Chapter 306
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 306
Chapter 306. Single-Minded (5)
We quickly arrived at a mountain.
This was where I found the Qingbing Shuimei, which cured my constitution shortly after my return, and it was also the mountain behind the Trading Company headquarters.
There is a medicinal herb here that helps restore the body.
Its name is Bokhwa.
When you smell the flower, your recovery speed increases dramatically.
I learned about this thanks to the Black Taoism gang that had previously flowed into Sungyang County.
They were fighting each other, and one of the Black Taoism leaders was seriously injured, but he found it and recovered.
The problem was that this made their fight even more violent, and innocent civilians were hurt.
I knew about this but didn't look for it earlier because it was still too early in the season.
If I remember correctly, it should have bloomed around this time. It's most effective when it's just bloomed.
It wasn't very important, so I had buried it in my memory, but the injury to my second-in-command, Cho Yeong-yeong, brought it back to me.
“Is it here?”
I nodded in response to Seo Woo's question.
“Yes, it is.”
I moved, recalling the information I had obtained from the Hao Clan earlier.
From the place where the three pine trees were gathered, I walked about 500 steps toward the crooked pine tree.
And...
How far did I go?
Because I used my movement arts, it didn't actually take long. About a moment.
Soon, I smiled.
I saw a red flower blooming on the cliff.
That was the Bokhyehwa.
Although it was blooming in the middle of a cliff, we were all masters at the peak of our abilities.
Furthermore, it wasn't a very steep cliff, so it was easy to get.
Come to think of it, the Black Dao warrior who had experienced the power of the bokhyehwa in his previous life said that he was able to obtain it when it was accidentally uprooted and fell down.
Anyway, now it's mine.
Strictly speaking, it belongs to Lieutenant Cho Yeong-yeong.
***
Yoo So-ak remained in the council chamber even after sunset.
When he arrived at the main hall earlier, he was suddenly struck blind by the news that Cho Yeong-yeong had been seriously injured.
He couldn't think of anything.
When he came to his senses, he was standing in front of the council chamber.
But he couldn't bring himself to go inside.
“Why did I do that?”
The reason was simple.
He was afraid to see Cho Yeong-yeong.
He sighed and looked at Cho Yeong-yeong lying on the bed, breathing heavily.
Seeing her like that, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart. To be honest, he had never felt this way before.
Until now, he had never really empathized with someone who was sick.
“I haven't felt this way since my mother passed away.”
He didn't like this feeling.
He wanted to see her chatting away as she always did. He wanted to see her cheeks turn red when he spoke to her...
He hesitated to reach out his hand.
He wondered if it was right for him to hold her hand when he hadn't even responded to her feelings.
He felt so hesitant to touch her because she was so precious to him.
He repeatedly pulled his hand back and then reached out again, and finally, he gently held Jo Yeong-yeong's hand.
It was very hot.
She had a fever from her injuries.
“Please... get up.”
He muttered as if praying fervently.
Her face was very pale, as if to prove that she had lost a lot of blood.
Even so, he wondered if she could be this hot.
Then,
Cho Yeong-yeong's eyelids fluttered, and her eyes opened. However, her eyes were unfocused.
“Uh... Chief Administrator?”
She smiled shyly and said.
“I've trained in martial arts, so I'm very strong. That's why I'm not someone who dies easily...”
“...”
“I don't have any other men in my life besides you...”
Upon hearing those words, Yoo So-ak bit his lip.
Cho Yeong-yeong knew her past.
That was why she was saying such things.
“When did you find out?”
“When I went to Beijing.”
He asked without realizing it.
“Did you feel sorry for me?”
“You're strong. Why would you feel sorry for me?”
“....”
Strong! He was strong!
“No, I'm not strong. I'm just a coward who runs away.”
“No, if it were anyone else, they would have gone crazy by now... But you're still alive. That means you're a strong person. That's why... I love you so much. Hehehe.”
