The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

A gentle breeze caressed my face. The cool sensation of the blanket against my skin as I moved my arm was pleasant. The sound of breathing seeped into my ears. The tranquility of the morning was delightful. I moved my arm.

As my arm slowly rose above the blanket, I felt a soft and warm sensation at the tip of my arm. Soft and tender. Yes, this was…

“Are you awake?”

At the sound of the voice, I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight filtering through the blackout curtains gently illuminated the room. Lying next to me was Hyuk Dojin, with whom I had completed the wedding ceremony yesterday.

And my hand was resting on his cheek. As I moved my fingers, I naturally pinched and grasped Hyuk Dojin’s soft cheek. Hyuk Dojin allowed me to do as I pleased without any reaction and chuckled.

“Do you like it?”

“…It’s soft.”

“Sowol is soft too.”

His hand slowly rose and touched my cheek. Feeling a strange ticklishness from the warm sensation, I giggled, and Hyuk Dojin’s eyes widened before a gentle smile appeared on his face.

“I didn’t know you could laugh like that.”

“What?”

As I looked at him with a smile still on my face, Hyuk Dojin also let out a small chuckle.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you laugh in a way that suits your age.”

“Is that so?”

Come to think of it, there were times when I had no reason to laugh, and I wasn’t in the mood to laugh either.

But since coming here, it seems I’ve found myself laughing unexpectedly quite often…

I tilted my head slowly, and it sank softly into the pillow.

“Mmm…”

“Does it feel good?”

“Somehow, I feel like I’m in good physical condition.”

At my words, Hyuk Dojin let out a small laugh and nodded.

“Well, of course you’d be in good condition after sleeping in so late.”

“Did I oversleep?”

“It’s well past breakfast time. I had to forcibly restrain Geum Baekcheon, who was anxious, saying he needed to feed Sowol.”

“Oh my…”

“Anyone who saw him would think he was a papa bear. Fussing with that huge body of his, insisting that you must eat. I felt even more anxious just watching from the side.”

I let out a small sigh. Since coming here, I had received kindness from many people, but Geum Baekcheon, the chef, was particularly special.

That’s because the dishes he prepared were all easily digestible. Moreover, because the food he made was so digestible, I gradually increased the amount I ate.

Previously, two dumplings had been my entire meal, but now I could eat a whole plate, even if I had to force myself a bit.

Of course, it was still far from enough to be considered a proper meal, but for me, it was a remarkable improvement.

“I should apologize to Geum Baekcheon later.”

“It’s alright. He said he prepared something light for you to eat since you skipped breakfast, so I’ll have him bring it.”

Hyuk Dojin finished speaking and leisurely rose from his seat. The bed he had been lying on sank, causing my body to tilt. The resonance felt somehow amusing, and I lifted the corners of my mouth. Hyuk Dojin also smiled similarly and lightly cracked his neck from side to side.

“Come to think of it, Sowol seems to be quite a deep sleeper.”

“…Is that so?”

As I struggled to sit up, Hyuk Dojin extended his hand and helped me up. After getting out of bed and leaning against the wall, I stretched my languid body and glanced around.

The sunlight gently filtering in and illuminating the room created a peaceful and warm atmosphere. Even though it wasn’t my home, it felt cozy, as if I had lived here for a long time. At the end of my gaze as I looked around, I spotted Hyuk Dojin.

‘It’s probably thanks to this man.’

He was smiling. Seeing his smile, I also smiled slightly.

“You were fast asleep even when I left the bed and moved around, and then climbed back onto the bed. I never imagined my wife would be such a heavy sleeper.”

He rubbed his cheek with his palm and tilted his head.

Is that so? Was I sleeping a lot? Thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem particularly true. If I lacked sleep, I lacked sleep, but I don’t think I slept excessively.

I narrowed my eyes and organized my thoughts before looking up again. Hyuk Dojin was watching me with a joyful expression as I was lost in thought.

Suddenly, under his gaze, the way he had addressed me earlier resurfaced in my mind.

‘Wife.’

There were a few words I thought I would never hear in my life. For example, mother, or someone’s lover, or… wife. As that word materialized and tickled my ears, I felt somewhat embarrassed.

-From the day after our wedding ceremony, I will call Sowol my wife.

Would he keep that promise? The word ‘wife’ felt ticklish. If so, should I call Hyuk Dojin ‘husband’ or… ‘dear’?

Unable to think of an appropriate term, I was hesitating when Hyuk Dojin rose from his seat.

I hurriedly snapped out of my thoughts and lifted my head. He spoke with a calm expression.

“I’ll go bring something light for you to eat. In the meantime, would you like to wash up?”

I slowly nodded to Hyuk Dojin, who was standing at an angle. With an understanding response, he left the room.

Pushing aside the complicated thoughts caused by the way he addressed me, I let out a small sigh and rose from my seat.

As I stepped down from the bed, Joo Hwarin appeared at the door, as if she had somehow known. With a bright smile, she entered the room and bowed.

