HE COLLAPSED SO SUDDENLY, IT STARTLED ME.
IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S FALLEN DEEPLY ASLEEP NOW,
SO MAYBE I SHOULD SLOWLY GET UP...
...STAY.
RIGHT HERE, WITH ME...
WELL, ALL RIGHT...
IT'S ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT.
NOW THAT THE DIVINE BODY HAS AWAKENED,
NOTHING SHOULD GO WRONG.
STRANGELY ENOUGH, THAT NIGHT,
DESPITE THINKING I WOULD STAY UP WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN,
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE COMING HERE,
WITHOUT A SINGLE WORRY,
I FELL SOUND ASLEEP.
MASTER, HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WELL?
I HAVEN’T BEEN HURT AND AM GETTING ALONG WELL ENOUGH.
LEST YOU MIGHT BE WORRYING ABOUT ME,
PLEASE TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOUR HEALTH AND BE SURE TO EAT PLENTY OF MEALS.
I know full well you won't sleep a wink till you get my letter~
THE REASON I AM WRITING YOU THIS LETTER...
...IS NONE OTHER THAN THIS.
HAVING LEARNED NOTHING ABOUT THE YOKAI HERE,
I WAS HOPING YOU COULD CHECK IF THERE ARE ANY RELEVANT BOOKS.
IT APPEARS TO BE A TREE YOKAI,
WHICH IS MAINLY ACTIVE AT NIGHT
AND HAS A TENDENCY TO SIPHON THE DIVINE ENERGY
FURTHERMORE...
I HATE TO IMPOSE, BUT PLEASE TELL FATHER THAT I WILL VISIT SOON,
M-
MASTER...!
AND PASS ALONG THE MESSAGE HE LEFT AT CHOGEUMBANG AS WELL.
WHAT IN THE WORLD...?
CLANG!
LANDOWNER!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?!
ok
I WAS BORED.
CLANG
MAKING YOUNG SERVANTS STAND BEHIND YOU,
AND RILING UP THE DOGS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE BORED?!
CALM THEM DOWN THIS INSTANT.
WHY?
WHY SHOULD I CALM THEM DOWN?
ARE YOU SAYING YOU'LL ONLY BE SATISFIED ONCE BLOOD IS SHED?
IF YOU'RE BORED, ACT LIKE A LANDOWNER AND READ BOOKS,
OR GO TAKE A STROLL AROUND THE VILLAGE!
DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO PLAY SO SAVAGELY?!
DO YOU...
SEE ME AS SOME BLOODTHIRSTY PLAYBOY?
YES.
AH...
I'M IN TROUBLE...
I THINK I ANSWERED TOO QUICKLY WITHOUT THINKING...
JAKYEONG.
JAKYEONG, RIGHT?
PARDON?
YES.
THEN WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?
AT MY AGE, I DON'T GO PLAYING AROUND JUST BECAUSE I'M BORED...
Is that so?
IF I DON'T PLAY, I'M BORED OUT OF MY MIND ALL DAY LONG.
Is he serious...?
Jeez...
...A LANDOWNER'S LIFE REALLY IS A BLESSED FATE.
JUST AS HE KNOWS NOTHING OF MY LIFE,
I KNOW NOTHING OF HIS LIFE EITHER, BUT...
Feed them fine cuts of meat, and soothe them.
At your command.
WHILE I PITY HIS PLIGHT OF BEING SWAYED BY THE YOKAI...
AT TIMES LIKE THIS, HIS AUTHORITY STANDS OUT EVEN MORE, AND IT PISSES ME OFF.
What a rotten grown-up...
FACE THAT SAYS “SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?”
LANDOWNER.
IF YOU REALLY ARE THAT BORED,
I WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO PLAY.
YOU TOUCHED IT. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT?
...LET ME TAKE IT BACK.
OUR DAILY ROUTINE CHANGED IN AN INSTANT.
HEY, I ROLLED A HIGH NUMBER!
YOU'RE TAKING TOO LONG!
THE LANDOWNER WAS THE YOUNG MASTER, AND I WAS THE ATTENDANT.
WE SPENT OUR TIME
WASTING ENTIRE DAYS ON CHILDISH GAMES.
ARE YOU SURE THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME PLAYING?
UNTIL THE BEAD OF SWEAT GATHERED ON THE BRIDGE OF HIS NOSE
YOU'RE QUITE GOOD AT THIS, AREN'T YOU?
DRIPPED ONTO HIS WRIST.
THOUGH HE HAD IMPROVED A GREAT DEAL COMPARED TO BEFORE,
IT SEEMS HE STILL CAN'T HOLD BACK THE IMPULSE
TO TORMENT THE PERSONAL SERVANTS OR THE CHEST FROM TIME TO TIME.
JUST A WHILE AGO, HE BEAT THE SERVANT WHO WAS PREPARING HIS BEDDING...
WOULD IT BE BETTER TO TRY USING ANCIENT SEALING ARTS?
INVITING MASTER WOULD BE BEST, OF COURSE, BUT...
I'D PREFER TO KEEP IT AS A LAST RESORT IF POSSIBLE, BUT...
HM?
WHY AREN'T YOU SLEEPING?
I'M SCARED.
OF WHAT?
LANDOWNER...?
OF MYSELF.
THAT YOU...
MIGHT...
GIVE UP ON ME.
When the man who suddenly collapsed falls into a deep sleep, he is asked to stay with him, and that night he sleeps soundly and carefree for the first time. He writes a letter to his master, mentioning a night-active tree yokai that absorbs sacred energy, and asks for book research. He quarrels with the Landowner, who provokes the dogs out of boredom, then teaches him how to play games. Days pass with childish games, but his fear persists: he is afraid of himself and of being abandoned.
