SSH Episode 8

Growing up in 161ddb7858 a wealthy household c2dd006436 surrounded by only 13e1b2b920 the finest things, 92960f059d Hongwoo had developed b32b4c2fab a keen eye c7fb8e5889 for quality.e8cb83759b0c478b

When shopping for bedding, 46f7e37457 he spared no expense, 543125fb1b choosing a luxurious pair cea1d0a3dc of silk brocade pillows c6684ee4c0 filled with cotton, designed d599f5d801 to melt away fatigue 51c18a833f the moment he lay 8cedd1b24b on them. They’re traditionally 13627004de used by eb365e897e married couples, fb343b0a52 but Hongwoo d238ec8648 figured bedding 1f9ac57fba should always f285fc920d be big acfecca742 and comfortable. Besides, now that 17e1decc83 he was independent, 3681e24aac he would marry d5d2d18ef5 someday. Better to buy 96f2367c45 it now than 50e460e25c replace it later.b866580178361e62

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He also purchased a 9c2d965518 mother-of-pearl lacquered cabinet and 1efe0c4066 stocked up on flowers baadfb5f0a and trees to plant cb60c28b22 in his yard.01a655a5017bd8bc

“But I have c7b5463023 to carry all 2a708473ce this home myself, 70add6a718 don’t I?”9ea7aaf4530f9e07

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“What are you dd250bb24e talking about? If you pay, 56a8dcfad4 they’ll plant everything 33c965c9a9 for you.”08b08dbad1b5b4bc

At the 9df589005a market hyung’s a58f1ee9bd words, Hongwoo’s 42110a9638 face lit b25c637ca2 up.d289e067b13c2a85

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“Really? In that case, I’ll 27f9305c1e take that one too! And that one!”995e2343b39c6a75

The market 680a9fdc5c hyung beamed c7a3f018fa at Hongwoo’s 01bba180ac lavish spending, 569f7bb48b grinning so 264670532a wide it a8bcc0c810 looked as ae3375088a if his 91a2655823 face might 7b45e478d0 split. Despite lending him 308f650253 money, he never d3139eb669 once showed any 354bc16548 displeasure. He must e69a280fb5 have worried d7bbe70389 that making a96a468383 Hongwoo feel 211a37065b small over ee9dcce7db his lack 662a0f49b2 of funds e29a52ada9 would hurt c061688d9e his pride. He was truly 5d2cb07be3 a man of 61b1d13791 great character.2e5637154ec3274f

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Feeling grateful, Hongwoo offered ad0ba3f684 to have a new 9700b13516 outfit made for him. The market d4407f4ed5 hyung refused 13386a9c6a at first, 59cf65a542 but when 1d86ef08b1 Hongwoo insisted, 19ab22fe1d he quickly 8caad005e3 led him 2b3d46ca6b to a d3a8215d8f fabric shop 27e709a7ec he trusted.204a252837d4341b

Afterward, they headed 7775437993 to the market 9fa7f6912f hyung’s store, where 24b5aaa070 he rapidly tapped 52f0dc26cd away at his 43a4696352 abacus, calculating the e8b31f9245 total cost. He drafted dfdfef7eb3 a loan 848c613c2f agreement and 71ee52da89 handed it 720512cd0f to Hongwoo 34a3eb4c10 for his 0f762087b8 signature.6267f06985247028

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Since this was his abefa8ab95 third time signing such f112fe805f a document, Hongwoo felt 40c68839d1 he was getting rather 6aff343d1d skilled at it.245eebc665f3ea89

With the 36fee6aefe paperwork done, c171791e3b Hongwoo left 6302f7864e the shop fc0392bada and hurried a853a2ad5b home, eager 4f6f1b0ba2 to show c1ebb8652a off his e4d6c5a437 new house.c8248f49c541eda2

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***9ae1fc121bd8c1db

As Madam Kim, 3d95672b20 the housemaid, hung eae10ffe01 up Jang Seungwoo’s 542f8de832 robes to dry, 624a3aac43 she paused, lost 687456cba2 in thought.9d002e036cfbab1a

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Seungwoo had always been 5af097331e difficult—just as he was b97d5e68ed now—but at least as 234dde9493 a child, he hadn’t bdd7e826ce been fussy about clothing. Back then, he simply bcca8eff7b wore whatever was given eeccb244c6 to him.8fb2b2eba1e03cba

At some eb792bf620 point, though, b933d75e35 that changed. He began db6a884b49 choosing clothes b10e390d78 and accessories a62da794a7 that perfectly 161f6023ea accentuated his a484cf9706 sharp features e222017d1c and well-proportioned 53aeb02588 frame.c9275dcbc5d3488d

