I should have caught on the moment Im Ha-yeon used the alias Du Eung-hyang.
“How could someone like Gu Suk-Jung claim to be the official consort over the top courtesan, Du Eung-hyang?”
No way a hired employee to eliminate chaos was, in fact, chaos itself.
Im Ha-yeon pointed her finger at the top courtesan’s residence, as if she couldn’t believe the nonsense she was hearing.
“Are you saying the top courtesan of Sichuan is not the official consort?!”
“Of course not! How could a minor character like Gu Suk-Jung become the official consort?”
“Ha! A single beautiful flower that bows to no one! If the top courtesan of Sichuan is not the official consort, then who the heck is?!”
“What’s so great about a flower that has never been broken, carefully nurtured in a greenhouse!”
Im Ha-yeon crossed her arms, scoffing at the man’s argument.
Thanks to that, certain specific areas of her body were unavoidably emphasized, stirring the confusion among the members of the Tea and Book Club.
“Cough, cough! That’s not much different for Du Eung-hyang either!”
“Of course it’s different! Just look at Du Eung-hyang. Countless men must have harbored lustful thoughts for her. There were probably many who’d pay a fortune just to spend the night with her. Do you really think it was easy for her to maintain her chastity?”
“Uh, it seems like it would’ve been hard.”
“The man who truly made Du Eung-hyang fall in love… That man is Tang Jung! She gave him everything; how could she not be the official consort?!”
“That applies to Gu Suk-Jung as well! And it’s only natural to consider looks since the top courtesan of Sichuan is more beautiful!”
“Top courtesan of Sichuan? Hmph! Obviously, the top courtesan of Hubei is more beautiful than the top courtesan of Sichuan!”
She snorted derisively, taking a step towards the Sichuan top courtesan’s residence while building her argument.
Perhaps due to her confident demeanor, or maybe from being at a loss as to where to fix their eyes due to her proximity to certain specific areas, the members of the Sichuan residence seemed out of sorts.
Im Ha-yeon, is she really doing this on purpose?
“Isn’t it obvious that the top courtesan of Sichuan is more beautiful than the one from Hubei?”
“Who said that? You’re underestimating the world of courtesans! Even among the highly envious courtesans, Du Eung-hyang is proudly recognized as the top courtesan of Hubei! Of course, in that case, she must be the number one in looks, with the best talents and skills!”
Is it because you’re a former apprentice courtesan that you’re so into this? Im Ha-yeon put on a face that seemed to say, ‘Do you even know how impressive that is?’
“Where’s the logic in that?”
“Hmph! Here it is! Listen well. From today, Du Eung-hyang is the official consort! The top courtesan of Sichuan? I’ll acknowledge her as Tang Jung’s concubine at best. Got that? Concubine!”
Im Ha-yeon confidently declared, pointing at the Sichuan residence as if sentencing a criminal.
“Uh!”
“A concubine? That’s harsh!”
“No matter how beautiful she is, I can’t just let that slide!”
The members of the Sichuan residence cried out, looking incredibly annoyed.
“Oooooh!”
“An unbeatable logic! A divine being has appeared in the Du Eung-hyang camp!”
In contrast, the top courtesan of Hubei’s residence welcomed Im Ha-yeon with applause.
“Lady! This offers a new perspective on the succession battle! You speak as if you genuinely know the feelings of a courtesan!”
“I’m not a courtesan! I simply immersed myself in Du Eung-hyang as a woman!”
“Hurry! Let’s honor Lady Ha-yeon with the top seat!”
“We’ve prepared a place!”
“Lady Ha-yeon! Lady Ha-yeon! Lady Ha-yeon!”
It’s a mess. Even the people who came to read are staring curiously.
Even if I separate the chatting area and reading area and arrange for soundproofing, it’s useless when it gets this loud.
“Haaaaah.”
Excellent work.
I let out a deep sigh, leaving the counter to walk towards the Tea and Book Club.
“The top courtesan of Hubei’s residence is always open!”
Who do you think you are, calling yourself Du Eung-hyang?
Im Ha-yeon raised her hand with a victorious smile towards the Sichuan residence.
“Lady Ha-yeon.”
Feeling good, are we?
