Chapter 199
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 199
Chapter 199. Jin-ho's Spring (3)
That day, I left the Trading Company with an invitation.
Of course, I had a lot of work to do, but that could wait until later.
If necessary, I could sleep less or stay up all night.
However, Miss Ha's work was urgent.
“Should we go to the Changin Escort Agency?”
I nodded in response to Seo Woo's question.
“Yes.”
The warriors assigned to escort me today were Seo Woo and Lee Pil. Accompanied by Pal-gap and the two warriors, I headed for the Changin Escort Agency.
Miss Ha said she was working as an escort at the Changin Escort Agency, so we should be able to find her if we go there.
Soon, we arrived at Changin Escort Agency.
Changin Escort Agency was not far from Eunhaesang Trading Company.
That's why Jin-ho could stop by here once every three days.
It would have been the same even if it was farther away.
“Where are you from?”
I answered the gatekeeper's question.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company. I am here to see the head of the Changin Escort Agency.”
“Ah! We have been expecting you. Please come in.”
Thanks to the message I sent in advance, we were able to enter immediately.
However, a familiar servant approached me and bowed his head with a perplexed look.
“I apologize. An urgent guest has arrived, and the head of the escort agency is currently in a meeting with him...”
“It's fine. Such things are bound to happen when working for an escort agency. I will take a look around while I wait.”
“Is that so?”
The attendant said with a bright smile.
“Then I will have someone show you around.”
After waiting for a moment, an escort approached us.
“Ah! Captain!”
“It's been a long time.”
It was an escort I had traveled with before, so I greeted him warmly. Then, following his guidance, I looked around the escort agency.
The training ground was larger than I had expected.
“The training ground is quite large.”
Seo Woo explained.
“The escort agency is responsible for both transportation and security, so martial arts training and physical training are very important. That's why most of our personnel must train consistently when they are not on duty.”
“I see.”
“I guess the higher your martial arts level, the higher your rank and the safer you are, so you have no choice but to train hard.”
The escort agency's escort nodded at the words of Seo Woo, a former head escort.
While looking around, he saw a group of women.
Judging by their attire, they looked like escorts.
Although most escorts were men, there were also some female escorts.
In that case, Miss Ha must be among them.
He hadn't heard anyone mention her.
Who is she?
He knew about Miss Ha Soo-min, but he realized that he had never seen her before.
“Wow, they are so beautiful.”
The escort agency head smiled at Pal-gap's words.
“They are the pride of our escort agency. In particular, Miss Ha is one of the dragon and phoenixes of our escort agency.”
“Dragon and phoenix?”
“You know how it is in the martial arts world, right? Like the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.”
“Ah...”
In the martial arts world, unmarried prodigies who excel in martial arts and appearance are called dragon and phoenix. Men are compared to dragons and women to phoenixes.
“There are people in our escort agency who are considered to be like that, and one of them is Ha.”
“I wonder who it is.”
“It's the second escort on the left.”
“...”
No wonder Jin-ho fell in love.
She was the most beautiful among them.
“But it seems like she will soon be removed from the Dragon and Phoenix.”
“What?”
“Don't you know yet? Captain Eun Jin-ho has been visiting her frequently. And although she doesn't say anything, I think Blade's escort also has feelings for Captain Eun Jin-ho.”
“I see.”
If even the escorts know about it... Oh, Jin-ho.
By the way, just by looking at her, there is no way to tell that she is suffering from a heart condition.
She looked very healthy, and Master also said that her martial arts skills were outstanding.
As expected, she has no symptoms.
That's why no one knew.
However, it is certain that Miss Ha will die of a heart attack in a year.
I thought for a moment and approached them.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ah!”
“Oh! Captain!”
Fortunately, there was an escort I knew among them.
He was one of the escorts who had accompanied me when I visited Luoyang with my mother.
“Ah, Captain, you're here too.”
“Yes.”
She introduced me to the other warriors.
“Please greet him. This is Captain Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Ah!”
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, it's nice to meet you. I came to say hello in case you happen to join our Eunhae Trading Company's mission in the future.”
“Of course.”
“The Eunhae Trading Company is a long-time customer of our escort agency, so it's only natural.”
As we exchanged greetings, I glanced at Miss Ha.
Huh?
I didn't notice it from a distance, but when I saw her up close, I felt a strange sense of uneasiness.
It was as if something was blocking me...
If this was due to Miss Ha's pulse disorder, why couldn't the others sense it?
Ah... Could it be that?
Hyunryongseongche.
That was the only difference between me and the others.
If so, did Hyunryongseongche have the ability to sense something like a pulse disorder?
I would have to look into this further.
But judging from this feeling of uneasiness, it was clear that something was wrong with Miss Ha.
And it must be pulse disease.
By the time this disease is naturally revealed, it will already be too late.
At that moment, a servant came running from afar.
I'll have to think about it after I meet the governor.
A moment later
I sat down with the King and my Master in the reception room of the Changin Escort Agency.
“It's been a long time.”
“Both you and I are busy, so it can't be helped, right? Hahaha.”
Seeing the King laughing heartily, I smiled awkwardly.
“By the way, what is the matter? Did we make a mistake?”
“No, not at all.”
I waved my hand and said.
“I am always satisfied with the services of the Changin Escort Agency. How could I have any complaints? The reason I came here is because I just turned 20.”
“Oh! Is the young master already that old?”
“Yes.”
