691

 [Chapter 177]

[The Period of Reconstruction (3)]

Han Seohyun was thoroughly upset.

Even Eunha had never experienced her being this upset before.

"Seohyun, you know."

"Clan Lord, I believe I asked you to treat me as the Administrative Officer within the clan headquarters. Yes, so what business do you have? If it's for personal matters, that should be after work is finished..."

"When does work finish?"

"Since the Clan Lord has started so many projects, it seems it won't end for several days."

In summary, don't bother me for several days.

Eunha had to leave Han Seohyun's office with a groan.

Such things kept happening.

The clan members' reactions were so cold that Eunha felt like he was sitting on pins and needles in the clan headquarters.

As a result, Eunha's recent refuge was Byuk Haesoo's workshop next to the clan headquarters.

He also had some business with Byuk Haesoo.

"─You seem to have gained some weight recently?"

"I've been eating really well lately..."

"Well... If you eat like that, of course you would. But just endure a little more. The clan members will probably forgive you soon."

"The clan members are fine now. The problem is our Administrative Officer."

"That's why you should have done better."

"Ugh..."

Byuk Haesoo clicked his tongue.

Eunha couldn't answer.

Soon Eunha changed the subject.

"So how's mine coming along? Isn't it about time it should be made?"

"Hey, yours is still far off. I'm busy making artifacts for the clan members."

Byuk Haesoo sat across from him.

He wiped his sweat with a cloth that could have been a towel or a rag.

Then he reached for a nearby shelf and put a box in front of Eunha.

The box was full of accessories.

"Here."

"What's this?"

"The Eulji grade artifact you obtained. I'm thinking of making it into one of the accessories in there. Take a look and see if there's a color you want."

"The Sangwonsa Bronze Bell is so big, but you're going to make it into a ring or necklace? Is that possible?"

Eunha's eyes widened.

In his previous life, On Taeyeong made the Armor of Restoration with the Sangwonsa Bronze Bell, an Eulji grade artifact material.

Because the bell was so large, he had no choice but to make armor to cover its power.

But now he's saying he'll make an artifact into a necklace much smaller than that.

Eunha couldn't help but wonder.

"You, what do you take me for?"

"The exclusive Maestro of Pandora Clan. Known for your skills."

"Yeah, do you think I, known for my skills, can't put the power contained in the bell into a necklace?"

"..."

"It's a matter of removing impurities and imbuing only the necessary parts into the necklace. It's quite labor-intensive, but possible. Considering your fighting style, a necklace would be better than armor, right? Or do you prefer armor?"

"No, I'd prefer a necklace if possible."

Byuk Haesoo pounded his chest.

Eunha understood after hearing his words.

It didn't seem necessary to wear heavy armor.

"How long will the work take?"

"After the clan members' artifacts are finished."

"I'm the Clan Lord, can't you do mine first?"

"Shouldn't we take care of the clan members who are working their butts off pioneering unidentified dungeons these days?"

"That's true."

Eunha nodded.

It was disappointing, but it couldn't be helped.

Anyway, he was in a situation where he was just helping with reconstruction work these days.

He didn't need an artifact yet.

By the way, there are rings too...

Then Eunha took out a few rings from the box.

Eunha examined the rings this way and that.

Come to think of it, we did engagement rings, but we didn't make wedding rings.

Such a thought occurred to him belatedly.

Thinking about it, Eunha hadn't made any preparations, assuming the wedding would be pushed back.

That must be why Han Seohyun got angry.

Having thought that far, Eunha suddenly opened his mouth.

"─Hyung, make just one ring for me."

"What? What ring? As an artifact?"

"No, for a gift... for a proposal. So beautiful that it'll move the recipient when they receive it."

"Don't tell me you haven't even proposed yet?"

"..."

"No wonder my first sister-in-law is angry. I have a backlog of work, but... Alright, your brother will help you wholeheartedly since you're in a tight spot."

☆

Focused on preventing the calamity.

He couldn't pay attention to Han Seohyun.

Even when she brought up getting married in May─.

'─May? Hmm...'

'Why? Don't you like it?'

'No. Let's do that then.'

Eunha didn't think much about it.

He couldn't tell her that they wouldn't be able to get married in May because a calamity would happen to her.

Eunha just thought to let the situation flow as it would.

So he didn't think about how much meaning Han Seohyun was placing on May and.

Thinking the wedding would be postponed anyway, he didn't prepare properly and just pushed it to the back of his mind.

Yes, I was too much.

I was so focused on changing the future that I couldn't look around at the present.

Seohyun might not have shown it, but she's human too, so she must have felt hurt inside.

Nevertheless, Han Seohyun didn't complain and assisted him wholeheartedly from her position as Administrative Officer.

And he had been taking that for granted.

Foolishly, Eunha only realized when she finally stopped paying attention to him.

Eunha regretted it greatly and.

Belatedly decided to convey his grateful feelings to her.

Even so, Eunha couldn't figure out how to improve her mood.

I don't know what to do in this situation.

It was a problem even a regressor couldn't know.

So Eunha asked his mother for advice.

His mother said─.

"─Of course. What did mom tell you? I told you to be considerate of Seohyun and pay attention to her, didn't I?"

"Seohyun didn't show it, so I ended up being negligent..."

"Seohyun deliberately didn't say anything because she didn't want to bother you. But Eunha, how could you not even propose properly... Mom thought you two had already finished that."

"I thought it was fine since we exchanged words about getting married..."

"Who did our son take after to be so dense in this area? Even your dad wasn't this dense..."

"..."

"Eunha."

"Yes, mom."

