The Fiancée
This was how it all began.
Surprisingly enough, Dang Hui-yeom already had a fiancée!
"What? How is that possible?"
"It's a bit complicated to explain…"
Summarizing the account Dang Un-sang laid out, it went like this:
1. Back in the days when the Dang Family was at the height of its glory, the Dark King Dang Hyo-seon had many friends.
2. One of those friends was Sama Do, then the head of the Sama Clan.
3. Sama Do and Dang Hyo-seon had wanted to bind their houses by marriage, but by then both men's children had already been wed.
4. So the two of them vowed that if they ever had grandchildren, those grandchildren would marry each other.
5. Then Dang Hyo-seon died. Contact with the Sama Clan dried up completely; the two houses exchanged not so much as a single letter—until now.
6. Wishing to honor the promise of the previous generation, the Sama Clan now proposed to send the eldest daughter of its current head, Sama Yun, to marry Hui-yeom.
Having listened to the whole story in silence, Hui-yeom's expression twisted into something faintly sour.
"So after years of radio silence, the moment it looks like the Dang Family might be climbing back up, they suddenly get in touch? The motive's pretty obvious."
"Exactly. Now that it doesn't look like the clan is going to collapse—and might even be heading for a second golden age—they're starting to feel the waste of letting the connection slip away."
Dang Un-sang chose his words carefully, face grave.
"You can ignore it if you want. It's a forgotten promise, and the man who made it is no longer among the living."
"Hmm."
Hui-yeom stroked his chin for a moment, lost in thought, then said:
"Not a bad deal, actually."
"Huh?"
"I said it's not bad. The Sama Clan is one of the Nine Great Noble Families—the foremost house in Henan. If a political marriage can forge a tight bond with them, it would be an enormous help for our family's push into the Central Plains."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"? Why is everyone looking at me like that?"
The frozen air shattered. Groans of pure disbelief erupted from every direction.
"What kind of child has not a scrap of romance in him, even if you ground it up for medicine?"
"He doesn't get excited at the news that there's a bride waiting for him, and he doesn't rebel against the match his family arranged either—what is this…"
"Calculating profit and loss first, as if it were someone else's wedding… I suppose I should say that's exactly like our Young Master…"
"I feel sorry for the young lady on the other side."
One after another they fired off comments, faces saying they had given up on him. Hui-yeom, for his part, looked genuinely startled.
"Is the personal opinion of the parties even important in a political marriage between two prosperous houses? I would have expected you to have to drag me kicking and screaming into it—yet here I am being cooperative, and somehow I'm the one getting scolded?"
"Well… you're not wrong, but… ugh. Knowing you, I guess I should have seen this coming."
Dang Un-sang clicked his tongue.
"Fine. So you have no objections to a political marriage?"
"I'll ask first—do I have the right of refusal?"
"Of course. If you don't want it, you can refuse. Cutting off all contact for years and only reaching out now is pretty galling, and the one who made the original promise—my father—is already gone."
"Hmm…"
After a moment's thought, Hui-yeom said:
"Well then, let's meet them first and decide. I'm choosing my own partner, after all—I'd like a clearer look at the terms."
"All right. I'll send word that we'll meet. But I'll make it clear this is only a light courtesy call, not a serious engagement discussion."
"Perfect. They came all this way talking about marriage; if they get sent packing empty-handed, the loss of face would be considerable."
After that conversation, Hui-yeom put the matter out of his mind for a while.
About a month later, on a day in the second month, the Sichuan Dang Family received guests from the Sama Clan.
Sama Do, the retired Grand Patriarch of the Sama Clan, and his granddaughter Sama Yun had come in person to the Sichuan Dang estate.
No one in the Dang Family had expected the Grand Patriarch himself to make the journey. They scrambled to prepare a proper reception, which brought every scrap of work to a halt—something Hui-yeom found quietly irritating.
Well, he was close enough to Grandfather to exchange marriage vows. Might as well see what kind of man he is.
At last Sama Do and Sama Yun arrived at the Sichuan Dang estate and appeared before them.
"It has been a long time, Elder."
Dang Un-sang offered a respectful greeting. Sama Do answered with a warm, hearty laugh.
"There was no need for the Family Head himself, so busy with affairs of state and clan, to come out and greet us… I only hope this old man hasn't made a nuisance of himself by insisting on the visit."
