“Huh-huh.”
She had been working mindlessly all day while suffering emotionally, and even went for a walk at night.
In a normal situation, she would have collapsed into bed immediately. However, the pink-haired woman was humming a tune, having forgotten her fatigue in the midst of experience.
“It was more reliable than I expected.”
Just holding his hand sent a tingling feeling deep within her heart.
Im Ha-yeon looked at her hand, which had just clasped the hand of a man, and made an expression that seemed somewhat regretful.
Was it just her feeling? The intertwined fingers were hotter than anything else. It felt somehow connected, warming her heart and making her feel fuzzy inside.
When they arrived at the inn and her hand slipped away, it felt like a precious part of herself was being taken away.
Im Ha-yeon cautiously brought the warmth of someone that might still linger in her hand toward her heart.
“They say it’s a gift for someone you always want to see, right?”
After enjoying the lingering feelings, Im Ha-yeon smiled broadly and picked up the exquisite pair of shoes that was carefully placed there.
Florally designed shoes crafted meticulously by a skilled artisan. Not just any pair, but the ones that Kang Yoon-ho had custom-made for her.
In terms of effort, it could be compared to the hidden knife he had received.
The gift from Je-gal Hyang. Im Ha-yeon’s gift. Which one would be the better gift?
Both were made by skilled artisans, but there was one significant difference.
“That woman gave a gift, but I was the one who received it.”
A gift is a way to express one’s feelings. Then, without needing to ask, it was clear whose heart he was holding right now. Im Ha-yeon smiled secretly.
Why had she felt uneasy and upset for the past few days? Kang Yoon-ho had simply been working hard for her.
Looking at the sign of heart put forth by Kang Yoon-ho, Im Ha-yeon could shed off the uneasiness she had been carrying for the last few days.
Knock knock.
Then, there was a sound of knocking at the door from outside.
“Uh?”
Who could it be at this time? There was only one person who would knock at this hour. What could it be? Did he perhaps have something more to say about what happened today?
‘Could it be that he’s trying to come in?’
A rather unsightly imagination flashed through Im Ha-yeon’s mind.
If he did come in, how would she say it? As various thoughts crossed her mind, her gaze momentarily dropped to her feet.
“P-Please tell me that I don’t smell!”
Her feet, which she had washed with extra care today. Im Ha-yeon, nervously, brought her nose down to her feet, realized she was in the clear, and cautiously approached the door.
He must have come to say he had a good time today. Im Ha-yeon swallowed hard for no particular reason.
With a tense face, she relaxed her fingers once and opened the door with a somewhat haughty expression.
“Ha-yeon unnie!”
What appeared upon opening the door was not the person she had expected.
“Ah.”
“Hehe. Unnie, why do you have a disappointed look? Did you know who it was?”
Ha So-so grinned at Im Ha-yeon with her eyes curving upward, as if she knew everything.
“It’s not like that! Why are you here in the middle of the night?”
“What do you mean? I came to see if my advice worked! Can I come in?”
She couldn’t believe she would leave right after giving advice! Ha So-so had been waiting for Im Ha-yeon to return even at this late hour with a surprised heart.
“Come in.”
“Huh? Unnie, something happened, didn’t it?”
What a delightfully strange happy expression. She seemed eager to share something. Ha So-so quickly caught on that something unusual must have happened to Im Ha-yeon.
“Wow! You mean you received a gift that symbolizes someone you always want to see? Kang Manager, how romantic!”
Ha So-so squealed with delight, touching her cheeks like a girl who just witnessed a hero save her lover.
“It’s thanks to So-so.”
Im Ha-yeon felt a little shy saying it, her face flushed.
“Hehe. See, unnie? It was just that there wasn’t enough time for the two of you to be alone!”
“…I think that’s true.”
It seems like the shackles that tied them to each other made it harder to move forward. It was so easy to confirm their feelings.
Im Ha-yeon gently caressed the pair of shoes that Kang Yoon-ho had given her and said, “But, unnie! We’ve only taken one step forward.”
Ha So-so closed her fists and exclaimed, “That’s not just one step!”
After all the courage they had built, it couldn’t just be one step. Im Ha-yeon puffed out her lips and said with displeasure.
“Unnie! Of course, I know you worked hard to get here, but that woman could make a leap in just a single step after months!”
“…”
“I want to just sincerely praise you today, but the other party is Je-gal’s youngest daughter.”
In terms of looks, wealth, and strength, she was a woman from a prominent family, unmatched in any regard.
If such a woman decides to pursue Kang Manager, how much destructive power would she possess? Even Ha So-so couldn’t fathom that.
“He is looking only at me. Plus, it’s Je-gal’s family, so he won’t get bored quickly….”
Im Ha-yeon spoke without predictions, just with her pure wish.
“Unnie, trust my eyes! That girl didn’t seem uninterested in Kang Manager! It feels like if you just leave the two of them alone, something serious will happen!”
