“Master Kang, you were truly amazing yesterday!”
“I thought you were just going to test the waters, but you actually unveiled the culprit right there. It’s no wonder they call Ho Pil a genius!”
The day after the dramatic mystery show, after finishing breakfast, Miss Zhuge and Gil-san couldn’t stop chatting about the previous day’s events as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“How could it be my achievement alone? Miss Zhuge deserves much credit!”
“Me?”
Miss Zhuge pointed at herself with a bewildered expression.
“Despite the difficult request to examine my cousin’s corpse, you didn’t hesitate to investigate. And you found a scar in an instant that I couldn’t find no matter how hard I searched.”
“That’s true. I felt so uneasy I couldn’t even get close.”
At my words, Gil-san nodded in agreement.
Although she is the daughter of a martial arts family, it must have been awkward for her. Except for a slight frown and a deep breath, she made it seem so easy to locate the scar.
“W-Well, what did I do? It was all Master Kang’s doing. Hehe. Hehe.”
Miss Zhuge waved one hand in the air, wearing a goofy grin.
Even while saying it’s not true, her expression gives it all away. I feel like she’s trying to take off with her arms raised, just like someone who is caught off-guard by a beautiful woman speaking to them on the street.
“Even in such matters, you each pat each other’s backs. I’m really jealous.”
Gil-san, come on! Can’t we look each other in the face pleasantly without making grimaces?
“People gasped when Master Kang said my name. It’s like they were in awe.”
As if reminiscing about yesterday, Miss Zhuge clenched her fists, her face turning pink as she looked up at me.
“I saw it too. I realized that logic can restrain a person, but your words can suffocate them.”
“Well, the suspect was just too obvious.”
Knowing the truth while continuing to lie made suspicion turn into conviction.
“If only I had gone directly to my aunt yesterday.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s true.”
Miss Zhuge and Gil-san muttered, sounding a bit regretful.
“There’s no helping it.”
I wanted to return like a hero after clarifying the murder and capturing the culprit.
Wait… my son… my son was killed?
“Aunt has collapsed! Call a doctor! Hurry, call a doctor!”
“I never thought that while I was captured by the Head of the Right Guards and the inspector, someone would be sent to find out what was going on.”
I intentionally didn’t mention anything, but it seems they figured it out anyway.
After hearing the news, from the heir examination meeting to inspecting Ma Yang-baek’s body and identifying the culprit, the sun had set, and night had deepened when I returned to the mansion, collapsing into sleep.
“I heard you came to your senses right away. Shouldn’t you have called for me first?”
“That’s right! It was Master Kang who uncovered everything.”
Miss Zhuge whined in a voice full of disappointment on my behalf.
“Having suffered a mental shock one after another, she’ll probably call you once she’s managed to gather herself.”
She found her son’s body and soon after heard the news of his murder. It would take her some time to pull herself together.
“Miss Zhuge, a guest has arrived.”
As we were simply enjoying tea after breakfast, Sibi announced the guest’s arrival.
“A guest? For me?! W-Wait a moment!”
Miss Zhuge, why do you look like a flustered guy caught off guard by a beautiful woman speaking to him on the street? What’s with the box you’re about to pull out?
“Who is it?”
I grabbed Miss Zhuge’s hand, which was reaching for the box, and asked Sibi.
“It’s me.”
Suddenly, a middle-aged woman appeared behind Sibi.
“Aunt?!”
“Jang Nan-ok! I heard you collapsed. What brings you here?”
The visitor was Ma Yang-baek’s mother, Jang Nan-ok.
“Is Hyang living with a man?”
“N-No? Yes, yes!”
Miss Zhuge, why are you falling over? You’re making it look like you’ve been caught living together without permission.
“Hello.”
I greeted Ma Yang-baek’s mother with a warm smile on my stiff face.
For now, it’s enough to recognize the mother of the Lady of Man Geum-jeon, who would never stray. I can explain everything.
Just as I was about to explain, Jang Nan-ok brought up her reason for the visit first.
“Let’s talk, just the two of us.”
——-
“Did you… really clear Yang-baek’s name?”
After Miss Zhuge and Gil-san stepped back, Jang Nan-ok asked me, knitting her brow.
Her voice tried to sound calm but couldn’t hide the tremble. Had she heard all the news? I didn’t bother denying it and nodded.
“Thanks to you allowing me to examine him, I was able to catch him in time.”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Jung Nan-ok bowed her head and knelt before me.
“Thank you. Thank you so, so much!”
“You really don’t need to do this!”
I tried to help her up, but she remained motionless.
“I misjudged you based only on your hair color, mistreated you. Yet you didn’t give up and cleared my son’s unjust name. How could I lift my head in front of you?”
“Small misunderstandings can be resolved slowly; I simply wanted to clear up the misunderstandings that could be irreversible quickly.”
“Thank you. I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
Ma Yang-baek’s mother knelt down, unable to lift her head.
‘What a good opportunity to gain favor.’
Regardless of how it all unfolded, the daughter of Man Geum-jeon raised the white flag of apology and gratitude. While simply receiving thanks is nice, it’s also a chance to win over the daughter’s heart, just as Man Geum-jeon said.
Shall I start with something easy?
“How could the mother of the man who recognized me as her son-in-law say such things? I was merely expressing my gratitude late to my brother-in-law, so let’s just… umm….”
I hesitated as if I were embarrassed.
“Just call me Aunt.”
That’s how it should be.
“Aunt! Please rise. I don’t know what to do with my future brother-in-law here.”
