The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 368

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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 368

Chapter 368. The Head Chef of Geumgyeru (5)

One glance at the Shop Attendant’s urgent expression told me something terrible had happened.
“What’s wrong?”
“It appears… the Proprietress has been kidnapped.”
“W-what did you just say?”
I had heard correctly. Kidnapped?
The Shop Attendant explained the entire situation from beginning to end.
“Today, she said she would greet the guests who rented out the third floor, and asked me to call her during the interim settlement. So I went to her room to fetch her, but…”
He paused to catch his breath before continuing.
“The Proprietress wasn’t there. Instead, there was a letter pinned to the table with a dagger.”
He immediately used his lightness skill to rush there, and I followed close behind him.
The Proprietress’s room was on the first floor. He wrenched the door open with such violence it seemed it might splinter.
Crash!
And there before my eyes was exactly what the Shop Attendant had described—a letter with a dagger driven through it.
Hwang Suk-su stared at the letter with a terrifying expression.
What could the contents possibly say to provoke such a look?

[Dark Feather Guest. You should not have refused our proposal. You have lost your chance to return to us safely. Because of this woman, you abandoned our organization—so we shall exact the price of your betrayal by taking her life. You know this well, do you not? The price of betrayal is the life of the one you cherish most.]

I was startled upon reading that letter.
The Dark Feather Guest.
He was a rather famous assassin.
When he accepted a contract to kill someone, he would leave a single black feather embedded in their chest as proof—hence the name.
But for the past several years, I hadn’t heard his name mentioned.
So there were rampant rumors that he had died or retired….
“Were you… the Dark Feather Guest?”
At my question, he flinched.
“How did you—when did you get here? No, how did you follow me?”
“Did you forget that I sent word through the Guard Warrior? I wouldn’t have said so unless I had the capability to help.”
At my words, he bit his lip.
“Will you report me to the authorities?”
“I believe your identity as the Dark Feather Guest is merely one person’s unilateral claim in that letter. I have no desire to take such risks based on something so uncertain.”
I continued.
“The person I know is simply the Head Chef of Geumgyeru—someone who can make the most delicious spicy steamed chicken I’ve ever tasted.”
Thump.
He knelt before me.
“Please, I beg you. Save the Lady. Honestly, I’m confident in killing someone, but I have no confidence in saving anyone.”
“Well… let’s do this. I’ll keep your identity secret, and you do the same regarding me.”
“Really… is that enough?”
“It is. I want to keep eating your cooking.”
“Understood.”
“Then wait here a moment.”
I first went up to the third floor to send away my Old Friend and the other Small Guild Masters.
“Ah! Where have you been?”
“I went to thank the Head Chef for the meal.”
“I see. We were hoping to thank Luzu as well….”
“She’s away, I’m told.”
“Ah, then there’s nothing to be done.”
I politely suggested they take their leave.
“Shall we be going? It’s getting quite late.”
“That would be wise. You all have things to do tomorrow, after all.”
“Today was enjoyable. I hope we can meet again next time.”
“I feel the same.”
We parted ways with warm farewells.
As the host, I saw them out.
Now, shall I go rescue Luzu?
You might wonder why I’m being so leisurely when the situation is quite urgent—but I have my reasons to trust in something.

* * *

‘Where am I?’
As Jang Eun-ok regained consciousness, she realized she was in an unfamiliar place.
Darkness enveloped everything—she could see nothing.
She searched through her memories.
She had been waiting for the Shop Attendant to summon her so she could greet the young nobleman who had rented the third floor.
He had visited Geumgyeru several times over the past few days, and through those visits, she had learned his true identity.
He was Seon Hyeop Mi-rang, the Small Guild Master of the Eunhae Trading Company.
In any case, he was a valued guest.
Especially since he lavished such praise on her husband Hwang Seok’s cooking.
But then, suddenly, the window of her quarters had opened, and from the moment she turned her head to notice it, her memory went blank.
‘Ah… I’ve been kidnapped!’
Now that she thought about it, Hwang Seok had warned her today with a dark expression not to be alone.
There had been a reason for that.
The truth was, her husband Hwang Seok was an assassin.

