Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 93

‘This house is a bit dark, isn’t it?’

The first impression Woon-hyun had upon entering the mansion was its overall darkness and somber atmosphere.

Il Chung-hyun’s house wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t small either.

However, he hadn’t seen a single servant on the way in.

The house was generally antique, but clearly old and uncared for.

‘It seems my brother’s family isn’t doing so well.’

Woon-hyun felt a pang of heartache.

He had heard it was an old military family, but it looked exactly like a household in decline.

Woon-hyun slowly looked around the room, lost in bitter thoughts, when the door opened slightly with a click.

Click.

Woon-hyun turned his head.

An elderly man with white hair and a middle-aged woman were entering the room.

Woon-hyun quickly rose from his seat.

The woman, with a refined and simple demeanor, quietly entered and sat in the seat of honor.

“Please, sit down, young master.”

Woon-hyun expressed his gratitude and sat down.

The woman, simple and modest yet exuding an elegant grace, spoke in a quiet voice.

“I heard that you have brought my late husband’s keepsakes.”

Late husband meant her deceased husband.

The shadow on the woman’s face was certainly not just because the room was dark.

“Yes, I have.”

Woon-hyun slowly unpacked his luggage.

Clatter, clink.

Il Chung-hyun’s keepsakes, taken from the bundle, were placed one by one on the table.

Most were small and trivial, but some were small books or clothing.

However, the woman didn’t say a word, watching each item placed on the table.

Click.

The last item was placed on the table.

But the woman remained silent.

Woon-hyun couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so he stared at the items on the table, reminiscing about Il Chung-hyun.

It was then.

Drop, drop.

Woon-hyun suddenly looked at the woman and was startled.

Tears were already falling from her eyes as she silently lowered her head.

“Um….”

He wanted to say something comforting, but he couldn’t find the words.

Woon-hyun’s heart ached.

Seeing her shedding tears, he felt guilty for having come here so late.

“I’m sorry.”

After a while, the woman wiped away her tears and spoke to Woon-hyun.

“I have shown you an unsightly 모습 [appearance], guest.”

Her voice, still wet with tears, seemed to speak of her sorrow.

“No, it’s just that I feel guilty for being so late.”

The woman looked at the keepsakes for a moment before raising her head towards Woon-hyun.

“Excuse me, but what was your relationship with my late husband?”

Woon-hyun hesitated for a moment, but soon opened his mouth.

“Though I am 부족하다 [lacking/unworthy], I called him 형님 [older brother].”

A look of surprise flashed across the woman’s eyes.

She looked closely at Woon-hyun and asked.

“Then, are you the scholar Woon-hyun?”

This time, Woon-hyun was surprised.

“How do you know my name…?”

“Actually, a few years ago, a man named Do-jin came to visit.”

Woon-hyun let out a small exclamation at the woman’s words.

“He was also involved in the same incident and was stripped of his official post. It was then that I heard your name.”

“I see.”

Woon-hyun nodded, thinking of Instructor Do-jin, who had shown him swordsmanship.

Rustle.

Woon-hyun rose from his seat and bowed respectfully to the woman.

“I am late in 인사 [greetings], 형수님 [older brother’s wife]. I am Woon-hyun.”

As Woon-hyun bowed, the woman wore a sad smile.

“You don’t have to be so formal. Please, sit down.”

Woon-hyun sat down again.

The woman looked closely at Woon-hyun and said.

“Beijing is not close from here, yet you have come a long way despite your busy schedule.”

Woon-hyun wore a bitter expression and said.

“Actually, I have also resigned from my official post and left the imperial palace.”

“Oh, dear.”

The woman spoke to Woon-hyun in a sympathetic voice.

“You must have had a hard time as well.”

“No, I….”

Just then, the door opened with a loud noise.

Thud.

“Mother!”

The person who entered was a young lady.

She strode into the room and frowned.

“Mother! I told you not to let strangers into the house 함부로 [carelessly/without permission].”

She cast a sharp glance at Woon-hyun and spoke threateningly.

“Who are you? This is a place for women only, so leave immediately!”

“Ah-young!”

The lady called Ah-young paused at the woman’s firm words.

The woman said in a quiet voice.

“This young master is your father’s sworn brother. He is your 의숙부 [father’s sworn brother, like an uncle], so do not be rude and 인사 [greet him].”

The lady bit her lip and looked back and forth between Woon-hyun and the woman.

But as the woman sent an urging look, she reluctantly bowed her head towards Woon-hyun.

“I am Il Ah-young.”

Woon-hyun also stood up and returned her greeting.

“I am Woon-hyun. I apologize for the sudden visit.”

Could she be just twenty years old?

The lady named Il Ah-young, who had suddenly entered, was quite pretty, perhaps resembling her mother.

And the youth emanating from her whole body told that she was in her prime.

Although her first impression was too unreserved, Woon-hyun felt a sense of familiarity, as that 모습 [appearance] also resembled Il Chung-hyun.

But that was just Woon-hyun’s thought, and Il Ah-young’s gaze was not favorable at all.

“You can be comfortable, young master Woon. Ah-young, you sit here too.”

The woman urged the two to sit down.

Il Ah-young sat next to her mother, not letting her guard down.

Rustle.

The woman reached out and touched the items placed on the table.

Il Ah-young also guessed that these were her father’s keepsakes, but no emotions surfaced on her face.

“Um….”

The woman, who had been touching the keepsakes for a while, asked Woon-hyun with a puzzled expression.

“Excuse me, but is this all?”

Woon-hyun nodded.

“Yes, that is what I received……. Ah!”

As if remembering something, Woon-hyun took out what was hanging around his neck.

A small ring came out attached to a silk cord, and Woon-hyun carefully placed it on his hand and showed it to the woman.

