Chapter 3
. Setting His Resolve (2)
A refreshing sensation starting from her shoulders made So Hajung let out an involuntary sigh.
The massage skill was so divine that she wore a melting expression, as though dissolving into bliss.
“How is it? Feels good, right?”
“I-It really feels like I’m melting away.”
“I don’t do this often, but when I do something, I do it properly.”
“I know. I’ve always trusted you, Young Master. Ahng!”
As his hands pressed and prodded various spots on her back, So Hajung unconsciously let out a moan.
It wasn’t intentional—just a natural reaction to the mix of refreshing relief and tingling pleasure.
Realizing what she had just done, So Hajung quickly bowed her head, her face turning bright red.
“It’s fine. That’s the natural reaction. I’ll give you massages more often from now on. Your muscles are really knotted up—I must have made you work too hard.”
“You don’t need to, really. You seem quite busy these days.”
“I am busy, but I’ll always have time to massage my nanny.”
“You’re also sleeping less than usual lately. Are you okay?”
Her flushed face quickly cooled as concern filled So Hajung’s gaze.
She had noticed his sleeping hours shrinking day by day.
“How did you even notice that?”
“I happened to see you training one night when I went to the latrine at dawn.”
“Ah.”
“You’re still growing, so you need proper rest.”
She gently held his hand as she spoke.
Training in martial arts was fine, but overdoing it was worse than not doing enough. So she tried to phrase her concern without dampening his mood.
“I know about the hours when height grows. I make sure to sleep during those times. So don’t worry.”
“Still…”
“Do I look tired to you?”
So Hajung looked closely at Seok Jin-ho.
He didn’t look tired at all—if anything, his face seemed radiant.
Even the pimples that used to dot his face were completely gone.
“Your skin looks so much better now.”
“I’ve been purging all the impurities from my body. Want me to teach you too?”
“Oh, come on. Martial arts for me? I’m already content with my life. You’re healthy, and Yooni is doing well too.”
“Then at least keep taking my massages. I’m not bragging, but my massages are on another level.”
So Hajung smiled softly.
He looked so cute acting boastful.
But she nodded as well—the massage really was extraordinary.
“You can just do it occasionally, when you have time. No need to do it too often.”
“That won’t do. I promised someone I’d take good care of you.”
“Promised? To whom?”
Her eyes widened.
Here in this remote part of the outer compound, the only people Jin-ho interacted with were her and Tak Yun.
Sometimes servants came to deliver ingredients, but they never talked to him beyond curt, forced replies.
“Yeah. So don’t refuse. In a way, it’s for me too. If you’re healthy, you can keep cooking my meals.”
“Well, put that way, you’re not wrong, hoho!”
“You’ll be cooking for me until I get married. So you need to stay healthy for a long, long time.”
“You might get married next year.”
So Hajung said this with a playful tone.
At eighteen, he would be of marriageable age.
And though born of a concubine, Jin-ho was still the legitimate bloodline of the Seok family patriarch.
If acknowledged, he could easily be drawn into a political marriage.
“That won’t happen. I have no plans for that anytime soon.”
“Hehe! As if life always goes as planned.”
“For me, it does.”
“…You really look good these days. I mean it, Young Master.”
“Doesn’t it feel strange, though?”
Jin-ho asked half-jokingly.
No matter how close he had come to death, his personality was far too different from the old Jin-ho’s.
The only reason the nanny and Tak Yun accepted it was because they were like family. Anyone else would have questioned it many times over.
“At first, it was strange. But you’re still my Young Master, and that hasn’t changed.”
“That makes me feel all warm inside.”
“Then give me a hug. Do you know you haven’t hugged me once since you turned fifteen?”
“A hug? That’s nothing.”
Now taller than her by a full head, Jin-ho hugged her with a playful, doting look.
So Hajung’s smile softened warmly.
“So warm.”
“Let’s hang in there just a little longer. Next year, many things will change.”
“I already love things the way they are.”
“That’s not good enough for me. You deserve better. Anyway, I’ll see you later—I need to speak with Tak Yun.”
Grinning, Jin-ho left the kitchen like the wind, vanishing as quickly as he had appeared.
But So Hajung stood there for a while, gazing quietly at the doorway he had left through.
“Tak Yun.”
“Yes, Young Master!”
The boy, who had been sweeping near the Winter Gate, answered loudly and came running over.
Each step of his huge frame made the courtyard thud.
Despite his size, his face was simple and kind.
“Sit down here.”
“Yes.”
The residence was small, reflecting Jin-ho’s current station.
But even the tiny courtyard had everything it needed. Jin-ho sat on a bench tucked in the corner and patted the spot next to him.
“Tak Yun, do you want to learn martial arts?”
“Martial arts?”
Tak Yun blinked his cow-like large eyes in surprise.
The question had come so suddenly that he didn’t know how to react.
“Yeah, martial arts. I know one that’s perfect for you. It’s an external martial art, so your age won’t be a problem. It’s not easy to master, but with your patience, you can do it. Honestly, it’s made for someone like you.”
