Cheapskate of the Count’s Family- Chapter 4- Choi Han (2)

Do you know what is even more exciting than waking up as a rich second generation? It’s squandering money without a care in the world, of course. Especially when it’s not your own money.

It truly is the best feeling in the world! 

“Ahahahaha! I love spending money shopping!” Cale beamed as he picked random items and threw them behind him with no care whatsoever, almost giving the shopkeeper a heart attack. Thankfully, Choi Han caught them with practiced ease and placed them in an ever-growing pile of random knick-knacks on the main counter.

The shopkeeper watched, cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck, as the trashy young master known for his drunken antics seemed to go insane at the chance to splurge money. Well, he had heard of Young Master Cale’s antics before. As a resident of Henituse County, how could he not know of Cale Henituse’s drinking habits, as well as the mess he always seemed to create after his drinking spree? Maybe there would be no one in the whole Roan Kingdom who hadn’t heard of Cale Henituse’s trashy behaviour. 

However, no one had ever told him that this trashy Young Master was a shopaholic too! And a crazy one, at that!

Of course, he was thankful that this young master was gladly buying without a care in the world, but can he not treat the items he was selling so roughly?!

The shopkeeper’s heart caught in his throat at seeing Cale throw a particularly expensive vase towards the pitiful black haired man without a care in the world. Seeing the delicately created vase being thrown with such carelessness made him forget himself for a moment as he unconsciously let out a swear.

“Be careful, that’s fragile-!” 

Thankfully, the black haired servant following the Young Master seemed to be quick witted. He safely caught the fragile vase with ease and gently placed it on the counter, next to the ever growing pile of items.

And so, Cale’s shopping continued in such a manner. 

It took a while before Cale finally grew tired of throwing random items. When he stretched his arms and stepped back, the shopkeeper let out a sigh of relief.

“Will that be all, young master Cale?” the shopkeeper asked as he wiped his sweat. 

“Yes,” Cale said as he grabbed a chair and flopped on it. “Pack it all up, and make the bill. I will do the payment here.”

The shopkeeper immediately cheered up. His eyes sparkled at all of the money he would make today. “Yes, Young Master Cale!” He said, quickly gesturing at his assistants to help with the packing.

As the shopkeeper and his assistants busied themselves with the order, Cale turned to Choi Han, who stood in a corner of the shop, eying the ongoing proceedings with wary eyes.

Cale patted the chair next to him and said, “Hey, why don’t you sit down with me.”

Choi Han shook his head. “I am fine, Cale-nim.” 

Cale didn’t argue with him more. “If you say so,” He said with a shrug and turned away, not knowing that the black haired man was staring at him with puzzled eyes.

Well, even if he knew that, he wouldn’t have cared anyway.

Ten minutes later, the shopkeeper finished calculating the total cost of everything he bought. Cale was shown the list of items he had bought and the total calculated price. “Your total is-” 

Before the shopkeeper could finish, Cale threw three gold coins at him. It was more than enough for what he had bought. “Here,” He said casually. “Keep the change.”

He then gestured for Choi Han to pick up the packages. Choi Han first grabbed the shopping bags with the things he had bought earlier, then picked up the newest pile of packages with practiced ease. As Choi Han did his job as a porter, Cale hid his lips behind a fist to forcibly stop himself from doing something that’d make him seem like a lunatic. 

After he was done balancing the towering pile of shopping bags, Choi Han followed Cale out of the shop, leaving behind a giddy shopkeeper. 

It wasn’t until Cale walked past the street, entering a somewhat deserted alley, that he finally let himself lose. After somehow suppressing it for so long, he really couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore. 

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He laughed ecstatically, like a deranged lunatic, not knowing that he was earning weird looks from Choi Han.  

In his previous life, he had been humiliated by a noble because he had momentarily lost control of his powers and burned the noble’s paddy field. The enraged noble not only shamed him by treating him like a poor beggar, but he also made his parents beg for forgiveness, taking away everything they had. It was at that moment that he had decided to become so rich that he would never need to regret throwing money away to his heart’s content. 

However, before he could accomplish his goal, he died. 

Thankfully, he woke up as Cale Henituse now. What he couldn’t do before could be achieved here quite easily. Throwing away money wasn’t a mere pipe dream anymore.

He was now so rich that no one would ever look down on him. No one would be able to humiliate him because of lack of money.

(No one would be able to insult his loved ones because of money.)

His stomach hurt because of laughing too much, and yet he couldn’t stop his laughter. He leaned against a wall for support as he laughed. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he didn’t know whether he teared up because of laughing too much, or if they were tears of sadness. He truly didn’t know…..

To think that achieving your lifetime goal would be so bittersweet…..

He laughed, and laughed until his voice turned hoarse and his throat hurt. When his laughter died down, silence once again filled that deserted alleyway. Cale took a while to gather his thoughts, before he finally gathered up enough strength to push himself up. 

“Let’s go,” He spoke in a hoarse tone to Choi Han as he resumed walking, ignoring the heavy stare of his porter.

The two walked quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. Choi Han glanced warily at Cale every once in a while, making the red haired man quite a bit embarrassed. This silence was soon broken by Cale, who couldn’t stand those weird looks of someone who looked quite much like a certain swindler.

“I’m not crazy, I swear,” He blurted out without a second thought, as he tried to defend himself. 

