Pink letter.
The delicately dyed pink envelope stood out even among a pile of fan letters.
Of course, it might have been because it was a letter that came with fan art, which brought great joy to the author.
The fan art was so impressive that even a famous fire technique master would be astonished.
As time went on, the artist grew more distressed, feeling like they couldn’t capture the characters’ charms properly, and began sending increasingly high-quality drawings.
If I were to send a thank-you note even once, I would have to write it for every letter, so I decided to just accept them as they came.
If I were to tell someone that I even sent a thank-you letter, they would understand the talent behind the pink letter.
I looked at the woman standing with her fists tightly clenched.
The sender of the pink letter. Miss Zhuge.
She was the most affectionate and had sent the most fan art for the heroine.
The most beautiful woman in Sichuan. Gu Suk-Jung.
“What did you say?”
Im Ha-yeon’s expression hardened as if she heard something she shouldn’t have, glaring at Miss Zhuge.
“Uh! W-well, of course, Lord Tang Jung’s main wife isn’t anyone but the most beautiful woman in Sichuan, Gu Suk-Jung!”
“Hmm. There are still pitiful people here who want to push for the most beautiful woman in Sichuan.”
“Miss Ha-yeon, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Just be quiet. She’s the one saying something absurd right now!”
How absurd would that be?
The situation was not looking good.
On one side was Miss Zhuge, who had sent dozens of heartfelt fan arts for the most beautiful woman in Sichuan.
On the other was Im Ha-yeon, who had become a devoted fan due to her very similar upbringing to the most beautiful courtesan in Hubei.
“Y-yes, it’s not because she’s pretty or anything!”
“Isn’t it though?”
“Gu Suk-Jung is the woman that Lord Tang Jung fell in love with at first sight! Gu Suk-Jung is not just beautiful; she is the reason why Lord Tang Jung has honed his martial arts and is his life goal! So isn’t she inevitably the main wife?”
“Hmph! That’s the typical logic of the most beautiful woman in Sichuan. Lord Tang Jung didn’t fall for Gu Suk-Jung herself; he merely loved the imaginary Gu Suk-Jung.”
“Imaginary?”
Miss Zhuge’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Im Ha-yeon.
“How much time do you think Lord Tang Jung actually spent with Gu Suk-Jung? He just liked the idea of her beauty! That’s why he threw her away like an old shoe!”
“No, that’s not true! He promised he’d come back!”
Right. That’s harsh. Where is the protagonist who abandons the heroine?
“Hmph. And what about Miss Du Eung-hyang? At first, she couldn’t open her heart, but as she got to know Lord Tang Jung, she finally opened her heart, and they fell in love. So isn’t the true main wife Miss Du Eung-hyang?”
Im Ha-yeon took a step closer to me, raising one side of her mouth in a smirk.
“Re-true love is about feeling destiny at first sight!”
Im Ha-yeon’s firm logic was hard to counter, but Miss Zhuge was not backing down.
“What did you say?”
“That’s how fated love works! It’s like being struck by lightning at first sight! Lord Tang Jung and Gu Suk-Jung promised each other eternal love! What Miss Du Eung-hyang had was just ordinary love.”
Miss Zhuge glanced at me quickly, then lowered her head, embarrassed.
“Th-that’s!”
Did the logic of fated love strike a chord? Im Ha-yeon’s face turned unusually flustered.
“And Miss Du Eung-hyang is a courtesan!”
“What does that have to do with anything? Being a courtesan means she will support only Lord Tang Jung, becoming a true hostess!”
“N-no! Miss Gu Suk-Jung, who has family support, will do that better!”
“Uh!”
“Besides, Miss Gu Suk-Jung is prettier!”
“Are you belittling the appearance of Hubei’s best courtesan? Do you really think that a courtesan from Hubei, where the best beauties are, can be beaten by someone from Sichuan?”
I felt as if Im Ha-yeon’s gaze could pierce through Miss Zhuge.
“Uh! B-but… she’s still the most beautiful woman in Sichuan!”
“Hubei’s best courtesan is prettier!”
Looks like I lost the battle of wills.
Miss Zhuge seemed to have the upper hand in logic but was unable to win against Im Ha-yeon’s fierce spirit.
In the end, Miss Zhuge cast a hopeful glance my way.
“Mr. Master Kang, who do you think is the main wife?”
Miss Zhuge. Knowing my identity, asking puts me in a bind!
“Indeed. What do you think?!”
Im Ha-yeon turned to me, her expression suggesting she wouldn’t let me off easily.
