Setting the Boundaries

“Did you fall ill at any point during your journey?”

“No. In fact, after completely shaking off everything that was weighing me down, I feel as though I’ve become far healthier.”

“What a relief. What a profound relief.”

As if to match his repetition of the word ‘relief,’ the gentle hand patting my back showed absolutely no intention of stopping.

After being thoroughly comforted by my eldest brother for a considerable moment, he finally loosened the strength in the arms that held me.

“You must be utterly exhausted from your long journey, so let us head indoors first.”

“I would like that.”

Unwinding and catching up comfortably inside was a fantastic option.

The moment I nodded in agreement, my eldest brother fully released his embrace, shifted to my right side, and wrapped a supportive arm around my waist. Taking my right hand into his remaining palm, he began to guide my steps forward slowly, as if escorting me.

“Go inform our parents and Seo-hee that the youngest has officially returned.”

Before crossing the threshold into the building, my eldest brother delivered instructions to the nearby attendants. At his words, I hurriedly shook my head in a firm negative.

“No, Brother. I would actually prefer it if we informed the rest of the family a bit later.”

“And why is that?”

Perhaps because my request was entirely unexpected, the grip holding me tightened. When I raised my head, his face was completely painted with confusion.

I carried on speaking with absolute composure.

“To be completely honest, the moment I arrived in Hefei, I realized some incredibly bizarre rumors have been circulating.”

“…Ah, about that.”

I had harbored my suspicions, but it seemed he was indeed fully aware of them. A deeply troubled look flashed across my eldest brother’s face as he bit his lower lip firmly.

“We did our absolute best to suppress them, yet those rumors still managed to reach your ears.”

“It couldn’t be helped. If rumors were something that could be successfully blocked simply by trying to suppress them, the world wouldn’t operate in such an incredibly complicated manner.”

Scandalous rumors, in particular, possessed an exceptionally resilient survival rate.

Despite my casual words, my eldest brother’s expression remained heavily clouded, his mind clearly unable to find peace. Letting out a soft chuckle, I gently leaned my head against his shoulder.

“Rumors will eventually settle back into their rightful place once enough time flows by. It’s not as if I actually became pregnant, nor did I suffer a miscarriage.”

“…Seo-yul.”

The profound sorrow vibrating in his voice allowed me to easily divine exactly what was going on in his heart. Curling the corners of my lips upward, I brought our previous topic back to the forefront.

“Putting that aside, you will hold off on informing the family for now, correct?”

Observing me smile as if I didn’t care about the gossip in the slightest, my eldest brother remained silent for a long beat before finally opening his mouth.

“And what is your reason?”

“The exact moment they hear that I’ve returned, they will undoubtedly throw a massive banquet first thing. With Hefei already packed to the brim with people, I strongly dislike the idea of becoming the target of further public gossip.”

Yes, even if anyone else could exercise restraint, my parents and older sister were more than capable of blowing things out of proportion.

Perhaps feeling conflicted about keeping the news hidden from the family, my eldest brother couldn’t offer a ready answer. Given his protective nature, keeping the youngest’s return entirely to himself was bound to be a difficult task.

In times like these, it was best to present a compromising alternative.

Leaning a fraction closer against my brother’s frame, I spoke in a quiet whisper.

“I will personally visit your quarters this evening. Let’s spend some quiet, intimate time together just among ourselves first.”

There was no telling how the situation would unfold after tonight, but by setting up this arrangement, I could at least successfully dodge a massive welcoming banquet on my very first day back.

Furthermore, my master plan was to thoroughly charm him over dinner so that we could eliminate any future banquets entirely.

Hearing my proposition, my eldest brother seemed to hesitate for a brief moment before bursting into a soft chuckle.

“Very well, if that is your wish, I must follow it.”

“Thank you, Brother.”

“Therefore, let us carry on with—”

“Disaster has struck!”

Hm?

Turning around alongside my eldest brother, I discovered the very guard who had so tactfully cleared out the other attendants earlier now gasping wildly for breath.

“What is the meaning of this commotion?”

“Well, you see, the thing is…!”

I couldn’t help but wonder just how extensively he had sprinted to be suffering from such severe breathlessness.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity for him to collect himself, the guard finally restored enough of his breath to address my eldest brother, only to clamp his mouth shut the exact instant his eyes landed on me.

“…….”

It appeared that whatever disaster had just struck was intimately intertwined with me. As I gave a slow nod while observing the guard, he hesitated before quickly bowing his waist deeply and bringing his hands together in a formal salute.

“A messenger has arrived from the Namgung Clan!”

“What?”

Why on earth were those pests acting up again?

Right as I was recalling the figures I had spotted across the street from the tavern, a completely unforeseen statement tumbled out of the guard’s mouth.

“They claim they must grant an audience with the Young Master Leader, and they are currently staging a protest directly in front of the main gates again today!”

“…Huh?”

They hadn’t come here because of me, but rather to see my eldest brother?

The utterly unexpected news left me entirely tongue-tied. Gaping in silence for a brief second, I barely managed to force my mouth open.

“Brother.”

I had an immense number of things I wanted to say, but the words refused to form properly on my tongue.

It seemed my eldest brother was experiencing the exact same paralysis.

Responding to my call, he began to turn his head toward me, only to freeze mid-motion and snap his gaze right back to the front.

“This is not a matter you need to concern yourself with, so do not worry, my child.”

“…….”

When you say it with that exact expression on your face, it becomes completely impossible not to concern myself with it.

My brief observation of his deeply troubled countenance was cut short. Glancing away from my uncommunicative brother, I scanned the surrounding attendants.

“…Ha.”

It seemed the people serving my eldest brother also possessed absolutely no intention of clarifying the situation for me.

