Im Ha-yeon was totally a victim of a real estate scam.
It seems that trying to fleece inexperienced newcomers is the same no matter the world!
‘It doesn’t feel like other people’s business.’
This world is too harsh for someone with nothing to rely on.
I’ve had my share of nights without money for a roof, drenched by torrential rain, and wandering around with a growling stomach. I’ve even been beaten up and robbed by members of the Black Knife.
The only silver lining for Im Ha-yeon is that I already had a plan in mind.
I turned to Im Ha-yeon, who looked as downtrodden as a drenched cat, and proposed part of my plan.
“W-What? L-Live together? With who?”
“I said let’s live together, Im Ha-yeon.”
Was my message not clear? Maybe too much rain got into her ears.
Im Ha-yeon’s eyes widened in shock as she hurriedly glanced around the attic.
“W-Well, there are two beds… but how can a man and a woman live in the same room?!”
It’s doable. Once you get used to it, it’s not that uncomfortable. I can say that for sure as someone who’s been there before.
For a moment, I thought of correcting her bias, but decided to clear up the urgent misunderstanding instead.
“I think you misunderstood what I meant.”
“Huh?”
I gazed at her face, which wore a puzzled expression.
‘I can’t afford to pay for Im Ha-yeon’s miracle.’
No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t buy her miracle with my current means. Unless there’s a money cheat in this world.
If I had met the Heavenly Killing Star Im Ha-yeon, I might have parted ways with a promise for the future.
But current Im Ha-yeon seems to be right before everything starts. It’s just like when I first met previous heroines. Perhaps her time limit isn’t much longer than the Poison or Heavenly Killing Star’s.
All I can do right now is try everything I can.
“I’ve been staying up at night, thinking about Im Ha-yeon for the past few days.”
Let’s start by showcasing my efforts so far.
“I-Is it because of me?”
“It’s not just that. I also thought about how to solve your problems. I’ve been searching for different methods.”
Truthfully, it was all preparation to send off the Tang family members. But let’s frame all my reasons for not being at the Tea Bookstore lately as actions for her benefit.
“Ah… So, but if you misunderstood, what does that mean? It wasn’t an invitation to live together here?”
Im Ha-yeon sighed with a hint of unexplainable disappointment and nodded at me.
What’s this? There’s something fishy about her behavior.
I thought she might have some misunderstanding, so I quickly dove into the main topic.
“Let’s move our residence to the printing house. There are several empty rooms in the main building, so it won’t be a problem to live there.”
“Not here, but at the printing house?”
I nodded at her.
“Isn’t your biggest worry right now that you might be transported to Wuhan? If we live at the printing house, even the Hao-mun wouldn’t dare to take you away indiscriminately.”
“And why is that?”
“Because the printing house also serves as the unloading dock for the Seocheon Post Office. Postmen from there guard the place day and night. If the Hao-mun tries to come and transport you, they would have no choice but to back down in the face of the Seocheon Post Office’s name.”
Once I reside in the printing house, security from the Seocheon Post Office would be boosted. After all, it would be the home of the illegitimate child of the Tang Family Head.
While I couldn’t expect any direct favors from the Sichuan Tang family anymore, I could still make use of some indirect influence.
The problem is that my commute would increase tremendously from 30 seconds to dozens of times longer. If it becomes too complicated, I might have to ask Im Ha-yeon to carry me during our commute!
“They won’t give up that easily. There might be repercussions for the Tea Bookstore.”
“Well, I can just pretend I quit the Tea Bookstore. You can stage a sit-in at the printing house and not step out for a second. That way, they’ll have no choice but to give up after a while without any options.”
How could they possibly check whether Im Ha-yeon was in the printing house? They could only see if she was in one of the rooms.
Even if the Hao-mun’s power is quite strong, they’d want to avoid direct clashes with the Sichuan Tang family behind the Seocheon Post Office.
“It could be a good plan. Still, they won’t give up.”
I took a moment to admire Im Ha-yeon’s beauty, which didn’t waver in the rain but instead looked captivating.
She would soon become famous for having the most stunning beauty in Wuhan. The Hao-mun wouldn’t simply give up their assets easily.
“I’m not saying I want you to stay there forever. I just want to buy us some time.”
“Time?”
I may not be able to buy her miracle right now. But I didn’t have absolutely nothing to give her.
Hope.
Let’s give her the hope that things could get better.
“I’m going to make a formal request to the Hao-mun. I’ll ask them to investigate what happened with the umbrella.”
The incident with the umbrella is clearly entangled with a conspiracy from the Martial Arts World. Maybe I can find a clue there to save her destiny.
“Is there a reason to investigate what happened with the umbrella?”
“When you stroll in the evening, you don’t think about how the house is structured, where the treasures are, or how to escape, do you?”
“That’s true.”
“It’s the same here. Knowing the truth of the incident will help us figure out how to act. If you go to Wuhan without knowing anything, you’ll just be a fugitive courtesan forever.”
“Planning to understand the truth in advance…”
“Our lives are only once. When you need to walk into a death trap, you shouldn’t just mumble that you have no choice; instead, you should prepare to come back alive.”
I find a way to survive. If one plan isn’t enough, I’ll come up with two. If two aren’t enough, I’ll make it three. That’s how I’ve lived in this world.
Of course, since one of the original story arcs takes place in Wuhan, I might think of more strategies by actually going there. But there’s no need to cross into the danger zone while giving up the home ground advantage.
Now it’s time to build a connection with Im Ha-yeon, who might very well be the true heroine.
“I have other plans prepared as well.”
I laid out the strategies I’ve been thinking about and preparing over the past few days to Im Ha-yeon.
