Chapter 236. She Was Here (1)
After traveling for about an hour, white roof tiles came into view in the distance.
"Could that be...?"
"Yes, that's the main palace—the North Sea Ice Palace."
Seeing it, I could understand why it was called the Ice Palace.
It looked just like a palace made of ice.
And standing in front of the palace was a beauty with silvery-white hair.
The moment I saw her, cold sweat broke out on my skin unbidden.
Her strength... it was impossible to even gauge.
"Ah, the Palace Lord has come out to greet us personally."
As expected, she was the Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Soon, we drew near, and she approached me.
"Welcome. I am the Lord of this North Sea Ice Palace."
"I'm Eun Seo-ho."
I quickly cupped my hands in a formal bow, lowering my head.
"I'm Eun Jin-ho."
"I'm Ha Su-min."
"Please, raise your heads."
She addressed us in a gentle voice.
"The palace and I welcome you all."
"To receive such gracious hospitality leaves me at a loss."
"I heard that Young Master Eun once saved our palace's disciples from ferocious beasts. We shall treat you as a benefactor of the palace—and your family as well."
"I am deeply grateful for your consideration."
"Then please, come inside."
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord personally guided us, and soon we arrived at a building.
"You may stay here. And these people—all twenty of them—are here to serve you. Command them as you wish."
Come to think of it, about twenty people stood in a line, wearing aprons.
Did that mean we were to use them like maids?
"Thank you."
Now I understood what Little Palace Lord Binghae-rin had meant by "lavish hospitality."
It was lavish in the truest sense.
The meals were banquets of exquisite dishes made from the finest ingredients, each room equipped with soft silk garments and bedding.
And twenty attendants always on standby to assist us.
Plus, we could stay as long as we liked.
I need to stay sharp.
One slip, and I might get complacent.
Can't let that happen.
I had goals: to make the Eunhae Merchant Group the world's greatest trading company and to get revenge on the Baekcheon Merchant Group and the Murim Alliance.
To achieve them, I needed to keep honing myself and staying busy.
Of course, I couldn't refuse their kindness outright, so I'd just have to keep my wits about me.
Then, one of the attendants assigned to me approached.
"Your older brother is heading to meet his mother-in-law. Would you like to come along?"
Of course I would.
Father had entrusted me with a letter, after all.
"Yes, please lead the way."
As she guided me, I asked casually,
"By the way, what kind of person is my brother's mother-in-law?"
"Protector Seol Seo-yun is..."
"Protector?"
"Unlike other sects, our palace has eight Protectors, and Protector Seol Seo-yun oversees the western region of the Ice Field."
That meant she was at least mid-Peak Realm, if not higher.
And this was the North Sea Ice Palace, after all.
"Protector Seol Seo-yun is truly compassionate. That's why so many follow her. She's especially renowned for her footwork—her attacks incorporating the Twelve Flying Peng Steps are..."
In other words, Protector Seol Seo-yun was a master of swift swordplay.
"She must have shown promise from a young age."
"Oh, no, not at all."
Hm?
"It hasn't even been ten years since she received the Seol family name."
She'd reached the Peak Realm less than ten years ago and already become a Protector? Was that possible?
But I didn't have time to dwell on it.
"We've arrived."
We'd reached the place where Brother Jin-ho and his wife were.
The spot I'd been led to was the reception room in our quarters.
The building was so vast that it took a while just to get there.
Stepping inside, I saw Brother Jin-ho and his wife, both looking tense.
Way too tense.
Time to loosen them up.
"What's this, bro? Why so nervous?"
"Of course I'm nervous. I'm meeting my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. You'll get it when you get married."
"Fair enough. But bro."
"Yeah?"
"You look even uglier when you're tense."
"Ugh!"
Brother Jin-ho, who had been sitting rigidly, flinched at my words.
"R-Really?"
"Hohohoho."
Whether my words were funny or his flustered reaction was, my sister-in-law burst into laughter.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere, taut as a drawn bowstring, relaxed instantly.
Good.
"Chill out. Don't mess up and end up kicked out of bed tonight."
"Got it."
Brother Jin-ho nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself.
Just then, my senses picked up someone approaching—someone with considerable power.
They're here.
The door opened, and a voice from outside announced,
"Protector Seol Seo-yun and Elder Sang Ho-ran have arrived."
Two women entered.
One was the woman I'd seen at Brother Jin-ho's wedding, and the other appeared to be in her fifties.
She looks amazing for her age!
We soon faced them.
"Mother!"
My sister-in-law cried out joyfully.
But the woman called "mother" had a cold expression.
"Why are you here?"
"..."
"Why come here, making so many people suffer?"
"..."
"Do you expect some warm mother's love from me?"
Her words were as sharp as daggers.
But I noticed her lips trembling and her hands clenching.
As expected... she's holding back the urge to rush over, hug her daughter, and say she loves her.
No wonder she only glanced from afar at the wedding—with that much pent-up emotion.
But my sister-in-law must be hurt by those harsh words and glare...
"Mother still doesn't know her daughter very well."
"...!"
But my sister-in-law was smiling brightly.
Wow... my sister-in-law's no ordinary woman either.
"One thing Father taught me was how to read people's true intentions. There are too many con artists in the world. But Mother."
She continued with a beaming smile.
"You're terrible at acting."
"A-Acting? What do you...?"
Her mother's eyes wavered in embarrassment.
"Father told me. Your greatest wish is for me to marry and live happily. That's why I came—to show you my husband."
At those words, Brother Jin-ho shot to his feet, pushing his chair aside.
"Mother-in-law! Grandmother-in-law! Please accept this son-in-law's bow."
