There Was a Reason (3)
Necklaces or any kind of jewelry were fundamentally handmade.
Moreover, since the materials came from nature—corals, horns, or gemstones—no two pieces of jewelry were ever exactly alike.
That meant the necklace worn by the woman in foreign attire was more than likely the very one Seon-il hyungnim had bought.
I asked the eunuch who was escorting me.
"Who was that lady who just passed by?"
"Ah, that's Her Highness the Princess of Mara-seo Kingdom."
So she was the princess that the branch leader of Baekbuik Merchant Group's Jiseokmun had brought along this time.
"A distinguished guest from afar, I see."
"She'll probably head back soon once the winds shift. Even though she's a foreign princess, she can't become a consort... and not a single imperial prince has stepped forward to marry her."
"I'm told there are two unmarried imperial princes at present."
"That's right. But both of them have refused."
I knew the reason.
She had been extremely plain-looking back then.
But I also knew what came after.
Her wisdom would soon become the talk of the empire.
And her appearance would grow more beautiful over time.
According to information later gathered by Eunhae Merchant Group's intelligence network, she had come to the empire of her own volition.
She had insisted on choosing her own husband.
Her doting king had granted her wish.
Yet she never married—not in the empire, nor after returning home.
Well, now...
I'd need to have a serious talk with Seon-il hyungnim.
"Could I ask you for a small favor?"
"What is it?"
"Would you mind delivering a letter to Senior Secretary Hong Seon-il of the Hanlin Academy?"
"Certainly."
"Thank you so much."
.
.
.
That evening, I headed to the restaurant I'd reserved.
"Welcome!"
The waiter spotted me and hurried over.
"I have a reservation. Eun Seo-ho of Eunhae Merchant Group."
"Ah! We've been expecting you. This way, please."
The waiter led me to my seat.
I'd booked a private room near a small artificial waterfall.
Not only did it have a great view, but it also offered the best soundproofing.
Of course, blocking out sound with inner energy was no trouble, but there was no need to bother.
As I sat admiring the waterfall, Seon-il hyungnim arrived.
"Young Master Seon-il has arrived."
I'd already sensed him—his energy was unmistakable.
I quickly opened the door and greeted him.
"Welcome, hyungnim."
"What's this about? Inviting me to dinner out of the blue?"
The letter I'd sent via the eunuch had simply requested that he join me here for a meal tonight.
"It's nothing much. I just wanted to treat you after so long."
"This isn't some backroom deal, is it?"
"Why swing a hammer when you know the nail won't budge? That'd make me an idiot, right?"
"True enough. You're no fool."
"Have a seat."
Seon-il hyungnim sat down, and I followed suit.
In the meantime, Palgap must have ordered for us, as the food began arriving.
And right in the center: guobaorou.
That dish was one reason I'd chosen this place.
Thinly sliced meat coated in starch and deep-fried, then drizzled with their special sweet-and-sour sauce—that was the star.
"Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks. Dig in."
We savored the delicious spread.
Paired with the spicy soup, nothing could be better.
Once the meal was done, the waiter brought fragrant tea.
"So, what did you want to talk about that warranted treating me to dinner?"
Seon-il hyungnim continued.
"Reserving a private room like this must've cost a pretty penny, too."
Hyungnim's gotten sharper since taking office.
He wouldn't have noticed before I said anything.
I admitted it straightforwardly.
"Heh, you're right, hyungnim. I set this up because I have something important to discuss."
I cut to the chase.
"Today was the day merchant groups heading into foreign trade entered the palace, so I went as Eunhae Merchant Group's representative."
"I heard."
"And back when we were shopping for Aunt's birthday gift, I saw you pick out a necklace."
"......"
"Today, I happened to spot the exact same necklace around the neck of Mara-seo Kingdom's princess."
"Cough!"
Hyungnim choked on his tea at my words.
"Cough! Cough! Ack!"
"Oh no! Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine."
He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the spill, glancing at me nervously.
"Hyungnim."
"Y-Yeah......"
"For someone who usually avoids women like the plague to give her such a gift... I figure there must be some personal feelings involved."
His eyes trembled—he was clearly tense.
"So, tell me, hyungnim. What are your feelings? Do you admire her?"
His face flushed red in an instant. He bowed his head, scratched the back of his neck...
Glanced around, sighed deeply...
Man, this is frustrating.
I unintentionally unleashed a bit of my energy as I pressed.
"So, do you? Or don't you?"
"......!"
Caught by my pressure, he stiffened and blurted out reflexively.
"I do admire her."
Hm, I let my energy slip without thinking.
I reined it in smoothly and said,
"I figured as much."
Having confessed the hardest part, he sighed in relief and began explaining.
"Yeah, I know. I'm a madman. She's someone who should be tying knots with one of the imperial princes, and here I am, daring to harbor feelings for her."
"......"
