The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 300

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 300

Chapter 300. The Seok House Wedding Banquet (1)

I glanced at Seok Chu-gil’s face before lifting my gaze to the plaque hanging above the main gate.

[Sangbyeon Seok Estate]

This disciple attendant before me was the right hand of the Chief Manager who succeeded Yu Inner Chief Manager in my previous life—Seok Vice-Manager?
I couldn’t believe it.
Yet he was undoubtedly the youngest son, and his name was indeed Seok Chu-gil.
To be honest, when I first saw Seok Chu-gil at the academy, I thought he was simply someone who shared the same name.
After all, the world is full of people with identical names.
The reason I dismissed him as a coincidence was his face.
Seok Chu-gil’s features were delicate and refined, whereas the Seok Vice-Manager I remembered had a rugged, weathered visage.
So… would that face mature into the one I know?
I couldn’t fathom it at all.
As I pondered internally, Palgap asked me with a puzzled expression.
“Is something the matter, sir?”
“Hmm?”
“You seem to have a serious expression on your face.”
“It’s nothing.”
I exhaled quietly. First, I needed to enter the estate.
A long queue had already formed in front of the Seok House.
They were people who intended to pay their respects to the Manor Lord of the Seok House upon entry, making their presence known.
But since I had brought Seok Chu-gil with me, I could simply walk in.
“Oh! Young Master?”
“Young Master, you’ve arrived?”
The household servants who recognized Seok Chu-gil quickly bowed their heads to him.
“Yes, I’m here. Where is Father?”
“He is over there.”
Seok Chu-gil nodded, then spoke to me.
“Instructor, let us first greet my father.”
“That sounds good.”
We made our way toward where Seok Chu-gil’s father was.
His father stood before the main gate, receiving the guests.
It had been quite some time since we last met.
With that thought, I drew closer.
“Father!”
“Who is this? Ah, our Chu-a has arrived!”
“Yes, Father. I came home briefly for Elder Sister’s wedding ceremony.”
Seok Chu-il spoke far more eloquently than I had anticipated.
The reason I had failed to recognize Seok Chu-il as that Seok Vice-Manager was precisely because of his manner of speech and conduct.
His remarkably courteous demeanor was so impressive that everyone at the Merchant Guild adored him.
Thus, I had never once considered that he was a graduate of the Rehabilitation Specialist Academy, the Jeong-in Academy.
Following suit, I bowed respectfully to Seok House Master.
“I offer my congratulations on your daughter’s wedding.”
Before my greeting had even finished, Seok Chu-il hurried to speak.
“Father, this person is Eun Seo-ho….”
“Gasp!”
But before Seok Chu-il could finish his words, Seok House Master’s eyes widened.
He had recognized me.
“No! Who might this be? Aren’t you Eun Small Merchant Leader? The Merchant Guild Leader was here earlier.”
So Father had arrived as well.
“Indeed. In truth, I find myself working as a temporary instructor at the youngest son’s academy due to certain circumstances. Thus, I brought the youngest son with me.”
“Is that so? Did Seon Hyeop Mi-rang say this herself?”
Seok House Master’s expression filled with emotion, while Seok Chu-il’s face showed clear bewilderment—as if to say, ‘This isn’t what I meant….’
“Rather than standing here, please come inside and enjoy the banquet.”
