Chapter 460: Return to the Tang Clan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 460: Return to the Tang Clan
Jaegyeong Pavilion
"The Jaemun Merchant Guild has sent over the delivery list!"
Tang Gam spoke in an urgent voice.
"Not doing it," Yorang replied flatly.
"The Dugwang Iron Workshop sent over the payment invoice!"
Immediately, Dang Yo, a new member of the Jaegyeong Pavilion, followed up with equal urgency.
"You handle it," Yorang said, her expression relaxed and leisurely.
"Lady Yorang! What do these dots in the calculations represent?"
"Those are unit separators. Every three zeros, it moves up by a thousand."
"Understood!"
The member quickly began reviewing the documents again.
"Hmm."
Watching them, Yorang wore a look of immense satisfaction. Seeing them work hard on their own without dumping everything on her filled her with a sense of contentment.
"Um, Lady Yorang."
A hesitant voice came from behind her. Turning her head slightly, she saw Tang Seo-yoon watching her with a very dubious expression.
"Yeees?"
"Aren't you resting a bit too much?"
"I'm not, though?" Yorang replied, shaking her head.
"It really looks like you are."
"I told you, I'm not!"
"You haven't even filled your minimum quota, have you?"
"What are you talking about? I finished that ages ago."
Yorang looked at her with a bewildered face.
"Look over there. I finished all of those," Yorang said, pointing to a stack of documents on the desk.
"Do you really think I don't know you just added your name to documents other people worked on?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, her eyes narrowing sharply.
"..........T-That can't be?"
Yorang feigned ignorance, acting as if she had no idea what Seo-yoon was talking about.
"Sigh."
Tang Seo-yoon let out a deep sigh. She felt she really needed to give Yorang a piece of her mind.
"Lady Yorang, look at me for a moment."
Tang Seo-yoon’s gaze turned serious.
"I am looking at you."
"I mean, let's go somewhere else to talk."
"Where are we going?"
Grab.
"Just follow me for now."
Tang Seo-yoon quickly grabbed Yorang’s hand and began leading her away. Yorang followed without a word, feeling a strange sense of pressure emanating from her.
After walking for a while, Tang Seo-yoon led Yorang to an empty lot behind the Jaegyeong Pavilion. It was a quiet place with few people around.
Tang Seo-yoon turned to face Yorang.
"Do you have any idea how many complaints the members have been filing lately?" she asked, her expression stern.
"What complaints?" Yorang asked, looking genuinely confused.
High base salaries.
An incentive system based on the number of documents processed.
Bonus money given every holiday.
Welfare that included three meals a day, snacks, and even housing.
And even a cute, capable, and beautiful boss.
The Jaegyeong Pavilion was perfect, lacking nothing. How could there be complaints in such a near-perfect workplace? She couldn't understand it at all.
"Is it because the workload is too high?" Yorang offered as her best guess. She couldn't imagine any other reason for dissatisfaction.
"No. Complaints about the workload completely vanished after the incentive system was implemented."
"Then what is it?" Yorang asked curiously.
"The complaints are about you, Lady Yorang!"
"Me?" Yorang asked, startled.
It was completely unexpected. What could they possibly have against her? She considered herself a generous boss. She frequently overlooked mistakes, never forced a strict hierarchy, and never put psychological pressure on them. Furthermore, she allowed a very free atmosphere where people could apply for leave or early departure without feeling judged.
What complaint could they have against such a generous superior?
"Liar!" Yorang raised her voice. She was convinced it was a lie. No matter how much she thought about it, there was nothing to complain about.
"It's not a lie."
"Then what exactly are the complaints!"
"First of all, you lack consideration."
"Consideration?"
"I heard that whenever someone makes a mistake or handles a task poorly, you criticize them openly in front of all the other members."
"That's so the others can see and learn from it as a cautionary tale!"
"You shouldn't do that. From the perspective of the person being scolded, it causes deep shame and humiliation."
"It's meant to be a deep lesson, using that shame and humiliation as a springboard to work harder!"
"No. Treating people that way only breeds resentment."
"Why?"
