such selfish thoughts?¡± ¡°Selfish¡­ I think I¡¯m the one who is being selfish¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. MuGyeom couldn¡¯t bear hearing her finish her sentence. If he waited any longer, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. He grasped EunSeo¡¯s chin and bent down. As he bent down, his lips swallowed hers. He pulled her lower lip between his own and opened her mouth. When EunSeo let out a sigh, her breath flowed into his mouth. It was still raining outside, and the door was still open. However, the walls were so high that no one would be able to peek inside. MuGyeom and EunSeo were the only ones within this large house. And due to the heavy rain outside, even the heavens had closed its eyes. MuGyeom¡¯s tongue plunged inside EunSeo¡¯s mouth. Her flavor wound around his tongue as if it had been waiting for him. He began to suck. Since when had this burning passion lurked inside him? When did these feelings begin to grow so large within his heart? Was it when he saw her trembling shoulders within the palanquin? Or when he had carried her out of the palanquin and into her room? If these feelings were the result of a seed that had taken root within his heart, when had the seed fallen in the first place? When he pulled her away from the well as she tried to kill herself? Or when he promised her that he¡¯d help he walk no matter what? It might have been all those moments. All those moments had spread its seed within his heart, and now the buds had bloomed. His whole body and soul was filled with selfish thoughts of having her. Greedily devouring her lips, MuGyeom lowered his body next to hers. As he leaned over her, his hand began to travel down her body. As his hand burrowed underneath the blanket, he felt the thin cloth of garments. It was the hem of EunSeo¡¯s skirt. He heard the crunch of the fabric as his hand plunged inside. His fingertips brushed against tender skin. MuGyeom was aware of what he was touching. Whenever he washed her feet, he would feel this tender flesh with his own hands. Whenever he had touched the soft and tender skin of her feet, toes and calves, he was filled with a masculine urge. However, he suppressed those urges because he didn¡¯t want to become a beast. When EunSeo fell asleep at night, he would cover her body with the blanket and leave the room. Then he would stare at her door in the darkness until dawn. Did she know? Even as the cold dew drenched his hair and shoulders, he wouldn¡¯t move. He¡¯d merely remain rooted to the spot as he stared at her bedroom door. EunSeo would probably never know that he did this. Therefore, in this moment, MuGyeom felt like he was losing his mind. Right now, he was stealing her lips and her breath. His hand was stroking her soft skin. He could hardly believe that this wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± After he pulled away, a scorching moan escaped her lips. MuGyeom¡¯s hands slid down her smooth bottom before burrowing between the cleft. ¡°Hnng¡­¡± EunSeo¡¯s hips flinched. The man¡¯s large fingers had pushed against the thin cloth of her underwear and entered inside her. MuGyeom felt his fingers grow wet. EunSeo¡¯s underwear was damp. And MuGyeom was the same. His hardened staff was painfully pushing up against his pants and had created a wet spot. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± MuGyeom swallowed her lips once again as he pushed his fingers underneath the thin fabric. Because she was still unable to move her legs on her own, they opened without any resistance. Burrowing into the moist valley of her cleft, the palm of his hand began to stroke her sensitive flesh. Her essence began to to smear against his hand. Every time his hand rubbed against her cleft, the wet sound grew louder. Her hot breaths filled his mouth. The scent of camellia blossoms wafted in the air. All this time, he had thought that it had been coming from her hair, but it was actually coming from her lips and skin. Whenever he cleaned her body, the faint scent of camellias would linger. No matter how many flowers had trembled as they tried to seduce him, MuGyeom had never given in to their temptations. He finally understood the reason why. He was waiting for his own flower. The flower that would bloom for him within his embrace. Therefore, he lowered his eyes and waited. ¡°My lady.