The Art of the Return

After taking a rest at the tavern until a decent amount of my physical stamina had returned, I was informed that if we delayed any longer, even the taverns would be packed to the brim. Hearing that, I immediately shifted my gaze to Jin-cheong.

“Let’s head out right now.”

“Yes, Young Master. I shall escort you.”

As Jin-cheong stepped closer and extended his hand, I took hold of it. Needless to say, I made sure to conceal my face far more meticulously than before, ensuring no one would accidentally catch a glimpse of my true identity.

Rising from my seat, we moved swiftly toward an area devoid of people. The moment Jin-cheong carefully scooped me up into his arms, I naturally wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Mister Cheong, please take good care of the Young Master!”

“Understood. Do not wander off and wait right here.”

“Yes!”

Hearing Yeo-ui’s reply, Jin-cheong cast a brief glance down at me. Nodding to let him know I was ready, I tightened my grip around his neck the exact instant his feet powerfully booted off the tavern floor.

Perhaps worried that he might startle me, Jin-cheong moved at a leisurely pace initially before gradually picking up speed. I leaned against him, taking in the passing scenery of Hefei, and before long, the grand majesty of Mangeum Bank finally surged into my field of vision, causing an indescribable whirlwind of emotions to stir deep inside me.

From the very moment I transmigrated into this book until now, the pavilions of Mangeum Bank had felt like nothing more than temporary lodgings to me.

Yet now, this place seemed to have taken on a profoundly significant meaning.

Looking up at the massive entrance of the banking estate, an inexplicable lump rose in my throat. Along with a deep sense of relief spreading to every corner of my body, a torrent of complex emotions began to churn within.

“…….”

I was quietly gazing at the estate when Jin-cheong carefully lowered my feet back down to the ground. Stepping onto the solid earth, I tightly gripped the fabric of the outer robe I had used to cover myself. Once I stepped through these gates, I would finally be reunited with the family members who fiercely cherished Geum Seo-yul.

The thought of that family, who had always placed Geum Seo-yul above all else, caused another wave of raw emotion to well up.

Biting my lower lip hard to swallow down the rising sentiment, I forced the words out.

“Wow. It truly feels like I’ve come home.”

The ‘home’ I was referring to just now didn’t merely signify the Mangeum Bank estate. I was talking about my actual home before I transmigrated into Geum Seo-yul’s body—specifically, the home I had known before I was forcibly outed and subsequently severed ties with my family.

Yes, that home back when my family would look at me and smile.

Right while I was staring wistfully at Mangeum Bank, Jin-cheong’s voice drifted over, carrying a faint, subtle hint of amusement.

“Once you arrive at your personal quarters, the reality of it will hit you even more profoundly. After all, every single member of the estate has been eagerly awaiting your return, Master Seo-yul.”

His timing was so utterly impeccable that I almost suspected he had planned it.

Brushing away the sudden surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm me, I gave a firm nod.

“Let’s head inside quickly. Everyone must be waiting.”

Though I had tried my absolute best to mask it, perhaps because my emotions were in such disarray, my voice trembled quite noticeably.

Feeling self-conscious, I gripped the fabric concealing my face even tighter, prompting Jin-cheong to guide me toward a discreet black side door located right next to the main gates.

“This way, Young Master.”

“Ahem, cough. Right.”

While he had always done an excellent job of feigning ignorance regarding my various antics in the past, I felt exceptionally grateful for Jin-cheong’s thoughtful consideration today.

Clearing my throat as I replied, I stepped up the stone stairs and planted my feet onto a large, polished flagstone.

At that exact moment, a few of the guards stationed at the black door approached us, crossing their spears to bar our advance.

“This entrance is restricted exclusively to individuals possessing the official token of Mangeum Bank.”

“If you do not possess the token, you must proceed to the main gate to verify your identity before entry can be permitted.”

“Furthermore, you will be required to uncover your face during the identity verification process.”

Ah.

Come to think of it, our current appearance was absolute chaos.