She had first met Hwang Seok six years ago.
Jang Eun-ok’s beauty was renowned throughout the village, and because of it, a wealthy man had taken her as his sixth wife.
Since the wealthy man was infamous for his lechery, her parents had been unwilling to send her, but they had no choice.
In that village, there was no way to defy the wealthy man and survive.
Thus, as his sixth wife, she had become nothing more than one of his possessions.
Confined to the separate pavilion, she could go nowhere.
Then one day.
She discovered a man collapsed in the courtyard of the separate residence where she lived.
The masked man looked suspicious to anyone’s eye, but…
“You there? Hello?”
He asked, barely opening his eyes.
“Do you intend to save me?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Do not. I do not mind dying as I am.”
The sorrowful look in his eyes made it impossible for her to leave him be.
So she tended to his wounds with her own hands.
To her, he said:
“A foolish deed.”
“Why do you say such a thing?”
“I have killed the Manor Lord of this house. I am the one who murdered your grandfather.”
She sighed and answered.
“…He was my husband, not my grandfather.”
“What?”
“His sixth wife, you say.”
“Cough! How old are you exactly?”
“I’m twenty-three this year.”
“And the Manor Lord is seventy….”
“I was sold into this. I’m nothing but his collection. A collection doesn’t have feelings.”

After that, he visited her separate pavilion often, and a new emotion began to blossom between them.
Then one day.
“Why do you have that expression?”
“Chang’s Son has sent word that I should come to the bridal chamber.”
“Are you not a mother to the Manor Lord?”
“That’s right.”
“The bastard.”
“Thank you for cursing on my behalf.”
“So then, what do you intend to do?”
“What else? I must go to the bridal chamber.”
A hand grasped Jang Eun-ok’s wrist.
As she widened her eyes in surprise, he made his request with a solemn expression.
“Do not go.”
“Pardon?”
“Become my wife.”

And so she fled with him, and that is how matters came to pass.
Creak.
The door to the chamber where she had been confined swung open, and a group of men bearing lanterns entered.
“So it’s you! The woman who stole away our faction’s greatest treasure—the Dark Feather Guest!”
At those words, she cried out without thinking, her voice trembling with fury.
“He is not an object! Don’t speak of him that way!”
The man before her swung his hand toward her.
Crack!
“Silence!”
“Ugh!”
The man drew his sword and leveled it at her fallen form.
Shing.
“In any case, you are the root of this calamity! Because of you, our senior abandoned this path.”
She clenched her fists and refuted his words.
“Yes, it may be because of me. But he always despised being an assassin.”
“I told you to be silent.”
He pressed the drawn blade against her shoulder.
“I intend to sever your arm and use it as leverage for negotiation. I will spare your life on the condition that he returns here.”
At those words, Jang Eun-ok’s face drained of all color.
She could not allow him to walk the path of assassination again, the path from which he had barely escaped. Yet she was powerless.
He brought his sword down upon her.
She instinctively closed her eyes. But she felt no pain.
Clang!
Instead, an unfamiliar sound reached her ears.
It was unmistakably the sound of a blade being intercepted.
“What?”
When she opened her eyes, a man stood before her. He had blocked the sword.
“Who are you?”
But he did not answer their cries. Instead, he spoke to Jang Eun-ok.
“The Proprietress need only think of returning to that person.”
“And you are?”
Jang Eun-ok thought she recognized him.
He was one of the guards who frequently accompanied the Young Nobleman who had been visiting Geumgyeru of late.
Soon, a battle erupted between them.
They extinguished their lanterns.
For those without specialized training, fighting in darkness was a grave disadvantage.
But what they overlooked was that their opponent, Jin Yu, was an assassin—one who had reached the pinnacle of the assassin’s way.
Crash!
At that moment, the wall of the chamber shattered.
It was not a wall, but a window.
The landscape outside lay fully exposed.
Thanks to the bright moonlight, Jang Eun-ok finally realized that the space she occupied was the topmost floor of a tall pavilion.
That was when it happened.
“Proprietress, jump down.”
“What?”
“Hwang Seok is waiting. Jump down.”
At those words, she nodded. Without hesitation, she squeezed her eyes shut and leaped downward.
Surely, if she fell to the ground like this, she would lose her life.
But—
Whoosh!
She soon found herself cradled in someone’s arms.
Hwang Seok caught her without missing a beat as she fell.
Jang Eun-ok called out to him, as she always did, enveloped in his warm embrace and breathing in his familiar scent.
“Hwang Rang…”
At her call, Hwang Seok spoke.
“Forgive me. I should have explained things properly.”
“It’s all right.”
She caressed his cheek tenderly.
“I’m just grateful it wasn’t too late.”
“Actually, things could have gone terribly wrong if a warrior named Jin Yu hadn’t helped me.”
At those words, Hwang Seok nodded.
“Ah, so that’s why you seemed so composed. You had someone to rely on.”
“What?”
“That person helped you.”
He settled lightly onto a nearby roof and pointed toward a spot.
There, a masked intruder wielded his blade with graceful precision.
Though his face was hidden, she felt she knew who he was.
Even his back was handsome.
Yet her husband remained only Hwang Seok.

