A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 230

230. The Decision of Jeok Se-hwa

The unexpected proposal from the former Sword Demon, Hyeok Ryeon-wi, dampened the festive mood of the wedding.

“I will go.”

The giant Hyeok Ryeon-wi rose from his seat. Jeok Se-hwa, who had been lost in thought, looked up and asked him,

“Have you told my parents about this?”

“No.”

Hyeok Ryeon-wi said in a blunt voice.

“Your will is the most important thing.”

Adopting someone as a daughter is a significant event for a family, especially for the Hyeok Ryeon Clan, who pride themselves on being one of the two great powers of Gangnam [a region in southern China known for its martial arts clans]. It’s even more significant when the decision is made by the previous head of the family.

In such matters, personal opinions are often ignored. Hyeok Ryeon-wi prioritizing Jeok Se-hwa’s opinion showed that this proposal was his sincere wish.

Jeok Se-hwa bowed politely.

“Thank you, Great Warrior Hyeok Ryeon.”

Hyeok Ryeon-wi blinked once and then left the Seowon [a type of private academy in Korea]. Watching him leave, Jeok Se-hwa turned around with an apologetic expression.

“I think I should go too.”

Jeok Se-hwa bowed respectfully to the Southern Wulin Alliance Lord [Wulin refers to the community of martial artists] and Madam Dang Un-yeong, who were dressed in red wedding attire.

“I’m sorry. And congratulations again.”

“Oh, um, yes.”

The Lord stammered a bit in response. He seemed unsure how to react to the sudden turn of events.

However, Madam Dang Un-yeong wore a gentle smile.

“Don’t worry.”

Dang Un-yeong said in a soft voice.

“You just do what you want to do. He’s not a narrow-minded man who would be bound by such trivial titles.”

Jeok Se-hwa looked slightly surprised. But soon, she responded to Dang Un-yeong with a gentle smile.

After greeting the other guests individually, Jeok Se-hwa left the Seowon with her younger brother, Jung-o, and his friend, Gye-gu. It seemed she wanted to prevent rumors from spreading.

As she walked out of the Seowon gate with the two children, her figure looked somewhat pitiful, and people couldn’t easily take their eyes off her.

“What’s going on?”

The Lord muttered, as if voicing everyone’s thoughts. His red wedding attire still looked somewhat awkward.

“He wants to adopt her as his granddaughter.”

Sin-ui replied in a blunt tone. The Lord frowned.

“Who doesn’t know that? I’m saying, why is that guy suddenly doing this?”

“If Young Miss Se-hwa becomes an adopted daughter, does that mean she’s leaving the Jeok Clan?”

Sa Su-yeon suddenly asked. The Lord nodded.

“Of course. Once she’s adopted, her surname will change too…”

“Not necessarily.”

Madam Dang Un-yeong’s voice interrupted the Lord’s words. Dang Un-yeong said with a gentle smile.

“It’s the Hyeok Ryeon Clan and the Southern Edge Gate. It’s not like they can’t raise one young lady, and Se-hwa is already an adult. Even if she becomes the adopted daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan, will the fact that Se-hwa is originally the daughter of the Southern Edge Gate disappear?”

“Well, no.”

The Lord nodded. Unless it was when she was very young, they couldn’t hide that fact now.

“Besides, she’s becoming the daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan. If she were getting married, she’d be considered an outsider, but how can you deny blood ties? From the perspective of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan or the Southern Edge Gate, this isn’t about taking Se-hwa away, but rather about accepting the Southern Edge Gate into the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.”

“Hmm, but wouldn’t she become somewhat distant from her current family?”

Sin-ui asked. Dang Un-yeong covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Don’t be silly. If that happened, people would immediately say, ‘She’s become the adopted daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan and is neglecting her birth family.’ And a proper distance can strengthen the bond between family members. It might even become more affectionate than before.”

“But then she won’t be able to come to the Seowon, will she?”

Sa Su-yeon asked. Before Dang Un-yeong could answer, the children reacted first.

“Can’t Teacher come anymore?”

“No, waaaah.”

Aeng-aeng immediately teared up, while Jau muttered to himself.

“Jung-o might like it.”

Son Bin smiled wryly at those words. It seemed that Jung-o had suffered quite a bit from having his older sister as his teacher.

Madam Dang Un-yeong spoke to the murmuring children.

