“Am I Ho Pil? What are you talking about?”
What’s this? Did they figure out my identity?
“Master Kang, you are Ho Pil, right?”
Despite not being able to maintain eye contact, Miss Zhuge said it with confidence.
So you found out my secret that I wanted to hide, huh?
In times like this, the only method to keep it under wraps is the martial arts technique ‘Kill and Exterminate.’ I’ve only ever silenced someone with a kiss, so I guess I’ll have to hear her out first.
“Ho Pil is my close friend, not me.”
If I intended to reveal it so easily, I wouldn’t have hidden it in the first place. I immediately denied it.
“Didn’t Master Kang appear in Yichang last year? You’re from Joseon, so you had no connections there.”
Miss Zhuge ignored my denial and started laying out her reasoning.
It feels like there should be some background music playing, like in a mystery novel.
Am I the culprit here? I’ve been living an honest life, committing only casual fraud and affairs, and not committing heinous crimes in the martial arts world.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“The Rise of the Tang Family was released right after Master Kang opened the bookstore.”
I’m not even from the Central Plains, and I have no connection to Yichang. How could I collaborate with Ho Pil at the opening to release it simultaneously?
Good point there.
“Why would Ho Pil bring me The Rise of the Tang Family while I was preparing to open? Thanks to him, it was easy to publish.”
“A bookstore that’s in debt and hasn’t even opened yet?”
Doesn’t this seem odd?
It’s hard to publish new materials when in debt, and there are other bookstores too. So why Da Seogak?
Sharp insight there.
“The previous owner of the acquired bookstore was financially supporting Ho Pil. That’s how I met my friend.”
I’ve also been caught on that point several times, so I have something to say.
“If something happens to Master Kang, the writing of The Rise of the Tang Family will stop.”
Don’t tell me she’s pointing out ‘I’m Ho Pil.’
“My friend cares for me too much.”
“Then will volume 4 of The Rise of the Tang Family be coming out soon?”
“I think it will be out once the Wuhan issue is resolved.”
“……There’s a much simpler conclusion than having too many coincidences.”
“When you casually meet a companion on a difficult road, don’t we call that fate?”
I said this as if sharing a profound life experience to Miss Zhuge, who was looking doubtful.
I acknowledge that there’s an abundance of circumstantial evidence. However, the evidence is still non-existent. Right?
“What about the manuscript?”
“I’ve kept it a secret, but actually, I received it beforehand.”
Miss Zhuge frowned immediately at my words.
I’ve just sealed away the only evidence, game over.
Now, if I can steer this into a delightful misunderstanding and end it with a laugh, that’d be great. But it seems Miss Zhuge didn’t ask me for no reason.
“Then what about this?”
Miss Zhuge pulled something from out of a box, as if retrieving it from a robot pocket from the future.
Is there more evidence?
Looking closely at what she brought out, it was two books.
“The Rise of the Tang Family and the Exchange Diary?”
How is this evidence?
“The writing styles are identical.”
“Ah.”
Miss Zhuge is an avid fan of The Rise of the Tang Family. If she has carefully read the diary I recently poured my heart into…?
In that moment, I understood why this was happening.
“The words I commonly use, the sentence structure, and even the story development—all the same.”
Miss Zhuge opened both The Rise of the Tang Family and the Exchange Diary and compared them right in front of me.
I’ve seen web novel authors get caught due to changing pen names before, but I never thought I’d be one of them.
The noose of deduction is tightening. Is this what a villain feels like when a detective uncovers everything? But I’m not going down without a fight.
“I read my friend’s books hundreds of times, so it’s natural to be similar.”
It’s possible to share writing styles.
“…….Then what about the handwriting?”
Looks like the detective isn’t done here.
“Handwriting? You don’t mean to say that the printed version and my handwriting are the same, do you?”
“I-I received a thank-you letter from Ho Pil.”
“Excuse me? A thank-you letter? Oh?! Do you use pink envelopes when you send letters?”
In that moment, a letter flashed through my mind.
“Yes.”
“I heard you drew some pictures after reading The Rise of the Tang Family, but I didn’t think you would actually send a letter.”
Did Miss Zhuge send fan art worthy of admiration from a master fire artist?
“The handwriting of Ho Pil and Master Kang are identical.”
Caught in a trap.
I couldn’t say a word in front of Miss Zhuge, who was grinning with almost everything figured out.
Should I reveal my identity?
No, if I was going to do it this easily, I would have told Im Ha-yeon first. How should I say it?
There’s clear evidence that Ho Pil and Kang Yoon-ho have identical handwriting. Is there a way out?
There is.
“That letter? I actually sent it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Letters that come to Ho Pil, I read in advance. I wrote the thank-you letter myself.”
“Y-You mean the letter was sent by Master Kang?”
