Chapter 517: A Ripe Married Woman Falls into Debt
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 517: A Ripe Married Woman Falls into Debt
"Another way?"
Paeng Ga-ryeon asked back, her expression one of feigned confusion as she looked at Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
"I mean... other than spitting back the bribe... is there really no other way?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon stammered, the words barely escaping her lips.
"Madam Hwangbo."
Paeng Ga-ryeon called her name, her expression turning grave.
".....Yes?"
"I believe I am already being exceptionally lenient with your circumstances."
Paeng Ga-ryeon glared at Hwangbo Yu-yeon with a sharp, piercing gaze.
"What more could you possibly want me to do?"
".........."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon bit her lip and fell into a heavy silence.
She knew Paeng Ga-ryeon was right. The woman had already shown her more than enough mercy. To be told that her crimes would be overlooked as long as she returned what she had taken—there could be no better terms than those.
But even those favorable terms were nothing short of a death sentence to Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
She had no money.
She was broke.
It wasn't an exaggeration; it was the literal truth.
The bribe she had received from the Cheonil Merchant Group six months ago was exactly five hundred thousand Nyang. As soon as she received it, she had sent it straight to her clan. It was to save her kin, who were on the verge of starvation after the clan went into Sect Seclusion.
Since then, she had been scraping by on her monthly dignity maintenance allowance and faction support funds. There was no way she had the ability to pay back a staggering sum like five hundred thousand Nyang.
"But... I... the money..."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s voice trailed off into a stutter.
"Surely you aren't suggesting you've spent it all? A fortune like five hundred thousand Nyang?"
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s eyes grew colder than the Bitter Cold Northern Wind as she bore down on the woman.
Flinch.
"............"
Meeting that gaze, Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s shoulders shook, and she clamped her mouth shut. Her intuition told her that admitting the money was gone would only make the situation far more dire.
"Madam Hwangbo, under normal circumstances, you would be required to pay back the bribe along with hundreds of thousands of Nyang in fines. Are you aware of that?"
"......I am."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon replied, her voice devoid of energy.
It was the truth. If she were punished through the proper legal channels, the fines alone would have been astronomical.
"Then you understand just how great a favor I am doing you?"
".........Yes."
"Then what must you do?"
".........I must return the bribe."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon answered with a dejected expression.
"I trust that you will."
Paeng Ga-ryeon stared directly into Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s trembling eyes.
"............Yes."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s face was the picture of misery.
".............."
She hung her head low and fell into a stunned silence, looking as though she had been struck by a bolt from the blue.
"......Madam Hwangbo."
Paeng Ga-ryeon called out to her, her voice softening slightly.
".....Yes."
"I will give you seven days and nights."
"Seven... days and nights!?"
"Yes. I’ve managed to keep the former commander’s mouth shut for now, but if we drag this out any longer, he might report directly to the Alliance Leader. If that happens, not only you but the Law Enforcement Hall itself will have its integrity questioned."
Paeng Ga-ryeon looked at her with absolute seriousness.
"So, please, ensure you have the amount ready within seven days. If you miss the deadline, even I won't be able to help you."
"...........Yes."
Hearing Paeng Ga-ryeon’s firm ultimatum, Hwangbo Yu-yeon nodded slowly. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of sorrow and anxiety.
"That is all I had to say. Do you have anything else? If not, I think we should conclude our business for today."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s tone was flat. It was a clear expulsion order.
"Um..."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon slowly opened her mouth.
"How much... Longjing tea may I take with me...?"
Her face flushed deep red with shame as she asked.
"Take as much as you like."
Paeng Ga-ryeon looked at her as if she were a pathetic, cute creature.
"Thank you..... Then.... I will get it from the maidservant."
"Do that."
Paeng Ga-ryeon nodded, and Hwangbo Yu-yeon finally stood up.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
She bowed her head slowly and hurried out of the room. She couldn't bear to look at Paeng Ga-ryeon’s face for a second longer.
Paeng Ga-ryeon watched her retreating back intently.
"She's gone."
Once the woman’s presence had completely vanished, Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke.
Slide.
As if on cue, a man emerged from behind her. He was a martial artist with well-developed muscles and handsome features.
It was Sun-woo.
"Nice job with the pressure."
Sun-woo looked at Paeng Ga-ryeon with a satisfied smirk on his lips.
"You flatter me."
At his praise, Paeng Ga-ryeon’s expression turned bashful.
"No, really, you did great. I think that was enough to push her to the edge."
Sun-woo reached out and stroked her head as if she were a clever pet.
"....Th-thank you."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s face turned bright red, and she leaned into his touch. This was a woman who was used to being slapped, cursed at, and mistreated. To suddenly receive praise sent her sense of happiness skyrocketing.
Perhaps it was the joy that comes after long deprivation. Her past sorrows made this sudden shift in emotion feel all the more dramatic.
"But is it true? Did she really take the bribe?"
Sun-woo asked curiously.
"Yes, it's true. She took exactly five hundred thousand Nyang."
"Then why did you keep it a secret until now?"
Stroke, stroke.
Sun-woo continued to gently brush his hand through her ebony hair.
"......I was saving it to reveal at a more dramatic moment."
Paeng Ga-ryeon’s face glowed with a shy blush.
"A dramatic moment?"
"Yes... for instance, when the succession competition was in full swing..."
".......That's pretty petty."
Sun-woo remarked, sounding impressed.
"........I'm sorry."
She apologized, looking genuinely contrite.
"Nothing to be sorry about."
Sun-woo shook his head.
".....Yes."
"Anyway, do you think Hwangbo Yu-yeon can actually get the money?"
"It'll be impossible. She's already living a very strained life."
"She has no other sources?"
"She gets her monthly allowance and faction funds, but that won't even come close to the amount she needs."