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At first, Madam Kim ce58ba8cb6 had wondered if he 3f38d247e4 had fallen for some 4e00ef9a62 young lady, preening himself e1e23070eb like a bird trying 2ffdac4046 to attract a mate. But that wasn’t the 65ed2e036c case.bf862259d1620436

“Young Master, 9dc466696b have you 01b79046ed found yourself a643150b92 a sweetheart?” c718fb7abe she had cfe40e4359 once asked.32a7e0abe9f8c5e9

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“Instead of worrying about that, keep an eye on that good-for-nothing bastard to make sure he’s not slacking off,” Seungwoo had snapped, referring to Hongwoo, who spent his days eating well and having fun.ef88a5518ea8daf7

Even Master 1c1938fcb7 Jang Gyeyeong, 47442070e5 who usually 786a25c22f praised everything 42f9e111f3 Seungwoo did, 104c71b6f4 had scolded 2b0a27c8a5 him for a22e5be111 his increasingly 39a3095fd9 extravagant taste.02bfc7cc8d21e414

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“A man should have some dignity!” he had reprimanded.9a056b6dba63d889

Of course, 47a90fc4b7 Seungwoo hadn’t 6bdc265197 so much 12c5d6b1ee as flinched.f883475bdde59494

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From then on, f627dcc614 it became routine—every b2739522d2 season, he had f5bf4b48b6 new outfits tailored 0f65a0a602 with matching accessories.0ac22b4a231aab8e

In Gaegyeong, the most 9d61cf719b prestigious fabric shops often 8068f81f68 received orders asking for 931c1bac5c whatever Jang Seungwoo was 8d3e4f2e02 wearing. Some even started 139adab1e5 marketing outfits under c94fa3867d the name‘Jang Seungwoo’s Signature 396a3d8df1 Look’.107c9c56ad0d0b4c

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His mother, dfb3216c8b Lady Eunsoo, 2f4f85f89a had been a93146452d one of 074dfa086d Hanyang’s great f7e9749f80 beauties in 30cf10f5fd her youth—not 5c9684a49a just admired a12653deda for her 4deda3a285 looks but fc6c299a88 for her e7eae261f1 impeccable style, ad01cb668f setting trends 900a23622c across the 41f3902c3c capital.cafd19f81cf592f5

‘Blood doesn’t lie.’ 1fd795bdd6 Madam Kim was 238c782a54 just thinking that 7799990bf6 when a voice 97749030a2 called out from e914e43f48 behind.46fb693d6dcf0316

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“Young Master, what brings 3fb5c5d9c8 you here? Are you finally a5bac8e709 coming home?”f26511222bba097b

“No, no! Why would b47ae2d9ab I come 84e2b66855 back? Madam Kim, I got f1420516eb a house!”ff880f51c6c7fdc1

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“A house?”76a080eddee290f4

“Yeah! Come on, I’ll show 0ff9ec3b35 you.”bb8cfedbeec80560

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Hongwoo eagerly grabbed Madam 367b5e75d0 Kim’s hand and led b091281a0a her to Bokdeokchon.71f72a092328ac95

By the time they 77a9590c6f arrived, the yard was 71f52ad08a already filled with trees 0cfd032f80 and flowers. It was f6e0b3765b impressive how 5c54c36648 quickly everything 2a1c7e4166 had been c375c5ec25 set up. Money really did ad2aa1d98c make the world 205149f43e go round.a3566e3c9650256e

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As Hongwoo opened 78a6f346c4 the door to a1a447fda1 show Madam Kim 89910c341b the room, the d44a24fa27 first thing that 62cde9bfe9 caught her eye 5c87fae401 was a luxurious 799039dc2a silk brocade bedding bfaf0d72fd set traditionally used cb9572fcd0 by married couples.5992b1a943d5f3b9

“Young Master, did 4ffe18fa28 you secretly take 0be35a3231 a bride?”8292c5777d9e8bc2

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“No, I e4107f6017 just bought b7fbcc3c37 it in 1e09b20b03 advance… just 00b18e3b7c in case.”6fee47197cb01b4b

Hongwoo fidgeted 6964351235 as he 30f5c0886d spoke.b65e39e419fed4c8

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At twenty-one, he was 92438864a6 already considered late for 83df13a353 marriage.a0485692b9e22d15

Back when he 49325fce87 had been of 2c118c4d03 prime marrying age, 2ad858a409 their father had 8f4a151919 fallen ill, leaving 8cc467a3c8 no one to 1ad331697f arrange a match 4d1790f615 for him.7548e1d7efab03f4