“No. Teacher Se-hwa will come back.”

“Really?”

“Is it true?”

The children asked, and even the Lord spoke as if he were curious.

“Why?”

Madam Dang Un-yeong smiled. She found it somewhat endearing that the Lord was asking the same questions as the children.

“Didn’t we say that the elderly couple who want to adopt Se-hwa lost their children early and have been living lonely lives? You may not know when you’re young, but when you get old and don’t have children, you tend to be excluded from important family matters. You’re respected, but you don’t have real power.”

Dang Un-yeong continued calmly.

“In fact, if the man had wanted to, he could have easily brought in a young woman and had descendants. The fact that he didn’t shows what kind of character that elderly couple has.”

The Lord nodded.

“Hmm. It seems there are decent people even in those so-called great clans.”

Knowing the arrogant and greedy behavior of those so-called Five Great Clans, the Lord couldn’t help but find Dang Un-yeong’s words refreshing.

“What are you saying? I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

When Dang Un-yeong spoke with a slightly sulky expression, the Lord replied casually.

“You’re special from the start. There’s no one like you in the world.”

An undeniable joy spread across Madam Dang Un-yeong’s face at the Lord’s seemingly natural words.

“Anyway, based on this, even if Se-hwa becomes the adopted daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan, she won’t have any special obligations or restrictions. Of course, she’ll be a little busy at first, but later on, it wouldn’t be strange if she brought that elderly couple to the Seowon.”

Since Dang Un-yeong was familiar with the affairs of great clans, her words were likely accurate. However, the Lord frowned slightly.

“But there might be some guys within the clan who are jealous of Se-hwa or don’t like her, right? No matter how much Sword Demon protects her, there’s a limit.”

The ‘Sword Demon’ the Lord mentioned referred to the former Sword Demon, Hyeok Ryeon-wi. Madam Dang Un-yeong agreed with that point.

“That’s right. Moreover, if it’s an elderly couple that the former Sword Demon is particularly fond of, they’re likely to be from the direct line, not the collateral line. In terms of the distribution within the clan, the position Se-hwa will have is by no means insignificant.”

“Then it’s even more worrying. How petty those clan guys are!”

Dang Un-yeong’s reply followed the Lord’s words.

“But there’s no need to worry about Se-hwa.”

Dang Un-yeong wore a gentle smile.

“Unlike what you see, that child is very strong. She’s smart, has strong decision-making skills, and has an extraordinary sense of responsibility. I even thought about bringing her into the Tang Clan and raising her.”

Sin-ui nodded. As someone who had received help from Jeok Se-hwa, Sin-ui could fully agree with those words.

Sa Su-yeon and Son Bin felt the same way. Even the children were nodding, probably because they had been through Jeok Se-hwa’s strict lessons.

Son Bin couldn’t help but smile at the children’s knowing looks when the Lord’s voice was heard.

“Then there’s nothing bad for Se-hwa in this.”

“Yes. From the perspective of the Southern Edge Gate or Se-hwa, this is like the Hyeok Ryeon Clan bestowing a great favor.”

The Hyeok Ryeon Clan is a great clan that prides itself on being one of the two great powers of Gangnam, along with the Namgung Clan. For the Southern Edge Gate or Jeok Se-hwa, it was truly a life-changing opportunity.

“However, Young Miss Se-hwa’s expression didn’t seem very bright.”

Son Bin said cautiously. Sa Su-yeon had also noticed that, so she nodded.

Madam Dang Un-yeong looked at Son Bin and said.

“That’s because there’s someone she’s concerned about.”

“Concerned about?”

Sa Su-yeon asked. Dang Un-yeong looked at Sa Su-yeon and replied.

“Yes. Someone she could meet casually as the daughter of a small-town martial arts school, but someone she would be cautious about approaching if she became the daughter of a great clan.”

“Ah.”

Sa Su-yeon’s eyes widened as if she had realized something.

“That doesn’t matter.”

Dang Wol-a, who had been quiet, said in a low voice. Dang Un-yeong smiled.

“That’s right. That’s why I told her. That he’s not someone who would be bound by such titles. So she can do whatever she wants.”

“That’s true. That’s nothing.”

Sa Su-yeon also said in a calm voice. Even Sin-ui and Seo Rin nodded as if they had realized something.

“What? What are you talking about?”