He prostrated himself before them and shouted loudly,
"Thank you for giving birth to such a beautiful, clever, graceful, spirited, and wise Su-min! We will live happily ever after."
Catching his breath, he continued,
"That's what I wanted to say—that's why we came."
Right—he'd said he had words for his mother-in-law.
He'd come all the way to the North Sea Ice Palace just to say that to them directly.
Overwhelmed by his bold spirit, the two women fell silent for a moment.
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
The first to laugh was the elder called Sang Ho-ran, a seasoned expert.
Brother Jin-ho's grandmother-in-law.
She chuckled at him.
"Just like Cheol-i. Exactly like him. That boy shouted the same thing right in front of me."
Cheol-i must be Ha Cheol, the caravan leader.
"You did well coming here. It must have been tough. And thank you. If you make my granddaughter cry, I won't let it slide—remember that."
"I will."
That settled the grandmother-in-law. Now for the mother-in-law...?
She bit her lip hard, her expression a mix of感動 and overwhelming emotion she was holding back.
Oh!
Almost forgot.
I pulled the letter from my bosom and offered it.
"This is a letter from my father to his wife."
"I'll receive it gratefully."
Elder Sang Ho-ran accepted it on her behalf.
"What a strange twist of fate. The brother of our palace's benefactor is my grandson-in-law."
"Fate is a wondrous thing, isn't it?"
"True. When do you plan to head back?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
Brother Jin-ho's mother-in-law's eyes widened.
"Isn't that too soon? Leaving after just three days?"
"Please forgive us. We have many duties at the merchant group and can't be away long."
"In that case... it can't be helped."
Then my sister-in-law spoke to her mother.
"Mother, just in case you were wondering—I never once resented you. Father always told me how much you love me."
She smiled warmly.
"So live long and prosper. Next time I have a child, I'll bring them to show you."
With that, she rose.
"We'll take our leave now."
As she turned to go, a voice called out.
"You'll come to this harsh place again?"
"..."
"I'll... come. To see... the child. I'll come."
Protector Seol Seo-yun spoke awkwardly, embarrassed, and my sister-in-law smiled at her.
"I'll be waiting."
And so the family reunion ended happily.
.
.
.
Evening came.
Brother Jin-ho was off bonding with the others.
It was a gathering hosted by Elder Sang Ho-ran, attended by the palace's elders and Protectors.
From what I'd seen earlier, they doted on him terribly...
It felt like he'd become the son-in-law of the entire North Sea Ice Palace.
With drinks coming my way too, I slipped out quickly.
Sorry, bro.
As planned, I packed to leave tomorrow.
The disciples standing by to attend me begged me to stay longer, but I gently refused.
Work was piling up even now.
Thinking about it kept me from sleeping.
My purpose at the North Sea Ice Palace was already fulfilled.
And it felt a bit guilty enjoying this happy time just among us.
Palgap and the guards...
Hope they're all right.
Just then, a faint orchid scent wafted in.
"As I thought, you're here."
Turning, I saw Little Palace Lord Binghae-rin standing before my quarters.
I couldn't help tilting my head.
"I heard you were busy..."
"Yes. I had a lot of postponed work from being away. But I finished it all today."
She looked proud.
"Follow me."
"Pardon?"
"The Palace Lord summons you."
I followed Little Palace Lord Binghae-rin to where the Palace Lord was.
Her residence was called the Ice Hall.
Guards stood vigil around it sternly.
"It's not usually this tight, but today the Palace Lord gave the Protectors leave especially."
Ah... so that's why they're all drinking with Brother Jin-ho now.
They bowed politely and let us pass.
Following her deep inside, we reached the Palace Lord's chambers.
"Palace Lord, I'm entering."
The Little Palace Lord announced, and the crystal door slid open smoothly.
"Come in."
She rose from where she'd been reclining on a transparent, crystal-like chair, greeting me.
"I heard you were looking for me."
"Yes. Care for some tea?"
"It would be an honor."
The Little Palace Lord withdrew as if her duty was done, and I sat facing the North Sea Ice Palace Lord, sipping tea.
"My family deals in tea, so I've tried leaves from all over... but this is a first."
"I thought as much. It's made from snow lotus."
"To treat me to such a precious tea—thank you."
Her eyes gleamed at my waist.
"That sword you're wearing... the Silver Mist Sword?"
"...!"
Her sudden words made me tense.
I hadn't expected her to recognize the Silver Mist Sword so quickly.
But on second thought, it made sense.
The Silver Mist Sword was forged from ice crystals from the North Sea, and the Snow Wind Palace and North Sea Ice Palace had been closely allied.
"Yes. I came by it through some fateful connection."
"May I see it?"
I drew the Silver Mist Sword and handed it to her.
She examined it closely, then unsheathed it.
Shing.
"Ah! If you draw that sword..."
"It's fine. I won't go mad drawing the Silver Mist Sword once it's chosen its master."
"..."
"Thanks to the blessing of the ice crystal."
Her gaze on the Silver Mist Sword held a longing nostalgia.
Clack.
She sheathed it and returned it to me.
"Thank you. Sorry if I startled you."
"Not at all."
"The Little Palace Lord mentioned you're a disciple of the Snow Wind Palace?"
"Ah, yes."
"Under whom do you study?"
"Under Master Kwak Myeong-hyeon."
"Is that child... doing well?"
That child... she meant Master.
"Yes, she's fine."
"It reminds me of when she first came here. She climbed a tree to pick ice jade peaches from the rear garden, fell, and broke her leg."
"Pfft!"
Laughter burst out before I could stop it.
Ahem, sorry, Master.
Your disciple has learned your childhood secret.