“I found out way too quickly that Lady Tang is the heroine.”
Originally, I planned to gather clues and connect the dots while getting closer to her, but the evidence is just too obvious.
“Should I get closer to Lady Tang?”
I can get closer to her by helping her out of her predicament. I’ve already set up a good context for it.
The problem is how close should I get.
From just paying for the guest room and parting ways to throwing myself entirely into helping her out.
If Lady Tang is the true heroine, the latter would be the way to go.
“The problem is, if Lady Tang can be a heroine, then all the other female characters can become candidates too.”
A sense of frustration welled up inside me.
Getting close to Lady Tang and then trying to find the other heroines, getting closer and closer repeatedly—how am I supposed to figure out who the real heroine is?
Despite my concerns, I might be able to figure out who the true heroine is amongst all this chaos. But even if I find the true heroine, that’s still a problem.
“I might end up facing the same ending as So-hee.”
A situation where I have to part ways due to a lack of necessary stats for heroine conquest. After struggling to win over the true heroine, I could end up having to release her like some eternal ten-year-old monster trainer somewhere.
“What’s important to me right now isn’t heroine conquest—it’s fame.”
Instead of approaching each heroine one by one, it’s smarter to write a book and become famous, luring in heroine candidates who come to me.
“The objective of solving the questions about the Reverse Heaven’s Decree has been achieved. I’ll just help Lady Tang to a level where she feels goodwill and then part ways.”
I’ve already helped her enough. I’ve stopped her from heading toward a tragic fate and revealed hidden truths.
If I help her out of her current predicament and then part ways, I can plan for the future without necessarily getting any closer to her.
Right. No more heroine conquest. Writing a book should come first.
“Lady Tang.”
“Huh? Why?”
She jolted slightly, surprised as she was lost in thought when I called her.
“What are your future plans? Do you have somewhere particular to go?”
“My maternal grandfather runs a small trading company in Yichang. That crazy girl said she’d go there, so I’ll probably check it out too.”
“A trading company in Yichang? You have quite the impressive maternal grandfather.”
Yichang, Hubei Province.
A bustling city located in western Hubei, with a network of trade routes managed by the authorities like a spider’s web.
Starting from Yichang and traveling west along the trade routes leads to Chengdu, a city famous for its Sichuan Tangmen, and heading north along the trade routes will take you to the renowned Mount Wu.
But wait, there’s more! Since it’s a city beside the Yangtze River, if you go downstream, you’ll reach Wuhan, the largest city in Hubei Province.
The fact that her maternal grandfather runs a trading company in such a large city is impressive.
“I can help you with the carriage to Yichang in exchange for the overdue guest room fee, and then part ways.”
Farewell, Lady Tang.
Thank you for solving the questions about the Reverse Heaven’s Decree.
And since you’ve revealed the truth to me, don’t feel too grateful and be a burden.
If I build up my fame, and you’re the true heroine, you should come find me.
“It’s just that he runs a bookstore and a dry goods shop.”
What do you mean he runs a bookstore?
“A bookstore, right?”
I couldn’t control my emotions at the unexpected revelation, and my voice trembled.
He runs a bookstore? If he runs a trading company, it means he probably manages multiple bookstores rather than just one!
Is it possible that a trading company that operates bookstores in this world…?
“Yeah. He brings in interesting books from elsewhere and sells them or contracts with authors to print and sell directly.”
“Oh, I see. If they’re printing books, it must be a sizable company.”
I couldn’t contain my excitement. A printing press? A trading company with a printing press?
It’s not like modern automated machines, but something close to the woodblock printing or movable type mentioned in textbooks, if it can be used, it means they can literally copy books.
Naturally, it’s unimaginable for me to purchase such rights, and without considerable wealth and connections, using it would be impossible.
Being just a barbarian looked down upon in this world, I had long given up on the possibility of using it.
But if I could use a printing press, there’s no reason to waste time writing one book by hand over and over.
I wanted to help Lady Tang, who’s in trouble because of the tragic fate of my lost friend, but I need to make sure I go with her to Yichang.
After all, I got her granddaughter back safely. I doubt her grandfather will yell at me for wanting to use the printing press.
Lady Tang’s grandfather.
I’ll take care of your granddaughter safely, please wait for me.
“Why does Lady Tang suddenly look like that?”
With excitement in my heart, I looked at her, only to see her expression suddenly go cold.
What’s going on? Did I do something wrong?
“Then, Lady Tang, let me pay for your guest room fees first.”
“Why you?”
“Is there a reason not to help a distressed lady? Please think of it as pure goodwill.”
“Ah? Pure goodwill?”
Her voice slightly rose. There was a bit of a snippish tone. What’s with the sudden change?
“When I pay for the room, let’s go to Yichang together.”
If I put on some heavy indebtedness, she won’t be able to refuse the request to use the printing press, right?
“Why would you accompany me?”
“Isn’t it a long way to Yichang? You need someone to take care of you if you fall ill on the way.”
“Exactly. Why are you coming with me?”
Just because I want to use your grandfather’s printer!
Her voice suddenly became prickly. Is she unhappy? If she is, I’ll cover the cost of the A4 paper on the side.
“Because I was reminded of a friend. I know how sick you are, so how could I let you go alone?”
I looked at her with a smile.
“Hey.”
But her cold voice returned.
“What?”
“You. Are you going to keep lying?”
In an instant, the air around us froze.
Lying?
I was speaking the truth, so where did this suspicion come from?
If my opponent suspects and interrogates me, immediately agreeing or panicking is for amateurs. It just breeds more certainty in their doubts. I need to calmly find out what “misunderstanding” they have.
“Lady Tang, lying? How could you say that?”
I said with a look of genuine confusion.
“Hey. Your ‘pure goodwill.’ Remembering a friend. It’s all lies.”
