Before I knew it, spring was already on its way.
Last year, instead of chasing the merchant group’s growth, I’d focused on strengthening our foundations.
If you only focus on expanding without building a solid base, it’s no different from a pretty but hollow snack.
The moment a crisis hits, you can’t withstand it and everything just crumbles.
The thing I’d poured the most effort into last year, establishing the Beijing branch, had been one part of that groundwork.
And the fact that our merchant group’s ranking had climbed to twenty–fifth place meant I was doing a pretty decent job, if I do say so myself.
Right now, I was on my way to Escort Guard Seo Wu and Lady Hong Geum-so’s house.
At the end of last year, Lady Hong Geum-so safely gave birth to a son.
And now that the period of no outside visitors had finally passed, I was heading over today to congratulate them on the birth.
Escort Guard Seo Wu had been staying home the whole time as well.
He stubbornly insisted he should be by my side as my escort guard, but how could I not understand how worried he was about his wife and their soon–to–be–born child?
Especially after that time something truly terrible almost happened to Lady Hong Geum-so, his anxiety had to be even worse.
So I’d given Escort Guard Seo Wu a direct order.
“Lady Hong Geum-so is a key talent when it comes to producing the Self-Dancing Dolls. So as my escort guard, I’m assigning you to protect Lady Hong Geum-so.”
At that, Escort Guard Seo Wu headed home with a moved expression, and he didn’t step a single foot outside while he stayed by her side.
For the newborn’s sake too, they had to keep anything bad from the outside from being brought in.
Of course, they’d stocked up in advance on food and medicinal herbs to keep their bodies nourished.
When I saw Escort Guard Seo Wu yesterday for the first time in almost three months, I realized I’d never seen him look that happy before.
Well, he’d gained a child safe and sound. How could that joy be anything but overwhelming?
He let me know that visitors could come by now, and I said I’d visit today.
Soon, we arrived at Escort Guard Seo Wu’s house.
The straw cord that had been strung across the gate was already taken down.
“Welcome!”
A servant who recognized me quickly ran over to greet me.
“I heard from Escort Guard Seo yesterday. Please, come inside.”
“Thank you.”
We followed the servant to a room.
While we were waiting there for a bit, I heard Escort Guard Seo Wu’s voice from outside.
“My lord. We’re coming in.”
“Okay.”
The door opened and Escort Guard Seo Wu and Lady Hong Geum-so entered. In Lady Hong Geum-so’s arms was their newborn baby.
“We greet my lord.”
“We greet the Deputy Merchant Lord.”
They both bowed properly, and I accepted their greetings and said,
“I’m relieved to see both mother and child looking healthy. And congratulations on the smooth delivery.”
“Thank you.”
We took our seats, and I pulled an envelope from my robe and held it out.
“Take it. It’s a gift for the birth.”
“You really didn’t need to go so far as to prepare a gift…”
At Lady Hong Geum-so’s words, I let out a small chuckle.
“I can plainly see how happy you are.”
“Oh my, really? Hohoho.”
“Go ahead and open it.”
At my words, Escort Guard Seo Wu opened the envelope. Their eyes widened at once.
“T–this is…”
“A deed to a house?”
Exactly, it was a house deed.
And not just any house deed, but one for a rather sizable estate.
“I thought long and hard about what kind of gift would be best, and ended up choosing this. I kept thinking that the accident you had before ultimately happened because your house was too cramped.”
At my words, Lady Hong Geum-so bowed her head and said,
“I really am reflecting on that.”
Of course she was. She might have been terrified, but she also knew just how much Escort Guard Seo Wu had worried.
Which was why I wanted to help solve the issue at its root.
“So don’t feel burdened and just accept it.”
But Escort Guard Seo Wu shook his head, looking troubled.
“Thank you, but it feels far too excessive. We’ve saved up quite a bit from what we’ve earned, and we were already planning to move to a bigger house.”
With their monthly pay, they could certainly afford a better place than where they were now.
After all, I’m the one employing both of them.
Escort Guard Seo Wu received a considerable monthly wage as my personal escort guard, and Lady Hong Geum-so also earned quite a lot for making the Self-Dancing Dolls’ clothing.
But raising a child costs a lot of money.
On top of that, thanks to the fruit Geumryeong picked for Lady Hong Geum-so, their child was born with some kind of outstanding talent.
We still didn’t know exactly what that talent was.
But one thing was sure.
Even a natural talent needs money if it’s going to spread its wings properly.
