Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 100

100. Taking Responsibility for Life

“Your brother remodeled it? Himself?”

Lee Seoyeon’s eyes sparkled.

However, Il A-yeong bit her lip slightly.

‘Mother must be concerned.’

Of course, this garden holds memories of Il Chung-hyeon and his wife.

But if that’s the case, wouldn’t every corner of this house be filled with memories?

The reason for renovating the garden but leaving the flowering trees untouched must be out of consideration for Un-hyeon.

Il A-yeong and his wife are well aware that Un-hyeon has been working on this garden for days.

‘Could it be that Mother still…’

The good mood from just a moment ago suddenly turned sour.

“Ah-ha!”

However, Lee Seoyeon exclaimed instead.

She wore a bright smile as if her previous uncomfortable expression was a lie.

“It’s a garden remodeled by my brother. Could it be that he also has expertise in this field?”

“No, I don’t have any expertise…”

All Un-hyeon knows is that there are rules and pursuits in garden landscaping, and it’s very complicated.

“But the flowers are really blooming beautifully, aren’t they?”

Lee Seoyeon said, approaching the flowering trees.

“Could it be because my brother trimmed them himself?”

Lee Seoyeon said to Un-hyeon with a bright smile.

Un-hyeon’s flustered appearance at those words somehow made Il A-yeong feel even worse.

“I’ll go ahead.”

“Ah, Miss A-yeong. Don’t do that, let’s go together…”

“Brother, look over here.”

Un-hyeon’s reply and Lee Seoyeon’s voice came out at the same time.

Step, step.

Il A-yeong walked towards the banquet hall as if she didn’t hear Un-hyeon’s words, and Un-hyeon stared at her retreating figure before trudging towards Lee Seoyeon.

“Here, this spot.”

Un-hyeon looked at the place Lee Seoyeon was pointing to.

She was pointing to where the branches had been cut off.

“Did you trim this part yourself, Brother?”

Un-hyeon nodded. After all, he had done everything else as well.

Lee Seoyeon carefully examined the cut-off part and moved to another spot.

“Here too?”

“Yes. I trimmed all of it.”

Un-hyeon nodded.

Lee Seoyeon was so fascinated by what was so amazing that she went around looking at each and every cut mark.

On the other hand, Un-hyeon kept worrying about Il A-yeong, who had gone off in a huff, and kept looking towards the banquet hall.

“Why is this flower like this?”

Un-hyeon turned his head.

Lee Seoyeon was pointing to a withered flowering tree and asking.

It was so obvious that it was dying compared to the other trees with brightly blooming flowers.

It seemed like she was questioning why he had left such a flowering tree alone, so Un-hyeon made excuses with an awkward expression.

“Ah, that tree used to grow well, but I accidentally made a mistake with the knife and it turned out like that.”

“Made a mistake with the knife?”

Un-hyeon replied awkwardly to Lee Seoyeon’s question.

“Well, what should I say? I suddenly wondered if I should try doing it the opposite way…”

“The opposite way?”

Lee Seoyeon was quite persistent.

But there was nothing to hide, so Un-hyeon shrugged and replied.

“Originally, pruning branches is for them to grow well, right? I was trimming with that in mind, but I suddenly wondered what it would be like to cut off the branches that were growing wrong…”

Lee Seoyeon’s expression as she listened was strange.

“…So that’s how it turned out?”

Her expression seemed dumbfounded, and she also seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Ah, of course, that’s just what I thought…”

Un-hyeon quickly added.

But Lee Seoyeon bit her lip slightly.

‘Why is she being like this?’

Lee Seoyeon, who was thinking, raised her head.

“What happened to the branches that were cut off here?”

Her question was a bit out of the blue.

But the answer was easy.

“Um… I already burned them all.”

It’s been so long since I pruned the branches, how could they still be left?

They had already been burned in the furnace.

“I see.”

Lee Seoyeon sighed softly. Un-hyeon asked Lee Seoyeon with a curious expression.

“But why are you asking that, Sister Seoyeon?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lee Seoyeon straightened her back, looked at Un-hyeon, and smiled.

“Shall we go back now?”

Un-hyeon nodded.

He was already worried about Il A-yeong.

***

The banquet proceeded in a simple but warm atmosphere.

In particular, Lee Ho-am had a very honest and straightforward personality, unlike what was known.

He seemed interested in Un-hyeon and asked him personal questions, but when Un-hyeon was vague in his answers, he soon changed the subject.

The topic he brought up was about his wife’s daughter, Il A-yeong.

“Your daughter is a remarkable talent.”

The wife smiled at Lee Ho-am’s compliment.

“Thank you for seeing my lacking daughter in a good light.”

“Lacking? Not at all. Haha.”

Who wouldn’t like to hear compliments from their superiors?

Il A-yeong’s cheeks were slightly flushed.

“I heard that your daughter is about to get married soon. May I ask who her husband will be?”

It was a word to congratulate the other person.

But unexpectedly, both Il A-yeong and his wife’s expressions hardened slightly.

While the wife hesitated, unable to answer easily, Il A-yeong raised her head and looked straight at Un-hyeon.

‘I have no choice.’

Un-hyeon had sincerely helped them. Perhaps it was genuine.

However, there are things that cannot be conceded. Even if he is greatly disappointed.

Il A-yeong made up her mind.

It was when she was about to open her mouth.

“It’s Young Master Lee from Akyang, right?”

The person who spoke was Lee Seoyeon.

Il A-yeong looked at Lee Seoyeon with a surprised expression, but she instead smiled brightly at Un-hyeon.

“The love story of the two of you is widespread throughout Akyang. Isn’t that right, Brother?”