The Lord frowned and asked. Son Bin felt the same way. He couldn’t understand what they were suddenly talking about.

“What do you think?”

Suddenly, Dang Un-yeong asked Son Bin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if there’s someone who hesitates to approach Young Miss Se-hwa because of her family, then you don’t have to meet them.”

Son Bin stated firmly in a resolute voice.

“What’s important is Young Miss Se-hwa’s character, not the title she holds. If someone can’t distinguish that, then they don’t deserve to be Young Miss Se-hwa’s acquaintance.”

“Right?”

Son Bin nodded strongly.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Dang Un-yeong grinned. Sa Su-yeon wore a slightly complicated smile, and Dang Wol-a remained silent.

“So we just have to wait.”

Dang Un-yeong said with a relaxed expression.

“Whatever decision she makes, we’re on her side.”

Even the children nodded in unison at those words. At least for this moment, everyone was of one mind.

*

*

*

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

Eun Cho-bin, the young head of the Soeun Escort Agency, said. It had been quite some time since she had officially taken over the duties of the head, and Eun Cho-bin even exuded a sense of maturity.

“I’m always the same.”

Jeok Se-hwa said with a smile, holding a teacup.

“These days, I’m teaching children. Oh, and recently, I helped some young ladies my age. How about you?”

“Busy.”

Clink.

Eun Cho-bin said, lifting her teacup.

“But it’s fun. It’s rewarding in its own way.”

“Is escorting still okay?”

At Jeok Se-hwa’s question, Eun Cho-bin shrugged.

“Well, I’ve been used to it since the old days. And I don’t go out that often anymore.”

Although still young, Eun Cho-bin was accustomed to running the escort agency. She had accompanied her father on escorts quite a bit since she was young, and she was second to none when it came to the agency’s affairs.

Moreover, she was young and had a flexible mindset, so the Soeun Escort Agency, with her as its head, was growing in power day by day.

“Yes, I knew you’d do well. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”

Eun Cho-bin smiled at Jeok Se-hwa’s words. If Jeok Se-hwa hadn’t introduced her to Son Bin, the Soeun Escort Agency wouldn’t have been able to overcome the crisis.

“If you really think so, why don’t you help me out more often in the future?”

Eun Cho-bin looked at her friend Jeok Se-hwa with a subtle gaze.

“Girl, I heard you’re going to become a noble lady in the future?”

“How did you…”

Jeok Se-hwa’s eyes widened in surprise. But soon, she let out a burst of laughter.

“Did you hear it from So-so?”

“I was going to show off a little, but it won’t work on you. That’s right, So-so came and chattered about it. I told her not to tell anyone else.”

Jeok Se-hwa smiled wryly. Seeing her friend’s expression, Eun Cho-bin put down her teacup. And said.

“Is it because of that person?”

It was an unexpected remark. When Jeok Se-hwa looked up, Eun Cho-bin’s warm gaze was directed at her.

“Right? I said I liked you, so you can’t do what you want? It’s okay, it doesn’t matter. Do what you want. I’m your friend.”

After hesitating for a moment, Jeok Se-hwa sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“Girl, what are you sorry for? I’ve already given up.”

There were slight tears in Eun Cho-bin’s eyes as she smiled. Eun Cho-bin blinked and said.

“But is there a chance? The young ladies you’re with aren’t ordinary either.”

This time, Jeok Se-hwa laughed.

“I don’t think about chances.”

Jeok Se-hwa continued, fiddling with her teacup as if talking to herself.

“Someone told me. Love is when you keep thinking about someone before you go to bed at night, when you think of them as more precious than anything else, and when you feel supported just by thinking of them when you’re having a hard time.”

“Really?”

Eun Cho-bin said with wide eyes.

“Then our first love must have been the beetle we caught when we were young?”

“Pfft.”

Jeok Se-hwa almost spat out her tea.

The image of that big beetle that they had caught when they were young, hidden from their parents for fear of being scolded, and looked at with sparkling eyes, was still vivid in her mind.

“Haha, that’s really true.”

Jeok Se-hwa laughed in a slightly dazed voice.

“But it’s true that just looking at them makes my heart warm.”

“This is serious?”

Eun Cho-bin frowned in an exaggerated manner.

“This is a severe case. A very serious one. If this goes wrong, my precious friend might end up an old maid for the rest of her life?”

