I tried to cheer Palgap up.
“Are you upset?”
“I’m not upset at all, Young Master.”
He was definitely upset.
“Palgap. You know your eyebrows droop whenever you’re upset, right?”
“Ahem.”
“Whose attendant are you?”
“Why, Young Master Eun Seo-ho’s attendant, of course.”
“Then isn’t it enough if you’re the best to me?”
“Am I really the best to you, Young Master?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
“Do you truly mean it?”
“Of course.”
After I showered Palgap with praise and coaxed him out of his sulk, his spirits finally recovered, and he went into my room.
He had to pack our things now.
I turned to my second sister-in-law.
“Whew… That was close.”
“Hohoho.”
My second sister-in-law laughed at the sight of me.
“But what brings you here? I was actually planning to come see you myself.”
“I thought it would be better if I came personally.”
My second sister-in-law pulled a letter from her sleeve and held it out to me.
“Could you give this to my husband?”
“Is it a love letter?”
“Trying to pry into a married couple’s private conversations! How mischievous of you.”
“Ahem. I’ll make sure he gets it.”
Feeling needlessly embarrassed, I took the letter and tucked it into my sleeve.
I’d tried to tease her and only ended up embarrassing myself.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Yes. Take care on your way back.”
My second sister-in-law left the annex with Hong-ryeo in her arms.
Watching her leave, it suddenly occurred to me that carrying a baby everywhere must be exhausting.
Babies are heavier than they look.
Holding one for a long time puts quite a strain on the arms and lower back.
And that burden only gets worse as the baby grows.
Isn’t there some good solution for that?
.
.
.
There was something I needed to do here before leaving for Beijing.
I had to see Gong Mil before I left.
As soon as I finished lunch, I headed to Gong Mil’s laboratory.
Inside, Gong Mil was completely absorbed in his research.
He had only been ten years old when I first brought him here, but somehow, he was already nineteen.
He had grown into a sturdy young man.
So he would officially become an adult in only a few months.
Having known how painfully thin and frail he had been in my previous life, I found the sight almost moving.
I quietly turned around.
“Oh? You’re leaving already?”
I looked to the side and found Gong Rae standing there.
Gong Rae was fourteen now, and she had begun carrying herself like a proper young lady. I was finally starting to recognize the face I remembered.
“My brother would be happy to see you, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“I don’t want to interrupt his research.”
I already knew quite well what Gong Mil was researching.
He was probably developing medical devices to be sold through ‘Universal Happiness Medical Devices,’ one of the Eunhae Merchant Group’s new businesses.
After returning to the merchant group following the Murim Grand Assembly, Father apparently held extensive discussions at the Silver Moon Pavilion and ultimately decided to formally launch the business under the name ‘Universal Happiness Medical Devices.’
The name Universal Happiness Medical Devices embodied the hope that everyone might have the chance to live happily.
It would create and sell devices meant to help those with physical disabilities live happier, more comfortable lives.
They planned to introduce things like wheelchairs and the chest brace I had designed for Brother Jin-ho.
Ah… wait.
A wheelchair?
It was a chair fitted with wheels for people who couldn’t walk.
Babies couldn’t walk either, could they?
In that case…
“Gong Rae. Could I borrow some paper, ink, and a brush for a moment?”
“Of course.”
A good idea suddenly occurred to me, so I borrowed Gong Rae’s writing supplies and wrote down what I had in mind.
“Could you give this to Gong Mil later, when he takes a break?”
“Yes.”
Gong Rae took the paper and slipped it into her sleeve.
Looking at her writing supplies, I noticed that both the brush and the other implements were fairly worn.
She must have been using them quite a lot.
“Have you decided what you want to do in the future?”
“Hmm… I’m still not really sure.”
Gong Mil and Gong Rae were both children when I brought them here. Perhaps because of that, I wanted to take responsibility for their futures as well.
What I meant was that I wanted to help them live their own lives, choosing for themselves what they truly wanted to do.
Gong Mil had essentially found his path already, but Gong Rae had not.
She had been bright enough to teach herself the Thousand Character Classic at the age of five, yet fate had still turned her into a courtesan.
And even that life had not lasted long.
She had been caught in a bloody fight at a pleasure house and lost her life.
That was why, in my previous life, I never learned what she had truly wanted for herself.
In this life, I wanted to help her live the life she genuinely chose.
“No matter what you decide, I’ll support you. So try whatever interests you, and take your time figuring out what you want to do with your future.”
.
.
.
After visiting Gong Mil and Gong Rae, I returned to the annex and prepared to leave.