Realizing that I had entirely failed to properly assess our state due to being completely swept up in my emotions, I bit down on my lip out of sheer embarrassment. Right then, Jin-cheong smoothly thrust an official token directly in front of the two guards.

“The master I serve desires no public commotion. Therefore, ensure you treat us exactly like invited guests.”

The guards’ eyes naturally shifted from inspecting the token toward me. The moment I registered their eyes widening to their absolute limits, the spears blocking our path were cleared away a beat later.

“Ensure that you do not mention our arrival to absolutely anyone, if possible.”

“Understood.”

The men bowed their heads deeply in response to Jin-cheong’s command before swiftly moving toward the black door. A moment later, the heavy door swung wide open, and I slowly stepped through into the interior of the banking estate.

“I shall escort you to the inner quarters immediately,” one of the guards stepped forward and murmured softly. At that, Jin-cheong delivered the instructions on my behalf.

“We are well acquainted with the path. Go tend to your regular duties.”

“The guards currently stationed at the entrance of the inner court have been exceptionally strict of late. If you grant me permission, I shall head advance of you to ensure they exercise due caution.”

“Very well.”

If that was the case, it was far better to utilize the guard’s assistance. Perhaps caught off guard by my sudden interjection into the conversation, the guard hesitated for a split second before hurriedly bowing his head.

“Y-Young Mas—Guest, I shall ensure everything is fully prepared so that you experience absolutely no discomfort!”

With his intense excitement written plain across his face, the guard departed at a rapid pace. I took a brief moment to scan our immediate surroundings before making my way further into the estate.

Even though this was a landscape I had seen constantly until a mere two months ago, I couldn’t comprehend why it felt so remarkably fresh to my eyes today. Engraving each piece of the scenery—which I had simply passed by without a second thought in the past—into my memory one by one, I soon arrived at the pristine white wall that demarcated the boundary between the outer and inner courts.

Walking along the wall, which stood easily at twice my own height, the gate leading into the inner court finally materialized. Thanks to the guard’s advance warning, I passed through the entirely abandoned gateway and continued forward. Before long, a detached villa surrounded by lush, sprawling trees revealed itself, and I froze right in my tracks, staring at it blankly.

“…….”

I had simply arrived in front of the very building I had occupied for the past five years. It was merely that, yet my heart throbbed with a far greater intensity than it had when I beheld the main gates of Mangeum Bank.

Taking a deep, needless breath to steady my mind, I realized a moment too late that there wasn’t a single soul standing before the entrance of the detached villa either.

“They even pulled strings all the way out here.”

“It appears that particular guard possesses quite a sharp wit.”

“Indeed.”

I would definitely have to ensure that man received a thoroughly handsome reward later.

Following that brief exchange with Jin-cheong, I passed through the open gates, traversed the garden, and entered the inner courtyard by crossing through another architectural threshold—the Suhwamun (the Hanging Flower Gate).

“…….”

I had felt it continuously from the very moment I laid eyes on the Mangeum Bank buildings, but actually arriving at the exact place where I used to live caused an indescribably immense, overwhelming emotion to expand within my chest.

Keeping my mouth firmly shut, I paused once more to scan the main structures of the detached villa.

“The youngest should be returning any day now, so ensure you pay extraordinary attention to the maintenance of the detached villa.”

“Yes, Young Master Leader.”

An intensely familiar voice echoed out, immediately accompanied by the sound of the main building’s doors swinging open.

“Furthermore, send a communication to find out exactly when the youngest will arrive…”

The man delivering instructions to the subordinate trailing behind him as he exited the building cast his gaze ahead. The exact instant our eyes locked, I noticed the brow of my eldest brother deeply furrow the moment his eyes landing on my figure.

“How dare you slink into this place! Reveal your identity this instant!”

Perhaps because it was a wrathful tone I had never once heard from him before, my entire body instantly froze in place. Reflexively clutching the fabric of the robe covering me, I belatedly remembered what a bizarre sight I must be. I hurriedly lowered the outer robe, letting it drape naturally over my shoulders.

“Brother, it’s me.”

“…Seo-yul?”

