Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 158



Only Noblemtl

158. My Own Image of You (1)

“So, the escort that His Majesty the King spoke of is you… … .”

Guan Shuye’s mouth was sticking out as if she was not pleased with something. I could quickly see why.

“I thought that since you gave me a young, promising, and strong candidate, I would be able to get a reputation as a famous person.”

Normally, I’m not the type of person to be swayed by such words. But somehow, I tend to say things without thinking in front of my family or friends.

Since I am also human, I instinctively joke around in front of people I feel comfortable with.

“I accepted the offer because I was told that I would be escorting a young lady as beautiful as the princess.”

Of course, Wang Song never said anything like that, I was just teasing him. However, Guan Shuye reacted immediately.

“Tea, really. Have you ever actually seen the princess?”

“No, I don’t think so. Have you seen it?”

“I don’t have one either. But my father said he saw it. He usually says I’m the prettiest, but he also said that the princess is prettier.”

Guan Shuye said gloomily. As expected, Guan Shuye was a friend who had a sense of humor. That was why I became close with Guan Shuye. She was someone who could easily get over all of my mischievous jokes.

I was glad to see a side of the Kwanseoye that I knew. It was just that he was less mature than the Kwanseoye I knew, but he was still the same person.

“Well, that could be true. The princess even has the nickname of ‘Jungwon Jeilhwa.’ But that’s not important.”

“You took it out first!”

The official got angry. I just ignored him and continued talking.

“We need to come to a private agreement now.”

“What kind of agreement are you making?”

“I also need some personal time. So I can’t escort you all day. So I would like you to set some times for me to come in and go out.”

“What? Then I won’t be able to see the night market or anything like that when it opens?”

“Then, please take some time off the next day. Even if Lady Gwan has a lot of energy, she wouldn’t go out and look around every day for two weeks.”

I thought this agreement would end very amicably, because I knew Gwan Seo-ye very well.

A person named Kwan Seo-ye was an introvert who needed personal time and was indifferent to other people’s business. In Kwan Seo-ye’s own words, he respected other people’s time and opinions or something.

But the reaction from Gwanseo-ye was different from what I expected.

“I don’t like it.”

“yes?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Why? Lady Guan wouldn’t mind me being stuck to her all day. She wouldn’t want to go out every day either.”

“Are you going out every day? There’s so much to see in Beijing.”

This was an unexpected situation. I felt like I was going to get confused between the image of the official calligraphy I knew and the image of the official calligraphy now.

“Isn’t Lady Gwan a bit of an introvert?”

“No. You don’t read people very well. And how much do you have to see through people to pretend to see through them?”

The calligraphy was ticking. That’s exactly the way I know her.

Since I’ve regressed, I’ve heard a few times that I’m good at seeing people, but this is the first time I’ve heard that I’m bad at seeing people.

Rather, it seemed like my past preconceptions were hindering my judgment of people. If that were the case, then I would have to completely erase the image of her that I knew, but I didn’t want to erase that either.

“Whew. This is starting to give me a headache.”

“Don’t sigh.”

Then what can I do? I have no choice but to spend time with him and get used to it. I also didn’t want to let the relationship called Gwanseoye slip away.

I changed my strategy slightly and started persuading him again. I said that the reason I needed some personal time was to practice my martial arts skills in case I met a high-level mine at the top of the guild.

When he said that, Guan Shuye coughed in vain, feeling slightly embarrassed. He couldn’t say anything since he was training in martial arts for his family.

“Then you should have said so earlier.”

“I didn’t know Lady Kwan wanted to wander around like that.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll give you some time.”

As she said that, Kwan Seo-ye looked at me. It seemed like she had something to say.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“If you find a high-level mine, will you fight it?”

“We might fight.”

“why?”

“Why, of course… … .”

I almost said, “Because you’re my friend.” But we haven’t even said anything about being friends yet. So how should I package it? While I was thinking about it, Gwan Seo-ye opened her mouth.

“I just don’t understand. This is our job. If you’re a high-ranking miner, your life could be at risk. There’s no way you’d go that far to help us.”

Guan Shuye’s words were absolutely true. This was not a manifestation of the individualistic nature I knew of her. I also agree that sacrificing one’s life for others is a foolish act.

I thought about it for a while, then crossed my arms and pretended to look up at the distant sky.

“Miss Guan. I am a lay disciple of the Shamanist faction.”

“Why are you suddenly raising your voice? That’s unlucky.”

“Why did you ask me to do that for the shipping company?”

“yes.”

“Killing mines is the natural duty of a warrior of the righteous faction. And sacrificing one’s life for others is something a knight welcomes.”

The wind blew for a moment and my long coat blew behind me. It was a wonderful moment, even in my opinion. However, Guan Shuye’s reaction was exactly as I expected.

“… … I think I’m crazy.”

