“I figured out too quickly that Tang Hwarin is the heroine.”
Originally, I had planned to beco friends and piece together various clues to reach a conclusion, but the evidence was too clear.
“Should I get closer to Tang Hwarin?”
I can get closer to her by helping her out of her predicant. I’ve already set up a good scenario for it.
The question was, how close should I get?
From rely covering her room charges to dedicating myself to helping her get closer.
If Tang Hwarin was indeed the true heroine, the latter would be the correct approach.
‘The problem is, if Tang Hwarin can be the heroine, then it’s possible for other female characters to beco heroines too.’
A feeling of unease welled up inside .
How can I find out who the true heroine was if I get close to Tang Hwarin, search for other heroines, get closer to them, and repeat this process?
Contrary to my concerns, I might be able to identify the true heroine in the process. But even finding the true heroine poses a problem.
“I could end up like So-hee.”
A situation where we had to break up due to lacking the essential stats for conquering the heroine. After a tough conquest of the true heroine, I might have to release her like an eternal 10-year-old monster trainer.
“What’s important to now is not conquering the heroine but fa.”
It’s wiser to write books and beco famous, dealing with heroine candidates who ca to , rather than searching for heroines one by one.
“I’ve achieved my goal of resolving doubts about the Yeokcheonja. I’ll just help Tang Hwarin to a likable extent and then part ways.”
I’ve already helped her enough. I prevented her from a tragic fate and revealed hidden truths.
If I helped her out of her current predicant and then parted ways, I didn’t need to get any closer to her to plan for the future.
Right. What’s with conquering heroines? Writing books ca first.
“Miss Hwarin.”
“Huh? Why?”
Tang Hwarin, slightly startled, answered after I called her out of her thoughts.
“What are your plans going forward? Do you have a place to go?”
“My maternal grandfather runs a small trading company in Yichang. That crazy woman said she’d go there, so I thought I’d check it out too.”
“A trading company in Yichang? You have a remarkable grandfather.”
Hubei Province (湖北省) Yichang (宜昌).
A bustling city on the western side of Hubei Province, where official roads managed by the governnt interconnect like a web.
Departing from Yichang and following the official roads west leads to Chengdu, the city famous for the Sichuan Tang Family in Sichuan Province, and northward to the renowned Wudang Sect.
Not to ntion, being a city by the Yangtze River, traveling downstream leads to Wuhan, the largest city in Hubei Province.
To think her grandfather runs a trading company in such a major city.
“I’ll just pay off the overdue room charges and help her onto a carriage to Yichang, then part ways.”
Farewell, Tang Hwarin.
Thank you for resolving the Defier of Heaven’s mystery.
You’re also grateful to for revealing the truth, so don’t beco a recluse.
If I beco famous and you are the true heroine, you must co to .
“We just run a bookstore and a variety store in Yichang.”
What did they run?
“A, a bookstore?”
Surprised by the unexpected fact, my voice trembled with emotion.
A bookstore? If it’s referred to as a trading company, did it an they operated several bookstores on a large scale?
In this world, if a sizable trading company ran a bookstore, could it possibly be…
“Yes. My grandfather brings interesting books from other places to sell or contracts with authors to print and sell their books separately.”
“Ah, I see. If you’re using printing presses to produce books, it must be a considerable trading company.”
I couldn’t contain my excitent. Printing presses? A trading company equipped with printing presses?
Although it’s not a modern automated machine but rather closer to woodblock printing and tal type ntioned in textbooks, if usable, it could literally replicate books.
Naturally, purchasing one was unimaginable for , and without substantial funds and connections, using one was impossible.
Being nothing more than a despised barbarian in this world, I had given up on the possibility of using it from the start.
If a printing press was available, there’s no need to waste ti handwriting dozens of copies of a book after writing one.
Tragically, thinking of a deceased friend, I wanted to help Tang Hwarin in her predicant, and it seems I must accompany her to Yichang.
If I safely brought his granddaughter back, they wouldn’t scold a barbarian for wanting to try using the printing press, would they?
Tang Hwarin’s maternal grandfather.
I will safely escort your granddaughter. Please wait.
‘Why does Tang Hwarin suddenly look like that?’
Looking at Tang Hwarin with an excited heart, her expression suddenly turned sour.
What’s wrong? Did I do sothing wrong?
“Then, Miss Hwarin. I will pay the guest room fee first.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Is there a need for a reason to help a lady in distress? Please think of it as pure kindness.”
