Chapter 119: Joyful Day (1)
Lloyd opened his eyes. He blinked several times. The scene around him was unfamiliar. He wasn’t in the barony manor, where the shabby village came into view through the bedroom window and the magnificent mountain range appeared when he looked east. He was not in the bedroom in the barony he had gotten used to for the past year and a half.
The royal tomb?
The blue sky and green grass. Hills that were up to dozens of feet tall stood intermittently. The place looked like the royal tomb in Gyeongju that he once went to and stayed in his memory afterward.
“Ha…”
Lloyd couldn’t make sense of this situation. He wondered why his eye level was low. It was as though he was back to when he was a 12-year-old boy.
Am I dreaming…?
With that thought, Lloyd stared at his two hands. They were small, soft, and smooth. He didn’t have a single callus from shoveling nor a scar on the back of his hand from his time in the military. It wasn’t there. He blankly wiggled his hands. They certainly belonged to a young boy.
Wait, I think I’m…
It was strange. He was certain that he had come back to the barony late the previous night and collapsed on the bed in sheer exhaustion. He fell asleep, telling himself that he would clear every penny of the debt the next morning.
So what’s this…
Just when he was trying to process the dismaying situation, he heard someone speak to him.
“Suho,” the voice called, “did you wait for long?”
The voice coming from behind him was familiar. It was a slightly rough and cold voice. The owner of the voice had a dialect and accent he couldn’t fix even after his wife’s nagging. But there was an intermittent warmth that came out amid his usual roughness.
“Father…?”
Lloyd wheeled around in surprise as he called and saw a shadow that stood tall, covering the sun. His father then bent forward to meet his eyes and grinned.
“My, look at my boy. Did something happen? You’re calling me ‘father’ not ‘dad’.”
“Um, I…” Lloyd trailed off.
“My boy is all grown up now. Here you go. Eat this.”
“…”
Lloyd looked at the object his father held out. It was a bottle of medicine that helped digestion and a pack of bubble gum.
Is it really that day?
A memory struck him just then. Lloyd’s father was a busy man, so he didn’t spend much time with him. They never took a trip together or did anything like that. His only memory of them was this one when he turned 12 years old. They took a father-son trip to Gyeongju. Similar to today, the weather had been great. The clear blue sky, green royal tomb, and white clouds. Lloyd had walked quite a lot, holding Father’s hand. But he got carsick because he forgot to plaster an anti-nausea patch.
“What is it? Is something wrong?” His father asked. “Do you want me to open it for you?”
“…”
“Here you go. Just drink up and burp. That would do it. Come on.”
“…”
Lloyd took the bottle. Something hot surged from his heart, and he chugged the medicine, swallowing the hot lump as well.
“Here, take this one as well.”
“…”
Before Lloyd knew it, his father had opened a pack of gum already, and he held out one to him. It was bubble gum. His favorite kind.
“…”
Lloyd was confused as to why he was having this dream. In sheer disbelief, he stared at his father, who looked back at him in concern.
“Are you all right? Can’t burp, eh?”
“N-no, it’s not that. The thing is…”
Lloyd was at a loss for words. The words he wanted to say kept coming up deep within, but he couldn’t make them come out of his mouth because of the heavy feeling in his heart.
“I’m fine,” Lloyd finally managed.
Father grinned and said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Since Lloyd didn’t know what else to say, he held out his hand and grabbed Father’s large hand. And the two walked, just like the day he turned 12.
“…”
Things started to make sense a little. This was definitely a dream, though it was too real. But it was a dream nonetheless, and Lloyd wondered when he would wake up. He wondered how much time he had to see his Father’s face. Lloyd was walking with that thought in his head when his Father spoke.
“But, Suho,” Father called.
Lloyd felt that his stomach was fine now. Is Father still worried? Lloyd thought to himself. He looked up and found his father’s eyes trembling with tears welling up in the corners. And in a voice mixed with a sigh, his father spoke.
“Son, you did good. You worked so hard.”
“What…?”
This line wasn’t in Lloyd’s memory. This conversation didn’t take place when he was 12 years old. Feeling a bit dazed, Lloyd saw his father’s nose grow red.
“I’m sorry. It’s been really hard, right? It’s not your fault. You just happened to have a poor and incompetent father.”
“…”
“But that’s why I’m proud of you all the more.”
“That’s…” Lloyd couldn’t finish words.
“I’m proud of you, my son.”
Tap. Tap.
“…”
Lloyd closed and opened his eyes. A familiar room showed up. It was the bedroom he had gotten used to for the last year and a half.
