Chapter 119. Happy Day (1)
Lloyd opened his eyes.
And involuntarily, he blinked his eyes.
The surrounding scenery was unfamiliar.
It was not a baron’s mansion.
When you open the window, you can overlook the shabby village.
If you turn your gaze to the east, you can see the majestic mountain range.
It was a different place from the baron’s bedroom, which he had become accustomed to over the past year and a half.
‘Royal tomb?’
Blue sky and green grass.
Dozens of meters of mounds rising in a round shape here and there.
It looked like the scenery of the royal tombs of Gyeongju that remained in my memory someday.
“under….”
What kind of situation is this?
Why is my eye level lowered?
As if he had gone back to his memories of being a twelve-year-old boy.
“….”
I wonder if I’m dreaming
Thinking so, I looked at my hands.
It was small.
It was Jericho and soft.
The calluses on the palms from shoveling.
The scar on the back of my hand that I got while working in the army.
not yet.
The palms and backs of the hands he was staring at in a daze belonged to a young boy.
‘No matter how you look at this….’
weird.
He must have returned to the barony late last night.
So I fell asleep with my tired body.
When I woke up today, I fell asleep, vowing to sort out all the private loans left in the baron family.
‘Why out of nowhere.’
It was time to swallow the absurdity and think about that.
“Suho. Did you wait for me?”
A familiar voice came from behind.
A slightly rough and blunt voice. Even though my mom nags me to fix it, I couldn’t fix the dialect accent.
Even so, a warm heart that sometimes permeated in that rugged bluntness.
“…father?”
I looked back in surprise.
There stood a shadow with its back to the sun.
Soon after, he lowered his body and brought his eyes to eye level.
“Yeah. you are stupid See daddy and say dad, go all the way.”
“Uh, that….”
“Boy, my sons are all grown up. there is yo Mura.”
“….”
I stared blankly at the object my father held out.
A small casserole × a bottle of water.
A plate with a picture of a character x chewing gum.
‘Is this really the day?’
I suddenly remembered.
Dad was always busy.
So I didn’t have many memories with you.
I hardly remember ever going on a trip together.
The only thing I remember is this moment.
Early fall at the age of twelve.
A trip to Gyeongju alone with my father.
The weather was nice that day, just like today.
From the blue sky to the green royal tombs and white clouds.
It was said that he held hands with his father and walked quite a lot.
No, I forgot to put on my ears and frame before that, so I had severe motion sickness.
“and? is it weird Will Dad pick me up?”
“….”
“Now, hurry up and burp just once. hurry.”
“….”
I was given a sword x number in the cold.
Unbeknownst to me, something hot rose from my chest.
As if forcibly swallowing it, I swallowed the bow and arrow at once.
“Now, this too.”
“….”
Before I knew it, my father also unwrapped a pack of chewing gum.
Sticky gum that sticks out like that.
Panbak x Gum that I liked when I was young.
“….”
Why am I dreaming like this?
I couldn’t believe it, so I looked at my father’s face again.
My father gave me a worried look.
“Are you okay? Can’t you burp? Kana?”
“Oh no. that is.”
I don’t know what to say.
I have a lot of things to say, but my heart keeps pounding, so I can’t get my words out.
“are you okay.”
barely said
Dad grinned.
“really?”
“yes.”
Not knowing what to say, I reached out my hand.
I took my father’s big hand.
walked
Just like that day when I was 12 years old.
“….”
I know a little bit
sure is a dream
It’s so vivid, but this is a dream.
But when will this dream wake up?
How long will I be able to see my father’s face after a long time?
I was walking while thinking about that.
“But it’s Suho.”
my father called
I’m fine now
Are you still worried?
I looked up and saw my father’s eyes tremble.
With your eyes that have grown sore before you know it.
In a voice mixed with a sigh.
He said.
“You’ve been through a lot during this time.”
“…yes?”
This is a word I don’t remember.
I never had a conversation like this that day when I was 12 years old.
Amidst a bit of a daze, the tip of my father’s nose went red.
“sorry. How much trouble did you have to go through with this lacking and ugly father?”
“….”
“That’s why Dad is more proud of you.”
“that is….”
“Good luck my son.”
Tuk-tuk.
“….”
I opened my eyes.
All you see is a familiar interior.
The baron’s bedroom I’ve become accustomed to over the past year and a half.
“ha.”
It’s morning.
It was a dream.
I got up.
Called the maid as usual.
I washed my face with the water the maid had given me.
I got dressed and ate breakfast.
