Chapter 250
Chapter 250
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 250
Chapter Title: Rescuing the Brother-in-Law
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Though slightly reluctant, Jeok Hwa-ran did her best to advise me.
“Proposing with roasted duck, white liquor, and a ring? Are you insane?”
“...”
Well, she did use some rather extreme language.
In any case, she reminded me of something important.
“The formalities aren’t that important.”
“Then?”
“The heart is what matters most.”
“...”
“If you think about what she likes or recall your shared memories, you’ll naturally find a good way.”
Thanks to her, I remembered the core of the matter.
‘Right, I need to go back to the beginning.’
What’s important is an unyielding heart, not the formalities.
After all, even if I hadn’t become as successful as I am now, or as powerful a warrior, Myo Hyang would have still liked me.
*Thak, thak, thak, thak.*
Holding that realization in my heart, I entered the kitchen and began chopping.
*Sizzle.*
I neatly sliced various vegetables and boiled them with leftover meat scraps to make a crude broth.
*Thump! Thump!*
I took some readily available flour from the market, added water, and kneaded the dough.
Due to the lack of a milling machine, the flour was coarsely ground, but it didn’t matter.
*Pow! Crackle. Crunch.*
Regardless of the flour's condition, before the War King Thirteen Strikes, it transformed into a fine, gluten-rich dough.
All that was left was to make the noodles.
There was no need for fancy techniques like hand-pulled or knife-cut noodles.
I simply folded the thinly rolled-out dough and sliced it with a knife.
I then put the knife-cut noodles directly into the freshly made broth without boiling them separately.
The unremoved starch instantly clouded the soup.
It was by no means a good cooking method.
It was a clumsy dish that only a beginner would make.
However.
*Slurp.*
“It’s done.”
This was the first meal a thirteen-year-old Myo Hyang had ever made for my nine-year-old self.
“Oh my? What’s this noodle dish? I thought you didn’t particularly like it.”
When I brought it to her room, Myo Hyang, dressed in comfortable clothes, looked down at the bowl with curious eyes.
“I tried making it. I’m not sure if it’ll taste good.”
After examining the contents, her face flushed.
“...This is the first noodle dish I ever made for you.”
“You remember?”
“Why did you make something so embarrassing?”
“What’s so embarrassing about it? I’m sure it’s delicious.”
“My skills were clumsy back then. And the ingredients weren’t great either.”
“It was the first meal my dear made just for me. What does it matter if it’s clumsy or bland? Have a bite before it gets cold. The broth may be thin, but I made the noodles exceptionally well.”
“Well then, shall I have a taste, for the effort you put in?”
*Slurp.*
“Oh my? It’s delicious.”
She let out a small exclamation after tasting the noodles.
There was no way a broth that was practically plain water could be delicious.
It was merely that the special seasoning of nostalgia had been added, making it feel that way.
“Right?”
“Yes, for such simple ingredients, it has a surprisingly deep flavor.”
“I added a secret ingredient.”
“A secret ingredient?”
“My heart.”
Finding it amusing, she burst into a bright smile.
“Pfft... What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s true...”
“Alright, alright. I’ll believe you.”
After a few more bites, Myo Hyang set down her bowl.
“Did you eat your fill?”
“Yes, thanks to you, my stomach is so full I’ll be able to sleep soundly.”
“It’s thanks to the vastness of my heart for you.”
“I suppose so. If I ate this twice, I’d get chubby.”
“Hmm, that won’t do...”
“Pardon? What won’t?”
“You have to eat my heart for the rest of your life. How can you get chubby after just two meals?”
“Pardon?”
Myo Hyang is no ordinary woman. When commanding her subordinates, she overflows with charisma, and when drafting business plans, she’s smart enough to put Zhuge Liang to shame.
Otherwise, she never could have distinguished herself in the world of commerce, rife with all manner of cunning schemes.
But today, she was just like any other woman, blushing and lowering her head.
“Th-That means...”
I took her hand as she spoke, flustered.
“Let’s get married.”
*Whoosh.*
Hearing my proposal, she jumped in surprise, pulled her hand away, and began to shed tears.
“W-Wait... Why so suddenly?”
I thought it was a foregone conclusion, but her reaction wasn’t good at all. Wondering if I had been too complacent, I leaned in, and she let out a long breath.
“You took too long. Do you know how long I’ve waited?”
She said, wiping her tears.
“I look forward to our future together.”
“As do I.”
I pulled her into a tight embrace.
Jin Mujeon is finally getting married.
***
The outer fortress of Nine Dragons Fortress has four famous landmarks.
One is the beautiful Nine Dragons Lake. The second is the magnificent North Gate. The third is the Red Blossom Pavilion, said to be overflowing with beauties.
And the fourth and final one is the recently established West Heaven Trading Company.
The sight of twenty warehouses and ten three-story pavilions packed tightly onto a plot of land over four thousand *pyeong* showed that the scale of the West Heaven Trading Company was beyond imagination and that its financial power was immense.
And in the most secret place of that very company, the basement of the Mujeon Hall, three women had gathered.
“I’ve kept my promise. Now it’s your turn to help me, Myo.”
“As I’ve said before, I cannot sway the Master’s heart. I can only praise you to him or create opportunities for the two of you to be together.”
“That’s enough. I’ll handle the rest. You’re not planning to do anything funny behind my back, are you?”
“Who in the world would dare deceive you, Lady Jeok? Don’t worry. I have no intention of monopolizing the hero of our time for myself.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
The two were Myo Hyang and Jeok Hwa-ran.
“Seriously, why on earth did you drag me, who has nothing to do with this, along...”
And Cheong So-so.
