CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 136. DIFFERENT WORLD

Just by hearing Hajin call her ’princess’ again, Sarah could feel relief coursing through her body. Like a healing spell, it kept her inside warm as her skin was being washed by hot water.

Well...it wasn’t exactly hot. Not as hot as usual anyway, otherwise Hajin wouldn’t be able to wash her. But Sarah didn’t need it to be scalding anymore. The careful and gentle hands lathering soap over her skin were cleansing her plenty.

Gradually, she could see the anger melt away in Hajin’s eyes. He probably wanted nothing more than marching back inside the mansion to pummel Mason to the ground--and then some. But at that moment when Sarah lay her head on his chest while warm water ran down their body, Hajin decided to seal his anger inside a tight box at the bottom of his stormy lake and focused on Sarah instead.

They were quiet during the bath--the cleansing. But it wasn’t the uncomfortable silence like they had coming down from Mason’s room. It was more serene and peaceful, as anger and anxiety melted away like snow under the sunlight. Hajin still sighed a lot, but it came with gentle kisses on Sarah’s temple and forehead; kisses that contained unspeakable relief as well as reprimand.

There was no sensuality in the way they touched; no lust even as they kissed. Even while Hajin rubbed every inch of Sarah’s skin to purify her, it was done with care and concern. He was gentle where she might be hurting, be it the new wound or the old one.

Sarah couldn’t help but chuckle sheepishly when Hajin wrapped her like a burrito with the towel while shooting her a warning glare about putting herself in danger without consulting him. Like a whirlwind, Sarah found herself in a bathrobe and underwear, and then pajamas without lifting an inch, surrounded by grumbling sounds she expected to hear at the start.

Ah...it finally felt like they were back to normal.

With her anxiety gone, the exhaustion started to seep in. She wasn’t doing much, really, but Vivian’s appearance and Mason’s act tired her more than a lavish banquet could. The way Hajin’s fingers stroked her scalp while the bodyguard dried her hair made her feel sleepy even though it wasn’t night yet.

Hell--they hadn’t even had dinner yet, which reminded her that it was supposed to be family dinner night.

"They won’t continue in this situation, won’t they?" Sarah tilted her head.

Hajin held her head still so he could dry it thoroughly. "They’re all still here though...probably separate dinner in their own place? The first wife and your aunt and uncle are probably arriving around this time."

"True..." Sarah nodded.

The first wife faction had to take care of Mason’s situation, while the third wife’s side would have to calm Mina down. The chairman would probably have dinner with Vivian in his quarters. Sarah had told Amber that she needed to shift the aunt’s support to her, so she probably took the aunt somewhere--distancing herself from Mason while at it. Sarah wondered what the uncle would do, though. Would he go to the third wife? Or just go away and distance himself from everything.

Whatever it was, the mansion must be in chaos. They couldn’t hear it from the annex though, thanks to the garden in between and the soundproofing they put around the building. Felt like a different world, and Sarah appreciated the fact that no one tried to disturb her for any inquiry.

"You know..." Sarah closed her eyes and leaned back on the bedroom’s couch while Hajin put on hair oil for her. "Now I have a perfect reason to leave this place."

Hajin paused, looking down while blinking slowly. "You mean..."

"I still have the lease of my mother’s place," Sarah opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had grown tired of coloring her hair. "I’ve been meaning to stay there once our business here is done--and well, it’s done now. We can do the rest from outside the mansion since we also have a spy already."

Hajin shifted around the couch to face Sarah, asking in bewilderment. "Just...the two of us?"

It was such a different voice from the one he had been using since they left Mason’s room.

"Let’s leave tomorrow," Sarah smiled. "We can call the manager tonight and tell them we’ll move in tomorrow. You don’t mind doing a bit of cleaning, right? Or we could call a cleaning company and--mmph?"

Sarah closed her eyes immediately when Hajin grasped her cheeks again and kissed her. This time, it wasn’t as hard as he did when Sarah asked him to bathe her. It wasn’t filled with frustration, but satisfaction and tenderness. Sarah arched her back in reflex, perfect for Hajin to slip his arms around and hold her close even after their lips parted.

Lashes fluttering from the kiss, Sarah tilted her head as if asking for more touches of their lips. "Haa..." Hajin sighed and furrowed his brows, looking more sulky than angry. "I want to be upset with you for a bit more, you know..."

Sarah arched her brow. "You’re such a weird puppy."

