For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 98
Dark green eyes meticulously scanned every part of my face.
The blatant stare should have made me uncomfortable, but perhaps because of his strikingly handsome face, I accepted his gaze in silence.
The man studied my face for a long while, as if he were counting each strand of my hair, before finally opening his mouth.
「 ……Are you unwell in any way? 」
His voice was as remarkable as his way of speaking. A deep, rich tone that perfectly matched his masculine features.
‘Unwell?’
Of course, I was.
Not my body, but my heart.
Because of the crushing despair he would never understand, I felt as though my heart were being torn apart.
Instead of answering, I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat.
The man let out a short sound of realization.
「 Ah. You do not understand Dongguk-o. 」
A troubled sigh escaped him.
At that moment, I realized something simple yet crucial.
The words he had spoken weren’t in the Empire’s language—the one I had used every day here.
They were in Dongguk-o, the country’s language.
In other words, the language I had just heard was not a foreign tongue…
It was my mother tongue.
I felt as if I had been struck in the head.
‘That was Korean… just now…’
It was the same joy as being stranded in a foreign country, robbed of your phone and passport, only to miraculously hear a fellow Korean ask if you needed help.
No, it was even more than that.
I had spoken and heard Korean all my life for over twenty years, but I never realized how precious and comforting it was until this moment.
As I lifted my chin and stared at him, a warm, stinging sensation welled up in my eyes.
I blinked, locking eyes with the man who stood as solid as a pine tree, and before I knew it, the tears that had gathered spilled down my temples in long streams.
They flowed down my cheeks, past my chin, and onto the jeogori (upper garment of hanbok) I was wearing. Not the Western-style dress I had worn every day, but Korean clothing.
Everything that reminded me of Korea made my tears fall even more.
Even though the house and the man before me were unfamiliar, my chest ached with longing before I could even think of why.
‘It feels just like my grandmother’s house.’
At that moment, a cool breeze rustled through the air, stirring the man’s daenggi-tied hair. The whispering wind carried the crisp texture of summer hanbok fabric.
Another tear slipped down the path the first had made.
But this time, it did not reach my collar.
Because the man gently pressed his otgoreum (outer ribbon of jeogori) against my cheek, wiping the tear away.
“……”
“……”
His vivid green eyes reflected in my tear-filled gaze.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he seemed to be watching my tears with a quiet sense of pity.
Despite his stern expression, he must have been a gentle man.
After all, he had reached out to wipe away the tears of a complete stranger.
The air between us felt oddly close. The warmth of summer heat seemed to intensify.
Embarrassed by the inexplicable intimacy, I subtly pulled my face away.
Sensing my discomfort, the man withdrew with a small apology.
「 ……I apologize. 」
「 ……Thank you. 」
When I responded in Dongguk-o—Korean—his eyes widened.
For the first time, a clear emotion flickered across his otherwise composed face.
Encouraged by his reaction, I eagerly continued speaking in Korean.
How long had it been since I last used it?
Speaking slowly, as if I were a foreigner learning a new language, I carefully formed my next words.
「 Are you the owner of this house? 」
「 ……No. Strictly speaking, it belongs to my parents. 」
「 Then you were the one who helped me…? 」
I placed a hand over my chest as I asked.
The man, as if worried about any misunderstandings, quickly waved his hands and spoke hurriedly.
「 Please don’t worry. It was my mother who changed your clothes. 」
The medicine pouch in his hand swayed slightly, releasing the deep scent of herbal medicine.
So after I passed out from the portal, it was this man and his family who had helped me.
「 You’re my benefactors. Thank you. 」
I straightened my posture and lifted my body from where I had been slumped.
Then, I bowed respectfully in gratitude.
Since this country was modeled after the land of courtesy, there was nothing more important than proper etiquette.
In response to my bow, the man mirrored my gesture and bowed in return.
「 It is nothing. It is an honor to host a noble guest from a distant land. Moreover… 」
‘A noble guest?’
Was he under some sort of misconception?
I was just about to correct him when a high-pitched voice abruptly cut through our conversation.
「 Goodness! My lady, you’re awake! 」
Another person appeared over the low stone wall.
This time, it was a plump middle-aged woman.
She practically ran barefoot across the yard toward me.
「 Oh dear! You shouldn’t be out here when you’re still unwell! Jin, why are you just standing there instead of bringing the young lady inside! 」
She bustled forward, gripping her chima (skirt) in one hand, scolding the man, and trying to usher me back indoors.
I wanted to protest her words, saying, What do you mean the breeze is too cold? It’s the middle of summer, I’m sweating!
But I couldn’t.
Because of the name she had just called out.
‘Did she just say… Jin?’
The Jin from the novel.
The Jin I had been searching for.
The extra character who was supposed to become my third traveling companion.
This man… was that Jin?