The atmosphere made it feel like any choice would lead to failure.
“Weren’t we supposed to discuss who to draw alongside Lord Tang Jung, rather than who his main wife is?”
Let’s change the mood a bit.
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“I-I also think it’s strange to draw someone who isn’t the main wife first!”
I briefly glanced at the disgruntled expressions of the two women and smiled.
“I’ve already decided.”
In a situation where neither side can prevail, making a wrong choice may tear me apart.
There must be a way out.
“Huh?”
“Let’s put a color demon on the opposite side of Lord Tang Jung.”
There was really no need to include a woman, right?
Even I thought that was a perfect verdict. It was a Solomon-level decision that saved me from being split in half.
As I wore an air of confidence, the two women stared at me as if they had lost their voices.
What’s going on?
“We didn’t know you had such preferences…”
“No way could it be that Lord Tang Jung is chasing after a color demon…”
What kind of ridiculous misunderstanding is this?
“She’s his adversary! It makes much more sense to draw two characters that stand against each other! Let’s set the first illustration as the showdown between our Lord Tang and the color demon.”
I sighed softly, managing to keep peace between the two.
“Line up! Line up!”
“Finally, even at Wuhan, we can see The Rise of the Tang Family!”
“My cousin living in Yichang said that if he doesn’t see The Rise of the Tang Family, it would be a waste of life!”
“F-finally, we can see The Rise of the Tang Family at Wuhan!”
The opening day of the Tea Bookstore’s Wuhan branch.
Thanks to the fame of The Rise of the Tang Family and numerous promotional flyers distributed in advance, the branch was already packed with people.
“Wow, so many people!”
A scholar remarked to his friend, pointing at the seemingly endless line.
“Let’s just come back later.”
The friend of the scholar responded with a lackluster expression.
“Isn’t today the day they sell the famous The Rise of the Tang Family? You were the one who sang how much you wanted to see it. And now you’re saying that?”
“I already got mine and read it.”
“What?!”
“I have a friend in Yichang who got all three volumes for me already.”
“Then you should have gotten one for me too!”
“I’ve read them all, so do you want me to lend it to you?”
“No way! By the way, there’s a huge picture near the door!”
The scholar expressed his admiration as he gazed at a large scroll inside the Tea Bookstore.
“That’s definitely the showdown between Lord Tang and that color demon! Did they hire a famous artist? Amazing!”
Even the friend, who had been disinterested, looked at the illustration in awe, checking it out from side to side.
“I think the line stretches all the way over there…”
“You stay in line. I’m going to head up to the second floor and enjoy the Cheongsam and Mei Dou outfits while drinking tea.”
“Why did you follow me if that’s your goal?! We agreed to check it out together!”
“I’m just reserving our spot. I’m heading first.”
“That guy! I’m not letting him pay for the next meal!”
Watching his friend stride away while snorting in annoyance, the scholar muttered discontentedly.
“Huff, huff!”
As the scholar stood at the end of the seemingly endless line waiting for his turn, his out-of-breath friend came rushing back.
“What? Why did you come back?”
“C-can I stand next to you?”
“Why? Are you buying a book all of a sudden?!”
“Y-you wouldn’t believe it! At Wuhan, buying The Rise of the Tang Family gives you a raffle ticket for a signed edition!”
“What?! A signed edition from Ho Pil?!”
“To think they’d give away Ho Pil’s signed edition at the branch! I can’t miss this!”
“Sir, please step back!”
“I just asked my friend to save my spot! I’m in the right place! Sorry!”
“Th-thank you!”
“I’ll get you an iced Americano later.”
The scholar chuckled at his friend’s flustered expression.
“The branch has been bustling every day.”
It was the tenth day since the opening of the Tea Bookstore branch. Contrary to the initial worries, it was thriving every day.
During opening hours, I shared the good news with Im Ha-yeon, who couldn’t move due to surveillance.
“The strategy for the signed editions was effective. Those who’ve read it are lining up to buy it anew. But will the signed editions arrive by the drawing date?”
“I contacted them in advance. They will arrive on time.”
“That’s a relief, but you left early today?”
“After that incident with the martial artists, I felt I needed to hone my martial arts skills further. I wanted to spend more time training with Miss Ha-yeon.”
It’s important to be prepared to escape when necessary.
“…….”
Im Ha-yeon, why the sudden dark expression?
“Don’t make serious faces when nothing happened. Thanks to you, my martial arts skills are improving rapidly.”
It’s not your fault, is it?
“I can now memorize technique while using the energy technique.”
