“This room will do. From today, stay here.”
After the chaotic morning work hours passed, it was lunchtime. I brought Im Ha-yeon with me to visit the printing house’s inner quarters.
“Ugh…”
Why is Im Ha-yeon pretending not to listen to me and hitting her head against the poor wall instead?
“Im Ha-yeon?”
“How…?”
“Hmm?”
“How can you just say it’s nothing and leave me out of it?”
Im Ha-yeon looked at me with the most unjust expression.
Did she suffer a lot from the staff in the morning?
Since the attic of the Tea Bookstore is strictly off-limits to anyone but me, it wouldn’t be surprising to spark some misunderstandings. Plus, Im Ha-yeon had just bathed before coming down, her hair still damp and wearing a fresh outfit.
But I’ve been busy since this morning too.
“Normally, it’s best to just play it cool and let it go.”
Making a fuss could lead to misunderstandings; if I acknowledge it, it could become a bigger issue. Just acting nonchalant is the way to go.
“Do you know how awkward it was that I disappeared after the morning assembly? So-so kept pressing me for advice with shining eyes, and the other female employees were gossiping…”
Is it really that awkward of a situation?
“Just play it cool.”
“I don’t know! It really is going to spread!”
Im Ha-yeon looked at me like a woman caught in a secret office romance, filled with worry.
“Why worry so much over something like that?”
“Something like that?”
“Aren’t we now going to work together?”
“Huh?!”
Im Ha-yeon couldn’t close her mouth in shock at what I said.
With someone working in the printing house, rumors about us living together would naturally spread.
If I respond one by one, it’ll only exacerbate the misunderstandings.
Seeing the situation, Im Ha-yeon looked like she’d fallen into an unexpected trap and couldn’t shake off the shock.
“Master Kang.”
“Head Pyo.”
Is it because I suddenly decided to live in the printing house in the morning? Head Pyo from the Seocheon Post Office came to find me as the head of the printing house’s guards.
“The inner quarters have already been cleaned, so you can move in right away. However, could you tell me why you wish to strengthen the security?”
“As you may have heard, I was recently threatened in the middle of Yichang. Now that the black-haired shopkeeper from the Tea Bookstore has moved in, I worry someone might take it lightly and invade.”
Depending on the number of martial artists coming to escort Im Ha-yeon, I specially urged Head Pyo to prioritize my security.
“Do you think there would be ruffians daring to invade the mansion protected by Seocheon Post Office? I will enhance security from today onwards. And who is this next to you?”
When Head Pyo glanced at Im Ha-yeon, she quickly organized her shocked expression and turned to look out the window with a haughty demeanor.
That attitude only fuels misunderstandings. Why is her hair neatly styled all of a sudden? What is she, a bride?
What should I say?
“From today, she will be staying here at the printing house to help manage it.”
“……”
Why is she suddenly glaring at me?
“I see. It seems necessary to have at least one resident staff member. You must already know the facilities here well. However, the kitchen is not yet organized—do you plan on using the kitchen?”
“The kitchen…? Im Ha-yeon, do you know how to cook?”
“……I can boil water well.”
Im Ha-yeon fiddled with her hair, avoiding my gaze, looking uncertain.
So she can’t cook. I’ve heard that courtesans learn dance and song, but I don’t think they learn to cook.
“There’s no rush, just please get it organized.”
“Understood.”
Head Pyo nodded and returned to his tasks. Speaking of the kitchen…
“When will I be able to eat a warm meal cooked by a woman…?”
The heir of a big family, an assassin, and even a poisoner. When I think about it, all the women in my life have been completely detached from cooking.
It seems my dream of waking up to a woman cooking in an apron will remain unrealized for the foreseeable future.
“……”
Im Ha-yeon, that wasn’t meant for you. The fact that you’re staying silent makes me think I’ve inadvertently said something misleading.
“Let’s move the luggage together later.”
I discussed my plans for the future with Im Ha-yeon and we talked about the next steps.
*
“You’re here? We’re finally living together! I knew this would happen! You owe me money for the bet!”
In the evening after finishing up at the Tea Bookstore, Im Ha-yeon stopped by the Hao-Woon branch to see if there was any news from Wuhan.
“Why are you trying to take money from your subordinate, brother?”
“Call me branch head, not brother!”
“That’s not it.”
What kind of bet have they made?
Im Ha-yeon wanted to say something, but since the branch head’s prediction was spot-on, she thought asking would only make things more awkward.
“No way! Speaking of which, Master Kang is now the husband of a courtesan—does that make you a pillar husband? No, since he gave you a home and lives with you, should I just call you husband?”
“That’s not the case!”
Im Ha-yeon bit down in angry denial.
“Haha! Yeah. Your husband came in this morning and generously offered to pay for an inspection of the umbrellas.”
“Already?!”
So that’s why he disappeared this morning.
He informed the Seocheon Post Office of his moving, plus even made a request at the Hao-Woon branch.
Im Ha-yeon felt her resentment dissipate as she realized that Kang Yoon-ho had left her in a bind this morning to address his own matters.
“Even though it’s a bit of a hassle to investigate other branches, since neither of them can be considered completely innocent men, I’ll help as much as I can. I’ll keep an eye out for Wuhan as well, so just stay in Yichang for now.”
