# 84
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“Jin-ha.”
When exploring a forest after rain, the moisture on the grass quickly soaked through his clothes. Even though he knew he’d be scolded for catching a cold, Jin-ha ran through the forest without a care. The strong scent of wet grass and the distinctive aroma of old trees refreshed his mind and lifted his spirits.
He crawled through the undergrowth, following a wild rabbit. Soil stained his knees, and cobwebs caught in his hair before falling away. The wild rabbit disappeared into a hole. Not knowing how deep the hole was, Jin-ha began to dig.
After a while, someone tapped his back. Jin-ha, annoyed, brushed the hand away, but when the calls persisted, he turned around irritably and discovered a familiar face.
“Riri…”
“Riri? Who’s that?”
Riyekan thrust his face close to Jin-ha’s. He was narrowing his eyes again. Jin-ha, still half-asleep, blinked drowsily and tried to recall the face of the boy from his dream, but Riyekan had already taken his place. Ah, of all things, to see that handsome face right after waking up…
Jin-ha reached out and used his thumb to smooth down Riyekan’s raised eyebrow. Hmm, that made him even more handsome.
“I asked, who’s Riri?”
“It’s the name of a friend I used to play with long ago…”
Probably. Jin-ha answered while trying to recall the hazy memory.
“How long ago?”
“Let me see… When I was about five?”
“Good. That’s just barely forgivable.”
Jin-ha chuckled, pushed Riyekan away, and got up. What a ridiculous joke. Being jealous of a childhood friend.
The reception room where he had been lying had already escaped its ruined state. Curtains had been hung on the walls to temporarily cover the broken walls, water stains, and mold spots, and furniture had been placed in what was once an empty space. A chandelier hung from the ceiling again. Magic flames filled the top, and crystals densely attached below reflected the light beautifully in all directions.
He had wondered why they were loading furniture onto the carriages, but it seemed they knew about the summer palace’s poor condition and had prepared accordingly.
“Master, Hunter Lee Jin-ha, the meal is ready.”
Surprisingly, the meal Legas had prepared was similar to the menu at the tower, with the addition of oysters, fish, and shrimp dishes. It was amazing how he had obtained these seafood items without stopping at any shops in the harbor and coming straight to the island, but it was equally impressive how he had managed to bring all those cooking ingredients, utensils, and tableware.
Furniture was one thing, apart from being heavy and difficult to move, but glass plates and pottery dishes were fragile, and cooking ingredients spoiled easily.
Jin-ha looked at Legas, who had gone to such lengths to prepare the meal, with slightly weary eyes before pulling the bowl of clam soup toward himself.
“Hunter Lee Jin-ha, I have something to ask, but I’m short on time. Could you answer while eating?”
Legas, who had removed his apron and hung it on the wagon, approached with a file. For Legas, who never interrupted his idol’s mealtime, to do this now meant it must be quite urgent.
Jin-ha put down his spoon and nodded while buttering a dinner roll.
“What’s your question?”
“I’d like your advice on how to repair this island.”
“Hmm… I don’t have much talent for aesthetics.”
It was true. That’s why everything in his home in Seoul was in neutral colors. At least it wouldn’t look messy if the colors weren’t chaotic. Cha Ki-young, who had come to deliver side dishes on Mrs. Cha’s behalf, had commented that his home “wasn’t messy, but it looked like no people, plants, or insects lived there.”
Seeing Jin-ha’s lack of confidence, Legas smiled brightly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the aesthetics; just give us your opinion. First, what do you think of the white exterior walls?”
“Hmm… I think they’d look nice if repainted cleanly.”
“Then what about the blue roof?”
“I think it matches the island well.”
“What about the large tree you saw coming in? It’s grown too big, so I was thinking of cutting it down.”
“It seems like a magnificent tree; it would be a shame to cut it down.”
Though he was somewhat troubled by the memory that had recently surfaced, it was still a place of reminiscence. Jin-ha answered in favor of preserving the original appearance as much as possible.
“Then we’ll just trim the branches. We’ll call a gardener from the tower for that… What about the statues? The marble sculptures in front of the door.”
“Hmm…”
“Yes, you’re saying they’re not necessary.”
“Uh…”
“No?”
“No. Yes, that’s right. I don’t even remember what was there.”
