The Shifting Tides

“It seems our guest views the Mangeum Bank as some sort of joke.”

If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have had the nerve to march right up to our doors with a bunch of fools from the Namgung Clan.

As I stared them down, Yeon Ji-oh—who had been quietly enduring my gaze—belatedly brought his hands together in a martial salute.

“I don’t know your identity, sir, but I have only come here to request an audience with the Young Master Leader to formally propose a business deal.”

“A business deal?”

What on earth did the very guy who ruined my engagement just say? He wants to do business with the Mangeum Bank?

Ever since the day I woke up inside this novel, I hadn’t encountered a situation that made less sense. Actually, scratch that—it was the second most ridiculous thing, right behind the absurd rumor that a grown man had somehow gotten pregnant.

While I just gaped at him in utter disbelief, Yeon Ji-oh kept right on talking, clearly misinterpreting my silence as a good sign.

“Therefore, it is my sincere desire to continue this conversation directly with the Young Master Leader.”

Is this guy really the Yeon Ji-oh from the book?

The character I read about was supposed to be completely innocent, always putting others first. To put it plainly, he wasn’t supposed to be such a shameless, bratty liar.

I watched him for a brief second, my mind reeling at how far the plot was drifting from the original story. Shaking myself out of it, I grabbed a massive handful of salt and threw it directly into Yeon Ji-oh’s face as my official response.

“Ugh!”

“What is the meaning of this outrageous behavior?!”

According to my original plan, I wanted to build up the dramatic tension before revealing my face to leave them paralyzed with shock. Then, I was going to pelt them with salt. But when dealing with someone as incredibly self-centered as Yeon Ji-oh, wasting even a single second on dramatic build-up felt like an unforgivable luxury.

Because he was caught completely off guard, Yeon Ji-oh couldn’t seem to pull himself together. Glaring with pure disdain at the Namgung Clan lackeys frantically scrambling to help him, I let out a mocking sneer.

“You attempt to negotiate a business deal with the Mangeum Bank while explicitly refusing to reveal your true identity? Did you genuinely believe the Mangeum Bank would respond to a completely nameless individual who doesn’t have a shred of credibility?”

Whether you are inside a novel or out in the real world, credit is the lifeblood of any business. Especially an establishment like the Mangeum Bank, which handles massive sums of money. We prioritize trust above all else, making Yeon Ji-oh’s arrogant behavior completely ridiculous.

“Young Master Yeon, are you unharmed?”

“Yes, I am perfectly fine… Ugh!”

“Young Master Yeon!”

…What was with this ridiculous delayed reaction?

To think he would suddenly start swaying and stumbling a full moment after the salt actually hit him. Because I knew for a fact he was perfectly healthy, I realized instantly that his dramatic display was nothing but a calculated act.

However, the Namgung Clan fools escorting him seemed completely blind to his bad acting. Frantically holding him up and checking on him, they turned their sharp, angry glares straight at me.

“Does the Mangeum Bank always mistreat guests in such an atrocious manner?!”

“The prestigious name of the Mangeum Bank is entirely wasted on people like you!”

Right as I was gearing up to give these men a piece of my mind, my eldest brother’s voice sliced through the air from right beside me.

“And who exactly gave you permission to call yourselves guests of the Mangeum Bank?”

His tone was significantly colder and sharper than before, cutting through the space with pure ice. Stepping forward to smoothly wrap a protective arm around me, my brother continued.

“It appears the Namgung Clan has a fascinating tradition of offering exquisite hospitality to random people who trespass onto their property and boldly declare themselves to be esteemed guests.”

Completely caught off guard by the brutal comeback from the Young Master Leader himself, the Namgung Clan fools instantly shut their mouths. Yeon Ji-oh was no exception.

Seeing the very guy who had marched up to our estate with so much confidence now just clutching his companion’s sleeve and staring at the dirt was mind-boggling. Masking my utter exasperation, I swept my gaze over the group and Yeon Ji-oh one last time. Then, I casually tossed a line out into the air.

“They are completely and utterly arrogant.”

“Indeed, you are entirely correct.”

“Yes, Brother. To be completely honest, I can’t bring myself to look at this pathetic spectacle for another second.”

To cleanly break free from this farce, I couldn’t hesitate. I needed to act without delay. Reaching up, I smoothly flipped the white fabric of my veil back over the brim of my hat, revealing my face entirely.

“Heavens!”

“My goodness!”

“Geum… Geum Seo-yul?!”

