Chapter 5.4

Today, she had even applied light makeup. The cosmetics the shoppers had brought were neatly arranged on the dressing table in the dressing room.

She had asked one of the housekeepers who came to clean the room for help and tried using the makeup for the first time. Since it had been a while, she felt awkward and only applied a light base and lip gloss.

Even so, Yoon-jae’s face glowed. Baek-geon stared at her face for a moment as if mesmerized. She looked different from the first time he had seen her—she was prettier.

“Let’s go.”

He gently lifted her into his arms. Yoon-jae hesitated before wrapping her arms around his neck. A soft, subtle fragrance wafted from her. It was the scent of the hand cream he had applied to her hands.

“Did you wear perfume?”

“Oh, it’s eau de cologne. It has the same scent as the hand cream…”

Yoon-jae’s cheeks flushed slightly. She had been startled to discover a scent she had never smelled before coming from her hands.

Later, when she found products from the same line in the bathroom, she guessed that Baek-geon had applied the cream to her hands.

It was the only explanation. The housekeepers were invisible except when cleaning or organizing laundry, and Butler Song rarely came by unless necessary.

That left only Baek-geon. Whenever Yoon-jae imagined him applying cream to her hands, her chest would tingle involuntarily.

Where in this man could such sensitivity be hidden? She found it curious and puzzling, and sometimes she wanted to dig deeper into his thoughts.

When faced with him directly, however, she still felt awkward and often struggled to find the right words. But she was gradually getting used to him.

Baek-geon carefully carried her to the car. After securing her seatbelt, he climbed into the driver’s seat. Before starting the engine, he glanced at her again.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

When she nodded, Baek-geon started the car and drove off. The vehicle moved smoothly and sped along the road.

When they arrived at the hospital, the two headed straight to the VIP ward and then to the consultation room. By now, undergoing an ultrasound under dim lighting had become familiar to her.

“The baby is healthy. It’s grown a lot. You can start moving now. Just take it easy and avoid overexertion. If you notice anything unusual or see any bleeding, come to the hospital immediately.”

The professor smiled and handed them an ultrasound photo. They also received a file recording the baby’s heartbeat. Yoon-jae stepped onto the ground with a happy heart, feeling as though she could do anything.

Baek-geon, watching Yoon-jae’s visibly joyful expression, felt a strange sense of fulfillment. The sight of the baby growing healthily in her womb was both fascinating and extraordinary.

The ultrasound image from the first visit and the one now still felt like an unfamiliar encounter. He felt a sense of reverence for the woman who had endured while carrying such life.

“Be careful.”

Even so, Baek-geon could only say those words. He didn’t have the courage to say more to Yoon-jae.

All he could think about was how he didn’t want to let her go, a thought that was gradually consuming his mind. It was perhaps the worst emotion he could harbor toward her.

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact origin of this feeling. He could only vaguely attribute it to a protective instinct.

Unaware of his feelings, Yoon-jae walked with a bright face. The thought that she could now go anywhere made her feel lighter.

“You haven’t eaten yet. Should we grab lunch?”

She turned to look at Baek-geon upon hearing his words from behind. He shrugged as if asking her opinion.

“If you don’t want to eat, that’s fine.”

“No, no. Let’s eat together.”

Yoon-jae quickly replied and matched his pace. Baek-geon naturally stood beside her.

The two began walking side by side. The drowsy sunlight fell on their shoulders, scattering into tiny fragments.

“What do you want to eat? Something you like or feel like having?”

“Anything is fine, but, um…”

After pondering for a moment, Yoon-jae suddenly brightened.

“I want jjolmyeon.”

“Jjolmyeon?”

Baek-geon squinted at the unexpectedly random menu choice.

“The food at home is all so good… I just feel like having street food for no reason.”

Yoon-jae mumbled softly, her shoulders shrinking slightly. Baek-geon thought of Butler Song’s enthusiasm and nearly burst out laughing.

Butler Song had been incredibly zealous. Determined to fatten up the expectant mother, he had been serving nutritious broths and meat-heavy dishes at every meal for quite some time.

Sadly, the diet seemed to have been a burden for Yoon-jae. With morning sickness and lack of exercise combined, eating like that every day must have been exhausting.

“Do you have a specific restaurant in mind?”

Yoon-jae shook her head lightly.

“Anywhere is fine. Maybe near a school, or even the market…”

Her cheeks turned a soft pink. She seemed excited. Baek-geon watched her for a moment before putting her in the car.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay.”

Baek-geon drove to the only street food restaurant he knew.

*

“Where is this?”

Yoon-jae looked around curiously. It was a common street food stall in a bustling market. It was quite amusing to see Baek-geon in such an incongruous setting.

A middle-aged woman came to take their order. Without hesitation, Baek-geon ordered jjolmyeon, dumplings, tteokbokki, gimbap, and other dishes in large quantities.

“How will we eat all that?”

“If there’s leftovers, we’ll take them home.”

Despite Yoon-jae’s concern, Baek-geon remained calm. She couldn’t resist the savory smell and took a sip of the fish cake soup served as a side dish.

She had worried about morning sickness, but the heavily seasoned soup went down smoothly. It was amusing. Despite the high-quality ingredients and care put into the broths at home, this street food soup was easier to eat.

The tteokbokki came out first. Sticky rice cakes were generously covered in a red, sweet sauce. As soon as she bit into one, Yoon-jae knew she would eat until she was stuffed.

“How is it?”

“Wow, it’s really good.”

Yoon-jae replied as she chewed on the rice cake. Baek-geon sipped the sauce and watched her closely as she ate. Even though she didn’t eat much, taking small bites of the rice cakes and breaking a sweat on her forehead, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

“You eat so earnestly, but why is your portion so small?”

Yoon-jae blushed.

“It’s been like that since I was young. Maybe my mouth is small, but even when I try to eat a lot, I can’t fit much in one bite.”

That made sense. Baek-geon thought of her small lips and tongue, imagining how tiny they must be. It was understandable, yet at the same time, he suddenly felt a strange sensation.

He inadvertently pictured that small mouth wrapped around him, sucking eagerly. A dull ache settled in his lower abdomen. He cleared his throat softly.

You’re doing fine now.

He let out a faint laugh at himself. Realizing that his body was in good health, he felt ridiculous for suddenly experiencing desire. It was pathetic.

Yoon-jae, however, was completely unaware of Baek-geon’s desires and remained focused on eating. Her eyes widened as she mixed the jjolmyeon, coated in red sauce, sesame oil, and a spoonful of sugar, and took a bite.

“Wow. Why is this so delicious?”

Without a word, Baek-geon pushed the plate of dumplings toward her.

“Try it with this. It’ll taste even better.”

Yoon-jae placed some jjolmyeon onto an empty plate and set it in front of him.

“Bo… Please, have some.”

She had been about to call him “Boss” but found it awkward and changed her words. Nervously, she resumed eating her jjolmyeon.

Baek-geon watched her for a moment before picking up his chopsticks and finishing the plate. He also polished off what Yoon-jae couldn’t finish and then stood up to pay the bill.