Chapter 74
My family decided to honor my fiancé’s wish to marry as soon as possible.
The plan was to set the date so I could be married in the year I turned eighteen.
However, timing was the issue.
Weddings in the Hleuk region were mostly held outdoors. To avoid freezing in winter or scorching in summer, the ceremonies could only be held in spring or autumn.
Indoor weddings were not impossible, but considering the number of guests from both families, the whole family opposed it, saying it was absolutely unfeasible.
“Even if we schedule it as early as possible, it’ll be March,” they said.
January was too cold, and it coincided with a major holiday. February was the same. So, March was the earliest practical option, everyone agreed.
“Is it impossible to do it any earlier?”
“A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. No matter how urgent, you can’t just decide as you please. Do you like your fiancé that much?”
I only smiled at my grandmother’s words.
It would be a secret that Hweerok had asked if January 1st would work for the wedding.
Once the date was set, the next question was which family would host the ceremony.
Typically, the side with the larger residence would host for convenience, but my grandmother insisted, without a word of doubt, that it should be at our house.
“The Baek family estate is on the mountainside. How would the guests even get up there?”
“Can’t we just use palanquins?”
“Ha,” my grandmother scoffed dismissively.
“Do you remember, Dokyeong? How many guests attended your wedding?”
“Just the invited guests totaled about a thousand, though the actual number reached fifteen hundred.”
“Whoa.”
Fifteen hundred! I gasped, but my uncle continued as if to say I hadn’t even begun to be surprised.
“And during Doi’s time, it was summer, so we deliberately reduced it to eight hundred, but the guests showed up on their own…”
“Twelve hundred came, dear.”
“Yes. About that number, as Yeonri said.”
“Did you hear that?”
I quickly nodded at my grandmother’s question.
I had attended multiple weddings of my youngest uncle, aunt, and Shion-oppa, but I had never counted the exact number of guests, so I didn’t know precisely.
Hearing the numbers now, I realized even palanquins wouldn’t have been enough for such a massive crowd.
No wonder. Even after endless greetings, there were always people I hadn’t met before.
“Your wedding will have even more guests. Prepare yourself.”
With the union of the Hyun family, one of the Five Great Houses, and the Baek family, my grandmother was right. On the wedding day, guests would swarm like clouds. I tried to steady my mind, which was already reeling.
There was so much to prepare for the wedding, but at least there were experienced family members to guide me.
I asked them how they had handled their weddings.
The expressions of my family, including my grandmother, became subtly uneasy. Apparently, they hadn’t expected me to ask such questions.
Unfortunately, Shion-oppa, who had married most recently, wasn’t around. He had gone to care for his child and returned home quickly after finishing his tasks.
Even as my cousin, he was already showing signs of being a doting father.
“Our baby. Mom and Dad had the ceremony at the Hyun residence,” my mother said.
“The mountain was too high.”
Because my father’s side had so many relatives, it was difficult to climb the snowy mountain, so they held the ceremony on the flat land of the Hyun estate. The date was in June.
“At that time, there wasn’t a proper road, so we had to choose a day from early summer to early autumn.”
They had reduced the number of invited guests to 800 because of the awkward timing, but more people came than expected, causing quite a panic.
It was hot. There were so many people.
Still, it was a lively, happy wedding, my mother smiled.
“But if you’re having an outdoor wedding, spring or autumn would be best, my dear.”
“And plan generously for guests,” my father added.
After my parents spoke, Aunt Baek took over.
“We had our wedding in autumn,” she said, her red eyes sparkling as she held Uncle Baek’s hand.
“I thought it would be under a beautiful blue sky, but it rained.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“We set up tents, stretching ropes between roofs to shield as much as we could from the rain.”
Recalling the past, a smile briefly appeared on Uncle Baek’s usually stone-like expression.
“The guests helped a lot. After the war, in this peaceful time, no one wanted the bride to shed tears, so everyone pitched in.”
“So Hyeon, the weather matters for weddings. If something goes wrong, use magic.”
“And if there’s trouble, seek help from those around you. Everyone will help you.”
Finally, my grandmother spoke. All eyes turned to her as she frowned, recalling her own wedding.
“I held my wedding in winter. The times were difficult, so I planned a small indoor celebration with only close relatives. But people came in droves, and indoor was impossible, so we held it outside. A snowstorm hit.”
Sighs echoed around the room.
“Getting married in the snow… it was absurd.”
She realized fully why weddings were preferably in spring or autumn, and outdoors wasn’t always ideal.
