462 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.462 Request - 6 When I opened my eyes, I could only see half of the ceiling. Could it be that I lost consciousness? What happened? What went down? Why can I only see half of my field of vision? Is there something wrong with one of my eyes? “Whew…” I could hear the sound of someone inhaling and exhaling smoke. A hazy grayness obscured the part of the ceiling that I could see. That's when I understood the situation. It's not my eyes that are the problem. I'm lying on someone's lap. “If you've come to your senses, get up.” “Oh!” Startled by Gimun Hyangjoo's voice, I tried to get up but, with my face half-covered by the ceiling, I ended up back on her knees. Emergency escape! Emergency escape! I rolled away from the spot so expertly, even Sonic the Hedgehog would be impressed. “Quite the amusing move you made there.” “Where am I? Ah!” Looking around, I saw the unconscious Hongran and Jeon Gil San. We're on the top floor of the brothel where we were until earlier. That's right. I remember now. Gimun Hyangjoo subdued me. The last memory I have before losing consciousness resurfaces. Did Hongran choke on the gag and struggle to breathe, or was the shock from almost falling and hitting the floor too much? As soon as Gimun Hyangjoo entered, I suddenly fainted. Gimun Hyangjoo came in, saw the scene, and before I could explain, she got furious. I remember soaring through the air with a scream. “Is your body okay?” “I'm fine.” I circulated my internal energy and fortunately found no injuries. Gimun Hyangjoo nodded at my response and took another puff from her pipe. “Whew…” “Ha ha. Gimun Hyangjoo...?” Something's off about this atmosphere. Her expression was like that of a senior looking at a junior who's caused quite a mess in the military. She looks like she's preparing to scold me rationally after a smoke, even if she’s angry. “I never thought I’d see such a sight in my life.” “You misunderstand. I was merely trying to stop her from committing suicide.” “When two men pin down a courtesan, gag her, and tie her hands and feet, of course, she'll think of ending her life.” “….” Anyone would agree with that statement, but I swear I'm innocent. “Whew. If it hadn't been you, I would've been convinced you were violating Cheonggi.” Here's your chance. Go on, explain. Through the misty smoke, I could see a hint of faith in me lingering in Gimun Hyangjoo's gaze. “There are complex circumstances involved.” “Very well. Tell me what happened that led to this chaos.” I desperately began to explain to clear up the misunderstanding. —— “That’s how I came here on the Inspector's request.” “I heard that child bore the Inspector's child.” “I thought there was more to the story that hadn't been revealed, so I came to talk to her, but I never imagined she’d behave like that.” I looked at Hongran, who was still unconscious, with a truly unjust sense of frustration. “Is it the first time you've seen men unable to control their desires? It's best to treat a flower that’s already once broken gently so it doesn't fall to the ground.” It’s not commendable to forcibly bring an unstable, pregnant child here. Gimun Hyangjoo’s eyes bore into me with a reproachful gaze. “How did you come here, Gimun Hyangjoo? From what I know, you're not the owner of Hye Wolru.” Gimun Hyangjoo owned several of the most successful brothels in Muhan, including Hwahwolru, but Hye Wolru wasn't on that list. “During a gathering with the matriarchs, I heard you were causing a commotion at Hye Wolru and came to see for myself. And the sight I saw was that situation just now.” “Ha ha.” So Gimun Hyangjoo was at a meeting where Hye Wolru's owner was present. “I see. In hindsight, it seems I might have acted a bit rashly.” “It’s alright. Anyone could’ve easily misunderstood the situation. By the way, Gimun Hyangjoo, it seems Hye Wolru’s owner has some schemes underway.” If there’s nothing wrong with Hongran, then the only suspect left is Hye Wolru's owner. I gestured to Gimun Hyangjoo, who looked a bit apologetic, and continued on the topic. “What sort of scheming are you referring to? If she's just trying to sell the flower at a high price, that's nothing uncommon. You must pay for plucking the flower before even purchasing it, right?” “No…!" A voice behind us, sounding strained, interrupted Gimun Hyangjoo’s words in protest. “Hongran?” “You’re awake.” Hongran, now seemingly conscious, struggled to sit up on her knees. “Pay? No, this is all a major misunderstanding!” “A misunderstanding? Are you, a fallen flower, trying to defend the men?” Gimun Hyangjoo snorted incredulously. “No, that's not it! Jeong Orabeoni didn’t do anything wrong.” Hongran looked as though she might burst into tears under Gimun Hyangjoo’s gaze. “So it seems there is indeed more to