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Chapter 08
The Shop Is Being Sold
Without a word, Seo-yi’s mother, who had been watching his expression, had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position in a corner of the room. Seo-yi covered her with a blanket, then suddenly remembered the beans he had left over the fire and rushed outside.
Fortunately, the fire hadn’t been too strong, and the beans were properly cooked. They were far softer and more evenly done than when he usually had to sit by the pot the entire time, worrying they might burn and constantly stirring them.
“So what does it matter now!”
Everything felt meaningless. No matter how hard he tried, it felt as if fate itself existed only to drag him down into ruin. Seo-yi no longer wanted to do anything. Meanwhile, time passed indifferently, and the eastern sky began to brighten faintly.
It was the usual hour—when he would wake early, prepare dough for snacks, and steam rice flour for rice cakes. But Seo-yi sat blankly in front of a pot full of beans.
“Huh? Young master, why are you sitting there like that?”
Yunnyeon, who had come out early, greeted him upon seeing Seo-yi. Meeting the bright, innocent eyes of the child who knew nothing of the world, Seo-yi slowly stood up.
If he gave up here, what would happen to Sam-deuk and Yunnyeon? Though diligent and sincere, they would likely be able to survive elsewhere, but hardship would be unavoidable. Of course, even now he could not bring himself to say he was properly taking good care of them.
Seo-yi patted Yunnyeon’s head and asked,
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“I had nurungji porridge. Hehe. What kind of snacks are you going to make today?”
Yunnyeon, who had just said she was full, swallowed saliva while looking at the well-cooked beans.
“Shall I make cloud rice cakes today?”
“Huh?”
Yunnyeon’s eyes widened. The rice cakes the young master made were always delicious, but the wording felt strange. Not “shall I try making them,” but “shall I make them for you.”
“We’ve got a lot of beans, so maybe I should make mushiru rice cakes too, and songpyeon as well?”
“Wow! That sounds delicious!”
The child’s face lit up brightly. It weighed on him that he had only ever asked the child to run errands and had never once let her freely eat as many snacks as she wanted. Once he sold the shop and paid off his brother’s debts, he likely wouldn’t even be able to give Yunnyeon a broken piece of yakgwa for a while. If that was the case, then perhaps it would be fine to make delicious rice cakes and snacks one last time and share them with those he had been grateful to.
A faint smile appeared on Seo-yi’s face.
A savory scent of steaming rice cakes spread through the marketplace alley. Passersby glanced repeatedly at Seo-yi’s shop as they walked past. The shop that usually opened earliest in the alley had, unusually, not opened at all.
And yet such an appetizing smell! Even the merchants were determined that once the shop opened, they would rush in and buy at least a piece of rice cake, but the shop door remained shut, releasing only its fragrance.
Hoyeon appeared when people, unable to resist the smell, began forming a line in front of the shop.
A line of people waiting in front of a tightly shut shop door! Their statuses were all different—some were nobles in gat hats, others looked like servants sent on errands—but all of them waited in order without complaint, staring at the door. Seeing this, Hoyeon suppressed a dry laugh.
After watching the increasingly long line, he decided it was pointless and quickly joined it. But the door did not open for quite some time.
“Strange. It should’ve opened by now.”
“Exactly. By this time, most of the snacks would’ve already sold out!”
“Could the young master be ill?”
“Don’t say such ominous things! Can’t you smell it? The savory scent of rice cakes fills the alley—how could he be sick?”
As minor quarrels broke out in front of the shop, the wooden door finally opened with a loud creak.
People who had expected the usual greeting of “Welcome!” froze at Seo-yi’s unusual demeanor.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Instead, I will not charge you for today’s food and will give you the snacks for free. Thank you for supporting Iseodang until now.”
Looking at Seo-yi’s eyes, clearly swollen from crying, people murmured among themselves.
“Excuse me, shopkeeper. Is something wrong?”
Someone called out loudly. Seo-yi gave a faint smile. His eyes looked as if tears might fall at any moment, and his forced smile only made him seem more pitiful.
“I have some circumstances, so I will be selling the shop. Today, I wanted to express my gratitude to all of you who have visited until now, so I prepared rice cakes and snacks. Please enjoy them, but do keep your place in line.”
Finishing his words, Seo-yi began handing out pre-packed rice cakes and snacks one by one.