Yet, she said she was happy. She shared the reason with me, her granddaughter.
“Remember your spouse’s face in your wedding clothes. Every time you recall it, it will bring you happiness throughout your life.”
I treasured that invaluable advice.
After correspondence between the two families, the wedding date was set for mid-March, the year I turned eighteen.
The exact date: March 14th.
Coincidentally, the ceremony would fall on Hweerok’s birthday.
“It was probably intentional,” said Baek Juseon, the orange-haired noble shaman, explaining adult reasoning once again.
“Combining the Sobaeksan master’s birthday celebration with the wedding day reduces events.”
It was a cost-saving measure.
The chief of that family seemed seriously committed to budget savings.
“Hweerok even said he’d be happy to have it as a birthday gift, so it’s mutually beneficial.”
Indeed, Hweerok seemed delighted with the wedding date, saying it was the best birthday gift he’d ever received. He even wrote in letters that his twenty-fourth birthday would be the happiest day of his life. I figured it was fine.
With the wedding date roughly settled, autumn quickly arrived.
My aunt, who had gone to Achangdo in late spring, couldn’t return to the Hyun estate. She was heavily pregnant by then.
Her husband’s family estate was famous for herbs and medicine. My aunt suspected her husband might have had a hand in arranging the timing for the second child to be born in Achangdo.
Instead, Shion-oppa and my new sister-in-law moved into the Hyun estate. The baby had grown enough that she couldn’t manage alone.
Crash!
“My baby!”
Thump!
Mm.
My first nephew was as lively as a puppy, needing family care.
“The second one will be tough, right?”
Even my gentle new sister-in-law said this, showing how strong and healthy the baby was.
I suggested, “Next summer, why not visit the snowy mountains?”
“The mountains?”
“They’re perfect for burning off energy. I also recommend visiting the Rang tribe village; the baby will get along well with other children. My aunt, uncle, and cousin are there too.”
Thinking of Cheonghwa, she must have grown a lot since last summer. I remembered the ten-year-old with disheveled gray hair who ran to me shouting, “Sister!” She must be taller than me now.
My sister-in-law, after pondering, asked if we could still go to the mountains after the puppy nephew broke a jar. I subtly indicated it was possible.
“A new road was built,” I said.
“I heard a carriage road was made a few years ago,” she replied.
“If necessary, I can send a letter in advance so you can go whenever convenient.”
“Please do.”
Crash.
“Hahaha…”
No way.
I, the mischievous puppy’s aunt, would dedicate myself to childcare today for my sister-in-law!
“My baby! Look, auntie has something. Guess what it is?”
“Mung?”
“Ta-da! A ball! Oh, it rolls well!”
I used the ball to pique the baby’s curiosity. His ears twitched adorably.
Despite the cuteness, the scene behind him was chaotic. I continued shaking the ball loudly.
“Phew!”
The baby wagged his tail and ran toward the ball.
Gotcha.
I played with the baby with full effort. Surprisingly, his stamina rivaled mine. Though puppies tire quickly, their recovery is incredible. After ten pants, he was back on his feet, just as I later learned babies are.
In the end, I emerged victorious. I brought the sleepy baby to my sister-in-law, who hugged me tightly, grateful.
“Thank you so much, Miss…!”
“Just call me Hyeon. Speak casually too.”
“Hyeon! I love you!”
I patted her back gently, whispering, careful not to wake the baby.
Even though she said childcare had weakened her muscles, I doubted that—could the baby’s endless energy be the reason?
I wisely chose to keep that realization to myself.
“I’ll play with the baby often,” I promised.
“Would you like to rest for a bit?”
Yes. For exhausted caregivers, sweet rest, not harsh truths, is needed.
Despite my busy life, one person I hadn’t met yet was Seon-oppa.
After I left for the capital, he had begun an undercover investigation and still hadn’t returned.
Wasn’t he taking too long?
Just as I was starting to worry, my grandmother called me.
“Seon is late.”
“Something’s off, isn’t it?”
She explained that Seon-oppa was currently on Gamseok Island, investigating the Geum family with help from our youngest uncle.
“The Geum family?”
“Yes. It’s a delicate matter involving one of the Five Great Houses, so Seon thought it best.”
Because it was a secret investigation, progress was slow. After months of delays, a letter from the youngest uncle requesting help arrived that afternoon.
“So,” my grandmother said, meeting my eyes, “you must go bring Seon back.”
A mission had been assigned.
