Chapter 266

The Impostor - Part 1 "Lady Jegal Hyang has disappeared, leaving behind only a wooden puppet." It seems that the name of the woman I was supposed to meet today was Jegal Hyang. "What do you mean by that? Didn't I assign attendants to prepare her for the meeting?" The head administrator, glancing at me nervously, bowed and started to respond to Master Mangumjeon's inquiry. "Well, she said she needed to clear her mind for a bit..." She must've used the excuse of going to the restroom to escape. Could the woman I encountered earlier be the one I was supposed to meet? "I distinctly warned you! Didn't I say her martial skills are exceptional and that you shouldn't be careless?" Master Mangumjeon began to chastise the head administrator with an angry expression. So, the person I was supposed to meet ran away. I need to quickly assess the situation. Today is not my day, it seems. Should I say it's over and leave? No, they’ll probably suggest meeting again another time. Thinking I’ve dodged the immediate crisis would be naive. It's just postponing the problem, not solving it. What to do then? First, I'll pretend to be angry. I need to recall a time when I was truly furious. Like that time as a child when I didn’t have access to a word processor and wrote my manuscripts on Notepad. And the computer froze suddenly. When I rebooted, I was back at the beginning. Or when in a gaming community, a character was declared broken, making it pointless to play without them. Even after using an adult’s credit card, the character got nerfed shortly after. I recalled joining a truck protest and contributing money. Or preparing to leave work, being told by my boss with a laugh to finish something urgent by tomorrow, even though I had forgotten to mention it. My insides boiled, but I had to smile. "Why are you looking like that?" Master Mangumjeon sent off the trembling head administrator and finally directed his attention to me. I appeared furious. "Let's call off the meeting." Instead of exploding in a rage, I need to swell it up like a balloon ready to burst at any moment. I acted as if I were barely containing my anger, speaking as neutrally as possible. "Is it because she disappeared? I will find her and bring her to you..." I cut him off immediately. It's rude, but being angry, this should be acceptable. "I believe Lady Jegal anticipated today's meeting. Yet, she fled. There's only one reason I can think of for her actions." I set the groundwork for the reason behind my anger. "And what might that be?" "It's because I'm a barbarian." I turned my weakness into a weapon. "Hmm." Mangumjeon’s face momentarily showed discomfort. "As a black-haired barbarian living in Zhongyuan, I’ve faced countless instances of contempt and humiliation. Clearly, to the average Zhongyuan woman, I am not an ideal suitor. Especially not to a daughter of the Jegal Se family. As soon as she heard, she must have been terrified and fled." I spoke as if I understood, but it wasn’t true. Conversations aren't just about words. I needed my actions, expressions, and body language to convey my anger. I am Kang Yoon Ho, the black-haired barbarian. Although I understand why Lady Jegal fled, it wasn’t her fault. However, as her suitor, I felt humiliated and scorned. I needed Mangumjeon to understand my feelings. "That child has a habit of hiding when in trouble. She didn't disrespect you intentionally." "That makes it worse. If she won’t listen to her powerful grandfather or mother, why would she heed the words of a mere barbarian husband?" "..." Mangumjeon made an awkward cough. An unexpected situation. The trouble caused by no less than his granddaughter had momentarily cornered even the mighty Mangumjeon. Having cornered him, I needed to prevent his counterattack. I should accept his earlier statements as truth. "A supportive wife can indeed be beneficial for a man taking on significant responsibilities. But this was an arranged meeting. The elders of our families recommended it, knowing I was coming. Yet she fled. While you might see this as a minor prank by your granddaughter, it's a grave humiliation to me." I’ll find a supportive wife myself. Jegal Se’s family will not be the one. I deliberately clutched my chest as if in distress. "I understand your feelings." "A supportive wife from a prominent family might indeed be helpful. However, I am dedicated to upholding the will of the Baek family head. I appreciate your intention, but I consider this meeting as if it never happened." Let’s settle for not having been humiliated in the first place. I abruptly stood up and turned away. Perfect. Once I unemotionally walk out of that door, I can put an end to this nonsensical situation. "Stop. I haven't yet stamped your clearance documents." "..." This old man, really. Keeping my internal frustration hidden, I turned back. "I understand your anger and concerns. A supportive wife should not become a hindrance. I will ensure Lady Jegal Hyang learns her lesson." "Elder..." I just want to go home. "Those who have seen my granddaughter's appearance say she is the most beautiful in Hubei. And she is the youngest daughter of Jegal Se, the family head." "The family head's daughter?" Not a branch family, but direct lineage? "Yes. If this meeting fails, the Jegal family will also consider it a humiliation." So will I. Mangumjeon added. "But..." "Hmm. I'm not insisting on immediate marriage. I just want you to give her a chance to correct the misunderstanding." "You mean you want Lady Jegal Hyang to have an opportunity to apologize?" "Exactly. And in addition, I will offer compensation for today's rudeness. If you agree, I will stamp your clearance documents." Is he asking me to meet her? Jegal Se’s family and Mangumjeon. Plus, Daseogak as a hostage. The stakes are too high to just call off the meeting. "Would meeting her be sufficient?" Reaching this point of compromise from such unreasonable demands is already miraculous. I