At my question, Lady Jin So-mi replied.
“That’s right. But…”
“You’re worried about the consequences, aren’t you?”
She nodded slightly.
Of course she was.
The Jin Martial Family was a small local school, while the Wi Martial Family was several times larger.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll make sure nothing happens. The Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan is here as well. I’m… quite close with him.”
Honestly, I didn’t even need to borrow the Grand Elder’s name to handle that scumbag.
But trust had to come first.
I continued.
“Just answer one thing. What do you think of my brother?”
At that, Lady Jin’s face flushed.
“I… I have feelings for him.”
As I expected. Even in my previous life, she had feelings for Jeong-ho.
That was why, despite wandering as a rogue for five years, she never married and eventually accepted Jeong-ho’s proposal.
If only they had acknowledged each other’s hearts earlier, they wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.
“That’s wonderful.”
At my words, Lady Jin asked,
“But… is it really true? Does Deputy Merchant Lord Jeong-ho truly…”
“To be honest, my brother’s an incredibly serious man. That man just pushed Wi Seung-jeo into a pond.”
“Ah…”
“And now… he’s about to get beaten by Wi Seung-jeo. Honestly, I don’t know if I can bear to watch.”
I lowered my head slightly as I spoke.
Lady Jin let out a sigh, then pulled something from within her outer robe.
A sword.
Wait… she was carrying a sword all along?
I was going to lend her one from the merchant group if needed.
As expected of a martial family’s daughter.
“I don’t think I can stand by and watch Deputy Merchant Lord Jeong-ho get beaten by someone like that.”
With those words, Lady Jin stepped forward toward Wi Seung-jeo.
Startled, Jeong-ho shouted.
“Lady Jin!”
“For this duel… I ask that you yield it to me. I was the one insulted. I should be the one to wash away that humiliation.”
“Ah…”
At her firm voice, Jeong-ho nodded.
“Understood… but are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“I am.”
At her answer, Wi Seung-jeo looked at her with disbelief.
“What… what are you doing? Are you mocking me?”
“No. I am formally challenging you to a duel. You insulted both my father and me. As martial artists, the proper way to resolve this in Murim is with the sword.”
Incredible.
She really is fit to be my sister-in-law.
“I simply gathered my courage thanks to Deputy Merchant Lord Seo-ho. Are you refusing my challenge?”
“…”
“Or are you scared you’ll lose to a woman and cry about it later? You sure didn’t have any problem drawing your sword on the weak when drunk. Or is it that you haven’t had enough to drink yet?”
Her provocation was perfect.
At her words, Wi Seung-jeo flared up.
“Fine! I won’t hold back just because you’re a woman! Don’t come crying to me later!”
He raised his sword into a ready stance.
Lady Jin followed suit and took her stance.
The air instantly grew heavy.
A sharp tension gripped the surroundings, and a few with weak Qi began trembling.
As the stand-off continued—
Tap!
Their bodies shot toward each other.
The loud clash of cold steel rang out.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! Clang!
Kaaaang!
“Are… are they evenly matched?”
“Look at their faces… doesn’t seem like it.”
Just as the spectators said, it looked even… but it wasn’t.
I could clearly see the truth.
Wi Seung-jeo looked panicked.
Lady Jin’s expression remained perfectly calm.
It was clear she’d received proper training.
Her current skill was far superior to Wi Seung-jeo’s. Yet she wasn’t letting her guard down and was methodically pressing the fight.
There was a reason I brought her into this.
The loan the Jin Martial Family owed the Eunhae Merchant Group was massive. Yet, she and her father repaid it through five years of work as wandering martial artists.
That meant their martial skills were high enough to survive in the world.
She wasn’t well-known yet, but Lady Jin’s current level was at the entry stage of First-rate.
She was eighteen.
It’s common for children of prestigious families to reach Peak by eighteen, but that’s because they were raised with Elixirs and received the best teachings from the moment they were born.
They were given supreme martial arts and nurtured from the cradle.
But Lady Jin came from a humble martial family.