I called her as if I was the manager who just hired someone for a night shift at a convenience store, only to find them leaving stock in the back instead of organizing it properly, ignoring everything, and staring at their phone.
“Eek!”
Has she finally realized what she left the counter for? Im Ha-yeon’s body shrank at the sound of my voice.
“Follow me.”
Time for some training.
—–
“What are you trying to accomplish by provoking a fight?”
In a secluded corner outside the Tea Bookstore, I confronted her with a completely serious face.
“I’m sorry! But they were insulting Du Eung-hyang, how could I just stand by?!”
She argued, as though caught in an absolution impossible for a true fan.
Yeah. A sound succession battle nurtures dedicated readers and periodically rekindles interest in the novel. I can’t deny I’m benefiting from that special edition either.
“Lady Im Ha-yeon is not a member of the Tea and Book Club; she’s an employee of the Tea Bookstore.”
I didn’t hire you to participate in a succession battle; I made you sit there to handle chaos and increase sales.
“Ugh! I know that! I tried to stop things, but when I heard them say Du Eung-hyang wasn’t the official consort, I couldn’t contain myself…”
Im Ha-yeon seemed to realize she’d hit a nerve, and her retort came out like an ant scurrying.
It seems she genuinely likes The Rise of the Tang Family.
“Is The Rise of the Tang Family that great?”
I asked in a slightly incredulous tone.
“Yes! If Du Eung-hyang were to be abandoned by Tang Jung, I would do everything to find writer Ho Pil and protest!”
Im Ha-yeon’s face lit up with a look of someone deeply in love.
That’s some serious obsession. When someone dives this deep into a fandom, there’s no turning back.
It’s like the characters I wrote in novels are cheering. As the bookstore owner, I should be scolding them right now, yet I can’t help but feel oddly pleased.
“Liking the representative work of the Tea Bookstore, The Rise of the Tang Family, is something I’m grateful for as the owner. However, as an employee, it’s unacceptable to create turmoil instead of helping out.”
I spoke to her in a firm tone, hiding my strange feelings.
“Ugh!”
“If it were another employee, I would have fired them immediately.”
Mistakes can be forgiven, but you don’t get the luxury of making one.
I continued to furrow my brow, relaxing my lips just slightly.
As strict as I am as the boss, it’s clear I’m taking a step back since you’re the daughter of Mr. Wang.
You’re Mr. Wang’s daughter; you’re beautiful, so you’ll boost sales, and you’re a martial artist, so I’ll let it slide.
“……”
Im Ha-yeon seems to have no words, her head hung low.
“From now on, remember that before being a dedicated reader of The Rise of the Tang Family, you are first and foremost an employee of the Tea Bookstore.”
You better get ready to get scolded next time.
“Umm… So, does that mean I’m disqualified from being an excellent work-study scholarship student?”
“Didn’t we agree to minimize mistakes before the opening? Work harder from now on.”
The whip and the carrot must always be in my hands.
As long as I keep swinging the carrot in front of you, you’ll quietly accept the whip that comes out when you mess up.
“I’ll remember!”
Im Ha-yeon seemed relieved as she bowed her head and thanked me.
After all the effort I put into capturing you in The Shadowless Thief, there’s no way I’m letting you go.
I waved my hand at her, heading back inside the Tea Bookstore.
—–
After a long temporary closure, we reopened.
The people from the Tea and Book Club eagerly awaited my safe return, and the moment we reopened, customers flocked in, but the impact of the temporary closure was still noticeable.
‘Customer numbers have decreased.’
Upon checking the ledgers written after resuming normal operations, that conclusion became clear.
‘Thanks to the profits from the second floor, sales are similar to usual, but it’s a warning sign.’
While the returning regulars who were keenly awaiting the reopening of the Tea Bookstore added to the sales, it wasn’t something to feel secure about.
The sales from book sales had distinctly dropped.
‘The good news is that food sales are doing well.’
Even I could see that selecting the staff for the second floor was spectacularly well done.
I silently watched Im Ha-yeon, serving drinks with a business smile at the counter.
“Mr. Hwang! The Hyang-a coffee set is out!”
“You remembered my name?”
“Of course. You order the Hyang-a coffee set every time.”
