The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 12

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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 12

Shin Ah tilted her head as she left Wolhwa Hall. She had expected So Mando to pick a fight with her as soon as she came out, but he had quietly retreated to Yuwon Pavilion.

‘I thought he was a hothead, but he knows how to protect himself too.’

Shin Ah smirked at So Mando who glared at her before disappearing, then started walking.

Since she had said she would take the escort examination, there was much to prepare.

‘Things are progressing much faster than expected.’

She had thought it would take a long time to persuade So Hyeokho, but it hadn’t.

‘I need to meet my brother right away.’

To keep her promise with So Hyeokho, So Cheonrim would have to step forward as an escort for her.

‘My brother will oppose it. But I can persuade him. By the way, where could my brother be and what might he be doing?’

Shin Ah thought of places where So Cheonrim might be.

‘Biwongak, Bogukgak’s training ground, the library, or if not there…’

She was thinking of the most likely places one by one, considering So Cheonrim’s diligent attitude.

“Shin Ah.”

A voice calling for Shin Ah was heard near the wall of Wolhwa Hall. It was So Cheonrim.

“Brother!”

She was delighted that So Cheonrim had come looking for her when she had only been thinking about him.

Shin Ah ran over cheerfully and hugged him tightly.

So Cheonrim lifted Shin Ah up preciously in his arms.

“I heard the news. That bastard So Mando, should your brother teach him a proper lesson?”

“No. It’s okay.”

So Cheonrim’s eyebrows drooped.

“You can act spoiled with your brother. You can ask for anything. Tell me, what should your brother do for you?”

Shin Ah’s eyes sparkled.

“Will you really grant all my requests?”

“Of course.”

So Cheonrim felt as if Shin Ah getting hit by So Mando was all his fault.

How much must it have hurt for such a small and delicate child to be hit by the brutishly large So Mando?

He had been so busy watching his father and uncle’s reactions and planning to leave the escort agency that he didn’t even know So Mando was treating Shin Ah this way.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have trained harder in martial arts and suppressed So Mando earlier.’

Belated regret washed over him.

So now he was prepared to grant Shin Ah’s wish even if she asked him to pluck the stars from the sky.

So Cheonrim nodded his head vigorously.

“You promised.”

“What kind of request is it that you’re taking so long? I solemnly pledge to you.”

So Cheonrim extended his pinky finger. Shin Ah smiled brightly and firmly intertwined her pinky finger with his before speaking.

“I’m going to take the escort examination. Please become my assigned escort, brother.”

“…!”

A look of dismay appeared on So Cheonrim’s face. Meanwhile, Shin Ah’s smile deepened.

Third life, everything was proceeding smoothly according to her will.

* * *

“What do you think?”

It was So Hyeokho who broke the silence of Wolhwa Hall. It was a silence that had continued for a long time after Shin Ah had received permission to participate in the escort examination and left.

Though it was a vague question, Jang Mu, who had served by So Hyeokho’s side for a long time, immediately grasped the gist of the question.

“I believe it will be difficult for Miss Shin Ah to pass.”

So Hyeokho opened his eyes that had been closed. The revealed gaze clearly showed displeasure.

“Why?”

“As you know, Master, the escort examination requires much stamina and strength. Even healthy adults find it hard to pass, so it would be even more difficult for the young miss who has been bedridden all this time.”

It was a reasonable statement.

Shin Ah, who had been weak since birth, had not recovered her health despite So Cheonrim’s devoted care.

While she hadn’t been confined to bed for the entire 10 years, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had spent 70% of each year lying down.

It was the same even when they obtained all kinds of good food and medicine for her. The child seemed to have holes somewhere in her body, unable to absorb the good things they fed her and letting them all flow away.

Hadn’t Doctor Ju, renowned as a famous physician in Seomsu, also shaken his head after reading Shin Ah’s pulse?

‘She won’t live long. Even if she somehow continues to live, it will be difficult for her to live peacefully.’

Six years ago, when Doctor Ju gave a diagnosis that resembled a curse, So Hyeokho had given up his attachment to Shin Ah.