"But I am your puppy," Hajin shrugged, the corner of his lips curled up--at last. Before she knew it, Sarah had already reached out and stroked the smile she had yearned for.

"...yeah, you are."

Hajin chuckled softly, leaning into the touch while lifting Sarah off the couch and onto the bed. Pulling the man to her lips again, Sarah stared into the grey eyes for a while. Only after she saw the coldness go away completely did she feel satisfied and closed her eyes, pulling Hajin into a deeper kiss.

Strangely enough, none of them was in the mood to go further. Perhaps Hajin was still worried about possible hidden injuries, so he did not entertain any lustful thoughts. Holding Sarah gently, making sure his weight did not burden her, his kiss was more tender than anything. It was firm and yet gentle. Just like the shower, Sarah felt warmth inside and out as she clung to the bodyguard.

"It’s not bedtime yet," Sarah whispered after their lips parted, as if protesting their position. But her fingers were on Hajin’s shirt, fiddling with the buttons.

"We also hadn’t had dinner," Hajin, who always insisted Sarah had to eat three times a day, said with a little frown.

For a while, both of them fought the dilemma in silence. Should they leave this warmth and comfort for a meal and a healthy biological clock? Sarah turned on her good shoulder and hugged the bodyguard. "I’m not hungry anyway," she muttered.

Hajin chuckled softly and hugged his princess tighter, pulling them into a serene rest.

* * *

Sarah was right when she thought the mansion and the annex were like different worlds.

"That bitch!"

A vase flew around, and Mari raised her broom while screaming. The vase crashed and broke into many pieces, but Mari already knew how to shield herself from such a thing--thanks to a certain bodyguard’s strict teaching on how to dodge without looking like dodging.

"How dare she!"

It was a cushion this time, which wasn’t so bad, so Mari only turned her body away so the cushion hit her back instead of her head. Still, she screamed again for dramatic effect.

Not as loud as the madam, however.

"I’m going to kill her!!" the third wife screamed so loud that Mari wondered if the whole mansion could hear her.

Perhaps worried about the same thing, the youngest daughter scolded the mother. "Mama! Please stop causing more trouble!"

"You, shut up! How dare you tell me what to do?!"

"I’m trying to help you, okay?!"

The pair of mother and daughter kept screaming at each other back and forth, so loud and vicious that even the youngest son could only stay in the far corner silently. Mari understood then why the usual staff members didn’t want to come and as always delegated the task to her.

It was Mari’s first time going near the third wife and entering her quarters, and she had to push herself to act like she didn’t want to do it. Hiding a grin while faking a scream was so hard, you know?

It was borderline dangerous, though. She had to be careful not to get hurt while staying as invisible as she could, wondering if something interesting would happen.

Just when she thought the madam might throw down the mounted television next, someone not unexpectedly came.

"What is this?" the chairman’s brother furrowed his brows as he looked around the chaotic sitting room. "Why are you like this?"

Mari was sure someone would already have told the chairman’s brother what transpired at the grand hall earlier. He was probably alluding more to the chaos, where things were thrown around as if a storm had ravaged the room.

Mari thought it was indeed a storm.

Instead of replying to the question, the madam threw herself toward the chairman’s brother. Mari had thought she was going to hug her, but the madam grabbed the chairman’s brother’s collar instead.

"Where the fuck had you been?" the madam screamed at the chairman’s brother. "What should I do now?"

"Mina, call down for a sec--"

"How could I calm down?!" the madam barked angrily. "You said it won’t take long, but what’s this?! What does it matter if he kicks me out before our pla--"

"Mina!"

The chairman’s brother clasped the madam’s mouth with his hand, glaring cautiously at her before glancing at Mari--who was scooting quietly in the corner while picking up broken vase pieces.

"Careful with your mouth!" the chairman’s brother hissed, very different from the aloof and gentle persona he usually maintained.

At the warning, the madam finally realized that someone else was there. She glared at the poor little lamb and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Why are you still here?!"

Mari hiccuped once before replying with a trembling voice and shaking hands. "Y-you haven’t...d-dismissed me y-yet...Ma’am..."

The chairman’s brother shook his head and ordered her quickly. "Just leave. Tell the housekeeper to send people to clean later."

Aww...but she wanted to watch! Mari almost complained before holding herself back and scurrying out of the room while lowering her head. Only after she was safe in a deserted hallway did she straighten her back and exhale slowly in relief.

Walking back to the staff’s dorm, Mari wondered if her young miss would like this bit of information.