I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14

Chapter 4. A Deal in the Rain

Three days later.

The day to go out with Yeonriri had arrived.

From the morning, Sawol carefully curled and combed my hair strand by strand to dress me up.

“Is going out really something to make such a fuss about?”

“Of course! This is almost your first time going out since coming to Cheonsan. You’ll soon become the wife of the young master, so naturally you should pay attention to it.”

“…I see.”

Perhaps because we had recently shared meals, tea, and casual conversations, Sawol seemed to regard me with familiarity in just a few days.

Sawol searched through my clothes to find suitable outerwear. Her face was bright.

“The other maids said they feel rewarded when choosing clothes for the madam or Miss Riri. Finally, I have this opportunity too.”

“I’m glad if it makes you happy.”

During my time at Sangteon-dang, I didn’t have a personal maid, so I didn’t know, but it seems they each have their own sense of pride and enjoyment.

Sawol put her heart into selecting something useful from the few pieces of outerwear available.

“Most of these clothes were made two years ago, so they’re behind the fashion. Still, this should be decent enough.”

It was a gorgeous and luxurious red garment.

Since I didn’t have any particular interest in clothing, I wore what Sawol had chosen for me.

“Wow, the red clothes suit you so well.”

As Sawol looked me over with delight, Okxiang approached and examined me with eagle eyes before asking.

“Miss. How about accessories made from Evergreen Magnolia with ruby earrings?”

After Okxiang put the finishing touches, my reflection in the mirror was completely different from usual.

“Not bad.”

“Right? All our bustling around since morning was worth it.”

The two seemed satisfied simply because it looked pretty, but my perspective was different.

Unlike my past self who looked somewhat fierce, I now appeared elegant yet youthful and gentle. This kind of appearance would be good for making others let their guard down, so it would be helpful in the future.

“Thank you both.”

When I smiled at them, Sawol became flustered and waved her hands.

“This is naturally what we should do.”

“Miss, you are so beautiful that any clothes seem to suit you well.”

Unlike Sawol, Okxiang answered cautiously.

Soon after, Yeonriri’s maids arrived.

For Sawol, who had been looking forward to going out together, words fell like a bolt from the blue.

“Our young lady says that since this outing will be quiet, it would be better for Okxiang to accompany you.”

This meant that Yeonriri could trust Okxiang, who was from her own residence, but couldn’t trust Sawol who was by my side.

It was what I wanted as well.

Sawol would be monitoring me under the family head’s orders.

“I’ll buy you some sweets.”

Then Sawol gazed at me with moist eyes instead of answering.

“…I don’t have any money, do I?”

It seemed the only valuable items in the residence were a few pieces of gold jewelry I had brought from my hometown.

“Can’t I buy some sweets with the gold jewelry I have?”

At my words, Sawol’s eyes became even more moist.

“It’s okay, Miss. I was worried about cleaning the residence anyway. Don’t worry about me and be careful on your trip.”

Sawol dropped her head and hid her disappointment.

“…Then I’ll ask Miss Yeon to buy them for you.”

I patted Sawol’s shoulder and then got into the carriage.

Yeonriri and I, along with Okxiang and Yeonriri’s maid, got into one carriage.

“Miss Chung. Take this.”

Yeonriri handed me a white veil (a hat with attached face covering).

It meant I should wear the veil to hide my hair color since it was too conspicuous.

“Where are we going?”

“Honggeum-heon on Geumryeongno. It’s a place that other martial families as well as our family have been doing business with for a long time.”

The streets of Cheonsan during the day felt different from what I saw at night.

As I gazed out the window with curious eyes, Yeonriri cleared her throat.

“Don’t you take morning walks anymore?”

“I’ve been sleeping in for the past few days.”

I had been practicing mental cultivation techniques during that time. I wanted to see how much internal energy I could accumulate.

“Next time, come to where I practice swordsmanship. It would be better to meet me there than at the residence.”

Her tone subtly suggested she had been waiting for me.

“…Are you feeling alright?”

“Very good.”

It didn’t seem like empty words, as Yeonriri’s eyes had changed.

Like a martial artist who had overcome a barrier, she was ready to become stronger.

If she could only learn the advanced techniques of the Fire Demon Art, she could easily catch up to Yeomnhoryeong. She might even be able to aim for the position of young master.

The problem was that the family head Yeonjo had no intention of teaching Yeonriri the advanced techniques.

Before long, we arrived at our destination, Honggeum-heon.

As soon as we arrived, a middle-aged woman greeted us.

“Welcome, Miss. But who is this person…?”

“This is Miss Chung-rin, the young master’s fiancée. We’ve come to look at accessories as I mentioned.”