“Uh… Will learning it help you, Young Master?”
Rather than doubting whether Jin-ho really knew such a thing, the boy asked cautiously if it would be of help.
That innocent response brought a smile to Jin-ho’s face.
“Of course it’ll help me. But more than that, it’ll benefit you. You’ll be stronger, healthier, and less likely to get hurt.”
“If it helps you, then I’ll learn it.”
“Let me warn you first—it’ll be painful. The external art I’ll teach you is high-level, which makes it tough to learn. You can say no. I won’t punish you if you refuse.”
“I’ll do it. You said it’ll help you, so I want to.”
“Don’t you think you’re deciding too fast? Even if I am your master, still…”
Jin-ho smirked.
He had expected this, but still, the boy’s blind trust surprised him.
“I know you’d never teach me anything harmful, Young Master, hehe!”
Tak Yun scratched his head, embarrassed by his own words.
But Jin-ho’s heart felt steady and secure.
The old Jin-ho had always despaired, thinking he had nothing.
But the truth was, he already had plenty.
‘He just never realized it.’
Giving up because you lack talent changes nothing.
If you lack something, you find another way.
Had Jin-ho abandoned his dream for lack of talent, he wouldn’t be who he was now.
“Then let’s begin right away.”
“Uh… Young Master, I still have chores to finish.”
“Do you? Then let’s start after dinner, before bed. And again in the morning. We’ll do physical training together.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tak Yun beamed.
It wasn’t just the martial arts—the thought of training alongside Jin-ho made him happy.
Time flowed like a swift river.
The snow-filled winter passed, and flowers began to bloom.
Though mornings and evenings were still chilly, the breath of spring was unmistakable.
“Hurry up!”
“Move faster! Don’t you know guests are arriving tomorrow?”
For days, the manor had been in chaos, bustling with frantic activity.
Jin-ho quietly watched the scene.
Unlike the busy servants and maids, his own quarters remained calm.
In just seven days, it would be the seventieth birthday celebration of his grandfather, the former head of the Seok clan and now the Retired Lord.
But to Jin-ho, the event didn’t feel significant.
“It’s noisier than ever.”
“Will you be all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll have to see your brothers.”
Even if his personality had changed, one’s true nature wasn’t easily erased.
Jin-ho had always shrunk in the presence of his siblings.
Unlike other illegitimate children who ran wild, Jin-ho had always sat quietly in the corner.
So Hajung’s voice carried her worry.
“They should be the ones worried about me.”
“R-Really?”
“They’re so noisy it’s hard to focus. Why all the fuss?”
“It might be the Retired Lord’s last birthday. He is quite old now.”
Living to sixty was rare enough.
So perhaps, as Hajung said, this could indeed be his final birthday.
“He’s eaten every tonic since his youth. Last birthday, my foot—he’ll last another ten years at least.”
“You never know. The elderly can collapse all of a sudden.”
“True.”
“You’ll still go to pay your respects, right?”
“Of course. Even if I wasn’t invited, I’m still family. If they block me, then so be it.”
He shrugged.
Considering his past treatment, it wouldn’t be strange if they barred him from entering.
“You have to go. He’s still your grandfather.”
“I’ll go. For appearances’ sake, if nothing else. With so many grandchildren, he might not even remember me.”
Jin-ho sifted through his memories—technically, the memories of the old Jin-ho who had died.
“I’ll prepare the gift.”
“With what money?”
He raised an eyebrow.
Even affording three meals a day for the three of them was difficult, especially with his increased appetite due to training.
“That doesn’t have to cost money.”
Hajung confidently lifted her arms, flexing them in mock pride.
“And I can make it with my own hands. After all, I made the clothes you’re wearing now.”
“I know your skills, of course. But materials will still cost something.”
“Don’t worry. I have ways to get them. You just focus on greeting him properly.”
“Feels like I’m leaving everything to you.”
He looked apologetic.
But at the same time, it felt strange to him.
No one had ever shown him such unconditional, one-sided affection before. It always left him feeling… odd.
“What I do is what you do. Tak Yun and I—we’re basically part of you.”
“That’s true. We may not share blood, but we’re family.”
“Oh!”
Hajung’s eyes widened in surprise, touched.
She had always known his feelings, but he had never said them aloud before.
Jin-ho, however, looked as if he had said nothing unusual.
“So don’t worry. I’ll take care of you and Tak Yun properly.”
“Just hearing you say that is reassuring, hoho. But don’t grow up too fast—it makes me a little sad. To me, you’re still a boy.”
“Boy? I’ve already passed six feet this year.”
He snorted.
Neither his face nor body could be called boyish anymore.
“By the way, I heard the great masters of the Nine Great Sects will also attend the Retired Lord’s birthday. If one of them notices you, maybe they’ll take you as a disciple? You’ve been training hard since last winter.”
“The Nine Great Sects? Hmph. They’re nothing.”