this. Speak.” I'm curious too. Is the Inspector truly innocent? Could this be as I suspected, a conspiracy between Hye Wolru's owner and Hongran? Or is it a ploy by Hye Wolru’s owner? What on earth is going on? Hongran bit her lip and, still shaking, kept her eyes fixed on Gimun Hyangjoo before finally speaking. “The truth is……” “The truth?” “I… I attacked Orabeoni.” What? ——— “Every day felt like I just wanted to die. Every time I climbed the brothel stairs, I thought it might be better to just jump off then and there. But among those days, I met Jeong Orabeoni.” A withering flower received a shower of love. “Only Jeong Orabeoni treated me genuinely. He treated me as a woman, not just a courtesan.” Jeong Orabeoni said he treated her like a sister from his hometown, but it seems she perceived it differently. “He promised to buy me a miracle if things worked out, and although I didn’t really believe it, I just hoped our connection would last.” Memories from the covert investigation. The time when the Inspector was almost dismissed, and the comfort she provided. Hongran’s face conveyed an uncontainable love. “Not long ago, Jeong Orabeoni came to me, looking unusually clean-cut. He said he had succeeded in arresting the Governor. For Orabeoni, it was an occasion to be celebrated, but I was terrified.” Her newfound happiness did not last long. “Terrified?” Hongran nodded at Gimun Hyangjoo's question and continued speaking. “The women at the brothel were gossiping about how the Inspector General might be called to the capital. They said he'd forget all about me once he entertained himself with the capital's more beautiful courtesans. Though I knew their words were tinged with jealousy, I couldn't shake off the thought.” “Tsk. So that’s what drove you?” “I'm sure he'd take responsibility if he felt obliged. I thought that if we spent just one night together in secret, he wouldn’t abandon me. But to think that in just one night…” Hongran's voice trembled with tears. “You conceived a child.” “It was all my fault! I got Orabeoni drunk and took advantage of him! He is truly blameless!” “Weren’t you taught to always conduct yourself with caution? How could you let this happen?” “I don't care what happens to me. It’s my fault. Orabeoni shouldn’t have his life ruined because of someone like me. Please, just protect him… Waah…” Hongran finally broke down, unable to continue speaking, and collapsed into a heap of uncontrollable sobs. “…Leave us.” ———— “Love is forbidden to courtesans. No matter how much we teach them, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Whew…” Gimun Hyangjoo exhaled a cloud of smoke as she released a sigh as heavy as the haze around her. “The Inspector is quite a good man.” Although he seems like the kind of man who wakes up on a pullout bed to have a quick morning drink of his hangover soup before heading to work, he’s probably very devoted to his family. “Don’t you women ever see that all men are the same? Men will spend money and try to show their best sides just in front of you, leading to misconceptions about who they really are.” “But Inspector seems genuinely focused on saving her this time, so perhaps this time it isn't a misunderstanding.” “…” Zap. A sharp gaze pierced through me. “Ha ha.” Sorry. I didn't read the room; surely Gimun Hyangjoo has had her own share of frustrations. She sighed a little at my laugh and then looked at me. “I understand why you caused a ruckus at Hye Wolru, learned about the circumstances of these two, and now… What is it you want?” “If possible…” Could you waive the fee? “If you’re thinking of brushing it under the rug with a ‘let’s let bygones be bygones,’ don’t even bring it up.” “…” Guess she saw through me. “It takes over a decade to raise a snot-nosed child into a proper courtesan. Haven't you realized over the past six months just how hard it is to recruit even a single courtesan?” That was excessively difficult, in my opinion. “How about we settle for what was originally agreed as the price of her services?” “No, whether the flower was forcibly plucked or it reached out to be picked, if exceptions are made, then the method becomes the rule. Regardless of the circumstances, there must be consequences.” “Gimun Hyangjoo.” Please, I'm begging. As I gazed imploringly at her, Gimun Hyangjoo glanced away and continued speaking. “Strictly speaking, the owner of Hye Wolru is the victim here. There are few courtesans like Hongran in Hye Wolru, and her departure would be a severe blow to a brothel already on shaky ground.” She's completely right. I was hoping for some conspiracy, but it turns out there isn’t one. With a clear fault between the man and the woman, there isn’t much room for logical arguments. Is there another way? “Hongran already tried to take her life once. Leaving things