Tinkle—
Ah, it’s a familiar energy. And a familiar scent.
While recalling what this identity was, I raised the corners of my mouth and called the name quietly.
“Bihyeon-nim.”
When I opened my eyes, I saw Bihyeon. As if he came straight from the palace, he was wearing a black shirt with a durumagi draped over it.
He who approached me with stiff eyes reached out and grabbed my arm. I didn’t even have the energy to get up. My body continued to hurt as if being torn to shreds.
But I still have to take orders…
As I staggered and put on my apron trying to force myself up, he pressed down on my shoulder.
“Do you not have the talisman with you?”
I took out the talisman he made from my pocket.
It was better than the flower at home, but the end of this talisman was also stained black. The one who took the talisman and examined it closely stared at me. When he opened his mouth saying “Why isn’t it working…” with a tinkle, the door opened.
Thud thud. A customer I’d never seen before who entered among us gathered there stood in front of me.
I stared blankly down, then raised my head.
It was someone with cat ears on top of their head. He blinked slowly, then slowly lifted what he held in his hand. It looked like a dollhouse. And on that house were many small talismans written in blood attached. Thud. The one who placed it on the table looked at me. With a clatter, inside the splendid small house that opened on both sides, there was a bed, bathtub, kitchen, and everything else.
“Welcome…?”
At the same time as I spoke, my gaze headed toward the small house.
Looking at the bed that seemed fluffy yet splendid, my eyes met with the one who put down the house. His eyes were also like a cat’s. Darkly tanned skin, light green eyes with vertically slit pupils.
“What’s your name?”
“Pardon…?”
“Name.”
“Ah, I’m.”
As I was about to say my name, the fish, the boss, and Bihyeon stood in front of me.
As if recognizing who the other party was, the fish and boss, though terrified, grabbed my shoulders while trembling and sent me back, and Bihyeon, who stood at the very front, looked at the other party expressionlessly.
“Leave.”
Even in that situation, the cat who had been gazing intently at me tilted his head. Then he instantly moved his body, sat lightly on top of the counter, and grabbed my arm.
“Name.”
“Don’t say it! You can’t say it!”
The boss shouted and covered my mouth. I blinked in confusion.
The cat who had been holding my arm reached out and took the apron next to me. After sniffing it, he swished his tail and read the name tag attached there with his eyes.
“Myoun.”
“…Yoon… Hansol?”
The cat who muttered my name written on the name tag’s eyes sparkled.
“Myoun!”
Bihyeon raised his voice unusually.
Flinch. The one who stopped acting as if broken trembled violently. Yet while raising his head to look at me, he clapped loudly once.
Huh? At that moment, I felt my body float, then momentarily fell onto something fluffy.
After blinking my eyes, I had fallen onto a splendid bed. I stared blankly, then looked around. I could definitely see the inside of that small house I’d just been looking at. In a size that no longer seemed small at all.
Wh-what?
“Stop.”
And the cat who had reached toward the house trembled at Bihyeon’s low voice, then soon collapsed on the floor.
“Ugh… No… I have to take them…”
The cat who grabbed the handle of the small house while trembling gritted his teeth.
Bihyeon, who reached out and gestured in the air, soon clenched his fist tightly. In an instant, the space changed again. The cat remained prostrate on the floor, and I remained lying on the bed in the small house as we were moved to Bihyeon’s palace just like that.
Ugh.
Before the house hit the floor, Bihyeon grabbed the handle of the house.
Having fallen from the bed and dropped to the floor, I trembled while stroking my knee that hit first.
‘What on earth…?’
Bihyeon, who had been looking inside the small house, sighed quietly.
Bihyeon-nim… your body has become bigger than a giant…?
The world looked huge and seeing this house fit my body perfectly, I must have become smaller. Looking around, I touched the wall and pressed down on the bed firmly. Hm? Something felt strange, so I jerked my head up and waved my arms vigorously, then rotated my shoulders.
Huh? What? Being here, it doesn’t hurt.
Bihyeon, who had been looking at the cat still prostrate on the floor trembling with cold eyes, raised his head.
Coming to my senses, I jumped up and ran close to them. Wow, even just this distance takes so long. This house was wider than I thought.
Discovering Bihyeon approaching the cat with frightening eyes, I first called his name.
“Bihyeon-nim!”
“……”
He who paused at my voice lowered his head to look at the house. I raised my hand and waved, worried he might not see me now that I’m small.
“I’m here so it doesn’t hurt at all!”
Can you hear me? You can hear me, right?
When I raised my hand and shouted as loudly as possible, Bihyeon sighed again.
“Right now that’s the problem… Whew. What do you want to do? I’ll do whatever you want with Myoun.”
“Pardon? Me? But what should I do…?”
He slowly raised his eyes to gaze at me this time.
“Anyone who laid hands on a human deserves the death penalty.”
“Yes… Pardon?”
