SATURDAY 14

Making dinner was an impulsive attempt.

For three days since bringing Lili home, Mr. Taeseon had hardly stepped foot in the house. However, given his personality of hating to sleep away from home, he had a habit of always coming back on the third day to wash up and lie in bed.

It might end up being a waste of effort, but I still wanted to make a warm meal. I even let the manager, who usually handles the cooking, leave work early and handled everything from ingredient preparation to trimming and cooking all by myself. It wasn’t an easy task with only one arm, but still.

Lili took a spot on the kitchen’s auxiliary prep counter and stared intently at me. At least he didn’t come into the actual cooking area and waited quietly over there, which was a relief. Though his fur did fly around a bit….

He looked stable sitting inside a mixing bowl. Whenever I needed the bowl and took Lili out, he would find another place to fit into—like a deep plate, a strainer, or a large measuring cup—and squeeze his body inside.

I assumed he did that because the countertop was marble and felt too cold to just sit on.

I prepared dinner while occasionally stroking Lili and feeding him whenever things like boiled chicken breast came out. I started around 3:00, but it took four hours just to make three types of dishes and two side dishes.

Habitually, I placed the food on the table in dishes, but then I felt a certain emptiness. My phone wasn’t in my hand.

Originally, on days when I cooked like this, I would be busy the whole time contacting Mr. Taeseon to ask how much longer he’d be or if his work was finished, but today there was none of that. It was only natural, of course….

I hadn’t noticed because I was busy touching and tending to Lili instead of my phone. I stared blankly at the food filling the dining table and scratched my eyebrow. What should I do if I set this all up blindly and Mr. Taeseon doesn’t come in, or if he’s late?

‘Should I try contacting him…?’

If I contacted him, would he even pick up? It was a question. Whether a reply would actually come. Furthermore, I didn’t even know what to say. Normally, it would have been something like, “I’ve set out dinner, when are you coming?” but I couldn’t do that anymore.

“A-a-ong.”

Lili cried out long at the delicious smell wafting from the table. Lili remained squeezed inside a large measuring cup placed near the small induction burner next to the auxiliary prep counter.

I knew cats were originally like liquid, but it was truly fascinating how Lili, who was just the right size to fit in my arms when held, tucked himself perfectly into a 2L measuring cup.

“Lili, is it comfortable there?”

“Why.”

“….”

It’s… just a cry, right…? Since he wouldn’t actually be asking “why”….

“I just thought it looked too cramped and uncomfortable….”

Even so, I was the type to answer anyway. Lili didn’t move a muscle in his heavily crumpled body but tilted his head slightly, then stared straight at me with his indifferent-looking face.

“A-u-ang.”

“You’re comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Right, that’s a relief.”

“Ung.”

Somehow, I feel like the conversation is continuing. In the adoption notice, the description said he was clever and understood words well. Though it didn’t say he was good at speaking.

When I stroked Lili’s head, he compressed even further in that state. Thinking he wasn’t in the mood to be touched right now, I looked back at the table.

My heart grew troubled as I looked at the table I had set with all the trimmings. Why did I set all that out while barely being able to use one arm? Even when I didn’t know when Mr. Taeseon would come in.

“Aeng…! A-e-ok.”

“Hmm?”

Lili, having leaped out from inside the measuring cup, climbed onto my shoulder. Startled, I kept my balance so as not to drop Lili from my shoulder.

Simultaneously, I grabbed the spinning measuring cup to set it straight, and after wobbling once, I finally stood properly. Lili was perched on both my shoulders.

Even so, since Lili was a cat weighing just over 3kg, it wasn’t heavy or burdensome. Lili cried right next to my ear as if whispering in it.

“U-ya-a-a.”

“Hmm?”

“Ya-a.”

“Well….”

As expected, a cat speaking was just a delusion. Regrettably, I couldn’t understand Lili’s words at all. Lili’s thick tail moved with a thwack and wrapped around my neck.

It was then. A cheerful melody rang from the intercom. It was a notification that a car was entering the garage.

With perfect timing, Mr. Taeseon had returned.

What should I do, where is it best to stand? While I was agonizing, Lili jumped down with a thud and stood wrapping around my ankles. With even his tail curled around, it ended up as if my feet were completely tied to Lili.

As if he were telling me to stay here, I stood awkwardly at the edge of the table and couldn’t move.

A while later, the door opened along with the sound of the front door password being pressed rapidly. You have to walk in a bit from the entrance to reach the kitchen. Whether he smelled the food or not, Mr. Taeseon came straight to the kitchen.

…His expression wasn’t very good.

“What else now….”

