C Chapter 51

Chapter 51

 

‘Ever since Commander So’s wedding, it feels like there’s been strangely more paperwork.’

Jin Jin grumbled. The stack of documents, reaching up to his head with slight exaggeration, not only blocked his vision but was also heavy.

Unable to see ahead, Jin Jin staggered forward with difficulty. The hem of his robe swishing between his legs made his already challenging path even more difficult.

If anyone had seen him from behind, they would have burst out laughing at his duck-like waddle. But fortunately or unfortunately, there was no one in the corridor to laugh at Jin Jin’s state, and likewise, no one to help him with his burden.

Jin Jin pressed forward stubbornly like an ox. But who would have thought a rat would suddenly dart out at that moment? Unable to notice the rat’s appearance due to the blocked view, Jin Jin accidentally kicked it with his foot.

“Squeak!”

“Damn it! What the—?!”

With his leg tangled from kicking the rat, Jin Jin struggled not to fall. However, he ended up stepping on a protruding part of his robe and tumbled down with a loud crash.

“Ack!”

Thud, thud, thud….

The papers were scattered all over the wooden floor, producing a clear and resounding noise that echoed through the corridor. It wasn’t just loud—it was obnoxiously loud, like a bucket of beans spilling all at once.

“Ugh…. Damn it, that wretched mouse!”

Clutching his arched back like an old man, Jin Jin groaned as he slowly got up. He looked around with a completely reddened face, hoping nobody had witnessed the scene.

But his hopes were thoroughly shattered. His eyes met those of a soldier walking far down the corridor.

Despite his small build, the soldiers had prominent muscles, striking eyes, and tightly pressed lips. As he approached Jin Jin, he bent down to pick up the scattered documents.

Feeling embarrassed, Jin Jin cleared his throat. Like a weak dog barking the loudest, Jin Jin, in his embarrassment, put on even more airs.

“Ahem! Be careful not to crease those papers—they’re important documents meant for Commander So!”

Instead of mocking Jin Jin’s unnecessary bravado or getting angry, the soldier silently gathered the documents scattered in all directions. He was quite the quiet one.

The documents were neatly stacked on the wooden board, forming a mountain. Only after placing the last document that had rolled far down the corridor on the board did the soldier turn his large eyes toward Jin Jin.

“If you’re done picking them up, follow me! Ahem.”

Embarrassed by the soldier’s direct gaze, Jin Jin cleared his throat and avoided eye contact. The relatively large black eyes were unwavering and calm, giving off a heavy feeling. Despite him being just a soldier, Jin Jin couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes. He hurriedly turned his steps toward the Commander’s room.

But even after walking for a while, this fellow showed no signs of moving. Jin Jin urged the soldier.

“Come on, hurry up!”

Finally, the soldier moved, silently trailing behind Jin Jin toward the office.

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“Officer, it’s Jin Jin.”

“Ah, yes. Come in.”

At Dongbaek’s immediate permission, Jin Jin straightened his back and pushed out his nonexistent belly as if showing off.

‘Ahem, I’m close with Commander So, you see. We’re close enough that he lets me into his office right away.’

Though Jin Jin tried to show off his connection with Dongbaek to the soldier behind him, the soldier remained indifferent, maintaining his emotionless expression.

Rather, it was Dongbaek who was surprised.

She had expected only Jin Jin to enter, but here was a familiar face following behind. The prey she had been eyeing had walked right in. Her right eyebrow curved upward as she tried to suppress a smile.

Misinterpreting Dongbaek’s expression as anger over his use of a well-trained soldier as a porter, Jin Jin hastily offered an explanation.

“O-oh, we just happened to run into each other on the way here! He was only helping carry the papers, that’s all. Hehe… hehe.”

Though he came across as somewhat servile, it didn’t matter. What mattered most was staying in Dongbaek’s good graces—no matter how the soldier behind him might perceive him.

If he simply admitted that he had fallen and needed the soldier’s help, Dongbaek would surely understand. But admitting that would make him seem incompetent—something he deeply disliked.

‘I’d rather be misunderstood as a cruel superior who misuses subordinates…!’

Jin Jin hid his last bit of pretense within his servility. But Dongbaek, with her right eyebrow still raised, smirked and exposed Jin Jin’s carefully hidden pretense.

“You fell, didn’t you?”

“No! H-how did you know?”

Jin Jin stared at Dongbaek with wide eyes. Dongbaek chuckled softly.

“Look at your knees. Your clothes are torn and covered in dust.”