It seemed that he was indeed confused. Otherwise, he would not have spoken so freely.
“What exactly do you like about me?”
“I just like you. Hehe.”
“....”
“Don't be shy.”
Without realizing it, Yoo So-ak tightened his grip on Cho Yeong-yeong's hand.
“Do you know how beautiful the spring flowers are when they bloom in the mountains behind the castle?”
“Yes, I do.”
“The plum trees planted by the third Captain are very beautiful. Let's go see them together this spring.”
“Really? I'd love to. Hehehe. Can you promise?”
“Of course. I promise. So... please get well soon.”
Yoo So-ak told Cho Yeong-yeong all sorts of stories.
In the summer, they would walk together in the rain by the pond, and in the fall, they would go see the autumn leaves.
He kept talking and talking.
This was because he had a vague fear that if he closed his eyes, he would never be able to open them again.
Then, it happened.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
As expected, it was made by the Elder Man-gyeol, so the sleeping potion was very effective.
I approached them, looked at their tightly clasped hands, and smiled.
The Jin-yu warrior opened the box he had handed me and took out the bokhyehwa inside.
Then he held it under Jo Yeong-yeong's nose.
Jo Yeong-yeong's breathing began to stabilize, and his complexion improved.
Fortunately, we weren't too late.
“If we had been a little late, it would have been too late,”
said Jin Yu, who checked Jo Yeong-yeong's pulse. Perhaps because of his profession, Jin Yu was also knowledgeable about medicine.
In order to kill someone quickly and surely, one must have a good understanding of the human body.
“Perhaps it was thanks to you continuing to talk to him, Chief Administrator?”
“I think so too.”
We smiled at each other and slipped away as if nothing had happened.
.
.
.
I headed for the annex.
To be precise, I headed for the garden in the alley leading to the annex.
The Eunhae Trading Company was so large that it had backyards in various places.
When I arrived at the backyard, I took the bokhye-sil out of my sleeve.
The bokhye-sil that had helped Lieutenant Cho Yeong-yeong recover had long since withered.
Although it could only be used once, I did not regret using it for Lieutenant Cho Yeong-yeong.
If Lieutenant Cho had died, Chief Administrator Yoo would have been devastated.
And everyone who cared about Lieutenant Cho Young-yeong, including his father, would have been deeply hurt.
Above all, Lieutenant Cho Young-yeong's father, Cho Haeng-soo...
In any case, it could cause a rift in the Eunhae Trading Company. Even a very small rift could affect the Eunhae Trading Company's future as the world's best trading company.
As long as I am here, I cannot allow even the slightest rift to occur in the Eunhae Trading Company.
I muttered to myself as I looked at the quality armor in my hands.
“By the way, what should I do with this?”
No matter how withered the bokhye-sil was, if someone else saw it, it would be a big problem.
I even had my aide, Jo, and Chief Administrator Yoo sleep so that they wouldn't know that it had been used.
That was when it happened.
“Kui? Kui! Kui!”
The sound of Geum-ryeong's voice rang in my head.
“What? Is this for you?”
At my question, Geum-ryung popped out of my sleeve and nodded.
Her eyes sparkled, and her mouth watered.
I crouched down and looked at Geum-ryung.
“Are you going to eat this?”
“Kui!”
Geum-ryeong nodded enthusiastically.
“Didn't you say you only eat silver and gold?”
At my question, Geum-ryeong tilted her head and shook it.
“Kui? Kui. Kui! Kui!”
"So... you eat things like this too? Ah... You eat everything that's expensive. But this has already lost its potency, right?“
”Kui! Kui!“
”You can squeeze every last drop out of a herb that has lost its potency?“
That's what I mean by extreme efficiency.
Anyway, if this kid can handle it, I have no reason not to give it to him.
”Go ahead and eat it."
I handed it to Geum-ryeong, who quickly put it in his mouth and ate it with relish.
Then he went back into my sleeve.
I smiled at him and turned away.