Guan Shuye blushed and fanned herself. This was fun in its own way.

Comparing the official calligraphy before the return and the official calligraphy now. This time, I was right.

The Kwan Seo-ye I know hated showing off her hands and feet more than anyone else, and felt embarrassed. To borrow her own expression, she said that it raised her empathy level.

“But why are you at the king’s house and not at the lodgings at the top of the ship?”

“Our group left for Sanxi first.”

“Then you’re going to Shanxi alone in two weeks?”

“No. My father asked the Beijing Bureau to accompany me to Shanxi.”

“iced coffee.”

“Can we go out now? I’ll go and see Beijing.”

Guan Shuye jumped up from the veranda. She seemed to be in a hurry to see Beijing. I found her to be so cute that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Okay. Where should I start looking?”

“I want to go to Shipchalhae first.”

“great.”

Shipchalhae. It is named so because there are ten temples nearby.

In addition, it is also a word that refers to the three lakes of Seohae (西海), Jeonhae (前海), and Houhae (后海), and as the three lakes are adjacent to each other, they are famous for their beautiful scenery.

The commercial district is well-developed, as there are many people who want to enjoy a drink while taking in the lake scenery.

We borrowed a horse from Wang Song’s house and went to Shipchalhae. If she were a daughter of another house, she would not have learned horseback riding, but Gwan Seo-ye was destined to inherit the upper class, so she was good at riding.

“The breeze is cool.”

It was early autumn when I left Hubei for Beijing. Now, it is in full autumn, with red leaves falling every time the wind blows.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Come to think of it, even before the return, when I was close with Gwanseo-ye for twenty years, we never went anywhere together. At most, we would drink together in the upper hall, and that only lasted for a day or two.

When I was young, I was so busy that I felt like I didn’t have enough energy even if I had five bodies, and when I got older, I didn’t have enough energy so we didn’t meet that often. That was a separate issue from intimacy.

I felt strange and glanced at Guan Shuye riding a horse.

The clear forehead and white skin that matched the refreshing green uniform were beautiful. The official calligraphy I knew after 30 was also good, but the young ones were the best. Look at how they shine even though they didn’t seem to have any makeup on.

“What are you looking at?”

Guan Shuye immediately tilted her head and looked at me. It seemed like I had been staring at her for too long.

“no.”

When I shook my head, Guan Shuye smiled with pride.

“You thought it was pretty? Be honest.”

“After all, being young is the best.”

“You’re being dishonest. I don’t think you’re at an age where you can talk about whether you’re young or old. By the way, how old are you?”

“I’m the same age as you.”

“Do you know how old I am?”

“You’re twenty-three.”

“Why do you know? Did you do some background research?”

“I asked the king. He said we are similar in age.”

I lied naturally. It was a plausible lie, so Guan Shuye couldn’t find fault with it any more.

“We’re about the same age, so should we talk more casually? I don’t think I should be too formal with her just because she’s my escort. She’s not my personal escort anyway.”

“okay.”

“… … Oh, really. It’s so natural.”

When I spoke directly, Guan Shuye responded as if she was incredulous. Still, she didn’t seem that upset. To begin with, Guan Shuye wasn’t a narrow-minded person. If she was a narrow-minded person, she wouldn’t have laughed at my mischievous jokes so much in her previous life.

“Ah. I can see it over there.”

“Should we speak informally?”

“… … Okay. I can see it now.”

It seems that Gwanseo-ye is still not used to speaking informally to me. Well, it was natural since merchants are generally more comfortable speaking formally.

“Good.”

The Shipchalhae was so beautiful that I lost myself in it for a moment. I could already see people enjoying the scenery on a few small boats floating on the river.

“Okay. Sounds good.”

We tied our horses to a nearby wooden post for a moment and walked along the lakeside.

The atmosphere around Shipchalhae is really strange. Usually, during the day, it is quiet and solemn due to the influence of many temples, but at night, when the main gate opens, it is noisy. The space where these two contrasting feelings are present definitely has a charm that captivates people.

Now that we are in the transition from day to night, we can feel both at the same time.

Some of the quick-footed owners of the boats had already pulled back their curtains, and those renting out boats were loudly soliciting customers. Meanwhile, the sound of the moktak being struck from the temple could be heard from time to time, which was quite amusing.

Gwan Seo-ye looked at the boat with the zither sound flowing out of it as if she was envious, then turned her head towards me.

“Should we go on a boat too?”

“What if someone steals your horse?”

“Then aren’t you going to chase me straight to Deungpyeongdosu?”

“I have to swim.”

Guan Seo-ye laughed out loud, wondering if what I said was funny. Guan Seo-ye, who was done laughing, looked around, wiping the corners of her eyes.

“There must be a horse stable nearby. There can’t be one in a place like this.”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s find out.”

