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chapter 26
“I know you’re nervous and trembling. But all of you were chosen as the best caregivers through an intense selection process. Believe in yourselves and greet the first guests of Hyeeumwon with your very best!”
When the deputy director finished speaking, the faces of the attendants showed both tension and determination.
As Lee Jeong-ah took the first step forward, the clerks and attendants followed in perfectly organized lines.
Under the lanterns hanging along the path leading to the central gate, all personnel were already assembled, standing in two neat rows facing the main gate.
Lee Jeong-ah walked between them, inspecting their attire one last time before turning toward the gate.
Taking a deep breath, she shouted in a firm voice:
“Open the gates of Hyeeumwon!”
At her command, the gatekeepers swung the grand gates wide open.
It was a historic moment—the official opening of Hyeeumwon.
Through the wide-open gates, Euncheon entered Hyeeumwon alongside the merchant group from Daesik Nation.
“Welcome! We welcome you all to Hyeeumwon!!”
The staff lined up on both sides greeted them with bright, welcoming smiles.
A few of the attendants were startled by the foreign, unfamiliar appearances of the merchants, but the sharp gaze of the deputy director snapped them back to focus, and they quickly performed their assigned duties.
The clerks briskly unhitched the horses from the wagons, led them to the stables, secured the trade goods in the warehouse reserved for merchants, locked it tightly, and handed the key to the vice caravan master.
And then—
Everyone’s eyes widened upon noticing a group of boys being dragged in behind the merchants, their wrists tied with rope.
‘W-what are those kids?’
Even Lee Jeong-ah was stunned.
She quickly hurried over to Euncheon.
“Sir, who are those children?”
“Bandits who attacked the merchants. More importantly—are the preparations complete?”
“Y-yes, of course, perfectly… Hmm? I must have misheard just now. B-bandits?!”
“You heard correctly.”
“Excuse me?! Why would you—why are the bandits here?!”
“First, give them something to eat.”
“E-excuse me?!”
With those words, Euncheon simply walked inside. As the bewildered Lee Jeong-ah stood frozen, Junkyeong approached.
“What did Euncheon say?”
Still dazed, she answered:
“……He told us to give them food.”
“Huh? That frost-demon said that? What’s gotten into him? Well, do as he said. Those kids have been starving for so long they probably can’t even lift a chopstick, so don’t worry.”
“W-what did you say?!!”
Leaving the horrified deputy director behind, Junkyeong followed after Euncheon.
‘What in the world is happening?’
But no matter the situation, a deputy must follow the director’s orders.
Lee Jeong-ah summoned the clerks and told them to care for the captured boys, then turned her attention back to the merchant group.
Meanwhile, Nasim was struggling to maintain his expression—his face was on the verge of twitching.
Truthfully, ever since Hyeeumwon came into view, he had been completely captivated by the scenery he had never seen before.
The sky glowed a vivid red, and from the shadowed mountains the warm glow of lantern light spread softly like fireflies—Hyeeumwon’s distant view was breathtakingly beautiful.
When Nasim stepped inside the guest hall under the clerks’ guidance, he unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
He had followed his father, the merchant master, through countless caravanserais, but never had he seen a guest hall combining such distinct dignity with such refined beauty.
It was unlike the opulent palaces of the western kingdoms or the extravagant homes of wealthy merchants. It held a restrained yet perfect sense of order, a majestic dignity, and a subtle, intricate elegance woven into it.
He had never imagined that the architecture of Goryeo—a distant Eastern nation—could be so grand and so refined at the same time. Nasim began to think he might need to completely reevaluate his impression of the East.
But he stubbornly resisted this thought.
Who was he?
He was the sole heir to the Al-Fayruz Merchant Guild, which was under the protection of the Seljuk imperial family, and the future inheritor of Daesik’s greatest caravanserai, Wahat al-Nu!
‘I, Nasim, do not get easily bewitched by mere superficial beauty!’
He held immense pride in his family’s caravanserai.
“A caravanserai is not simply a place where travelers sleep and receive food or water—that’s a huge misconception.”
To Nasim, a caravanserai was a bridge connecting settlements, a marketplace where goods from all corners of the world flowed, a melting pot of rumors and information, and at times, a fountain of friendship where strangers leaned on one another like brothers.
A true caravanserai was a living heart that connected civilizations and people!
[……Um, honored guest?]
Lost in his thoughts, Nasim was startled by a sudden familiar voice speaking his native language—and a woman’s voice at that?
‘Huh? There are no women among our group?’
Looking around in confusion, he lowered his gaze.
There stood a Goryeo woman, smiling up at him.
It was O Seorin.
Lee Jeong-ah, knowing he was the successor to the merchant master, had sent Seorin—who could speak the Daesik language—to check if he needed anything.
[Y-y-you… c-called for m-me?]
Nasim stammered without realizing it.
‘…She’s beautiful! Skin like she’s never been touched by sunlight, hair like the night of the desert, lips soft and peach-colored!’
Flustered, he babbled nonsensically, while Seorin simply smiled politely—a perfect business smile.
Poof.
Nasim’s face flushed bright red at the sight of the beautiful Goryeo woman’s smile.
Nasim was so uninterested in women that some of his companions suspected he preferred men.
And perhaps that was understandable—his father had many wives, and Nasim had countless half-siblings. Growing up among an overbearing mother and sisters who doted on him aggressively, he had grown almost allergic to women.
But… the woman before him felt different.
[I apologize if I startled you.]
Nasim shook his head sharply.
[N-no! N-not at all!]
His mind was spinning.
Partly because it had been so long since he had seen a woman up close—but mostly because the woman standing before him happened to be his ideal type.
Growing up surrounded by women as tall and broad as his imposing mother, all he had ever wished for was to meet a small, delicate, adorable woman who would fit right into his arms.
‘Oh Allah! Thank you! You made me endure that harsh, endless sea voyage just to lead me to this woman!’
With dewy eyes, Nasim gazed at Seorin—but she didn’t notice.
She was recalling the deputy director’s instructions.
“This caravan’s visit is more significant than a simple first stay. They are closely tied to the Daesik royal family. If they spread positive impressions of Hyeeumwon, other nations’ merchant groups will naturally follow. This will greatly help fill the national treasury. So above all else, do not offend them in any way.”
Seorin glanced briefly at the man in front of her.
A large, muscular build rivaling the captain of the guard, striking and handsome features typical of Arabian men, healthy bronze skin, and grey eyes tinged with sky-blue.
‘…He’s really handsome. He looks like one of those gorgeous Arabian princes I saw in the news once.’
He was the kind of man who instantly captured the eye.