Even though he was speaking to a friend's son, the occasion was formal; he was carefully preserving Dang Un-sang's dignity.
"I am truly sorry… Time has slipped away from us somehow. You must have felt quite slighted."
"Not at all. There must have been reasons. Haha."
Father, you can't just accept that so easily.
If you publicly declare "It's fine, I wasn't hurt," you throw away a bargaining chip you could have used later to press them over how little help they ever gave the Dang Family. What a waste…
While Hui-yeom was focused on the conversation between the two men, he suddenly felt a gaze from the side. He turned his head—and met Sama Yun's eyes.
Whoa. That face could make more than a few men cry.
A girl of such lovely features that any ordinary boy her age would have felt his heart drop the moment their eyes met was looking up at him, eyes sparkling. Puppy-like? Or fox-like? The moment those large, intelligent, beautiful eyes locked with his, she broke into a soft, dimpling smile so full of charm that even a stone would have melted.
Not going to be an easy one.
Hui-yeom clicked his tongue inwardly.
Honestly—when had she ever even seen him, that she could already feel affection? An ordinary teenage girl at the age of dreams and romance would never welcome a political marriage. The mere fact that she could smile like that at the arranged match she was meeting for the first time meant her calculation ran far deeper than ordinary.
At least she doesn't seem like the empty-headed type…
Hui-yeom returned the smile and gave her a polite nod in return.
Sama Do chuckled and spoke.
"Ah, I've been remiss in introductions. This is my eldest granddaughter, Yun. She may be my grandchild, but she is a remarkably clever and lovable child. Yun, greet them properly—these are the son and grandson of my sworn brother."
"How do you do? I am Sama Yun of the Sama Clan. To meet today the Man-dok Gunja, Hero Dang Un-sang, who leads the Sichuan Dang Family, and the Seonji-aryong, Young Hero Dang Hui-yeom—this young lady is overwhelmed with emotion."
"Hahaha! So here we have the beauty that sinks fish and drops geese, that shames the moon and makes flowers blush. You must have had a hard journey."
"Elder, and here—my son. Yeom, offer your respects. This is the Grand Patriarch, Hero Sama Do, the Jwa-gyeon Cheon-ri, sworn friend of your late grandfather."
"An honor to meet you, Elder. I am Hui-yeom of the Sichuan Dang Family."
"Oh yes—I've already heard the rumors that the Seonji-aryong of the Sichuan Dang is a dragon among men, but you are an even more splendid young gentleman than I imagined. Haha."
"Please, come inside. We have prepared tea and refreshments."
Grandfather and granddaughter Sama Do and Sama Yun were guided by Dang Un-sang and Hui-yeom to the reception hall of the Family Head's residence, where they spent a warm while exchanging news of the world.
Perhaps half an hour had passed.
"Ah, this old man has been dense. Young people must have plenty they wish to do together. What do you say, Family Head? Shall we elders take our leave?"
"Not at all, Elder. How could a child make an elder rise? As it happens, I have something I would like to show Young Lady Sama, so we shall go."
"Oh? You would do that? Thank you, Young Master—truly considerate of you."
As Grand Patriarch of the Sama Clan, Sama Do outranked Hui-yeom both in age and social standing; treating him as a junior would have been natural, even expected. Yet even after repeated requests from Dang Un-sang and Hui-yeom, he insisted he could not treat a young man who had already set his resolve as a mere child, and continued to address him with the courtesy due an adult.
Hui-yeom quietly raised his guard a notch.
Not a martial artist—a politician.
The Sama Do he saw reminded him of the moderate senators he had once met in that den of vipers called Washington, D.C.—men who could water down wine with water or water with wine, who could stand with anyone yet sink anyone they chose as a target in a single strike.
"What are you thinking so hard about, Dang Gaga?"
Sama Yun's voice brushed his ear like spun sugar—soft and sweet. Hui-yeom smiled back at her.
"Ah, I was debating what I should show Young Lady Sama first. A valued guest has come; I want to show you only the best things…"
"Hehehe. You needn't go to such trouble. Just walking like this beside Dang Gaga is already wonderful enough for me."
"Come now, that won't do."
She's no pushover either. Is this what proper upbringing does to a child? Not a single gap. I never imagined there could be two people like Ye-eun in the world.
