The Golden Pavilion's Head Chef (5)
Just looking at the server's panicked expression told me something major had happened.
"What is it?"
"Well, it seems the pavilion mistress has been kidnapped."
"K-kidnapped? What did you say?"
I'd heard him clearly. Kidnapped?
The server explained the whole story.
"You said you'd greet the guests who rented out the third floor and to call you when it was time for the bill. So I went to your room to fetch you, but..."
He caught his breath and continued.
"You weren't there, and there was a letter pinned to the table with a dagger."
He'd rushed over using lightness skill, and I followed right behind.
The pavilion mistress's room was on the first floor. He flung the door open as if he might shatter it.
Bang!
And there, just as he'd said, was the letter stabbed into the table with a dagger.
Chef Hwang glared at the letter with fierce eyes.
What on earth could it say to make him look like that?
Dark Feather Guest. You should not have rejected our proposal. You missed your chance to return to us unharmed. Since you left us because of this woman, we shall take her life as payment for your betrayal of the organization. You know it well, don't you? The price of betrayal is the life of the one you cherish most.
I was startled when I read the letter.
Dark Feather Guest.
He was a fairly famous assassin.
After fulfilling a contract kill, he'd leave a black feather in the victim's chest as proof—hence the name.
But his name hadn't been heard from in several years.
Rumors swirled that he'd died or retired...
"You... were the Dark Feather Guest?"
He flinched at my question.
"Wh-when did you get here? How did you follow me?"
"Did you forget I passed the message through my bodyguard? I only said that because I have the ability to help."
He bit his lip at my words.
"Are you going to report me to the authorities?"
"I think this letter's claim that you're the Dark Feather Guest is just one-sided from the writer. I'm not about to take risks on something so uncertain."
I continued.
"The you I know is just the Golden Pavilion's head chef who makes the best spicy braised chicken I've ever tasted."
Thud.
He dropped to his knees before me.
"Please. Save my wife. I'm confident killing people, but rescuing someone? Not so much."
"Hmm... here's the deal. I'll keep your identity secret if you keep mine secret too."
"Really... that's enough?"
"More than enough. I want to keep eating your cooking."
"Understood."
"Wait here a moment."
I headed up to the third floor first to send off the other branch leaders.
"Ah! Where've you been?"
"I went to thank the chef for the meal."
"I see. We wanted to thank the pavilion mistress too, but..."
"She's out on an errand."
"Ah, then nothing to be done."
I politely suggested it was time to wrap up.
"Shall we call it a night? It's getting late."
"Sounds good. We've all got things to do tomorrow."
"It was a pleasure. Hope we meet again."
"Same here."
We parted on warm terms.
As the host, I saw them off.
Now, time to rescue the pavilion mistress?
Why so leisurely in this urgent situation? Because I had my aces up my sleeve.
'Where... am I?'
As Jang Eun-ok came to, she realized she was in an unfamiliar place.
It was pitch black all around; she couldn't see a thing.
She tried to recall.
She'd been waiting for the server to fetch her so she could greet the nobleman who'd rented the third floor.
He'd visited the Golden Pavilion for days, and she'd learned his identity.
The Eunhae Merchant Group's branch leader, called the Swordsman Beauty.
A grateful guest, especially since he raved about her husband Hwang Seok's cooking.
Then suddenly, her room's window had opened. She'd turned at the sound, and after that... nothing.
'Oh... I've been kidnapped!'
Come to think of it, Hwang Seok had warned her that morning with a dark look not to be alone.
Now she knew why.
Truth was, her husband Hwang Seok was an assassin.
She'd first met him six years ago.
Jang Eun-ok's beauty was famous in her village, drawing the eye of a wealthy man who made her his sixth wife.
He was notorious as a lecher, so her parents hated the idea but had no choice.
No one could cross that man in their village.
As his sixth wife, she became little more than a collectible.
Confined to a detached quarters, unable to go anywhere.
One day, she found a man collapsed in the courtyard of her quarters.
The masked man looked suspicious to anyone...
"Um, hello? Hey?"
He barely opened his eyes and asked.
"Do you plan to save me?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't. I'm fine dying like this."
His poignant gaze made it impossible to leave him.
She personally treated his wounds.
To her, he said,
"Foolish thing to do."
"Why say that?"
"I killed the master of this house. I'm the enemy who slew your grandfather."
She sighed and replied.
"...I'm a wife."
"What?"
"The sixth wife."
"Cough! How old are you?"
"Twenty-three this year."
"The master's seventy..."
"Sold off, what can I do? I'm just a collectible. What feelings does a collectible have?"
After that, he visited her quarters often, and new feelings blossomed between them.
One day.
"Why the long face?"
"The master's son told me to come to his bedchamber."
"Won't you become the master's mother?"
"Exactly."
"Bastard."
"Thanks for cursing him for me."
"So, what now?"
"What can I do? Go to his bedchamber."
A hand grabbed Jang Eun-ok's wrist.
Startled, eyes wide, he pleaded earnestly.
"Don't go."
"Pardon?"
"Be my wife."