Legas checked some parts of the file he had brought and wrote down some words, then nodded.
“What do you think about the village? I was thinking of demolishing it and building a large garden instead.”
“If there’s no one special to stay there, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“I understand. Then after this schedule, we’ll completely clear that area…”
The sound of note-taking continued steadily.
“This should be enough to establish a renovation plan. Yes, so we’ll preserve this palace as much as possible, and remove the village.”
Jin-ha was bewildered that Legas made decisions based only on his opinions and glanced at the man who held the highest authority here, but Riyekan just smiled pleasantly.
He couldn’t fathom what Riyekan was thinking. It seemed like he was plotting something strange again…
After pondering briefly, Jin-ha soon grew tired of it. They’d figure it out. He was tired today and decided not to think too deeply.
“Master, shall I proceed with the budget as you mentioned before?”
“Yes. Don’t set an upper limit on the amount, and make sure it’s thoroughly renovated.”
“Understood.”
Even Jin-ha was a bit surprised by this. The Noon Moon Tower was quite wealthy, and for such a place to do something “without setting an upper limit on the budget” was practically the same as pouring money into it.
“But why are you handling the repairs here? I thought this was the Abon Kingdom’s summer palace.”
“Ah, I agreed to receive it in exchange for capturing the Sea Serpent. That’s how Jeidrus helped. He persuaded the reluctant king.”
It didn’t seem likely that Jeidrus, who apparently couldn’t exert much power within the kingdom, had demonstrated remarkable political prowess. However, recalling how he had trembled while insisting he would run away because he had nowhere else to retreat to, Jin-ha could roughly imagine how he had handled it.
He probably said something like how it would be good to earn Riyekan’s favor if he wanted to involve him when something happened to him.
Jin-ha shook his head and was about to pierce a small fruit with his fork when he suddenly sensed a gaze directed at him and paused. Riyekan was looking at him with expectant eyes.
Why is he looking at me like that?
At that moment, the conversation they had before departing for Abon flashed through Jin-ha’s mind. Riyekan’s fishing, and how he had failed to understand it, bidding him a safe journey only to be suddenly dragged along. Such an incident had happened once, and it would be troublesome if that man became upset again because he acted indifferently.
Jin-ha did his best to meet Riyekan’s expectations with a voice as interested as possible.
“Hmm, I’m curious how it will change after the repairs are complete. It would be nice to see it someday.”
Recalling the gleaming white building from his memory, he spoke, and Riyekan nodded readily as he placed meat with potato salad and cranberry sauce on his plate.
“You will see it. Right, Legas?”
“Yes. The preparations are complete.”
Preparations? What preparations?
Legas took out a sheet of paper from the very back of the file and handed it to Jin-ha. Jin-ha, who was just splitting a bread roll in half, reflexively took it and scanned it.
“Please sign at the bottom.”
After checking the content of the paper with his Information Eye, Jin-ha frowned.
“…Why am I signing this?”
“Because the Master wishes it.”
Jin-ha turned to Riyekan with a dumbfounded expression. That man wanted this?
Feeling Jin-ha’s gaze, Riyekan grinned.
“It’s a gift, so sign it.”
“A gift… You mean this island?”
It was a gift too overwhelming to even consider getting angry about. Jin-ha asked again, unable to close his mouth.
The document Legas had handed over was a certificate transferring ownership of the entire island, including the summer palace, to Jin-ha.
An island. An island? An island as a gift?
“Yes. Hunter Lee Jin-ha has no sense. I told you Jeidrus helped prepare a gift for you, but you never caught on.”
Well, normally people wouldn’t think of an island as a gift. Jin-ha, who had been staring blankly at Riyekan, finally came to his senses and handed the document back to Legas.
“I neither need this nor have the confidence to manage it. Besides, as I’ve told you many times, I can’t accept valuable gifts…”
“Ah. Yes, that damn law. I know, so you don’t have to repeat that tiresome statement.”
“If you know, why are you offering something like this?”
“Don’t worry. The person receiving this island is Lee Jin-ha of the Noon Moon Tower. They won’t know about it over there.”
“Lee Jin-ha of the Noon Moon Tower…”
Jin-ha jumped to his feet.
“Don’t tell me you created an identity for me? Without even telling me?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
