A touching father-daughter reunion, huh?
I stood there, watching them until the emotions that had built up over ten years finally calmed down.
“Y-You….”
Look at those tear stains! Miss Im Ha-yeon gradually composed herself and stepped away from Brother Wang, coming towards me.
“Did you wrap things up well?”
Isn’t it customary to end a situation with “I’m back” and “Welcome”? I smiled and opened my arms.
“Really, really, you…!”
“Come here.”
Miss Im Ha-yeon rushed into my embrace, her face overflowing with emotion.
“Finally! It’s finally over!”
I could feel her tears on my cheek where we touched.
“You did well.”
I stroked her hair with one hand while the other sought a more comfortable position.
“……”
Father-in-law. I bet lasers are coming out of your eyes. I’m not deliberately trying to get close, just looking for a comfy spot!
I barely managed to restrain my wandering hand and put it on my waist, pulling her in tightly.
Anyway, I finally succeeded.
After all the struggles, it was a moment of great satisfaction.
“Miss Im Ha-yeon.”
I softly called her name.
“……Um.”
I didn’t mean for you to pucker up, though.
After one kiss, it feels strangely like I just want to keep being affectionate. I don’t mind, though.
I gave her a light kiss and then whispered in her ear again.
“Please handle the aftermath.”
My legs, which had been holding on, finally turned to jelly. I leaned into her embrace.
“What? Y-You?! Ah! There’s blood on my back?!”
“Ugh…”
The wound opened up. Sharply intense pain coursed through my body. My consciousness began to sink. I was slowly losing strength.
“Kang Dong-seng!”
“You! Stay awake!”
A startled voice rang in my ears. But it didn’t matter. I had done what I needed to do. I just needed to trust Miss Im Ha-yeon.
I thought I could finally let go of my consciousness… and then suddenly, my eyes flew open.
“What?!”
Why are you hitting me?!
“You can’t die like this! Absolutely not! Please! Please! Stay awake!!!”
A scream-like wail reached my ears.
“Ha, Ha-yeon.”
“Please! I can’t let you go like this!”
Slap! Slap! Slap slap slap! Are my cheeks a percussion instrument? They’re keeping such a wild rhythm, they could start a band.
I’m dying here.
“Ow! Ugh! Stop the violence!”
“If it hurts, wake up!”
“Miss Im Ha-yeon. Calm down! That’s not it!”
I barely raised my hand to stop Miss Im Ha-yeon.
“What?”
Miss Im Ha-yeon’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at me. I guess I cut my words too short. Rubbing my flushed cheeks, I opened my mouth for further explanation.
“I haven’t slept for three days and nights.”
“Ah….”
There you go! Remembering now, huh?
Starting with the Shadowless Thief representative, the escape, the break-in two days ago, Miss Im Ha-yeon’s appointment as the master of the Arcanes, the invasion, the planning, and today.
I hadn’t really gotten a proper sleep for three days straight.
Without my resilience and mental fortitude, it wouldn’t be surprising if I had collapsed ages ago.
“I’ll rest well, so please take care of the follow-up.”
Finally, everything was over. Isn’t it about time I could let my guard down after three days?
With a satisfied smile, I let my consciousness fade.
——-
“Familiar ceiling, huh?”
After handing off the tasks, there’s little more reassuring than waking up in a familiar place. It means everything went as intended.
“You!”
Miss Im Ha-yeon, who had been sitting by my side holding my hand, looked at me in shock.
“What happened? Did you finish the annoying follow-ups?”
“I thought something terrible was going to happen….”
Miss Im Ha-yeon sighed in relief. I said I was sleeping because I was tired.
Of course, I didn’t expect to sleep like a dead man for four days.
“Kang Ho Pil! Are you okay?”
“Huizhu, is your health better? I brought congee for you!”
Upon news of my awakening, many people rushed in.
“Manager Kang! Are you hurt? Isn’t Writer Ho Pil… going to write some drama about it? The Tea Bookstore is in an uproar! Are you truly okay?”
“I came as a representative of the Tea Club. Here’s some medicine and gifts wishing you a speedy recovery. Also, if you’d like, I brought some tonics to ease Writer Ho Pil’s mental anguish. Please do have them.”