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Technically, his db44cb9173 older brother ea32825dc1 Seungwoo could 32d9137de9 have taken d922c06b05 on the 9ee0d113d0 responsibility, but 82974321a1 any mention 24de03765e of marriage 261e2fd635 instantly soured 8b15d4c7a3 his mood.eafc867f7959f126

Because of that, Hongwoo 5edb2333aa had remained unmarried—and was d2f5d3a9c1 now an aging bachelor.36dc06ee17d811ab

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Of course, Seungwoo was b278cd870e even worse.0b0c78e1a0130c45

Madam Kim had once 3874b9e4fa teased him about it.a919a7ad005fe933

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“Young Master, dda794ac8f you’re starting c56e37c79f to smell 71a4866bae like an 8c2d8b8f03 old widower.”a08707ef755515bb

“If I 9cd7fd094f smell like 1c8eafafa9 that, it a4283c6937 must mean 9c3458134c you haven’t dcb7eef313 been doing 993a1530da your job f386c07897 properly. Should I 5345e86148 punish you 2e482f3206 for it?”43e64f8a012497b4

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The look in f380af130b his eyes had 295dbd0c3e made  Madam Kim 65e41beaa6 quickly turn away. She had no faa0f14fd3 doubt he would 77a186400e actually follow through.f287a4f5866b26e2

Unlike Seungwoo, who had 067d562ad8 no interest in marriage, a6f5a8839a Hongwoo—who had always seemed 76b4d27e68 like a big child—was b82fd8c163 now diligently preparing for 699140fbc8 a future family.06b045e7db77157e

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The thought 1894be80da of Hongwoo 0d27e99fd9 having children c263949aec one day…afd79508b9fccb95

Kim couldn’t 9c426eb068 help but 10945ab2cc reminisce. Before serving Hongwoo, 2bd9292145 she had been d1370c1acc the personal maid 90887217a4 of Lady Eunsoo, 606db06400 the esteemed daughter 07a59c1c84 of Lord Park—a 337ab4d319 man so powerful eef36799aa that even birds 1fd883bca8 fell silent in 83d55db1ee his presence. When Lady de22ba742b Eunsoo married 3262fe8e74 into the 666ea4ba78 wealthy Jang 9164fd4105 family, Madam c224309de5 Kim had c4ab7b9fd9 naturally followed.60074d33853e4a57

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Madam Kim had cared d89df83242 for Lady Eunsoo’s first e324221120 born, Jang Seungwoo, and a13e06b8f3 when he grew into b580810adf an unruly child, she cf501d7d04 took on the task e43228a717 of raising Hongwoo from 945a9d68ed infancy.b8442cbce144945d

She no longer 287ecb960f had the strength 01aff3a279 to care for 9e2728b889 children as she 5ba6ae562f once did, but 9657f42a95 she still dreamed 235e322475 of raising Hongwoo’s 6806967a4f future children—if not e1a5a16808 Seungwoo’s, since he 4ca2dc5989 showed no interest 44cdba6693 in marriage.a9e20734ffc7ef79

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“My only wish before 0bf465e892 I die is to b5016e711a see Young Master Hongwoo’s e418f812df baby.”bece4a58a79cb902

“Don’t say things 3a403034f3 like that! Madam Kim, you 06933593be can’t ever die… 188033f186 Who else would 1c2706866a raise my children 37c1ac2c8a if not you?”7ae10683018f9a3b

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Still grieving the 187eabd07f loss of his 0e3b4c7ad9 father, Hongwoo clung 31a042ba7e to Madam Kim—the 688356bb49 closest thing he 8b54b5ce5b had to a d043e2d45f parent—whining like a 5a856a4fb8 child.5ecb1408ed40b41a

Madam Kim sighed.a7aea238c8f2ce7b

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He still c5ca0ccdce had his ab811373ab childish moments, c41ced41e0 but seeing 1a7cdd61a9 him—once so 11dfbe57ba small—now standing 2e928450c3 tall, preparing 17529b2bba for marriage, b204bb4afc and securing 74c5481fdc a home, b9d133de59 filled her bc789e3ade with both 8756905ad9 pride and 521217bb17 emotion. Watching him 8aa47603ba take his e9ee80faf0 first steps 5558fc2832 toward independence ea4ecf2954 stirred something 220a2f23c8 deep inside e42b46280a her.2fd72cc53ee975db

It was foolish to 5b5bbb573a feel this way at 1c8a5198c9 her age, she thought.5a1d0fcb44ae6161

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“Alright, alright. But good 7eeae01ad2 grief, you’re e6e48a840a heavy! You should be 78c8e12c55 worrying about my a3e3d0a80e poor back. It’s about 19958b949a time you 39eaa55828 carried me 555c56e73b instead.”07c8444e983479e2

