Chapter 3

After soothing his hunger with gruel, Danwooseong surveyed the structure as he wandered around the estate.

The villa was larger than he had anticipated.

It appeared to be a vacation home owned by the wealthy Eunhwasangdan, not built for residential purposes. Behind the garden stood a solitary annex. Upon entering, it was bare, devoid of furniture or furnishings. It seemed like the perfect place to convert into an indoor training hall.

To the right of the villa, several warehouses stored foodstuffs, alcohol, medicinal herbs, and an unknown plant. When I asked the nearby servants, they revealed its purpose was akin to narcotics. More potent than the tobacco sold in the market, it was a type of hallucinogenic herb.

The only useful part was the medicinal herb warehouse.

Though not exactly elixirs, the upper echelons’ wealth had bought high-quality ginseng and tonics, all jumbled together. Taking them now would likely backfire, but once his health was restored, they would prove somewhat beneficial.

The location was ideal.

Lee Jin-eon’s failure to utilize it was a major mistake.

In the worst state of health, embracing a woman, guzzling meat and alcohol, and indulging in hallucinogenic herbs—it could be said that such a place was perfect for bidding farewell to this world.

That thought crossed his mind.

Lee Jin-eon must have suffered from mental illness as well. Anxiety, panic, fear—such things must have held a significant place in Lee Jin-eon’s mental world.

What on earth did he fear?

What exactly did he dislike?

Who had brought Lee Jin-eon to this house?

He had a premonition that upon returning to his family home, there would be many who deserved a taste of his fists. Beating people was, after all, Kwonwang’s specialty, and his heart pounded like a child awaiting a treat.

Danwooseong was inevitably on Lee Jin-eon’s side.

He intended to neatly resolve the troublesome circumstances surrounding him.

They might have been those bastards called brothers, or perhaps someone from the merchant guild involved in the rights.

Regardless, Lee Jin-eon was no longer the same man he once was.

At the very least, by the day he returned to his family home, he would be a physically healthy man. He wasn’t Dan Woo-sung, who had focused solely on cultivating his internal energy. He had confidence in combat even with just his external skills, wielded by a sound body.

He decided he needed to take control of the entire merchant guild to purchase large quantities of elixirs that could rapidly build his internal energy.

Originally, Dan Woo-sung was a man who had no interest in ‘money’.

He had no interest or desire to accumulate and hoard wealth. However, since he had become the heir to the Galaxy Trading Group, he intended to indulge in a bit of reckless spending with their vast fortune.

The reason to surpass the former ruler of his past life was clear; money was merely a means to that end.

***

After spending seven days correcting his posture, changing his diet, and practicing qigong, Dan Wooseong ventured outside the mansion for a walk on the eighth day.

His vitality was noticeably stronger than before, and the frequency of his unexplained cold sweats had decreased significantly.

Above all, the attendants were startled by the Crown Prince’s change. Danwooseong told the attendants who were about to follow him on his walk.

“It’s fine. I’ll take a walk alone. You may go inside.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Dan Wooseong nodded and waved his hand. His physical condition was far better than the servants had anticipated.

The first stage of his recovery was as ordinary as the gentle trickle of a stream.

Meals were thin porridge, alcohol was cut out, and he drank lukewarm water as if cleansing his insides.

The next stage of recovery was walking. He strolled along the path until his digestive organs did their job and his stomach rumbled.

Now the servants no longer reacted with surprise as they once did. Even the councilor who used to wear that peculiar expression now merely offered the polite inquiry, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Though the terrain of Gu Hwasan was rugged, it seemed he could traverse it within a few days. Only after sweating profusely did Danwooseong return to the villa. His activity level now far exceeded his food intake.

He planned to adjust his diet again.

Upon returning to the residence, a familiar-faced servant approached and asked,

“Young Master.”

“Why?”

“Your health is recovering at such a rapid pace that I was considering sending word to your family home…”

Danwooseong cut off Sibi’s words.

“Nonsense. I haven’t fully recovered. If there’s a letter to be written, I’ll handle it myself.”

Sibi, sensing the abrupt change in Gongzi’s tone, felt even more intimidated.

“Understood.”

“And it seems provisions and daily necessities occasionally arrive from outside.”

“Yes, supplies sent from the main house arrive about once a month.”

“If those bastards ask, tell them I’m still recovering. Pass that along to the other servants too.”

“Understood.”

There was no need to deliberately inform the outside world that he was recovering.

Suddenly, Danwooseong realized he didn’t know the faces of Lee Jinyun’s father, family, or siblings. He had learned their names roughly through letters, but he thought it would be awkward when they actually met.

As Dan Woo-sung turned toward his room, he asked his attendant.

“Is there a child here who draws pictures?”

“I’ll look into it. Shall I send them to the Master’s room?”

“Send them.”

***

Dan Wooseong told the attendant who had been summoned.

“Just paint a portrait.”

“Yes.”

Since the Crown Prince had been bored at the villa, he didn’t mind being given slightly odd tasks. The attendant replied without much thought.

“Shall I start with the family?”

“No, I’m not just talking about family. Since you’re skilled, I just thought of painting. You can paint the faces of those around me. Father, brothers—especially seeing the faces of those troublemakers around me… well, it seems like it might help me recover my health.”

“Huh? The troublemakers…”

“Yeah, that feeling. I want to beat them. I want to hit them. When that feeling comes up, your fists naturally get stronger. Then your health naturally recovers faster.”