People flocked to me in a fuss from the Tea Bookstore, and…
“Kang Dong-seng. I’ve resumed the position of Master of the Arcanes.”
One guy was telling me about how Brother Wang re-established the position of Master after the home invasion.
“Master Kang! How’s your health holding up?”
Of course, not all the visitors were welcome. Someone from Man Geum Battlefield came.
“Is the Lord of Man Geum looking for you?”
“……”
As expected. I had to dash out right after the mansion was attacked, so I couldn’t explain the whole situation.
“I’m trying to clean up those who attacked the mansion, so please tell them I’ll drop by soon.”
“I’ll pass on the message. And I’ve brought someone who has been anxiously awaiting Master Kang.”
Who? As I looked at the person from Man Geum Battlefield, a joyous face peeked over the threshold.
“Miss Zhuge!”
“Master Kang!”
Miss Zhuge rushed to my bedside, her voice trembling with emotion.
“I’m here too!”
“Sister Ha-yeon! Everyone was so worried!”
“Thanks to Miss Zhuge, everything was resolved.”
My plan, Miss Zhuge’s support, and Miss Im Ha-yeon’s execution.
If it hadn’t been for each of us, there’s no way all three of us would be gathered here. We embraced each other, celebrating our emotional reunion after several days.
—-
“Master of Arcane Fragrance, how’s your health?”
As soon as I gathered myself, I made my way to see her.
“What’s the occasion? Are you alright?”
Of course, I was pushing myself a bit. I haven’t fully recovered, but I wanted to show I was fine, so I exaggerated my smile and flexed my biceps.
“What does youth matter? I woke up after a good sleep to thank the fragrant leaders.”
Isn’t this the perfect time to boost one’s reputation? While showing signs of illness, it’s customary to show up and express gratitude.
“Tomorrow, we could just meet at the drinking party…”
“I can’t express my thanks at a drinking party! I must visit those who showed me kindness separately.”
Though I stopped by early as I knew the elders would be busy tonight, I planned to greet them separately today.
“It seems Hyang-a has done well with her child’s upbringing.”
“She gave me several spankings.”
“It’s hard to imagine that child holding a disciplinary stick.”
A hint of nostalgia flickered in the Master of Arcane Fragrance’s gaze.
“She was a loving mother, but she knew when to wield the stick. I doubt there’s anyone like my mother in this world.”
At times like these, you’ve got to match the atmosphere. I expressed a look of longing as if I was the son reminiscing about a mother I could never see again.
“Hyang-a will surely rejoice at this news.”
“I often recall when my mother would gaze toward the western sky.”
Though the Tang family couldn’t save a courtesan like Hyang-a, I managed to save Im Ha-yeon, who was a courtesan herself. It’s something worth bragging about, but there’s no need to show off.
Instead, it would be better to express remorse for missing my mother, to gain some points.
“That day, you promised you’d take responsibility for her in front of me. That phrase, ‘the tentacle of the sky,’ could only be meant for you. Well done.”
The Master of Arcane Fragrance regarded me with a warm smile.
Only she would have the right to curse the Tang family. I nodded, like a child finding comfort in her words.
“I only tried not to be a son my mother would be ashamed of.”
“Being a son without shame is good, but not having a child is a pity.”
A sharp remark hit me hard.
“Hahaha… Oh! I brought some gifts!”
Tang Hwa-rin, Im Ha-yeon, Miss Zhuge. There’s no excuse for gifts when you know so many women! These are meant to help me dodge the issue. I presented a bundle.
“Gifts?”
“These are Joseon medicines. It’s a good tonic for the liver—Youleihwan (牛淚丸). I hear it’s good for those who drink frequently.”
I’d heard it was good enough to keep you strong like an ox. A Joseon pharmacist guaranteed it was effective.
“Do use it judiciously. If you ever need help, just come find me.”
“It’s already more than enough for all your support so far.”
“Since you’re the son of my cherished disciple, how could I ignore you?”
The Master of Arcane Fragrance spoke to me as if feeling a little disappointed.