How many people out there are forced to fold up their wings because, even though they have talent, they lack the money or the circumstances just aren’t in their favor?
I didn’t want Escort Guard Seo Wu and Lady Hong Geum-so’s child to go through that kind of thing just because they stretched themselves thin to buy a house this time.
And honestly, that talent was only there because of Geumryeong, the pet I’m raising.
As Geumryeong’s owner, I should at least take responsibility to that extent.
“You should use your money for the child.”
Saying that, I studied the baby.
Breathing softly in sleep, the little face looked surprisingly bright and clever.
“What did you name the baby?”
At my question, Escort Guard Seo Wu answered,
“My lord, please name the child.”
“Huh?”
“To be honest, if not for you, my lord, this child never would have been born. So I think it would be very meaningful if you were the one to give the child a name.”
Huh? He wants me to name the baby?
I hesitated with an awkward look, thought it over, then answered firmly.
“I refuse.”
“Pardon?”
His eyes went wide at my words. He looked completely taken aback.
But with his loyal heart, he pleaded with me again and again.
“Please, I’m begging you.”
“No. I really can’t.”
“Why are you refusing? Did I perhaps do something that displeased you, my lord…?”
If you look at me with those eyes, you’re just making this more awkward for me.
“Good grief!”
At that point, Palgap, who’d been standing behind me, sighed in exasperation.
“That’s not it at all. Young Master is refusing because he cares about you, Escort Guard Seo.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, our Young Master’s naming sense is absolutely terrible, and Young Master knows that better than anyone. That’s why he’s refusing.”
H–hey, Palgap?
If you’re that blunt about it, I’m going to get hurt, you know.
Then Palgap went on to list a few names.
Huh? How did he know?
Those were exactly the kinds of names I’d been thinking of…
“I’m sure Young Master would come up with some completely uncool, weird, and awful name like that.”
“…”
Palgap… that really hurts my feelings.
Thinking that, I glanced at Escort Guard Seo Wu and Lady Hong Geum-so’s faces.
Yeah, good thing I refused to name the baby.
Their expressions looked exactly like the one I’d just had on my own face.
Still, I had something to say in my defense. My bad naming sense wasn’t exactly my fault…
“Anyway, that’s how it is.”
I nodded.
“This is a name the child will hear for their entire life. I’d really rather avoid a situation where every time they hear their name, they curse me under their breath. Hahaha.”
I continued,
“And I’ve heard that a name, precisely because it’s called out so often, has a huge impact on a person’s life. So for the child’s sake, I’d like you to ask someone else instead.”
I lowered my head and cupped my fists.
“That’s my honest feeling.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu frantically waved his hands, flustered.
“Ah, I understand. So please, raise your head. How could you bow your head to me, my lord?”
“Then you’ll accept how I feel about this?”
“I understand.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu answered with a wry smile.
“Very well, we’ll go find a famous name–giver.”
“That’s a good decision.”
“And I believe it’s time I returned to my duties as your escort, my lord. Please grant my request.”
At this point, it should be fine.
“Go ahead and do that.”
.
.
.
The next day, at dawn.
I stepped out into the annex courtyard for martial arts training.
“Good morning.”
Lady Seohyang was already waiting for me.
I couldn’t help thinking how impressive that was, because for her to be at the annex before me meant she’d gotten up quite a bit earlier.
Compared to me, who just throws on some clothes and walks out as soon as I wake up, she’d need more time to get ready.
“Then, let’s begin cultivation.”
“Okay.”
She and I sat down facing each other.
Then we began circulating our Qi and regulating our breathing.
I practiced the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art, and Lady Seohyang practiced Heavenly Flow Art, the cultivation method of Heavenly Flow Ice Sword.
I’d gotten permission from Master last time to teach Lady Seohyang Heavenly Flow Ice Sword.
“She is my niece, after all. She needs to at least learn that much if she’s going to stay out of their sight.”
It had been almost three months since I started teaching her Heavenly Flow Ice Sword.
Since I’d learned Heavenly Flow Ice Sword directly from the Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, I didn’t have any trouble guiding Lady Seohyang.
Once I finished my circulation, I got up. Soon after, Lady Seohyang wrapped up her own cultivation and opened her eyes.
“Now, review what you learned yesterday.”
“Yes.”
Since dawn was when I received training from Master, I usually taught Lady Seohyang sword techniques around lunchtime.
And dawn was the time we used to review them.
While Lady Seohyang was moving to one side of the courtyard, Master stepped into the annex.