His expression, as he scanned the table somewhat irritably, gradually hardened. I had considered that he might dislike it, but… seeing his face turn that cold in person made my whole body stiffen.

“Ha, these are dishes Inyoung used to make often.”

“….”

I blinked. I hadn’t even thought of that. I had just made easy-to-cook foods because I had to cook with one hand anyway.

“I didn’t expect you to go this far. Have you lost your mind? Or, are you doing this on purpose?”

Mr. Taeseon, who had strode over, grabbed a handful of my hair tightly. Lili let out a sharp kya-a-ak from beneath my feet.

“Ugh….”

“You’re doing all sorts of crazy things. Hmm?”

“….”

His eyes contained sincere loathing and anger. Just like at the funeral, it was a deep emotion of rage.

“Eat your fill alone, and throw away the rest. Don’t let it catch my eye anymore. Do you understand?”

“….”

“You should answer?”

“I under, stand….”

When I answered in a crawling voice, only then did he let go of my hair. At that moment. Lili quickly climbed up my body and, as he flew toward Mr. Taeseon, scratched his cheek.

“Mr. Taeseon!”

So shocked, I grabbed Lili tightly and pulled him away from Mr. Taeseon. He seemed to have instinctively turned his face to avoid it, but even so, thin claw marks remained on the side of his cheek.

“I-I’m sorry…. What should I do….”

Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep. It was to the extent that it would disappear without a trace in a few days. Still, it must have stung, as Mr. Taeseon lightly pressed the wound with the back of his hand. He looked at me with chilling eyes as I murmured “I’m sorry” once more.

“I believe I told you not to call me Mr. Taeseon.”

“Ah….”

It seemed better not to say the words, ‘I did it without realizing because I was startled…’ I just shut my mouth. I worried that Mr. Taeseon might get angry at Lili, but he didn’t.

Because actually, Mr. Taeseon isn’t a person who gets angry at animals. I had heard similar testimony from several people that he is cold-hearted when working, but in truth, I had never seen such a sharp side myself. He was always nothing but kind and gentle to me.

Right now… it can’t be helped since he thinks of me as Inha. Mr. Taeseon spoke with a face that looked fed up.

“I will return tomorrow. I want to rest in a clean house that doesn’t smell foul.”

“Foul” obviously referred to the smell of the food. It also meant for me never to do useless things again.

I became restless at the thought that I had made him uncomfortable by doing something unnecessary. I barely managed to squeeze out an answer.

“…Yes.”

“And there will be a shipboard party on the Han River in a week. The hosting side is making quite a fuss insisting on participation….”

His gaze flickered toward me. Speaking that way meant he wanted a companion.

“It will be the first time attending a function with Mr. Inha. I would like you to pay special attention. Do you understand?”

“I, I understand….”

“Tsk.”

Mr. Taeseon clicked his tongue and turned away. It felt as if my body were turning cold. I hadn’t quite grasped the weight of it when I heard the words ‘I will return tomorrow.’

“U-um, Ta-CEO, I’ll clear the food away soon, so please sleep here before you go. You came here to rest….”

“That’s enough. Food smells last a long time.”

But it would be fine if he just went into the room. While I was hesitating, Mr. Taeseon turned around and walked straight out. He hadn’t even set down his bag.

Lili followed him out and cried with an aggressive, loud ki-a-ang. Following that, the sound of a car leaving was heard, and the engine noise faded beyond the wall.

For nothing… I made food for nothing, and only made Mr. Taeseon leave again when he had finally returned home. Why did I do something so useless? Staring blankly at the table, I sat in my seat. I had already brought over the utensils.

I scooped small portions of food onto my plate and forced myself to eat. My eyes quickly grew hot, and tears dripped onto the plate. Still, I kept putting food into my mouth until I couldn’t eat anymore.

When I took the last bite, my stomach turned.

“Ugh….”

Covering my mouth, I ran to the bathroom. A time of agony that felt like dying followed. The food, not digested at all, flowed back and poured out, and my esophagus ached as if it were burning. My back also throbbed as if someone were hitting it.

After vomiting for a long while, I finally felt comfortable and staggered to my feet; Lili was sitting by the door looking at me with that usual indifferent expression.

After washing my mouth clean, brushing my teeth several times, and washing my face, I picked up a towel. Lili made a small ya-ang. Just as if he were asking, ‘Are you okay?’

“Are you worrying about me, Lili?”

When I finally managed to come out of the bathroom, Lili followed me. I slumped down in the space in front of the bathroom and opened one arm. Like a cat that had lived with me for ten years, Lili climbed onto my lap as if climbing a mountain, and I held him in one arm.

Lili’s body was very warm.