"But these things don't bend to my will, so what can I do?"
Self-mockery filled his voice.
I shook my head.
"I'm not blaming you, hyungnim."
"Huh?"
"If feelings of admiration were that easy to control, so many people wouldn't have died of lovesickness."
I continued.
"I'm just worried about you. These feelings could end up scarring your heart."
"......"
"So you need to make a decision."
"Right. Sigh... I suppose I have to give her up."
"That's not what I mean. First off—have you ever actually seen the princess's face?"
This was crucial.
He might just be assuming she was pretty without ever seeing her.
He nodded at my question.
Oh? He has?
"She wasn't veiled when we first met. And I'd never encountered anyone with such learning and wisdom. Maybe that's why—I fell for her that day."
To admire her not for her looks, but for her scholarship and intellect.
Classic Seon-il hyungnim.
"I know the world's take on her appearance. But looks don't matter as people age. History's full of beauties who plunged nations into ruin."
"True."
"Anyway, by my standards, she's beautiful."
"In that case, this little brother is relieved. We can move forward."
"Move forward?"
"You don't want to marry her?"
He recoiled in horror.
"Didn't I just say? She's..."
"No. She won't marry any imperial prince in the empire."
"How do you know that?"
How? I lived through it in my past life.
The Emperor had given his sons the choice.
Knowing him, he'd recognized her value.
He was probably salivating over her right now.
So why give the princes a choice? The Emperor I knew would've forced a marriage to claim her.
Which meant... it was a test.
And those princes had all failed.
In my past life, neither became king—just held ceremonial posts.
The Emperor must've had high hopes, only to be bitterly disappointed.
Anyway, I couldn't tell hyungnim about my past life, so I fudged it.
"How long has the princess been here? Long enough that marriage talks should've advanced by now."
"Y-Yeah."
"And if things were moving along, would she be wearing the necklace you gave her?"
"......You're right."
He nodded.
"And it's about time she returned home. Are you really going to let her go like this? No regrets?"
"......"
I emphasized to him.
"If you think you couldn't live sending Mara-seo Kingdom's princess back like this, and if you're prepared to take her as your wife, then tell me."
I met his eyes.
"I'll do everything I can to help."
With that, we wrapped up.
On the way back to the Beijing branch, I chuckled.
Learning that my stone-headed hyungnim had a woman he admired felt refreshingly new.
Had he been connected to her in my past life too?
I didn't know, but it seemed likely.
One reason I was stepping in was family peace.
Hyungnim was still unmarried, rejecting every matchmaker—Aunt and Uncle were worried sick.
If he let the princess slip away, his personality meant he'd stay single forever.
He had a bit in common with Jin-ho hyung in that way.
Of course, family harmony wasn't my only motive.
Being the princess's in-laws? Mara-seo Kingdom's king would shower us with support.
With plans to expand trade there eventually, why pass up that halo effect?
Plus, she was renowned for her wisdom.
She could offer sound advice for future endeavors.
Maybe even help with revenge against the Murim Alliance.
An opportunity I couldn't miss.
The biggest hurdle was the princess's own intentions.
But I didn't think so.
Would a wise woman wear a necklace from someone she didn't care for while strolling the palace?
So, the biggest problem was already solved.
Hong Seon-il sighed on his way home.
In the end, he found out.
He'd hoped to keep his feelings for Mara-seo Kingdom's princess hidden.
But at least it was Eun Seo-ho who'd discovered them.
That sharp kid won't act rashly.
As he walked slowly home, he recalled his first meeting with the princess.
He'd been wrestling with a thorny issue then.
The Emperor had ordered the Hanlin Academy to record this year's famine.
The debate was whether to focus on the imperial court and palace relief efforts, or on the common people's self-reliant measures.
Proponents of the former argued it was to publicize the Emperor's deeds and elevate his prestige.
But Hong Seon-il and others believed that wasn't the Emperor's intent.
The Emperor pursued perfection relentlessly.
If it wasn't what he wanted, they'd have to start over from scratch—like water trapped in a mill wheel, going round and round.
So getting the direction right from the start was crucial, hence the headache.
While agonizing over it, he ended up strolling the palace rear garden.
It was late at night, so he thought he was alone.
But no.
A woman was walking by herself.
He first took her for a palace maid.
The garden was open to them, after all.
To avoid misunderstanding, he quickly slipped away.
The next day, a palace maid from Hwanhwagak—where foreign envoys stayed—sought him out.
"The lady I serve found this in the rear garden and asked me to deliver it to you."
He tilted his head but accepted it.
"......!"
He was shocked.
It was a copy of the Emperor's decree.
If another official had found it, he'd have been in serious trouble for mishandling a sacred edict.
"Thank you."
Someone must've seen him drop it the night before and returned it.
Then a question struck him.
This paper has neither my name, rank, nor affiliation—how did a foreigner know it was mine?