* * *

The next day,
we headed to Geumgyeru.
Hwang Seok wanted to express his gratitude and had offered to treat us to dinner.
I had been planning to return soon anyway, so the timing worked out perfectly.
I had been bothered by Jin Yu Warrior’s absence from last night’s gathering.
“Welcome.”
Jang Eun-ok greeted us warmly.
“Thank you for receiving us so graciously.”
“Please, come in. You are most welcome.”
We ascended to the third floor, and soon the table was laden with dishes.

Last night,
we had eliminated the Dark Township—the assassin group that had kidnapped Jang Eun-ok.
I had briefly considered turning them over to the authorities, but ultimately decided it was cleaner to silence them permanently.
If word of Hwang Seok’s true identity were to spread through their mouths, it would have caused considerable trouble.
Now, only the Shop Attendant knew of Hwang Seok’s past.
I personally served food onto Jin Yu Warrior’s plate.
“Please, eat well.”
“I am honored that you serve me personally, my lord.”
“There’s nothing to be honored about. I should be the grateful one. Thanks to you, the proprietress was spared from great calamity.”
As we ate, Hwang Suk-su and Jang Luzhou approached us together.
“We are deeply grateful for the kindness shown to us by the masters.”
“I cannot express how relieved we are that no harm came to pass.”
Hwang Suk-su continued.
“I do not know how to repay such a debt.”
I set down my chopsticks and spoke.
“We will be departing this place the day after tomorrow.”
“I see.”
“When we return here next time, if I can taste your spiced steamed chicken once more, that would be repayment enough.”
I continued.
“Would that be possible?”
“Of course. Please, visit us anytime.”
.
.
.
They descended below, and we returned our full attention to the meal.
“Wow, this is truly delicious!”
At Palgap’s words, we all nodded in agreement.
Should I suggest opening a branch in Hubei Province later?
If we could only recreate this flavor, success would be assured.
I descended downstairs.
Though they said they would treat me without charge, I still felt I ought to settle the bill.
“Is there anything else you need?”
At the Shop Attendant’s question, I shook my head.
“I’d like to pay for my meal.”
“Sir? But today….”
“I understand. However, I’m not particularly fond of eating for free.”
With those words, I withdrew coin from my pocket and settled the account.
“Um, but… is it true that the Head Chef was once a Dark Feather Guest?”
At that question, I shook my head.
“No. They were simply mistaken.”
“Ah, I see! Of course someone so kind could never be such a thing.”
He nodded repeatedly.
Shop attendants must always be cautious. One can never know who among them might be a disciple of the Hao Organization.
Looking outside, I could see Hwang Suk-su and Jang Luzhou standing together beneath the tree.
Suddenly, words he had spoken yesterday came to mind.

“If Eun Ok had died, I would have eliminated them all and burned down Geumgyeru along with myself.”

Yet in this life, Geumgyeru could remain whole.
Moreover, the couple could now live looking only at each other, complete and undivided.
Watching them, I felt a profound sense of purpose.
As I observed the couple exchanging tender words, I gently stroked Geumryeong.
“Kwee?”
Am I lonely? No, that’s not it….
But why are my eyes growing wet?

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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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