Chapter 48
Smile-.
"..."
Smile-.
"..."
Since a while ago, Hong Yeorin had been looking at Cheon Myeong with a smile on her lips.
Generally, a smiling face is more comfortable to deal with than an angry face.
But Cheon Myeong learned for the first time today that that was not necessarily an absolute, unchanging truth.
'This is uncomfortable...'
Did this woman eat something wrong?
Cheon Myeong knew very well that Hong Yeorin was not a person who would smile at him like this.
But since a while ago, she had been sending smiles at him as if she had gone crazy.
If a person who usually smiles a lot did that, it wouldn't look so strange, but since Hong Yeorin was smiling like that, it felt as awkward as wearing clothes that didn't fit.
"..."
There's no way that woman would smile like that for no reason.
Cheon Myeong was sure that there was some hidden intention behind Hong Yeorin's smile.
'Ah, is that it?'
After thinking for a moment, there was only one reason why Hong Yeorin would send him a smile.
In the first place, since Hong Yeorin's and his relationship was formed through Body Enhancement Pill, wouldn't the hidden intention behind that smile also be related to Body Enhancement Pill?
'It seems the effect is finally showing.'
Until a few days ago, Hong Yeorin was a person who had threatened that she would not leave him alone if Body Enhancement Pill was a fake.
There was only one reason why such a person would change like that.
Because she saw the effect, she learned that Body Enhancement Pill was real, and since he was the person who would continue to supply that Body Enhancement Pill, from Hong Yeorin's point of view, she had to look good, right?
Cheon Myeong felt that the mystery was finally solved.
'Good.'
Although he hadn't intended to come to Hong Yeorin at this time, it was a good thing.
It seemed that in the current relationship between him and Hong Yeorin, this side had the upper hand.
Even if he made the same request, if he had the upper hand in the relationship, wouldn't she grant his request more easily?
Cheon Myeong thought so and looked at Hong Yeorin and said.
"I heard you had something urgent to take care of."
"Not at all. It seems my subordinate delivered the message incorrectly."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, if you were offended by that, I will give a stern punishment to the subordinate who delivered the false report."
A stern punishment.
It didn't seem like it would end with just a slap on the palm, so Cheon Myeong shook his head, considering it as saving a life.
"That's okay."
"As expected, you are a benevolent person, Young Master."
"..."
Although Hong Yeorin praised him like that, it still sounded very awkward.
As Cheon Myeong was silent at the awkwardness, Hong Yeorin cautiously said to Cheon Myeong.
"By the way, for what reason have you suddenly come to the Finance Hall?"
It seemed that he had said he would come back around the first day of the next month after the deal at that time.
But now, the time was still earlier than what he had said at that time.
So Hong Yeorin had not even thought at first that the person who had come to see her would be Cheon Myeong.
"Of course, I came to make a deal."
"A deal?"
As Hong Yeorin asked back with a puzzled face, Cheon Myeong took out a wooden box from somewhere.
Thump-.
A wooden box was held out to Hong Yeorin.
When Hong Yeorin first saw it, she had a puzzled expression for a moment, but she soon opened her eyes wide and grabbed the wooden box.
'Could it be in here...!'
Cheon Myeong had clearly said it was a deal just now.
And there was only one thing that Cheon Myeong could offer her as a deal.
Since the size of the wooden box also seemed to be the right size for it to be inside, Hong Yeorin's hands couldn't help but be urgent.
"Ah..."
An exclamation came out as soon as she opened the wooden box.
It was not an exclamation of admiration, but an exclamation of disappointment.
She had thought that Body Enhancement Pill would surely be in here, but when she opened the wooden box, there were only inedible lumps of iron inside, not Body Enhancement Pill.
"What's wrong? I never said that Body Enhancement Pill was in there."
Cheon Myeong said to Hong Yeorin, who was showing a disappointed look.
Although that appearance felt quite hateful.
As Cheon Myeong had said, since she was the one who had misunderstood on her own, Hong Yeorin could not say anything back.