Upon hearing that the shop was being sold, Hoyeon’s fist clenched and unclenched. He wanted to rush out and ask what had happened, but there were too many people. More than half of the bad rumors about him were ones he himself had essentially created to trouble his father, Seok-cheol, but because of those rumors, he could not approach Seo-yi now. Doing so might drag Seo-yi into strange rumors and cause him trouble.
For example, that he was the new lover of the infamous pervert Kwon Hoyeon.
Hoyeon was neither a man of such inclinations nor anything of the sort, but when it came to Seo-yi, he found himself oddly uncertain.
How should he describe the feeling he had the moment he saw that pale, straight forehead, that firm nose, those transparent eyes? Even he could not yet understand it, and that uncertainty left him somewhat confused. And the possibility that he might never see Seo-yi again only added to his agitation.
It was not as if they were even acquaintances, so how had things come to this? Hoyeon felt irritated at not being able to see him, and at the same time strangely unsettled.
Meanwhile, the line gradually shortened until it was finally his turn.
Recognizing him, Seo-yi gave an awkward smile and handed him a wrapped bundle of rice cakes and snacks. Then, slipping a small pouch toward him, he spoke in a low voice.
“I will return the money I received yesterday. I did not expect things to turn out like this. I apologize.”
Hoyeon’s expression stiffened as he accepted both the money pouch and the wrapped food. He felt that once he took them, he would never see Seo-yi again.
The taste of the snack he had eaten yesterday was better than anything he had ever tasted before. So the snacks were one thing, but the money he had given Seo-yi meant nothing to him either way.
“Is it a money problem?”
Seo-yi’s hands paused mid-movement. As expected, it was a money problem. Most things in the world were money problems, and even his father Kwon Seok-cheol’s wrongdoing ultimately stemmed from money.
“How much do you need?”
At his words, Seo-yi’s eyebrows twitched. Only after speaking did Hoyeon realize how strange his words must have sounded.
A man he had met only once, the owner of a snack shop.
And that customer was the notorious rogue, the disgraceful Kwon Hoyeon. From Seo-yi’s perspective, anything he said might not be taken as sincere goodwill.
Hoyeon hurriedly continued,
“No, I mean—I’m saying this money means nothing to me. If you need it, I could lend it….”
“I appreciate your words, but it’s alright.”
The calm voice carried a strange firmness. Worried that Seo-yi might be rejecting him because he disapproved of his rumored preferences, he studied his expression, but there was no such sign. His clear eyes were still moist and sad, but nothing more.
Whether to feel relieved or frustrated, Hoyeon could not tell.
If it had been rejection, he could simply never come back—but the refined young shopkeeper was only acting with proper courtesy and dignity.
“…I understand.”
Hoyeon stepped back with a gentle smile. He had to let the people in line move forward; otherwise, more unpleasant rumors might spread. His already poor reputation did not need further damage.
Not that he particularly cared about such rumors—but he did not want the well-mannered young man to be entangled in them.
He turned away without hesitation and disappeared into the alley.
He made sure to memorize the location of Seo-yi’s shop.
The broker’s shop at the entrance of the marketplace alley had no signboard, making it easy to miss unless one looked carefully. The worn wooden door and scuffed threshold showed the owner’s neglectful nature.
Almost tripping over the uneven threshold, Hoyeon steadied himself and frowned at the dim, filthy interior.
“Whether this is a shop or a ruin…”
Clicking his tongue, he narrowed his eyes to scan the room. His vision was poor in the sudden darkness.
“What brings you here?”
A dark figure in the corner slowly stirred. The shopkeeper, who seemed to have been dozing, rubbed his tangled hair and staggered forward.
Hoyeon covered his face with a folding fan and spoke after clearing his throat.
“I have something to ask.”
“Oh! Welcome, welcome.”
The man, who had been scrutinizing Hoyeon, quickly recognized him and bowed repeatedly.
“So what kind of item are you looking for? Lord of the Ministry of Justice, you recently purchased farmland beyond the river….”
At his remark, Hoyeon’s expression stiffened momentarily. Seok-cheol was obsessively gathering money and acquiring land, as if possessed. And when he had time left over, he dug into the affairs of corrupt people to seize their wealth—and when there was still time, he chased after women.
Seeing Hoyeon’s expression darken, the man quickly became even more obsequious.
“Oh no, I spoke out of turn. This mouth is a real troublemaker. Please, have a seat here. I will bring you some warm tea.”
“No need. Forget all that. Is there a shop called Iseodang in the marketplace alley?”
The man’s eyes flickered.
“You are interested in that shop?”
“Yes. No matter the price, I will buy that shop.”
