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She said it was an occasion for the youth who would shoulder the future of Shandong, but in reality, it was for Song Hwa-rin and me.

She had become anxious because I hadn’t met Song Hwa-rin even once, being absorbed in training the sword squad.

She hurriedly organized this banquet before I went out to make money again.

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like banquets.

The reason was that I had experienced banquets to the point of tedium during my time as the Alliance Leader, and I disliked the inherent nature of banquets where one had to smile even at people one didn’t like.

Especially, I had some preconceptions about young people’s banquets.

When young people gather and drink, they just get drunk, make mistakes, and fight.

However, I couldn’t refuse my mother’s wish to hold the banquet.

Invitations were sent out, and eventually, the banquet was held.

Most of the young talents from the Shandong area attended, including Song Hwa-rin, who had received a special invitation from my mother saying she must attend.

Given our family’s diminished influence now, I expected there would be many who would act arrogantly.

But when the banquet actually started, the atmosphere wasn’t as bad as I had thought.

Good alcohol and delicious food. It was partly thanks to my mother’s thorough preparations, but more because of the rumors about me. Especially, the story of how my small sword squad had annihilated the Wild Beast Squad was very famous among the young talents of Shandong.

Everyone showed a favorable reaction towards me. No one openly disrespected me.

Rather, they showed friendliness by asking how the small sword squad had defeated the Wild Beast Squad. Among them were even those who used to hang around with Yang Gi-gang and give me contemptuous looks.

Is it selfish, or just thoughtless?

But I know.

Building up a family is not a matter of the private realm.

One must be able to smile at people one dislikes and say things one doesn’t want to say.

That’s why I’m smiling and listening to these kids’ pointless stories about their family pride, martial arts boasting, money boasting, and showing off their newly bought weapons.

If one dislikes this, one can live freely without getting entangled in power dynamics.

Since it had come to this, I observed to see if there were any useful fellows. These are people I’d have to face once or twice anyway if I wanted to grow the family business in Shandong.

I grasped each of their personalities and remembered their family situations.

Previously, the Chief Steward’s single remark about the Shandong Merchant Association had played a big role in solving a problem. Now, who knows what small detail might become the key to solving problems later.

Song Hwa-rin and I were mostly on the listening side. She was standing back from the banquet as much as I was.

Her gaze towards me had softened compared to before. It must be because of the help I gave last time. But she didn’t approach or speak to me first.

Well, even if she wanted to talk, there was no opportunity. The young men were gathered around her. Those who lacked confidence to approach her glanced at her from afar. If one enjoyed this, it would be a happy moment, but if not, I thought it must be quite an ordeal.

“Miss Song, let’s have a drink together.”

Despite the continuous requests, her answer was always the same.

“I don’t drink alcohol.”

Strangely, she didn’t drink even a sip of alcohol.

Someone asked why she didn’t drink, but she just gave a faint smile.

Does she have some story behind it?

Actually, I was curious about something else. Why she disliked the Alliance Leader. I’m just holding back because the atmosphere isn’t right to ask that. I plan to ask again when I get the chance.

Perhaps disliking how the men were monopolizing attention, one of the women in attendance asked Song Hwa-rin,

“There’s a rumor that you’re breaking off the engagement with Young Master Byeok. Is that true?”

She spoke quite loudly, so the surroundings suddenly became quiet and attention focused on us.

Song Hwa-rin was slightly flustered. Though she had brought up the topic herself, she probably didn’t want to discuss it in front of so many people like this.

I answered on her behalf.

“Regardless of the rumor, isn’t she too good for me?”

At my ambiguous words, the men all nodded in unison. On the other hand, the woman who had asked the question spoke again.

“Looks aren’t everything, are they?”

She seemed to want to make things difficult for Song Hwa-rin. After all, Song Hwa-rin was bound to be the object of jealousy for all women.

However, I had no intention of playing along with this bold and rude woman.

“It’s rare for a beautiful woman to be intelligent and skilled in martial arts as well. Miss Song has achieved that difficult feat.”

The woman’s expression hardened. She had expected negative comments to come out when she brought up the broken engagement, but when praise for Song Hwa-rin came out instead, she turned away with a displeased expression.

“Come, let’s all make a toast.”

I raised my glass high.

After the banquet, Song Hwa-rin approached me and asked,

“Do you really think that?”

“Think what?”

“That I’m too good for you.”

I nodded. It was my honest feeling.

“Your eyes don’t look like that at all.”

“What do my eyes look like?”

“Indifferent. Almost unbelievably indifferent.”

I smirked at her words. I could see how it might look that way. Moreover, after my Ren and Du meridians had been unblocked, my gaze had become even deeper, so it might look even more so.

Having nothing to say about that, I slightly changed the topic.

“How’s your martial arts training going?”

“I’m working hard.”

I don’t know who taught her martial arts, but I could sense considerable skill from her. I think she would be in the top two or three among the young talents here.

“How about you?”

“I’m working hard too.”

The conversation didn’t flow smoothly and kept breaking off, but we were still treating each other more gently than before.

They say we were close when we were very young. But I have no memory of that time at all.

I spoke to her softly.

“I just hope you can think of it comfortably.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re only twenty now, aren’t we? It’s too precious an age to be tied down by anything. I mean, let’s just enjoy the life we’re given and live diligently.”

For a moment, her eyes wavered. She must have felt the same about not wanting to be tied down by anything.

“And whatever you saw in my eyes, you really are beautiful. Too good for me.”

“I don’t like those kinds of…”

Song Hwa-rin couldn’t finish her sentence. A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.

Yes, because she’s beautiful, because she’s so beautiful, there must be hardships she has to endure. She must have to endure men’s lustful gazes and women’s merciless jealousy. Perhaps there are wounds that I don’t know about.