As the official said, there were horses nearby. We paid money to leave the horses there and then went to the place where we could rent a boat.

Perhaps because the sun had not set yet, there were quite a few boats at the dock. The boats ranged from small single-leafed boats to huge cruise ships that could accommodate three hundred people.

“What do you want to ride?”

I asked Kwan Seo-ye. If it were Kwan Seo-ye I knew, she would have said Il-yeop-pyeon-ju. She was the type of person who didn’t like to get along with strangers. But it wasn’t the current Kwan Seo-ye.

“Wouldn’t a slightly bigger boat be more fun?”

“okay?”

“Yeah. Drinking some alcohol and listening to some music with strangers.”

A Kwanseo-ye who likes to socialize with people. It was really unfamiliar to me, but I couldn’t deny the Kwanseo-ye I am now.

“Okay. Then let’s do that.”

The ship’s merchant, who had been listening to our story, approached us with a big smile.

“If you like being around people, there’s the Hwasungho. It’s the biggest ship here.”

“Can about 300 people fit in?”

“You have good eyes. Yes, that’s right.”

The merchant nodded at my words. Gwan Seo-ye tilted her head to look at the ship called Hwasungho and opened her mouth.

“It’s a bit burdensome if it’s too big. Isn’t there a boat that can fit a few dozen people?”

“Ah. There’s the Hanshin (韓信號). It can accommodate about thirty people, and there’s alcohol, food, and musicians, so you don’t have to prepare anything. However, the admission fee is a bit expensive. It’s the most expensive ship we rent. That’s why many high-ranking children visit it.”

The merchant’s eyes lit up. He seemed excited at the thought of selling the most expensive ticket. Guan Shuye nodded without asking the price.

“Then let’s do that. When do we leave?”

“It’s the first hour of the Rooster. You should board the ship around then to see the sunset.”

“Is it coming soon?”

“Yes. It’s boarding time now. You guys have really come at a great time. Hanshin has the best facilities among all the ships we have… .”

The merchant was about to start talking excitedly, but Gwan Seo-ye immediately took out a piece of silver and silenced him.

“How much is it?”

“Two parties, ten nyang each.”

“Wow, that’s expensive.”

“It’s expensive.”

Guan Shuye scolded me for my impatience and immediately handed over twenty nyang of silver to the merchant. The merchant quickly counted the silver and nodded.

“Boarding is over there. Have a good time!”

We climbed up to Hanshinho, leaving behind the merchant who demonstrated the skill of folding his waist in half.

And as soon as I boarded Hanshin, I knew I had chosen the wrong ship.

“Huh? Miss Guan?”

Jin Su-gwan, whom I met at Zhongshanglian. He was at Hanshin. Naturally, since they were from the same Shanxi 4th district, Guan Shuye and Jin Su-gwan were acquainted.

“Jin Gongja. You were here.”

“Hahaha. What a coincidence!”

Jinsugwan pretended not to see me and asked for a handshake from Gwanseoye. At that moment, a man with broad shoulders and the appearance of a bandit approached Jinsugwan from behind.

“Who is this pretty young lady?”

“Ah, Brother Peng. Please say hello. You are the successor of the Yunjang Sangdan, who are from the same Shanxi 4th family as us.”

“Oh.”

The man called Peng Hyung slowly looked the official seal up and down. His gaze was so arrogant and unpleasant that I felt disgusted.

“Nice to meet you. I am Peng Chen-ying from Hebei Pengga. I think this is how merchants greet each other these days.”

Peng Jinyoung suddenly extended his hand. Guan Shuye seemed reluctant, perhaps feeling uncomfortable with the gaze just now, but he could not ignore the hand that was extended first, so he reluctantly took it.

“It’s a letter of appointment from the top of the cloud.”

“Young Lady Kwan. You are very beautiful. I don’t feel like our meeting today was just a coincidence.”

“……yes?”

Peng Jin-yeong looked at the flustered Guan Seo-ye with glaring eyes. What overflowed in those eyes was a lust that could be clearly identified as a fellow man.

“Hey, can you let go of my hand… .”

“Hehe. It’s so soft, I want to keep holding it.”

Peng Jinyoung’s flirting continued. Jin Su-gwan, who was next to him, simply smiled. Of course, even if he was the son of Jin Jin Sangdan, it would be difficult to say anything to the Habuk Peng family.

I was so annoyed that I quickly hit Pang Jin-young on the back of his hand.

“100 million!”

At the sudden attack, Peng Jin-yeong was startled and fell, clutching his hand.

“Please don’t touch our young lady.”

“… … Huh, huh.”

Peng Jinyoung laughed as if he couldn’t believe it. It was as if he had never dreamed that he would be treated like this.

“You’re crazy.”

Jinyoung Paeng’s eyes, which had been filled with absurdity, were soon filled with anger and murderous intent.