Chapter 12| Aquagenic Uriticaria

'What insolence!' Ginny spat, her voice laced with outrage.

"Are you mad?!" she shouted, her hands trembling as she glared at him. "I don't know what impression you had of me before, but know this—I am not that kind of woman. Do you understand?" She planted her hands on her waist in defiance, her chest heaving with anger.

Seung Woo raised a single brow, his expression unreadable. "What kind of woman?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Ginny's breath hitched as she clenched her fists. "I will not give you my body. Never," she assured him, her tone unwavering.

His response was swift and unbothered. "I wasn't asking for your body," he said, his voice calm, though irritation flickered behind his dark eyes. "I need to have my bath, so take off my gambeson."

Ginny stiffened at the request, her face contorting in shock and disbelief.

"Ridiculous that you think I would be interested in such," he scoffed, his lip curling in disgust as he looked at her as if she were beneath him.

'Yeah, yeah. I get it, you despise me,' she thought bitterly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

She cleared her throat, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "Do you always wake up by this time?" she inquired, curiosity creeping into her tone. But he ignored her completely, as if she hadn't spoken at all.

'Why do I even try?' she sighed inwardly.

"You see, I'm not used to waking up at such hours, and I'm already so exhausted. I wouldn't be able to carry out my tasks properly," she explained, hoping for at least a semblance of sympathy.

Seung Woo barely spared her a glance. "And how does that concern me?" he questioned, his voice dripping with disinterest.

Ginny exhaled sharply, biting back a retort. She swallowed her frustration and focused on the task at hand, unfastening the padded cloth of his gambeson. As soon as it slipped from his shoulders, Seung Woo pulled off his tunic without a second thought. The sudden exposure of his bare torso made Ginny's breath hitch, and she immediately recoiled, turning her head to the side.

"Take it easy there!" she coughed, her cheeks burning a deep crimson as she averted her gaze.

Unbothered, Seung Woo stepped into his bath. The sound of water sloshing filled the air, followed by his abrupt shout.

"So–Hee!"

Ginny's body jerked up instinctively at the name, her senses on high alert.

"It's Ginny, you dimwit," she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temple in exasperation.

As she stepped forward, her foot met the damp floor, and an uncomfortable sensation crept up her legs. A sharp itch spread across her skin, and she winced, scratching her arms instinctively.

"The water has turned cold," Seung Woo stated bluntly.

Ginny, still preoccupied with the itching, barely registered his complaint until his sharp voice rang out again. "Are you deaf?"

She flinched, snapping her head up to glare at him. "What am I supposed to do about that?" she demanded, irritated.

"Bring me hot water from the kitchen," he ordered simply.

Ginny wanted to protest but refrained. 'I should try to get along with him,' she reminded herself begrudgingly. Letting out a sigh, she picked up the bucket and trudged towards the kitchen.

She worked diligently, fetching bucket after bucket of hot water, her muscles aching with the effort. Finally, after several trips, the water temperature stabilized.

With an exhausted sigh, she dropped the last bucket and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Now it's too hot. I can't bathe in boiling water," Seung Woo remarked casually, stepping out of the bath with his arms crossed behind his back.

Ginny stared at him in disbelief, her eyes twitching. 'Are you kidding me?' She quickly rushed forward to test the water. It was warm—perfectly comfortable.

"It's perfectly fine," she insisted, turning to face him.

But Seung Woo merely tilted his head slightly, his gaze unreadable. "Discard the water in the bath and refill it. It has been contaminated."

Ginny gasped, staring at him as though he had lost his mind. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, her breath hitched as she lowered her gaze to her palms. They were raw, red, and marked with the strokes of exertion.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she swallowed them down. Without complaint, she picked up a smaller bucket and climbed onto the platform. The bath needed to be drained.

She worked slowly, transferring the water out, her limbs screaming in protest. Her body was exhausted, her skin burning from the endless itching. A sudden thought struck her as she absentmindedly scratched at her arms.

"Do I... does So–Hee have aquagenic urticaria?" she whispered under her breath.

The realization hit her like a brick. 'It... burns.'

Her hands trembled, her breathing uneven. She felt lightheaded, and her vision blurred. Then, without warning, her foot slipped against the slick platform.

A startled gasp escaped her lips as she plunged into the water, a wave crashing over her head.

Panic surged through her veins as she flailed, her limbs thrashing wildly. The sting of water against her hypersensitive skin was unbearable, and she fought to resurface, her mind blank with fear.

Seung Woo stood there, watching her with mild disinterest.

"You know you can stand. It's not that deep," he remarked dryly.

Ginny froze, her hands still flapping against the water. Slowly, hesitantly, she planted her feet against the floor of the bath and stood up, her soaked hair clinging to her face in thick strands. She wiped her eyes, blinking rapidly.

Her gaze locked onto Seung Woo's, his expression as unreadable as ever. The cold air sent shivers down her spine as water dripped from her clothes.

'So does that mean I would automatically inherit any disease that So–Hee had?' she wondered grimly, a sinking feeling settling in her chest.

Seung Woo exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin. "What are you looking at? I don't have all day. Replace the water immediately."

Ginny gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her palms.

She wanted to scream. To curse. To throw the bucket at his insufferable, arrogant face.

But instead, she swallowed her pride and picked up the bucket once more.