I took the invitation out of my sleeve and handed it to him.
“I came to invite you and the escort agency to my birthday party.”
The governor smiled warmly and nodded.
“Of course, you are our future, so you must attend.”
“What do you mean, future?”
My master cleared his throat at my question.
“Ahem. That's how it is.”
“Ah...”
Only then did I understand the situation.
My Master had told him about me.
After all, I had given him the funds left behind by the investigator, so he had no choice but to tell the King.
“Thanks to you, we can continue our activities. I am truly grateful.”
“It's not thanks to me. It's thanks to the investigator.”
After talking about this and that, the topic turned to Young Mistress Ha.
“By the way, are you sure you have feelings for Ha Escort?”
I was wondering how to bring up the subject of Ha Escort, so I was grateful that the governor brought it up first.
“I think so. To be honest, my brother is usually indifferent to things he's not interested in. But if even you know about it, then it must be true.”
“I'm glad to hear that. Then... what do the Trading Company's captain and his wife think about it?”
From the governor's perspective, he must be concerned about what her parents think.
Ha, I am just the daughter of a head escort at a martial arts academy.
“My parents don't care about things like that. And it's not like we have a family tradition of encouraging political marriages.”
Even your eldest sister-in-law was the daughter of a low-ranking martial arts academy instructor.
And I'm sure your father and mother know about this.
Are they waiting for Jin-ho to bring it up first?
“I'm glad to hear that...”
“But I'm worried about something else.”
“...?”
When I said that, the governor and my master looked at me.
“This may sound a little strange, but I would like Ha Escort to have his pulse checked.”
“His pulse? Does that mean there is something wrong with him?”
“I can't say for sure, but when I greeted Ha Escort earlier, something seemed off. I think it would be best to invite Elder Heukjeok to check his pulse.”
My words made their faces serious.
At this point... I think I've laid the groundwork.
I said goodbye to the two of them and left the Changin Escort Agency.
Now it was time to visit the old man at the general store.
“You're here?”
The old man was sitting in a chair looking outside, and as soon as he saw me, he said one word.
It may have sounded curt, but I could sense his warmth in his voice.
I took the invitation out of my sleeve and said,
“You're coming to my birthday party, right?”
“Birthday party? Isn't your birthday already over?”
“Yes, it is.”
As expected, he knows when my birthday is.
“But even though you know when my birthday is, you didn't get me a birthday present?”
“Have you ever gotten me a birthday present?”
“....”
Oh, right.
“How could I get you a present when I don't even know when your birthday is? Besides, you never told me.”
“Did I ask you?”
No, you didn't.
“When is your birthday? I'll get you a present from now on.”
“Find out for yourself.”
“What?”
“If you find out when my real birthday is, I'll get you a nice present.”
“I will definitely find out.”
But it's not just any birthday, he said it was his real birthday, which means that the birthday most people know is fake...
“Is that why you're not coming to my birthday party?”
At my question, the old man quickly grabbed the invitation and said.
“Aren't you busy? Hurry up and go.”
“Yes. I'm going. I'll go.”
I chuckled. He was still not being honest.
As I got up, the old man said.
“By the way, I heard you did quite well this time. You buried that brat from the Namgung Clan.”
“I didn't do it myself... And he got what he deserved.”
He was arrested by order of the emperor.
“Why would someone who wasn't interested in such things take an interest?”
“Huh?”
“Don't you think it's because you were involved?”
“Ah...”
I scratched my cheek.
It made sense.
“So, in the end, you were the one who buried that boy from the Namgung Clan.”
Is that how it is?
But there was something strange about the old man's tone.
“Do you dislike the Namgung Clan?”
“...”
I didn't answer, but it was as if he had heard my answer.
“Well, I'll be going now. I'll see you at my birthday banquet.”
“Go if you want.”
Yes, sir.
I smiled wryly and left the general store.
.
.
.
My birthday party was set for the end of November.
I decided to give everyone a little more time since some people were coming from far away.
Then, five days before the birthday party.
When I finished my breathing exercises and stood up, my master entered my room.
“You're here?”
“Yes.”
But my master didn't look very happy.
Could it be?
“Your palm reader came yesterday. I asked him to check your pulse, as the king requested.”
My master paused for a moment, then looked intently at me and asked.
“How did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“How did you know about Sumin's condition and ask my master to check his pulse?”
“...What is his condition?”
My master replied with a serious expression.
“It is a triple pulse.”
“But if it's a pulse deficiency…”
“Yes, usually a pulse deficiency is visible on the surface. But in Sumin's case, it is a rare condition called hidden triple pulse, so by the time the illness became apparent, it was already too late to do anything.”
My master sighed and continued.
“How did you know?”
“Actually, when I saw the escort yesterday, I felt a sense of uneasiness. It was as if something was blocking my throat. That's how I realized that something was wrong.”
“...”
“But he looked healthy on the outside, so I thought it would be best to call Elder Heukjeok.”
“I see.”
“I'm not sure, but I think it's because of my constitution that I sensed something that others couldn't.”
“With your constitution, that makes sense.”
He looked somewhat convinced.
“Anyway, it's fortunate that the illness was discovered early, but Head Escort Ha must be very upset.”
“That's true. Still, I'm glad there's a cure.”
“As expected of Elder Heukjeok.”
“However, it's not all over yet. He needs high-quality medicinal herbs for his treatment.”
I smiled at his words.
That's no problem.