Chapter 75
Of course, my grandmother wasn’t sending me to Gamseok Island blindly.
The justification she offered was the upcoming Harvest Festival on Gamseok Island.
It could be called the Black Friday of Heulguk.
Gamseok Island is the most densely populated area in Heulguk after the capital. Its proximity to Yookuk made trade active, and it was also home to the Geumga Guild.
Naturally, when people flock somewhere, land prices rise.
Because of that, Gamseok Island was famous for its expensive real estate. Some prime plots were even pricier than those in the capital.
Given these circumstances, storage fees on Gamseok Island weren’t cheap either. If goods piled up in warehouses, the guilds would end up losing money.
So, once a year,
Gamseok Island’s guilds would clear out remaining inventory at the end of the harvest season and sell it cheaply.
Getting rid of unsellable stock, even at a loss, was more profitable because it made room for new goods.
If buyers had good eyes, they could get extremely expensive and valuable items for a bargain.
For this reason, when the festival was held, people flocked from all over Heulguk.
Tourists from other countries also visited during this time, bringing in significant benefits.
This event was also an unmissable opportunity for young ladies from prestigious families like me, as it was the perfect chance to gather wedding items cheaply.
Imported goods or luxurious items had to be purchased from the Geumga Guild anyway.
But now the Geumga Guild was clearing its warehouse? If you were lucky, you could get wedding essentials at a fraction of the price.
This was definitely worth making time for.
Moreover, one of my relatives had personally shown how much could be saved during the Harvest Festival.
That was my youngest aunt.
Being from a branch of the Geumga family and possessing excellent business acumen, she had furnished her bridal home with double the amount of wedding items for only 30% of the regular price.
It was truly remarkable.
“So, what do you think? Isn’t this a reasonable excuse for you to go?”
“Yes.”
“And don’t just go for appearances. You need to come back with a full set of quality wedding items.”
Since the wedding date had been moved up, the schedule was tight. My grandmother began listing the wedding items that would be ideal to get at the festival.
But the list was longer than I expected.
“Wait, Grandma. Do I really need all of this?”
“I’ve filtered and minimized it to the essentials, and this is what’s left.”
“Wasn’t it simpler when my aunt got married?”
“The head of the Baek family has been gone for a long time, so we have no choice.”
Realizing why my wedding shopping list had grown endlessly, I couldn’t help but sigh.
Typically, in Heulguk, parents would pass down some of their household items when their children got married—ranging from small trinkets to large furniture like wardrobes and beds. They would select what was needed or valuable to help the new household.
In a family as prominent as the Odae clan, the number and variety of items handed down could easily furnish a whole room and still have leftovers.
But there was a problem.
My parents were frugal, so even if they bought new items, I had no mother-in-law or grandmother-in-law in the Baek family to provide extra support.
According to my grandmother, after the wedding date was set, Baeksan unusually sent a very humble letter.
The furniture and items that the previous matriarch had used had long since been disposed of, so nothing remained.
And my mother-in-law? Ha ha ha.
“Even if she wanted to help, it would be a disaster.”
“Exactly.”
I felt faint at the thought of decorating my bridal chamber with items handed down from the palace.
For these reasons, I had to prepare enough household goods to fully furnish an empty pavilion before the wedding.
It was a relief that Hwilok had insisted on setting the wedding date quickly.
If we had realized this next year, both I, the bride, and the heads of both families would have spent months worrying.
“Even if you have money, it’s hard to get high-quality goods made by master craftsmen if the timing isn’t right. There’s no guarantee that this year’s items will appear next year. If your aunt approves, buy everything.”
Normally, parents would accompany their daughter to buy wedding items, but the timing was inconvenient.
My father was busiest during harvest season, and my mother couldn’t go with me either, so my youngest uncle and his wife would help this year.
Though it was a sudden arrangement, there was no choice.
My prospective father-in-law, Baeksan, was also busy with his duties as head of the family. He couldn’t attend, but he would take care of the work his son would miss.
Baeksan, who hated work, going this far—it was a little touching.
“He was gritting his teeth, saying he wouldn’t do anything once retired.”