“Hmmm. So it’s because Lady Ha-yeon is from the top courtesan’s residence that you remember.”
“Let me have the Hyang-a coffee set too!”
“Aren’t you the top courtesan of Sichuan?”
“From today, I’m from the top courtesan of Hubei!”
With a single smile from Im Ha-yeon, everything melts away.
Since I spoke just one word, Im Ha-yeon has been assiduously performing the chaos removal task.
Sometimes her desire to take part in the succession battle showed, but it seems she changed to supporting the Du Eung-hyang camp since I keep a hawk’s eye watching her.
I’ll let that slide. It helps in drawing in the customers.
“A gloomy guy who would hear orders every time now finds the flowers taking orders, how lively the Tea Bookstore has become.”
“I can hear you calling me a gloomy guy.”
I shot back sharply at the comment from a regular of the Tea and Book Club.
“Hahaha. I’m sorry. Still, with rumors spreading that a new employee has started at the Tea Bookstore, even those who weren’t planning on coming are showing up.”
“Yes, it seems you’ve chosen the staff well.”
Not only Im Ha-yeon and Ha So-so are working on the second floor, but other women are employed, creating a truly vibrant atmosphere.
Was I the one working to make things gloomy all along?
“I heard there are beautiful women here that you can’t find anywhere else in Yichang.”
Lost in thought while looking at the customers, I could hear their whispers with my enhanced hearing.
“Man, I’ve heard many courtesans in Yichang, but I’ve never seen a beauty like that pink-haired lady.”
“Is that so?”
Rumors of the employees at the Tea Bookstore being beautified weren’t limited to the Tea and Book Club, as I noticed unfamiliar male customers too.
Though some couldn’t distinguish if they were staring at the books or the women.
‘Filling sales with regular customers has its limits.’
While the members of the Tea and Book Club keep visiting, attracting general customers is also important.
I know the best way is to quickly publish volume three of The Rise of the Tang Family. But it’s not wise to fixate on one solution when there are various tactics I could pursue.
‘The loss of patrons from the Tea and Book Club has caused a decrease in general customers. I need to find a way to bring them back…’
“Manager!”
As I was lost in thought about tactics, Ha So-so approached and called me.
“Ha So-so, what’s wrong?”
“Hehe. Can I have a little bit of the snacks left by the customers?”
Ha So-so asked with a slightly embarrassed face, as if asking the convenience store owner if she could take leftover items.
“It’s almost lunchtime, wouldn’t it be better to eat instead?”
In this world, there’s typically no proper lunch break. When I introduced a lunch break, the employees were so shocked that it was amusing.
“Hehehe.”
Ha So-so just smiled at my question.
You can’t be serious.
“Are you saying you don’t have lunch?”
“Ah! Well… Instead, I eat a hearty dinner! Otherwise, I can’t sleep.”
Embarrassed by the fact she skips lunch, Ha So-so gave me an excuse that didn’t quite sound convincing.
“Are the other employees the same?”
“Some of them do eat, but there are others who don’t because of financial difficulties.”
The Tea Bookstore isn’t a restaurant where they solve meals.
Lunch breaks were given to take care of themselves; I never thought there would be someone going hungry.
I stared at Ha So-so in shock before noticing the stains on her sleeves.
“Why is your sleeve like that?”
What are those stains? The marks on her sleeves looked like they had been there for a few days.
“Oh, I spilled some coffee while cleaning.”
Ha So-so hid her arms behind her back, seemingly embarrassed.
Why don’t you change your clothes? I almost asked, but my thoughts shifted towards the financial situation of the work-study students.
I remember emptying my pockets to buy a nice outfit during my own student days. They might not have a change of clothes.
With the sudden hiring of employees and immediate operations, unforeseen issues keep popping up.
I need to increase the number of customers and take care of the employees too.
Delving deep into my thoughts to solve the mounting problems, a solution suddenly flickered in my mind.
I need to step out for a bit.
“I’ll be stepping out for a moment. Have the leftover snacks be set aside, but make sure the employees eat fresh ones. And then, gather everyone for a meeting on the second floor after clean-up time.”
If a good solution comes to mind, I should implement it immediately.
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