As I spoke nonchalantly, she seemed to relax and replied.
“I used to feel like my upper and lower body were dancing to their own rhythm, but recently, dramatic negotiations were made within those upper and lower relationships.”
Indeed, the Shadowless Body Technique must work wonders. It suits the Tang Family’s martial arts so well.
“Ah!”
As I discussed our training plans for today with Im Ha-yeon, I heard a familiar scream from behind.
“Miss Zhuge!”
Did she trip while carrying a big wad of paper? Papers and brushes were scattered around the fallen Miss Zhuge.
“You came!”
“Didn’t I tell you not to approach during martial arts training?”
“I guess Miss Zhuge came to greet us, realizing we were resting, but let’s not be like that. Miss Zhuge. I’ll help you pick it up.”
“Hmph!”
Ignoring Im Ha-yeon, who looked displeased, I hurried over to Miss Zhuge and began gathering the papers scattered all around her.
“Thank you!”
“Miss Zhuge, how’s the work going?”
Since I was officially drawing illustrations, I asked Miss Zhuge for fan art of the most beautiful woman in Sichuan, the best courtesan in Hubei, and the colors to incorporate.
“I think you should come and take a look.”
“I’ll come over after dinner since I’m in the middle of martial arts training.”
“Hmph. Sure.”
Is she happy about drawing the official illustration recognized by Ho Pil?
Miss Zhuge looked at me with motivated eyes before heading back to her room.
Now, shall we start our training again?
Turning my head, I saw Im Ha-yeon looking at me with her lips pouting oddly.
“…….”
“Don’t take it to heart. I doubt Miss Zhuge is going around with malicious intent.”
“Really?”
“Ah!”
Miss Zhuge seems to have tripped again.
“Look at that.”
“……Help her out.”
*
“Something feels off.”
Something is strange.
Late at night, in the mansion’s annex, Im Ha-yeon couldn’t sit in a chair or lay down on the bed, fidgeting and muttering to herself.
“Why does it seem that the distance between those two has narrowed?”
It’s hard to express, but it’s certain. Kang Yoon-ho and Miss Zhuge. The gap between them has inexplicably closed.
“That girl is also inexplicably overflowing with confidence.”
Having noticed each other’s affection for Kang Yoon-ho, Im Ha-yeon used martial arts training as an excuse to monopolize time with Kang Yoon-ho in the mansion while relishing the sight of Miss Zhuge’s pouting.
Lately, however, Miss Zhuge had been curiously relaxed.
From time to time, she would send a confident smile toward me. It wasn’t the smile of a vixen, nor a puppy-like one, more like a raccoonish grin perhaps.
It made me feel oddly uncomfortable, but I couldn’t understand why.
“She’s hiding something. What could it be?”
What frustrated Im Ha-yeon further was Kang Yoon-ho’s tendency to let things slide.
He avoids answering her questions, awkwardly changing the subject. Both of them were definitely hiding something, and Im Ha-yeon was certain of that.
What on earth was going on? Why had they exchanged meaningful smiles today as well?
It felt like Im Ha-yeon had crossed a line without realizing it, as the path of retreat was narrowing.
“Something must have happened.”
A woman’s intuition was ringing alarm bells.
If I leave it like this, it won’t end well. If I don’t know what it is, I need to find out.
After days of contemplation, Im Ha-yeon nodded, concluding her thoughts.
“I need to step out for a moment.”
She knew how to resolve her frustrations.
————————-
“Hmph. N-no, Master! You mustn’t! No way! Huh-huh.”
What kind of dream could this be? I want to wake her up and tell her not to have that dream anymore, but I must hold back.
Don’t get caught.
Im Ha-yeon was currently in Miss Zhuge’s room.
The room was a mess. Clearly, the maid had cleaned it in the afternoon, yet it was now littered with papers and brushes.
Where could the clue be?
Whether in a well-organized room or a messy one, Im Ha-yeon knew how to find her target.
Things that are often used and treasured are usually… found it.
Within reach but not often sought after.
Im Ha-yeon discovered what she was looking for in the bottom drawer of the desk.
[Exchange Diary.]
The diary that had been given to Kang Yoon-ho but hadn’t been returned. Surely there would be clues here.
With trembling hands, Im Ha-yeon quickly skimmed through the contents. What on earth had happened between the two of them?
Three days ago.
A week ago.
Fifteen days ago.
What is this?
After reading through the diary entries from the past fifteen days, Im Ha-yeon inevitably came upon a shocking truth.
[I can’t believe Master is really Ho Pil! It’s like a dream come true.]