I nodded understanding, then jerked it up and shook it quickly.
Honestly, being here, my body hurt less and my condition was okay as if completely recovered. Though I might be mistaken, it seemed better than my body’s state before being cursed.
When I quickly shook my head meaning it was okay, he frowned as if he knew it would be like that.
Taking advantage of that gap, the cat reached out to grab the house I was in, but had his hand caught by the tiger.
Bihyeon, who carefully lifted the small house and placed it on the veranda, casually gestured to the tiger kneeling on one knee.
“Lock him up. Send a letter to Seodam to come here.”
At Bihyeon’s low voice, the tiger nodded, lifted the cat, and headed toward the opposite palace. I blinked, then tension released and I plopped down on the floor.
Really, in all my life…
Ah, the boss must be worried. I should contact them with my phone… I fumbled around my body searching for my phone. What, as soon as I arrived I was forcibly sent home. It’s amazing I’m not fired. I sighed, but no matter how much I searched, there was no phone.
“Huh?”
Fumble fumble.
I even turned my pockets inside out looking, but as expected. Don’t tell me I left it at the cafe?
Since it was a house structured to open brightly on both sides, Bihyeon, who turned it toward himself and sat beside it, peered in, then lowered his head to look down at me.
“Um, could I borrow your phone? I think I need to contact the boss…”
“I’ll go and tell them. Did you leave your phone?”
“Yes, I think so.”
I sighed and looked around. Um…
“…But this place is really nice.”
As if referencing a dollhouse, it felt like entering a palace. I didn’t realize when looking from outside, but it was really damn spacious. There were even stairs going up to the second floor…
“Do you know where that is?”
“Um, since it doesn’t hurt, it’s not a bad place, isn’t it?”
At my words, Bihyeon closed his eyes.
“You’re right. It’s not a bad place, but… it might take a while to return to normal.”
“…Mm. Then would you like to put me at the cafe? If I ask the boss, I think they’ll give me space.”
If I stay in a corner of the cafe, won’t they allow it?
I touched my chin and spoke to him with serious eyes. Then Bihyeon laughed and shook his head.
“No. Stay here. This place will be safer than the cafe.”
Safer… is he trying to protect me?
Feeling strange, I smiled slightly, then moved my body to look around the second floor. Because it really was like a palace, even the distance to the stairs felt quite far.
“I’ve been feeling this since before, but by any chance…”
“Yes?”
“…No, never mind.”
He who was about to say something soon mumbled his words. Then I slowly climbed the stairs.
The luxurious design really felt like being inside a palace. It wasn’t as high as I thought, so I climbed the stairs and headed to the second floor. On the second floor, there was even a study, and many books were shelved on the bookshelf beside it. Passing the study, I headed to the room next to it. Next to it was another spacious bedroom.
“But, Bihyeon-nim.”
“Yes. Tell me.”
“I’m cold.”
Maybe because the house was wide open, my body felt chilly. No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like there would be something like a boiler here.
At my words, he carefully lifted the house and headed somewhere. It was a different place from the building I always stayed in. Bihyeon, who entered some room, put the house down.
…What? It’s a really spacious place full of Bihyeon-nim’s scent. Ah, no way.
“Is this your room, Bihyeon-nim?”
“Yes. Even so, if you’re cold, stay inside the blanket.”
Ah, should I do that?
Since I came up anyway, it seemed okay to sleep in the second-floor bedroom. I nodded and pressed down firmly on the bed with my hand. Since this was my first time with such a fluffy bed, I hesitated but sprawled on top of it. Wow, it’s fluffy and soft.
Wriggling into the blanket, I covered myself up to my neck. Bihyeon, who sat beside me and looked inside, soon got up from his seat.
“I’ll go get something to eat.”
“I’m not hungry though…”
“In there, you won’t get sleepy or hungry. It’s a place where time is stopped.”
Time?
Having experienced so many things, my head seemed to give up on thinking, so I just covered myself with the blanket and blinked. Just as Bihyeon said, I really wasn’t sleepy or hungry.
“If you trust only the power of time and don’t eat or sleep, you’ll suffer a bit when you come out.”
“…I’ll eat.”
“Alright.”
Bihyeon, who smiled playfully, got up and left the room. Since he closed the door tightly, I raised my head to look, then sat up and looked up at the ceiling. It’s high… It’s like coming to a giant’s house.
It’s a bit much to look around the room when the owner isn’t here.
I sniffled, then sprawled down again and sighed. I didn’t feel tired, but it felt like I was mentally exhausted.
‘How did it come to this…?’
Why did he make me small and confine me here?
Since Bihyeon called for the rat to come, it must be related to him too. Then why on earth?
‘He definitely said he had to take me somewhere.’
Don’t tell me to the person who cursed me…
No. Let’s just not think about it.
Even if I decided on my own and imagined, I wouldn’t know unless I heard from the person involved.