Choi Han’s disbelieving expression told him how much he actually believed that. Not at all.

 “I really am not,” He insisted.

Choi Han pressed his lips into a thin line. “…If you say so,” Choi Han said as he quickened his pace, and walked faster. 

Cale sighed and ran a hand through his red hair. He admitted that he messed up that one. Seriously, what the hell was he thinking, letting his guard down around a stranger?! Did he subconsciously think of him as that swindler?

Pah!

He slapped his cheeks, making them sting a bit. He reminded himself to not confuse Choi Han with that weakling swindler.

‘Choi Han is Choi Han, he is not that stupid weakling surnamed Barrow.’ He thought and vowed to not mess it up again.

After getting his head straight –for now– he jogged to catch up with Choi Han –who was walking faster as if a mad dog was chasing him.

“Hey,” Cale said when he finally caught up with him. As he looked at the towering pile of shopping bags in Choi Han’s hands, he said “If you find them too burdensome, I can help you carry some bags,” He spoke shamelessly, as if he wasn’t the one who was using Choi Han as a porter.

Choi Han glanced dubiously at his thin, weak hands and shook his head. “No need.”

“I’ll have you know that in spite of how weak I look, I am quite strong.” Cale spoke in annoyance, offended at his casual disregard. 

Choi Han did not deem his comment with any reply. Cale scowled. 

This damn brat….’

“See, I’ll prove it to you-” Cale said as he snatched a package from the middle of the towering pile of boxes, making them almost tumble down like a house of cards. Thankfully, Choi Han swiftly handled them well before they could fall down, and gave a deadpan stare to Cale.

Meanwhile, Cale who had triumphantly grabbed the heavy box package felt his arms trembling from the strain of carrying the heavier load. While cursing internally at himself for buying god-knows-what that was this heavy, he maintained the nonchalant expression on his face and kept walking.

…..Of course, his trembling arms and the sweat dripping down his forehead gave him away.

Sighing at Cale’s stubbornness, Choi Han held the mountainous amount of boxes with one arm while easily picking the box from Cale’s hands with the other. He then wordlessly continued walking.

Cale’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He really hadn’t expected this body to be so weak that he wouldn’t be able to carry a box that wasn’t even heavy. In his previous life, although he wasn’t as strong as Rock-for-brains, (who could turn a mountain to dust particles with just a flick of his finger) he at least was strong enough to be able to carry shit ton of rocks. (He knew so because he had done that once when he lost a stupid bet against a crazy kid, who dared him to carry shit tons of rocks on his back for a week straight. Crazy lad, that one.) To think he’d turn into a weak chicken after waking up in a new body….. How upsetting. 

He glanced down at his own weak arms that wouldn’t even be able to truss a chicken and sighed helplessly.

Heavens really were so unfair…. They gave him riches, but not a strong body with a strong plate.

Cale then looked at Choi Han’s distant figure as he kept walking away and couldn’t help but let out a satisfied smile.

Oh well, at least they gave me the best porter in the world. That has to count for something, right?


“Young Master, you’re back.” Ron greeted Cale with a smile.

Cale nodded. “Yes, I’m back.”

He then turned to his (self-proclaimed) porter and said, “You can hand these over to the other servants.” He then told Ron, “This person is my guest. Make sure he has a good time here.”

“Yes, Young Master-nim.” Ron bowed with a smile. “I will make sure he has a really good time here.” 

Cale nodded his head with satisfaction, not knowing that his ignorant actions led Choi Han to distrust him even more.

(How could Cale have known that the moment he left the room, Ron would attack Choi Han with a dagger to his heart? Thankfully, Choi Han managed to defend himself pretty well. 

…….However, this one action did make Cale lose brownie points with Choi Han, who had already been wary of this crazy stranger of whom every civilian in the county was afraid of.

Well, that’s what happens to a socially inept, ten thousand years old grandpa who did not notice the assassin disguising as a butler in his household.) 


Leaving Choi Han in the capable hands of Ron (or so he thought), Cale headed back to his room to retire for the night. After enjoying another nighttime drink –this time it was some extravagant tea imported from Breck Kingdom– he went off to sleep. He had thought that he would be able to sleep soundly on the soft, luxurious bed. Of course, he hadn’t thought wrong. It didn’t take long for him to go to sleep.

………What he hadn’t expected to be woken up abruptly in the middle of night. By his own instincts, that is. 

Boom. Boom. Boom!

He woke up with a gasp as he clutched his chest. His heart thudded frantically –and a bit painfully– in his chest, making him flinch. Cold sweat dripped down his body, making his hair and clothes cling to his skin. 

“This doesn’t make sense….” He frowned as he took deep breaths to somewhat calm his racing heartbeat. When he finally felt like breathing wasn’t painful, he released the hand holding the piece of fabric over his chest, right where his heart resides.

He held out his left hand before him, and sure enough, a red spark appeared in his palm.  

He couldn’t help but raise his brows at that. To think his powers would –slightly– get out of his control, now of all the times…..

“Hoo~” He stared at the erratic red sparks in fascination, and contemplated. “I wonder….”

“…..which idiot is it this time?”

 

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3 Replies to “Cheapskate of the Count’s Family- Chapter 4- Choi Han (2)”

  1. Sagi

    I wonder if our cheapskate young master-nim also collecting his former companions powers in the future… (*゚◇゚)

    Reply

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