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"You see, a happy ending is what matters most," Gang-tae says with a soft smile. Mun-yeong looks back at him, and his face is so full of hope and reaffirmation that she can't help but feel it in her chest too. They look at each other through their bright smiles- communicating what words cannot say. She wonders if he believes that this is their happy ending too- being together, them as a family. His smile is so comforting and so warm that she feels as though she is being healed the more she looks through his eyes.
In the past few days since the news about her father's condition, she has become increasingly aware of the walls she built around herself through the years- she has been forced to be reminded of her traumatic childhood and to reconsider her feelings regarding her tormentor. Even though in the end she was proud of herself for being able to stand for herself, it was still exhausting. Looking at Gang-tae makes her realize that she does not have to be strong all the time, that someone is there to catch her.
She lets out a sigh, allowing herself to feel the exhaustion. She stands up, feeling Gang-tae's worried gaze follow her every move, and then sits beside him so she can lay her head on his lap. The couch is too small for her long legs but his warmth is enough to make her comfortable. "I'm tired," she whispers as she closes her eyes.
Gang-tae strokes her cheek lightly with the back of his hand and then brushing away some strands of hair from her face. He is silent for a while, just observing her features crinkle and relax, watching the lines on her forehead disappear, her lips becoming a soft smile. "You should go up to your room," he suggests, yet there is a silent yearning in his heart to never let her go.
Without opening her eyes, she reaches for his hand on her face and pulls it to intertwine with hers, "Stay with me," she says softly.
As it happens, they don't let go of each other as they climb up the stairs. She feels as if he is her anchor to hold her steady and he feels like she is his sail that enables him to propel forward. Only when they are inside her room and she sits in front of her vanity that they let go. "I'll run the bath for you," he says as she busies herself with removing her jewelry. With every piece of her jewelry removed, she feels as if she is removing a piece of her armor.
She enters the bathroom and watches as Gang-tae fetches the soap from the counter. When Gang-tae has turned around, he is caught off-guard to not only see her there already but also because she has stripped naked. She stands there, unflinchingly, lets Gang-tae's eyes scan her body and his jaw drop - despite her tiredness, it gives her great satisfaction to have this effect on him. For a moment, he is frozen in his place- he is unable to look at her in the eyes but that also means looking at other parts of her body.
"I told you I'm comfortable naked," she says with a tease. She steps forward to him and touches the lapels of his suit, "Didn't I tell you not to wear one of these anymore? Remove it. Join me in the bath."
Gang-tae is still speechless but like a boy under a witch's spell, he starts discarding slowly his suit jacket, then his shirt, his shoes, and then his pants. Mun-yeong watches religiously as if it is therapy - and chuckles when he leaves his boxers on, because that is what she just expected from him.
They go in the bath tub facing each other, his legs on each of her side. Mun-yeong lets the warm water envelope her as she puts her arms around her knees, enjoying the lavender scent on her skin. They are quiet, and it is a while before Gang-tae reaches up to her. "Come here," his voice gentle but deep, and the acoustics of the bathroom seem to reverberate it causing Mun-yeong to look up with a surprise and with a certain darkness in her eyes, the hair on the back of her nape rising. He tugged on her crossed arms gently, turning her around so that her back can lean on his chest. Then, he starts to scoop some water with his palms and pouring it down her back. He does this multiple times to her arms as well, and then proceeds to rub his hands down her arms. His initial intention was to wash her up, spread the soap and scent around her body, but at some point the touches became deeper, transforming into massages aimed to alleviate her tension.
Mun-yeong can only sigh approvingly, her eyes still closed, cherishing each touch. In other circumstances, she would have turned this situation into something else. But she was so tired and his touches felt so tender that she cannot think of anything else. "Where did you learn this? You said you've never touched woman," her voice is raspy but relaxed, and still with a hint of teasing to it.
Gang-tae chuckles softly, "I'm a caregiver, I've helped other people take a bath."
"Hm, suddenly I'm open to you going to college, anything to stop you from giving a bath to anyone else," she looks up to him with a raised brow. "Does that make me your patient now?"
"No, it makes you my girlfriend who I want to take care of."
"Girlfriend. That's a silly word to describe me."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I just thought -"
"I'm your destiny. We go hand in hand," she says as she leans more to him and grabbing both his hands to intertwine with each of hers. She slides further into the water, until it reaches her shoulders, letting her body relax into him. She thinks, she has never felt more at home in this castle than within his arms. "Gang-tae," she says softly, "how about you take care of me for the rest of my life?"
He chuckles again recognizing that she used his own line from a while ago. In other circumstances he would have run away from this moment, to find a way to lock and suppress himself. But these days, he is finding it more and more easy to express his affection and let himself feel - because of her and because it's her. "That's unlike you. What did you do to Mun-yeong, my thug?" He wraps their intertwined hands together around her in a hug and kissed her head. Wanting to shield her against the world, wanting to protect her forever - if only he could also wash away her sadness and fears, he would give the world.