Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Ch. 65🔒 .｡.:✧ Farewell ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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At last, the family affairs were settled.
Not long after the family council, which had ended in a massacre, Dokgo Hyun bid me farewell.
“I must be going now.”
“To think you would leave without even sharing a drink…”
“Huhu. No matter how close the Hao Clan is to the righteous factions rather than the unorthodox ones, I felt that the longer I stayed in this family, the greater the burden would become.”
“Hmm… it’s a pity. Still, I will see you off. I believe that much is acceptable.”
“Hehe. I thank you for saying so.”
After seeing Dokgo Hyun off outside the family estate, I returned to the house.
The family’s current situation was not easy.
Not only the ronin like the Black Serpent, but also the collateral branch member named Eun Hamin, who had openly rebelled, were all eliminated.
If there was one tricky point in this process, it was cleaning up the mess that those who had tried to swallow the family without knowing their place had made.
I don’t know how much they had embezzled, but they had imposed enormous interest on the surrounding escort agencies and martial arts schools that were entangled with the Silver River Trading Company, and were engaged in something almost like usury.
‘Still, from now on, Eun Hajin and the branch heads who were on our side will take care of it.’
I let out a long sigh in the pavilion, which was open on all sides.
It was close to a sigh of relief.
I had already handed over the position of heir to Eun Hajin.
From now on, Eun Hajin would take over the family head’s duties.
‘Come to think of it, I heard that Father is still recuperating in his sickbed.’
So many things had passed by in a flash over the past few days that I often forgot even important events.
The Gu poison that had been eating away at Eun Hacheol had already been resolved by removing the mother Gu that I had obtained from the Blood Witch.
But the aftereffects of the Gu poison that had been eating away at Eun Hacheol’s body and mind still often awakened his panic.
So he was still recuperating on the top floor of the family head’s residence.
Instead, Eun Hajin was leading the family.
‘I always think this, but my brother is as competent as Ha-seol.’
I smiled faintly.
To be honest, the only thing I had gained from this incident was regaining the family that I had already held in my hands.
There were other minor gains, such as building a favorable relationship with the Tang Clan.
But still, there was no direct benefit to me.
‘But I didn’t want to see the family fall apart before I returned to Mount Hua…’
But now, the time to return to the sect is approaching.
Swish—
I slowly poured the tea brewed from tea leaves into the cup.
Clink—
For some reason, I was lost in thought.
‘There is a place I need to visit before I return… but even so, I will probably return to Mount Hua within a month.’
I looked at the tea in the teacup with clear eyes.
I picked up the teacup and drank it down.
It was slightly hot.
‘Hmm, still, I wouldn’t be able to dream of tea of this level in the sect.’
That was a bit of a shame.
I, who had smiled foolishly, was lost in thought for a moment, and then I turned my head and asked the person waiting outside.
“How long do you plan on waiting?”
“……!”
“Why don’t you just have an open conversation with me.”
“…You.”
A stunningly beautiful woman with a prim expression slowly revealed herself and walked towards me.
As if she felt no need to maintain her concealment any longer, since the opponent had noticed that she was hiding.
I gave a faint, wry smile at Tang Yehwa’s action.
“What brings you here?”
“…No, just. I wanted to have a talk with you.”
“……”
To be honest, I had no particular feelings for Tang Yehwa.
In the first place, feelings like lingering attachment or regret could only be felt if there had been a significant interaction with her.
But after ‘I’ had possessed the human named Eun Ha-seong, there had been no meeting or interaction for two years.
Therefore, in the relationship between Tang Yehwa and Eun Ha-seong, who had had an engagement talk between their families since they were young and had maintained a friendship that could be called childhood friends, albeit awkwardly, I had no choice but to judge coldly.
‘Is this engagement beneficial to me in the future, can the relationship with the Tang Clan be beneficial in any way… well, something like that.’
At that moment when various thoughts were flashing through my mind, Tang Yehwa, who was showing a somewhat hesitant attitude, finally asked.
“What are you thinking right now?”
“…?”
Tang Yehwa was slowly approaching me, stroking her beautiful hair, which was mixed with a slight blue tint, with her palm.
Unlike usual, she was speaking informally.
Considering her attitude of using honorifics to some extent when Tang Hyeon-cheol or at least a guard was with her, it was a bit surprising.
“…Why are you speaking informally?”
“…There’s no one around, is there?”
“That’s not a justification.”
“Heung… if you wish, I will speak in honorifics. Is that better?”
“……”
Tang Yehwa turned her head slightly, as if she was slightly sulking.
But, that was only for a moment.
Plop!
She let out a short sigh and sat down next to me.
‘…?’
At the unusual distance, I glanced at Tang Yehwa with a questioning look.
At that, she frowned slightly and said.
“Why? Do you even dislike me sitting next to you?”
“…No, it’s just a bit unexpected.”