On one side is a friend who brought back the black token and is dealing with a friend’s agenda. On the other is a friend’s daughter. The Yichang branch head decided to take action for their sake.
Of course, one big reason is that Kang Yoon-ho had generously provided funds.
“Thank you.”
“If you’re grateful, dig up some info about your husband. Information regarding the Tang Family is hard to come by.”
“I’ve been investigating all along.”
“I’m only getting strange intel. Like claims that he’s the leader of a huge band of thieves or a fraudulent merchant selling fake medicines to the village. Total nonsense! If this keeps up, someone will come claiming he’s a famous strategist just because he has the Kang surname.”
“Having black hair isn’t that rare.”
“Right. Just going to Wuhan, you’d see plenty of black-haired folks. I’d love to attach some credible details and sell it as high-level intel. But if it turns out to be the Tang Family, it could get dangerous if I dig too deep.”
The branch head grumbled with a hint of loss.
The Tang Family head has an illegitimate child.
Although it sounds astonishing, it’s not enough to sell as top-tier information that the head of the Tang Family has an illegitimate child in the Hao-Woon network.
“I don’t plan on passing along anything about Master Kang.”
“Come on, don’t be stingy about your husband’s affairs.”
“I’m telling you it’s not like that!”
“I’m not deaf! Keep in mind from now on.”
The Yichang branch head dropped his playful demeanor and regarded the friend’s daughter seriously.
“What is it?”
“A young girl who doesn’t know men might get treated well in a brothel as an escape courtesan. However, a courtesan who shares a night with a man without permission from the brothel could face dire consequences.”
Courtesans are the property of the brothel. A courtesan’s body doesn’t even belong to herself.
Im Ha-yeon has heard of what happens to a courtesan who embarks on a forbidden love without permission and is well aware of the potential consequences.
“…I know that much. I’ll see you later.”
“Alright. Treat your husband well!”
“I said it’s not like that!”
———————
Well, treat your husband well.
“It’s not like that.”
Im Ha-yeon mumbled as she headed back to the printing house, the branch head’s last words echoing in her ears.
Husband? She’s let her guard down because they aren’t in the same room. The idea of men and women living together in the inner quarters almost implies they are cohabiting.
It wouldn’t take long for rumors to spread among the staff. The man moved to provide her with a place to stay, but the sudden news of their supposed cohabitation could easily lead to misunderstandings.
“What should I really say?”
“Meat is on sale! Pork for stir-frying! Soup meat! Over here, miss! We’ve got meat! Come buy it at a discount!”
Amidst her busy steps, Im Ha-yeon stopped at the sound of the butcher’s voice.
Suddenly, the words of the man from earlier today popped into her mind.
—When will I ever be able to eat a warm meal made by a woman…?
Im Ha-yeon recalled Kang Yoon-ho’s wistful tone.
Just because she’s a courtesan doesn’t mean she has to learn to cook to bring joy to a man. In fact, it might not be necessary for her to learn at all. A courtesan’s life is different from an ordinary woman’s life.
For a courtesan, a man would typically be just the pillar husband who can provide her solace for a night while maintaining her status or perhaps a lucky client who could give her a miracle by elevating her to a concubine.
In any case, neither of them had to learn how to cook.
However, for some reason, Im Ha-yeon found it hard to walk away from the butcher shop.
—Kang Yoon-ho is the child of a courtesan.
Perhaps he had lived a life far removed from the warm meals prepared by a woman since childhood. After coming to the Central Plains, he had lived a life reliant on handouts and was thus distanced from women.
A man busy from the morning, preparing things for her sake. Thinking of his wishes made it hard for Im Ha-yeon to leave.
“If you can’t cook well, I’ve got some pork cutlets here, so take them.”
The butcher showed Im Ha-yeon a cutlet that only required frying.
“How did you know I can’t cook?”
“You look just like a newlywed who can’t cook. You just need to throw it in some oil and fry it, and your husband will love it. The sauce for the cutlet is also sold separately, so take some with you.”
Im Ha-yeon found herself unable to deny being called a newlywed and fixed her gaze on the pork cutlet in the butcher’s hand.
How much money do I have? Most of my salary was lost to the innkeeper’s scams, and what I had left couldn’t even afford a single night at an inn.
“A courtesan doesn’t need to learn to cook.”
But who knows?
Perhaps one day, a man might show up to support her, spending every last dime just to treat her to a miracle.
If that happens, the best he could offer would be a cheap cut of meat. Isn’t it better to practice cooking in case that day comes?
She wasn’t necessarily planning on cooking for that man, but considering any possible scenarios could be wise.
Thinking of it as practice for the future, she could surely whip something up for that man.
“Would you like a cutlet?”
Thinking about it, a cutlet seems too insincere. Just frying in hot oil? Wouldn’t that make me look like I can’t cook at all?
If she put her mind to it, she could probably create something much more impressive.
“I’ll have the pork stir-fry.”
Not that she was worried about looking insincere to a man, but Im Ha-yeon purchased the meat and hastened her steps.
Even though she had spent all the money in her pocket, for some reason, her steps toward her new home with Kang Yoon-ho felt light.
