Chapter 370
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 370
Chapter 370. Eternal (2)
My father spit out his tea when he heard me.
Thanks to Bikin's quick reaction, I was able to avoid getting splashed in the face.
“Are you okay?”
I asked, handing him a handkerchief, and my father took it, wiped his mouth, and said.
“I'm fine. Um... So, you mean that the head of the Pojeongsa told you to marry Miss Seo Hyang?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“....”
My father looked at me as if he was at a loss for words.
It's embarrassing for me when you look at me like that, Father.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I'm not sure.”
I sighed as I drank my tea.
“To be honest, I know I'm at the age where I should get married. But for now, I want to work for the development of the Trading Company.”
To be precise, I have to work hard to get revenge.
And as I said before, I didn't want to involve an innocent woman in my revenge.
“Hmm...”
My father looked at me, thought for a moment, and then said.
“Let's think about it simply.”
“Yes.”
“Do you see Miss Seohyang as a woman?”
“...”
I was speechless for a moment.
Huh?
I should have immediately said, “No!” Why can't I say it?
Seeing me like that, my father smiled slightly.
“You seem to have feelings for Miss Seo Hyang. Why are you hesitating?”
I replied with difficulty.
“I think I need to think about it some more.”
.
.
.
Leaving my father's study, I scratched my ear.
It seemed that the Grand Master would return to Gyeongju after hearing that answer.
“Huh...”
“Why are you sighing so deeply?”
I was startled by the sudden voice.
“Ugh!”
“Why are you so surprised?”
When I turned my head, Pal-gap was standing next to me. I didn't notice him at all...
“How long have you been here?”
“I came with you, sir.”
“Oh, I see.”
I smiled awkwardly.
“You must have waited a long time.”
“It's okay.”
He meant he had been waiting for a long time. I felt sorry for some reason.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
Pal-gap and I headed for my quarters. Since we were inside the Beijing branch, the guards had been dismissed.
“Pal-gap.”
“Yes.”
“If you had stayed there, you would have heard my conversation with my father.”
“I didn't hear anything.”
Pal-gap shook his head and replied.
Even if he had heard, that was the appropriate answer for a servant.
As far as I knew, servants were taught to answer that way during their training.
It was also a way to protect themselves.
There would be people who would kill a servant to silence them.
I chuckled.
There was no way Pal-gap couldn't have heard that conversation.
“What do you think if Seo-hyang and I get married?”
“You seem to be very confused.”
“It's just...”
“But why aren't you thinking about the most important thing?”
“The most important thing?”
“The intentions of Lieutenant Kwak.”
“...!”
Those words hit me like a blow to the back of the head.
“Ah...”
That's right.
Marriage is not something you do alone, so the other person's intentions are important.
But I'm thinking about this without even considering Miss Seo Hyang's intentions. I'm such a fool...
I looked at Pal-gap.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I'm grateful. You're my right-hand man, after all.”
“I'm just doing my job.”
I smiled wryly.
That night.
I told Master Jin, who had come to the Beijing branch to train me in the martial arts of the imperial court, that I was returning to Hubei.
I didn't ask him to tell the emperor.
He would tell the emperor anyway, even if I didn't.
This is hard.
Master Jin admired my extraordinary speed in learning the martial arts of the imperial palace, but learning martial arts is not easy.
As I headed back to my quarters, exhausted, I saw that the lights were on in my office.
Who could it be?
I turned around and headed for my office, and soon I knew who was inside.
I could feel Miss Seo Hyang's presence.
It was already late at night...
I quietly opened the door to her office.
Miss Seo Hyang was concentrating on some documents.
Next to her was a pile of documents she had already finished.
She looked serious and absorbed in her work.
Seeing her like that, my face flushed without me realizing it.
Why am I doing this?
This is really strange.
At that moment, she looked up, probably because a cold breeze came in through the door I had left open.
Our eyes met.
“Ah! Captain, you're here.”
She quickly stood up from her seat. I naturally entered the office and asked, “It's late, are you still working?”
“I'm just doing my duty so that the Captain can work smoothly tomorrow morning.”
“You're too diligent.”
“I don't think so.”
“I don't really understand why you say that, Captain. You only sleep two hours a day.”
“....
I was speechless.
What she said was true.
”Ahem.“
I cleared my throat and said, ”That's because I practice martial arts.
“That's because I've trained in martial arts. But you haven't. That's why you need to sleep at least three hours a day.”
I smiled and continued.
“If anyone hears that you collapsed from overwork, I'll be in big trouble.”
Miss laughed.
“I don't work that hard. But I know you are worried about me.”
I smiled wryly.
“Miss...”
“Yes?”
“Would you...”
I wanted to ask her how she felt about marrying me.
But when I looked at her face, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Why? I'm not usually this timid.
But I felt that this was something different from timidity.
I thought she would be embarrassed by my proposal, and if she refused, our relationship would be ruined.
My head was spinning.
In the end, I changed the subject.
“Is it okay for you to stay with me?”
She nodded in response to my question.
“Yes, I would.”
“I'm glad. At least I won't get scolded by the lord for the next few years.”
She laughed again at my words.
“That won't happen again.”
Seeing her smile brightly, my face suddenly turned red, and I felt the blood rush to my heart.
Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time I had felt this way.
When I was asked by Lord Po-Jeong to go to Gyeongju with my eyes.
Her smile was so beautiful that I found myself staring at her blankly for a long time.
I shook my head slightly.
I couldn't let such a beautiful, kind-hearted, and talented woman walk the thorny path I was walking.