asked Mangumjeon. "Yes. Then you are free to go." I received the initial clearance stamp and headed towards the inn. --------------------------------------- Since avoiding the arranged marriage was no longer an option, I needed to ponder my next steps. I secluded myself in the study, deep in thought. "Who exactly is Jegal Hyang?" She’s said to be the youngest daughter of the Jegal family head. No matter how hard I rack my brains, I can't recall her. "The most beautiful woman in Hubei is right beside me." Hubei’s top courtesan, Muyeong Shintu, Kim Hae Yeon. While she acts like a finicky stray cat, her beauty is unparalleled; anyone standing next to her would pale in comparison. And yet, they claim Jegal Hyang is the most beautiful in Hubei? There might be some exaggeration, but if she's as beautiful as Kim Hae Yeon, that's a problem. "She might be a character from an unexplored route." I've only cleared one route. If she’s a character from the other route... The heroines of this world are all stunning beauties. Not every beautiful woman is a heroine, but if she's as pretty as Kim Hae Yeon, she probably is. I let out a small sigh. "She can’t be. She shouldn't be." I haven't even resolved the issues with Kim Hae Yeon yet. Handling an arranged meeting with a Jegal family daughter, especially if she's an unknown heroine from a martial arts visual novel, would be even more problematic. "Why are you sighing like that?" Kim Hae Yeon appeared at the door of the study. "Miss Hae Yeon. Oh?!" Why is she wearing that outfit? "Want a drink?" Kim Hae Yeon averted her eyes shyly and offered a bottle of liquor. She was dressed in a revealing black qipao. -------- "Take it." As I sat at the small table with drinks, Kim Hae Yeon sat next to me and handed me the bottle. "Why not sit across from me instead of..." "Take it." Kim Hae Yeon poured the drink into my cup, ignoring my words. As I watched the alcohol fill the cup, I stole glances at her. Why did she come dressed in a qipao? Though I designed the outfit, I didn't know where to set my eyes. Face. Chest. Thighs. Everything was more than overwhelming. Feeling embarrassed, I gulped down the drink. "Say 'ah'." As I drank, Kim Hae Yeon picked up a piece of snack with chopsticks and brought it to my lips. Very skilled. It seems her training as a courtesan wasn’t in vain. "Take this." "And you too." We poured drinks for each other and then looked at each other in silence. Why is she wearing a black qipao? Noticing my wandering gaze, Kim Hae Yeon's face turned red. It’s certainly an outfit that's embarrassing to wear while sober. A qipao with drastically reduced fabric. Whatever genius invented it deserves recognition. Surely, she's not here to seduce me. What's going on? Kim Hae Yeon seemed to have something to say, her eyes looking at me apologetically, and finally spoke. "I know you've done your best." So she's here to comfort me, not seduce me. I almost rushed to conclusions. "I've worked hard." I gave a bitter smile and emptied my drink. "No matter how capable you are, I know you can stumble." "Mm?" Why does she sound like a girlfriend comforting her boyfriend after an exam? "I'm fine. After all, you've risked your life for me. I will never resent you." Kim Hae Yeon spoke softly, holding the cup with both hands and lowering her head. "Miss Hae Yeon, sorry to interrupt..." I felt like she was missing the point. "Don’t apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. While I go back to being a courtesan, you..." Kim Hae Yeon raised her head, looking at my face. Her expression was filled with guilt toward me. Ah. So that’s why she's here. I suddenly realized. "I passed." "What?" Kim Hae Yeon froze as if her brain had shut down completely. "I passed the first round." Her eyes widened, and she stood up immediately. "What! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" "I forgot." I was too preoccupied with the arranged meeting. "How can you forget something like that! Ugh. I thought I failed, and... sob." Kim Hae Yeon's face turned bright red, and she began to cry softly. "Are you alright?" "Do you know how I felt...? Ugh!" Feeling embarrassed about her outfit, Kim Hae Yeon covered her chest. "Haha." "Really! Wait here!" Kim Hae Yeon rushed out, changed into more comfortable attire, and returned to the room. "Tell me, then why were you putting on a show like that?" Kim Hae Yeon sat across from me with a face full of annoyance, glaring at me. "There are still many hurdles to cross." "Really, you... haah." Feeling wronged for worrying unnecessarily, Kim Hae Yeon let out a sigh. "Why were you wearing that outfit earlier?" "The other girls said guys get happy despite being troubled when they see such outfits... hmm." With a frustrated look, Kim Hae Yeon stared at me for a while, then took another drink. It seems she was trying to console me in her courtesan way. "Have a drink." "Don’t get the wrong idea." Kim Hae Yeon looked at me with teary eyes, embarrassed beyond words. Understood. It’s just that, given you’re a former courtesan, that’s the first thing that came to mind. "You did well." The arranged marriage could wait. For now, I should purely celebrate passing the first round. "...You too. You really did well." Kim Hae Yeon and I downed our drinks as we discussed future plans, our conversation lively and bright. Until we had to rush out to deal with a troublesome guest that arrived late at night. ---------------------- Contrary to my worries, no one from Mangumjeon came to set up another arranged meeting in the following days. “Could they not find Jegal Hyang?” Jegal Hyang, the woman. Did she become a runaway girl? It didn’t affect me much since my business was doing well. “W-we have a problem!” What’s going on? Kim Hae Yeon burst through the door of the office. “What’s the matter?” “Writer Ho Pil is publishing Dangafungun at another bookstore!” The book she held. It was clearly Dangafungun not printed by Daseogak.