“Yoon-ho, this guy! I need to extract money for the successor test, but look at this—the inspector’s name is boldly written in the ledger. What on earth? An inspector collecting money? Is this even reasonable?”
“An inspector’s money?”
Gil-san seemed uncomfortable with the gloomy atmosphere, or maybe he just wanted to dispel the suspicions from the Tang Pae who kept sending dubious glances, so he began to explain what had happened.
“It was an impossible mission, you see. But after hearing the inspector’s circumstances—oh man! The reason for borrowing money is quite something.”
“What was the reason?”
“Turns out, he got someone pregnant while playing around with Cheong-gi. And now, Ru-ju is demanding an outrageous sum to erase the miracle, so he went around looking for money.”
“Whoa. With Cheong-gi? That’s not just a big deal.”
Touching Cheong-gi is like ending the career of an idol who just debuted after 10 years of investment from her agency.
Of course, it was no surprise that both the Chief of the Medical Department and the Tang Pae’s eyes were filled with interest.
“So, Kang Yoon-ho, as soon as he heard that story, he jumped up and said just one thing.”
Gil-san stood up as if he were the main character, gazing seriously at everyone.
“What did he say?”
“Gil-san, follow me. We’re going to charge head-on.”
“Whoa… Did he really say that?”
The surprised gaze of the Chief of the Medical Department turned to me.
I just wanted to avoid spending too much time on the inspector’s business, but hearing Gil-san speak, one couldn’t help but admire Yoon-ho’s spirit.
“Well, that’s about the gist of it.”
Gil-san, perhaps because he had many stories to tell over drinks or just enjoyed telling my tale, shared it with unexpected flair.
“Kang Yoon-ho burst through the door of the Gilu! I thought, did this guy have such bravado? Later, when I heard about the family circumstances, it all made sense.”
“Hmm…”
“Gil-san, don’t pull any nonsense.”
You don’t know, but the person involved back then was the Chief of the Medical Department. The fact that the Tang Pae was awkward around him shows just how tense that was.
“Did I say anything bad? That day, all the courtesans were completely flabbergasted. What we did spread like wildfire among them!”
“Could it be that the free drinks we had before were because of that?”
No wonder he was boasting about being a popular figure at the Gilu for a while.
“Of course, there were some strange rumors mixed in. But wherever we went at the Gilu, there was a frenzy asking us to tell that story.”
“Strange rumors?”
Had any rumors popped up? Other than saving Cheong-gi, there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Could it be that using Po-kwai’s power sparked some backtalk?
What came out of Gil-san’s mouth was an unexpected story.
“Finally, spring has come to Hwa-wol-lu…”
“Gil-san.”
“Oh! Is the tea running low? Is there nothing left? There’s nothing here. I’ll go fetch some.”
What was it? Was it the rumor involving Gi-mun Hyang-ju? As soon as I frowned, Gil-san noticed and left the room.
“Even if he seems like that, he’s quite reliable.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief as I said that.
“It seems so.”
The Chief of the Medical Department didn’t seem to have a bad impression either, nodding with a smirk.
“Even if there was pressure from Man Geum-jeon, it’s true that I passed the test based on my own ability.”
Just as Gil-san said, I had taken the test myself. I took a few sips of tea and organized the situation in a calm tone.
“Born without a nail, isn’t it natural for things to come spilling out of my pocket? The important thing is who put it in there.”
A clever saying, indeed.
Since he was the head of the Tang Family, it was natural for me to pass. The main issue was that I was forced into that test in the first place. The Chief of the Medical Department responded.
“I hear even the nail has quite the fondness for that pocket.”
Well, I chose to take the test willingly. If the banking chairman suddenly offered me the heir position, who would refuse?
“…There’s definitely something we need to settle.”
“In the end, it was of my own volition.”
I asserted once more.
“This isn’t just about the successor of Man Geum Battlefield.”
The Chief of the Medical Department shook his head at my words.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s about your marriage with the Zhuge Family.”
The Chief of the Medical Department spoke to me with a face full of concern.
“…”
“Our Tang Family doesn’t expect you to open your heart to another woman voluntarily. Hearing what you said yesterday made it clear that our assumptions were correct.”
“Of course, some pressure was present. But…”
I insisted there had been a misunderstanding, and as I spoke negatively to the Chief of the Medical Department’s words, he interrupted and proposed to me.
“This marriage. If it’s our Tang Family, we can withdraw smoothly.”
“What are you talking about suddenly when we agreed to keep quiet?”
“If you came to ask for permission for a marriage you had no choice but to enter into, then you don’t need to dirty your hands anymore.”
“I told you, didn’t I?”
You heard what I said in front of my father-in-law. When I looked at the Chief of the Medical Department, he nodded as if he had heard everything.
“I’ll take responsibility. You clearly said that. But if it’s because of the Zhuge Family. If it’s because you are the successor of Man Geum Battlefield, the Tang Family can help you.”
“…”
“Are you regretting Man Geum Battlefield? The Tang Family can establish a trading company in your name. I know you’re hesitant to accept help from the family, but this matter is agreed upon by everyone in the Tang Family, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Chief of the Medical Department…”
He wasn’t asking again because he didn’t understand my situation.
The Tang Family is behind you. You don’t have to shoulder this alone.
If there’s anything even slightly troubling you, we can help you anytime. He was making a declaration for me.
“Right now, the Zhuge Family isn’t here. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
With those words from the Chief of the Medical Department, I felt a wave of relief.
However, the problem was that he still misunderstood my situation, thinking I came here half-forced.
