A short while earlier, after picking up Raven, Han Min-ji led her down a long hallway inside the Eunha family residence. Along the way, Raven didn't say much. She simply walked beside Min-ji, occasionally glancing around at her surroundings.
Several servants were busy carrying out their respective duties. As Raven and Min-ji passed them, some of the servants paused briefly to bow their heads in respect before resuming their tasks.
Without much conversation, the two continued walking until they finally exited the main building.
A small, neatly landscaped garden stretched out before them. In the center, a wooden bridge spanned a fairly large lotus pond, connecting the main building to a pavilion standing not far away.
The pavilion had two floors and was quite large, though still smaller than the main building. However, what caught Raven's attention most was not the size of the building, but the security surrounding it. Several guards were stationed at various corners, with security that appeared far stricter than in other parts of the estate.
After crossing the bridge, Raven and Min-ji entered the pavilion. Inside, they walked down a hallway leading to a wide door at the end.
Before opening the door, Min-ji stopped and bowed her head.
"Patriarch, as you requested, I have brought Young Master Jin."
A moment later, a man's voice came from behind the door.
"You two, come in."
Han Min-ji gave a slight nod before opening the door and letting Raven enter first.
Raven stepped over the threshold, followed by Min-ji, who then closed the door gently.
The room beyond the door was quite spacious, with a neat and well-maintained atmosphere. Several tables and benches were arranged along the sides of the room, leaving an open space in the center so people could move about freely.
At one of the tables sat a middle-aged man in a long robe that, at first glance, reminded Raven of the clothes Seorin wore. However, the man's robe looked far more luxurious. Silk embroidery adorned certain parts of his garment, forming meticulously crafted patterns.
The man looked quite old. His long black hair was well-groomed, with part of it tied up high into a simple bun on top of his head. A golden accessory held the hair in place, giving it a simple yet elegant look.
A few wrinkles were visible on his face.
His gaze was currently fixed intently on the documents in his hands. Dozens of documents had piled up on the desk, showing just how many matters he was currently handling.
Han Min-ji immediately bowed her head politely as a sign of respect.
Raven, on the other hand, didn't immediately follow suit. Instead, she observed the man in front of her for a few moments before shifting her gaze to take in the entire room, noting every detail around her.
Then she spotted someone familiar.
Jang Do-woon was standing not far away. The elderly man she'd previously encountered in the residence's courtyard was now in the same room.
"I'm sorry it seems I called you here, but I've been too busy with my own affairs," the head of the family said suddenly.
Raven turned her gaze toward him.
"Well, it was a bit rude, but I don't mind. That's part of your busy life as a merchant, so please go ahead."
The head of the family's hand, which had been holding a document, stopped immediately.
He slowly lifted his face and looked at Raven.
His expression showed a hint of surprise, as if he hadn't expected such a response.
Jang Do-woon, standing beside him, also raised an eyebrow.
Even Min-ji, standing behind Raven, looked slightly startled. She quickly lowered her head again, as if trying to hide her reaction.
For a few moments, the room fell silent again.
The Head of the Family finally set down the document he was holding.
"So that's how it is..."
His gaze was now fully fixed on Raven.
"You're quite an interesting young man. I've heard a lot about you from my own daughter. However, I didn't expect it to be like this."
"Is that so?" Raven replied calmly. "In that case, I hope I don't disappoint your expectations."
Their gazes met.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The Head of the Eunha Family scrutinized Raven with a piercing gaze, while Raven returned it without showing the slightest sign of nervousness.
Then...
"Hahahahaha!"
Loud laughter suddenly filled the room.
Raven merely lifted the corner of her lip slightly in response to the man's reaction.
Han Min-ji and Jang Do-woon could only exchange glances before sighing in resignation.
It seemed they were already quite used to the Head of the Family's behavior.
"Hahaha! I never expected him to be so different from the others." The Head of the Eunha Family patted the table as he laughed. "My daughter really has brought home someone out of the ordinary, hasn't she, Chief Jang?"
He turned toward Jang Do-woon.
"Yes. I didn't expect to meet someone like him either," Chief Jang replied with a slight shake of his head.
The man laughed again, as if he didn't find anything strange about their conversation at all.
"Patriarch," Min-ji finally interjected. "Young Master Jin is still here. At the very least, maintain your composure and dignity as both a leader and the head of the family."
"Hahaha, there's no need to be so stiff. Don't young people usually prefer an atmosphere like this?" He then smiled broadly at Min-ji. "Besides, I'd be much happier if you called me 'Dad' instead of constantly referring to me as 'Patriarch.'"
"Ugh… but, Patriarch, our guest is still here."
Min-ji tried to cut off the conversation before things got even more embarrassing.
"What's the problem?" the man replied casually. "I've been trying to hold back my longing ever since I had to let the two of you go to that meeting. You've been away from home for a few days, and who knows if you ran into any bad people out there."
He placed one hand on his chest with a deliberately serious expression.
"So, how could a father not be happy when his children finally return safely?"
A few seconds of silence passed.
Jang Do-woon simply turned his face away and shook his head slightly.
Min-ji covered her face with one hand.
Meanwhile, Raven...
She just stood there quietly, watching it all.
The man who had previously looked so serious with a stack of documents on his desk turned out to have a completely different side when faced with his family.
"Ugh… okay, Dad, that's enough. I think I might die from embarrassment," Min-ji complained, covering her flushed face.