It was a different path from So Cheonrim, who had not given up.

But for the past few days, the child had been walking around the estate perfectly fine, arguing with So Mando who was four years older than her, and speaking back without being intimidated by his presence.

Anyone could see that the change was extraordinary.

So Hyeokho was happy that the child had become healthy, but on the other hand, he was worried.

It would be good if Shin Ah’s condition had miraculously recovered, but what if it was only temporarily better?

Then the escort examination would become a trial for the child. If things went wrong, her life could even be in danger.

Though going back on his word would damage his dignity, So Hyeokho briefly considered whether he should dissuade Shin Ah even now.

‘That’s not right.’

So Hyeokho shook his head.

Those bold eyes kept flickering in his mind. He didn’t want to crush Shin Ah’s courage.

‘How long has it been since I’ve seen such lively eyes?’

Eyes full of determination, will, and expectation that she could accomplish anything were treasures in themselves, not just because she was his granddaughter.

It naturally reminded him of the golden days of the escort agency when it overflowed with hope and passion.

Shin Ah showed the spirit that Manhyang Express, which had entered a period of decline, desperately needed.

Not being satisfied with the present but dreaming bigger dreams, not giving up because the chances were slim but taking on challenges.

Moreover, his youngest granddaughter had enough intelligence to offset her weak body.

‘Her way of speaking was quite extraordinary.’

So Hyeokho saw in Shin Ah what he had hoped to see in So Baekrim and So Mando.

So Hyeokho took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“It seems we need to check Shin Ah’s condition accurately.”

“Should I tell Go Junggang to call Doctor Ju?”

“Do that. And send medicinal herbs to Biwongak, and one more thing.”

So Hyeokho suddenly closed his mouth. Jang Mu, who had been thinking about where Go Junggang, the general manager of Manhyang Express, might be and what he might be doing, asked.

“What else should I do?”

“……”

So Hyeokho pondered very deeply.

Whether it was right to give this, whether it would help the child if given… So Cheonrim, being the father, would handle it well.

He nodded and gave one more instruction to his guard.

“Jang Mu.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Tell them to also prepare the Plum Blossom Pills sent from Mount Hua.”

“The, the Plum Blossom Pills?”

Jang Mu, who rarely showed emotional fluctuations, stammered.

The Plum Blossom Pills sent from the mountain were such precious spiritual pills. Though they were only effective for those at the level of second-rate martial artists and below.

Moreover, these Plum Blossom Pills were precious items that So Hyeokho had received after successfully completing a special request from the Mount Hua Sect after retiring from escort missions.

While they weren’t items So Hyeokho needed, they weren’t something to be easily given to just anyone either.

To give them to Shin Ah, Jang Mu realized that the shock So Hyeokho had received from So Mando’s misconduct was considerable.

Jang Mu calmed his surprised heart and asked.

“Both pills?”

“Yes. That would be fair.”

Shin Ah was more than six years behind compared to Mando. Whether in martial arts or learning.

In such a situation, if Shin Ah and Mando were to fight, Shin Ah would be at a disadvantage a hundred times out of a hundred.

Whether it was the successor test or future competition while living within the escort agency, at least the minimum conditions had to be fairly established for the results to be meaningful.

His incompetent son Baekrim would feel wronged if he knew this fact, but while Biwongak had fallen out of Hyeokho’s favor and lived in debt, Yuwon Pavilion had received various forms of support free of charge.

Knowing this, he wouldn’t dare raise any objections.

“However, Master of the Escort Agency. Will young lady Shin Ah be able to properly benefit from the effects of the Plum Blossom Pill?”

“There’s a high possibility she won’t.”

Giving Shin Ah the Plum Blossom Pill was a kind of gamble.

If Shin Ah’s constitution of vomiting up medicinal effects hadn’t changed, it wouldn’t help even if she took it.

It would literally be like throwing the precious Plum Blossom Pill onto the street.

Even knowing this, So Hyeokho didn’t take back his words once spoken. It was a small apology as a grandfather who had never looked into his young granddaughter’s circumstances until now.

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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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