“Are you awake, Miss? The bath water is ready.”

“It’s okay. I can…”

“No! I must attend to you today.”

I silently observed Joo Hwarin, who insisted more strongly than usual, and slightly furrowed my brow. Despite my change in expression, she showed no signs of backing down, so I had no choice but to concede. As I nodded, Joo Hwarin smiled broadly.

I followed Joo Hwarin, who entered the bathroom. After undressing and getting into the warm tub, Joo Hwarin immediately approached me. I usually bathed alone without needing assistance…

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Did I upset you by any chance?”

I slightly opened my eyes and turned to the side. Joo Hwarin was holding my arm, gently rubbing it with a cloth covered in suds.

She met my gaze.

“I was worried that you might be angry because I insisted on attending to your bath today.”

“No. I’m not angry. I’m just wondering why you’re suddenly doing this.”

She moved to my opposite side, washing my other arm, and opened her mouth.

“This is also customary.”

“Customary?”

“Yes. The day after the wedding, the bride may be tired from spending the first night together, so this is to help with that. It can be embarrassing for a new bride who has had her first marital relations to say she’s sore and exhausted in the morning, right? So even if she doesn’t say anything, we understand and help her.”

“Oh…”

Is this a custom that doesn’t exist in the Central Plains? There are all sorts of things. It was fascinating to hear about something I had never encountered before, but it was also a bit embarrassing. Having Joo Hwarin, who appeared to be three or four years younger than me, talk about nighttime matters and the first night made me feel somewhat shy.

“Even if you can wash up on your own, it’s better to receive assistance. If you don’t, it’s said to prove that you didn’t spend the first night together or that the marital relationship was a disaster from the start. So, for your sake, Miss, I insisted on helping you today.”

Sorry. She apologized with a smile.

I silently looked at her before shaking my head. Joo Hwarin didn’t need to apologize. She didn’t have any ill intentions, and even if it wasn’t such a custom, if she had simply insisted, there was no need to get angry over such a trivial matter.

“By the way, Miss, despite being very thin, your arms are quite firm. You have a lot of muscle too. Did you also train in martial arts when you were young?”

“Yes. My condition isn’t good now, but in the past, it wasn’t this bad. So I often learned various things, following my older brother.”

“I see. Ah! Do you know this? They say that even if someone who trained in their youth stops midway, the traces remain when they grow up. Something about the bones being aligned that way? Anyway, I think those traces might have remained in you too, Miss.”

I glanced at the arm she was touching and chuckled.

“I suppose so.”

Joo Hwarin and I finished the short bath while engaging in various conversations. When we came out, Hyuk Dojin was just entering the room, holding a plate in his hand.

He welcomed me as I emerged from the bath and set the plate down on the table.

“The weather is nice today.”

“Really?”

“If your condition allows, how about taking a short walk along the shaded stone path today? The weather is mild, and the breeze is refreshing. I’ve been worried since you’ve only been staying in the room lately. What do you think?”

Hyuk Dojin smiled and lifted the lid of the plate. Inside were fruits that had been cut into bite-sized pieces. As I approached while drying my wet hair, I picked up a green grape and popped it into my mouth before nodding.

“I think that would be nice.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t gone outside since coming here. I had either stayed in the room or briefly strolled along the corridor, never leaving the pavilion. I had been feeling a bit suffocated, so Hyuk Dojin’s suggestion felt simply delightful.

“Hmm, but since it’s not quite summer weather, it would be best to wear warm clothes.”

“I will prepare them.”

I watched Joo Hwarin move swiftly, as if she had been waiting. I quietly observed her small back before shifting my gaze to Hyuk Dojin.

He was silently watching me eat the fruit. Putting another grape into my mouth, I tilted my head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

At my question, he gave a refreshing smile.

“Because you’re eating well.”

“Pardon?”

As I blinked my eyes, Hyuk Dojin lightly shrugged his shoulders. His smile felt so gentle that it seemed to be present even before it appeared on his face. Sighing, I finished putting the remaining grapes into my mouth.

“Mmm… I think chicken sesame soup would be good for lunch today, like what we had yesterday. Perhaps it’s because I drank last night, but I’m craving something like that.”

“I will have it prepared.”

I chuckled softly at the sight of him elegantly bowing like a butler. I turned my body.

Joo Hwarin approached with clothes in her hands. After examining the clothes, I glanced at Hyuk Dojin. He was blankly gazing in my direction.

I looked at the clothes again, then at Hyuk Dojin once more.

He tilted his head, following the direction of my gaze. Receiving the clothes from Joo Hwarin’s hands, I looked at Hyuk Dojin and spoke briefly.

“I’m going to change. Are you going to watch?”

As I smiled brightly, a small smile also appeared on Hyuk Dojin’s lips.

“Is that not allowed?”

“…”

That man, I didn’t know he could make such a brazen expression.

It’s said that you discover new sides of a person after marriage, and I could feel that those words weren’t wrong.