For someone like her to reach this level at her age… it was proof of extraordinary talent.
Clang—!
Kaaaang—!
Lady Jin’s sword flew from her hand, striking Wi Seung-jeo’s sword.
Her blade pressed against his neck before he could react.
“Do you wish to continue?”
At her sharp question, Wi Seung-jeo gulped and stammered,
“I… I yield.”
“Apologize.”
At her demand, Wi Seung-jeo tried to wriggle out.
“I… I didn’t say anything… that warrants an apology…”
Still hasn’t learned.
That’s when Lady Jin spoke.
“You said… ‘Your father doesn’t have the ability to marry you into a wealthy family. Why bother smiling and hanging around places like this? If you just lifted your skirt for me, I could take you in as a concubine and pretend I didn’t see it. So why make things difficult?’”
At her words, everyone gasped and turned their eyes to Wi Seung-jeo.
Then the insults started flying.
“Did he really say that?”
“What kind of trash talks like that?”
“No wonder Deputy Merchant Lord Jeong-ho snapped.”
“If it were me, I’d have smashed his mouth in.”
Unbelievable.
How dare that bastard say something that disgusting to Lady Jin!
What a filthy, worthless scumbag.
Jeong-ho pushing him into the pond was more than justified.
Lady Jin pressed coldly,
“Are you still refusing to apologize? I won, didn’t I?”
At that, Wi Seung-jeo finally caved.
“F-Fine… I’m sorry. I misspoke.”
Only then did she lower her sword from his neck.
That was when two middle-aged men, who’d been anxiously watching from the sidelines, rushed in.
They were Wi Seung-jeo’s father and Lady Jin’s father.
“So-mi!”
“Father… I’m sorry. I caused a scene.”
Jin Guan-ju patted his daughter’s shoulder.
“No… I’m sorry. It’s because of this useless father…”
He had clearly heard it all.
He heard exactly how Wi Seung-jeo had insulted both him and his daughter.
At that moment, Wi Seung-jeo’s father lowered his head to them.
“I’m truly sorry. I completely failed at raising my son… I sincerely apologize.”
The Head of the Wi Martial Family was a good man…
But his complexion didn’t look good. He was clearly not in good health.
Meanwhile, Wi Seung-jeo stood there with a look like he still didn’t understand what he’d done wrong.
At his apology, Jin Guan-ju let out a sigh.
It was one of those situations where saying “it’s fine” wouldn’t be right, but saying “it’s not fine” would be awkward too.
“Let’s go, my daughter.”
At Jin Guan-ju’s words, Lady Jin followed him.
Wait… she can’t leave yet!
Jeong-ho! Are you really just going to let her go like this?
If this ends now, all my efforts playing matchmaker are going to waste!
Then, as if he’d made up his mind, Jeong-ho suddenly shouted,
“Lady Jin So-mi!”
Both Lady Jin and her father turned their heads.
Jeong-ho walked straight up to her.
“You were incredible.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes.”
“I… I was trying to stay composed but…”
“The first time you captured my heart… was when I saw you practicing swordsmanship.”
“Ah…”
Jeong-ho pulled out the hairpin he’d been carrying.
“I’m sorry to give this to you in such a public place… but when I was in Beijing, I couldn’t stop thinking of you, so I bought this.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Then, looking at Jin Guan-ju as if bracing himself, Jeong-ho bowed deeply.
“I am Eun Jeong-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I am Jin Jin-hak, Head of the Jin Martial Family.”
“What I’m about to say… is not an impulsive or reckless remark. I say this with absolute sincerity.”
Jeong-ho took a deep breath and shouted,
“Please allow me to take your daughter’s hand in marriage! I wish to marry Lady Jin So-mi!”
Everyone around was stunned—including me.
Wait… Jeong-ho actually has this kind of presence in him?
Shouting “Please give me your daughter!” in front of everyone like this?
But Jin Guan-ju didn’t panic. Instead, he calmly turned to his daughter and asked,
“What do you think?”
