You’ll Come To Know Soon, Too (2)

Yeom Mal-Saeng, the chief steward of the Ga-hwa Trading, was tormented by a peculiar feeling.

“The physiognomist gentleman said it was fine, though.”

There was no doubt about the man. That physiognomist was counted among the best in all of vast Beijing. He visited the homes of high officials as if they were his own, and rumor had it he even entered the imperial inner gardens.

Someone of that caliber wouldn’t misread a person, so there should be no problem.

“Certainly, but… certainly.”

Still, what was this strange unease? It nagged at him like the discomfort of having used the toilet and not cleaned up properly.

“Hmm. This won’t do.”

Normally he wouldn’t be so picky, but the timing made him cautious. Better to be absolutely certain.

“Who is there?”

“Yes, chief steward.”

“Bring Hong-ga.”

“Yes!”

Only then did Yeom Mal-Saeng give a small nod and sip the slightly cooled tea.

“Even if some came in with other intentions, it doesn’t matter. Those types won’t last long under Hong-ga anyway.”

Ga-hwa Trading was always recruiting. Their wages were at least thirty percent higher than elsewhere, which meant the work was harder and the seniority bullying among workers was severe.

Hong-ga acted like the leader of those workers. He bore no official title, but he was so rough and violent that no one dared defy him.

“Just give them a bit of trouble, that’s all. Let’s see how they react.”

As Yeom Mal-Saeng considered the next steps, a heavy voice came from outside.

“Chief steward. It’s Hong-ga.”

“Come in.”

“Yes.”

The door opened and a middle-aged man called Hong-ga entered.

Broad shoulders twice the size of an average man, huge muscles that seemed to writhe when he walked, and, above all, a long scar that ran from his left eye down his cheek like a crawling venomous snake.

He was a man whose appearance could haunt one’s dreams.

“Did you call?”

“Come on in.”

Yeom Mal-Saeng raised his tone slightly as he addressed him.

As chief steward he had no reason to flatter a mere worker, but Hong-ga was a man who demanded respect beyond his rank.

“Right. I didn’t call you here for nothing; I have something I want you to do.”

Hong-ga nodded quickly and heavily.

“If it’s an order from the chief steward, I’ll give it my all. What is it?”

“Those new workers that came in this time, right? The ones who came from Shaanxi.”

“…Yes?”

“You don’t know?”

It was strange. Hong-ga’s face—usually stern enough to silence a crying child with a look—went blank, almost vacant.

As Yeom Mal-Saeng tilted his head at that baffling reaction, Hong-ga suddenly recovered and nodded.

“Ah, I know. Of course. Those gentlemen… no, you mean those people.”

It was a slip of the tongue, and Yeom Mal-Saeng couldn’t help frowning.

“‘Those gentlemen’… I’ve never heard you address the workers like that before.”

“Ha, hahaha.”

Hong-ga forced an awkward laugh and stammered through his words.

“W-well, I’ve been working at the Ga-hwa Troupe for over five years… I can’t keep acting like an old thug forever, can I? They say a schooldog learns poetry in three years; after five years as a servant in the Ministry of Revenue household, I should at least know some manners. Hahaha.”

Yeom Mal-Saeng’s expression hardened and he snapped.

“Who said this place was the Ministry of Revenue household?”

“Ah. Well….”

“Watch your words. This is a troupe owned by Ministry of Revenue’s younger sibling. It has nothing to do with the Ministry of Revenue. Understand?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

Yeom Mal-Saeng shook his head in displeasure. It would be absurd to expect too much of a servant, so he quickly returned to the matter at hand.

“Anyway, there’s one thing I want you to do. Give those newcomers a bit of trouble.”

“…Yes? You want me to… harass them?”

“That’s right.”

Yeom Mal-Saeng nodded and lowered his voice.

“There’s something a bit suspicious. If they have hidden motives, prodding them a little will reveal their true colors.”

He met Hong-ga’s eyes with a meaningful stare.

“It shouldn’t be difficult for you. Right?”

“….”

“Hong-ga?”

Hong-ga nodded vigorously.

“Of course, of course. It’s no problem, Chief Steward! Don’t worry. I’ll harass them so thoroughly you’ll cry a little from satisfaction.”

Hong-ga thumped his chest as if boasting. The scar across his face shifted menacingly.

Creak.

The door of the large hall used as the servants’ quarters opened, and Hong-ga stepped inside cautiously.

“Oh, you’re back?”

“Ah, yes!”

Hong-ga, whose face had been stern, brightened quickly.

In the largest chair at the center of the quarters, a tiny man sipping a cool honey drink brought by another servant looked up at Hong-ga.

“What did he say?”

“Um… well. It’s like this.”

“He told you to prod them?”

“To, to harass them a little… he said.”

“Oh, really?”

Chung Myung, seated in the chair, smirked.

“Why not try it?”

“W-what do you mean? Sir, I’m not reckless.”

Hong-ga kowtowed deeply on the spot.

“Tsk tsk. A man should have loyalty. After all, these are people who’ve fed and sheltered you for years.”

“Loyalty is for a person, isn’t it? I’m no fool—I can tell where loyalty is due and where it isn’t.”

“Hmmm. Well… that’s true.”

Chung Myung tilted his head.

“But this is rather dull. If I’d known, I should’ve waited a bit. It would’ve been more fun.”

