An Unwelcome Variable

“Haha!”

“Bro… ther?”

“If it is your desire, I shall procure any quality of salt you wish.”

I wasn’t entirely certain which specific trigger had flipped his switch, but the sight of my eldest brother laughing so boisterously was an immensely reassuring spectacle.

Staring intently at his face, I offered my response.

“Please ensure you prepare the absolute lowest grade of salt possible. Utilizing the expensive variety would be a terrible waste of resources.”

“Very well. However, since I cannot possibly allow you to handle such a filthy substance directly with your bare hands, ensure you don’t forget to wear gloves when the time comes to throw it.”

“I would like that.”

A condition of that caliber was hardly difficult to meet. The moment I nodded in agreement, my eldest brother turned his frame back toward the main structures of the villa.

“Let us head indoors now. You have traveled a long distance, yet I have kept you standing on your feet for far too long.”

“Now that I think about it, I do feel rather parched.”

“I shall immediately order a serving of the chilled tea you enjoy so thoroughly.”

While there were occasional moments during my transmigration when I intensely craved a modern iced Americano, the signature chilled tea of Mangeum Bank was an exceptionally close second. Most notably, unlike the versions served at other establishments, Mangeum Bank’s recipe featured massive, crystal-clear chunks of ice floating right at the surface, making it the absolute perfect remedy to soothe a chaotic mind.

The exact instant I nodded, the voice of a familiar maid echoed clearly in my ears.

“I shall prepare and present it immediately, Young Master.”

Glancing to the side, my eyes locked with the attendant, who executed a swift, graceful courtesan dip before departing the courtyard at a rapid pace.

While I quietly watched her retreating figure, my eldest brother gently guided me toward the main reception hall.

Following him across the threshold, an incredibly familiar scent instantly drifted over to welcome me home. Inhaling the delicate, subtle aroma of plum blossoms as I moved my feet forward, the majestic chair furnished with a plush green cushion materialized right before my eyes before I knew it.

“Come, seat yourself quickly.”

“Yes.”

The very moment I sank into the chair, my eldest brother claimed the seat located directly adjacent to the dagwae (tea table).

“You experienced no immense hardships during your journey back, correct?”

“None at all. Because I ensured I only traveled within the limits of my physical strength, I didn’t suffer from a single bout of illness.”

“What a profound relief.”

Letting out a soft, quiet sigh at my words, my eldest brother finally relaxed his shoulders. Observing his immense sense of relief, I pursed my lips together for a brief moment before cautiously calling out to him.

dishonesty. “Brother.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“…During the entire duration of my absence, did those pests from the Namgung Clan harass Mangeum Bank immensely?”

It was a question I hadn’t possessed the courage to utter outside, but judging by how frantically the guard had sprinted to locate my eldest brother the exact second the Namgung Clan arrived, this had clearly become a frequent occurrence.

Though I had been entirely forced to entangle myself with them due to the system’s strict quests, facing the reality of the aftermath left me feeling incredibly apologetic toward my family. The moment the corners of my eyes drooped with guilt, my brother firmly took hold of my hand.

“Our opponent is merely a trivial, single martial family. They do not possess a single ounce of the requisite power needed to successfully harass Mangeum Bank. Therefore, I am genuinely at a loss as to how I should formulate an answer to your question.”

Hearing him claim that the clan’s actions didn’t even register as harassment to him was a massive weight off my chest. Mentally sweeping away my lingering anxiety, I rephrased my question from a slightly different angle.

“Did they act exceptionally tedious, then?”

“Haha. They were indeed a fraction annoying, to be fair.”

“From this moment forward, please do not consider my feelings in the slightest and ensure you crush them with absolute certainty.”

“I shall do exactly that.”

“Of course, please do not forget that my personal resolve to be the absolute first person to pelt them with salt remains entirely unchanged.”

“Naturally. I shall personally ensure the absolute perfect stage is set for you.”

“Wonderful.”

Given that he was willing to go as far as setting the stage for me, I possessed absolutely no intention of declining. Right as I was nodding in satisfaction, the maid returned, setting the freshly prepared tea down onto the small table nestled between my brother and me.

“Thank you for the tea.”

“…Y-Yes, Young Master.”

Perhaps because I had suddenly addressed her directly, the maid flinched in visible surprise before answering rapidly, moving toward the reception door to stand at attention with a deeply bowed waist.

“…….”

Lifting the cup to take a slow sip, my eldest brother’s voice broke the silence.

“If you find yourself overwhelmed by fatigue, you are fully permitted to skip this evening’s gathering and join the family dinner tomorrow instead.”

“No, it’s fine. I will ensure I wash up thoroughly and present myself before everyone this evening looking completely pristine.”

While my current state was reasonably presentable, I intensely desired to display a vibrant, healthy appearance to prove that my travels had done wonders for my constitution.

Perhaps reading my intentions perfectly, my eldest brother fell into brief contemplation before flashing a bright smile and bringing his teacup to his lips.