I had never intended to stay long in the first place. I had only stopped here briefly on my way to Beijing.
Besides, my work wasn’t truly finished until I reported everything to the Emperor.
There were plenty of people who resented the Emperor’s favor toward me.
There was no reason to hand them ammunition for free.
I had only been able to stop here at all because the River-Crossing Horse had saved us so much time. Staying any longer would be pushing it.
Still, it was good to be home.
Once everything was packed, I stepped outside and wandered through the merchant group grounds.
“Out for a walk?”
“Father.”
When I looked up, I realized I had somehow wandered all the way into the rear garden.
“It’s a fine day for a walk.”
In Beijing, this time of year would already be considered cold, but here it was only slightly chilly.
Not that the cold bothered me much in the first place.
“Would you like to walk with me?”
“I’d be glad to.”
Father and I walked together through the rear garden.
The warriors guarding us quietly fell back and gave us some distance.
“You must have gone through quite a lot during this trip to Hainan Island.”
“It wasn’t that difficult.”
“You haven’t changed at all. No one else would call what you did easy. If they managed to hide their crimes for so long despite committing such atrocities, then they must have taken considerable precautions to protect themselves. Dealing with people like that means putting your life on the line.”
Father sighed.
“I wanted to stop you. I didn’t, because I knew you would go even if I tried, but I worried about you a great deal.”
At Father’s words, I answered somewhat sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, Father.”
What else could I say?
I really had made Father worry about me.
“According to what I heard from the Intelligence Unit… you traveled with a beautiful wife this time.”
“…”
Father turned his head and looked at me.
“I assume it was done to protect Deputy Gwak during the journey.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“But regardless of your intentions, most people in those southern regions now believe you’re married, and they believe Deputy Gwak is your wife. How exactly do you intend to explain that?”
“Well…”
“Think carefully. If you deny it afterward, you’ll be the one tarnishing Deputy Gwak’s reputation.”
Father continued.
“My son meets His Majesty the Emperor a few times and suddenly grows fearless enough to do something like this. How do you think the Provincial Administration Commissioner will react when he hears about it?”
“Well, about that…”
I hesitantly answered Father’s scolding.
“The Provincial Administration Commissioner already knows.”
“What?”
“Before coming here, I visited the Provincial Administration Commissioner and his wife. He brought the matter up while I was there.”
Father’s expression immediately became grave.
“And what did he say?”
“He didn’t say anything. He just… smiled and told me we should eat.”
* * *
Eun Gil-sang tilted his head as he walked toward his office.
His youngest son’s words lingered in his mind.
— He didn’t say anything. He just… smiled and told me we should eat.
He simply couldn’t make sense of it.
The Eunhae Merchant Group had grown rapidly in recent years, but its history went back much further.
Over the years, its dealings with countless other merchant groups had naturally given Eun Gil-sang some knowledge of Guizhou’s Provincial Administration Commissioner as well.
Guizhou was an important region that the Eunhae Merchant Group could hardly afford to ignore.
As for the the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou, Dong Hwi…
He was quite well-behaved these days, but before his marriage, he had been rather infamous.
Despite knowing no martial arts whatsoever, he had picked fights with the local thugs who plagued Guizhou and eventually driven them out of the province entirely. The story was famous even now.
His fiery temper and relentless persistence had earned him the epithet Fire Hound of Guizhou.
And because his punches were said to be exceptionally vicious, some also called him the Fire Fist of Guizhou.
Then fate brought him together with a certain woman, and in order to win her heart, he began studying and eventually placed first in the imperial examination.
Considering the sort of man he was, Eun Gil-sang’s concern was hardly unreasonable.
The Dong Hwi he knew should have been more than capable of punching Eun Seo-ho square in the face the moment he heard what had happened.
‘But he smiled?’
When Eun Gil-sang had visited the Beijing Branch previously, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou had also come by.
After speaking with him, Eun Seo-ho had returned and told his father,
— Well, we just talked about this and that. And… he asked me to marry Young Lady Seohyang.
Eun Gil-sang had been so startled that he nearly sprayed out his tea.
It had been the last thing he expected to hear.
So he had asked his youngest son about it.
— Let’s keep this simple. Do you see Young Lady Seohyang as a woman?
Eun Seo-ho had been unable to answer immediately and hesitated.
That alone meant Eun Seo-ho had feelings for her as well.
In the end, however, he had been unable to give a definite answer, saying he needed more time to think about it.
Nothing had happened afterward, so Eun Gil-sang had assumed whatever connection existed between the two had come to an end.
‘Was I wrong?’
