I smiled softly at her words.
“Right. You said you’d sing for me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Gong Lae blushed shyly, then straightened her posture and began singing with a serious expression.
Wow…
She sang beautifully.
Even Palgap and the two escort guards were completely captivated by her voice.
But… I had heard this song before in my previous life.
When working for the merchant group, I occasionally visited pleasure houses.
There was a courtesan I met at one in Hunan.
Her name was Cherry Blossom (櫻花).
Cherry Blossom was incredibly talented and highly educated, so she usually entertained high-ranking guests.
But her greatest talent was her singing.
She sang so beautifully that even the loudest birds would quiet down when she sang.
One day, I saw her sitting alone in the garden of the pleasure house, singing.
But her song that day was different from the others I’d heard before.
It was simple yet warm.
I asked her about it.
“I’ve never heard this song before.”
“I doubt you have. I wrote it myself when I was a child.”
“I see.”
“Forgive me… actually, today is the day I was sold to this pleasure house. I couldn’t help but think of my parents and my brother… I must’ve shown an embarrassing side.”
“I understand.”
Feeling a wave of sympathy for her, I said,
“Would you like me to look for news of your parents?”
She shook her head.
“No. If I heard anything, it would only stir my heart and bring more pain. I’ll just believe that no news is good news.”
That was the last time I ever saw Cherry Blossom.
A fight broke out there between martial artists, and she was caught in the chaos and lost her life.
Just like her name, she faded far too quickly.
And the song she sang that day… is exactly the same song Gong Lae is singing now.
No.
That… doesn’t make any sense.
Cherry Blossom clearly said it was a song she wrote herself.
No… it does make sense.
There was a reason why Gong Lae’s face felt oddly familiar the first time I saw her. If she grew a little older… and wore heavy makeup…
The face of that courtesan Cherry Blossom…
A curse slipped out.
Damn you, Jin Gyeon, you absolute bastard.
You worked Gong Mil to death and sold Gong Lae to a pleasure house?
He was already executed in my previous life, but thinking about it… he died too painlessly.
I’m truly glad I turned back time.
In this life, I’m going to make sure Gong Mil and Gong Lae live happily.
.
.
.
The next morning.
As always, I trained in swordsmanship.
“That’s enough for today. We’ll start a new form tomorrow.”
“Oh!”
My face lit up, and Master chuckled.
“You look pleased.”
“Of course. Learning something new is always exciting.”
It seemed like Master smiled more often these days compared to before.
At least now, he sometimes laughed.
“Starting today, my son Hyung-jin will be learning from the Internal Chief Administrator.”
“From the Internal Chief Administrator?”
“Yes. Hyung-jin recently started studying the Analects. But my own knowledge isn’t enough to teach him properly… and the Internal Chief Administrator kindly offered first. He said he wanted to teach Hyung-jin alongside the boy he’s currently mentoring, Seok Il-song.”
“I see.”
“So, I accepted his offer.”
“You made the right choice.”
I’d been wondering what the Internal Chief Administrator wanted to talk to Master about—so it was this.
And the fact that he offered first… he must’ve taken quite a liking to Seok Il-song.
It was probably because he wanted to help Il-song make friends.
“The Internal Chief Administrator passed the imperial examinations, so he’s more than qualified to teach literature.”
“It’s truly a great blessing for us.”
Jin So-mi returned to the Eunhae Merchant Group with trembling steps.
The day she met Eun Jeong-ho’s parents… honestly, she was terrified. Afraid they might cancel the marriage.
Seeing her worry, her father, Jin Guan-ju, patted her shoulder with a warm voice.
“Don’t worry. They’re not the kind of people to go back on a promise.”
“But… will they truly accept me as family?”
“If that’s what you’re wondering… then try making a small mistake on purpose.”
“Huh?”
“Merchants… if they haven’t opened their hearts to someone, they stay polite and emotionless from beginning to end. But if they scold you… that means you can relax. It means they’ve accepted you as family.”
Just as he said, she intentionally made a small mistake.
And Eun Jeong-ho’s mother scolded her gently but firmly… while also comforting her.