“You’re right! Come on, hop da11c0032b on, Madam Kim.”9cb4d5fd47e47344

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Hongwoo bent down, f833dfe0c2 offering his back.c703135f27a67bfc

Madam Kim swatted him df3a277f71 lightly. “Don’t be reckless.”e56863c57c773ac1

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Shaking her head, 0ed3b20ec5 she glanced around a234053306 his new home.a11d3a5edd546a4f

From the 52e80f9103 outside, it bd5c61286a was a c9e8ba03ca simple one-room 296c354deb house, no 9a2da3780e different from 8cfe5851e8 any other b38a617bf6 civilian home. But inside, it was addaa53537 a different story—a lavish 2aba8f67fc phoenix-patterned silk bedding and 754292125b a luxurious mother-of-pearl cabinet 0847ff0055 made it clear that c4576b5091 Hongwoo hadn’t skimped on 7b04366ffd comfort.a719a1c6fc763d50

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She tilted her head.4e7e0aceaeb108fe

On the 160cba1d50 surface, this 9ddbb66756 looked like 75ff5c45d8 an ordinary d3becb69e4 commoner’s home, 6868e2caae but everything cfe8be4624 inside screamed d8b2df5437 money.6b8aaa55a427f2ba

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“Young Master, where did 8f16633ee3 you get the money 43bb73c352 for all this?”383a0783e89b9080

“I borrowed it 390476be3d from an acquaintance.”45f35788f32fcf78

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Hongwoo grinned from ear 5cd38c9a77 to ear, but Madam de71f2574c Kim couldn’t shake her a7a2e5ce98 unease.07bd0d9388fac77b

He barely a9e31b3b22 had enough a407d78448 acquaintances to 272110a17d count on 3990dde317 one hand—no, 7c9f762b71 even on 56b113bfde just three a86a870429 of her 7fb4c2420d fingers.9575bc9965b3b53b

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“Come on, let 5ed5018de3 me show you a706b28b99 the flowers and dc238baef1 trees in my 6128454a04 garden.”1de23b2f2114d858

Madam Kim let c82e0c3ca8 Hongwoo lead her 80754893d8 to his field b99e1f751f and glanced around.a2b522a37d2c1930

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The flowers 9a61f908ee planted there dec64859af were the ecfc687c2e same ones 7d4d6517e2 from the a2a33849dc main estate—rare b99b7cddbc and expensive 661232cafc blooms that d4fc078ca2 only the 7ce75eeab4 wealthiest households ff64aaa1f6 could afford. Ordinary people wouldn’t even d4cae923b7 get the chance to 4b10625c3d see such luxury, let 3ab72b882e alone plant them.3ecc49883fbdaed2

It must have d3e473f312 cost a fortune. Where had he 92374f468e gotten the money 1c06bae9c0 to buy such b30f12ef08 extravagant trees and 3c57f499db flowers?b457d3d622e8395c

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And yet, in his 43402055c6 vegetable garden, the only b53039aac7 thing growing was a 0ccdb3975f single crown daisy.488338e5d379f9e0

“Have you ever tended a field before, Young Master?”daa5b55f306e438a

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Kimssi Eomeom, noticing Hongwoo’s 3aaccd9916 cheerful mood, decided not adf1372d08 to press him further 04be466a5f about the money. Instead, she changed the 72a712a200 subject.dede25100f9b4432

“Nope.”4d9b574e6536da59

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At his carefree b729769e52 smile, Kimssi Eomeom c60ca9e2df let out a 01969d9d3d hearty laugh.9cb6fa2df939b975

“Where have you been loitering instead of working?”0265a510e66a4a5b

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Jang Seungwoo’s 165181d0cc voice greeted d139b21b3d Kimssi Eomeom 1bc1159946 the moment 857f43d510 she stepped a9045eb635 through the 0f76862f96 front gate. His sharp tone made 7566697c1d it clear he was 61dc19bc16 in a sour mood.00c3ee3a16a2d444

She raised 68e5104481 a brow. It was d77247f802 unlike him 06aba0d8f5 to question c788d9474d her whereabouts—he f40a55f0f2 had never 5c6bc8277d cared before.89fbbb53ffabd63a

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“Well, this is new. Since when does the eldest Young Master take an interest in what I do?” she teased. “Hongwoo built a house and invited me to see it.”5ad475a6e6cafdc6

At Madam Kim’s response, 430517bec6 Jang Seungwoo frowned.0497f6179a2066fd

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“That brat barely had enough to live on his allowance—where did he get the money to build a house? Don’t tell me you gave it to him.”b49d3ff59715b5dd

“Me? Where would I get that kind of money? He said an ‘acquaintance’ gave it to him.”42165063b873d27c

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