Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 64: Seon-Ho

I had no idea how or when I got back to my room, but I found myself sweating on the floor as I woke up to layer upon layer of clothes covering my body. The maids were cleaning up the puddles of sweat that were coming from me as found myself stripped from my clothes apart from my undergarments. "Who brought me here? Did I arrive here? What happened?" They were avoiding eye contact with me for a while before they answered me "she came back to visit her brother..and you. She was heartbroken when she saw you in the opium house and she noticed that you caught a slight cold. She brought you home and...tended to you." "Where is she? WHERE?" "She is tending to your home young master. She is currently cooking your meals for the following week after she tidied up your study. She knows that you do not allow anyone to enter it. She is also placing new clothes she makes for you in your wardrobe and is stocking up your herbal medicines for your travels in the military." She excused herself as I almost flew out of bed as I raced to my window to take a look at her. I wanted to see her, to touch her...but the look on her face told me that I should keep my distance for a little while longer.

She was as beautiful and youthful as ever; she had her hair fully open, her slender figure was as prominent as ever and her fair cheeks had natural colour in them. She really did look like an angel...but she had a sadness about her that even I I could sense all the way from my accommodation. She didn't look at my place even once as she quietly got on with her chores...and she left, as if she ha never been here at all. I got dressed as quickly as I could and I mounted my horse and followed her when I spotted her. She made her way to a few places in the market before going back to her old home; she brought a few groceries and sewing materials in hand before taking them inside and sitting next to her brother who had fallen asleep on their table outside. She looked at him in the exact same way that he used to al the time before getting a blanket for him while she tended to the house and cook for him as well while he slept. I could tell something was eating away at her as she kept herself constantly busy and not allowing herself a moment of rest. I watched her for the first time as she meticulously took care of everything single-handedly with such care that I realised where her strong work ethic had come from. I knew she wanted to work as soon as she turned 14 but I honestly didn't thunk she would be able to do it. She cooked, she cleaned, she even mended his clothes; and when there was nothing left to do then she slept next to her brother whilst holding onto his arm.

I emerged from my hiding spot and I made my way into their home as they slept peacefully; which was something I had never been able to do. I looked around at the difference Yeon had made to her old home; it had really gotten old and it was falling apart, but I knew it was their last legacy of their parents and that was why they were holding into it as much as they could. She had really brought life to the place, just like she did with everything she touched. I could smell the food she made from almost half a mile away and I couldn't resist myself, even though she had just cooked me my own batch of food. I helped myself to a small bowlful just like I used to back in the day. I then made my way over to her as I watched her sleep. She had lost a lot of weight, as if they was even possible. She looked...pale and malnourished. How was it possible that she took such great care of everyone in her sight apart from herself? I took her hands out from under the blanket to see that they were blistered and bruised just as I had suspected, she even had bruises and other marks running along her arms to match. I felt nothing but guilt and anger as I had no idea what the hell she was subjecting herself to. And she was freezing cold on top of everything else.

I looked upon her and I sorely missed the days when she was living under the same roof as me, where I could watch her to my hearts content. I missed the times when I would spoil her sometimes for no reason at all; her face would light up despite her hilarious attempt to hide it and compose herself, that was my main source of entertainment. And I missed watching her at her workplaces where she used to play little tricks on pretty much anyone and everyone. I tucked her hands back under her blanket as I stroked her hair a little just like her brother did to her. But I couldn't stop myself there; I grazed my hand slowly against her soft face and down her neck before I pulled out a small silver and blue rose jewellery set I noticed whilst passing by in the market about a month ago and I always carried it everywhere I went. I bought the moderately expensive set and I had it engraved with the meaning of her name on it; beautiful. I managed to put it on her without waking her up before I went back to my office. And right on que I passed a woman who I had hired soon after I heard the maids confession to follow Yeon...but not before Yeon caught my hand in her sleep and squeezed it tightly before placing it next to her cheek. And that's when I spotted an old worn out belt of mine wrapped around her other arm. I just started at it for a few minutes, trying to process what was in front of my eyes, but I couldn't, not really. In the end I had to walk away before I did something to her in front of her brother...and that was the last thing I needed.

Yeon barely stayed for a week; she spent some much needed time with her brother whist she still tended to me as if I didn't know anything, but she didn't try to talk to me either. She did leave me a letter though, asking me how I was as if she had no idea. I asked the maids to write in their reports to her that I was drinking on a daily basis as well as making more frequent visits to opium houses. I guess that's when she tried to find out form me personally how I was, but she didn't mention anything about paying me a visit either, so I ignored her letters for at least another month or so. I had my resources tell me that Yeon had settled into her father's village quite well and had taken up a job at another family job a few miles away from it to keep herself busy whilst Hwi oversaw the villages' development while they were waiting for other parties to come together and discuss the future of the village and the little other properties her father had in other places. But as soon as I ha decided to pay a visit myself, I was sent on a mission...a call to inspect the very same ranch that Yeon worked at.