I woke up Xaviel and started working as planned.
He called the administrator and had him run errands.
“Mr. Shiloh and Ms. Meatloaf are back?”
“Oh yes Lloyd. I heard you came back two days ago.”
“Anyway, those nobles smell dangerous smells like crazy.”
The first two moneylenders to run away from the territory as soon as the monsters attack.
The news of their return made me laugh bitterly.
“Good. Call me both.”
“All right. Do you have anything else to tell me?”
“What are you doing with that? just call Oh no.”
Lloyd grinned.
“I think it would be perfect if you tell him that the time has come to end a long-standing relationship happily.”
“Yes, I will deliver as you commanded.”
“Yes, please.”
retired executive officer.
waited after that
Shiloh and Meatloaf.
I spent half a day lost in thought until the two moneylenders were contacted and returned.
To be honest, it was bland.
‘Is it because today is the day to completely liquidate the debt?’
Or is it because of a dream I had at dawn?
I couldn’t tell.
While he could not clearly organize his feelings and emotions, he welcomed two moneylenders.
“Heh heh heh. It’s been a while?”
“Oops, our young master is still very knowledgeable.”
Shiloh and Meatloaf, two moneylenders, bring a gift of wine and flirt.
I was really sick of those facial features before.
I was uncomfortable with the faces that would follow me to hell.
But now it wasn’t.
Did I have a bad feeling?
He suppressed the wry smile that came out of his mouth and said.
“Nice to see you here. The two of you haven’t had a good relationship in a while.”
“I almost died.”
“What about the locusts? That’s it.”
“Fortunately, the. In the meantime, you are safe. Because you are able to collect the remaining debt today.”
Shiloh and Meatloaf trembled.
The faces of the two men hardened as if they were smiling.
I immediately shook my head.
It’s like I can’t believe it.
Two people asking questions with an absurd expression.
“Can you collect the remaining debt? what is that?”
“no way….”
“Yes, that’s right. The time has come to happily conclude long-standing relationships. I’m sure the person I sent told me that.”
“….”
The two moneylenders were silent.
He smiled at them and stood up.
“Checking the amount will be the priority. Follow me. Come this way.”
Today I finally pay off all my remaining debt.
My knees trembled for a moment at the sudden thought.
♣
The last debt settlement process was simple.
It was simplistic to the point of futility and emptiness.
I handed over the check I received from the king in the royal capital.
The authenticity of the amount written on the check and the King’s signature was verified.
And I checked the contract.
I wrote a document confirming that the remaining debt was gone, and left my signature and postmark.
That was it.
A businesslike handshake to say thank you so far.
Sending the two moneylenders was the whole process.
“….”
Is this what it feels like to pay off a mountain of debt?
I just don’t feel anything.
Rather, I just feel empty.
It doesn’t even feel real.
So, is it normal to feel a little depressed?
“I thought it would be a little different.”
The feeling after paying off all your debts.
I had vaguely imagined it before.
No, actually, I’ve imagined it hundreds of times.
It wasn’t just after coming to the Baron’s.
When I was desperately living in the gosiwon, I had a vague imagination of what kind of life I would be living if I had paid off all my debts in the past.
Before that, it was similar even before my parents passed away.
There was a time when I thought that it would be really nice to go on a trip with my parents to commemorate the fact that I would be very happy if I won the lottery and paid off the accumulated debt all at once.
‘I’ve never felt this empty anywhere in my imagination.’
This moment, which is approaching.
This moment seemed to enjoy infinite joy.
In fact, I felt that it was not a big deal, so I only laughed.
At least, the reactions of the other people around me are delighted.
Thanks to that, I heard a little bit of the realization that I had paid off the debt.
“Heh heh heh! this…this…!”
It was the first time I had seen the baron so happy.
The baron was speechless.
He swallowed the trembling words behind him.
In the end, he couldn’t say anything more and hugged me.
He patted me on the back for a while.
And had the baroness been beside him, giving him a groggy look?
It’s like saying you did well.
“….”
Why did the eyes my father showed me in my dream come to mind?
Besides that, everyone else came.
They said they had paid tribute to the family’s achievement in clearing up their enormous debt.
“Mr Lloyd. You are really good. No one could have done this easily.”
“I was foolish when I misunderstood Lloyd-nim. I respect you from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Lloyd.”
The honest sincerity of the magistrate and Lord Bavaria has been conveyed.
Besides that, servants and maids encountered in the hallway.
Farmers encountered on the road while walking through the estate.