“Yes. I sent it on Ho Pil’s behalf. If it hurt your feelings, I’m sorry.”
At my polite apology, Miss Zhuge clenched her fist and opened her mouth again.
“All… all the circumstantial evidence, and the manuscript that shouldn’t exist, and the handwriting being the same, and the letter sent by Master Kang, and the writing style being similar, is all a misunderstanding?”
Miss Zhuge said it as if she couldn’t believe it.
Listing it out like that leaves only my acknowledgment.
“I think you’ve misunderstood. If you think one person is the culprit and only gather evidence for that, anyone could look like the culprit.”
Of course, I’m going to play it off and act shamelessly.
“That’s not true! Everything points to Master Kang!”
“Ha ha. If I had the talent to brag about my writing, I’d do that openly without hiding.”
“……”
What a lie.
Her face couldn’t hide her disbelief as her intense gaze pierced me.
“Believing is your freedom. But I’m disappointed you searched my room without permission.”
Her innocent gaze hurts so much, it feels like a sharp stab.
At this rate, I might have to nod in agreement.
Before that, I hurriedly hardened my expression and raised an issue with Miss Zhuge.
“Oh! Well, ummm.”
I have no room to defend myself, do I? Miss Zhuge seemed flustered, stammering her words.
“I’ll gift you the manuscript. Next time, please knock before entering.”
It’s a customer service internship! Get out of here.
I sent Miss Zhuge out the door with a cold expression.
“Master Kang! No, wait, why did I get caught? Master Kang!”
Even if her deduction skills are at a detective level, she’s still Miss Zhuge, after all.
———————
“The work uniforms have arrived, so I’ll distribute two sets each.”
The next day, the three of us went to the branch and began handing out uniforms to the employees.
“……Why was I exposed?”
Did I push her out too coldly yesterday? Miss Zhuge had a shocked expression, muttering to herself as she kept glancing at me.
“Miss Zhuge, what’s wrong? Did you two have a fight?”
Fortunately, Im Ha-yeon, staying in the annexe, must not have heard our conversation yesterday.
She asked me with a puzzled expression.
“It’s nothing. Miss Zhuge, don’t worry too much about yesterday. It doesn’t bother me much either.”
I achieved my goal of pushing her away, so I shrugged as if it didn’t matter and smiled at Miss Zhuge.
So just stop doubting me.
“Yes……”
Miss Zhuge nodded as if slightly relieved by my smile.
“I’ve prepared a place for you to change, so please try it on and let me know if it doesn’t fit.”
With my words, the employees began heading to their designated spots to change.
“I’ve also changed.”
“You don’t really have to wear it, Im Ha-yeon…”
“Miss Zhuge?”
“What…?!”
Why does she look frozen in shock?
“This outfit is a cheongsam.”
A dress that emphasizes a woman’s curves. Bold but not vulgar, with a thigh-high slit that amplifies femininity as the luxurious silk caresses a woman’s skin.
Im Ha-yeon showcased the stunning cheongsam, her perfect hourglass figure on full display in front of Miss Zhuge.
“E-Everything is showing! Even the thighs!”
Did she get culture shock? Miss Zhuge’s face turned bright red as she flapped her lips like a fish out of water.
“Heh. It looks good because your figure is pretty.”
“D-D-D-Do I have to wear it too?”
So she’s bashful. Miss Zhuge turned away from Im Ha-yeon’s cheongsam to me, looking unsure.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to wear it.”
Surely, it would be daunting for the youngest daughter of the noble Zhuge family to wear such an outfit.
“That’s right. Director Kang selects only the employees he likes to wear them.”
“W-What?!”
Why’s Im Ha-yeon puffing up her chest when saying that?
As if that would make it easier for Miss Zhuge to wear it.
“Please refrain from making statements that could be misunderstood, Miss Zhuge. The employees who wear this will be those suited for customer service.”
Wouldn’t it be like I’m some wicked boss trying to fulfill my desires by dressing beautiful women in cheongsams and aprons to enjoy a maid café experience?
I’m just a benevolent director providing silk garments for my staff as welfare.
“Other employees are coming out as well. Does anyone feel uncomfortable?”
Im Ha-yeon smiled at Miss Zhuge as if giving her an ambiguous hint before approaching the employees.
Wow, I’ve carefully selected employees with charm and intelligence from the Man Geum Battlefield.
With Im Ha-yeon in the middle, it looks like they all came out looking like flowers to showcase her beauty.
“Master Kang!”
Caught in a daze looking at Im Ha-yeon, I felt someone tugging at my sleeve with an unpleased expression.
“Yes, Miss Zhuge.”
Miss Zhuge gazed silently at the women in cheongsams, then lowered her head as if she had made a decision.
“Sh-Should I wear it too?”