The patriarch of the Eunha family burst into laughter again. This time, his laughter sounded warmer, as if he couldn't hide a sense of relief.
"Hahaha! Now, that's better. It's been a long time since I've heard you call me that."
Min-ji turned her face away slightly.
"I only said it once."
"It's fine. Just once is enough."
He smiled contentedly before turning his attention to Raven. Slowly, he sat up straight again and composed himself, as if wanting to restore the dignity he'd momentarily set aside.
"Ahem… once again, I'm sorry for letting you see me acting so embarrassingly just now."
"It's okay," Raven replied briefly.
He paused for a moment before steering the conversation toward something that had been piquing his curiosity all along.
"By the way, I'm curious. Why did you let one of your children become a servant, instead of following in your footsteps as a merchant?"
The question came to mind after Raven recalled Seorin's position and their earlier conversation about the Eunha family.
The head of the Eunha family didn't answer right away. He looked at Raven for a moment, but showed no signs of being offended by the rather personal question.
"Actually, this is a family matter. However, if the person who knows about it is someone like you, I don't think it's a problem."
He set down the documents in his hand before continuing.
"Min-ji isn't my biological child."
The head of the family glanced briefly at Min-ji, who was standing not far from Raven.
"But my wife and I have raised her since she was a child. She grew up with Seo-rin and has been part of this family for a long time."
The smile on his face gradually softened.
"So, to me, it doesn't matter where she comes from. She's still one of my children because I'm the one who raised her."
Raven shifted his gaze slightly toward Min-ji, who was standing behind him.
"I see," Raven said briefly.
Min-ji seemed to smile slightly upon hearing those words, but said nothing.
"Ahem."
Jang Do-woon suddenly cleared his throat from the side.
His gaze was fixed on the Head of the Eunha Family, as if to remind them that their conversation was starting to stray off topic.
The man fell silent for a moment before finally smiling awkwardly.
"Right, right. We almost went too far off track."
He looked back at Raven.
"Anyway, I didn't call you here just to talk about that."
His expression grew serious again.
"Ah, I almost forgot. I don't think I've properly introduced myself yet."
The man straightened his posture once more.
"My name is Eunha Gwan-Ho. You can call me Mr. Gwan or Patriarch. Just call me whatever you're comfortable with."
Raven gave a slight nod.
"All right, Mr. Gwan."
Gwan-Ho gave a faint smile.
"The reason I called you here is to thank you for helping Seo-rin, my daughter."
He then stood up from his seat and bowed his head to Raven.
"Thank you, benefactor Jin."
Raven raised an eyebrow slightly at the gesture.
"I take great care of my family. Not just my daughters, but also those under our family's protection."
Mr. Gwan raised his head again.
"Seeing one of them get hurt is not something I can ignore. Therefore, as the Head of the Family and the leader of one of the largest merchant factions in Murim, I owe you a great debt."
His gaze grew more resolute.
"If one day you need anything from me, just say the word. As long as it's within my capabilities, I will repay this debt."
Raven fell silent for a moment.
Then he said calmly,
"You don't need to lower yourself like that, Mr. Gwan."
Raven's expression remained impassive.
"It's true that I saved your daughter. However, risking your reputation and position as head of the family simply because you feel indebted to a stranger is not a wise course of action."
He fell silent.
"If you give something away without considering the consequences, it won't just be you who bears the burden. Your family and those under your care will also be affected."
The room fell silent again.
Mr. Gwan's eyes widened slightly.
He then slowly raised his head, looking at Raven as if seeing the young man in a new light for the first time.
"Hmm..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I never expected the day would come when a young man the same age as my own daughter would be the one to remind me of my responsibilities."
He chuckled softly.
"Seo-rin really has brought home someone out of the ordinary."
"You're overpraising me."
"Not at all. I have great faith in my daughter's assessment. Mr. Gwan smiled slightly.
"Seo-rin may still be young, but she's quite good at judging people. So far, her judgment has rarely disappointed me."
Raven frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Mr. Gwan to trust his daughter's judgment so much, especially when the decisions made also involved the family's interests. That attitude reminded him of his own experience as the leader of a major faction, when he had to prioritize responsibility over personal feelings.
Perhaps that was why, without realizing it, Raven felt compelled to remind Mr. Gwan of the same thing.
"It's not just your character and skills as a martial artist," he continued. "Your knowledge of trade is also far better than I expected."
"So, you've heard about the business deal I made with your daughter?"
"Of course. Seo-rin explained everything to me in quite some detail."
Mr. Gwan leaned back in his chair.
"However, as you said earlier, I still have responsibilities as the head of the family and one of the pillars of our trading group. Therefore, I can't just blindly implement every idea you propose simply because Seo-rin approves of it."
Raven nodded slightly.
"But, through Seo-rin's decision to use your plan in our family's succession test, I—as both her father and the head of the family—can approve your agreement and allow her to use your idea."
He paused for a moment.
"It's not just because you saved my daughter."
Mr. Gwan's expression grew more serious.
"Your plan itself is enough to pique my interest. As a merchant, I want to see just how far that idea can go."
Raven was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.
"All right, if that's your decision."
Mr. Gwan gave a faint smile. "For now, let Seorin prove her plan. If the results meet expectations, perhaps there will be more we can discuss afterward."
Raven offered no further response. As far as he was concerned, as long as Gwan-Ho was willing to give Seorin a chance to carry out her plan, there was no reason to prolong the conversation.
At the very least, this meeting had resulted in an agreement.