“I greet Master.”
“Yes, good morning, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
The fact that I was the Young Palace Lord was a secret matter to the outside world.
So Master continued to address me as Chief or Deputy Merchant Lord like usual.
“Then, let’s begin training.”
.
.
.
Master’s training was brutal as always.
Ever since I became Young Palace Lord, the difficulty had skyrocketed to a ridiculous level.
Ugh, I’m really going to die at this rate.
Honestly, there have been more than a few times when I thought, I might actually die like this. But somehow, I’m still alive.
The only reason that’s possible is probably Master’s unbelievably precise sense of control.
And since I could feel for myself that my skills were improving, I silently accepted his training.
Thinking about the ones I had to take revenge on, I needed to become far stronger than I was now.
“With this, today’s training is over.”
In the end, I survived another day.
I forced strength into my trembling legs, barely managed to stand, and cupped my fists.
“Thank you for your guidance.”
I couldn’t very well offer my thanks while lying flat on my back. I’m still, at the end of the day, a guy who minds his manners.
Thud.
Dropping right back down where I stood afterward was… unavoidable.
Hmm?
Normally, once training ended, Master would turn on his heel and stride cleanly out of the annex…
But he wasn’t doing that today, which meant he probably had something to say to me.
“Do you have something you wish to tell your disciple, Master?”
“Hoo, actually, an urgent message came from Yangyang Martial Hall last night.”
“From Yangyang Martial Hall?”
What happened?
Did something go wrong with the construction of the new martial hall building?
Or was it an attack?
If it’s neither of those, I don’t see why they’d send an urgent message.
“They say the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace has arrived at Yangyang Martial Hall.”
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin went to Yangyang Martial Hall?
It’s not exactly something that happens every day, but is that really worth sending an urgent message over?
Didn’t she come by last time as well?
As if to answer my doubts, Master continued.
“It seems the North Sea Ice Palace is currently in a rather difficult situation. It looks like she came to ask for our help.”
If the Young Palace Lord came in person, then the situation must be quite serious. But what could we possibly do to help?
As if reading my question, Master pulled a letter from his robe and handed it to me.
“Read it.”
Oh…
This was a letter written directly by the Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
I unconsciously let out a low hum as I read through it.
I could see why the Palace Lord had sent a letter personally.
“Right now, Snow Wind Palace is receiving help from the North Sea Ice Palace, but one of Snow Wind Palace’s reasons for existing is actually to serve as a shield protecting the North Sea Ice Palace.”
Master continued,
“In the current situation, I believe you, Deputy Merchant Lord, can easily resolve this. What do you think?”
I grinned.
“Of course. Stuff like this is what I’m good at.”
The Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace probably sent the Young Palace Lord while expecting this letter to end up in my hands.
But to solve this, I’d have to go to the North Sea Ice Palace.
Now that the weather was finally getting better, it looked like I was being sent out on another trip.
A little while later,
I ordered Palgap and the escort guards to get ready to travel to the North Sea Ice Palace, then headed to the dining hall for breakfast.
And just as I took my seat, Father walked in.
Perfect timing.
After greeting him good morning, I said,
“Father, I’m going to make a trip to the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“What? The North Sea Ice Palace?”
“Yes.”
At my answer, Father let out a chuckle.
“I swear, you’re the only one who talks about going to the North Sea Ice Palace like you’re just popping over to the next village.”
“You’re complimenting me, right?”
“Think whatever you want.”
Father gave a wry smile.
“So, what’s going on?”
“The people at the North Sea Ice Palace are about to starve to death. So I need to go help them.”
That’s when it happened.
“What? What did you just say?”
A voice came from behind me.
It was Brother Jin-ho. He rushed over to me and demanded,
“Say that again, clearly! What’s happening where Mother–in–law is?!”
“Uh… well…”
Did I say all that without realizing Brother Jin-ho was heading toward the dining hall?
“The truth is, the North Sea Ice Palace isn’t getting proper supplies of grain right now, so everyone there is starving. So I’m planning to personally escort food there.”
Brother Jin-ho shouted in a grave tone,
“You brat! If something like that is happening, you should have told me first! I’m going too! Don’t you dare try to stop me!”
I glanced away from Brother Jin-ho’s eyes, then smiled to myself on the inside.
Why would I stop you?
I was planning to go with you from the start, anyway.
Brother Jin-ho had firmly taken the bait I’d tossed out.
–TL Notes–
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