as they are might not be beneficial to Hye Wolru.” “There’s nothing special about this incident.” Is Gimun Hyangjoo suggesting that this is just one of countless examples among many courtesans? Even attempts at appealing to emotions are quickly shut down. “If you could arrange a meeting with Hye Wolru’s owner, I’d like to have a discussion with them.” Gimun Hyangjoo, if you could step aside, I'll handle the negotiations with Hye Wolru’s owner. “She ran away.” “Pardon?” “She said you've become too famous. She confessed to me that she doesn’t have the confidence to face you.” “Ha ha ha…” Ran away before I even had a chance to grab her by the collar. “If you’re determined not to give up, I have a proposal for you.” Perhaps noticing that my laughter showed no intent to give up, Gimun Hyangjoo placed her pipe to her lips before revealing her proposal. “A proposal?” “I can’t simply eliminate the need for restitution. However, I can tell you the conditions under which you might bargain.” ——— “Ow, my poor body.” At the main office of the Unkigaek Restaurant, near Hye Wolru, Jeon Gil San lay on a bed in the corner, groaning. “Are you alright?” “While there’s nothing too outrageous to be upset about, I’m not badly hurt and got to witness something amusing, so I'd say it’s fine.” “Something amusing?” With a sparkle in his eyes, Jeon Gil San looked at me when I asked. “I never thought I'd live to see the day the once-legendary courtesan of Hwahwolru, of all people, let another man rest on her lap. Folks who remember her reputation from 20 years ago would be stunned senseless!” “And you witnessed that?” This guy. Was he pretending to be knocked out until I woke up? “How are you acquainted with Hwahwolru?” Jeon Gil San questioned me, almost like a colleague catching a secretive office romance. “We got a bit close over the matter with Miss Ha Yeon.” Sheesh, Granny. Don’t get the wrong idea. “You’re more than a bit close… Anyway, what did Hwahwolru have to say? In the end, it's the Inspector and Hongran who are at fault, right?” Gimun Hyangjoo’s proposal was straightforward. “She’ll lower the price of her services by a third. Either bring the money or take it back.” “Take it back?” “Since it was Hongran's fault, she’s allowing the Inspector to take responsibility. She'll return all the money he deposited if desired. It's not a bad offer, considering the shared guilt of both parties.” The only snag is… “That’s great, isn’t it? Isn’t it an opportunity to clear a debt off the ledger? Let’s just persuade the Inspector to take back the money immediately.” “Do you think the Inspector would agree? He’ll likely just ask to borrow more money.” In other words, the Inspector isn’t going to take the money back. “Is that so? So, the Inspector’s case ends here?” “Well, should I wrap it up here… It feels a bit unsatisfying.” With the fault clearly lying between the two, there are no further avenues of action. It's great that the issue was resolved in less than a day, but it would have been perfect if I could have fixed the Inspector's problem and gotten the money back too. What a pity. “Sir, sorry to interrupt, but we just received an urgent message from the Yichang printing house.” One of the newly appointed managers, catching my eye, approached me cautiously. “What’s the matter?” “The paper mill in Muhan has been delaying their deliveries indefinitely. Given how much paper we use frequently, it seems the mill is trying to hike the price on us.” “Have you looked into other paper mills?” “I don’t think that’ll work.” Jeon Gil San shook his head. “Huh?” “Just how many paper mills are there in Muhan? They're probably all in on it, raising prices together, so it’ll be the same wherever you go.” Coming from the young master of Manggeum Bookstore, this wasn't something to ignore lightly. “That’s right. There are no alternatives right now that can offer the same quality and stable supply as our current supplier, so I wanted to ask what we should do.” “They must’ve heard we're making good money and are holding our paper hostage.” The Muhan mill’s paper was ideal in terms of production and cost, and it was shipped to Yichang via water transport. Using Muhan Seocheon Transport Co. meant no shipping fees for us, too. With the business at Daseokgak thriving, I should perhaps accommodate them if the new price is reasonable. But now they're holding our raw materials hostage, and that’s troubling. Wait, hostage? A line of thought brushed past—a comment previously made by Mang Geum Jeon Ju flitted through my mind. “Hold on a second.” There might actually be a way. “Why were you thinking of going to the paper mill?” “Not about that. Call the Inspector over.” “What’s the matter?” “The courtesan issue. There might be more we can do.” It wasn't a situation I was ready to give up on just yet.