The absolute, freezing coldness that had radiated from my eldest brother, Geum Seo-hyun—looking as though he could freeze a man to death just a second ago—was instantly replaced by absolute, unadulterated bewilderment.

Staring at my eldest brother as he merely gaped at me in a daze, I forced a soft smile onto my face and offered a light jest.

“You don’t need to send that communication after all. Since I have only just arrived this very moment.”

“…Ah.”

Blinking his eyes rapidly for a long moment, my eldest brother finally let out a quiet exclamation, his gaze darting back and forth between the villa building and me. Then, he spoke up in an incredibly hurried rush.

“Well, you see, I merely stepped inside for a brief moment to see if there was anything that required repairs before your official return. I did not enter your personal bedchamber at all; I simply took a quick look around the reception hall, so…”

“It’s perfectly fine.”

It seemed he hadn’t anticipated that I would respond so smoothly.

Staring at his light brown eyes, which had grown significantly wider than before, I took a massive breath.

During the entire time I spent traveling on my journey, I had pondered over this dilemma countless times.

Exactly how was I supposed to demonstrate that the historically volatile, utterly foul-tempered Geum Seo-yul had achieved a profound epiphany during his travels and transformed into a completely reformed person? A villainous extra who had spent the last five years executing his role with absolute malice, suddenly experiencing a change of heart out of the blue? Ordinary people would undoubtedly find such a claim incredibly difficult to accept at face value.

Because it required an immense amount of careful calculation, it was an absolute fact that I hadn’t been able to easily organize my thoughts even on the journey back to Hefei.

That was, until I finally settled on a definitive plan just a few days ago.

Inhaling deeply once more, I unleashed the top-tier acting skills I had meticulously honed and polished over the past five long years.

“From now on, as long as you send word ahead of time to let me know you’re coming, I will always be right here waiting for you.”

“Ah…”

The moment I let my voice tremble slightly, lowering my gaze as if trapped in a wave of profound bashfulness, quiet gasps escaped from the mouths of my eldest brother and the attendants present. I quietly waited for his official reaction.

“My goodness.”

Inexplicable murmurs erupted from various spots around the courtyard, drifting into my ears. However, the one specific voice I was eagerly waiting for—my eldest brother’s—refused to sound.

Given the sheer impact of my words, it was well past time for him to offer some sort of reaction, so why was he staying so incredibly silent?

Before lifting my gaze, right as I was about to tilt my head slightly lower before bringing it back up, someone approached my position at an incredibly rapid pace.

“Seo-yul.”

I wondered who it could possibly be, but the person who had closed the distance was none other than my eldest brother. As he carefully took hold of both my arms and called my name, I slowly raised my eyes to look at him, only to find him looking completely at a loss as he opened his mouth to speak.

“A member of the Mangeum Bank family must never lower their head so easily at any given time.”

It seemed he assumed I would habitually act this way from now on. Just as I was about to casually carry on with my lines, my eldest brother’s voice cut in ahead of me.

“And my precious younger brother must absolutely never do so under any circumstances.”

Was it because of the word ‘brother,’ or was it perhaps due to the immense tenderness vibrant in his tone?

Whatever the case may be, hearing those words caused an involuntary lump of emotion to well up inside me. Swallowing hard to force the sentiment back down, I carried on with the rest of my dialogue.

“…I experienced and realized an immense number of things during my travels. I finally came to understand that I had committed a great many unforgivable acts against my family and the members of this estate, all because I was completely blinded by a man.”

“…….”

“It is simply because I feel too deeply ashamed to face you. That is the only reason I am doing this, so please do not say it is an act done without cause.”

Hearing my voice grow progressively softer and more subdued, my eldest brother suddenly let out a low, aching groan before pulling me tightly into a fierce embrace.

“Our Seo-yul has grown an immense amount through this journey.”

“I am truly sorry for realizing it far too late.”

The exact second my apology left my lips, my eldest brother’s entire frame went completely rigid. However, that reaction lasted only a brief moment. Tightening his arms around me with even greater force, he asked me with absolute tenderness.