Following a brief, suffocating silence, the surrounding crowd erupted into a storm of frantic whispers. The exact second my name slipped past Yeon Ji-oh’s lips—his eyes widening to their limits as he stared at me—the corners of my mouth twisted into a sharp smirk. Then, I spoke in a voice cold enough to freeze water.

“I am truly curious to learn what kind of delusional scheme was brewing inside that head of yours to make you seek out this estate.”

“…….”

“Even if you found yourself in a desperate situation requiring a business deal, you—and most certainly the Namgung Clan—should know that this is a threshold you are absolutely forbidden to cross, are you not?”

Completely blindsided by my sudden appearance, Yeon Ji-oh could do nothing but stare blankly at me in paralyzing shock.

Staring right back into his eyes, I let out an exaggerated hum, tapping my index finger against my chin as if deep in thought. Tilting my head slightly, I raised my voice significantly, making sure every single onlooker watching the drama unfold could hear me clearly.

“Could it be… that because you successfully managed to bewitch the young successor of the Namgung Clan, you thought you could just as easily bewitch the Young Master Leader of the Mangeum Bank?”

“What kind of absolute nonsense is—!”

Catching the mockery loud and clear, Yeon Ji-oh violently shook off the hands of the Namgung Clan fools holding him up. Snapping his head up, he glared at me with vicious, angry eyes that were completely different from his previous fragile act.

I quietly locked eyes with him, enduring his gaze. A moment later, the exact reaction I had been waiting for cascaded across the plaza.

“He actually bewitched him!”

“What did you say?”

“Apparently, the moment that salty brat cast his spell, the young successor of the Namgung Clan rolled right over!”

Thoroughly triggered by the phrase ‘salty brat,’ Yeon Ji-oh took a frantic look at his clothes before desperately trying to brush away the coarse salt clinging to his white garments. Seeing his face turn bright crimson as he gasped for breath, it seemed he at least had enough awareness to feel deeply humiliated.

Swallowing down the laughter threatening to burst from my chest, I leaned heavily against my eldest brother. Instantly offering a solid pillar of support, my brother cast a worried glance down at me, entirely misinterpreting my reaction.

“You only just arrived back at the estate today, it appears you have overexerted yourself immensely.”

“Even so, I couldn’t allow you to face these uninvited pests all alone, Brother.”

“How incredibly praise—”

“Young Mistress!”

“Young Mistress!”

A thunderous chorus shouting the title ‘Young Mistress’ suddenly erupted from the far end of the main road, cutting off our conversation. Snapping my head up to see what kind of madness was unfolding, my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Right before my eyes, Namgung Ha-ryang and a prominent squad of his personal guards practically dropped out of the sky, landing squarely in the center of the plaza.

“We formally grant our deepest respects to the Young Mistress!”

Then, they proceeded to bellow absolute nonsense while lowering their bodies into a perfect martial salute.

“…….”

With the personal inner circle of the young successor himself bowing in total deference, the remaining Namgung Clan fools who had come with Yeon Ji-oh couldn’t maintain their rigid posture. Trapped, they reluctantly and awkwardly lowered themselves to join the salute. Because of their sudden submission, Yeon Ji-oh was left standing entirely isolated, his venomous glare directed straight at me for the whole world to see.

“Just what does he think he did right to be glaring at him with those awful eyes?”

“Can you not see it plain as day? The moment he snatched away another person’s partner, his true, malicious nature was exposed! How utterly wicked!”

The onlookers erupted into a fresh wave of restless murmurs, thoroughly displeased by Yeon Ji-oh’s brazen behavior. However, unlike his previous explosive reactions, Yeon Ji-oh remained completely frozen in place, doing nothing but staring at me with murderous eyes.

I smoothly pulled my gaze away from him, turning my attention entirely to the kneeling Namgung Clan guards.

“And for what specific reason are you addressing me as your Young Mistress?”

“…Young Mistress.”

“The official ties binding the Mangeum Bank and the Namgung Clan were completely and permanently severed a full two months ago. Furthermore…”

Turning my head slightly, I flashed a bright smile directly at Yeon Ji-oh before shifting my eyes back to the kneeling guards, making sure to hammer the truth home one final time.

“The person who holds the official title of your Young Mistress is absolutely not me, but rather the person standing right over there, is it not?”

“Young Mistress, regarding that matter, the truth is…”

Despite my explicit correction, those Namgung Clan fools stubbornly insisted on calling me by that dreaded title. And they were doing it right in front of a massive audience of hundreds.

Initially, I thought these men had simply lost their minds. However, looking at the situation now, I realized a more perfect stage couldn’t have been handed to me on a silver platter. I immediately called out to my brother.

“Brother.”