"As long as they are human, everyone is bound to make mistakes. But if someone is severely insulted and shamed for a mistake, they naturally become intimidated. The obsession with being careful actually leads to more frequent mistakes due to the pressure."
Tang Seo-yoon continued in a calm tone.
"It causes productivity to drop."
"......But if I don't scold them, they won't realize the gravity of the situation..."
"I'm not saying don't scold them. It's natural to be reprimanded for a mistake. Especially in the Jaegyeong Pavilion, where a single digit can mean the difference of thousands of gold. But in those cases, I want you to call them aside privately. At least give them the dignity of not being embarrassed in front of others."
".............."
Yorang fell into thought. She seemed to be seriously considering Seo-yoon's words.
"What if they still don't fix it?"
"Then you fire them. The Jaegyeong Pavilion isn't so soft that it can carry people who treat their work like a joke," Tang Seo-yoon said firmly.
".....Alright.... I think I was in the wrong."
Yorang finally nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad. I'm happy you agree with me."
Tang Seo-yoon smiled slightly. She had expected Yorang to be stubborn, so her quick compliance made her feel better.
"You were persuasive."
"Then, here is the second issue."
"There's more?" Yorang asked, surprised. What else could be wrong?
"I heard you haven't been working lately."
"......That's not true."
"Liar."
"It's true! You saw the stack of papers on my desk earlier!"
"You just slipped your name onto documents other members already finished."
"It was a collaborative effort!"
"I know you just did a single proofread."
".........Proofreading... is still work..."
"Lady Yorang."
Tang Seo-yoon’s expression became serious.
"You know the document processing has been switched to an incentive-based system, right?"
".....Yeah."
"Then what happens when you add your name as a processor?"
"..........I get an incentive?"
"Exactly. But the problem is that the incentive is split equally between you, who only did a proofread, and the member who did the bulk of the work. Don't you think that's unfair?"
"...........Yeah."
"You probably did it just to fill your quota rather than out of greed for money, but from the member's perspective, it's a huge injustice. Their incentive was cut in half just because you did one proofread."
"............I'm sorry.... I didn't... mean to..."
Yorang’s expression turned somber. She felt guilty, realizing she had caused a bigger problem than she thought.
"I know. You just wanted to slack off a bit," Tang Seo-yoon said with a small smile. "But you still can't do that. Taking credit for someone else's achievements is wrong."
"......Yeah."
"You won't do it again, right?"
".....Yeah, I'll work properly."
Yorang nodded her head slightly.
"If being the Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion is too hard or if you don't want to do it, you can tell me."
"It's not that it's hard or that I don't want to do it....... I don't mind working and earning plenty of money... I think... I just... slacked off a little."
"That's a relief. I was worried you might quit."
Tang Seo-yoon gave a bright smile.
"I'm really sorry.... I didn't know the kids were struggling that much."
Yorang reflected on her actions. She hadn't realized she had been pushing them that hard.
"It's okay. Who knows everything from the start? Everyone learns by bumping into things and falling down."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a warm smile.
"But... I'm a spiritual being?"
"Sorry... let me rephrase. Where is there a spiritual being who knows everything from the start? You learn by bumping into things and falling down."
Tang Seo-yoon giggled, finding the situation amusing.
"...What's that? That sounds weird."
Yorang laughed along with her. Tang Seo-yoon’s playful attitude helped clear away her gloomy mood.
"I'm going to apologize!"
Yorang seemed to have regained her energy, speaking with a spirited tone.
"Oh? to whom?"
"To everyone!"
Yorang’s eyes sparkled. It was a clear mistake on her part. She felt it was better to face them directly and bow her head.
"I'll be rooting for you, Lady Yorang."
Tang Seo-yoon watched her. Usually, people with old-fashioned, rigid mindsets react very negatively when their mistakes are pointed out. They ask what they did wrong, claim it was all for the best, or insist they aren't at fault.
But this cute boss before her was far from rigid. She had the drive to admit her mistakes and decide to apologize immediately.
"Then let's go!"
Yorang walked off energetically, and Tang Seo-yoon followed quietly behind. She intended to see exactly how Yorang would apologize.