“I know you want to be recognized for your skills, not your looks. But the more you feel that way, the more the world will judge you only by your appearance.”

Because her beauty wasn’t the kind of ordinary beauty that you might find one of anywhere.

“Then what should I do?”

Her question was filled with desperation.

“Just proudly acknowledge your beauty. Tell others like this: ‘Yes, I’m drop-dead gorgeous. So what? Isn’t it better to be beautiful anyway?’ Tell them like that.”

“I… I can’t do that.”

Right, she wasn’t that kind of personality.

But this is what I think.

“You still have to do it. Sometimes, there are things you can only escape by fully accepting them.”

She stared at me intently. It wasn’t an unpleasant expression. Rather, she seemed grateful that I was talking to her like this.

“I… can’t understand you.”

She would feel that way. The me she had seen and heard about when she returned was a garbage scoundrel. Gambling, violence, obsessed with courtesans and wasting money on them. And even causing trouble for her when drunk.

But now I must seem like a completely different person, so she must be confused in many ways.

I said with a smile,

“Twenty is an age when we’re supposed to be capricious, isn’t it?”

At that moment, from far away, my mother saw us together and waved. She bowed her head politely, and I smiled brightly.

And so, today’s banquet came to an end.

***

These days, Kong Su-chan was so busy it was hard to see his face.

Even at this late hour after the banquet, he was intently looking at something with mountains of documents piled up.

Yes, this is why I need a chief administrator.

I’m truly weak at numerical calculations. When it comes to martial arts, I can instantly calculate how to kill dozens of people, but when it comes to money calculations, I get confused even calculating the food expenses for the squad members.

Kong Su-chan stood up and greeted me when I visited.

“You’ve come.”

“I hope it’s not too late.”

“Not at all. As you can see, I was still working. Please, sit here.”

Kong Su-chan poured cold tea from a teapot.

“It’s tea that clears the head.”

“Is this why Chief Administrator Kong’s mind is so good?”

“Haha, you flatter me.”

In fact, Kong Su-chan is the person I need to pay the most attention to. After all, money-related issues are the most important in growing an organization.

“How’s work these days?”

“It’s progressing fairly well.”

“How much money do we have now?”

Kong Su-chan answered immediately without checking the ledger. It meant the financial situation was clear in his head.

“We have eighteen thousand taels.”

The money had grown quite a bit. It was evidence that Kong Su-chan was working hard.

“But most of it is tied up in investments in trading companies. Do you need money?”

“Not right away. I’m thinking of increasing the number of squad members next spring.”

“How many are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of adding about forty more. Would that be possible?”

“By next spring…”

He seemed to be calculating in his head for a moment, then Kong Su-chan smiled and said,

“It’s definitely possible.”

“Good. Please manage the funds with that in mind.”

“Yes, I understand.”

My plan was to recruit about forty more for a total of sixty, organizing them into three teams of twenty each. With about sixty members, we’d have a decent-sized squad.

When I asked about increasing the numbers, Kong Su-chan didn’t answer immediately but calculated. In other words, it means the situation isn’t that comfortable.

To operate more stably, we needed to diligently earn money while strengthening the current squad.

“Please tell me immediately if any suitable missions come in.”

***

The next day, when I looked for Gwang-du, he was sitting in the backyard where he usually trained, looking like he had lost the world. I had a guess, but I pretended not to know and asked.

“What’s wrong? Is training hard?”

Gwang-du answered weakly with his head down.

“No. Training is really fun.”

“Then?”

“Why are you asking when you know?”

“Did she reject you?”

“…Yes.”

“Did she say it to your face?”

Do Soon didn’t seem like she had such a harsh personality.

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

“She didn’t put the tassel I gave her on her sword.”

“Hahahahaha.”

I burst out laughing. I really didn’t think it would be for this reason.

“How can you laugh now?”

“Maybe she didn’t attach it because it’s too precious a gift?”

“What?”

For a moment, Gwang-du’s eyes lit up. In an instant, Gwang-du regained the world he had lost.

“Ah, that could be it. Ah, I didn’t think of that. Idiot! I’m really stupid. Young Master. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Gwang-du jumped up and grabbed my hands. I poured cold water on the reignited fellow.

“Of course, she might not have attached it because she doesn’t like it.”

“Why are you like this? First this, then that.”

“I’m saying a woman’s heart is hard to understand.”

It was also the part I was least confident about even after living seventy years.

“Well, that’s true.”

Gwang-du sighed and sat down again. I sat down next to him and asked,

“What do you like about Do Soon?”

“Everything.”

“You didn’t like her this much before.”

“That’s the strange thing. When she shyly handed me the gift, my heart suddenly dropped. It was the first time I’ve experienced this. And before you say anything, I’m not saying this because of the gift. Don’t make such low-quality jokes. I’m serious.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

I felt a bit envious of Gwang-du. I have no memory of experiencing such heart-fluttering love. If I meet a woman I really like, will my heart “drop” as he described?

I carefully shared what I had felt before.

“I think Song-hee likes you.”

“She’s still a child.”

I mentioned it in case he didn’t know, but it seems he was aware. Well, he’s not that oblivious.

“She’s just like a little sister to me.”

The problem is that Song-hee doesn’t think that way.

Even I, who was once the world’s greatest, and Gwang-du, who has just started martial arts, find matters of the heart difficult. It’s hard to date, and it’s hard not to date.

“I’m leaving. You go find your dropped heart. You might need it for another woman.”

“That’s mean.”

“The truth is always painful.”

As I was about to get up, Gwang-du grabbed me.

“Wait a moment, Young Master.”

He said with a serious expression.

“Teach me the flying dagger technique too.”

Gwang-du was still in the midst of his first love and his competitive spirit, not wanting to lose to Gwan Hwi.