“If that is your definitive choice, I shall ensure that this evening’s feast consists entirely of the specific dishes you cherish most.”

“You must absolutely not prepare a menu that caters exclusively to my tastes. If you do, the rest of the family will deduce my arrival instantly.”

“Very well.”

It felt as though no matter what preposterous statement I uttered, my eldest brother would simply look at me with that exact fond smile. Gazing at the man who was completely unable to mask his profound gratification, I delivered one final warning.

“If the rest of the family somehow manages to figure out that I’ve returned before I even make my official appearance, I will hold you entirely responsible, Brother.”

“…I find myself intensely curious to learn exactly what kind of penalty I will have to endure.”

“Brother!”

I am absolutely not joking right now, you know?

The moment a sharp, mock-offended note escaped my throat, my eldest brother burst into a fit of continuous laughter, seemingly finding my reaction thoroughly delightful. Glaring at him with a heavily furrowed brow, I eventually let out a weary sigh upon realizing his amusement showed absolutely no signs of abating.

“Your throat must be incredibly dry, so please focus on finishing your tea first.”

dishonesty. “I shall do so.”

I had actually been intending to drink it regardless.

Answering him with a deliberate pout, I emptied the contents of my cup in a single, massive gulp, prompting my brother to smoothly replenish the empty vessel.

“To be completely frank, I had absolutely no inkling that you would return from your journey having cleared your mind to such an extraordinary extent.”

“…….”

“I had harbored immense fears that merely uttering the name of the Namgung Clan would cause your heart to bleed. However, observing your current state, I believe it is finally safe to reveal the exact reason why those individuals keep aggressively knocking on Mangeum Bank’s doors.”

While I didn’t possess a particularly burning desire to know, having the stage set so dramatically left me with absolutely no choice but to become curious.

Taking a small sip of my tea, I offered a thoroughly detached guess.

“At absolute best, I assume it concerns someone along the lines of Namgung Ha-ryang.”

In the original novel, Namgung Ha-ryang was a character who required an immense, grueling amount of time before he could successfully accept the main bottom into his heart.

Yes, to put it simply, he was one of those prominent Namgung Clan fools who had historically found it entirely impossible to let go of Mangeum Bank’s wealth.

Hearing my hypothesis, my eldest brother drained the remainder of his tea and set the cup down onto the table. The moment I leaned forward to refill his cup, the corners of his eyes crinkled with deep amusement as he watched me, though he swiftly schooled his features into absolute seriousness a beat later.

“Initially, the specific individual you just mentioned did indeed come seeking us. However, starting from roughly a month ago, an entirely different person has been consistently badgering Mangeum Bank. It is precisely because of this individual that we have been placed in an exceptionally difficult predicament.”

…A predicament severe enough for my brilliant eldest brother to openly label it difficult?

Startled by his choice of words, I snapped my head up, our gazes colliding the exact moment he rested his cup back onto the table surface. Looking straight at me, my brother delivered the truth.

“The very individual who drove a wedge directly between you and Namgung Hwi—Yeon Ji-oh—is the one who has been relentlessly seeking an audience with Mangeum Bank.”

“What did you say?”

The sheer, unadulterated shock caused the end of my sentence to pitch upward violently, but my vocal stability was the absolute least of my concerns right now.

What on earth could Yeon Ji-oh possibly be thinking to come poking around Mangeum Bank?

According to the plot of the original novel, Yeon Ji-oh’s official visits to the Mangeum Bank estate weren’t supposed to occur until somewhere deep within Chapter 3. To put it plainly, at this current juncture—where Chapter 2 hadn’t even officially commenced—there was absolutely no logical reason for him to be targeting this location.

Why on earth had he made a move on Mangeum Bank so vastly ahead of the original timeline?

My mind fell into absolute, staggering chaos.

“You appear to be profoundly shocked.”

I desperately wanted to claim that I was perfectly fine, but the words refused to form on my tongue.

It was only after a long, grueling silence that I managed to force my mouth open.

“Of course I am. The mere fact that the Namgung Clan has been harassing Mangeum Bank for over a month is mind-boggling enough, but to think the culprit is Yeon Ji-oh of all people?”

If our current timeline had aligned with Chapter 3, I would have easily understood his actions. Even if I made a massive concession and assumed we were at the absolute tail end of Chapter 2, I would have been able to accept it.

However, him showing up at this exact moment was completely devoid of any logic, no matter how extensively I analyzed it.

Yeon Ji-oh’s sudden, inexplicable behavior left my brain scrambling for answers. Desperately churning my memories, I subtly voiced a specific plot point that belonged to Chapter 3 of the original novel.

“Could it be… that a massive crisis has occurred within the Namgung Clan, severe enough to cause their entire financial foundation to violently shake?”

“A steady stream of lucrative contracts is continuously being funneled into the express escort agencies operating directly under the Namgung Clan’s banner, so such a financial collapse is entirely out of the question.”

“Hmm.”