“Ah? Pure kindness?”
Her voice beca slightly higher. A bit irritable. Why suddenly?
“Once the guest room fee is paid, let’s go to Yichang together.”
If I generously offered help, she wouldn’t be able to refuse to let use the printing press, right?
“Why are you accompanying ?”
“Isn’t it a long way to Yichang? If you get sick along the way, soone needs to take care of you.”
“So, why are you coming with ?”
I just wanted to use your family’s printer.
Suddenly, her voice beca fussy. Are you dissatisfied? If you’re dissatisfied, I’ll specially pay for the A4 paper.
“I was reminded of a friend. Knowing you are ill, how could I let you go alone?”
I looked at her with a genuinely nice smile.
“Hey.”
However, her returning voice was cold.
“Yes?”
“Are you going to keep lying?”
Suddenly, the air around us froze.
Lying?
I’ve spoken only the truth; where did this suspicion co from?
It’s amateurish to imdiately affirm or panic when the other party suspects and interrogates. It only gave them more certainty. I needed to calmly find out what the ‘misunderstanding’ was.
“Miss Hwarin. Do you think I’m lying?”
I spoke to her with a face that didn’t know what she ant.
“Hey. Your pure kindness. Rembering a friend. All lies.”
Tang Hwarin looked at with a derisive expression.
How did she know?
“Miss Hwarin. It’s just that, reminded of my friend who tragically died, I couldn’t feel indifferent and wanted to help. To call that a lie…”
I spoke to her with a genuinely aggrieved expression.
“So, you’re saying you’d accompany a stranger on a journey of many days and pay their way just because they remind you of a friend?”
“Miss, it seems there’s so misunderstanding here.”
I could feel from Tang Hwarin’s tone that her suspicion had now turned into conviction.
Why suddenly doubt when she had believed until now?
“Misunderstanding? Do you think I haven’t seen guys like you before, harboring ulterior motives, approaching with polite speech and a mask? You. When you found out my grandfather runs a trading company. The change in your eyes. You think I didn’t notice?”
Tang Hwarin looked at with a conviction as if she had gathered all the evidence and was declaring the culprit, like a detective in a detective manga.
‘I couldn’t manage my expression at the sound of the printing press.’
The puzzle was solved.
If she sensed my intentions even slightly, talking about pure intentions might have seed as if I was groping a woman and then claiming it was because she reminded of my daughter.
‘Given the circumstances. Just like my friend did. I thought maybe, but yeah. There’s no way soone like could genuinely want to help…’
Tang Hwarin’s voice and face exuded deep disappointnt as she talked to herself.
‘Luckily, she seems to believe the friend story about poison. Well, it’s hard not to believe that.’
“Hwarin-….”
Whoosh! Suddenly, a hidden weapon flew past my face. When did she even draw and throw it?
“Lady Hwarin! Lady Hwarin! It creeps out, people like you who speak politely but harbor dark intentions. So, get lost.”
Tang Hwarin spoke to with a firm voice.
“Lady.”
“If you don’t leave right now, I’ll aim right between your eyebrows next ti.”
“I will see you next ti.”
Yes, I’m leaving, I’m leaving.
“That’s right… This one, that one. They’re all only interested in what I have.”
Before I closed the door as I left the room, I could hear her lanting in a small but clear voice.
“Shit. …Of course, it was too good to be true.”
Tang Hwarin muttered with a bitter heart, convinced that no one could approach her with pure kindness.
That was a major oversight by Kang Yunho.
Tang Hwarin had faced disgust and contempt due to her skin since she was young.
Those who showed kindness to Tang Hwarin were always motivated not by her as a person but by the background she ca from.
Kang Yunho’s montary glimpse of greed was fleeting. Most people wouldn’t have noticed Kang Yunho’s dark intentions.
Only Tang Hwarin, who had lived her life among people wearing masks, could detect that brief mont of malice.
“Shit. Bastard! Barbarian!”
Tang Hwarin vented her anger alone towards Kang Yunho, who had already disappeared.
She had genuinely hoped. A man in the sa plight as herself. She had explained why she was in such a situation, hoping to prevent the sa from happening to him.
Trapped in a situation from which she couldn’t escape.
How could she, who had never even had a boyfriend, let alone friends, keep her wits about her when such a man showed kindness with a friendly smile?
“Looking perfectly normal.”
Yes, it’s his fault for casually flirting, all composed.
It’s not her fault for losing her composure to soone who looked like a noble yet behaved like a barbarian.