Jin Jin’s face instantly turned red. Unable to respond properly, Jin Jin’s stammering appearance was even more amusing than before.

“Hand over the documents.”

The soldier placed the stack of papers onto Dongbaek’s desk. She untied the string binding the topmost documents and, with a slight smile, asked Jin Jin,

“It looks like the soldier helped you. Did you thank him?”

“Of course! Um… thank you.”

Jin Jin hurriedly added, turning to the soldier. The soldier immediately bowed his head and replied.

“It was my duty.”

“Doing one’s duty is often harder than it seems.”

Dongbaek remarked nonchalantly as she grabbed her stamp to approve the urgent documents.

Dongbaek responded indifferently as she picked up her seal to approve only the urgent documents before returning them to Jin Jin. Her forearm, visible through her sleeve, was delicate. It was hard to believe she had beheaded a soldier with a single stroke.

The soldier, Yue Jin, was not one to make assumptions about people based on rumors, but stories about Dongbaek, a famous figure in Luoyang, naturally reached his ears whether he wanted to hear them or not.

He’s wise beyond his age. Though his appearance is delicate, he’s said to be cruel and colder than ice. If blood could freeze, his probably would….

But the So Dongbaek he saw in person smiled more than expected. At least at this moment, there wasn’t a trace of cruelty or coldness to be found.

Of course, he couldn’t deny that Commander So seemed mature for her age. The playful smile on her lips wasn’t the kind of childish grin typical of someone her age, but rather carried the composure of an elder teasing a child.

Dongbaek stamped the documents. Her manner of working was diligent yet somehow seemed casual, catching his attention. As Yue Jin unconsciously observed her, Dongbaek, who he thought was absorbed in the paperwork, suddenly addressed him.

“You’re Yue Jin, correct?”

Yue Jin was startled that Dongbaek knew his name. Moreover, he had been caught secretly watching her. Usually, he wouldn’t have felt embarrassed, but now his body froze completely.

However, he wasn’t one to let his posture slip. Being strict with himself, he straightened his head toward the ceiling and stood at attention.

“Yes, I am Yue Jin of the 7th Unit!”

His voice, weighty despite his small stature, resonated throughout the officer’s room. Seeing him like this, a smile naturally formed on Dongbaek’s lips.

‘Just looking at him gives me confidence.’

She had heard from the 7th Unit Captain that he was tight-lipped, and indeed, Yue Jin appeared to be a man of few words. That was another attractive quality in a subordinate. Though it might be frustrating at times until she got used to it, sometimes having such a silent companion was preferable to a chatty one. Dongbaek inwardly chuckled, thinking of Jao, who was unmatched in talkativeness.

However, her outward demeanor remained completely composed. While continuing to approve documents, she kept probing Yue Jin.

“Yes, I’ve heard much about you from the 7th Unit Captain. He said you were an excellent talent.”

“You’re too kind.”

“No, the Captain was right. He’s not one to speak carelessly.”

Her words seemed both interested and disinterested, formulaic yet meaningful. Yue Jin felt an inexplicable weight from the youth before him. But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

“Well, it seems I’ve kept a busy person too long. You may go now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Yue Jin immediately turned and left the officer’s room. Dongbaek deliberately didn’t watch him leave.

‘Ah, meeting him in person makes me want him even more.’

Dongbaek smiled, remembering Yue Jin’s clear, upright eyes. His tightly pressed lips that seemed almost rigid, and his solid presence despite his small stature. He definitely matched the Yue Jin from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

‘It’s a shame Cao Cao will lose such talent.’

But it couldn’t be helped. Cao Cao was a talent collector who had gathered all the capable people of that era. Most of the talents Dongbaek aimed to acquire were probably those who had served under Cao Cao in the original story.

Yue Jin was just the first of them.

‘Whatever. Finders keepers.’

Dongbaek immediately discarded any guilt she felt toward Cao Cao.

There was one thing even Dongbaek didn’t know, that Jin Jin, who was now watching her with shining eyes and complete devotion, was originally destined to be Liu Bei’s subordinate.

Jin Jin, courtesy name Xiaoqi, had served Liu Bei faithfully since his tenure as Governor of Jing Province. He later rose to the position of Commander—one of the Nine Ministers of Shu—responsible for managing important communications with Wu.

It was natural that Dongbaek, who didn’t have deep knowledge of the Three Kingdoms, wouldn’t know about Jin Jin’s existence.

This is how unpredictable life can be. Even Dongbaek’s path wouldn’t be easily determined according to her plans.

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