Chapter 95
I’m translating the chapter now and formatting the in-universe text as required HTML blocks, while keeping the narration in novel-style paragraphs.CHAPTER_TITLE: The Gold Book of King Sejong
Once he picked up his carry-on, Kkamangi was already lying squarely in front of the front door, holding the line.
It sprawled there as if to ask where he thought he was going, blocking the entrance without the slightest intention of moving.
As though it knew he wouldn’t be back for several days.
He had to crouch down, coax it for a long while, pet it until it softened, and even bring out some chur.
"Be good and stay with Mother while I'm away."
Only then did Kkamangi give its tail a single lazy flick.
"Kkamangi, I'm leaving. Mother, I'll be back."
"All right. And don't go anywhere dangerous. In America, safety comes first, understand?"
"Mom, do you think I'm a child? This isn't even my first trip to the U.S.... Don't worry."
"Still, don't go wandering into strange places."
His mother’s nagging went on without end.
He gave Kkamangi one last pat before heading out the door.
When he met General Manager Yang Dong-seok at Incheon Airport, the man burst into a hearty laugh.
"Ha ha ha. Appraiser Kim Si-woo. You’re here? Thank you for making the trip, sir."
"It was nothing."
Even as they exchanged greetings, Yang Dong-seok’s voice was bright with excitement.
Director Choi Min-ho glanced sidelong at him, then bowed his head to Si-woo in greeting.
"Hello. I’m looking forward to working with you again. But General Manager Yang has been like this for days now, so what exactly is this project? I’ve asked him over and over, but he won’t tell me."
Should he keep them in suspense until the very end?
The urge to tease them rose, but it was time to tell them.
"It’s the Gold Book."
"The Gold Book?"
Choi Min-ho rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I’ve never heard of that. What on earth is it?"
Then he searched for it on his smartphone, and his eyes widened in shock as he looked back at Si-woo.
After glancing around to make sure no one was listening, he whispered, "Wait... what I found while searching—was that right?"
He swallowed hard, clearly startled out of his wits.
"So that’s why you couldn’t tell me. If it’s a treasure like that, I can see why. But whose Gold Book is it?"
"That’s a secret."
Choi Min-ho pursed his lips, but he didn’t push any further.
The moment the plane took off, Si-woo sat by the window and stared blankly at the scenery rising above the clouds.
He closed his eyes, but the same images kept replaying in his head.
Scenes from the fierce war, and the characters visible in the photo Jacob had sent him, kept drifting before his eyes.
When he first confirmed that it was King Sejong’s gold investiture book, the feeling was beyond words.
That tremor still remained.
Can I really bring it back?
He had to meet them in person, explain its value, and persuade them.
It won't be easy.
If anyone possessed an object of that value, they wouldn’t be eager to sell it lightly.
Especially not Jacob Kelly. For him, it was his grandfather’s keepsake.
It was hard to treat it as nothing more than an ordinary relic.
This might not be something money alone could solve.
First, he needed to understand what the relic meant to Jacob Kelly, what feelings he had carried around with it all this time.
More than anything, if even one member of the Kelly family opposed it, the whole thing could collapse.
Clouds drifted past outside the window.
In the seat beside him, General Manager Yang Dong-seok had received orange juice from a flight attendant and was humming something to himself.
Director Choi Min-ho watched him once, then clicked his tongue.
"No matter how amazing the relic is, this is what he’s been like for days."
Si-woo gave a snort of laughter and closed his eyes again.
"Tell me about it."
It was a long flight to California.
Because of the tension, the trembling anticipation, and the excitement, sleep refused to come.
By the time the plane began to descend over California, the outline of a city stretched low and wide outside the window.
The aircraft gave a light shudder on landing.
As they moved through immigration, the three of them naturally lined up.
Then it was Si-woo’s turn at the inspection desk.
The officer was a middle-aged white man.
He took the passport, alternating his gaze between the photo and Si-woo’s face.
His expression was bureaucratic, unreadable.
Then.
"Hm."
The officer’s hand stopped.
"Mister Kim? Si-woo... Kim?"