“Whew…”
It was morning. And it was a dream. Lloyd rose up from his bed and called the maids just like he always did. After washing his face with the water a maid got for him, he put on his clothes and had breakfast. He woke Javier up and started his day by calling the administrator.
“Are Shiloh and Meatloaf back?” asked Lloyd.
“Oh, yes, Master Lloyd. They are said to have returned two days ago,” the administrator said.
“Goodness, those two fellows know when danger is near.”
The moment the barony was under a monster invasion, the two loan sharks fled away. A snort had escaped when Lloyd heard they were back.
“Great. Please call them here,” Lloyd requested.
“Yes. Is there anything that you wish to tell them?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Just call them, please,” Lloyd said. But a second later, he added with a grin, “Oh, you know what? Please tell them the time has come to happily end this relationship of ours.”
“Yes, I will tell them that.”
“All right. Thank you.”
The administrator left, and the wait began. Lloyd spent half of the day thinking as he waited for Shiloh and Meatloaf to arrive. To be honest, Lloyd was disturbed in a lot of ways.
Is it because I’m paying off my debt today? Or is it because of the dream I had earlier this morning?
Lloyd couldn’t decide which one it was. The sense of dismay inside of him continued to linger even when the two loan sharks arrived.
“Ahaha. Long time no see, young master.”
“My, you are looking very good today.”
Shiloh and Meatloaf playfully joked at Lloyd as they handed him a bottle of wine. Lloyd once couldn’t stand the sight of the two, who looked as if they would follow him to the depths of hell to demand repayment. But not anymore. Now, he wondered if he grew fond of them over time. Smothering the wry smile forming on his face, he spoke.
“Thank you for coming all the way here. I hope you both have been well.”
“Haha, we almost died.”
“The locust swarm. Whew.”
“I am very relieved that you are safe and can receive all the remaining debt from me today.”
Shiloh and Meatloaf, who were joking with smiles on their faces, suddenly grew serious, and their smiles vanished. They cocked their heads to the side in utter disbelief.
“What do you mean that we can receive all the remaining debt from you?” asked Shiloh”
“Could you mean-”
“Yes, that is right,” Lloyd interrupted. “The time has come to happily end our old relationship. I am sure you have heard this already from my messenger.”
“…”
The two loan sharks were silent.
“I guess you should check the money first. Please follow me. Over here,” Lloyd said as he grinned and rose from his seat.
At the thought of clearing the debt, Lloyd’s knees trembled a little.
Paying off the debt was simple. It was so simple that it felt meaningless and vain. Lloyd simply handed the check he had received from the queen. Meatloaf and Shiloh verified the amount and the queen’s signature written on the check, and they went over the contract. They then wrote a document confirming the debt clearance, signed it, and stamped it. That was it. One business handshake, thanking each other. And they went away. That was it.
“…”
The mountain of debt was paid off, but Lloyd wondered if this was what he was supposed to feel. Nothing. He felt nothing. Instead of joy, there was emptiness, a sense of detachment from reality, and a tad bit of resignation. Lloyd couldn’t point out whether this was normal.
“I thought it would be a little different,” Lloyd said to himself aloud.
Lloyd did imagine what it would be like to pay off the debt before. Actually, he had imagined it hundreds of times, and it started before he came to the barony. Back when he used to live in a cramped dorm room, he vaguely envisioned how his life would have turned out if his family had paid off their entire debt. The same fantasy crossed his mind before his parents passed away. The thought of him winning the lottery and clearing their debt in one payment, and traveling with his parents had put a big smile on his face.
I have never ever felt empty in any of my fantasies.
But right now, when the moment he once thought would be filled with infinite joy arrived, he just scoffed at how meaningless it all was. But because people around him were joyful, Lloyd at least could accept that his debt was cleared.
“Ha! Hahaha! My… My…!”
It was the first time Lloyd saw the baron be this joyful. The baron couldn’t finish his words. He simply kept swallowing the words, trembling as he spoke. And as his emotions were too strong to come out into words, he finally gave up and jumped to hug Lloyd, patting him for a long time. And the baroness gazed at Lloyd, tears welling up in her eyes as though she was praising him for a job well done.
“…”
Lloyd was reminded of the gaze his father gave him in his dream. Aside from the baron and baroness, many others came to visit him, sending a host of praises for clearing their debt.
“Master Lloyd, you are truly amazing. No one would have pulled that off so easily.”
“I was absurd for forming wrong ideas about you. I respect you so much, Master Lloyd.”