That’s how she knew.
She was truly being accepted as family.
But today, she was even more nervous than that day.
Because today… she was meeting the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan.
To her, a girl born and raised in Hubei, the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan was like a star in the sky.
“Welcome.”
Following the maid who politely greeted her, Jin So-mi headed toward the separate residence where the Grand Elder stayed.
“Grand Elder, Lady Jin has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
With the Grand Elder’s permission, the door opened. She stepped inside carefully.
“Jin So-mi, daughter of Jin Guan-ju of the Jin Martial Family, greets the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan.”
She bowed formally, and the Grand Elder nodded, accepting her greeting.
“Good. Come, have a seat over here.”
“Yes.”
She sat where the Grand Elder indicated.
“So, is the wedding preparation going well?”
“Yes. Thanks to both families’ efforts, everything is going smoothly.”
With that light exchange, the Grand Elder created a warm atmosphere before speaking.
“I am the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan. That means I do not speak empty words. When I said I would be your patron… I meant it.”
She felt her heart race.
To think the Grand Elder was truly becoming her patron…
The Grand Elder then explained what kind of support he could offer her.
It felt like a dream.
“I don’t even know how to thank you.”
“No need. Just continue working hard like you are now. Oh, and if anyone ever asks who helped you… just say it was thanks to the Zhuge Clan. That’s enough thanks for me.”
“I will remember that.”
“By the way… did you properly thank Seo-ho? You know, for playing matchmaker between you and Jeong-ho. You owe him some thanks for being your Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人).” (TL Note: Refers to Yue Lao, God of Marriage and Love)
“Of course. I made sure to express my gratitude sincerely.”
“Good.”
The reason she had hidden her martial skills until now… was simply because her family background was humble.
Outstanding martial skills and talent were a luxury for someone from a humble family. If she had shown them, those jealous of her would’ve crushed her before she even had a chance to bloom.
That’s why her father had always told her not to reveal her martial skills.
That was why… when Jeong-ho ended up facing Wi Seung-jeo in a spar, she hesitated.
And the one who gave her the courage to step forward was none other than Eun Seo-ho.
Jeong-ho had even confessed that he loved her.
He told her he had bought a hairpin for her while in Beijing.
The truth was… she had harbored feelings for Jeong-ho for a long time.
It started when she had followed her father to an Eunhae Merchant Group banquet.
She’d gotten lost, flustered and unsure of where to go, when Jeong-ho kindly guided her. From that day, he’d settled deeply into her heart.
Thanks to Eun Seo-ho, she had confidently drawn her sword and smashed Wi Seung-jeo, who had dared to mock her with filthy words.
At first, she’d been worried, thinking she’d caused a huge mess.
But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Jeong-ho proposed to her, and the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan, who had been present, declared he would be her patron.
Now that she had the Grand Elder backing her, there was no one in Hubei who would dare touch her.
As she stepped out of the Grand Elder’s residence, she suddenly felt a strong desire to see Eun Seo-ho.
“I’d like to visit Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho.”
“I’ll take you.”
Before long, she arrived at Eun Seo-ho’s office.
[Virtuous Wind Department (賢風局)]
Jeong-ho had told her about it.
Eun Seo-ho had been entrusted with managing a new independent division directly under the Merchant Lord — the Virtuous Wind Department.
Through the wide-open window, she could see Eun Seo-ho.
A truly handsome young man anyone would admit was good-looking.
Of course, her heart belonged to Jeong-ho alone.
Watching him move busily, Jin So-mi thought.
If there’s anything I can do to help him, I’ll do it. And anyone who gets in his way… can talk to me and my sword.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The loud sound of instruments signaled the beginning of Jeong-ho and Jin So-mi’s wedding.
In the blink of an eye, the venue that had hosted my Deputy Merchant Lord proclamation ceremony had transformed into a perfect wedding hall.
Two lions danced, leading the way, and Jeong-ho, dressed in crimson wedding robes, rode a horse toward the Jin Martial Family residence.
To bring the bride back.
Traditionally, weddings were held at the bride’s home, but there was no way her house could accommodate this many guests.
