Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Opening the door to the reception hall, Jang Mi-ryeo looked at me with bloodshot eyes.
“D-Dang Sojeo?”
Jang Mi-ryeo, who called me in a hoarse voice, hurriedly wiped his face. It seemed he had burst into tears as soon as I left.
……He pretended to be strong, but he must have been scared.
I pretended not to notice and walked past Jang Mi-ryeo, plopping down on a chair.
“Please give us two rooms until Young Miss’s matter is resolved.”
“Pardon?”
“No. One will do. It would be better for me to stay in the same room as Young Miss.”
“Y-You’re going to stay with me?”
“If I leave Jang Sojeo alone in this situation, something terrible might happen. But I can’t let that guy stay with Sojeo.”
I glared at Yang Gyo-jin and crossed my arms, and he grinned and ran to hug me.
“So-hye!”
“Hey. You’re heavy. Get off.”
“Mi-ryeo, you don’t have to worry about poison if you’re with So-hye. So-hye will stop the Assassin, too.”
“Who said you could decide that? Ah, get your head away. It’s heavy.”
I pushed Yang Gyo-jin’s head away and turned my gaze to Jang Mi-ryeo.
“I still think this guy should forfeit… but I don’t think he’ll listen to me, so I won’t interfere anymore.”
“Sojeo? W-What are you talking about……”
“The fee is two silver coins a day. In return, just take care of my brother and my meals.”
When I held up my index and middle fingers, Yang Gyo-jin looked back at me with a face that said, is that all?
“Huh, only that much? Isn’t that too little?”
“Hey. Do you think silver grows on trees? One silver tael is five bags of rice, you know?”
“Really? It’s gone in two days if you stay at an inn.”
“That’s because you eat too much……”
Did he only go to super-luxury inns? Judging by the way he talks, he must get ripped off everywhere he goes.
“Anyway, that’s enough. That’s what I was taught.”
“…I can’t stop you.”
Yeon-ryang muttered and seemed to smile faintly.
Jang Mi-ryeo, who had been blinking with a blank face, asked cautiously.
“Um… Dang Sojeo. Are you perhaps offering a Bodyguard contract?”
“Yes. The term is… judging by the situation, it seems like we’ll have to stay for a while, right? How about until you find Sojeo’s rightful place?”
At my answer, Jang Mi-ryeo covered his mouth and hiccuped.
He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, hurriedly drank some tea, and turned away from me to straighten his clothes.
In an instant, Jang Mi-ryeo composed himself and returned to his merchant face, shaking his head with a smile.
“I appreciate Dang Sojeo’s kindness, but I cannot accept.”
I narrowed my eyes at the unexpected reaction. I didn’t expect Jang Mi-ryeo to reject the offer.
“Are you saying you don’t need a Bodyguard?”
“No. I want to change the contract terms. A deal that only benefits one side will only be a one-time thing.”
Jang Mi-ryeo’s eyes shone as he spoke clearly.
“That means… you want to maintain a relationship with me even after the contract ends. I don’t have anything to trade with Sojeo on a continuous basis.”
When I asked back in confusion, Jang Mi-ryeo answered softly and clasped his hands together.
“An association with a Martial artist is something that ordinary people can’t even touch once in their lifetime. If I miss this rare opportunity with my eyes open, I’m disqualified as a merchant.”
I smiled at his determination to not forget his duty as a merchant even in a life-or-death situation.
He didn’t want to receive unilateral pity, but wanted to enter into an employment contract on an equal footing. I straightened my posture and respectfully clasped my hands in front of him.
“I have been rude to Jang Sojeo. Please tell me your conditions. I will listen.”
“I am grateful that you understand.”
Jang Mi-ryeo, who chuckled and bowed lightly, became serious.
“The collateral for this deal is my life. Naturally, I must pay a price worthy of my life.”
After thinking for a while, he raised his head and said resolutely.
“I don’t have any real power right now, so there’s nothing I can promise you right away. Instead, please accept a share of the Merchant Guild in the future.”
“A share of the Merchant Guild in the future?”
“I want to make a contract with the condition that Dang Sojeo will receive five percent of the Merchant Guild’s profits every year after I become the Guild Leader. Since the collateral is my life, it should be until I die.”
My eyes widened at the conditions beyond my imagination.
5% of the Merchant Guild’s profits?
Even if it’s a small Merchant Guild, the amount of money that goes around is not something ordinary people can handle. I stammered without realizing it.
“F-Five percent?”
“Yes. Sojeo. Based on the Merchant Guild’s profits last year, it would be a little less than 500 gold taels.”
F-Five hundred taels?
He’s going to give me 500 gold taels every year?
I swallowed hard. My mouth was dry at the tempting offer.
This is… a goose that lays golden eggs, no, golden ingots! It’s a lottery!
I pursed my lips to hide my excitement, but the corners of my mouth kept rising. I could hear Yeon-ryang, who had been silently watching me, burst into laughter.
I tried to control my expression and clenched my two hands hidden in my sleeves.