“Ah…!”

The shop owner looked at me as if seeing a ghost, then quickly bowed her head.

“Today we’ll choose items suitable for a bride.”

“Yes, the third floor has been cleared, so please look around comfortably.”

The first floor was a fabric shop dealing in luxury silk. Beautifully dyed silk and custom-made clothes were displayed, and there were quite a few visiting customers.

From the second floor, accessories made of gold, silver, and jade were displayed. It felt generally quiet, as if only VIP guests could enter.

In the VIP room on the third floor, chairs for customers were arranged side by side. Yeonriri and I sat there and examined the items the clerks brought.

Various silks and gorgeous clothes, as well as accessories made of jade, gold, and silver were splendidly laid out.

Yeonriri seemed to intend to provide me, who had no dowry, with a decent set of basics.

“Miss Chung.”

Yeonriri turned to look at me.

“Since we need to choose silk and clothes that suit you, please cooperate actively.”

She stared at me persistently, like someone facing martial arts that must be mastered within the day.

‘She wants me to try all of this on now?’

I would have preferred being asked to carefully categorize artifacts collected from all over the martial world.

I made an expression that might look pitiful to her, but she still shook her head with a firm attitude.

It meant no declining the declining.

“Okxiang, help Miss Chung change clothes and choose silk.”

“Yes, Miss.”

In the end, it was my defeat.

I was helplessly entrusted to Okxiang.

Okxiang held silk against my skin to choose colors and helped me put on clothes.

“Miss, your skin is so fair that any color seems to suit you well. However, black might make you look pale, so it would be better to avoid it.”

“Oh. It does seem that way.”

Okxiang carefully selected clothes for me. My job was to appropriately agree with Okxiang’s words and obediently follow along.

As if I had become a living wooden doll, I tried on clothes and examined fabrics, repeating the same actions several times.

Only one hour had passed, but it felt like I had tried on every piece of clothing in Cheonsan.

“I can’t wear any more.”

“But you still need to choose more.”

There were still piles of fabric left. If those had all been information scrolls, I would have gladly accepted them.

Repeating the same task like a doll made me feel exhausted as if my internal energy had been drained, so I finally declared a break and sat down in a chair.

Meanwhile, Yeonriri was selecting accessories with tremendous intensity.

“Hmm. This jade has a decent shape, but the craftsmanship isn’t delicate enough. Can it be re-crafted?”

Yeonriri’s eyes were sharp and demanding. Even the shop owner was overwhelmed by her presence and could only answer like a parrot that he would do as she wished.

‘From what I can see, whether they craft it more or not doesn’t seem to make much difference.’

Wouldn’t it be fine as long as it looked decent enough?

Perhaps it’s because my aesthetic sense is lacking, but I don’t really understand why Yeonriri is acting like this.

“Miss Jeok. How about this hairpin?”

Yeonriri turned to me and asked as if testing me. I can find special artifacts in treasure vaults well enough, but women’s accessories and ornaments all look similar to me, so I don’t know what to answer.

“It’s pretty. Though it’s too fancy for me to wear.”

So I chose a safe answer.

Whether my answer was wrong, Yeonriri looked at me and clicked her tongue.

“Look at this. The finishing of this decoration’s craftsmanship isn’t clean. You need to check these things before purchasing.”

“I see. I still have much to learn.”

“Especially with jade parts, you must examine if there are any flaws. Otherwise, the price drops when you resell it later.”

“Ah, okay.”

That made sense, so I nodded.

“But do you know how to read account books?”

I was about to say I did, but then changed my mind. Chung-rin was said to have not received proper education.

“Probably not?”

Yeonriri put down the accessory and carefully advised.

“Then you should learn. After I marry, Miss Jeok will need to take over the work I’ve been doing.”

Currently, Yeonriri manages the internal affairs of the Yeomhwa Family, but when I become the young master’s wife, it would be proper for me to take on that work. But would the Yeon family really entrust me with such tasks?

‘Even if I were to marry that scoundrel by some chance, I probably wouldn’t be properly recognized as the mistress.’

What the Yeomhwa Family wants is only the bloodline of Seolsan Jeokga.

But Yeonriri seemed unaware of this fact and focused on the accessories.

After two hours passed, I was completely exhausted. I heard that some women gain energy and don’t even feel hungry when buying clothes, shoes, and accessories, but I was nothing like that.

Maybe it would be different if I were looking at diamond silk robes made by weaving celestial silkworm thread with diamonds.

I was more tired than when receiving reports all day at Sangteon-dang. Who knew preparing for a wedding ceremony would be such exhausting work.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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