They had exchanged only a few words while walking, yet Sama Yun showed not the slightest opening. An ordinary girl would have chattered about the Sama Clan, asked about the Dang Family, or prattled about the hardships and pleasures of the journey. Sama Yun simply wore a gentle smile, listened intently to everything Hui-yeom said, and occasionally nodded or shook her head with a soft laugh.
Did he dislike it? Not dislike so much as find it uncanny. It was not the behavior a girl of her age, facing her betrothed for the first time, would normally display.
Not a single question. She only listens to what I say. That means one of two things: either she has no interest in me, or she already believes she knows everything.
A smile rose unbidden.
The Sama Clan—fifth among the Nine Great Noble Families, the only house that could claim to rival the Zhuge Clan when it came to pure intellect.
If I were to spend a lifetime with this girl, what advantages would there be?
There was a faint, instinctive resistance to building a household with a girl young enough to be his granddaughter, but wasn't that the nature of political marriage? Especially here in the Central Plains jianghu, where face mattered more than life itself—if the woman refused, that would be one thing, but for Hui-yeom to cast her aside first would be a heavy burden.
Father said I could simply refuse, of course…
Just then she clapped her hands as if a thought had suddenly struck her.
"Oh! I'd love to see the Innovation Hall where Dang Gaga develops all those marvelous devices! May I tour it?"
"…I'm sorry, Young Lady. The Innovation Hall is under strict security control. Outsiders are forbidden entry."
Look at that—straight for the Innovation Hall.
The Hall's existence itself was no great secret, but this was as good as announcing she had researched everything before coming.
"Even if I go with Dang Gaga?"
"Haha—even I can't get in if I forget the daily-issued pass. Someone could always kill me and wear my face, after all."
"But I heard Lord Poseongsa entered with you…"
Look at that.
"Haha, that was only because the Family Head granted permission. I am merely the Young Master, not the Head; I don't have that kind of authority."
"Is that so? What a pity. I heard the place is packed with Dang Gaga's incredible inventions, so I was so looking forward to it…"
"If you're truly curious, I'll try to obtain Father's permission later."
"Really? Thank you!"
"Is there anywhere else you'd like to see?"
"Then I'd like to tour the aqueduct that brings water into Seongdo! And the State-run Ironworks, and the coal mine that is supposedly your largest source of revenue!"
Look at that—no intention of hiding her purpose?
She smiled with pure, innocent charm, yet every place she prodded was a vital point. What ordinary girl would want to visit locations like those?
"Hahaha, you're quite the curious one. But those places aren't interesting at all. How about a stroll through Seongdo proper? There's an excellent teahouse at Baekga-jaengsik."
"Places like that hold no interest for me whatsoever."
Sama Yun spoke with rare, crisp finality.
"Ah, is that so? Then… a walk through the commercial district? The jewelry made by Huiyeon Consolidated has quite a good reputation. If you'd like, I could buy you one…"
"…I think that's enough. It seems Dang Gaga is the sort whose iron walls don't crumble under a girl's coquetry."
Sama Yun let out a small sigh and wiped the smile from her face.
Her features were naturally smiling, so the corners of her mouth still curved upward, but the overly brilliant radiance of earlier was gone.
"This young lady came to see the great achievements accomplished by the man who is to become her husband. To judge for herself whether he is a vessel worth investing a lifetime in—or merely the son of a provincial upstart."
"Oh-ho."
For the first time Hui-yeom too let the smile fall from his face.
"Just as I thought. Young Lady is no ordinary young lady after all."
"Please don't be too wary of me for it. I wasn't trying to deceive Dang Gaga. Choosing a lifelong partner is a serious matter, isn't it? Small men who go weak-kneed over a few coy smiles from a woman are something I politely decline."
"Ah, of course. I would also decline a fool who has nothing but a fancy shell. Young Lady Sama does not appear to fall into that category, so I can rest easy."
So that's it. This woman—
This man—
is the same kind as me.
Smiling face to face, the two of them walked on. Behind them, Lee Jinmyeong broke into a cold sweat.
Am I the strange one? Are these two really supposed to be a fresh young couple? Why does this look like a summit meeting between two old monsters?
"Very well. Shall we speak plainly? What is Young Lady's true purpose?"
"Purpose?"
"After years of silence, you made the first contact. Was it truly only for greetings or marriage? Surely we should assume there is some other intention."
"Hehe. Caught me. Well, of course there is."
Sama Yun shrugged.
"I want to help the Sichuan Dang Family advance into the Central Plains."