Un-hyeon nodded his head in confusion when he suddenly heard Lee Ho-am’s voice.

“Hoo, Young Master Lee from Akyang, is that the Lee family I know?”

“Yes, Father.”

Lee Ho-am smiled broadly at Lee Seoyeon’s answer.

“Haha, I see. I know the Lee family of Akyang well. Young Master Lee has a gentle and generous personality, so he will surely be a good match.”

Lee Ho-am drove a wedge.

“You’ve gained a good son-in-law, hahaha.”

The banquet suddenly turned into an atmosphere of congratulating Il A-yeong’s marriage.

It was as if the wedding date had already been set.

Lee Seoyeon also offered congratulations to Il A-yeong and his wife, but Il A-yeong, the person involved, did not have a bright complexion.

‘At least.’

At least she had to say it herself.

In the end, she had conveyed her intention to break up through someone else’s mouth, so Il A-yeong couldn’t bear to face Un-hyeon.

It was then.

“Ah, and Young Master Un.”

Lee Ho-am naturally asked Un-hyeon.

“If you don’t have any other plans, would you like to help me with my work?”

It was a sudden offer. But it was clearly a favor.

Swish.

Un-hyeon got up from his seat, straightened his clothes, and opened his mouth politely.

In that short moment, countless thoughts and positions flashed through people’s minds, but Un-hyeon did not know.

“…Thank you.”

Lee Ho-am’s eyes lit up. Lee Seoyeon and Lee Ui-sin were the same.

However, Un-hyeon’s words were not over yet.

“But I am planning to leave this place and go to the Murim Alliance in Hangzhou.”

Lee Ho-am’s eyebrows twitched. But it was only for a moment.

He soon put on a soft expression and asked Un-hyeon.

“You said Murim Alliance?”

There is no one who doesn’t know the Murim Alliance. But why is the word Murim Alliance suddenly coming out of Un-hyeon’s mouth?

Il A-yeong and her mother, the wife, also looked at Un-hyeon with puzzled expressions.

“Someone from the Murim Alliance [a martial arts association] once made me an offer. And…”

Un-hyeon slowly looked back at Il A-yeong and his wife and bowed his head.

“I can no longer cause trouble for the two of you.”

“Young Master Un, that’s not true.”

The wife said urgently, but Un-hyeon wore a gentle smile.

“The kindness you have shown me was excessive. But if I continue to stay here, I am afraid that I will cause unnecessary misunderstandings among others.”

Unnecessary misunderstandings refer to a man staying in a house with only women.

Even if they are sworn siblings, they are still strangers.

But it sounded a little different to the wife and Il A-yeong.

To them, Un-hyeon’s words meant, ‘I came believing in the promise of a sworn brother, but since I was rejected for marriage, how can I stay here any longer?’

Un-hyeon also bowed his head to Lee Ui-sin.

“The righteous character of the elder who knows how to repay kindness has been a great alarm to me. I also received a lot from my brother, so how can I just stand still?”

It was sincere.

However, it also conveyed another meaning to Lee Ui-sin and Lee Ho-am who were listening.

It was the same as saying that if anything happened to Il A-yeong and his wife, he would never stand still.

“So I decided to go to the Murim Alliance.”

Un-hyeon’s words were over, but people did not speak easily.

The wife, Il A-yeong, and Lee Seoyeon, as well as Lee Ho-am, were silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Lee Ui-sin’s voice broke the silence.

“I understand Young Master Un’s intentions. But can’t you reconsider? It seems that Young Master Un being here…”

It was an earnest request, but Un-hyeon shook his head.

“It is a decision made after deep thought. I will return when I can take responsibility for my life.”

The word responsibility had a rather heavy feeling.

Lee Ui-sin couldn’t continue speaking at those words, but Lee Ho-am suddenly said.

“That’s right.”

Lee Ho-am smiled and nodded.

“Taking responsibility for one’s life is important. If that is Young Master Un’s intention, how can I persuade you any further? However, we have a ship, so I hope you will not refuse the journey to Hangzhou.”

“Ah, I…”

When Un-hyeon tried to express his intention to refuse, Lee Ho-am said in a stern voice.

“If you refuse even this, I will get angry.”

Un-hyeon knew that Lee Ho-am would not withdraw his intention.

“I will gratefully accept the elder’s kindness.”

Lee Ho-am nodded in satisfaction and the banquet continued again.

However, the atmosphere of the banquet was not the same as before, perhaps because of Il A-yeong and his wife, who had become quite silent.

***

After the banquet, Lee Ho-am, Lee Seoyeon, and Lee Ui-sin were returning to Jangsa in a carriage.

Clatter, clatter.

The three were silent and said nothing. And after a while, it was Lee Ui-sin who opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry. My handling of the matter was inadequate.”

Lee Ho-am and Lee Seoyeon did not answer.

After a moment of silence, Lee Seoyeon suddenly said to Lee Ho-am.

“Are you going to stand still when the real purpose of pouring in the investment is about to fly away?”

Lee Ho-am’s answer was simple.

“Who says someone is flying away when we have the leash?”

“Then are you going to prevent him from going to the Murim Alliance?”

Looking at his daughter Lee Seoyeon, Lee Ho-am smiled.

“In general, investment is like romance, requiring a lot of patience and wisdom.”

Lee Ho-am looked into Lee Seoyeon’s eyes.

“Have you ever tried to catch a feather?”

Lee Seoyeon understood Lee Ho-am’s meaning.

“If you try to grab a feather by force, it will only run away. Sometimes a person’s affection is stronger than iron chains, so even if he leaves this place, he cannot escape our grasp.”