Lloyd could feel the sincerity of the administrator and Sir Bayern in their messages. Aside from them, the servants and maids he bumped into on the corridor and the farmers he came across on the road praised him highly in various manners.
The news surely spreads fast.
The debt was paid off in the afternoon, and it was only three or four hours since the loan sharks went away. But every corner of the fiefdom was already noisy from the news. Congratulations. I’m proud of you. Loyd had never been praised so much in his life. Thanks to it, he earned a new title.
Ding Dong.
[You have paid off a massive amount of debt through your wit, grit, and hard work.]
[Everyone who encountered the news is overwhelmed by adoration and praising you very much.]
[You have earned a new title
[The Eldest Son of the Frontera Family.]
[Title Level: Regional talk]
There are times when you incur a loan or take on debt. But you see… When misfortune sweeps over your life, when crippling debt burden your shoulders, you and many others will despair. You and many others will berate destiny and bad luck. That isn’t bad. Perhaps, it’s only natural. Anyone would react that way. That is why he is so great. No one had trusted him. Everyone considered him to be impossible. And yet, he didn’t despair and gave up easily. So, my son, when the weight of life seems to crush you down, look toward his accomplishment. For potential is always present in everyone.
[Compliment Effect: You have attained the highest financial credit ranking in the Cremona region. You can now acquire an investment in the most advantageous conditions and with the lowest interest rate available at any time. Moreover, no one will pressure you for an investment or any form of a loan.]
[Active Period of Title: Lifetime]
[Monthly CP Earned from the Title: 2]
[Current CP: 2]
The effect was appallingly great. Plus, it was to last for a lifetime. Lloyd would have hurray-ed on any other day. But not today. He couldn’t wrap his head around why he was perturbed. After throwing a quick glance at the message window, he closed it and called for the person walking beside him.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Master Lloyd.”
“What was your father like?” asked Lloyd.
“…”
Lloyd felt Javier staring at him. A smile escaped him.
“Just. I just was curious. I’m sorry if it’s private, and I crossed the line.”
“Are you okay…?” Javier asked, his voice dripping with doubt.
“Yes.”
“But how do you explain your quick apology?”
“No reason. Everyone has weird days,” Lloyd said nonchalantly.
Yes. There were days when everyone acted strangely. The same went for Lloyd. Today was the rare day when he felt like he was back to being Suho Kim, not Lloyd Frontera. The day when he felt like he had breathed in after taking off a mask on his face.
“He was a rough man…”
Javier’s voice pierced into Lloyd’s ears. Sounding low and heavy, Javier continued to talk, but it went on like a soliloquy.
“Actually, I was too young when I last saw him. I have a vague and hazy image of him like I am seeing him through several layers of glass placed on one another. But there is one thing I can recall, and it’s that he was very much of a rough man,” Javier said.
“Why do you remember so?”
“Because he used to tap my back right before I went to bed at night, and that’s all I can recall.”
A smile spread on Javier against the rays of sunset.
“He was a busy man. It was hard to see him. I waited all day long until I dozed off. I had to pretend I was asleep until midnight because I didn’t want to get scolded by my mother.”
“Your father came back at midnight?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd wondered where Javier was gazing at. The deepening dusk? A past memory?
“He worked his head off late in the day, and he came back only at midnight. Then, he would tap my back several times with his soil-soaked hand as I pretended to sleep. That is all I can remember. The callous touch of his large palm. The roughness in his clumsy tapping… Such things,” Javier said.
“Yes, I see.”
Maybe we’re very similar, Lloyd said to himself. Not a word was exchanged with Javier after that. Instead, they walked side by side at the same stride. Sometimes, their pace turned slow or uniform at times. They continued to walk for a long while until they came back to the manor. And like any other day, Lloyd had dinner, helped Javier fall asleep, and returned to his bedroom.
“Whew.”
His routine was similar to any other day, but something was different. This day was passing by. But Lloyd was still unsure about his emotions.
It’s really funny. Really.
A scoff tried to escape him, but Lloyd suppressed it. He stared at the pitch-black ceiling, and memories began to appear one by one in his head. They opened up like an old journal. His childhood days. His parents. His dire family situation. Their unbearable mountain of debt. And his parents’ hunched backs, which were crushed by the weight of the debt.
It’s really funny. Really.
Another laughter escaped him. But for some reason. His nose continued to burn. He wished he would dream the same, just like last night. If he did, he wanted to tell his father this.
Dad, I think I made it in this place…
And for the first time after arriving in this world, he cried.