“Mm! It’s so much prettier than it looked in the picture! The kittens are so cute too! And Leon… wow, he’s really cool! He’s so big and handsome! He’s a hundred times more impressive in real life than in photos!”
Lee Miju burst out laughing at Soo-ah’s lively and passionate words.
Seeing her daughter find things to like and adjust well to a new environment brought her incomparable peace of mind as a mother.
Now that she worried less about Soo-ah, Lee Miju could finally focus entirely on her own health.
After moving here and starting work at the Restaurant, Lee Miju began to experience remarkable changes.
The first was the ‘taste of rice at night.’
Just like the coffee she had during the Contract, the food Sang-woong made at the Restaurant was truly wondrous.
Having run a Restaurant for nearly 20 years, tasting and making countless dishes, she was shocked that such delicious rice could exist in this world.
Each of the daily changing side dishes was filled with care, and especially the doenjang stew Sang-woong personally cooked was by far the best she’d ever had.
Her 20 years of Restaurant experience felt meaningless compared to this taste.
“To think someone can cook like this. It’s almost humiliating.”
The second change was in her sleep and pain.
A week passed by in the blink of an eye.
After finishing her Restaurant work and returning to her new home, she’d get into bed and, almost magically, all the tension in her body would melt away and sleep would overtake her.
Though it was an unfamiliar place, perhaps thanks to the clean air and peaceful surroundings, she was able to sleep deeply and comfortably.
But an even more surprising change occurred.
The excruciating pain that tormented her every night had become much less severe since coming here.
Before, even with painkillers, she’d spend many nights tossing and turning in agony, but here, she could sleep comfortably without them.
Just cutting out the painkillers immediately made her mind clearer and her body felt noticeably lighter.
Her digestion improved, and she felt a vitality return to her whole body.
As Lee Miju’s health visibly improved, Soo-ah was delighted to see her mother doing well.
To Lee Miju, all these changes seemed nothing short of miraculous.
“I’ve continued my Hospital treatment, but nothing else in my daily life changed. Could such a big improvement really come just from a change in environment and less stress? Is the air here just that good?”
This place not only had beautiful scenery but also air so fresh that each breath felt invigorating.
One evening, while Lee Miju was finishing up the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, Sang-woong approached her, handing over a plate of peeled Apple slices.
“Noona, have some of this. I peeled it myself.”
Sang-woong smiled brightly as he spoke.
“Oh my, thank you, Boss.”
Lee Miju thanked Sang-woong and accepted the plate.
The glossy yellowish Apple looked irresistibly delicious.
Lee Miju naturally picked up a slice and popped it in her mouth.
The crisp texture, along with the sweet, refreshing juice, filled her mouth.
She had never eaten such a delicious Apple in her life.
It was, quite simply, honey-sweet.
“Wow~ This is so good, Boss! From the Restaurant food to the coffee, and even the Awesome Fruit—how is everything so tasty?”
Lee Miju exclaimed in admiration.
“Haha, I’m glad. It looks like it suits your taste, noona.”
Sang-woong smiled warmly.
Though there was a subtle affection in his gaze, Lee Miju didn’t notice.
She simply thought of it as the Boss’s warm consideration.
Sang-woong had come to know Lee Miju was suffering from Dungeon Disease purely by chance.
One evening, while closing up and cleaning the Restaurant, he saw Lee Miju hang her coat on the rack and drop a Medicine Pouch from her pocket.
The moment he glanced at the Medicine Pouch on the floor and read the Hospital name on it, Sang-woong understood her hidden circumstances.
“So, because of the Dungeon Disease treatment costs, she had to let go of her house and Restaurant in the City and move all the way here.”
It wasn’t unusual.
It wasn’t rare for Dungeon Disease patients, worn down by the high treatment costs and difficulties of City life, to move out to cheaper countryside or rural areas.
Sang-woong could easily guess Lee Miju’s situation.
‘For such a diligent and wonderful Employee to come to the Restaurant—there’s no way I can pretend not to know as the Boss.’
From that point on, Sang-woong began discreetly adding a variety of Plants of the Earth, known for their beneficial properties, to the food Lee Miju ate at the Restaurant.
And just last night, he had carefully peeled and served her the fruit of the Coral Tree, disguised as an Apple, which helped suppress pain and aided in the regeneration of damaged cells.
The Apple was just a cover to keep her from suspecting anything—the real magic lay in the remarkable effects of the Coral Tree fruit within.
Lee Miju, who polished off the plate of Apple slices in no time, felt her face grow a little red from embarrassment.
It was so delicious, she had forgotten to offer any to Sang-woong and ended up eating it all herself.
“I already had some, noona. I’m glad it suited your taste. As long as you enjoyed it, that’s enough.”
Watching her cute flustered expression, Sang-woong smiled in understanding.
But Lee Miju still hadn’t realized the warm concern in his gaze.
That night, Lee Miju had an extraordinary, dazzling Dream for the first time in her life.
It was a Dream of Flying in the Sky.
She soared freely through a clear, blue sky with not a cloud in sight, flying like Superman.
The freedom of flying in the sky was so exhilarating that it made her forget all the pain and worries of reality.
A gentle breeze tickled her hair, and the world spread out below her was small and beautiful.
It felt as if all the pain and anxiety from Dungeon Disease, and the hardships of reality, had vanished far away.