“……What’s the reason you want to help me this much?”
Was my plan more grand than she expected? Or did my efforts show? Im Ha-yeon asked me as if seeking an answer.
The daughter of my oath brother. A precious employee of the Tea Bookstore. A managerial talent. A disruption removal squad member. And a true heroine candidate. I have so much to say.
But there’s only one thing I can say that would rebuild her crumbled self-esteem.
I stared at Im Ha-yeon like I was gazing upon something precious for a while before I firmly replied.
“It’s because it’s you, Im Ha-yeon.”
Simply because it’s you. Just that one reason is enough for someone to gain the power to rise up.
“…….”
“I can’t say for sure. But I will do everything within my power.”
“……I’ll trust you.”
For some reason, Im Ha-yeon nodded while avoiding my gaze.
———————–
“I’ve turned on warm water, so use it. There’s even spare work clothes ordered, so you can take them from that box and wear them. There should be clothes that fit.”
“Y-You want me to change now?”
Im Ha-yeon gazed at me in disbelief with wide eyes. This man, could it be that this is what he was really aiming for?
“There’s a screen over there, so go ahead. I’ll look the other way.”
“Ah… Okay.”
Her expression was better than before entering the Tea Bookstore. She was drenched in despair and looking down, but now there’s a glimmer of hope in her expression.
Is this enough to leave a good impression?
From the attic, I could hear the sound of water as a strange woman used it, and the soft rustling as her skin brushed against the clothes was quite stimulating for me, but I didn’t let it show.
I’ve somewhat adapted to this over the past year. Better to stay still than to give in to temptation and destroy the trust between us.
As I waited, I heard the sound of Im Ha-yeon sitting on the bed.
After hearing my plans, taking a warm shower, and putting on new clothes, she must be feeling good now, right?
“Kang. Yoon. Ho. Boss?”
But the voice that came from behind was filled with anger.
“Uh?”
“What is this?!!!”
When I turned around, I saw Im Ha-yeon with a face full of fury.
Oh no. The cheongsam she changed into was one that showed off her cleavage clearly, and the skirt was extremely short.
It was one of the outfits I had originally debated on for work attire.
“W-Was that in there?”
I must have mixed it in with the order.
“Are you telling me to wear something like this right now?”
Im Ha-yeon shouted at me, unsure whether it was because she felt uncomfortable or because the fabric was tightening around her chest.
What should I say?
“There are different types of cheongsams; in Yodong Province, which is near Manchuria…”
“They wear this kind of clothing in Yodong Province?”
Careful now, making a statement like that could lead to regional discrimination or national misunderstandings!
“Actually, it was a prototype that had excessively too much of my personal taste.”
This was an outfit that I barely managed to put the brakes on after excessively integrating my personal preference.
With Im Ha-yeon wearing it, the impact is ridiculously high. The places where fabric should’ve been instead covered by the gaze.
I should turn away, but I feel like I’m getting sucked in.
“T-Taste?”
The light in Im Ha-yeon’s eyes faded. The expression of a woman who saw something shameful. No. I couldn’t face her out of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. No, I apologize. I just misunderstood. Please wear something else.”
In the end, I could only apologize as the wicked shop owner who had forcibly made her wear that outfit.
“Pfft. Fine.”
Im Ha-yeon snickered at my demeanor, then promptly turned back to the screen.
There must’ve been other clothes to choose from. Why did she pick that one? Was that the only one that fit her? Considering the bulges in certain areas, there aren’t many clothes that would fit.
It’s a little unfair, but it can’t be helped.
———–
“Hmm.”
Im Ha-yeon found herself humming a tune softly, not realizing Kang Yoon-ho wouldn’t hear it.
‘Men really are something.’
It was, in fact, a little prank.
She had worn clothes with even less fabric while attending courtesan school, so she didn’t feel much hesitation. She intended only to tease him a little.
Im Ha-yeon oddly didn’t mind the gaze of Kang Yoon-ho, who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her dress.
Because it’s Im Ha-yeon.
‘It’s certain he has feelings for me.’
As she recalled that one phrase brimming with affection, Im Ha-yeon smiled slightly.
For reasons unknown, Im Ha-yeon felt loved by someone. The fact that someone was trying their best for her was enough to firmly uplift her spirit that was about to crumble into despair.
‘Even if we’re living together, I can’t let my guard down.’
Even if they said they’d have separate rooms, not letting her guard down is crucial. He might tempt her with a drink late at night or suddenly knock on her door, claiming to be lonely.
Even if they say to keep the beds separate, the moment she allows him in, they might both wake up looking at each other the next day.
She knew his feelings, but she hadn’t yet granted him access to her own heart.
Im Ha-yeon adjusted her face in the mirror, returning it to a cold expression so he wouldn’t notice.
“I’m done.”
“Why don’t we take a day off instead?”
“I don’t want to be a burden to the other employees by not getting any sleep for a night.”
At Im Ha-yeon’s words, Kang Yoon-ho nodded.
“Let’s go down.”
The rain that fell all night had made her a mess, much like the adversity she faced. But Im Ha-yeon, dressed in new clothes, followed behind a man as if nothing had happened.
She saw a ray of sunlight shining on Kang Yoon-ho’s back.
As if to inform her that even in the worst of weather, there’s a glimmer of hope.
Being with this man, perhaps she might overcome the trials that lie ahead.
With unspoken thoughts, Im Ha-yeon descended with him to the second floor.
“Im Ha-yeon!!! Are you coming down from the third floor with the boss who’s sleeping?!!!”
Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to overcome her trials after all.
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