Speaking such nonsense in such a serious tone left Sibeo flustered.

But if the Crown Prince says so, then that’s how it is.

Sibee replied with a smile.

“Understood.”

Shibi quickly covered her mouth with her hand and bowed her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Danwooseong also chuckled.

“It’s fine. Laughing isn’t a crime.”

“Ah, then who should I draw first?”

“Start with the person you can draw well. Now, these portraits focus on capturing key features. They’re not detailed drawings. It’s about capturing essential traits—like a mole on the forehead or a receding hairline. Got it?”

“Got it. Understood.”

“Tell me when each one is finished.”

“Yes.”

Sibi drew pictures, while Danwooseong corrected his posture.

A moment later, Dan Wooseong spoke to Sibi, who was staring intently at him while drawing.

“Stop staring and draw.”

“Ah, yes.”

Sibi tilted her head and picked up her brush.

‘He’s definitely become strange.’

Dan Wooseong was repeatedly assuming specific poses to stretch his legs and performing all sorts of strange movements to make his body more flexible.

But that strangeness wasn’t negative.

The Crown Prince’s expression and tone were gradually shifting, as if a cool breeze had been layered over them, different from before. His face was naturally handsome to begin with, so the change didn’t feel unpleasant.

While Danwooseong was doing his moonlit calisthenics…

The first to come to mind was the second prince.

The second prince was as handsome as the eldest, Prince Lee Jin-eon, and with his proper demeanor and refined speech, he was the most popular prince within the merchant guild.

He planned to start with the portrait he could draw best to hone his senses. A moment later, Dan Wooseong, having finished his stretches, admired the portrait of the second prince.

“Well drawn. Make sure to include the title of the drawing and your name at the bottom each time.”

“A title?”

“Yes. A painting needs a title. For a portrait, just write ‘Portrait of [Name]’ and that’s enough. And you must also indicate who painted it. Your paintings might sell for a high price someday.”

Sibi’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? My paintings?”

Danwooseong said with a smile.

“You’re so naive. Just like me…”

Sibi didn’t fully grasp Danwooseong’s words, but she was briefly lost in thought about how much her painting might sell for.

“I understand. Just a moment. First…”

The inscription beneath the painting read, ‘Superintendent Lee Hwa-eon,’ and he wrote his own name, ‘Myohyang.’

Dan Woo-seong nodded.

“That’s correct.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, didn’t you make the second son look too handsome?”

“He’s actually even more handsome in real life.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

“Of course, the Crown Prince is even more handsome. You two look so much alike.”

Dan Woo-sung said with a smile.

“It’s late. I’ll be waiting for you to draw me.”

Feeling burdened, Sibi replied in a shrinking voice.

“Yes.”

“From now on, don’t bother with trivial tasks. Just spend your time practicing your painting.”

“Huh? But then we’ll be short-handed…”

“How many troublemakers clinging to this place are there? It’s noisy. Do as you’re told.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, you’re quite talented at drawing, aren’t you?”

Sibi’s face flushed crimson at Danwooseong’s praise.

“Then I’ll continue to show off my skills.”

“Alright.”

Dan Wooseong resumed posture correction. As he sat on the bedding and stretched his body in various positions, occasional cracking sounds echoed.

With drawing skills like that, it seemed unlikely he would make the mistake of failing to recognize someone Lee Jin-eon knew.

***

“You’ve worked hard. Go rest.”

“Yes, Master. Should I come again tomorrow evening?”

“No. Tell them to paint at your residence by my order. Go and paint everyone you can. That’s how you’ll practice.”

“Understood.”

After the attendant left, Danwooseong examined the painting.

Dan Woo-seong carefully examined the portrait of the man leading the Eunha Trading Company.

Of course, the head of the merchant guild was Lee Jin-eon’s father.

Although it was a portrait painted by Sibe, it focused on capturing key features, so one could roughly discern what kind of person he was based on his head shape, facial characteristics, mouth, and eyes.

‘He just looks like a diligent worker, yet he built a large business. Or perhaps he inherited it…’

Given the scale of Eunha Trading, it might not have grown large in his own time, but rather been inherited as a family business.

Both younger brothers were handsome.

The second brother, Lee Hwa-eon, the chief manager, had the air of a scholar, appearing intelligent. The third brother, Lee Ja-eon, definitely had a different face from his two older brothers.

He gave off a distinctly martial aura.

Perhaps it was something different for the mother. Seeing that there was no portrait of the mother, it was possible that the mothers of Lee Hwa-eon and Lee Jin-eon had already passed away.

The most sharply depicted portrait among them was of a man named Ouyang Hou, the leader of the Imperial Guard.

“Ouyang Hou was the head of the escort unit?”

He was a man whose name was known in the martial world.

The fact that Ouyang Hou was the head of the escort team suggested several things. First, it meant the merchant group possessed immense wealth. After all, Ouyang Hou was a master from the Ouyang family. Hiring a master from such a family to lead the escort team meant his monthly salary couldn’t be insignificant.

But whether they were paying him in money alone was something that needed further investigation.

The Gu family is an exceptionally hardline faction even within the White Path. They naturally look down on merchants, so the details were something that had to be investigated at the main house.

I only remembered the names and facial features. There were no famous figures, and the impressions conveyed through the portraits were unremarkable, making them easy to forget.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong

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