“Pardon?”
“…Weren’t you displeased with me until just a while ago.”
“…Heum, heum.”
Tang Yehwa cleared her throat.
As if she was embarrassed about something, she blushed slightly and poked my shoulder with her finger.
As the action was slightly annoying, I shook my head.
“…It hurts a little.”
“I poked you to hurt you, so what.”
“…Why are you speaking informally again?”
“…C-Can’t you just let that slide? We used to speak informally without hesitation when we were young, didn’t we?”
“……”
“Anyway…”
Tang Yehwa let out a short sigh.
I could somewhat guess her actions.
‘She probably came because of the engagement.’
Tang Hyeon-cheol also trusted me greatly and acknowledged my martial prowess.
Now that I had resolved the matter that had befallen the Silver River Trading Company, the Tang Clan would undoubtedly change their attitude towards me.
But it was true that I was not very enthusiastic.
That was the situation.
“……”
“……”
I had nothing to say, and Tang Yehwa also didn’t seem to want to speak easily.
An awkward silence continued.
‘Is she embarrassed?’
I glanced at Tang Yehwa.
At that, I realized that her cheeks, with her head bowed, were very red.
A strange atmosphere continued.
At that moment, she opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I’m sorry for not believing in you.”
It was a sincere confession.
Noticing that, I looked at her with a look of surprise.
Perhaps because she didn’t want to reveal that her face was very red.
She said in a barely audible voice.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t stare at me so intently…”
“…I understand.”
“Ugh… anyway, I came here to know your thoughts. From your perspective, you might think I’m a woman who easily changes her mind according to the circumstances, a woman with light words and deeds, but at least I wanted to ask you this seriously.”
She glanced at me.
Tang Yehwa’s eyes held an inexplicable bitterness.
As I was quietly listening to Tang Yehwa’s words, I thought.
‘Hmm, considering the past when the family was in shambles, the Tang Clan, and Tang Yehwa as well… they would have naturally considered breaking off the engagement.’
Thinking so, I pondered over and over.
As I maintained my silence for a while, as if the opponent had noticed that I was contemplating.
Tang Yehwa swallowed hard.
I could clearly see her Adam’s apple bobbing once.
After dragging on for a long time, I, who had finally made a decision, slowly opened my mouth.
“I am…”
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The next morning, as I was feeling the chilly air on my skin, I let out a sigh once in front of the gate leading out of the family estate.
“Huu.”
‘I’m finally returning to Mount Hua.’
It was a long, long time.
That was the thought that came to mind.
It was at that moment when I had finished my preparations to leave and was about to speak to the guards who were guarding the gate.
“O-Oppa…!”
“……?”
“Heok, heok… I heard you were leaving, but are you leaving already? And without a word to me!”
“H-Ha-seol…”
I trailed off as I looked at Eun Ha-seol, who had run all the way here in one breath.
In fact, it had not been long since Eun Ha-seol had returned to the family.
She had not returned to the family under the pretext of cleaning up after the Mount Yunhaeng escort mission, but finally, Eun Hajin had sent a carrier pigeon saying that the family’s affairs had been resolved and that she should return.
Thus, she also felt that the family’s problems had been settled and had returned.
‘But, from my perspective, since I’ve left all the heir’s duties to Eun Hajin, there’s no need for me to stay here any longer.’
I scratched my head in awkwardness.
In fact, I had been thinking of leaving the Silver River Trading Company as if I were running away and quickly returning to Mount Hua, as I thought I would be tied to the family for a while again due to Eun Ha-seol’s return.
Still, I had told Eun Hajin, so I thought there would be no repercussions.
‘No… but how does Ha-seol know?’
It was absurd.
As I stood there blankly, Eun Ha-seol caught her breath and stared at me intently.
“Oppa.”
“…Yes, Ha-seol.”
“For my brother to leave the family without a word, from my perspective, I’m a little, no, very hurt.”
“…I’m sorry.”
I apologized briefly without making any excuses.
At that, Eun Ha-seol let out a short sigh and then said as if she couldn’t help it.
“Huu. Still, I can’t help it. My second brother seems to have already made up his mind… and even if I ask you to stay a little longer, you won’t listen at all.”
“Hmm…”
As I smiled awkwardly, Eun Ha-seol shook her head a few times and then said.
“…Still, please make one promise.”
“A promise?”
“Yes, a promise. I have to get a definite answer here.”
“…Yes, as long as it’s something I can grant, I will grant it.”
At that, Eun Ha-seol smiled and opened her mouth.
“It’s not a very burdensome request. Just, even if it’s occasionally, please send me news. Send a carrier pigeon… of course, it would be best if my brother visited the family in person.”
“……”
“Anyway! Don’t forget and break the promise you made with me.”
As I was listening to Eun Ha-seol’s firm words, I finally smiled and nodded my head.
“…Yes, I will do so.”
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