DM Chapter 107
Owen’s expression remained unfazed as he responded, tossing the man aside without concern for his fate. Sarin’s mouth dropped open at the sight of his thinner jawline and more gaunt face. She stared at Owen with her lips pursed, not knowing what to say.
Yongsik’s henchmen fled in disarray, screaming, due to the intimidating presence of Owen’s group, particularly Yuri, whose tattoos were visible even in a suit, and his massive build. Owen glanced at Yuri.
Yuri signaled to the bodyguards, who then quietly dispersed, likely to chase after Yongsik’s men.
“Now, you need to talk. Why are you here?”
Owen wasn’t sure if he should praise her for her cleverness. With a gaze that sank deep and couldn’t see the end, he asked Sarin why she was there.
He felt devastated when he found out that Sarin stayed at a rundown hostel that only accepted cash transactions and kept no records. After that, he learned she had come to Korea.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t find me if I died without anyone knowing who I really am.”
That’s why she had to come here.
At the very least, if something went wrong and Owen found her, the people could tell him that Lee Sarin was dead.
She needed someone who could tell Owen about her death, about Lee Sarin’s death.
Owen’s face hardened coldly. His gaze wavered as he stared at her lips, which were uttering horrifying words with a voice lacking confidence.
“You said there’s nothing in this world you can’t find. So, I knew you would find me eventually, no matter where I was, but I was still anxious.”
She was afraid that if she had a strange name in a foreign country, Owen might pass by without finding her.
Sarin’s voice trembled.
‘There’s nothing in this world I can’t find.’
The words he had once said after capturing Romanov resurfaced in his mind. He bit the inside of his mouth sharply, realizing that Sarin had believed those words, despite their lack of directness towards her.
Owen cradled Sarin in his arms, breathing sharply.
“Were you… waiting for me?”
The way she said she waited for him, despite running away, sounded so sweet. It was more than just running away; it was a true escape, since Owen couldn’t find him. That was the only way he could describe it.
Sarin took a deep breath in his wide embrace, inhaling his scent, panting like a newborn taking its first breath.
“…I was waiting.”
If he found her again, he considered locking her up somewhere.
Locking her in a cage with three dogs seemed like a good idea to keep her from getting bored.
A beast that has tasted sweetness doesn’t stop. Owen intended to punish Lee Sarin for meddling in his life.
He certainly intended to.
But then Sarin said she waited quietly here. The moment he realized she remembered even the words he had said in the past, all those thoughts vanished.
His miserable life, which had been solely about survival, now had meaning.
A hungry and agitated young boy whispered in his ear. He said he finally had something that was completely his.
“Oh my, what’s that?”
“Isn’t that a foreigner? Why are there so many foreigners here? Wow, look at that height. So tall. Isn’t that Sarin?”
“That’s right; that’s Sarin!”
Sarin’s throat tightened. The village elders, returning from the fields, couldn’t hide their curiosity. This village, which is not a tourist destination, has rarely seen foreigners.
Feeling embarrassed, Sarin hurriedly moved and ended up heading home with Owen. Despite people murmuring, his face remained calm. Sarin bowed repeatedly to greet the elders who called her.
“Is that the child’s father? Is he the father?”
“No… it’s not….”
“It is. He looks just like Hayan, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, exactly! Wow, our Hayan will grow up to be that handsome. He’s really good-looking.”
“Didn’t Hayan come with you?”
Those with keen eyes immediately recognized Owen’s face. They clapped and nodded among themselves, already convinced that Owen was Hayan’s father. There was no chance they would believe her denial.
Sarin quickened her pace to get away from there as fast as possible. Only when they reached her house at the village’s edge did the murmuring fade away.
With the arrival of a dozen strong men, the yard felt crowded. Just a few hours ago, she had sat there alone, looking up at the sky, but now the sight of people felt unfamiliar.
Owen, following Sarin, silently surveyed the house.
“Please take off your shoes… Ah, never mind…”
She tried to stop him from entering the house with his shoes on, but she hesitated and dropped her hands.
The floor could always be cleaned again.
Owen appeared determined to scrutinize every aspect of the house, and Sarin experienced a growing sense of anxiety with each glance he directed.