I guess so. The relationship between teacher and disciple is essentially parent-child. For my teacher’s child, the Master of Arcane Fragrance could be seen as a grandmother figure.
“Haha. Then I’ll visit often, considering I have a new grandmother.”
“H-Grandmother?!”
The Master of Arcane Fragrance fumbled as she dropped her tobacco pipe.
“What?”
“N-No, I mean, thinking about it, a-actually, that’s a kind of relationship. I was just surprised; I’ve never heard that before.”
She stumbled to pick up the pipe, her hands shaking a little as she dropped it again before finally seizing it once more.
“Haha. I truly can’t believe you’re still only in your forties.”
Regardless of how I flattered her looks and skin, she couldn’t be more than late twenties. Just how incredible is that anti-aging martial art, Choan-Sul?
The Master of Arcane Fragrance, with the pipe back in her mouth, spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.
“Hoo~ I’m certainly not yet in my fifties……”
“Oh! That means you’ll be fifty soon!”
Courtesans tend to take in apprentices early, so there couldn’t have been much age difference between Hyang-a and me.
Huh?
“Hoo…. Hoo…. Grandmother, fifty…. Hoo hoo hoo….”
A smoke screen seems to have been deployed before my eyes.
“You must be busy, so I’ll take my leave for now!”
I sensed a mix of strange anger from behind the smoke but hurriedly took my leave to visit the next master.
*
“Your Lordship is dining!”
The evening after Kang Yoon-ho had met all the masters, they gathered together.
“You’re all here ahead of me! I’m so sorry for being late.”
Having become the master of Hao Wen, Im Ha-yeon felt guilty, even though she had arrived before the appointed time.
“Our Lord has no need to apologize.”
Ma-mun Hyang-joo gestured in denial, while the other masters bowed their heads to her.
“Please feel free. I don’t plan to drop down on the heads of any of the masters.”
Im Ha-yeon replied with a gentle smile to Ma-mun Hyang-joo.
“Still…”
“Just think of me as only the face of Hao Wen. I have no intention of standing over the heads of the masters.”
Im Ha-yeon hadn’t intended to become the master in the first place. The sight of her benefactors bowing to her was more than enough to weigh her down.
“However, the authority of our Lord is absolute.”
“Then it’s decided: let’s treat her accordingly!”
“Yes, Si-mun Hyang-joo.”
Im Ha-yeon nodded with a smile at Si-mun Hyang-joo, who had protected her since the start of her life in Wuhan.
“Heh. What a baffling world we live in. Anyway, thank you for all your efforts.”
“Once again, congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
The masters congratulated her on her ascension to lordship once more.
“Thank you all for making such a difficult decision. I’ve received a great favor from you all.”
Im Ha-yeon bowed even more deeply than her masters.
“What are your plans from here?”
The Master of Arcane Fragrance asked her.
“As the new lord, my plan is to stabilize the situation and return to daily life. I could be a focal point in case of crises like this, but I intend to be where I belong.”
Im Ha-yeon said that she’d perform her duties as a lord if needed, but had no intention of wielding power recklessly. After all, being next to the one she loved and helping him would bring her the most happiness.
The woman who had just escaped the destiny that had tortured her for a lifetime smiled softly as she envisioned her future.
“I’ll be right there….”
The other masters looked at her sadly in response to Im Ha-yeon’s words.
“……”
“……”
An inexplicable silence hung in the air in the room that had been so warm just moments ago.
“Did I make some kind of mistake?”
Something feels off. Did I misspeak? Im Ha-yeon inquired, her face troubled.
Someone had to respond to her statement as the lord.
But no one wanted to be that person. The masters remained silent, understanding all too well what kind of struggles Im Ha-yeon had faced to reach this position.
They exchanged glances, and eventually, her father, the Master of the Arcanes, stepped forward.
“Ha-yeon. No, my lady. There’s something you need to know now that you are lord.”
Master Wang Jong-ho approached his daughter with a remorseful look, ready to tell her something she had never known.
What on earth could it be?
Im Ha-yeon attentively braced herself for her father’s words.
“……What?”
She stood frozen, mouth agape, unable to process everything that been revealed.