"Do you think you can obtain your spouse's life with just one word about getting married? Is a spouse's life obtained with just one word so light?"

"..."

"Go to Seohyun and tell her properly. Don't try to get by with just words, prepare sincerely and appeal to her enough to make Seohyun want to entrust her life to you. Don't try to persuade, appeal with your heart."

"...How should I do it? Specifically."

"Eunha."

"Yes, mom."

"Mom is suddenly feeling skeptical. I'm wondering if I raised you so wrong. Was our son such a fool?"

"..."

"Sigh... I'll tell you how dad proposed to me."

Eunha deeply took in his mother's advice mixed with sighs.

It was truly unfamiliar advice for a regressor who had only lived a life of fighting alone without looking around, worrying those around him.

"─Yeah, thank you. Mom."

"Treat Seohyun well. How long do you think I can take care of you?"

"Yeah... I love you."

"...Alright. You should say that to Seohyun and Hayang too. Understood?"

"Yeah."

I'm not sure about the emotion called love.

But I couldn't think of appropriate words to express this gratitude.

"Thank you" felt too light.

"I'm grateful" felt lacking.

"I like you" wasn't enough.

So "I love you".

After much deliberation, Eunha found an appropriate answer.

Words that even he felt embarrassed to say moved Eunha.

☆

She wasn't particularly angry.

Even the anger that had risen subsided when Eunha safely returned to the clan headquarters.

Nevertheless, the reason Han Seohyun treated Eunha coldly for two days was─.

─Come to think of it, you and I were just in a relationship formed by political strategy.

Because she recalled her position.

Before becoming the Administrative Officer of Pandora Clan.

What had she said to Eunha?

Hadn't she said she had no feelings for Eunha, so she wouldn't interfere with his love life as much as possible?

Furthermore, hadn't she said she would work for the clan as an Administrative Officer?

He treated me as I wanted, so I was unknowingly becoming too greedy.

So it's not that I treated him coldly, but I just drew the line that should be kept between a Clan Lord and Administrative Officer.

She decided to be satisfied just being Eunha's first.

She had no intention of capturing Eunha's heart beyond that.

It's too much greed.

Even so─.

─It's a little lonely.

Somewhere in her heart felt lonely and desolate.

Even though this relationship is actually appropriate.

Deep down, I end up wanting many things.

Like unknowingly attaching meaning to a May wedding.

Foolishly, I ended up dreaming it would be the most splendid moment of my life.

But Eunha didn't pay much attention to such things.

Unlike her, Eunha was truly thoroughly thinking of marriage as just a period to officially recognize their strategic relationship.

I've become soft without realizing it.

I should have been like Eunha...

It's all because of the spring air.

My heart has become unsettled because of the flowers that bloomed even in the midst of destruction.

Han Seohyun decided to immerse herself in paperwork to forget about it.

She decided to stay alone in the office and work even though official work hours were already over.

Such a daily routine had been continuing for some time now.

"─Huh?"

It was then.

She heard a sound.

She raised her head.

Knock knock

The sound of someone knocking on the glass window.

Han Seohyun turned her gaze towards the sound from the window.

What she discovered then was─.

"─Buldak?"

"Bibi bibi papa papa pupu pu!"

It was Noh Eunha's phantasmal beast.

Han Seohyun, who stood up from her seat, walked towards Buldak knocking on the window.

"Papa!"

"..."

As if asking her to open the door quickly.

Buldak whined.

Han Seohyun, drawn by Buldak's cuteness, unconsciously opened the window.

"Papa!"

"Come here."

Then Buldak, who came inside.

Han Seohyun held out her hand.

Buldak sat on her palm with a plop.

Han Seohyun smiled faintly.

"Where did your owner go and why are you here? Hm?"

She had been feeling lonely just then.

She wanted to talk to someone.

She welcomed Buldak.

Then she discovered Buldak was wearing cards around its neck.

"What's this?"

"Papa!"

"..."

Palm-sized cards.

Buldak was wearing several cards around its neck.

Han Seohyun turned over the back of a card.

Message

was written.

"Please forgive me just once."

"Ha..."

It was obvious who wrote it.

It seemed to be Noh Eunha's strategy.

A strategy to break down her guard with Buldak and ask for forgiveness.

Han Seohyun snorted.

Unfortunately, she had already forgiven him long ago.

She was just taking time to find the line in dealing with Eunha for a while.

"..."

So Noh Eunha was just making unnecessary effort now.

Nevertheless, she couldn't calm her wavering heart upon actually seeing the cards.

It was unlike Noh Eunha.

She felt doubtful and.

Feeling her heart warming up somewhere, she continued turning over the cards.

"I'm sorry for only causing worry."

"And thank you for worrying about me."

"..."

"I feel reassured because you're by my side."

"So I can trust and rely on you."

Such an un-Noh Eunha-like thing to do.

Yet Han Seohyun's lips were involuntarily forming a smile.

With each card she turned over, she felt an emotion like her heart was pounding.

"I'm really glad I met you."

"─That's why I told you. To treat me well..."

Kick.

Han Seohyun let out a soft laugh.

She turned over the last card.

And paused.

"I'm outside the door right now."

Thump thump.

Han Seohyun turned her head abruptly.

He's outside the office door.

No─.

─Knock knock

He's beyond the secret door.

Han Seohyun turned her head again and looked at the door only she and Noh Eunha knew about.

"─Can I come in?"

"..."

After making it.

A door they had never used until now because they were so busy working.

She stared at the door for a long time.

Then, suppressing her pounding heart, she opened her mouth.

"─Yes, come in."