“Excuse me, but may I have some water?”
Yuri’s question startled Sarin, making her turn around. It was an old house, so she had to put her shoes back on and turn to the right to reach the kitchen.
“I’ll get it for you.”
“No, it’s fine. Is the kitchen over there?”
Owen was closely observing Sarin from behind, so Yuri persisted and made his own way to the kitchen.
“It doesn’t seem like anyone’s been living here.”
“The house has been empty for a long time.”
“No, I mean traces of your life here.”
Sarin only had one blanket spread out, which she folded back up every day. She barely had any personal belongings in the house.
Sarin couldn’t find a suitable answer to give Owen. This place, which was both dreary and now strangely unfamiliar because it was so empty, made her feel uneasy.
Understanding her thoughts, Owen gently brushed his hand against her cheek.
“There’s no water in the house.”
Because of the sudden whirlwind of events, she had forgotten she was on her way to buy some water. Sarin quickly turned away and ran toward the kitchen. Owen’s hand, which had been caressing her cheek, remained suspended in mid-air for a moment, lost.
He slowly withdrew his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist once, as if trying to squeeze something. Realizing he could not let her slip away again, he followed her.
“That….”
Sarin discovered Yuri at the back of the house, not in the empty kitchen, where he had just finished drinking a bowl of water on the jar stand. Seeing Sarin’s puzzled expression, he raised the bowl, as if questioning what was wrong with drinking water.
“They said in Korea you can drink tap water. Is it not safe?”
They hadn’t had a drop of water since they rushed from the airport to here.
“It’s… it’s drinking water. It is.”
Yuri, who didn’t know any better, handed the bowl to Sarin, saying he drank it well. Looking at the empty bowl, Sarin fully realized Owen and the others were truly there with her. The bustling atmosphere in the house felt strange, yet somehow, it warmed her heart.
Tears quickly welled up in Sarin’s eyes. She wiped away the tears with the hand that wasn’t holding the bowl and swallowed them back.
Yuri, sensing the mood, instructed some of the guards to stay outside and mentioned he’d go buy something to eat. Then he left.
“This house has never been this lively before.”
Each time she woke up, the silence and loneliness felt more suffocating. Seeing Owen’s gaunt face, she realized he hadn’t been doing well either, which made her heart ache.
“How is Hayan… doing?”
She feared asking, despite her trust in him. The last time she saw the child, his condition wasn’t good. That’s why she couldn’t answer the elders’ questions easily. Owen watched her intently, taking in every detail of her murmuring.
“He’s doing well.”
Sarin nodded. His answer was enough. Knowing that Hayan was receiving good treatment lifted the weight on her heart. She had been so tense and hesitant to ask that her lips had gone dry.
“And how have you been, Owen?”
Her tongue wetted her lower lip as she asked, and Owen’s gaze followed slowly. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and the shade in his golden eyes revealed a sinister desire that Sarin could almost see.
“Well, I developed a new hobby, so I suppose I’ve been alright.”
“A hobby?”
“I’m collecting jewels. It’s surprisingly enjoyable.”
He reached out and touched the remains of the piercing hole in Sarin’s ear, where an earring used to be. Her shoulders tensed slightly. Despite being apart for a short time, the physical contact with him felt somewhat unfamiliar.
“Ah… that’s a nice hobby.”
She responded, though her small face showed little interest. It didn’t matter; he would choose all her jewelry anyway. Sapphire earrings and a diamond necklace would suit her, he thought.
He had been embedding trackers in the jewels he selected, so it would take some time before they reached her hands.
Then Sarin, noticing the scar on his index finger, gently lowered his hand from her cheek and examined it.
“The ring; I need to give it back, but I dropped it in the river earlier….”
“I told you that wasn’t important.”
“But you wore it all the time.”
She had turned the ring into a necklace, keeping it close to her heart as a talisman, unwilling to lose it from her loose fingers. Now, it was gone the moment Owen appeared.
The absence of the familiar ring made her uneasy, and she felt as if the wound on his finger was somehow her fault.
“What I was looking for was you, not the ring.”