He looked at the passport photo again, then at Si-woo’s face.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"Wait a second."
The inspector spoke slowly.
"Are you the appraiser Kim Si-woo from Singing Bird?"
The face that had shown no expression just moments ago transformed instantly into one of surprise.
Like someone who had unexpectedly run into an old friend at the airport.
Then he let out a boisterous laugh.
"Yes. That’s me."
"Oh, my gosh!"
The inspector looked ready to half-rise from his chair.
"I never expected to meet you in person. I watched that documentary three times. My whole family watched it too."
"Thank you."
"The way you tracked down those artifacts gave me goosebumps. And the story about Grandma Anna really made me tear up..."
The inspector didn’t stop for a long while.
When was Nutflix Season 2 coming out?
Was he looking for other relics now?
The questions kept coming one after another.
Si-woo answered as briefly as he could, but still politely.
Even as the inspector stamped the passport, he offered a handshake.
"Welcome to the United States. I hope something good happens for you."
"Thank you."
As he exited immigration, General Manager Yang Dong-seok and Director Choi Min-ho were already waiting outside.
Yang Dong-seok checked his watch and tilted his head.
"Why were you so late? Was there some problem?"
Si-woo scratched the back of his head.
"There was a bit of a problem."
Yang Dong-seok fixed him with a sharp look.
"To keep someone like Appraiser Kim Si-woo waiting? What on earth happened?"
"The immigration inspector was a Singing Bird fan."
A brief silence.
"...Singing Bird?"
"Yes. He said he’d watched it three times."
Yang Dong-seok slapped a hand to his forehead.
Director Choi Min-ho burst out laughing in disbelief.
"Hahaha. At immigration? Good grief."
"He really must have been a fan. Ha ha ha."
With an embarrassed laugh, Si-woo lifted his carry-on.
They got into the rented car and headed for the address where Jacob Kelly was staying.
Before leaving, he had already sent a direct message with their estimated arrival time.
When he mentioned that a Nutflix crew would be coming with him, the reply came quickly.
[Nutflix? Really?]
A little later, another message arrived.
[Is the relic my grandfather had really worth that much? Just how incredible is it?]
Even through the text, he could feel the excitement trembling in the words.
Jacob must have been waiting to hear from him.
Si-woo gave a short reply.
I'll tell you after I see it in person. Please wait a little longer.
[Oh, I'll be waiting. Right, but please take your time getting here!]
What did he mean by take your time?
He also briefly mentioned the filming permission.
It was a late request, but Jacob Kelly readily agreed.
[Of course. Filming is fine!]
Under the California sun lay a quiet residential neighborhood.
Houses with wide lawns and attached garages stood in neat rows.
It was a pleasant little town.
The navigation announced that they had reached their destination.
When they parked and got out, a three-story detached house came into view.
The exterior walls were painted a clean cream color, and the front lawn had been carefully tended.
The house carried that peculiar sense of calm that comes from a home where one family has put down roots and lived for generations.
Before he could even ring the bell at the front door, it swung open.
"Oh, you must be Appraiser Kim Si-woo?"
A man who looked to be in his late fifties greeted him with a cheerful smile and held out his hand.
"I’m Jacob Kelly’s father, Jacob Clark. It’s a real pleasure to meet you."
As they shook hands, footsteps thundered from inside.
"You’re here?"
"Is that really Appraiser Kim Si-woo?"
"Did you say the Nutflix people are here too?"
One face after another peeked out beyond the doorway.
A middle-aged woman, young men and women, and even a small child.
He looked at them with a slight sense of bewilderment.
Jacob Clark smiled awkwardly and said, "They’re my family. Ha ha. My wife’s side of the family lives next door, and since today’s a special day, I called everyone over."
Once they stepped inside, Si-woo understood the direct message Jacob had sent him.
Welcome balloons were hanging all over the ceiling just beyond the entryway.
Children were running about, laughing, while the adults greeted one another warmly with bright smiles and hugs.
So that was what Jacob had meant by taking his time.
Jacob Kelly, whom he had seen on Byeolstagram, came up to greet him.