Lady Tang looked at me with a look of disdain.
How did she figure it out?
“Lady Tang, I was only trying to help because it reminded me of how my tragically deceased friend would feel if he saw you in trouble. So how can you call that a lie?”
I expressed my indignation sincerely.
“Do you just give money to strangers and go on a long journey with them just because they’re similar to your friend?”
“Lady Tang, there seems to be some misunderstanding.”
From the tone of Lady Tang’s voice, I could feel her suspicion had reached a level of certainty.
Why did she suddenly start doubting me after trusting me just moments ago?
“Misunderstanding? Do you think I’ve never seen people approach with hidden agendas, wearing masks and speaking honorifics like you? When I heard your maternal grandfather runs a trading company, do you think I wouldn’t spot the change in your eyes?”
After gathering all the evidence, Lady Tang looked at me with the confidence of a detective shouting, “You are the culprit!”
‘I let my expression slip when I heard about the printing press.’
That solved the mystery.
If she had caught on to my intentions even a little, my claims of pure intentions may have sounded like a pathetic excuse from a guy caught molesting someone while claiming to be just like their daughter.
“This situation is what it is. Just like my friend… But still, you couldn’t have intended to help just for that…”
Her mutterings conveyed great disappointment in her voice and face.
Thank goodness she still believes in the story about my friend. Well, that’s something that cannot be doubted.
“Lady Tang…”
Swoosh! Suddenly, something whizzed past my face. When did she take out a throwing dart?
“Lady Tang! Lady Tang! People like you, who wear masks while hiding their true intentions, make me uneasy, so just leave.”
Lady Tang said to me with a resolute voice.
“Lady.”
“If you don’t leave now, I’ll aim for your forehead.”
“I’ll see you next time.”
Yeah, I’m leaving…
…
…
…
“Seriously… everyone’s only interested in what I have.”
Before closing the door to the guest room, I distinctly heard her lamenting words.
“Dammit… As if that could be true.”
There was no way there’d be someone approaching her with pure goodwill. Lady Tang said bitterly.
This was something Kang Yoon-ho had completely overlooked.
Since she was young, Lady Tang had been reviled and despised for her skin.
People who showed her goodwill always approached her for the sake of her background, not for who she was.
The brief glimmer of malice in Kang Yoon-ho’s eyes was merely a fleeting moment. Most people wouldn’t have caught it.
Only Lady Tang, having lived her life surrounded by masked individuals, could detect that moment of malice.
“Dammit, bastard! Barbarian bastard!”
Lady Tang screamed in anger, directing her wrath at the already vanished Kang Yoon-ho.
She had honestly hoped for more. A man who had a friend in the same predicament as her. She explained why she had come to be in such a situation so that he wouldn’t have to witness the same thing happening to her.
In a shocked state, unable to pull herself from despair.
She had never made a boyfriend, let alone a friend, how could she keep her wits about her with a man showing goodwill with such a friendly smile?
“…And he looks fine.”
Right. The one who lost their composure was the bastard who suddenly threw a line of seduction at her.
It was not her fault that she couldn’t keep her head when a barbarian appeared looking like a nobleman.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Lady Tang.”
Lady Tang spoke to herself, a little sadly.
The expectations she had for Kang Yoon-ho had risen greatly, and that fleeting greed had brought everything crashing down. He is just another guy like all the rest.
No one approaches her with pure goodwill. She trembled with sorrow and betrayal no one else could see.
“Ugh.”
In her swirling thoughts, she lay in bed for hours, and eventually, the pain returned; Lady Tang fell asleep just like that.
————–
Thud thud thud!
As night fell, a knocking sound could be heard from outside the door. Was it that man? Lady Tang got out of bed, put on her veil, and opened the door.
“Who is it?”
A man with an unfamiliar face, an expression of anger etched on his features, awaited her.
“The owner of the apothecary! Why haven’t you paid for the medicines?!”
“Medicines? Those bastards didn’t even pay for my medicine?”
It seems the fleeing servants hadn’t paid for Lady Tang’s medicine either.
“You’re a week late with your payment! Hurry up and pay!”
“…I’ll pay you next time.”
“What do you mean next time! You knew that you couldn’t even pay for the guest room!”
The apothecary owner began hurling insults at her when she refused to pay.
As the volume rose, people outside the guest room peeked in, but no one came to help.
Maybe they thought they’d finally be able to collect on the debt.
Even the guards of the inn came up to see how things were going, but they simply watched the situation unfold without stepping in.
It was pathetic. Listening to the man’s outbursts, Lady Tang couldn’t help but feel self-hate.
Stupid girl. If it weren’t for money, I wouldn’t even bother with you!
The servants who stole her money were right about it. Yeah, that’s a true fact. With a face like this, being sick, and that temper, who would come to help her?
Without her connections and backdrop, no one would lend her a hand. She felt it deep in her heart, a bitter truth she knew all her life, but experiencing it firsthand struck even deeper.
She was once a dear friend to her, an old acquaintance.
During this moment of utmost despair, a man came to her mind.
Yes. The man who helped her settle the dispute earlier in the morning must have approached her genuinely.
The man didn’t cast a single look of disdain at her when speaking to her while taking off the veil. That was a first-time experience for Lady Tang.
It’s true he was a friend to the doctors. Just like today, he approached her with genuine goodwill.
Could it be that she had misjudged his fleeting malice due to her own insecurities?
Maybe she had foolishly rejected his goodwill.
“Are you not listening? Pay up!”
Lady Tang stared at the furious apothecary owner. What should she do? She’s in debt, but it’s not like she could force him back. How can she pay this debt off?
Feeling hopeless and miserable.
Then…
“I’ll take care of it.”
Kang Yoon-ho appeared before Lady Tang with a smile on his face.