"By the way, what on earth are these?"
As if holding something dirty, Hong Yeorin picked up one of the things inside the wooden box with a frown.
A lump of iron was dangling in the air, held in Hong Yeorin's hand.
It was a hidden weapon made to kill people.
"A hidden weapon."
"I know that, but..."
What Hong Yeorin was really curious about was why he had brought such a thing to her.
To Hong Yeorin, these were just smelly and heavy trash.
Literally, Cheon Myeong was now no different from holding out trash to Hong Yeorin.
"I'd like you to investigate the source of the hidden weapons."
"The source?"
"Yes, for example, where this hidden weapon was made or who is using them within our cult."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Hong Yeorin's two eyes narrowed slightly.
There was no way Cheon Myeong would ask her to investigate a hidden weapon for no reason.
Especially considering the example Cheon Myeong had just given, she could guess one fact.
"Are these hidden weapons perhaps used by the person who recently attacked you, Young Master?"
"..."
As Hong Yeorin asked, Cheon Myeong maintained his silence.
'She's a quick-witted woman, as expected.'
To think that she had already thought that far as soon as he had made the request.
That's why he could trust and entrust it to her even more.
"That's right."
After all, even if he denied it here, Hong Yeorin would not believe his words.
Since he had already thought that this fact would be revealed when he had come to make a request to Hong Yeorin in the first place, Cheon Myeong obediently admitted it.
"...I see."
Hong Yeorin said with a meaningful expression.
But that was all; she did not ask for any more detailed circumstances.
"I will investigate using all the means I can."
If something happened to Cheon Myeong, the supply of Body Enhancement Pill would also be affected.
That's why, from Hong Yeorin's point of view, she also wanted to find out the identity of the culprit who had attacked Cheon Myeong.
But that was that, and a deal was a deal.
Since Cheon Myeong had asked her for a request, she was naturally planning to receive a price.
Since Cheon Myeong was also aware of that part, Cheon Myeong spoke about it first before Hong Yeorin brought it up.
"If you just handle this matter well, I will give you what you want as a price."
"..."
As Cheon Myeong said that, her two eyes widened slightly.
Since it was related to Body Enhancement Pill, Hong Yeorin was also showing quite a bit of emotion on her face, unlike her usual self.
"Leave it to me."
Cheon Myeong nodded with satisfaction as he looked at Hong Yeorin, who was answering so.
It didn't matter even if Hong Yeorin couldn't find out.
Because no matter how long it took, he would make the culprit who had attacked him appear in front of him someday.
"By the way, Young Master."
"...?"
"I've been a little curious since a while ago..."
Hong Yeorin said that and moved her gaze towards Cheon Myeong's shoulder.
"What on earth is that bird that has been sitting on your shoulder since a while ago, Young Master?"
When she had first entered the reception room, she had not noticed it, but as she continued to talk with Cheon Myeong, Hong Yeorin belatedly realized the existence of Baekjo.
Baekjo was sitting peacefully on Cheon Myeong's shoulder as if it were a decoration.
Since it had never cried or moved until now, Hong Yeorin had not thought at all that Baekjo was a living bird until she had asked that question just now.
However, no matter how she looked at it, its appearance was too exquisite for a decoration.
In the end, Hong Yeorin asked Cheon Myeong about Baekjo.
"It's not... a decoration, is it?"
"It's a living thing."
"Are you raising it?"
"It just happened that way."
Cheon Myeong said, as if it were nothing.
Even while having this conversation, Baekjo did not move an inch.
'Why is he bringing a bird he's raising to a place like this...?'
Hong Yeorin thought so as she looked at Baekjo.
Is there a need to bring that bird to this place?
Of course, it wasn't that there was any inconvenience because of Baekjo, but it was a slightly strange situation to accept naturally.
Of course, Cheon Myeong had not intended to bring Baekjo here either.
