I immediately headed to the Eunwol Pavilion.
Grandfather, who rarely came here despite having access, was with me.
There, we heard the full story from Father and Jeong-ho.
Jin-ho left for Yunnan at the end of June for the tea trading trip.
The time had long passed for him to return, and just as they were beginning to worry, a letter arrived from Yunnan.
“You know we have staff stationed in Yunnan to handle the tea trade, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
Employees of the Eunhae Merchant Group rotate through that position, managing the tea trade.
“They received a message saying Jin-ho was about to arrive, but no matter how long they waited, he never showed up. That’s when they sent the letter.”
That was when they realized something had gone wrong and immediately contacted the Changin Escort Bureau.
Apparently, the escort bureau had already felt something was strange, so our report matched their suspicions.
Both the Changin Escort Bureau and the Eunhae Merchant Group quickly assembled a team and dispatched them to Yunnan.
They had just returned today.
“So that’s how you confirmed Jin-ho’s group is missing?”
At Grandfather’s question, Father answered.
“Yes. We’ve verified that they stayed at Eullim Inn in Yunnan. But after that, all traces vanished.”
Eullim Inn was the second or third lodging, depending on travel speed, after entering Yunnan.
“I see.”
Grandfather sighed.
“I’ve got nothing to say… Just take good care of Jin-ho’s mother.”
“Understood.”
.
.
.
I returned to Munghok Hall.
“Young master, I think you should wash up first.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
I washed with the warm water Palgap prepared, then flopped onto the bed.
Something felt wrong.
The fact that Jin-ho had gone missing felt like a lie.
Maybe it hit me harder because, in my previous life, Jin-ho had never disappeared.
In my memory, Jin-ho hadn’t even gone on this tea trade trip.
He had stayed to escort Grandfather to attend Seon-il’s celebration after passing the civil service exam.
But since I had gone to Shaanxi instead, Jin-ho ended up taking the tea trip.
That means… my actions caused this mess, leading to Jin-ho’s disappearance.
I bit my lip.
I had sworn to change the future without bringing harm to those around me.
And yet…
I could almost see it.
Jin-ho’s severed head sitting in a box.
The Jin-ho who had begged, saying, “Please… let him live…”
“Young master, even if you don’t have an appetite, you should still eat… Huh?! Young master! Why are you bleeding from your mouth?!”
Palgap rushed over, flustered, and hurriedly wiped my lips with a handkerchief.
It stung.
I didn’t know where Jin-ho was or what kind of torment he was suffering, but biting my lip was enough to sting?
I must’ve looked terrible.
Palgap glanced at me and spoke.
“My father always said… if you lock yourself up in a room and stew in your thoughts, you’ll drive yourself crazy. You should get some air.”
.
.
.
A little later.
I stepped out into the marketplace.
Just as Palgap said, I needed to clear my head.
If I stayed cooped up, I felt like I’d end up making some terrible decision.
But even as I walked around, one thought wouldn’t leave me.
‘Is it really okay for me to be doing this?’
“Should we head back?”
“Already?”
“I came out… but it’s harder than I thought.”
Every corner of this street held memories with Jin-ho.
That was when…
“Been a while.”
“Ah!”
I quickly bowed.
“I greet you, sir.”
It was the old man from the general store. For some reason, he was here in the marketplace instead of his shop today.
“What brings you here, sir?”
“What else? I came to buy dumplings.”
Sure enough, he was holding a bamboo basket, and the smell of dumplings drifted from it.
Right then.
Grrrrrrr.
My stomach growled loudly, and the old man chuckled.
“What are you doing wandering around at this hour without even eating?”
“Well…”
“Never mind that. Come along. I bought plenty, so I can spare a few.”
The old man shuffled off toward the general store, and I scratched my cheek.
Guess I have no choice.
A bit later.
I sat inside the general store while the old man placed the basket of dumplings on the table.
“Eat.”
“Sorry, but I’m not really hungry.”
“You’re stomach’s growling like that, and you say you’re not hungry? Stop talking nonsense and eat.”
I picked up a dumpling and took a bite.
It was delicious.
Which only made me feel worse.
Jin-ho probably couldn’t even eat right now…
“Looks like something’s weighing heavy on you.”
Hearing the old man’s words, I smiled awkwardly.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you with such a serious face. Doesn’t suit you. Just drop it.”
“I wish I could… but it’s not that easy.”
“So what’s bothering you? Your brother going missing?”
I flinched but quickly realized it made sense.
The old man in front of me was once the Ghost-faced Constable.
A man with deep connections and an extensive information network beyond what I could guess.
“You knew?”
Instead of answering, the old man sipped his tea and asked,
“Do you think this is your fault?”
“…”
He pierced right through me.
Without even meaning to, I found myself confessing.
“If I hadn’t gone to Shaanxi, Jin-ho wouldn’t have had to go to Yunnan, and then…”
“Tsk, tsk.”
The old man clicked his tongue.
“The most foolish thing in the world is regretting what’s already happened. I thought you were clever, but now I see you’re just a fool.”
His scolding continued.
“Then let’s flip it around. What if you hadn’t gone to Shaanxi?”
“Then Jin-ho wouldn’t have gone missing.”
“Not just that.”
“And…”
I couldn’t finish.
The reason I went to Shaanxi was to obtain the Fruit of Renewal to save Lady Hong Geum-so’s husband, Escort Guard Seo Wu.
Because I brought back the Fruit of Renewal, Seo Wu got his life back.
I also caught the scammer Shaanxi Scorpion, preventing chaos from spreading through the Shaanxi trade network.