“To be honest… I don’t dislike Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Jeong-ho.”
People began murmuring.
“Is this okay though? The Eunhae Merchant Group holds even the salt distribution rights, and the Jin family’s just a small martial school.”
“Exactly…”
“He’s the eldest son of the Eunhae Merchant Group and future Merchant Lord. Wouldn’t it make more sense to marry someone who could benefit the group?”
The Eunhae Merchant Group had never practiced political marriages.
They believed that if a merchant needed to rely on marriage to grow their business, it was proof of their incompetence.
But most people didn’t think that way.
Judging by the shadow over Jin Guan-ju’s expression, he was likely considering that point as well.
That’s when it happened.
“If the issue is that her family is too humble… then allow me to be her backing.”
I froze at the sound of that voice.
It was the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan.
Turning my head, I saw him standing there—with Chief Administrator Yu and Master beside him.
“Grand Elder…”
At my words, the Grand Elder glanced at me and spoke.
“We were on our way to Munghok Hall when someone mentioned there was something interesting happening here, so we came to have a look. And it was indeed… quite fascinating.”
I scratched the back of my head.
So… they saw the entire scene of me persuading Lady Jin to step up.
“What’s more shocking than finding a martial family son bold enough to speak such filth to a young lady…”
When the Grand Elder’s gaze shifted to Wi Seung-jeo, the bastard’s face went ghostly pale.
He dropped to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.
The Head of the Wi Martial Family bowed his head even deeper, repeatedly apologizing.
“I am so, so sorry. Please forgive me…”
Pathetic.
The Grand Elder let out a dismissive snort and turned his head.
“But what’s even more impressive… is the young lady’s skill. How old is she?”
Jin Guan-ju replied,
“She is eighteen this year.”
“To be at such a level at that age… more than qualified for my support.”
At his words, Master nodded.
So even Master acknowledged her talent.
The Grand Elder then turned his gaze to Father.
“What does the Merchant Lord think?”
Father smiled and answered calmly,
“As long as the two of them are happy, I have no objections.”
Just as I expected.
Even in my past life, my parents never objected.
“Then it’s settled.”
Now it was my turn.
“Then… it’s safe to say Deputy Merchant Lord Jeong-ho and Lady Jin So-mi are now officially engaged.”
“Ah!”
“…”
Both of their faces flushed red at my words.
“What are you waiting for, Brother? Go on—put the hairpin in her hair.”
At that, Jeong-ho stared at the hairpin he’d been holding, then spoke to Lady Jin.
“May I… put it on you myself?”
Her face turned crimson.
Exchanging hairpins was something only a married couple or a pair formally engaged could do.
“Yes…”
At her response, Jeong-ho gently placed the hairpin in her hair.
“You look beautiful.”
Then, offering his hand, he said,
“I should’ve asked this first. I apologize for that. But… if it’s not too late, I want to ask now.”
He swallowed hard.
“Would you marry me?”
She nodded.
The moment she did, cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Woo!”
“Congratulations!”
“Truly, congratulations!”
I nodded.
The spotlight had shifted from me to them in an instant… but I didn’t mind at all.
In fact, I was happy.
Unlike in my past life, this time they were getting engaged with everyone’s blessings.
Now that their engagement was public, no one would dare try to flirt with Lady Jin—or rather, Sister-in-law—from now on.
It was worth playing matchmaker.
I glanced at the Head of the Wi Martial Family, who still stood with his head lowered like a criminal.
Watching him suffer for his son’s sins… left a bitter taste.
Honestly, if it weren’t for Wi Seung-jeo’s garbage personality, he was actually a fairly capable martial artist.
They say he used to be a decent kid. Then one day… he fell in with third-rate Unorthodox Sect thugs and completely changed.
Eventually, he even went missing.
After that, the Wi Martial Family’s school basically became a den of Unorthodox Sect scum.
Wait.
Now that I think about it… something smells fishy.
Is there no way to rehabilitate that damn scumbag?
Ah!
Something I knew suddenly popped into my mind.
–TL Notes–
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