Then I gave a clasped hands greeting to Seo-woo and Jin-yu.
“Thank you for not asking any questions.”
To be honest, I had been wondering what to say if they asked me about today's events.
But the two warriors didn't ask anything, and I was very grateful for that.
“It is the will of our Liege. We are only following his orders.”
“We will continue to protect our Liege. So please don't worry.”
I nodded at their words.
I could feel deep trust in the eyes of Seo Woo, who had regained his life thanks to Bokshiryeong.
“Let's go.”
“Shall I take you to your quarters?”
“No, I have to go to Hyungpung. I have a lot of work to do.”
Seeing me walk away, Jin-yu said, “Don't be sad.”
My voice must have sounded sad.
“I'm not sad. I'm just sad for you.”
“Who was the escort this time?”
“It was me and Chang-woon.”
“Let's work together.”
***
Yoo So-ak woke up with a start.
“Oh no!”
He was confused.
He had decided to guard Cho Yeong-yeong all night, but he had fallen asleep.
“You idiot!”
He blamed himself and quickly checked on Cho Yeong-yeong. He was afraid that she might have already passed away during the night.
But...
Her complexion looked better than yesterday, and she was sleeping peacefully.
Her breathing was steady, and he could tell that she was in good condition.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Now that she was okay, he should get up...
But he couldn't get up.
Jo Yeong-yeong was holding his hand tightly and wouldn't let go.
The doctors and nurses would be coming soon to check on her.
He felt embarrassed staying there, but if he pulled his hand away, Jo Yeong-yeong would wake up, and he didn't know what to do.
“Did you sleep well?”
At that moment, the door opened and the head of the medical office entered with a female doctor.
“Ugh... I showed you my ugly side.”
“No, it's okay.”
The head of the medical office laughed and said,
“It was very nice to see last night. Hehehe.”
That meant that the Hall Leader had seen the two of them sleeping with their hands clasped together last night.
Yoo So-ak quietly turned his head away.
“Anyway, it seems like we can breathe a sigh of relief now. We've made it through the worst. It's all thanks to Chief Administrator Dao's dedication.”
“....”
.
.
.
Yoo So-ak left the treatment to the Hall Leader and left the hall.
He had a mountain of work to do, but he did not regret holding Jo Yeong-yeong's hand last night.
He looked at his hand.
It felt as if her warmth was still there.
‘But...’
No matter how much he thought about it, it was suspicious that he had suddenly fallen asleep last night.
He was supposed to be an expert at staying up all night.
“And... I think I heard the voice of the third captain.”
***
Three days had passed since I revived Captain Cho Yeong-yeong in the recovery room.
Rumors of a miracle were spreading throughout the Eunhae Trading Company.
It was said to be a miracle brought about by the hearts of Chief Administrator Yoo So-ak and Lieutenant Cho Yeong-yeong.
To be honest, that was much less stressful for me.
And as such stories accumulated, the members of Eunhaesang Trading Company grew closer.
I took the documents and headed for the Chief Administrator's office.
But, unusually, he was not there.
Seok Il-song explained the situation to me.
“He is in the council chamber.”
“Ah...”
It was urgent, so I headed straight for the council chamber. I knew exactly where he was.
“I heard you clearly. We're going to enjoy the flowers in spring and walk by the pond in summer.”
“Huh huh huh. That's right.”
“You promised. You're not going back on your word, are you?”
“No, I didn't.”
“If you had said no, I would have been very sad.”
“...”
They were so sweet together.
I listened quietly to their conversation and smiled.
In his previous life, Assistant Officer Cho Yeong-yeong's devotion was not rewarded, but in this life, he was finally rewarded.
By the way...
What should we do about the mob that nearly killed Lieutenant Cho Young-young?
Changin Escort Agency and I were discussing this from various angles.
The head of Changin Escort Agency is coming to the Trading Company this afternoon to discuss this matter.
To be honest, I understand them.
They did it to survive.
But that doesn't mean they should harm others, does it?