“I am grateful for your kindness, Manor Lord.”
“It is I who should thank you for gracing us with your presence.”
Seok House Master called for a servant to guide me to the inner chambers.
“Chu-a, stay close beside Seon Hyeop Mi-rang and learn from his conduct. Serve him well.”
“…Yes.”
Thus, I made my way with Seok Chu-il toward the seat of honor in the banquet hall.
Along the way, those who recognized me approached to offer their greetings, which delayed my arrival at the seat considerably.
Once I had finally settled, I seated Seok Chu-il and then turned toward Father.
No matter how important Seok Chu-il was, Father had come—it would be improper not to pay my respects.
“Father.”
“Seo-ho! You said you had business and never returned home, so what brings you here?”
“Actually….”
I explained the entire situation to Father, and he nodded in understanding.
“I see how it came to be. Very well. Now go and attend to your duties.”
“Yes.”
I bowed to Father and returned to my seat.
There was much I wished to discuss, but this banquet hall was filled with countless guests.
Therefore, I had to be cautious.
A single carelessly revealed piece of information could spiral into a grave matter.
I sat beside Seok Chu-il and began to eat.
However, Seok Chu-il’s expression didn’t look particularly pleasant.
“Isn’t today your sister’s wedding day? Why do you look so gloomy?”
“….”
I offered a faint smile and whispered softly.
“Were you planning to complain to your father about the Academy and me, but things didn’t go as you hoped?”
“…!”
At my question, he flinched and waved his hand dismissively.
“That, that couldn’t possibly be the case, could it?”
“Heh, it’s written all over your face.”
“….”
Watching him lower his head in silence, I asked calmly.
“Do you know why today’s outcome came to pass?”
“That would be….”
“It’s reputation and trust. I’ve accomplished many things thus far and built a virtuous reputation while earning trust. In contrast, what have you built and earned?”
“….”
I smiled.
“To be honest, I’m not a good person. I can’t even be called a virtuous human being. But the virtuous reputation I’ve cultivated makes people perceive me as good and righteous.”
I continued.
“Of course, building a virtuous reputation is difficult. Far more difficult than building an ill reputation. But what truly benefits one’s life is a virtuous reputation. A wicked reputation only hastens one’s downfall.”
I offered him a cup of wine.
“…!”
His eyes wavered as he saw this.
“Take it. On a day like today, you may have a drink.”
“Really? If I drink this, will you beat me or….”
“How could anyone live without drinking a single cup of wine? The only reason I’ve prevented you from drinking until now was to cultivate your self-restraint.”
“Self-restraint… is it?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“If you lack even the self-restraint to abstain for merely a few days or weeks, what could you possibly accomplish?”
“…I see.”
He picked up the cup, and I poured wine for him.
To be honest, I thought he would gulp down the entire cup in one go.
But he merely took a small sip before setting the cup down.
“I’ll be satisfied with just this one cup today.”
“You’ve made a wise choice.”
“And I too… wish to become like you, Instructor.”
The light in his eyes as he looked at me had completely changed from before.
What, what’s this? Suddenly?
This feels burdensome.