Everyone has given various compliments.
‘The news is so fast.’
It was around noon when I paid off the debt.
It hasn’t even been three or four hours since the moneylenders left.
The sun hadn’t even gone down yet, but it felt like it was noisy even in the corners of the manor.
congratulations
I’m really proud of you.
I wondered if I had ever heard such a compliment in my life.
Thanks to this, a new tribute was created as a bonus.
Ding dong.
[You have achieved the result of clearing the family’s huge debt through various wits and diligence shown over a long period of time.] [Everyone who heard
this news can’t help but admire and praise.] [
A new tribute to you < Prontera's eldest son > has been created.]
[Prontera’s eldest son]
[Praise rating: Local folklore]
As you live, you may be in debt.
If you live, you can lose your debt.
But it is.
Sometimes when bad luck strikes you in life.
When debts you can’t afford fall on your shoulders.
Most of them despair of that fact.
He sits down lamenting his fate and misfortune.
That’s not a bad thing.
In a way, it’s natural
Being human, anyone can do that.
So that’s why he’s great.
no one believed
Everyone thought it would be impossible.
He did not give up easily or give up easily.
So son.
When you too are weighed down by the weight of life someday.
Think of what that person has accomplished.
Possibilities are open to anyone.
[Praise effect: You will acquire the highest level of economic credit only in the Cremona region. You can always get your investment in the most advantageous terms with the lowest interest rate. In addition, you will not receive any debt collection for the amount invested.]
[Praise maintenance period: Lifetime]
[CP provided monthly by the tribute: 2]
[Currently held CP: 2]
It was a good option to open your eyes.
Besides, the period is a lifetime.
It’s to the point of coming out of nowhere.
But today that’s not the case.
Maybe it’s because I’m in a different mood than usual.
Lloyd checked the message window that popped up in front of him once, then closed it.
Instead, he called someone who was walking side by side.
“hey.”
“Yes Lloyd.”
“Who was your father?”
“….”
I could feel Xaviel’s eyes looking back at me.
A smile came out without my knowledge.
“just. I suddenly became curious. It’s a personal question, sorry if it’s rude.”
“…Did you eat something wrong today?”
“It’s not.”
“Then why do you apologize so easily?”
“just. Isn’t there a day like this sometimes?”
Yes.
There are days like this.
Every once in a while, I feel like I went back to Kim Suho instead of Lloyd Frontera. The kind of day when you take off the mask you always wear on your face and take a deep breath.
“…He was a rough man.”
Xaviel’s voice suddenly tapped my ear.
It continued like a knocking, like a quiet self-talk.
“To be honest, I don’t have a clear impression because I was so young. My memories are hazy, like layers of glass stacked on top of each other. One thing I still remember, though, is that my father was a very rugged man.”
“Why do you remember that?”
“Because that was all the pats on my back at night right before I went to sleep.”
Xaviel’s laughter spreads in the sunset.
“He was a busy man. It was difficult to see his face all day. I used to wait until late and barely fall asleep. No, I didn’t want to be scolded by my mother, so I pretended to be asleep. until midnight.”
“Are you back at midnight?”
“yes.”
Where are his eyes looking?
Is it a darkening sunset?
Is it a memory of the past?
“I worked late every day and returned home at midnight. Then, while I was pretending to be asleep, he would pat my back with his dirt-stained palm. That’s all. The feel of the calluses of that large palm. Even patting was clumsy gestures…Same things.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Maybe we are very similar.
After that, I didn’t say anything to Xaviel.
Instead of sharing words, we walked with the same stride.
Sometimes slowly, sometimes side by side.
After walking for a while, I returned to the house.
I ate dinner as usual, put Xaviel to bed, and returned to my bedroom.
“Whoa.”
It’s similar to usual, but something different from usual, this day passes like this.
So, to be honest, I still don’t know how I feel.
‘It’s really funny.’
I lay down, swallowing the laughter that came out of me.
I stared blankly at the ceiling of the bedroom where the lights were off.
Beyond the pitch-black ceiling, the tingling memories are fresh.
It unfolded like an old, yellowed diary.
The days of my childhood.
appearances of parents.
difficult family circumstances.
A pile of debt that I couldn’t afford to pay.
Even the back of my parents who were bending their shoulders at the weight.
‘Really funny.’
laughs again
But the bridge of my nose keeps getting colder.
I hope today is the same dream as last night.
So, when I meet my father, I want to tell you this.
‘I think I’ve made it here.’
I cried like that.
It was the first time since I came to this world.