In the Dream, Lee Miju smiled broadly.
Her smile was pure and clear, filled with a joy she hadn’t felt for a long time.
The sound of gentle breathing—her daughter Soo-ah—slowly woke Lee Miju.
It was still dawn, darkness lingering outside.
The afterimage of the Dream remained so vivid, she still felt as if she were flying in the sky.
She slowly reached out her hand and gently grasped at the empty air.
It was reality, but her heart was still full of the freedom and fulfillment from the Dream.
It really was a mysterious Dream….
Sitting on her bed, Lee Miju quietly reflected on the lingering feeling and meaning of the Dream.
Blue skies, soaring flight, and happy laughter.
It was as if all the hopes that had been suppressed by the pain and anxiety of Dungeon Disease had burst forth in her Dream.
Come to think of it, ever since contracting Dungeon Disease, she could hardly remember ever having a Dream at night, always tormented by pain instead.
And even more astonishing, not once tonight had she felt that unbearable pain—it was as if a miracle had happened.
“So… is that why I had such a vivid, wonderful Dream? Because the pain disappeared?”
Thus, a new morning dawned.
Perhaps under the influence of last night’s Dream, her body and mind felt refreshed.
While preparing a delicious breakfast in the kitchen, a faint smile lingered on her face the whole time.
“Mom, you look really happy today?”
Soo-ah, getting ready for School, quickly noticed her mother’s bright expression and asked.
“Mm, I had such a good Dream last night.”
Lee Miju smiled, and eagerly shared the story of her Dream with her daughter.
A Dream of flying in the sky—how free she’d felt, how happy she’d been.
Soo-ah listened to her mother’s story, smiling along with her.
“Wow, I want to have a Dream like that too!”
At Soo-ah’s words, Lee Miju gently patted her daughter’s head and replied.
“Our Soo-ah will definitely have such wonderful Dreams too. Mom believes it.”
With a much lighter step than usual, Lee Miju headed to the Restaurant.
As she opened the shop door and stepped inside, her face was bright and full of energy.
That positive energy made the atmosphere in the Restaurant feel even more lively.
Her smile as she welcomed Customers was genuine, and today, the Restaurant was even more vibrant and warm than usual.
During a brief lull at lunchtime, Sang-woong carefully approached Lee Miju and spoke.
“Noona, did something good happen? Your face seems to be shining even brighter than usual today.”
“Ah, yes! Boss! I had a Dream of flying in the sky last night! It made me feel really good!”
Lee Miju answered excitedly, like a child.
Sang-woong smiled gently at her words.
“A Dream of flying in the sky. That’s wonderful. Since you had such a good Dream, I’m sure everything will go well for you. From now on, peaceful nights will continue.”
There was a deep warmth in Sang-woong’s gaze, but Lee Miju didn’t notice.
She simply thought of it as the Boss’s kind encouragement.
Lee Miju thought she had truly made the right decision in moving to the Gentle Breeze Restaurant.
The fresh air, beautiful Nature, and quiet environment were all a tremendous help to her mental health.
Just being free from the confusion and stress of City life made every day feel precious and happy.
Here, Lee Miju was recovering something important she’d lost in her life.
It was ‘Freedom of Mind.’
Back when she ran a Restaurant in the City, she never had any peace of mind, whether business was good or bad.
If things were good, she was too busy with Customers to catch her breath; if business was bad, she’d lie awake at night worrying about the sales.
She was always rushing, unable to give her daughter Soo-ah the attention she deserved.
But here, even the Restaurant work was far more comfortable than before.
Especially the spacious kitchen she’d always dreamed of made the process of cooking much smoother.
After work, she could spend cozy time with her daughter, or enjoy quiet moments alone.
After closing the Restaurant, strolling around the neighborhood with Soo-ah became one of her greatest joys.
And more than anything, her health was improving at an astonishing rate.
The excruciating pain that came each night had nearly vanished, and the occasional pain she felt was nothing like before—no longer unbearable.
Even the Hospital gave a diagnosis that her condition had visibly improved.
Her Doctor looked at her in disbelief and asked,
“Have you made any significant changes in your daily habits or environment lately, or… are you undergoing any other treatment? Medically speaking, your recovery is incredibly fast.”
“Um… not really.”
Lee Miju thought it over.
“Nothing special, I think. I just… moved to a place with clean air, eat the delicious food Boss cooks for me, and live a regular life without stress.”
She answered honestly, but even she herself found these changes hard to believe.
Could such rapid improvement in Dungeon Disease come simply from a new environment and less stress?
Still, there was no doubt that the good environment had been a huge help in treating her Dungeon Disease.
“This is a very good sign. At this rate, you might make a full recovery. Congratulations.”
The Doctor, surprised yet optimistic, gave his prognosis.
*Thank you, Teacher.”
The fact that the nightmare called Dungeon Disease was finally beginning to end like a miracle made her heart feel light and ecstatic as she left the Hospital—almost as if she were flying in the sky.
And strangely, even now, she couldn’t stop thinking about the Apple Sang-woong had given her.
***
With Lee Miju working as an Employee, and Soo-ah helping out after School, Sang-woong found it much easier to make time for himself.
Of course, he never forgot to pay Soo-ah her wages for her work.
That way, Soo-ah would enjoy working all the more.
Sang-woong was always busy moving about.
He had his own tasks to attend to, after all.
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