So it was decided that Jin So-mi would be brought here, and the wedding would take place at the Eunhae Merchant Group.
As the palanquin carrying Jin So-mi arrived at the Merchant Group, the waiting guests erupted in cheers.
It was deafeningly loud — almost painful to the ears — but I couldn’t stop smiling.
The louder it is, the happier the marriage will be.
In my past life, Jeong-ho’s wedding had been… rather pitiful for the eldest son’s marriage.
There’d been circumstances that forced the celebration to be scaled down.
But not this time.
An overwhelming number of guests had gathered to offer their blessings.
Even the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan, now Sister-in-law’s patron, was present.
With his backing, there was no obstacle left for Sister-in-law.
Both Jeong-ho and Sister-in-law had come together without the heartache of the past.
It really felt like being Old Man Under the Moon was worth it.
.
.
.
As dusk fell, the wedding ceremony proceeded according to tradition and finally concluded after the sky had grown completely dark.
That’s when the real banquet began.
Even though it was nighttime, it didn’t matter.
Red lanterns lit up the entire place.
And for tonight… I’d prepared a special performance for Jeong-ho.
“For my eldest brother Jeong-ho and Sister-in-law’s bright future, I’ve prepared a humble song and performance.”
I sat down with a zither, and Gong Lae, dressed beautifully, stood beside me.
Then I began to play.
Playing the zither was one of the basic skills I’d learned since childhood.
Thanks to that, I could offer a pretty decent performance.
As I played, Gong Lae began to sing — a song wishing for the couple’s happiness and prosperity.
As expected, everyone became completely immersed in Gong Lae’s voice.
Jeong-ho and Sister-in-law smiled, their faces glowing with happiness as they listened.
The song came to an end.
Amid the roaring applause, I brought out something I had prepared and handed it to them.
“What’s this?”
“A wedding gift.”
At my words, they opened the box — inside was a pair of dolls dressed in wedding robes.
“That’s a Self-Playing Zither.”
I explained how to use it, and both of them wound the mechanism at the same time.
As the dolls slowly began to turn, a clear, melodic tune filled the air.
“Oh!”
“Incredible!”
“Can you believe this?”
Just as I’d been astonished the first time I saw it, the guests were equally amazed.
The moment I saw the Self-Playing Zither, I’d instantly recognized its value.
That’s why I’d decided to turn it into a commercial product.
Of course, the first one — the prototype — had been made by Gong Mil as a gift for me.
To remember its significance, I’d decided to number them.
The Self-Playing Zithers I gave to Jeong-ho and Sister-in-law were numbers 2 and 3.
And presenting them as wedding gifts in front of all these guests turned out to be excellent advertising.
Judging by the guests’ reactions, the promotion worked perfectly.
As the banquet continued, my father’s attendant and my mother’s maid approached.
“It’s time for the bride and groom to retire to their chamber.”
At those words, both Jeong-ho and Sister-in-law blushed deeply.
Of course, they knew exactly what that meant.
“What are you waiting for? Get going.”
At Jin-ho’s teasing, they hurried to their feet.
That’s when someone whispered in a small voice,
“Should we sneak over too?”
“No way I’m missing a show like this.”
Hearing the mischievous whispers, I chuckled.
As if. Let’s see where you plan on sneaking off to.
At that moment, my mother’s maid asked Sister-in-law,
“By the way, what’s that you’re holding?”
“Oh, it’s a case for hidden weapons. The Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan taught me how to throw them.”
Sister-in-law smiled sweetly.
“In case… anyone tries to peek on our wedding night.”
Really, she’s the perfect match for kind and gentle Jeong-ho.
I walked over to the head of the Wi Martial Family, who had attended as a guest.
And said bluntly,
“About your son’s education… why don’t you entrust him to an academy I know well?”
I explained the academy to him, and before I knew it, his seal was stamped on the admission agreement I handed over.
.
.
.
The next day.
Young Master Wi Seung-jeo was dragged off to the academy by its instructors.
Watching it unfold… was unbelievably satisfying.
Let’s meet again someday — as a proper human being.
–TL Notes–
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