“By the way, I was once again amazed by your cunning scheme, Lady Jeok. Spreading a false rumor that you were looking for a husband, making matchmakers visit you of their own accord... I was quite surprised.”
“Weren’t you the one who bribed the Manbakgwija of all people? I knew you were no ordinary person, but that move was truly beyond my imagination.”
“Um... can’t I just go home?”
Myo Hyang and Jeok Hwa-ran exchanged glances.
It was like watching two wildcats threatening each other.
“However, I found the talk of the past a bit uncomfortable.”
“I wasn’t the one who spread that. It was a rumor that started circulating in the merchant world, which is wary of the West Heaven Trading Company.”
“I’m just saying that with your power, Lady Jeok, you probably could have stopped it.”
“...”
Jeok Hwa-ran remained silent. Myo Hyang’s words weren’t entirely wrong.
Seeing her reaction, Myo Hyang smiled faintly.
“Still, thanks to that, I was able to see just how deeply the Master thinks of me, so it was nice.”
“The atmosphere is too scary... Can’t I just go?”
*Grit.*
At Myo Hyang’s relaxed demeanor, Jeok Hwa-ran bit her lip.
It was a habit of hers when she was anxious.
“Is there any need to get so worked up? We’ll soon be serving the same husband. We’ll have to change how we address each other then, too. Not Lady Jeok, but younger sister.”
Younger sister.
Anyone who knew Jeok Hwa-ran would have been shocked to hear that title.
That was because, in the current Nine Dragons Fortress, there was virtually no one, aside from her family, who could speak down to Jeok Hwa-ran.
It was so much the case that even the Grand Chancellor, who held a position below one man and above all others in the fortress, treated her with a degree of formality.
But right now, that wasn’t what was important to Jeok Hwa-ran.
The inner court of the War Dragon Hall now belonged to Myo Hyang.
If Myo Hyang were to break her promise to help and start opposing her, Jeok Hwa-ran would never be able to become Mujeon’s wife.
On the other hand, if Myo Hyang actively supported her, she could secure the position of the second wife, no matter how indifferent Mujeon might be.
Realizing this, Jeok Hwa-ran softened her stance.
She understood that she couldn’t be at odds with Myo Hyang if she wanted to enter the inner court of the War Dragon Hall.
“Ahem... When that time comes, it would be only right for me to address you as older sister.”
“And what if I could provide a method that yields immediate results?”
“...I’d have to start calling you older sister right away, wouldn’t I?”
“Good.”
With a satisfied smile, Myo Hyang looked at the sniffling Cheong So-so.
“*Sob, sob,* I want to go home...”
“So-so. There’s something I need your help with.”
“*Sniffle,* Huh?”
“If you succeed, I’ll remove your name from the gambling den’s banned list. Not for life, of course, but for about a year. Oh, and I’ll provide you with a hefty stake, too.”
Myo Hyang’s words made Cheong So-so’s ears perk up.
She had come to Nine Dragons Fortress because she couldn’t enter the gambling dens in Hanzhong, only to find herself barred from them here as well.
“Wh-What do I have to do to help?”
“Have you ever heard of the Elixir of Charm?”
The forbidden name escaped Myo Hyang’s lips.
***
A short while later.
After all discussions were concluded, Jeok Hwa-ran asked with a surprised look.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“With making me into the kind of... v-voluptuous woman that Master... likes. You haven’t even had your wedding ceremony yet...”
“Hah, is that all?”
Myo Hyang puffed out her chest with a confident expression.
“I’ve looked into the Elixir of Charm. It seems its effects aren’t as incredible as they’re made out to be. More importantly.”
“...”
Myo Hyang whispered softly into Jeok Hwa-ran’s ear.
“It’s a bit overwhelming to handle the Master all by myself. Personally, I’d like for a second wife to join us as soon as possible. I mean it.”
“...Handle what, exactly?”
“What else could it be? The things that happen at night. He’s like an ox, I tell you.”
“A-An ox...?”
*Flush.*
The mind of the still-innocent Jeok Hwa-ran was instantly thrown into disarray.
Myo Hyang chuckled softly, patting her on the shoulder as she walked past.
“Well then, I’ll see you next time. Hoho.”
Watching Myo Hyang’s retreating back, Jeok Hwa-ran thought.
Perhaps she would never be able to win against that woman.
***
The wedding preparations were proceeding steadily and perfectly.
In truth, there wasn’t much to do.
We would live where we already were, we didn’t need wedding gifts, and the ceremony would be held at the Grand Martial Hall of the War Dragon Hall.
Furthermore, my master had personally agreed to officiate, so all that was left was to greet the bride at the venue.
Ah, I suppose we also need to set a date for the ceremony.
“Ahem. I’m looking forward to it.”
Of course, we were already living together, but it was about the feeling of it.
I wanted to end our common-law relationship as soon as possible and become an official married couple.
As I was walking with such a contented heart, I happened to see Myo Hyang passing by alone, without her usual entourage.
“My... No, wait.”
She’s my wife now.
It was a little embarrassing to call her ‘wife’ on a street with so many people, so I quickened my pace to follow her.
A short while later.
Myo Hyang slipped into a large pavilion.
“That place is...”
It was the Pigeon Post, where one could send and receive letters via carrier pigeon across the entire Central Plains.
You could think of it as the official server for Pigeon-Talk.
The problem was, the expression on her face as she came out of the Pigeon Post was full of worry.
“Wife.”
“Oh!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you...”
“N-No, it’s my fault for not noticing you.”
“You don’t look well... Is something wrong?”
“Ah, well... I’ve sent several letters to San, but I haven’t received a reply yet. It’s been long enough that one should have arrived...”
“My brother-in-law?”