"Then what do you think she'll do?"
"She'll probably try to borrow it. From her husband, or perhaps the other wives."
"Will they lend it to her?"
"No one will. Everyone is pinching pennies to fund their own succession struggles. Who would lend to her?"
"What about Lee Jae-won?"
"Lee Jae-won is a miser at heart. He won't part with money unless it's for something legitimate. Besides, he's extremely sensitive right now because of the Large-Character Posters. If she catches him at the wrong time, she might get kicked out with nothing but a mouthful of insults."
"Poor thing."
Sun-woo looked toward the door with a gaze full of pity. Thinking about Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s situation actually made him feel a twinge of compassion.
Of course, the root cause of her misery was Sun-woo himself, who had practically dismantled the Hwangbo Clan.
"It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped. It's her karma," Paeng Ga-ryeon said matter-of-factly.
"Karma?"
"Yes. I heard she sent all five hundred thousand Nyang to her maternal family. I consider that her karma."
"Why?"
"Because it would have been a much better choice to use that money as capital to start a business that brings in monthly income."
She thought Hwangbo Yu-yeon was incredibly foolish. To send the entire bribe to her clan—how could anyone be so stupid? If she had been in the same situation, she never would have done something so brainless.
"Surely the Hwangbo Clan didn't just waste the money?"
"That's because you don't know the leadership of the Hwangbo Clan. They have a 'get rich quick' mentality and have ruined several businesses already. I'm certain they blew through that five hundred thousand Nyang in less than six months."
Paeng Ga-ryeon looked at Sun-woo with absolute certainty.
"Hwangbo Yu-yeon really is pitiful."
Sun-woo’s pity deepened. Hearing the inside story, the image of her pouring water into a bottomless pot felt even more tragic.
I should be nice to her.
Sun-woo thought. He should at least treat her better than he treated Paeng Ga-ryeon. At the very least, he shouldn't let her get any more miserable than she already was.
*
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Lee Jae-won tapped his brush against the desk rapidly.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
His brow was furrowed in a deep, irritated scowl.
"So....... you're saying you need five hundred thousand Nyang?"
Lee Jae-won glared at Hwangbo Yu-yeon, who was standing meekly before him.
".....Yes."
"And you can't tell me what it's for?"
".......Yes."
"And you need it within seven days?"
".........Yes."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon answered with her head bowed low. She didn't have the courage to meet his eyes.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Lee Jae-won looked at her as if she were speaking gibberish. What kind of bullshit was this?
"Do you honestly think this makes any sense?"
"......But.... My Lord... I have a use for it.."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke with a dejected expression.
"I'm asking you what that use is!"
"That... I cannot say..."
She stammered. There was no way she could tell him. She couldn't say she needed the money to return a bribe. The details of the bribe recovery were strictly confidential. If she told Lee Jae-won, there would be hell to pay. Not only that, but she would also be putting Paeng Ga-ryeon—who had tried to help her—in danger.
She couldn't do that. She simply couldn't.
"How can you ask me for such a fortune without even telling me where it's going! Do you think I'm your personal bank?"
Lee Jae-won raised his voice, shouting at her. He was already stressed to the breaking point. To have his wife—who should be helping him—begging for money instead of supporting him made his blood boil.
"My... My Lord..... I... the truth is..."
Hurt by his harsh words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon looked as if she were about to break. Seeing this terrifying side of her husband, she was on the verge of confessing everything.
"I don't want to hear it! It's the same old story, isn't it? You've probably fallen into debt because of your uncontrollable vanity and wasteful spending! I've heard all about your extravagance! I even know you've been embezzling funds from the Alliance to send to the Hwangbo Clan! How much do you expect me to tolerate? What do you want from me!?"
Lee Jae-won began to vent all his pent-up frustration on her. He finally let out all the resentment he had been hiding behind his "kind" facade.
"I can't stand the sight of you! Get out of my sight! Right now!"
He barked the expulsion order, adding that he didn't even want to look at her.
".......Sob.... Hic... My Lord.."
Hearing his cruel words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon began to cry. The husband she thought would be on her side until the end had turned on her with such venom that she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
Ever since her brother died and the Hwangbo Clan went into seclusion, she hadn't spent a single coin on luxury. Every bit of money she got went straight to the clan to cover the debts left by the previous head's failed businesses and to rebuild their ruined home.
Furthermore, because she didn't want her daughter to feel inferior to other children, she had pinched every penny to ensure the girl wanted for nothing. Her only "luxuries" were gifts she had received over the years and a bulk purchase of cheap tea leaves she had been scammed into buying.
She was the furthest thing from extravagant.
She felt so wronged. It was devastating to be branded a profligate woman by Lee Jae-won, when her life was anything but.
It was miserable. It was utterly wretched to realize that the one person she thought would never turn his back on her wouldn't even listen to her side of the story.
"Sob... hic... waaaah..."
Finally, she burst into sorrowful, heart-wrenching sobs.
"If you're going to cry, do it outside! I don't want to see your tears! I'm sick of your fake crying!"
Lee Jae-won glared at her and shouted again, his face contorted in a grimace.
This bitch starts wailing the moment she doesn't get her way. Is 'crying first to win' some kind of universal law for these women? This is ridiculous. A woman with tits and an ass that big shouldn't look so pathetic when she cries.
Lee Jae-won was already completely fed up with his wives. To him, Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s sorrowful weeping was nothing more than noise.
"Sob.... hic.... sniff.... I understand... hic... I'll... go."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve. She didn't want to show her husband any more of her pathetic state.
She turned and hurried out of the office, her footsteps quick and desperate. Her figure vanished in an instant.
Lee Jae-won stared blankly at the spot where she had been.
"Ah, that bitch left the door open."
He spat the words out as the realization hit him. His voice was thick with irritation.