"The Kelly family all lives together. Very harmoniously, too."
He had only thought it was a scene out of an American drama, but such a family actually existed.
"You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll get everything ready right away."
The table was already covered with food.
Beef and salmon dishes, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, even corn soup.
They sat down and began to eat.
It was delicious, but even with a fork in his hand, his thoughts would not leave the relic behind.
Was it really right for him to bring up the relic in such a warm, happy house?
Whether asking for the return of the Gold Book belonged on this table at all.
A strange fear came over him that if he started talking about the relic’s value, he might disturb the peace this family had built around itself.
Apparently his expression had hardened without his realizing it.
"Does it not suit your taste?"
Jacob’s mother, seated beside him, asked with concern.
He quickly relaxed his face and shook his head.
"No, it’s really delicious. I was just thinking about something else, so I guess my face went stiff."
Jacob’s mother smiled brightly and waved a hand.
"I’m glad. If you’d like something spicy, we have this too."
There was a small dish sitting at one end of the table.
Kimchi.
"I have a Korean friend, you know. I practically stole this kimchi from their house. Heh heh."
Laughter filled the table.
He could feel their desire to put him at ease.
After the meal, they gathered on the sofa in the living room.
Family photos covered the walls.
From childhood pictures to recent ones.
The traces of a family passed down through generations were all there.
Then a little girl standing nearby approached cautiously and looked up at him.
"Mister, are you from Korea?"
"Yes, I am."
"I’m a K-pop fan! Um, could you..."
The little girl seemed full of questions and poured them out one after another.
He answered each one as sincerely as he could.
"Amazing!"
He hadn’t misheard.
Her Korean pronunciation was perfect.
Without meaning to, a smile crept across his face.
"Your pronunciation is really good."
"I’m studying Korean these days!"
"Anna, all you do is watch cartoons, movies, and K-pop."
"Hehe, that counts as studying!"
Anna shouted back loudly.
Laughter broke out around them.
Some time later.
He carefully asked whether it might be better for Jacob and his parents to hear the story of the relic first.
They nodded readily.
Jacob cautiously brought over the box containing his grandfather’s keepsakes.
It was an old wooden box.
Without meaning to, his hand trembled slightly as he lifted the lid.
A rectangular relic covered in concrete was revealed.
Director Choi Min-ho had quietly taken up a position in one corner and was rolling the camera.
He let out a short breath.
Then he carefully lifted it with both hands.
First, he offered thanks.
If Harold Kelly had not taken this from the chest of a North Korean soldier, it would have been buried in the ground or vanished in an explosion.
After that, he brought up the cultural relics taken out during the Korean War.
How countless artifacts had flowed out of the country.
How many people were still working to recover them today.
He kept appeals to emotion to a minimum.
The explanation itself was brief.
This was not a problem that could be settled with feeling alone.
"But what exactly did Grandpa bring back?" Jacob asked at last, unable to hold it in any longer.
"This is a Gold Book."
He continued his explanation slowly.
A gold-made book presented at the enthronement of a crown prince or at a king’s accession.
The most solemn official document the royal court could issue in that era.
"Oh, I see."
Jacob’s father widened his eyes and nodded.
"To think such an incredible thing was with your grandfather all this time. Maybe it was what protected him."
He pointed to the Chinese characters engraved on the Gold Book.
"Do you see these characters here?"
The three of them leaned in instinctively.
"These characters indicate the crown prince’s royal title. And..."
He paused for a moment.
"If that royal title is the one I think it is, then there’s a very strong possibility this is connected to King Sejong."
The weight carried by the name King Sejong.
The significance of it, he conveyed to Jacob’s family in words that were brief but clear.
The king who created Hangul.
The name of one of the greatest figures in Korean history.
The Kelly family looked at one another, then back at the Gold Book.
"However."
He went on.
"Nothing is confirmed yet. It will need to go through a proper, more thorough verification process."
After a beat, he added, "Honestly, the value of this object is not something that can be measured easily."
Silence fell for a moment.
Now all that remained was their answer.