Dhevaprom: Kwanruetai

Chapter 29

The next day, Chatklao received good news from his younger sister: everything had been resolved. Arada's condition had improved to the point that the doctors allowed her to go home that very day. Pogkes had resigned from her job to stay home and was starting to plan her clothing store. Chatklao was happy that his sister had managed to solve her problems. However, at the same time, his relationship with the food vendor began to falter.

Kwanruthai had gone silent. Only Samlee came by with a basket of food to sell for lunch at the hospital. When Chatklao went to her house, he found the door shut. Even Maizeek wasn't home. He sat eating his food listlessly, feeling lonely.

"Why do you look so down today? Or is it because no lady brought you lunch?" Panadda, sitting across from him, teased.

"I did get lunch, but the person I want to see didn't show up."

Malinee brought him lunch, but Chatklao, as usual, slipped into the operating room to avoid her, leaving her waiting long enough to grow irritated. When he finally came out, she was still there. Reluctantly, he accepted the food container she brought, though he later gave it away to the hospital porter without eating any of it.

"I was going to ask why I haven't seen Tai around lately," Panadda said.

"Even you noticed, huh? It's been nearly a week without her delivering dinner. I stopped by her house, but it was quiet. Even Maizeek has disappeared."

"Samlee's been coming in her place lately. Oh! I almost forgot—Samlee left an envelope for you earlier."

Chatklao took the envelope, tore it open, and skimmed its contents. Inside was a letter and some money.

"Kwan wrote that she's canceling and won't be delivering food anymore."

"What? Why?"

"What should I do, P'Da? Why are women so sensitive? I don't even know what she saw this time."

The last time, Kwanruthai had misunderstood when she saw him being friendly with Malinee. Despite his efforts to avoid any close interactions with women since then, something else seemed to have upset her now.

"I don't think it's that," Panadda mused. "But there's something else..."

"What is it?"

"Last Saturday, I saw Tai here. She came to the OPD. When I asked her about it, her eyes were red as if she'd been crying."

"What?!"

"Have you ever told Tai about your family background?"

Chatklao froze. It had completely slipped his mind. Though he had a noble lineage, he considered himself just a military doctor and preferred to be treated like everyone else. He even instructed staff to call him by his name without titles.

"What does that have to do with her being upset?" he asked, confused.

"Well, I think Tai might feel uneasy knowing how much lower her status is compared to yours."

"But I've never thought of that. Even though I'm a descendant of the Chutathap family, my father always taught me that we're just ordinary doctors, no better than anyone else."

"Some things may not matter to you, but to someone who feels inferior, it could be a big deal. I think you should explain things to her before it gets worse."

Meanwhile, at a tavern outside the army camp, two friends were drinking. Samlee, already drunk, began belting out a popular song:

"I'm not worthy of you. Please don't care for me. Leave me alone, why bother? I'm not a match for you..."