¡± He pulled his lips away and sat upright. As he pulled his hand out of her underwear, he saw that it was covered in a sticky fluid. MuGyeom got on top of her. Underneath him, her face was flushed. His eyes swept over her blushing cheeks. Her parted red lips panted for breath. MuGyeom realized that he was the same. He could see his own reflection in her eyes. His expression looked the same as the one on her face. While he wasn¡¯t completely sure, he thought that she probably felt the same way as he did. Looking down into her eyes, MuGyeom began to take off his clothes. After throwing off the suffocating garments, MuGyeom began to untie EunSeo¡¯s top. He took off her clothes as well as his. Once they were completely naked, he touched her. Now that they were naked, they were no longer noble and servant. They were merely a man and a woman. ¡°Haa¡­! Ah, aaah!¡± EunSeo¡¯s hands grasped the mattress. If not the mattress, she would probably have pulled out MuGyeom¡¯s hair instead. MuGyeom¡¯s sturdy, naked back was shaking between EunSeo¡¯s legs. His two hands were holding EunSeo¡¯s thighs as he kept them apart. His lips were buried between them. Every time he nibbled her tender flesh, a hot warmth would surge out of her entrance. The bridge of his nose kept burrowing between the cleft as his tongue lapped and sucked all the essence she released. The lewd sound of his sucking lips was mixed in with the pouring rain. ¡°Ah, haa¡­ Mu-MuGyeom¡­ Ah¡­!¡± MuGyeom¡¯s tongue plunged inside and burrowed deep. EunSeo¡¯s soft cries traveled outside. His tongue greedily dug deeper and deeper. Although it was pouring outside, MuGyeom was thirsty. No matter how much he drank, he grew thirstier and thirstier. The only thing that would satisfy his parched throat was EunSeo. EunSeo was the only thing that would quench this uncontrollable thirst. She was like rain in a drought. As his tongue thrust in and out of her entrance, a sticky sound escaped the seam of his lips. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± Finally pulling away, MuGyeom thrust a finger inside her. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Unlike his soft tongue, his finger was a lot more stiff. As he rubbed his finger inside her, EunSeo gasped. She lost her breath. His finger continued to push through her tight entrance as it paved a path. Her hot walls eagerly welcomed his finger. When he felt them greedily stick to his fingers, MuGyeom pulled his hand away. He widened her until she could take in three of his fingers. But three wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t enough. MuGyeom¡¯s staff was the width of four fingers. Even if she could take in three of his fingers, she wouldn¡¯t be able to receive all of him. Because of his large girth and length, there was always a bulge in the front of his pants. ¡®Are you carrying some kind of weapon inside your pants?¡¯ Those around MuGyeom would ask questions like that. Of course, MuGyeom was already aware of the fact that he was larger than the average man, but he never expected that it would be a problem in the future. He was large, and EunSeo was small. ¡°Haagh¡­¡± MuGyeom bent down and began to suck the swollen, glistening peaks of her breasts once again. He rolled the nipple with his tongue before lightly nibbling down. EunSeo¡¯s hips flinched underneath him. Their lower bodies were touching, and it was a complete wet mess. He began to grind himself against her wet entrance before grabbing her legs and pulling them wider apart. MuGyeom could feel that her entrance had relaxed enough to take four of his fingers. He was going to put it in now. Just the thought made him want to burst. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The head of his penis had only breached her entrance, but EunSeo¡¯s hips arched at the pressure. MuGyeom slowly pushed inside. Her tight entrance couldn¡¯t properly take him in, but he continued to open up her body. Schlick-. Her wet entrance made a wet sound as it opened. Her warmth was opening up to him. Her tight, scorching entrance opened, and as his staff slowly plunged inside her, the sticky sounds rang in the air. Every time he entered further inside, her slender body convulsed. However MuGyeom didn¡¯t stop. A little deeper¡­ Slowly¡­ until the end¡­ Only when he had entered to the hilt did he let out a deep breath. Once he made sure that he had reached her deepest place, he looked down at her. He was kneeling as he held her legs wide open. EunSeo looked up at him with trembling lips. However, her eyes were filled with a scorching heat. They didn¡¯t show any sign of pain. Only pleasure. He was giving her pleasure. When their eyes met, EunSeo¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled. Seeing her trembling lips smiling at him, MuGyeom gave her a smile back. As they laughed, MuGyeom pulled out before plunging back inside again. ¡°Haaagh!