“T-That’s… a very attractive amount.”
“Only a merchant who knows how to offer attractive conditions can close a deal. How about the two silver coins that Sojeo requested as a down payment? I can prepare fifteen days’ worth right away.”
“Yes. Good.”
“Then I will draw up a formal contract.”
Jang Mi-ryeo, whose expression brightened as I nodded, smiled with his eyes.
It was a satisfactory deal for something that started so haphazardly.
\ \ *
While the ink was drying after signing the contract, Jang Mi-ryeo was in a frenzy to treat us with the utmost respect.
Perhaps because he was burdened by Jang Mi-ryeo’s excessive politeness, Yeon-ryang subtly went outside the reception hall to sharpen his sword and wait for me.
Was it because he was bothered by Yeon-ryang’s lack of reaction? Unlike when he confidently changed the contract terms, Jang Mi-ryeo was very subdued.
“It’s almost dinner time, are you not hungry? I’ll have the kitchen bring some food…… Ah.”
Jang Mi-ryeo, who had been asking kindly, stopped and closed his mouth as he remembered that someone had started putting Poison in his meals.
I soothed him and waved my hand.
“They wouldn’t be stupid enough to put Poison in a Martial artist’s food. I can tell if there’s Poison, so don’t worry.”
“…I feel relieved that Dang Sojeo is here. Jin-jin. Go to the kitchen.”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
Jang Mi-ryeo’s Maid answered politely and disappeared with quick steps.
Jang Mi-ryeo, who had been glancing at Yeon-ryang sharpening his sword, asked cautiously.
“Um… Dang Sojeo. If it’s okay with you, could you show me and my people the face of the Great Hero so we can recognize and serve him? I want to let them know in advance that he is my guest.”
“Of course. Brother. Come here and take off your bamboo hat.”
“Huh?”
Yeon-ryang, who had risen at my call, took off his bamboo hat and approached, and Jang Mi-ryeo, who had turned pale, covered his mouth. He trembled and hid behind Yang Gyo-jin.
“Mi-ryeo. What’s wrong?”
Yang Gyo-jin patted Jang Mi-ryeo, who had hidden behind him, as if asking what was wrong.
I think I know why.
When I glanced up at Yeon-ryang, Yeon-ryang shrugged his shoulders as if he was wronged.
“I didn’t do anything. Sister. I just came because you told me to.”
“I know. It’s your face that’s the problem. I’m sorry, Jang Sojeo. My brother looks fierce, but he’s not a bad person.”
At my words, Jang Mi-ryeo, who had poked his face out, carefully looked up at Yeon-ryang’s face.
But he hid again when Yeon-ryang smiled with his eyes.
“Brother. Don’t smile with your eyes. It looks threatening.”
“Now I can’t even smile the way I want. Sigh, this is how I live. Fur ball.”
Yeon-ryang, who seemed sad, hugged Ju-ryeong and buried his face in Ju-ryeong’s belly fat.
If he knew how his face looked, he wouldn’t say that. That Human Skin Mask, it looks like it could kill someone with a heart attack if you saw it at night.
While I sighed and put Yeon-ryang’s bamboo hat back on, Yang Gyo-jin was saying something out of the blue.
“Hyung, are you in a bad mood? Your expression doesn’t look good.”
Is his expression the problem now? His face has changed.
I answered with a hollow laugh at the absurd question.
“Gyo-jin. You really don’t care about anything but swords.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“It’s not a compliment. You idiot.”
It seemed that his world was divided into two categories: things related to martial arts and things that weren’t.
In the meantime, Jang Mi-ryeo’s Maid, who had been to the kitchen, returned with the Female Servants.
“Young Miss. I will serve the evening meal.”
When Jang Mi-ryeo flicked his hand, the Female Servants who had been waiting carried the food into the reception hall in a row.
Contrary to my worries, the food from the kitchen was clean. It was so delicious that I understood why Yang Gyo-jin was asking for snacks.
I smiled at Yang Gyo-jin’s happy face as he patted his stomach and asked Jang Mi-ryeo.
“If we are to protect Jang Sojeo, we need to know the structure of the inner quarters. Where is Jang Sojeo’s residence?”
“My detached residence is the furthest from the gate leading to the outer quarters. The residences of the women are all in similar places.”
“Yes. I think I know. It’s a long distance for the Bodyguard to run even if something happens.”
Jang Mi-ryeo, who nodded with a firm expression, pushed the plate in front of him away and placed writing tools on it.
He began to draw a diagram of the structure of the inner and outer quarters on the paper.
“This is my residence. The reception hall where Yang Sohyeop and Daehyeop will be staying is here. It takes about one gak at my pace.”
The reception hall was to the right of Jang Mi-ryeo’s residence. Yeon-ryang, who had checked the structure, stroked his chin.
“One gak at Jang Sojeo’s pace means it’ll be quick with Light Footwork, so the distance isn’t a big problem. It’ll be much closer if you go over the wall. The problem is that it’ll be difficult to notice if the Assassin approaches from the left side of the detached residence……”