* * *

Seok Chu-gil observed Eun Seo-ho seated beside him.
He was not pleased that his plan had unraveled so completely.
And yet….
His father’s expression kept haunting his mind.

“My goodness! Who might this be? Isn’t this the Eun Small Merchant Leader?”

The way his father greeted Eun Seo-ho was a fervent welcome unlike anything he had witnessed before.
Until now, to his father and family, he had always been the adorable youngest son.
That look in their eyes that found everything he did endearing.
Seok Chu-gil had begun to wish that look contained something else.
But that expression rarely changed, and so he gradually began to act out.
Because then he could see a different expression.
Yet today, the expression his father showed stirred something strange within him.
What he had truly desired from his father and others was not that adoration—it was recognition.
He wanted to be acknowledged, to be praised.
And then the very person he aspired to be appeared before his eyes.
Was that why?
The words Eun Seo-ho spoke embedded themselves deeply in his mind and heart.
So he asked Eun Seo-ho.
“I wish to become like you, Instructor Eun. So if I build a good reputation like you have, could I become like you?”
Eun Seo-ho nodded readily.
“Of course.”
In Seok Chu-gil’s eyes, Eun Seo-ho’s smile looked truly magnificent.
.
.
.
As the day grew darker, the hour for the wedding ceremony arrived.
And yet….
Something had seemed amiss from earlier, and sitting still as a family member made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Seok Chu-gil sought Eun Seo-ho’s permission.
“Pardon me, but something seems to have arisen. I should go investigate what it is.”
At his words, Eun Seo-ho nodded readily.
“Please do so.”
With permission granted, Seok Chu-gil headed toward the commotion.
“What is the matter?”
“Ah! Young Master.”
“There has been a disturbance from this area. I came to see what was happening… Is it something serious?”
The others blinked at Seok Chu-gil’s tone, which was utterly unlike what they remembered.
Normally, he would have said something like “What’s all this noise about? You fool! You’re ruining my drink….”
But hearing him ask so politely made them wonder what was going on.
“Is this something I shouldn’t know about?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
The attendants exchanged glances, and one of them carefully opened his mouth.
“It’s just that… a tea cup from the betrothal gifts has gone missing.”
“What?”
The betrothal gifts were the formal presents sent by the bride’s family once they consented to the marriage.
The Sangbyeon Seok Clan always exchanged tea cups as betrothal gifts during marriages.
And during the wedding ceremony, it was the family’s custom to brew tea in that cup and share it together.
If this was not done, the marriage itself would be rendered void.
Therefore, a missing tea cup was an extremely grave matter.
Yet they could not use a different tea cup.
There was a saying that using any cup other than the one received as a betrothal gift would lead to early widowhood.
One might argue that it was absurd to nullify a marriage over such a thing, but since it was a custom passed down through generations, no one dared to break it.
There was a reason the people had been moving about in such a frenzy. They were searching for that tea cup.
‘What should I do?’
If they could not find that tea cup and the wedding became void as a result, Elder Sister would be deeply grieved.
But even though the entire family had been mobilized to search, they still hadn’t found it.
How could I possibly find it?
Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Perhaps Eun Seo-ho might know some way to find it.’
With that thought, Seok Chu-gil turned back to Eun Seo-ho and dropped to his knees before him.
“What is the matter? Why suddenly….”
“Instructor Eun. Please help me.”
Seok Chu-gil lifted his head and looked at Eun Seo-ho.
“There is a lost item. I must find it.”

* * *

I exhaled a quiet sigh internally.
I already knew that something had been lost, and that it was a teacup.
I had heard it with my own ears.
But I never anticipated that Seok Chu-il would kneel before me just to find it.
I spoke to him seriously.
“A man should not kneel so easily.”
“I know that as well. But this matter is far from trivial. It concerns my Elder Sister’s entire future. So, I beg of you.”
And he bowed his head to me.
Those around us watched our exchange with keen interest.
I laughed lightly and patted his shoulder as I spoke.
“Very well. How could I turn a blind eye when my disciple pleads so earnestly? I shall lend my hand as well.”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
I rose from my seat and spoke to him.
“Please guide me to the location where that lost item was kept.”
“Yes.”
Seok Chu-il quickly stood and led me deeper inside.
And he explained the circumstances from beginning to end.
“Ah….”
Through his explanation, I came to understand what had transpired at the Sangbyeon Seok Estate.
It seemed the estate had incurred the enmity of the other party, causing their fortunes to decline.
The intended bride came from quite an influential family, after all.
And it was likely why Seok Chu-il had come to serve as Deputy Officer of our Eunhae Trading Company.
While I was thinking thus, Seok Chu-il spoke.
“You may think this excessive. But it carries the meaning of ensuring our Seok Estate’s descendants find happiness in marriage.”
“Such principles ought certainly to be upheld.”
In any case, it was clear the culprit was someone well-versed in the Seok Estate’s unwavering code of conduct.
The motive could be resentment, or perhaps affection taken to obsessive extremes.
It was then that word of my involvement reached Seok House Master, who came rushing over.
“I hear that Seon Hyeop Mi-rang has agreed to help.”
“Yes, though it is temporary, how could I refuse when a disciple of the academy I belong to makes such a request?”
Seok House Master looked at Seok Chu-il with an expression of surprise.
“Did you ask directly?”
“Yes, Father. This matter may become known, but it is Seon Hyeop Mi-rang. I believe she will not carelessly divulge it.”
“Since you trust me so, I must live up to that trust.”
At my words, Seok House Master released a sigh of relief.
“I am grateful for your direct assistance.”
“Then, please describe what that teacup looks like.”
Soon, at Seok House Master’s command, an attendant sketched the appearance of the teacup on paper.
A teacup made of gold, then.
It was at that moment.
– Chirp! Chirp!
Wow, Geumryeong… you can use telepathy too?

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