¡± MuGyeom completely pulled out before thrusting back in. EunSeo¡¯s back arched as a moan burst out of her lips. MuGyeom didn¡¯t know how to describe the warmth that completely enveloped him. Thrust, thrust! Every time he pumped his hips, her sticky, wet walls clung to him. Every time he plunged into her wet entrance, a sticky sound rang in the air. ¡°Haagh! Ah! Ah, aagh! Ah!¡± MuGyeom¡¯s hands held her legs up along with her bottom. A sticky fluid dripped down the seam of her legs. So much fluid was dripping down¡­ almost as if his staff was pumping it out. ¡°Haa, ha, ah, ugh¡­!¡± MuGyeom¡¯s ragged breaths burst out of his lips. As her walls clenched around his staff, he felt his body shake. A shiver traveled down his spine. He hands moved from her thighs to her ankles. He pulled her body underneath him and began to grind down on her. ¡°Aagh!¡± Every time he pierced into her, EunSeo¡¯s cry merely served to heighten MuGyeom¡¯s arousal. Was he taking her or was she taking him? Or were they taking each other? He couldn¡¯t tell. MuGyeom¡¯s body trembled in bliss as he plunged into her tight heat one last time. Once he had reached her deepest place, MuGyeom poured out his seed. His vision flickered due to the uncontrollable ecstasy coursing through his body. The essence that had been itching to burst out of him was now filling EunSeo¡¯s womb. He slowly pulled out of her body, and a white fluid trickled out of her entrance. When MuGyeom saw the faint pink mixed in with the white, he finally realized what had happened. He had been her first. Chapter 4.1 ¡°When I was there, they called me ¡®The Lady of the Other House¡¯. The lady who never leaves the other house.¡± She spoke calmly as she rested her head on MuGyeom¡¯s arm. He was caressing her pale shoulder. The open bedroom door was now closed, and it was still raining outside. Because of all the wood that had been added to the furnace, the room was quite hot. MuGyeom had neatly tidied the room. He got rid of the mattress stained with their fluids and her blood and spread out a new one. Then he cleaned every nook and cranny of EunSeo¡¯s body with a wet cotton cloth. However, he didn¡¯t help her into any clothes afterwards. MuGyeom was also naked. Because she was naked, MuGyeom realized again how petite her body was. How could someone be so slender? She reminded him of a spring flower that trembled in the wind as a water droplet clung precariously to its petals. A flower that would shake dangerously with the cold breeze. ¡°What did it matter that I was married? Do you know what it¡¯s like to face your cold groom with your head hung low like a criminal?¡± ¡°How would I know something like that?¡± ¡°It was because those 2 years felt like such a waste. If I accepted reality, then what would become of those 2 years? What was I doing? Just the thought made me feel so depressed, so I refused to acknowledge the fact that my husband had no feelings for me. And being chased out by my in-laws was such a terrible thing to face¡­ And the fact that my existence in my family was useless the moment I lost use of my legs was so ridiculous, so I just wanted to go and die.¡± EunSeo stroked MuGyeom¡¯s chest with her finger. She circled around his nipple before dragging her finger up his chest and throat until she reached his jaw. Then she began to trace his lips. ¡°Although I was physically there, no one looked at me. Even though I was and always would be Yoon EunSeo, the moment I lost use of my legs, Yoon EunSeo disappeared, and all that remained was a despicable nuisance. I couldn¡¯t endure it anymore.¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t use your legs, you will always be my lady. Even if you couldn¡¯t use all your limbs, you¡¯d still be my lady. All the time and experiences you¡¯ve encountered are what make you who you are. How could that not be true just because you can¡¯t use your legs?¡± ¡°No one told me that. Except for you.