Touching, canceled.
Baeksan was still Baeksan.
“When is the Harvest Festival?”
“The start date changes slightly every year, but this year it begins on November 7.”
The festival lasted a week.
The first three days saw the largest influx of goods, so to get the best items, we needed to arrive on Gamseok Island at least a day before the festival began.
“The schedule isn’t very flexible, Grandma.”
“Magic will ensure you arrive on time.”
Since both families were busy, only Hwilok and I would go to Gamseok Island.
We would travel using magic.
Not a magical carriage—Hwilok would carry me, transformed into a dog, and fly using magic.
I was smallest and lightest in my beast form, reducing the burden on the caster. Besides, the high-altitude air was cold.
My fluffy dog form was better suited for the chilly autumn wind.
We could collect the items later; the purpose of this trip was to travel as quickly as possible.
Our accommodation was already arranged.
It was normally very difficult to secure lodging on Gamseok Island during the festival, but Hwilok and I would stay at my youngest uncle’s house, so there was no worry.
Soon after, it became known to the family that Hwilok and I were going to Gamseok Island to purchase wedding items. My father groaned upon hearing about the Baek family’s situation.
“I didn’t consider your in-laws’ situation. I fail as a dad.”
“Ah, not a failure.”
Meanwhile, my mother eagerly polished hunting tools.
“My dear, I’ll prepare the finest leather for you.”
Late autumn and winter was the prime time for fur. My mother prepared the best she could and sent us off with wishes for a safe trip to Gamseok Island.
Around that time, the head of the Geumga family offered us guest quarters at their mansion.
But I politely declined. It would be hard to move freely, and I couldn’t endure the stench inside the mansion all day.
Time flew, and soon it was the day of departure.
The sky was clear and perfect for magical flight.
“Dad, I’ll get my work done early next year so I can go with you.”
“Be careful, my dear. Gamseok Island sees the most incidents during this time.”
“Woof!”
My parents hugged me, the dog, and patted me thoroughly before letting me go.
Hwilok picked me up and secured me with cloth and leather straps as a safety precaution.
My uncle and aunt handed him a backpack containing lunch.
After preparations, he bowed to the adults, pushed off the ground, and shot into the air.
“Awooo!”
I waved my paws at my parents, who were seeing us off.
“I’ll bring lots of gifts!”
It was the right decision to travel just the two of us.
Thanks to Hwilok flying at full speed, we crossed Gamseok Island’s border in just two days.
With the Harvest Festival approaching, the streets were crowded.
My youngest uncle’s home was near the main Geumga residence. Hwilok scouted from above, avoiding unnecessary descent.
“That’s the place. We’ll fly straight and land in the yard.”
“Woof!”
“Hyeon, shall we slow down? We’re almost there.”
“Woof.”
I stuck my head out to enjoy the wide view of Gamseok Island’s cityscape.
My youngest uncle had sent me a picture book of the scenery, but nothing compared to seeing it with my own eyes.
Because it was a busy trading hub, the architecture differed from Seolgok Island.
Near the Geumga mansion, single-story buildings were rare. Most were at least two stories, and larger houses on main roads often had three or more.
The closer to the center and the Geumga mansion, the higher the land prices, so people built taller to maximize space efficiency.
Seeing the vibrant cityscape reminded me of the crowded streets of Gangnam in my previous life.
Even in a different world, real estate remained valuable and important.
We landed slowly in the yard of my youngest uncle’s house. The family noticed our arrival and opened the door.
“Hyeon!”
“Woof!”
Hwilok set me down. I shook off my stiff body and wagged my tail happily.
Then three small shadows jumped out from behind my youngest uncle and ran toward me.
“Zii!”
Three round, shiny-eyed silk-furred rats rubbed against my legs affectionately.
They were my cousins, the children of my youngest uncle.
“You two must be tired from the long trip. Come inside. Stop bothering her, you little rascals.”
My uncle skillfully detached the three children clinging to me.
His large hands pressed them around like black sesame rice cakes as he managed their escape attempts.
“Choo!”
With their disgruntled squeals, we followed my uncle into the house.