Cold sweat trickled down Hong-ga’s face.

‘That demon of a guy.’

If that had happened? No need to say—he would have been thoroughly beaten, worse than anything he’d faced so far.

From the moment the new recruit started beating people for no reason, Hong-ga had felt terrified. If that recruit had even chosen a Sibi, being beaten to death would have seemed natural.

“Hmm. So the chief steward is suspicious?”

The tiny demon snapped his neck as if displeased.

“Honestly, why are there so many troublesome people? Where else will you find someone as benevolent as me?”

“….”

“Why the face like that?”

“W-well, I was just born this way.”

“Oh, really? It does look that way. Tsk tsk. Must’ve been tough.”

“….”

Hong-ga swallowed.

He’d cleaned up his act five years ago when he settled with Ga-hwa Trading, but in terms of living roughly, he was no less tough than anyone.

He could tell. Even without seeing bones cry out or a bruised backside wail, even if there were no visible wounds after a beating, he could tell.

That guy was the real deal.

You never mess with someone like that. If you cross paths with one by misfortune, the best answer is to pretend you’re dead and lie flat.

‘What nonsense about Ministry of Revenue.’

Power is frightening. But Hong-ga knew: power may be distant, violence is close.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“Ah, no! I wasn’t thinking anything.”

“How can a person function without thinking?”

“I-I’ll think. From now on I’ll think without stopping.”

“Sss.”

Chung Myung clicked his tongue, mildly disappointed.

“Well. You’re quick-witted. You won’t get beaten to death out there.”

“Ha… haha. Thank you.”

Amid that laughless exchange, Jwa Go-hak sat in the corner clutching his head and muttering endlessly.

“We were supposed to infiltrate, but if you come in and start beating people right away, is this infiltration or are you dancing to get me arrested? If that’s the case, why did we infiltrate in the first place. It’s all ruined. I’m an idiot. Why did I drag in the taoist guys…”

“Sasuk. That gentleman’s gone mad, hasn’t he?”

“He wasn’t exactly normal to begin with, honestly.”

Seeing Jwa Go-hak tear at his hair, Chung Myung clicked his tongue.

“Getting so worked up over nothing.”

“Nothing? This? You say this isn’t something? Hey, you crazy taoist bastards! Do you know where this is? It’s the Ministry of Revenue house! I told you, didn’t I!”

“Ministry of Revenue or whatever. This is why bookworms are useless. Think about it: that chief steward is already suspicious of us. We haven’t even done anything. Right?”

“…That’s right.”

“So if we had stayed put, do you think we could’ve let it slide without suspicion?”

“It would be… difficult.”

If they dug in, awkward spots would inevitably show. That was hard to argue with.

“Look. If you mess around trying to hide things, the matter could get worse. But we’ve already tidied things up in advance, so there won’t be problems for a while. If we’re caught, he’ll be the first to die, so he’ll desperately hide us. Right?”

“Y-yes. That’s right, Leader.”

Hong-ga nodded with all his might.

“Absolutely! There will absolutely be no problem! I swear on my life.”

“See?”

“….”

“Or what, do you have a better method?”

“Ugh.”

Moisture welled in Jwa Go-hak’s eyes.

He wanted to shout and tell them to stop talking nonsense, but his calmer reasoning admitted they weren’t entirely wrong. That made him sad. So…

“Now, now.”

At that moment, Baek Cheon stepped forward to sort things out.

“If the chief steward harbors even a bit of suspicion, this can’t be dragged out for long.”

“Right.”

“Then we need to find anything that could serve as evidence as quickly as possible. Hmm, what should we do from here?”

Just as everyone prepared to offer their opinions on Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung’s indifferent voice cut in.

“Why are we the ones worrying about that?”

“What do you mean? It’s our job, so we should worry about it.”

“Tsk tsk. Making things complicated. Watch closely.”

“Huh?”

“Hey, over here.”

Chung Myung raised his hand and gestured for Hong-ga to come closer.

“Yes?”

“Come here.”

Hong-ga hesitated, rose, and shuffled toward Chung Myung. When he reached him, Chung Myung lightly patted his back and smirked.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Has anything suspicious happened recently?”

“I don’t really know of anything…”

“There should be, shouldn’t there?”

“…Yes?”

“There ought to be something, right? If not, then you’re useless. I don’t bother keeping useless people alive for no reason.”

“I’ll check immediately. I will, by any means necessary, find out.”

“Finish the investigation by evening. If it’s not sorted by the time we wake up… no, whatever, you can do it roughly. If it’s not sorted, we’ll just have a separate talk.”

“I-I will find out even if I die. Please! Please believe me!”

Hong-ga bowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. Seeing that, Chung Myung replied nonchalantly.

“Hm. Well, fine. I don’t fully trust you, but I’ll give you a chance.”

“Thank you! Really, thank you!”

“Then bring another cup of honey water before you start the investigation. The honey must be top quality—it’s sweet and good.”

“Yes! Is there anything else? You can rest comfortably here. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Alright, alright. You’re brisk— I like that.”

Watching the scene quietly, Jwa Go-hak turned his head and looked at Baek Cheon.

“…Why?”

“I—I’m just asking just in case.”

“Hm?”

“…You guys are really taoists, right?”

“….”

Baek Cheon couldn’t bring himself to answer and looked away.