“Ah.”

The woman let out a low sigh.

A bitter expression also appeared on Il Ah-young’s face for the first time.

As the woman reached out to receive the ring, Woon-hyun, who was looking down at the ring, suddenly continued.

“This ring was given to me by 형님 [older brother] as a token of sworn brotherhood.”

The woman’s hand, reaching for the ring, paused. Il Ah-young’s expression also stiffened.

Woon-hyun raised his head and gave the two a puzzled look at their expressions.

“형수님 [older brother’s wife]?”

The woman quietly withdrew her hand and stared silently at Woon-hyun.

After a long silence, she spoke in a low voice.

“Young master, I am sorry, but could you return that ring?”

At the unexpected words, Woon-hyun looked at the woman.

The woman said again.

“It is not that I do not trust you, but….”

“I am sorry.”

Woon-hyun’s voice cut off the woman’s words.

In a quiet but clear voice, Woon-hyun said to the woman.

“This is the only token I received from 형님 [older brother]. It is very meaningful to me, so I am sorry, but I cannot give it to you.”

“……Is that so?”

The woman said with a sigh.

Woon-hyun nodded, trying to ease her worries.

“I may seem unreliable, but I will always cherish it, so please do not worry.”

At Woon-hyun’s answer, the expressions of the woman and Il Ah-young became even more rigid.

However, Woon-hyun simply thought it was because of the sadness of facing the keepsakes.

***

At the woman’s invitation, Woon-hyun had dinner with them.

During the simple but neatly prepared meal, the woman and Il Ah-young did not say a word.

Woon-hyun felt a bit awkward in that atmosphere, but he thought it was because he had brought the keepsakes.

What bothered him even more was the atmosphere of the mansion.

‘To think that there is only one person working in this big house.’

The only person serving was the old 총관 [head servant/butler] he had seen earlier.

No wonder Il Ah-young was wary of Woon-hyun.

‘They are really in a difficult situation.’

Woon-hyun once again felt a pang of heartache.

‘Is this all the reward that good and loyal people receive?’

After dinner, Woon-hyun stayed in the vacant 행랑채 [outbuilding/servants’ quarters] at the woman’s invitation.

He didn’t really have anywhere else to go, but Woon-hyun had his own thoughts, so he gladly accepted the invitation despite Il Ah-young’s wariness.

“Then, I will see you tomorrow.”

Click.

After Woon-hyun left for the 행랑채 [outbuilding/servants’ quarters], the remaining woman and Il Ah-young were silent for a while.

After a long silence, the woman finally spoke first.

“Ah-young.”

Il Ah-young did not answer. The woman called her again.

“Ah-young, let’s at least talk….”

“I don’t need to!”

Il Ah-young’s voice was full of thorns.

She turned to her mother with angry eyes.

“Who is he all of a sudden? Why did that person appear with the ring?”

“Ah-young, don’t just be angry….”

The woman tried to calm her down, but Il Ah-young raised her voice even more.

“But this young master Lee has already proposed to me. You have also agreed, Mother. So why is someone like that showing up now….”

Il Ah-young couldn’t continue, as if she was at a loss for words.

The woman looked at her with pitiful eyes.

“Ah-young, it’s not that I don’t know your heart. But don’t judge too hastily. We don’t know yet if that person came here to marry you, do we?”

“Mother!”

Il Ah-young shouted, her face flushed.

“Are you saying that if that person wants me, you will marry me off to him?”

A dark look crossed the woman’s face.

When she asked Woon-hyun if he could return the ring earlier, he clearly said, ‘I will cherish it.’

Although she didn’t show it, the woman’s heart sank when she heard that answer.

It was as if he was saying, ‘Please give me your daughter.’

However, her daughter had already received a proposal from young master Lee of 악양 [Akyang], and she had also 허락하다 [given her consent].

Considering her 신의 [faithfulness/trust] with her husband, she should 당연히 [naturally/of course] entrust her daughter to Woon-hyun, but at first glance, he was just a failed scholar.

He himself had already resigned from his official post and left the imperial palace, hadn’t he?

On the other hand, young master Lee of 악양 [Akyang], though his family was insignificant, had a decent fortune.

He was a good person and, above all, he sincerely loved her daughter, so if it was for her daughter’s happiness, she honestly wanted to ignore Woon-hyun as a mother.

“Ah-young….”

To the woman with 착잡한 심정 [a heavy/complicated heart], Il Ah-young retorted in an angry voice.

“Father is the same! He abandoned his family for years, and now he wants me to marry someone like that? I don’t want to! If he’s dead, it’s time for him to let us go!”

“Ah-young!”

For the first time, the woman raised her voice. Il Ah-young, who was angry, flinched.

“You must not speak of your father in that way. Your father truly loved us.”

The woman’s voice was firm, and her eyes were stern.

Il Ah-young bit her lip, turned her body abruptly, and stormed out of the room.

Thud.

“Ah-young!”

The woman stood up and called her daughter, but Il Ah-young was already gone.

“Hoo.”

Thud.

The woman sighed and sat down.

The first impression of the young man named Woon-hyun was not bad. If her husband had sworn brotherhood with him, he must be someone she could trust.

However, considering her daughter’s future, it was not such a simple matter.

Her daughter’s words were also 구구절절 옳다 [every word was right]. But then, what about her promise with her husband?

“Dear….”

The woman recalled her husband’s 모습 [image/figure].

He was always a proud husband and a respectable person.

Even when he was far away, her heart did not change.

But now he is gone.

She had endured the sadness and was barely adapting to a world without him, but she never expected her husband’s promise to suddenly appear like this.

Rustle.

She gently caressed her husband’s keepsakes placed on the table.

Tears were already falling from the woman’s eyes again.