“Don’t hope for anything, Tang Hwarin.”
Tang Hwarin told herself with a slightly sad tone.
The great expectations she had placed on Kang Yunho crumbled with that brief mont of greed. He was just like all the others.
There was no one who approached her with pure kindness. She trembled with unknown sorrow and a sense of betrayal.
“Ugh.”
Lying in bed for hours with a heavy heart, Tang Hwarin eventually fell asleep.
Thud thud thud!
As the surroundings darkened, a knocking sound ca from outside the door. Could it be that man? Tang Hwarin got up from the bed, put on a mask, and opened the door.
“Who is it?”
A man with an unfamiliar face, looking very angry, was waiting for her.
“I am the owner of the herbal dicine shop! Why haven’t you paid for the dicine?”
“The dicine cost? Those bastards didn’t pay for it?”
It seed the servants who had run away hadn’t paid for Tang Hwarin’s dicine either.
“The cost for a week’s supply of dicine has piled up! Pay it now!”
“…I’ll pay it next ti.”
“What next ti! I knew you couldn’t even pay the room rent when I ca here!”
The owner of the herbal shop started hurling abuse when he realized Tang Hwarin was trying to avoid paynt.
As voices raised, people opened their doors to peek out, but no one ca to her aid.
Instead, hoping to get the room rent, the inn’s warriors also ca up and rely watched the situation unfold.
It’s wretched. Tang Hwarin silently listened to the man’s abuse and ridiculed herself.
-You’re like a cripple. Your temper is filthy too. If it wasn’t for money, I wouldn’t have gotten involved with you!
The servants who stole the money said it. That’s right. With a face like this. Sick and diseased. Who would help a woman with such a temper?
If her background disappeared, no one would help her. It was a fact she had known all her life, but experiencing it firsthand made it more painfully clear.
-Even my closest friend turned out to be a poisonous human.
A man ca to Tang Hwarin’s mind.
Yes. The man who resolved the dispute in the morning had clearly approached with good intentions at first.
Even without his mask, the man never once looked at her with disgust during their conversation. It was certainly a first-ti experience for Tang Hwarin.
It must be true that her friend was a poisonous human. It’s also true that he approached with pure goodwill, both during the incident at the Sung Family and today.
Could it be that she mistook his intentions for malice because of her own feelings of inadequacy?
Did she wrongly reject his kindness?
“Are you not listening? Give the money!”
Tang Hwarin looked at the wildly ranting apothecary owner. What to do? She owed a debt, so she couldn’t show force. How to repay it?
She felt helpless and devastated.
That’s when it happened.
“I will pay for it.”
Kang Yunho appeared in front of Tang Hwarin with a smiling face.
I paid off all of Tang Hwarin’s room and dicine bills and dismissed the people.
“What, why are you back?”
Tang Hwarin looked at , sitting on a chair with a haughty expression.
“Hmm.”
As I frowned and glared at Tang Hwarin, letting out a grunt, she showed a noticeably flustered expression.
“What, what! You want to say thank you?”
Tang Hwarin also seed to feel guilty, avoiding my gaze.
Good situation. Waiting was the right choice.
The fact that I deceived her was being neutralized by the grateful feelings for saving her in a crisis.
It’s a situation where she couldn’t just dismiss . Let’s start with shock therapy to change the impression for a retry.
“Hey. Tang Hwarin.”
“What? Are you speaking informally to now?”
“You said you hate people who speak formally. You speak informally to , so why can’t I?”
“You. Showing your true colors now?”
Tang Hwarin frowned at my changed attitude for a mont, then smiled triumphantly, thinking she had finally figured out my true nature.
“Hey, Tang Hwarin. I’ll accompany you to Yichang.”
“I told you. With soone like you…….”
-Bang!
“What, what?”
When I interrupted Tang Hwarin and placed a strange container on the table with a thud, she asked in surprise.
You were going to say you didn’t want to travel with a man who hid his intentions and wore a mask. Sothing like that.
But here’s the thing, Tang Hwarin.
You can’t possibly reject .
“It’s a redy.”
I revealed the identity of the secret weapon that could seize the opportunity given to again.
“A redy?”
“A redy that can cure the side effects of the poison.”
“What?”
Tang Hwarin looked in shock at the redy placed on the table.
In truth, her dicine was not in the container but right in front of her eyes, unbeknownst to her.
With a triumphant expression, I asked her again.
“Let’s ask again. Tang Hwarin. Will you co with ? Or not?”
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