I gently helped Ma Yang-baek’s mother stand up.
“Your deceased son accepted you as his brother-in-law and you found the culprit that no one else could. As his mother, I feel too ashamed to stand.”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see her like this, my lord.”
“They say just because a boy has a bad habit does not mean he is a bad person at heart.”
Jang Nan-ok’s tears threatened to fall as she nodded, her expression a mix of a parent admitting to a child’s past mistakes while still defending them.
“Of course, I wouldn’t believe a murderer’s excuse.”
Even if the words of that failed person are true, they would at most be considered accomplices. The murderer shifts all the blame onto the deceased, who cannot speak for themselves, making it right to close one’s ears if there is no clear evidence.
“Thank you. I’m so sorry. Sincerely, thank you.”
Regardless of the circumstances, she was a middle-aged mother who lost her child overnight. Her shoulders trembled as if they could not bear the weight.
“I just did what any family would.”
All I could do was hold her shaking hand until the trembling subsided.
“Please accept this.”
When her tremors calmed, she carefully took something out.
“What’s this? Isn’t it a pair of shoes?”
Though not ostentatious, they were clearly made from high-quality materials.
“I was going to give these handmade shoes to my son when he passed his first exam. Since he was finally ready to put an end to his wandering and show his sincerity, I made them for him, encouraging him to run hard as a mother would.”
“Aunt, why would you give me such a precious item…”
“Accept it. You have made my son’s final journey light with every step. As a mother, I feel I should give you these shoes for my peace of mind.”
Jang Nan-ok carefully extended the shoes to me with her wrinkled hands.
Should I accept or not? For a moment, I deliberated countless times.
This was a mother who rushed to me since morning, leaving her deceased son’s side out of guilt and gratitude.
What should I do? I couldn’t bear to reject the heartfelt offering of a mother handing her child’s shoes, so I ultimately accepted it.
“From now on, I will think of this as support from my brother-in-law and often come to visit wearing these shoes.”
An unspeakable pain flickered in Jang Nan-ok’s weary eyes. Even if her son had been a difficult child, a mother’s sorrow over losing her child painted her face.
“…Will you do that?”
Yet she smiled sadly at me, like a mother holding back tears for her lost child.
“I’ve spent too long away from my child. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Aunt! Could I ask a small favor?”
“What is it?”
——
“Have you really caught the culprit?”
Having won over Jang Nan-ok’s heart, it was time to report to Man Geum-jeon.
“I was quite lucky.”
“Everyone in Wuhan is buzzing about your story.”
“To be honest, I think it was a remarkable achievement.”
I had no intention of being humble in front of Man Geum-jeon. I simply smiled and nodded.
Hehe “Well done.”
“Big Aunt seemed very heartbroken.”
“It’s unfortunate about Yang-baek, but… it’s fortunate that you were able to clear the unjust situation.”
From Man Geum-jeon’s light sighs, the sorrow for his child poured forth.
“Big Aunt gave me the shoes she planned to gift to Yang-baek.”
“…Shoes?”
Did the idea surprise Man Geum-jeon? A fleeting look of astonishment passed over his face.
“They were a bit of a tight fit, but she quickly made adjustments.”
“Since she was young, the eldest daughter has been skilled with her hands, making shoes for the family.”
A hint of nostalgia wafted into Man Geum-jeon’s voice, as though remembering a long-ago day.
“While adjusting the shoes, I brought up the story regarding you to big aunt.”
“You shouldn’t have said such nonsense.”
Man Geum-jeon frowned at me.
“Isn’t it only right that someone acknowledges the role of a kind father?”
“Family ties can unravel in an instant, and once broken, it’s hard to mend. At least you’ve managed to gain favor with my eldest daughter.”
Was their relationship not good?
There might have been misunderstandings due to Yang-baek’s death, but outside of that, wasn’t it a good father-daughter dynamic? Not that it concerns me. Actually, that’s better.
“While mending things is hard, it’s possible to build bridges.”
I smiled and placed the box I brought before him.
“What is that?”
“Big Aunt remembered your shoe size perfectly.”
“…!”
What I presented was the pair of shoes Jang Nan-ok had made for her father.
“I was a bit pushy in asking, but she didn’t seem displeased. Why not visit her soon?”
I only asked for a pair of shoes, yet it turned out she had already prepared them. I didn’t plan to create misunderstandings; on the contrary, I made out quite well.
“You…”
“I’ll be looking forward to the next examination.”
My tasks for the day ended there. I didn’t feel the need to wait for Man Geum-jeon’s response to his words and quickly left.
*
“…”
Even at the moment Kang Yoon-ho was leaving, Man Geum-jeon could not tear his eyes away from the box left behind.
When was the last time he received a parting gift from his daughter? When had she made him shoes for their last time together?
Even the great Man Geum-jeon found himself speechless, gazing intently at the box.
“What an incredibly talented individual.”
The Head of Guards smiled warmly, turning to Man Geum-jeon.
“Unlike me, it seems he possesses the ability to be a kind father.”
“Lord…”
Man Geum-jeon smiled at the Head of Guards, who looked at him with pity, and smoothly brushed off his emotions.
“Very well. Once the funeral is over, gather the grandchildren.”
“What are you planning to do?”
The Head of Guards asked worriedly.
Man Geum-jeon was already aware of his intentions, yet he knew if he didn’t hold the promised third examination, his daughter and grandchildren would undoubtedly rise up in unrest.
With an understanding smile, Man Geum-jeon replied decisively.
“I’ll make the last examination a brief affair.”