She fled with him, leading to now.
Creak.
The door to her space opened, and a group entered with lanterns.
"It's you! The wench who stole our clan's greatest treasure, the Dark Feather Guest!"
She snapped back without thinking.
"He's not an object! Don't talk like that!"
The man in front backhanded her.
Slap!
"Shut up!"
"Kyaa!"
He drew his sword and pointed it at the fallen her.
Shing.
"Anyway, you're the root of it! Because of you, our senior abandoned this path."
Clenching her fists, she retorted.
"Sure, it's because of me. But he hated being an assassin from the start."
"I said shut it."
He pressed the blade to her shoulder.
"We'll cut off your arm for negotiations. Tell him to return here in exchange for your life."
Jang Eun-ok paled.
She couldn't let him walk that path again. But she was powerless.
He swung the sword down at her.
Instinctively, she closed her eyes. No pain came.
Clang!
Instead, a metallic clash rang in her ears.
Clearly, a sword blocking another.
"Huh?"
Opening her eyes, a man stood before her. He'd blocked the sword.
"Who are you?"
Ignoring their shouts, he told Jang Eun-ok,
"Pavilion mistress, just head back to him."
"You?"
Jang Eun-ok had an idea who he was.
One of the bodyguards of that handsome young noble who frequented the Golden Pavilion lately. Name was... Jin Yu, right?
A fight broke out soon after.
They doused the lanterns.
Fighting in the dark disadvantaged the untrained.
But they'd overlooked that their foe, Jin Yu, was an assassin—a peak assassin at that.
Crack!
The wall of their space shattered.
It was a window.
Moonlit scenery revealed outside.
Thanks to the bright moon, Jang Eun-ok realized she was in the top floor of a tall pavilion.
Then.
"Pavilion mistress, jump."
"Pardon?"
"Chef Hwang is waiting. Jump."
She nodded and, without hesitation, squeezed her eyes shut and leaped down.
Falling like this would surely kill her.
But,
Thud!
She soon felt herself caught in someone's arms.
Hwang Seok had caught her perfectly timed.
In his familiar warm embrace and scent, she called to him.
"Hwang-lang..."
To her call, Hwang Seok said,
"Sorry. I should've told you properly."
"It's fine."
She caressed his cheek.
"Thank goodness we weren't too late."
"Truth is, it was close, but Jin Yu helped."
Hwang Seok nodded.
"That explains why you were so calm—you had backup."
"Huh?"
"He helped."
He landed lightly on a rooftop and pointed.
A masked figure wielded his sword gracefully there.
Face hidden, but she guessed who.
Even his back view was handsome.
Still, her husband was Hwang Seok alone.
The next day,
we headed to the Golden Pavilion.
Chef Hwang wanted to thank us with dinner.
Perfect timing—I'd planned to return soon anyway.
I'd worried about Jin Yu missing the party last night.
"Welcome."
Pavilion mistress Jang Eun-ok greeted us.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
"Come in. You're very welcome."
We went up to the third floor, and soon the table overflowed with food.
Last night,
we'd wiped out the assassin group Dark Fragrance that kidnapped pavilion mistress Jang Eun-ok.
I'd briefly considered turning them over to the authorities but decided to silence them cleanly.
No need for Chef Hwang's identity to leak through them.
Now, only the server knew his past.
I personally served food onto Jin Yu's plate.
"Eat up."
"It's an honor to be served by my lord."
"No need for that. I'm the grateful one—you saved the pavilion mistress from disaster."
As we ate, Chef Hwang and pavilion mistress Jang approached together.
"We thank you for the grace you've shown us."
"Glad it all worked out."
Chef Hwang continued.
"I don't know how to repay this kindness."
I set down my chopsticks and said,
"We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."
"I see."
"If I can have your spicy braised chicken again next time I'm here, that'll be repayment enough."
I added,
"Possible?"
"Of course. Come anytime."
.
.
.
They went downstairs, and we resumed eating.
"Wow, this is really delicious!"
We all nodded at Palgap's words.
Maybe suggest opening a branch in Hubei later?
If they could replicate this taste, success was guaranteed.
I went downstairs.
They said it was on the house, but I still wanted to pay.
"Need anything?"
I shook my head at the server's question.
"To settle the bill."
"But tonight..."
"I know. I just don't like eating free."
I paid from my pouch.
"Um... so, is it true the chef was the Dark Feather Guest?"
I shook my head at his question.
"No. They were mistaken."
"I knew it! A good man like him couldn't be."
He nodded vigorously.
Servers must always be watched. You never know who's from the Hao Clan.
Looking outside, I saw Chef Hwang and pavilion mistress Jang standing together under a tree.
Suddenly, his words from yesterday came to mind.
"If Eun-ok died, I'd have wiped them out and burned down the Golden Pavilion with me."
But in this life, the Golden Pavilion stayed intact.
And the couple could live gazing only at each other.
Looking at them, I felt fulfilled.
Stroking Geum-ryeong as I watched the affectionate pair chat.
"Kui?"
Lonely? No, not that...
Then why were my eyes tearing up a bit?