I decided to meet with the Minister of Justice tomorrow and refuse his offer.
The next morning.
I sent a message to the Minister of Justice requesting a meeting, and received a reply.
* * *
Po-jeong-sa Dong-hui looked at Eun-seo-ho sitting across from him and asked, “What is it?”
“I came to give you my answer to your proposal the other day.”
“What have you decided?”
“I'm sorry, but I must decline.”
“Decline?”
He was taken aback. He didn't expect him to refuse his daughter.
At the same time, he felt angry.
However, he calmed himself down, remembering Eun Seo-ho's actions and the kindness he had shown him.
“May I ask why?”
“The path I must walk in the future is quite difficult.”
"Of course, I understand. It must be quite difficult to become the world's best trading company.“
”Of course, becoming the world's best trading company is my goal. However, I also have a personal goal that is difficult to explain.“
I continued.
”I don't want to drag your precious daughter into such a difficult path. I want her to walk on a flower-filled path, not a thorny one."
Frowning, Po Jeong-sa looked at Eun Seo-ho and soon realized something he hadn't noticed before.
It was that Eun Seo-ho's cheeks flushed and his eyes sparkled when he talked about his daughter.
In other words, he meant what he said.
That satisfied Po Jeong-sa.
“I see. I am grateful that you care so much for my daughter.”
“I'm sorry. And I understand what you're worried about, but there's no need to worry. Miss is already my second-in-command. And I never abandon my people.”
For some reason, those words were quite comforting.
So he decided to take a step back.
“You may not know this, but in my experience, relationships between men and women don't always go as planned.”
So this was one step forward and one step back.
* *
It had already been several days since we returned to Beijing.
And today was the day we were leaving for Hubei Province. If we left any later, the weather might cause problems.
Thanks to our hard work, we were able to finish all the pending tasks and leave.
The Hyungpung-guk employees stayed in Beijing.
This was because it was decided that Hyungpung-guk would be located in the Beijing branch, not in Hubei Province.
“Lieutenant Gwak is going to Hubei too!”
“Oh... I see.”
But why is Miss Seo-hyang so disappointed that I am going to Hubei Province with her?
“Aren't you sad that I'm going back to Hubei?”
They flinched at my question, but soon laughed and said, “Captain Gwak is the fairy of our Beijing branch.”
“That's right. She is incomparable.”
I chuckled, finding it somewhat ridiculous, but I guess that meant they cared deeply for Young Mistress Seo Hyang.
Come to think of it, Young Mistress Seo Hyang is the kind of person who would be loved by anyone.
And so we departed for Hubei Province.
During my stay in Beijing this time, the emperor did not call for me once.
That was to be expected, as he was busy discussing trade with other countries with his ministers.
Are you disappointed?
No, not at all!
Every time I see the emperor, it feels like my life is being cut short by several years.
I was now familiar with the road to Hubei.
That meant I had traveled it many times.
But Miss Seo Hyang, who was traveling this road for the first time, looked out the carriage window with a curious expression.
“What a beautiful view. I never knew the scenery could be so different from one region to another! It's amazing!”
I nodded in agreement.
“As you say, it is interesting at first. But after seeing it often, it becomes mundane.”
She asked with a complicated expression.
“Will that day come for me too?”
“If you stay as my aide, you will. I travel everywhere.”
“Then I'll have to work hard to keep up with you, Captain.”
Seo Hyang said to me.
“That reminds me, please teach me martial arts.”
“Martial arts?”
“Yes.”
Before I could say anything, Pal-gap spoke first.
“It won't be a problem for our young master. You just don't want to do it because it's troublesome.”
Hey, Pal-gap, if you say that, I can't refuse.
Then I'll become a piece of trash who refuses his second-in-command's request because it's troublesome.
Ugh.
I have no choice.
Come to think of it, learning martial arts would not only build Miss Seo Hyang's physical strength, but also enable her to defend herself, so it wasn't such a bad idea.
“All right. Every morning... we will train together.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled brightly again.
.
.
.
We traveled diligently and were now close to our destination.
However, before we arrived, the sun set and we had to spend the night.
The guards went ahead to prepare for the night, while Seo Woo and Myeong Jong stayed by my side to protect me.
I said to Seo Hyang.
“We only have one more day to go before we reach the headquarters of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I see. I'm looking forward to it.”
“First, I'd like to go with you to greet your Master.”
“Of course. By the way, what kind of person is your Master, Master Kwak?”
“He is a very good person. He may seem blunt, but I think he is just trying to protect his tender heart.”
“If you say he's a good person, then he must be a really good person.”
“Hmm, after we meet Master...”
They were discussing their plans for the future.
Suddenly, Miss Seo Hyang's gaze became blank.
And her face... was filled with regret.
What is it?
What on earth is going on?
Before I could count to five, her blank stare returned to normal.
And her first words were...
“Excuse me... Who is the woman named Hong Geum-so?”
Seo Woo, the warrior standing next to me, immediately responded to her question.
“Are you referring to my wife?”
“Ah... You mean Seo Woo's wife. That's why you're sad...”
Sad?
I asked her.
“Why do you ask?”
But Seo Hyang did not answer my question and asked something else with a serious expression.
“If we leave right now, how many hours will it take to reach Hong Geum-so?”
How many hours?
She just said we would arrive tomorrow, and she was smart enough to know that.
Seo Woo asked in a trembling voice.
“Has something happened to my wife?”
Seo Hyang-soo didn't answer right away and looked at me.
When I nodded, she opened her mouth.