“That’s okay too.”

Jeok Se-hwa said with a smile.

“Teaching children is a really good thing.”

“Girl.”

Eun Cho-bin said with slightly teary eyes.

“If you smile so beautifully, I can’t say anything.”

Jeok Se-hwa smiled again at her friend’s words. Eun Cho-bin thought that her smile looked so happy.

*

*

*

“Hahahaha, who would have known that something like this would happen to Se-hwa?”

Jeok Cheol-gwan, the head of the Southern Edge Gate, said with a hearty laugh. The ornate letter he was holding contained a polite and courteous proposal from the head of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.

“The Hyeok Ryeon Clan, what an amazing thing, isn’t it?”

“It’s not something to be so happy about.”

Jeok Se-hwa’s mother, Jeok Cheol-gwan’s wife, said in a low voice.

“The Hyeok Ryeon Clan is too big of a family compared to our martial arts school. I’m worried that she might face difficulties from those people…”

“It’s okay. Se-hwa will do well.”

“Do you think so?”

She sighed softly.

“Considering Se-hwa’s future, wouldn’t it be better for her to stay at the Seowon?”

“The Seowon isn’t bad either. But considering Se-hwa’s future, the Hyeok Ryeon Clan’s proposal is something we can’t miss, isn’t it?”

Jeok Cheol-gwan said in a rather solemn voice.

Helping with the Seowon’s affairs wouldn’t be bad for his daughter’s reputation or future. Especially since he had a good impression of the Seowon.

However, Jeok Se-hwa is the daughter of a martial arts family. From Jeok Cheol-gwan’s perspective, who was a born martial artist, he also wanted her to have a connection with a martial arts family.

Although it’s not a marriage, if she becomes the adopted daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan, marrying into a good martial arts family is as good as guaranteed.

“I would have been happy if Se-hwa had married the Seowon teacher.”

Jeok Cheol-gwan frowned slightly at his wife’s somewhat excessive words.

“If Se-hwa wants that, I’m fine with it too, but hasn’t Se-hwa become the daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan now? That won’t happen.”

At Jeok Cheol-gwan’s words, his wife sighed softly. It seemed that Jeok Cheol-gwan hadn’t yet noticed his daughter’s feelings.

The fact that Jeok Se-hwa accepted this proposal for the sake of the Southern Edge Gate, and who she had in her heart.

“Se-hwa is a thoughtful child. Really, she’s a good child.”

She said softly. Jeok Cheol-gwan couldn’t understand his wife’s words at all.

“Of course, isn’t she? Anyway, Se-hwa said it’s okay too, so don’t worry too much.”

After roughly finishing the conversation with his wife, Jeok Cheol-gwan opened the letter again.

The letter, written politely and courteously, contained the previous head of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan’s evaluation of Jeok Cheol-gwan’s daughter, Jeok Se-hwa.

What parent wouldn’t like words praising their daughter? Jeok Cheol-gwan was happy just reading it again.

‘That girl, I thought she didn’t have any thoughts, but when did she form this relationship with the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.’

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. He felt even more so because he thought she had been recognized by the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.

‘But why is the content of the praise a bit…’

Jeok Cheol-gwan tilted his head as he read the letter. The letter specifically stated that the previous head of the family had a very good impression of Jeok Se-hwa.

‘His father praised her upright spirit, strong character, and resolute determination, and said that she was someone who could be entrusted with important tasks…’

The ‘father’ in the letter referred to the former Sword Demon, Hyeok Ryeon-wi. It was well known that he was an upright martial artist, but no matter how he looked at it, it felt like he was seeing an evaluation of some great man rather than a virtuous young lady.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Anyway, she was recognized by the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.

“When is the ceremony?”

Suddenly, his wife’s voice was heard. Jeok Cheol-gwan quickly looked for the date in the letter.

“It’s next month.”

The ceremony is a ritual to pay respects to the new parents and formally become the daughter of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.

It is the day to formally introduce herself to the Hyeok Ryeon Clan and to give her first greetings to the elders of the clan.

“It has to go well.”

His wife still seemed worried. Jeok Cheol-gwan said with a smile.

“Don’t worry. Se-hwa will do well.”

Despite her husband’s confident words, her anxiety did not easily subside. It was perhaps the instinctive sense of a mother who understood her daughter’s heart better than anyone else.