¡± MuGyeom closed his eyes as he listened to her voice. Her breaths sweetly brushed against his chest. Actually, he had always wanted to have someone tell him these words as well. He wanted to say this to those who judged and looked down on him because of what was on the outside. He also wanted someone to say it to him. He wasn¡¯t just a servant named MuGyeom. He had also lived through his own experiences, and he also had a heart. He thought like them, laughed like them, and hurt like them. He wanted someone to acknowledge him as another living, breathing human being. That¡¯s how he saw EunSeo. The fact that she could no longer use her legs didn¡¯t negate the many emotions and experiences she had lived through. As long as they viewed each other as human beings, what did it matter that someone couldn¡¯t use their legs? Even if they couldn¡¯t use their legs, their heart and feelings still remained, so what did it matter? The ones who had abandoned their daughter and their newly-wedded wife just because she couldn¡¯t use her legs¡­ MuGyeom wondered how they had seen EunSeo. What was EunSeo to them? MuGyeom treasured her, but they probably didn¡¯t see her in the same way. They probably didn¡¯t look at her the way he was looking at her right now. If they had, they wouldn¡¯t have thrown her away like this. ¡°Before I came down here, my father visited my room and handed me an ornamental silver knife*.¡± What a heartless father. ¡°The last thing he said to me was to make a wise decision before I brought dishonor to the family. MuGyeom, I don¡¯t have a place to return to.¡± EunSeo buried her face against MuGyeom¡¯s chest. ¡°This place is my grave. No, it must become my grave.¡± ¡°We can just say that you¡¯re dead.¡± MuGyeom tenderly embraced her and rubbed his head against the crown of her head. The scent of camellias wafted into his nose. It was her fragrance. ¡°Should we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a servant, and you¡¯re a noble, my lady. How can a servant and a noble share a blanket? Don¡¯t you think we must die in order to live?¡± MuGyeom already knew from the moment he embraced EunSeo. He knew that once he crossed the line, he¡¯d never be able to go back. And the consequences of their actions were clear to him. The new servant would arrive in a few days. Once the new servant was here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain this relationship. They might be able to continue in secret behind the servant¡¯s back, but was that the best they could do? Hiding as if they were committing a crime. Suppressing their breaths as their hearts twisted inside their chests¡­ However, if they waited any longer, it would be the end. There was only one solution. Running away. However, if a slave ran away, a bounty hunter would come chasing after them. If he ran away alone, a bounty hunter would definitely be on his tail. However, if he took a nobleman¡¯s daughter along with him, the result was obvious. But how far could they run with EunSeo unable to use her legs? A crippled woman and a burly man. They were obviously going to get caught. ¡°MuGyeom.¡± EunSeo raised her head. ¡°Why do you like me? I¡¯m sure you can find more than enough women with a pair of good legs.¡± ¡°Then why did you receive me, my lady?¡± ¡°Because you didn¡¯t say I was useless just because I couldn¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°Because you told me that I was no different from you just because I was a servant.¡± When they heard each other¡¯s answers, they laughed. How foolish were they? They were fools who fell in love with each other for such trivial reasons. Ultimately, EunSeo and MuGyeom weren¡¯t expecting much. What they wanted was insignificant, but no one around them had given it to them. MuGyeom had merely told a crippled woman that she didn¡¯t have to die just because she couldn¡¯t walk, and EunSeo had merely told a servant that he was no different just because of his social status. MuGyeom felt like they were both idiots for falling in love due to such an insignificant reason. And the feelings that had sparked because of such an insignificant reason had ultimately brought him all the way here. ¡°If you die, I die, my lady. And if you live, I live. So what¡¯s so scary about dying or living? Don¡¯t you think we should try living proudly for others to see?¡± ¡°Yeah, for others to see¡­¡± MuGyeom placed kisses on EunSeo¡¯s forehead and eyelids. Those hot lips lightly sucked on the bridge of her nose before swallowing her lips. Their hearts began to race once again. *Ornamental silver knives were carried by noblewomen. They could be used for protection, but more importantly, they symbolized the woman¡¯s fidelity/purity. In worst-case scenarios, the women would use these knives to kill themselves in order to preserve their virtue when they were backed into a corner (i.e. about to get raped or captured). By giving one to EunSeo, her father is basically telling her to kill herself in order to preserve the family¡¯s virtue/reputation.