Sharti covered her mouth with her hand and yawned widely.
Swept away by the rushing stream, she woke up to find that a day had passed in no time.
Thanks to Ren, who placed heated stones in her bedding like a hot stone massage, she was able to sleep deeply and wake up well after a long time.
“Is your body okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to Ren.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Sharti rubbed her swollen eyes with the remaining warm stones, smiling contentedly.
Filled with piping hot sweet potatoes from an unknown source, her laughter bubbled up because of the well-filled stomach.
Ren silently observed Sharti’s smile.
Does she know? Last night, Sharti entrusted her safety entirely to him and fell asleep.
How is she now? She welcomed the morning entirely under his protection. Sharti’s appearance, looking comfortable in the morning scene she had dreamed of, tickled Ren’s heart.
“Hey Ren, did you have trouble sleeping because of me?”
“I slept enough.”
“Lies.”
As Sharti’s eyes were covered due to eye steaming, Ren smiled mischievously.
After surprising Sharti, who was shocked, Ren naturally continued the eye steaming for her.
Looking at Ren with worried, squinted lips, he smirked.
“I was sleep-talking.”
“…Huh?”
“Calling my name.”
“…….”
With a sharp intake of breath, Sharti’s fair face blushed instantly.
Ren burst into silent laughter.
Seeing him closing his eyes tightly and enduring embarrassment, Ren’s laughter escalated.
“You seemed really tired.”
“…….”
Ren didn’t reveal what kind of sleep talk she had done.
As a small retaliation towards Sharti, who played with his heart all night, he leisurely enjoyed watching Sharti’s blushing face.
Sharti, in her embarrassment, couldn’t say anything.
Even in this awkward moment, when her eyes were no longer swollen, Ren prepared to leave.
Ren, skillfully shouldering the backpack, turned to Sharti.
“Are we leaving now?”
“Yeah.”
As Sharti, whose complexion had somewhat returned, grumbled while putting on her shoes, Ren naturally took the remaining backpack from her.
“It’s unfair for one person to go comfortably, and another person to carry all the baggage.”
“You’re right.”
“Now give me the bag. I’ll carry it.”
Ren’s eyes narrowed.
Though he didn’t say anything, Ren felt that Sharti was treating him like a patient. In fact, looking at the bandages and plasters on his body, it wasn’t just a feeling; he was indeed a patient.
Ren tried to hide his displeasure with a forced expression, then let out a deep sigh openly.
Ren struggled to hide his displeasure, exhaling deeply.
“Sh-Sha, think about it. If we arrive in another village and purchase the ma-seok, who will pay for it with the earned money?”
“Why bother thinking about that? We’re buying things that got damaged in the accident.”
“This is an issue we need to address seriously. I caused the accident, but you, Sha, handling the aftermath, doesn’t that seem unfair?”
Ren raised an eyebrow.
While sympathizing with Sharti’s persistence to break, Ren had found the most effective method through his experiences.
“Above all, it’s what I want. If it makes it more comfortable for you to travel by carrying a few extra bags, Sha, I’m willing to do it as much as needed.”
Sharti was weak when it came to honesty.
“I wish Sha, you didn’t have to carry heavy baggage, and I don’t have confidence in letting you walk alone on rough mountain paths. Although you’re good at doing things alone, I want to work harder and do my share. You should know that by now, Sha.”
Especially vulnerable to Ren’s sincere confession.
“The fact that I can do something for you is the only thing that gives me a sense of accomplishment. It might seem trivial and childish to you, but… I want to be with you in your life like this. Rather than becoming a patient, I’m ready to become a slave for my master, I am.”
Embarrassing yet straightforward.
Brazen yet sincere.
Cowardly yet boldly.
Obsessive yet passionately.
“If it’s too uncomfortable, promote me from a slave to an assistant.”
“…Promotion?”
“I’ll do all the odd jobs for you in exchange for money.”
“Uh, w-wait a minute…!”
In a potentially tense atmosphere, Ren unexpectedly hugged Sharti tightly, taking advantage of her confusion.
In the refreshing sky, Ren embraced Sharti firmly, laughing at her with a smirk.
“From here to the valley, and then to the distance we travel in a day, just add that to my daily wage, and we can buy the ma-seok. It’s only fair.”
“…….”
Sharti blinked, then burst into laughter.
The position she had hoped for wasn’t a slave but an assistant.
Covering her mouth and laughing, Sharti looked at Ren.
“Will you really become my assistant?”
“Isn’t an assistant better than a slave?”
After humorously asking, Ren pondered for a moment, then nodded his head.
“Then, instead of a slave, let’s go with the title of a servant.”
Clearly, a servant seems more suitable since an assistant needs to be intelligent, Ren added briefly.
At his words, Sharti chuckled heartily in his arms.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