“Yes, I am right here.”

He responded instantly. I purposely let a faint, fragile smile wash over my face.

“It appears there are still people within the ranks of the Namgung Clan who stubbornly insist on viewing me as their Young Mistress, even though our official ties have already been completely severed.”

“I shall personally send an official communication to ensure such a misunderstanding never happens again under any circumstances. Furthermore, I shall ensure that this current offense is investigated and answered for with absolute severity.”

As expected, my eldest brother was a master of his craft.

Gazing up at the man who had flawlessly set the perfect stage to naturally bring up the shipping and escort contracts we had discussed indoors, the corners of my eyes crinkled with deep affection. Not only had he quietly stood by my side to guard my grand salt-throwing spectacle, but he had smoothly handed such a powerful moment over to me—a beautiful testament to just how fiercely he cherished Geum Seo-yul.

Resting my hand gently on his arm, I looked up into his face with sparkling eyes. Perhaps because it had been an incredibly long time since he last saw me showing such genuine affection, the warmth in his eyes deepened significantly. Quietly soaking in his comforting presence, I lowered my gaze, sweeping a cold, entirely emotionless stare over the kneeling Namgung Clan retinue and Yeon Ji-oh.

“That sounds wonderful. Ah, since the situation has escalated to this point, what do you think about completely liquidating every single business contract and transaction linked to the Namgung Clan to ensure such an awful misunderstanding never occurs again in the future?”

“Heavens!”

“Y-Young Mistress!”

Completely blindsided by a development that bypassed their wildest calculations, the faces of the Namgung Clan fools and Yeon Ji-oh were instantly drained of color, turning ghostly white.

I merely stared blankly at Yeon Ji-oh without saying a word.

“…….”

However, our silent standoff was cut short a moment later. The supportive arm wrapped around my waist tightened significantly once more. Snapping my head up to see why, I watched my eldest brother slowly close and reopen his eyes, smoothly delivering another silent signal.

Rapidly recalling the mental blueprints of the conversation we had shared within the reception hall, I immediately opened my mouth to speak.

“Please ensure everything is liquidated with absolute finality. I have absolutely no desire to remain entangled with the Namgung Clan ever again, even through casual rumors.”

“Very well. I shall ensure every single contract is terminated with absolute finality.”

Nodding his head in deep satisfaction, my eldest brother smoothly turned around to head back inside.

Right as I was moving to follow him back toward the safety of the Mangeum Bank, a gaze that was incomparably hotter and more intense than anything I had experienced today pierced directly into my side. Reflexively snapping my head toward the source of the pressure, my eyes locked squarely with a stationary figure draped in vibrant, sky-blue robes.

Am I hallucinating right now?

While Yeon Ji-oh’s appearance was shocking enough on its own, the specific person currently standing before my eyes was someone who, under no circumstances, belonged here today.

No, scratch that—if I looked at it from a different perspective, I suppose he did have a valid reason to be here. Specifically, to step onto the front lines and shield his precious partner, Yeon Ji-oh, from enduring further public humiliation.

Yet, Namgung Hwi remained entirely frozen in place, his eyes locked exclusively on me.

“…….”

If he had taken the trouble to travel all this way, he should simply scoop up his precious companion and make a swift departure, leaving me entirely at a loss as to why he was just standing there staring at me like a statue.

If I followed my raw instincts, I desperately wanted to snap my head away and ignore him completely. However, seeing his current physical state made it exceptionally difficult to simply look away.

Why on earth did his complexion look so utterly wretched? Furthermore, why had he lost such a drastic, alarming amount of weight?

Looking as though he had barely managed to survive a catastrophic ordeal, the Namgung Hwi standing before me was entirely distinct from the vibrant man I had parted ways with a mere two months ago. The healthy, full-blooded complexion he usually had was completely gone, replaced by a stark, ghostly pallor. Due to the severe weight loss, his jawline had sharpened to a razor-thin edge, yet true to his status as the main top of this world, his striking appearance still managed to exude a fascinating aura that left the surrounding crowd whispering in awe.

“…….”

While finding myself analyzing his physical attractiveness under such chaotic circumstances was ridiculous, there was no denying that a leaner Namgung Hwi possessed a highly compelling visual appeal. Extricating my mind from its brief admiration of his looks, I took a deep, grounding breath to steady my erratic thoughts, realizing this was absolutely not the time for distractions.

I shot a sharp, meaningful glare directly at him, explicitly signaling him to gather his precious Yeon Ji-oh and beat a swift retreat.

However, our silent communication was cut short the exact split-second a fierce, crushing pressure clamped down around my waist.