I destroyed the Subjugating Doll, the cursed object that manipulated people, stopping the bloodbath it would’ve caused.
Three merchant groups joined under the Eunhae Merchant Group.
And we secured a direct supply chain for tea plantations.
If I hadn’t gone to Shaanxi, none of that would’ve happened.
Without the Fruit of Renewal, the Eunhae Merchant Group would’ve suffered massive losses.
The old man stared straight into my eyes and said,
“What I’ve learned from living this long… is that life is a series of choices, and no matter what you choose, regret always follows.”
“…”
“But what’s interesting is… things don’t always happen solely because of your choices.”
“Pardon?”
“For example, what if your brother had refused to go to Yunnan?”
Employees of the merchant group had the right to refuse long-distance trade expeditions, and Jin-ho was no exception.
In other words, he could’ve said no.
“His choice and the decision of his superior both contributed to this. So why are you blaming it all on yourself?”
“That’s…”
I had nothing to say.
Because the old man was right.
“They say fools regret, and the wise solve problems. Which one are you?”
No matter how much you regret what’s already happened, you can’t change it.
Now is not the time for self-blame, but for resolution.
I’ve already changed so much.
And every change I made would trigger ripples leading to unforeseen events. If I let regret control me every time, I’d never be able to take a single step forward.
I had vowed once before.
And yet… the shock of Jin-ho’s disappearance hit harder than I expected.
Of course it did.
He’s family.
Right then, someone’s stomach grumbled.
Grrrrrr.
“…?”
I turned my head and saw Palgap looking embarrassed.
“Apologies…”
“Ah…”
That’s when it hit me.
Because I skipped dinner, Palgap hadn’t eaten either.
That meant Escort Guards Yeo Eung-am and Lee Pil probably skipped dinner too.
“I’m sorry. You’re suffering because of my foolishness. You too, Palgap.”
They all waved their hands in protest.
“Not at all!”
“We’re fine.”
“Please don’t worry about it.”
No.
This was clearly my mistake.
I was so caught up in guilt that I neglected even my own people.
“From now on, no matter what, make sure you eat on time. Palgap, that goes for you too.”
“But…”
“That’s an order.”
Speaking firmly, I stood and cupped my fist toward the old man.
“Thank you for scolding this foolish one. It brought me back to my senses.”
“I’m glad you’ve come around.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Leaving’s fine, but you better pay for those dumplings.”
“Huh?”
“I said I’d give you some, but I never said it was free.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was true.
This old man never lets his guard down.
I placed a silver tael on the table.
The old man shook his head when he saw it.
“You expect me to eat dumplings for a month?”
“It’s for tea too.”
“I won’t refuse then.”
The old man pocketed the silver and said,
“Come by again later. There’s something I need to give you.”
The disappearance of the trade group including Eun Jin-ho was an unprecedented event for both the Eunhae Merchant Group and the Changin Escort Bureau.
It wasn’t just about losing goods or escorts getting injured.
The escort bureau was obligated to ensure the safety of the trade.
If something like this happened, who would trust them with their shipments anymore?
Even if the escort bureau compensated for the goods, that wouldn’t solve the real problem for the merchant group.
The people who went on those trips were highly experienced assets.
The most valuable thing in the Eunhae Merchant Group was its people.
The loss was enormous.
Especially since the trade group included Eun Jin-ho, the second son of the Merchant Lord.
Inside the conference room of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Not the Eunwol Pavilion, but a regular conference room.
Eun Gil-sang sat with the two Chief Administrators and the Pavilion Lords.
Seated across from them were the representatives of the Changin Escort Bureau.
“We sincerely apologize. This happened because our bureau failed to guide the route properly.”
At the Escort Chief’s apology, Eun Gil-sang shook his head.
“We can’t say for sure whether this was the escort bureau’s fault. Since we don’t fully know the situation yet, it’s too early for apologies.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
The Escort Chief continued.
“We plan to dispatch a search party. It’ll consist of one Escort Chief, thirty Escort Guards, and ten laborers.”
At this, Eun Gil-sang spoke.
“Would it be alright if we added some of our people to the search party?”
“That’s fine, though if the group gets too large, efficiency might drop.”
“No need to worry. I plan to assign a few locals from Yunnan.”
With the discussion wrapped up, Eun Gil-sang returned to his office.
“Hoo…”
Sitting at his desk, he let out a deep sigh.
His son was missing.
Eating felt like chewing sand, and no document caught his focus.
His wife had done nothing but cry, lying in bed.
‘Jin-ho… Please, just be alive.’
He prayed desperately.
Just then, a guard’s voice came from outside.
“The Chief of the Virtuous Wind Department has arrived.”
“Seo-ho?”
Tilting his head, Eun Gil-sang replied,
“Let him in.”
The door opened, and I stepped in.
I cupped my fist respectfully and said,
“Father, I have something to discuss.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like to join the search party.”
“What?”
I looked at Father.
It seemed my words shocked him.
He stared at me, unable to speak.
“Seo-ho.”
Father called my name.
“What are you saying? You want to go too?”
“Yes.”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Just as I expected, Father shouted in opposition.
“If something happens to you as well… your mother and I… we…”
“I don’t fully understand the pain you and Mother are feeling since I’m not yet a parent. But I do know you’re hurting. Even so, the reason I’m saying this… is because I believe I can find Jin-ho.”
Father tilted his head in confusion.
“You believe you can find him?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean?”
I raised my hand as I answered.
–TL Notes–
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