NABC Book 3: Chapter 9
Book 3: Chapter 9
Book 3: Chapter 9
The streets of Luoyang were bathed in the dwindling light of the setting sun.
A young girl, perched on her sturdy father’s back, chattered incessantly.
“...and that’s what the Grand Young Master said, looking into my eyes. ‘Law Enforcer, I regret intervening in your judgment. I ask for your forgiveness.’ So, I graciously replied, ‘It’s fine, Grand Young Master. I think it was a wise decision for the sake of the family.'”
Yeom Baekha covered her face with a chuckle.
“Did you hear that? Did you?”
Startled, Baekho, who had been dozing off in her lap, clutched at her sleeve.
“Isn’t it cool? It was so romantic. I felt like I was in a famous love story.”
Elder Yeom wondered what was romantic about it but chose not to ask.
He was not foolish enough to poke a beehive just to check for bees.
“Isn’t it romantic that someone with such a beautiful yet cold exterior has a warm heart towards the commoners? Right? Don’t you agree?”
Of course, some bees attack even if you don’t go near the hive.
“...and then, when he looked at me like that...”
However, a part of him felt slightly relieved.
How long had it been since he’d walked down the streets of Luoyang at sunset with his daughter?
With a somewhat eased mind, he found the courage to bring up the unavoidable issue.
“...What do you think?”
She didn’t ask, “About what?”
She was bright enough to pass the difficult Law Enforcer’s exam at her young age.
Though she had not performed her duties outside, not one of her internal judgments had been flawed.
She knew all too well that her father’s lifetime of work could be jeopardized because of her.
Her voice grew softer.
“Father, there’s only one thing I want from you.”
Her voice sounded crystal clear in his ears.
“Don’t use me as an excuse.”
Her tone was resolute.
Much like when she made judgments as a Law Enforcer.
“...Are you referring to me?”
She gently laid her hand on his shoulder.
“I was born as the only daughter under the head of our family. And, embarrassingly, I’m also a Judge. I have enjoyed all the privileges that come with my position.”
Gratitude tinged her voice for the privileges she had enjoyed.
“I am not a disgraceful daughter who enjoys only the rights and ignores the responsibilities.”
Her tone was decisive.
“Father, as the head of the family and as the head of the household, make your judgment solely. Even if it’s lonely, it can’t be helped. Even if it’s painful, it can’t be helped. But saying that it can’t be helped because of your daughter is unnecessary.”
“You are....”
His voice cracked.
“As the grace of the Elder, and as the daughter of my father, I will only follow whatever his will may be.”
“Is that so...”
She felt her father’s shoulders, those broad shoulders, begin to tremble slightly.
However, she gave no sign of noticing.
The two of them walked as if they were just an ordinary father and daughter that one could see on the street.
A moment later, a more composed voice flowed from his lips.
“Understood. So be it.”
She smiled and hugged her father’s neck.
“I’ve come up with a great idea!”
And she began to chatter once more.
“My father will officially announce a severance of ties with me! And then, I’ll become a helpless person with no one to rely on, entering Wongak Pavilion as one of the Grand Young Master’s maidservant! And then, as a maidservant who can’t do a single task properly, I’ll be bullied by my senior sisters! I’ll hide in a storage room and cry while looking at the moon. And then! His Highness will come into the storage room and discover me! Ah, it’s perfect! It’s totally romantic! It’s another perfect love story!”
“....”
He focused solely on his steps.
For a while, it was as if he had to walk as though he was being stung by a million bees.
Could anything be done?
The one babbling such a tale had been his own daughter, who didn’t have a single friend to chat with about such things.
A child who, more than anyone else, knew her place and behaved accordingly.
So could anything be done?
It was the only small role he could play as a disappointing father with an overachieving daughter.
* * *
The moon rose over Wongak Pavilion, casting a silvery glow.
On the wide courtyard covered with gravel, bonfires blazed here and there, lighting up the surroundings.
“Yes. The size of this business is one thing, but in reality, the most crucial aspect is not to fall behind in the succession struggle.”
“Do you desire to become the Family Head?”
“...”
Yeon So-Hyeon leisurely enjoyed the aroma and placed his teacup back down.
However, the question he posed was far from trivial.
The 4th Young Master opened his mouth with more caution than ever.
“...I cannot let the Sword House go to 2nd Young Master and 3rd Young Master, can I?”
“True.”
Yeon So-Hyeon lightly nodded in agreement.
“Eldest Brother.”
The 4th Young Master looked up at him.
“Is it too late now if you...?”
Yeon So-Hyeon cut him off. “The investors from Sichuan are coming.”
The 4th Young Master immediately bowed his head.
“Yes, Eldest Brother.”
“I’ve heard there are some people causing you trouble. Is that correct?”
The 4th Young Master slightly lowered his head.
“I can’t even begin to explain. No matter how much I try to persuade them, they insist on touring Luoyang separately from the rest of the business entourage...”
He leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands.
“Well, what can we do? It’s my responsibility, so I’ll have to figure it out.”
Moreover, they were important figures who would significantly influence the medium to long-term success of the project, regardless of the immediate investment amount.
Upon hearing the 4th Young Master’s explanation about them, Yeon So-Hyeon nodded his head.
“Then let me take care of them.”
The 4th Young Master paused at his words.
“...Eldest Brother.”
“Why?”
The 4th Young Master’s pupils wavered.
“‘Going that far‘ would be an entirely different story.”
The 4th Young Master licked his dry lips.
“The relocation of the poor is merely a temporary aid you provided for my younger sworn brother. The stake I intend to give you is more like a consultation fee.”
“Indeed.”
The 4th Young Master sipped the cooling tea.
“However, saying you’ll do more than that means you intend to be involved in this business with me.”
“It will be a business carried out jointly by the eldest heir of the Sword House family and 4th Young Master.”
Yeon So-Hyeon smiled an enigmatic smile.
“That’s why I’m proposing new terms.”
The 4th Young Master felt his head starting to spin.
“...Eldest Brother.”
The boy looked at the person he loved and respected the most.
“Are you planning to end the business now? The second and third followers, as well as those who dislike Eldest Brother, will rise like a swarm of bees to block you.”
Yeon So-hyeon questioned in return.
“Do you have the ambition to become the head of the family?”
The 4th Young Master abruptly stood up.
The chair was flung backward.
“No!”
The boy slammed the table.
“Absolutely not!”
He shouted.
“Only Eldest Brother is qualified to assume the position of the family head!”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled broadly.
He knew he couldn’t afford to lose any more of the family he loved.
Therefore, he had to make this ‘sure-to-fail venture’ a success.
He knew about the ‘future’ full of hardships that this adorable younger brother had undergone for his unworthy older brother.
“I am now planning to officially end the business.”
That’s why up until now, this unworthy older brother had been, and would continue to be, the older brother his youngest brother was most proud of in the future.
“Will you join me?”
It was a rhetorical question.