Ha So-so recalled the two of them she’d seen at the Tea Bookstore branch.
One looked at her as if seeing a cute little sister, but the other had a different intensity in his gaze.
To Ha So-so, who enjoyed meddling in others’ love lives, it looked like it would easily push through if only the man would make a move.
“…”
“Think about it, Unnie. Now, if Kang Master starts working at the Tea Bookstore, it puts you in the same situation. It’s a match opponent. They’ll have time to create memories together, just like you did today.”
While listening closely to Ha So-so’s anxiousness, Im Ha-yeon nodded.
Just a few days ago, she would have agreed with Ha So-so’s words and felt dejected about it. She might have been anxious and despondent while waiting endlessly for his return.
But today was different.
Today, Im Ha-yeon was a woman who held Kang Yoon-ho’s hand and leaped over a step.
“I don’t plan to sit still either.”
Im Ha-yeon began to lay out her intentions firmly to Ha So-so.
“Unnie, what are you thinking?”
“In the end, if we can’t prevent the two of them from creating memories at the Tea Bookstore, it won’t matter.”
Sure, waiting endlessly while trusting him wasn’t such a bad idea. But wasn’t there a better way?
Im Ha-yeon recalled the advice she had just received from the innkeeper.
Stay within sight.
Today, Im Ha-yeon decided to take one step forward.
“I’m going to ask to be included in the management of the Tea Bookstore branch.”
She couldn’t remain an onlooker any longer. She must take her place in the battlefield.
Im Ha-yeon resolved to meet Je-gal Hyang.
*
“To say you’ll help with the management of the Tea Bookstore branch is delightful, but there’s a big problem.”
Kang Yoon-ho smiled, but there was an issue.
“What problem?”
“It’s not delivery; it’s work where you have to face customers, so it feels difficult.”
Training delivery personnel, document work, training Nine Black Qi Hands, supplier deals, academy teaching, and more. Indeed, Im Ha-yeon was doing a lot of work, but she hadn’t stepped into the spotlight at Wuhan yet.
On the other hand, work at the Tea Bookstore involved having to meet customers face-to-face.
Even if he was happy about Im Ha-yeon’s proposal, he couldn’t put her, still a fugitive courtesan, in front of indistinct customers.
“I don’t intend to do everything myself. And I can handle tasks that only involve working with you and not with customers, right?”
“While it’s true that having you help me would lighten my workload….”
He acknowledged that document work and external matters might be trickier, but he had originally intended to seek help from Je-gal Hyang.
“As someone who has worked with you the longest, there will be plenty of tasks for me to assist with in the new branch.”
So enthusiastic. He even emphasized the term ‘longest.’
Surely it was better to turn to Im Ha-yeon than to ask Je-gal Hyang, who would need to learn from scratch.
“Would it be too hard for you?”
“We’re supposed to suffer together, remember?”
Just like what I said last night.
Im Ha-yeon boldly raised her head, standing close to him with a determined expression.
“If that’s the case.”
He never expected this to come back around. He grinned and said, “Let’s move from today. Let’s head to the Tea Bookstore branch and see where we need help.”
Im Ha-yeon seemed ready to dash off to the Tea Bookstore branch, turning with light steps.
“While enthusiasm is great, we can’t enter the Tea Bookstore until Je-gal Hyang has opened the door for us.”
“…Does it mean we need to confer with that woman before proceeding?”
His expression was a touch surprised.
Thinking about it, was it alright to introduce the two? There was a chance it could get awkward.
“Should I just get a key separately…?”
“No, let’s meet. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
The walk last night seemed to have recharged him emotionally. He was quite proactive.
Im Ha-yeon said with a very serious expression, “It’ll be alright, right?”
“We’ll have to prepare today to make sure we meet later.”
The passion burning in Im Ha-yeon’s eyes was fiercer than any she had shown recently.
Is it really okay to set them up?
*
The next day. Mansion of Man Geum-jeon.
“Miss Je-gal Hyang, the carriage to the Tea Bookstore is ready.”
The estate servant informed Je-gal Hyang that everything was prepared through the door.
“Yes! I’ll—uh—practice until the last moment!”
“What? I’ll be waiting.”
Not dressing up or preparing, but practicing, huh?
The servant found it odd for a moment but knew all too well that being indifferent to the master’s affairs made for a more comfortable workday.
“I’m almost done with my practice!”
Once she sensed the servant disappearing, Je-gal Hyang stood in front of her desk again.
From today, she would be managing things together with Kang Yoon-ho Master. She didn’t want to show her embarrassing side.
What she was practicing for was for him.
Je-gal Hyang swallowed hard, her face tense, and carefully opened her mouth for one last practice.
“Uh… Um… Americano. Not the short size, but… um, tall size, with one extra shot, um… make it iced, please!”
She couldn’t make the same mistake again.
Je-gal Hyang was absolutely preparing herself for today’s meeting.
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