He turned around.
It seemed he needed to speak with Deputy Gwak.
.
.
.
Seohyang had finished packing for tomorrow’s departure and was resting in the annex.
“Deputy Gwak, are you inside?”
At the voice outside, the maid opened the door and found Eun Jin-ho’s wife, Ha Su-min, standing there.
“Oh! Su-min!”
The two women had become close through a chance encounter and now treated each other like sisters.
“What about Hong-ryeo?”
“I finally managed to get her to sleep before slipping out. I heard you’re leaving tomorrow.”
The two sat together and chatted about all sorts of things.
“Ah! By the way, that pearl hairpin you’re wearing. Did Young Master Seo-ho give it to you?”
“How did you know?”
“It was obvious.”
Ha Su-min smiled.
“So, how do you feel about him, Deputy Gwak?”
“I… don’t really know either.”
“You don’t like him?”
“It’s not that…”
At that moment, a scene flashed before her eyes.
Eun Seo-ho staring at her with a strangely sorrowful expression.
Just remembering it made her chest ache as well.
Then a maid’s voice came from outside.
“The Merchant Lord has arrived.”
Seohyang quickly gathered herself, rose from her seat, and greeted him respectfully.
“You were here too.”
“Yes, Father. I stopped by to speak with Deputy Gwak for a little while.”
“This young lady greets the Merchant Lord.”
“My son puts you through quite a lot.”
“Not at all. Thanks to him, I’ve had the opportunity to see and experience many things.”
“Is working with my son difficult?”
“No. I enjoy working with him.”
Eun Gil-sang nodded.
“Even so, don’t overwork yourself. If my son ever demands too much from you, be sure to tell me.”
“There’s no need to worry. He isn’t the sort of person who works those around him to exhaustion. If anything, I worry because he works himself far too hard.”
“Mm. That boy does have a habit of doing that.”
Then something caught Eun Gil-sang’s eye. It was the pearl hairpin in Seohyang’s hair.
As the Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group, he recognized its value immediately.
It was far beyond anything she could afford with the monthly salary she received as a Deputy.
Nor was it something that could be easily obtained.
‘Come to think of it, Hainan Island is famous for its high-quality pearls.’
He asked her,
“I heard you were able to see your parents this time.”
“Yes. It was thanks to the Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Then did Seo-ho give you that ornament in your hair?”
Before Seohyang could answer, Ha Su-min quickly jumped in.
“Yes! Father, he did. Young Master Seo-ho gave it to her as a gift. Doesn’t it look lovely on her?”
“I see.”
Eun Gil-sang nodded. At last, he thought he understood the meaning behind the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou’s inexplicable reaction.
* * *
That night.
After saying good night to Father, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed, but my thoughts were too unsettled for me to sleep.
I had called Deputy Gwak my wife to protect her, but after hearing Father’s words, I realized I owed her an apology.
In truth, Young Lady Seohyang is a wonderful woman.
Far too good a woman for someone like me.
And that was precisely why I couldn’t ask her to walk this thorn-covered road alongside me.
So why was it that whenever I thought of her, my insides churned strangely… and I started feeling so restless?
Just then, I sensed a familiar presence.
I quickly straightened my clothes and went outside.
Father was just entering my annex.
“Forgive me for disturbing your rest.”
“Not at all. I was actually reflecting on what you told me earlier.”
“Were you?”
“Yes. The more I think about it, the worse I feel toward Deputy Gwak. I should probably apologize to her.”
“You can deal with that yourself… I came because there’s something you need to know.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“I once traveled to Guizhou on merchant business. While I was there, I visited a village where the dead were laid to rest inside caves.”
That had to be Young Lady Seohyang’s hometown.
It was thanks to that burial custom that I had been able to save her.
“I only learned this by chance, but in that village, giving someone jewelry adorned with pearls carries a very special meaning.”
“…What kind of meaning?”
“It’s a marriage proposal.”
My eyes widened at Father’s words.
“When a woman wears the pearl jewelry she received and appears before her parents, it means she accepts the man as well. And if her parents see the jewelry and say nothing, it means they approve of the match.”
“…”
I hadn’t known any of that, but now I finally understood why the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou had suddenly changed his attitude while questioning me.
“Ah, and do you know something else?”
Father continued.
“In that village, if a man proposes marriage and then takes back his proposal… apparently it’s customary for the bride’s father and brothers to hang the groom upside down from a roof beam for three days and beat him black and blue.”
Father spoke with a perfectly solemn expression.
“We should choose a wedding date soon.”
–TL Notes–
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