‘This is definitely a matter I need to clarify with the Tang Family.’
Kang Yoon-ho, son of the Tang Family, left the Sichuan Tang Family for love, willing to give up everything.
Yet, it hasn’t even been a year since he left, and he gets another woman. How can a man declare he will wait for ten years and then do this? It’s a plot by the Zhuge Family.
‘Not only the Zhuge Seolrok issue but also Im Ha-yeon, and moreover, there can be continuous issues with other heroines.’
Chief of the Medical Department. I appreciate your consideration, but I’ll keep causing troubles in the future. It would be quite difficult if there are more incidences of invasions from the Tang Family.
The son of the head of the Tang Family. A man who forsook everything for love. I wonder if there’s a way to resolve this issue without breaking Kang Yoon-ho’s concept.
“I don’t want to make the same mistake he did.”
Of course, it was weighing on my mind.
—
“What? Mistake?”
Changing my tone, I responded seriously.
As the illegitimate son of the head of the Tang Family, I would also be charging into the Sichuan Tang Family boldly like Kang Yoon-ho did.
“How can you tell me to do what that man made you do 20 years ago?”
It all begins by digging up the weaknesses of the Chief of the Medical Department.
By setting, he is the man who kicked Kang Yoon-ho’s mother out on a cold winter day. Pregnant woman, too.
Just like how our father chased out our mother several decades ago, I would now be chasing out Zhuge Seolrok? I spoke with a hint of anger and disbelief.
“Kang Yoon-ho. Like I said before, it was something I did unilaterally.”
The Chief of the Medical Department. If he speaks with such a guilt-ridden expression, I’ll just end up feeling sorry.
It can’t be helped. To avoid future troubles, let’s just proceed with it.
“At first, I drew a line. I have Hwa-rin, you know. I made a promise to her. Even though I knew her feelings, I pretended to not know.”
Next, I emphasized the unwavering love of Kang Yoon-ho and made it clear there had been no changes in the setup.
“If that’s the case, then there’s even less need to do this.”
“Whatever the situation, I was the one who received her feelings. Ultimately, it was my fault for giving her affection in the end.”
I responded in a firm voice.
Ultimately, it’s my fault. After countless struggles, I accepted her feelings. I answered with my expressions.
“When a man and woman live together, feelings naturally develop.”
“Once again, I have no intention of making the same mistake as that man.”
Now, I mention the head of the Tang Family once more. The man who abandoned me and my mother.
“Kang Yoon-ho!”
The Chief of the Medical Department raised his voice over the sensitive issue.
“Whatever you say, I was the one who erased that line in the end. I will not let go of the trembling hand of the woman who reached out to me just for my own comfort.”
My father abandoned my mother, but I have no intention of abandoning the woman who gave her heart to me.
While I must present a valid reason without discarding the concept of Kang Yoon-ho.
“If Hwa-rin gets angry, so be it.”
No, Hwa-rin is scary.
How could you betray Hwa-rin? I must respond to the Chief of the Medical Department’s reprimand. That was rather simple.
“It’s better than letting a abandoned woman gaze blankly at the bright moonlit night sky.”
I just need to add a line to the narrative here.
“…”
“Why would my mother hold such an expression on a cold day? Is she worried about something? To gaze secretly alone in this world is enough for just me.”
Painful memories from childhood. Longing for a mother I can’t see again. It ends by mumbling with the saddest expression in the world.
“Did such a thing happen…”
No, it didn’t.
The Chief of the Medical Department asked me with a guilt-ridden expression.
“Although Hwa-rin’s hand is sharp, that’s something a man should endure, not something a woman should be burdened with.”
I still love Hwa-rin. Yet as a man, wanting to be different from my father, I will also accept another woman.
I answered with a determined expression.
‘In essence, it’s about not changing the concept of Kang Yoon-ho while declaring a harem.’
I can’t imagine Hwa-rin would try to kill me. It might hurt quite a bit, though.
“If the head of the Tang Family hears this, he will surely be heartbroken.”
“Just phrase it tactfully.”
I wonder how the Chief of the Medical Department will react to my words. After quietly sipping tea, he finally spoke to me.
“If that’s your intention, then proceed as you wish.”
In the end, it was the approval of the harem.
—
“The Tang Family issue is settled. Now, how do we handle the remaining problems?”
After finishing my conversation with the Chief of the Medical Department, I returned to my lodging.
How did I resolve this? In the Tang Family, even while they might fight family to family, they’d respect my silence for the time being.
“She is the woman I’ve grown fond of, so I’ll take responsibility. Ah. A man. Kang Yoon-ho. How cool. So cool.”
Gil-san clapped for me with a look of admiration.
“I was originally cool.”
Receiving the approval of the Chief of the Medical Department for my harem puts me in a pretty good mood.
Although I didn’t anticipate the Tang Family invasion, I should have thought ahead on what to say if they raised issues later.
“Even though he has a fiancée, he boldly declares he’ll keep adding more women. A man like Kang Yoon-ho. So cool. So very cool.”
“…”
“The skill to deftly avoid mentioning Im Ha-yeon was wonderful too.”
“W-well, the Chief of the Medical Department had to have guessed a little!”
Maybe he didn’t ask since it wasn’t a forced meeting and I had already left when sending the letters.
“I’ve heard of someone with three fathers but never someone with three fiancées. Woe. What a remarkable guy with three fiancées here.”
“Who would believe that, you idiot.”
“A lucky brat.”
Hey, I truly put my life on the line to win hearts. There’s nothing to envy. I simply couldn’t say that because of the voice of my conscience.