Seeing them desperately scramble to avert their eyes the exact split-second our gazes collided, only one logical conclusion could be drawn.

Letting out a soft, weary sigh, I finally spoke up.

“It seems the reason they have come seeking us is indeed related to me.”

“It is not because of you. It is merely…”

I could reasonably deduce what my eldest brother was attempting to say. Squeezing his hand firmly, I shook my head.

“You do not need to deny it. It is an absolute fact that because I maintained such a low, submissive posture in the past, those pests from the Namgung Clan viewed Mangeum Bank as an easy target.”

“…Seo-yul.”

As if I had struck the absolute bullseye, my eldest brother murmured my name in a low, aching tone. Turning away from him, I directed my attention toward the guard who had delivered the news.

“You there.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

I had been slightly worried he might be totally spaced out, but his instantaneous response was highly satisfactory. Giving a firm nod, I delivered my command.

“Go and relay this message to them. Tell them to get lost.”

“…Pardon?”

“Y-Young Master?”

Perhaps due to the incredibly aggressive tone of my voice, the sound of sharp, collective gasps echoed from various spots around the courtyard. Under normal circumstances, I would have scanned my surroundings, but right now, clearing out those Namgung Clan pests took absolute priority.

When I stared blankly at the guard with a completely expressionless face, he finally seemed to comprehend the weight of the situation a beat later and hurriedly bowed his waist.

“I shall deliver the message immediately!”

“Ah, and furthermore.”

It would be far better to append this particular detail as well.

I carried on with the rest of my thought.

“Tell them that this is the absolute last time we will turn a blind eye to their blatant disrespect. Be sure to explicitly add that if they dare to show up here one more time without following proper official procedures, they should expect to be thoroughly showered in salt.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

“If they should happen to look down on you or treat you lightly, ensure you remind them that to Mangeum Bank, the Namgung Clan is merely a trivial family that ranks far lower than our very own gatekeepers.”

I didn’t care which specific individual had come knocking on our doors; the days of Mangeum Bank bowing its head to the Namgung Clan were officially over. Even if the Great Patriarch of the Namgung Clan himself came visiting, the rule stood.

“…Yes, sir!”

With every sentence that left my lips, the guard’s expression grew increasingly vibrant with life. Observing his reaction, I realized the staff had been enduring an immense amount of harassment from those Namgung Clan fools over the years.

“Seo-yul.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Turning my head at his call, I was met with my eldest brother’s face, which was now filled with a far more complex tempest of emotions than before.

“…It seems you truly have completely shaken that fellow out of your system.”

I wasn’t entirely sure why he was stating something so obvious now, given that I had already explicitly told him just moments ago that I returned from my journey having thoroughly discarded everything.

Staring into his violently trembling light brown eyes, I gave a firm nod.

“Of course. I discarded him the exact same day our engagement was broken off.”

“A thoroughly wise decision.”

“Right?”

“Indeed. …Go and deliver exactly what the youngest has stated word for word. If you inform them that it is my official directive, they will not dare to utter a single syllable of protest.”

“I shall depart and deliver it immediately!”

Executing a formal salute, the guard sprinted away from the detached villa at a rapid pace. Watching his retreating figure, my eyes landed on Jin-cheong, who had been silently maintaining his post nearby.

“Ah, Jin-cheong.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“…Would you be able to head right back out to fetch Yeo-ui for me?”

Though we hadn’t encountered any major disasters on our way here, I felt deeply apologetic asking Jin-cheong to set out again without granting him a single moment to catch his breath. Furthermore, wrapped up in my reunion with my eldest brother and this sudden uninvited visit, I felt incredibly guilty for failing to look after Jin-cheong properly.

“A task of this caliber is absolutely nothing to me.”

“Take a brief moment to catch your breath before you go.”

“I shall complete the task and rest properly afterward.”

With him displaying such absolute, unwavering resolve to set out immediately, there wasn’t much else I could say to dissuade him.

“…Once you bring Yeo-ui back, ensure you take a thorough, deep rest.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Acknowledging my words, Jin-cheong bowed his waist deeply once more before exiting the villa grounds with rapid, purposeful strides.

I stared silently at the space where Jin-cheong had vanished before opening my mouth to speak.

“…Brother.”

“Yes.”

“Even if we deliver a stern warning today, those pests from the Namgung Clan will undoubtedly return, won’t they?”

Instead of a verbal reply, the hand wrapping around my palm tightened significantly. Even without words, this single action was more than enough to read his exact thoughts. Squeezing my eldest brother’s hand right back, I revealed my true intentions.

“When the time comes to actually throw the salt, I must be the one to do it.”

“You can simply order a subordinate to handle such a chore.”

“No. I believe the price for daring to harm my people and viewing my family as an easy target must be paid back by my own hands.”

What would happen if the youngest son—who had historically maintained an incredibly submissive posture and practically worshipped the Namgung Clan—were to look down on them as utterly insignificant and personally pelt them with salt?

Just imagining the reaction of my family sent an absolute thrill down my spine.

Perhaps seeing me bare my fangs so fiercely against the Namgung Clan would finally convince them that I had genuinely steeled my resolve and turned over a new leaf.

“During the entire time I vacated my post, everyone at Mangeum Bank must have endured an immense amount of hardship. I will ensure I channel the collective desires of every single member of this estate to thoroughly pickle them.”

Raising my free hand into the empty air, I began to mimic the motion of scattering salt, flicking my wrist inward and snapping it outward a few times in succession.

Right as I was repeating this motion, the hand resting around my waist suddenly tightened, and a boisterous fit of laughter erupted from my eldest brother, echoing loudly enough to shake the entire detached villa.