Since he had been going around with Baekjo recently, he had accompanied it to the Finance Hall without any thought, and since he had thought that there was no need to leave it behind, he had put it on his shoulder like this now.
"..."
Baekjo, which was not moving at all.
Since Cheon Myeong had threatened in advance that he would not give it meat if it cried or moved unnecessarily and disturbed him, it was now staying still like a decoration.
Whether it was listening to Cheon Myeong's words well or whether the meat had worked well.
Baekjo was faithfully carrying out Cheon Myeong's orders to the extent that Hong Yeorin had initially mistaken it for a decoration.
Swish-.
"Then I will be on my way."
Cheon Myeong said that and got up from his seat.
And Hong Yeorin also got up and said to Cheon Myeong.
"I will see you to the main gate."
For such words to come out of Hong Yeorin's mouth.
Even if the head of another place visited the Finance Hall, there had never been a case of her seeing them to the main gate until now.
Those words just now were proof that Hong Yeorin was now thinking of Cheon Myeong as a distinguished guest.
"That's okay. Just take care of the matter I requested as quickly as possible."
Saying that, Cheon Myeong left the reception room alone.
Thump-.
The door closed and only Hong Yeorin was left in the reception room.
Hong Yeorin was standing still and staring at the door that Cheon Myeong had left without a word.
Her rather serious face seemed to be saying that she was thinking about something deeply.
'Cheon Myeong...'
The person who supplies Body Enhancement Pill.
The person who raises a strange bird.
The person who had once lost all his internal energy due to Qi Deviation...
These were the only objective facts that Hong Yeorin knew about Cheon Myeong now.
'It seems that new facts are gradually being seen.'
He was a person with a charm like an onion.
Although she hadn't had that thought when she had seen Cheon Myeong a while ago, as she met him like this today, she was gradually becoming interested in Cheon Myeong.
'...I'll have to watch him carefully in the future.'
Her senses as the Head of the Finance Hall were saying that now.
* * *
Cheon Myeong left the Finance Hall and was returning to the Socheongak.
'For now, it would be good to trust and wait for Hong Yeorin.'
Since she was a woman who could be trusted when it came to deals, it would be okay to trust her.
And also looking at her attitude towards him today.
As long as Hong Yeorin thought that he was still of use, it didn't seem that their relationship would collapse.
Of course, that was the same from his point of view as well.
As long as he thought that Hong Yeorin was of use, it seemed that he would not break this relationship on his own in the future.
Thump- thump-.
Thinking so, Cheon Myeong continued to walk.
And at that moment.
Thump-.
Cheon Myeong suddenly stopped walking near the Socheongak.
And he quickly hid his body behind a nearby cover and watched somewhere.
'That's...'
A suspicious shadow in front.
Someone was hiding and watching the Socheongak.
Since that appearance looked quite suspicious, as soon as Cheon Myeong discovered that person, he also hid his body for now.
'Could it be that he failed the assassination and sent another assassin?'
If so, it was rather a good thing.
This time, I will capture him alive and reveal the mastermind.
Cheon Myeong thought so and was about to approach that person, hiding his presence.
Thump-.
However, he soon stopped walking.
Cheon Myeong had no choice but to stop walking after discovering the face of the suspicious person.
"..."
The identity of the suspicious person was Soyeon Sang.
And at the same time, a memory that Cheon Myeong had forgotten until now came to mind.
'Come to think of it, I had forgotten...'
Since he had caught the assassin who was aiming for him, he should have told Soyeon Sang that it was okay to come back to the Socheongak now.
But since his head was full of the thought of catching the culprit, he had completely forgotten that fact.
"..."
An awkward silence.
As that thought suddenly came to him, Cheon Myeong felt sorry for Soyeon Sang.
'For now... let's go inside and think about it.'
If he were to discover Soyeon Sang in this place now, it would become more awkward.
Cheon Myeong thought so and headed for the main gate of the Socheongak with awkward steps, as if he had not known anything from the beginning.
(End of Chapter)