If we hadn’t actively severed their supply of business contracts, why on earth was he targeting Mangeum Bank at this specific juncture?

I began to rhythmically tap my index finger against the surface of the tea table, murmuring my thoughts aloud.

“Have Yeon Ji-oh and the entire Namgung Clan collectively consumed some sort of madness-inducing poison?”

If that wasn’t the case, there was absolutely no other rational way to explain their bizarre movements.

“…Seo-yul?”

Startled by my sudden mention of poison, my eldest brother stared blankly at me in absolute bewilderment. Looking at his thoroughly taken-aback expression, I merely offered a casual shrug of my shoulders.

“It’s simply because their behavior is so entirely bizarre out of nowhere.”

“A madness-inducing poison is absolutely not something you should throw around so lightly in casual conversation.”

Paired with his intensely stern tone, a pair of unwavering, piercing eyes locked onto my form. Though he didn’t voice it explicitly, anyone with a brain could tell that his gaze was delivering a firm scolding. I smoothly lowered my eyes to stare at the floor.

dishonesty. “I shall exercise extreme caution in the future.”

My eldest brother had a perfectly valid reason for delivering such a strict warning. The madness-inducing poison I had just casually thrown out was a catastrophic substance slated to debut in Chapter 4 of the original novel, possessing enough devastating potency to completely reduce the entire nation to absolute ruins.

“…Even so, I suppose I can faintly comprehend exactly why your thoughts drifted toward such an extreme conclusion.”

“I figured you would also find their actions entirely preposterous, Brother.”

The behavior of the Namgung Clan members—relentlessly demanding an audience with the Young Master Leader—was undoubtedly an enigma that my brilliant brother had also found entirely impossible to comprehend.

My mind naturally drifted back to the final image I had captured of Yeon Ji-oh back by the lake.

“…….”

The Yeon Ji-oh I had observed standing by the lakeshore didn’t differ in the slightest from the vivid descriptions penned within the pages of the novel.

Yes, that fragile, delicate, yet profoundly vibrant aura was the absolute perfect formula required to successfully capture Namgung Hwi’s heart.

Recalling the image of Namgung Hwi staring at Yeon Ji-oh with a face completely painted with absolute warmth, I instinctively pouted my lips.

“…They should be off whispering sweet nothings of love to one another in that state.”

The sheer brilliance radiating from Namgung Hwi whenever he stood before Yeon Ji-oh was so intense that it felt as though he couldn’t possibly shine any brighter. It was an expression I had never once witnessed since the day I transmigrated into Geum Seo-yul’s body. If he had successfully synchronized his heart with such a partner, the two of them should be glued to each other’s sides day and night, making his persistent visits to Mangeum Bank an absolute mystery.

Sigh.

I possessed absolutely no inkling regarding what specific scheme Yeon Ji-oh was attempting to execute by targeting Mangeum Bank. However, under the current circumstances, ensuring he could never set foot inside this estate again was our absolute top priority.

Yes, if I accidentally entangled myself with Yeon Ji-oh out of turn, Mangeum Bank might find itself dragged straight into the chaotic current of the original plot in a completely unforeseen manner.

If such a disaster occurred, the knowledge of the original plot I possessed would naturally be reduced to nothing more than a useless scrap of waste paper. After all, within the pages of the original novel, Mangeum Bank effectively vanished from the main narrative entirely following Geum Seo-yul’s official exit from the stage.

Now that I had successfully broken free from the shackles of the original plot, my ultimate goal was singular.

To completely distance myself from the main narrative and live a thoroughly luxurious, long, and peaceful life.

Wetting my parched throat with another sip of tea, I forced the words out like a weary sigh.

“Does it appear as though the Namgung Clan possesses absolutely no intention of reining Yeon Ji-oh in?”

“According to the reports, it seemed as though they made a superficial attempt to dissuade him during the initial stages.”

Meaning, in the end, they merely went through the motions of holding him back before giving up entirely.

I ground my teeth together with absolute fury.

“The fact that they abandoned their attempts to restrain him proves precisely how lightly they view Mangeum Bank. No, scratch that—it means I am still viewed as an incredibly easy target by those fools.”

While the original Geum Seo-yul—who had surrendered his entire heart to Namgung Hwi—could easily be looked down upon, treating the current Geum Seo-yul, who had officially broken off the engagement, as a trivial pushover defied all logic.

Flooded with irritation, I aggressively drained the remainder of my cup, prompting my eldest brother to smoothly refill the empty vessel once more. Observing his movements, the moment he rested the teapot back down, his eyes locked onto mine with absolute seriousness.

“Judging by your fierce reaction, it appears I must completely liquidate all the business operations linked to their express escort agencies in the near future. There is absolutely no reason for us to continue sustaining ventures that yield zero profit.”

“…What do you mean by zero profit?”

It was a piece of information I had never once encountered, whether within the pages of the original novel or through the countless rumors I had gathered in this world. As my eyes widened to their absolute limits in sheer shock, my eldest brother suddenly burst into a bright fit of laughter.