"My Lady! Pavilion Head!"
Suddenly, Tang Gam came running toward them from ahead. He was calling out to them in a very urgent voice.
"What is it?"
"What's wrong?"
Tang Seo-yoon and Yorang asked with puzzled expressions. What could be so urgent that he was running like this?
"He's here!"
"What?"
"Who?"
"Lord Sun-woo has returned!"
"What!?"
"Wow!"
Tang Seo-yoon’s shocked voice and Yorang’s exclamation of joy erupted simultaneously. It was the best news they could have received.
"Tang Gam! Tang Gam! Where is Sun-woo?"
Yorang asked excitedly, pressing him for an answer. She looked ready to run to him and shower him with kisses right this second.
"He is currently in the Outer Guest Room with the Phoenix Hall Master."
"The Outer Guest Room?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked, her expression turning suspicious. If he had returned, he should have stopped by the Clan Head's Hall or gone to his own room. Why was he waiting for them in the Guest Room? And with the Phoenix Hall Master, Kang Ha-yoon, no less?
Shiver.
A sudden chill ran down her spine. An unsettling hypothesis flashed through her mind.
'.......No... it couldn't be, right?'
But she tried her best to deny the uneasy thought. Sun-woo had spoken with such confidence. He said he had no intention of adding more women. He said he had no desire to take on a dangerous explosive like Kang Ha-yoon. He had even gone so far as to pledge that if he added any more women, he wasn't a human, but a dog.
Under those circumstances, how could he possibly have taken Kang Ha-yoon as his woman? It was impossible.
"Yes, that is correct."
"What about the White Tiger Hall Master, whom the Phoenix Hall Master was escorting?"
"Hero Gal has already been moved to receive a medical examination."
"Hmm... I see. Understood."
Tang Seo-yoon nodded.
"Vice Pavilion Head Tang Gam."
"Please, speak."
"Could I ask one more favor?"
"Command me."
Tang Gam gave a slight bow.
"Could you inform the Third Madam that Sun-woo has returned?"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a very serious expression.
"The Third Madam?"
"Yes, please make sure to tell her."
Tang Seo-yoon nodded. She figured that if she told Geum Jeok-hwa about Sun-woo's return, she would take it upon herself to spread the news to Sun-woo's other women.
"Understood."
Tang Gam nodded. There was no reason to refuse an order from the Acting Clan Head. He turned around and began walking away, likely toward the office where Geum Jeok-hwa was located.
"Shall we head to the Guest Room then?"
Tang Seo-yoon, who had been watching his retreating back, turned to Yorang.
"Yeah!"
Yorang nodded with a bright, joyful face. She seemed filled with happiness at the thought of seeing Sun-woo after so long.
The two women quickly made their way toward the Guest Room where their beloved husband was staying.
*
Outer Guest Room
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Sun-woo’s entire body began to shake.
Drip.
Cold sweat began to pour down his face. It was all well and good to announce his grand arrival, but the thought of actually facing his women filled him with a complex mix of emotions.
First, he felt sorry for not keeping his promise; he felt guilty, and he was terrified that they would be disappointed in him. He was starting to lose his nerve.
'What do I do.... Should I start by acting like a dog? Woof! Woof! Bark? No, then they might just look at me with contempt, thinking I'm joking.... What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?'
Sun-woo’s complexion began to turn pale. He wanted to be shameless, but his weak heart wouldn't allow it.
Touch.
Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation on his hand. Looking down, he saw Kang Ha-yoon’s hand gently holding his. Sun-woo slowly turned his gaze to look at her.
"It will be okay."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with a soft smile.
"Everything... will be fine.. so.. don't be so anxious."
Her warm voice helped calm him down. His body began to change. The trembling stopped, and the cold sweat ceased to flow. He had regained his composure.
".......Thank you."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude to her for comforting him.
"It's nothing," Kang Ha-yoon replied, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment.
Step, step, step.
The sound of someone approaching reached Sun-woo’s ears.
Gulp.
Sun-woo swallowed hard and stared at the door of the Guest Room with a gaze full of tension.