Woo-hye was well aware that she was an extremely emotional person.

Impulsive, aggressive and ruthless.

She had a tendency to divide people into allies and enemies, even more so than Nanny Gye, who was notorious for taking sides.

None of these were admirable qualities.

And yet, for all her brazenness, calculation and self-indulgence, Woo-hye was never at a disadvantage.

She was adept at reading other people’s expectations and, like a con artist, selling them the satisfaction they craved.

This skill had been a great help when it came to taking care of the people she loved.

It wasn’t that she wanted to be a saint – she had nothing to feel guilty about.

“If it’s not someone I’ve chosen, then I don’t care what happens to them.”

Everything good had to belong to her people.

But that didn’t mean Woo-hye was stingy when it came to letting new people into her heart.

And that didn’t just apply to humans.

This place – Doha – was as precious to her as her own people.

That’s why she charged high prices to outsiders, but offered lower prices to those from Doha.

If anyone had problems with their business, she was proactive in helping them.

She ran a school for children who couldn’t afford an education, and when times were hard she gave out relief rice.

Because everyone knew about this, people remained kind to Pungwoo-gak, even though she made a lot of money.

Pungwoo’s influence in Doha was absolute – even the noble families thought so.

And yet, with so many things dear to her, why did her heart always feel so hollow?

Woo-hye was tormented by a painful loneliness, like a hunger that would never be satisfied.

‘I only need more warmth. It’s still not nearly enough.’

She wondered for a moment if that was really the answer – but quickly dismissed the thought.

In the face of such overwhelming fear, the truth had no power.

And then Cheong-un appeared.

No matter who came as her husband, if they were from Seol Mi-hee’s side, she had every intention of killing them.

But then an unexpected variable appeared.

Was Cheong-un really Seol Mi-hee’s man?

‘And especially that man in black… I want to know why he saved me.’

That man had clearly known about Seol Mi-hee’s scheme and appeared at just the right moment.
And with Cheong-un showing up immediately after, there had to be a connection between the two.

Woo-hye trusted her instincts.

What if Cheong-un really wanted to help her?

How could she accept that?

If he was really an ally, there was no need to kill him, was there?

‘He brought more people than expected and he doesn’t seem to be easy to deal with. If I try to hurt him, I might be the one who ends up getting hurt.’

Her mind was in turmoil.

The same suffocating frustration was rising inside her – the kind that comes from lacking vital information.

No matter how she looked at it, something had changed behind the scenes without her knowledge.

It was clear that she needed to take a more active approach, even if it meant taking some risks.

After returning from her meeting with Cheong-un, Woo-Hye sat in silence, lost in thought. But finally she spoke.

“Hyang-eum, bring Uncle Mok to me. Tell him I’m not feeling well.”

“Yes, my lady.”

How much time had passed?

Left alone, Woo-hye suddenly felt tired and before she knew it, she had dozed off.

“My lady, wake up. I have brought Doctor Mok.”

She opened her eyes groggily at Hyang-eum’s voice.

“Mm… When did I fall asleep…? Uncle Mok?”

When Woo-hye called out, Mokcheon sat down in the chair by her bed and replied,

“Yes, I’m here. Let me check your pulse. Please hold out your arm.”

Sensing that something was wrong with her condition, Mokcheon examined her immediately.

Then he subtly furrowed his brow.

“There are signs of poisoning. Did you eat or drink something wrong?”

Here it comes.

Woo-hye replied as casually as possible, trying not to sound too serious.

“Probably a paralytic poison. My body didn’t move at all.”

“What? Paralytic poison? What do you mean, my lady?”

As expected, this wasn’t something that could be brushed off.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Woo-hye quickly confessed.

“The truth is… I was kidnapped yesterday.”

“What?!”

“Don’t worry. Nothing serious happened.”

“What do you mean, nothing serious?! Being kidnapped is serious…!”

Perhaps realising how serious the situation was, Hyang-eum forced herself to lower her voice.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Hyang-eum forced herself to lower her voice as she pressed Woo-hye for answers.

Kidnapping – just hearing the word was enough to make someone faint.

Meanwhile, Mokcheon opened his medical kit, his expression hardening with alarm.

No wonder the symptoms didn’t match those of a typical poisoned needle – this was beyond what he could have imagined.

While Mokcheon worked to remove the remaining poison from her body, Woo-hye gave a brief account of what had happened the day before.

After hearing the full story, Hyang-eum was furious.

“You should be torn to pieces for this!”

For Woo-hye, the reason why Seol Mi-hee had hired these people or the bloodshed on the boat didn’t matter.

The most important part of the kidnapping was the role of the man in black and Cheong-un.

“I need to investigate Cheong-un again. I want to know if he really rented the shop for business purposes. We should assume that there’s a skilled martial artist nearby.

“I will pass the message on to Gayu.”

“Thank you, Uncle. Oh, and – could you also ask them to look into the rumour about my portrait that is spreading around Akyang?”

“Understood.”

At that moment, Hyang-eum – still seething – suddenly muttered with a look of realisation.

“Come to think of it… when I went to fetch Doctor Mok earlier, I saw that servant named Samho leaving with a martial artist.”

Woo-hye lifted her head instinctively.

“What did he look like?”

“I couldn’t tell – his face was hidden behind a black veil. But he was wearing martial robes and carrying a sword, so I’m sure he was a fighter.”

‘Was it the man in black she’d seen on the boat?’

“Where is he now? Is he still in the house?”

“I don’t know. I just saw him leave with Samho. Shall I go to Master Cheong-un’s house with some snacks as an excuse and check?”

Woo-hye almost told her to go right away – but stopped herself.

Such a shallow trick would be seen through immediately.

‘Just the fact that I’m trying to find someone would be no different than admitting that I saw what happened yesterday with my own eyes.’

The fact that she could see was an extremely well kept secret.

Especially since she’d even made eye contact with the man in black, however briefly, she had to be extra careful.

“No, it’s okay. But if you see him again, let me know. And try to keep track of his movements if you can.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The treatment was over.

After removing all the needles, Mokcheon gave Woo-hye a final checkup and let out a small sigh.

This incident was particularly dangerous for Woo-hye, whose health was already in decline.

The accumulation of poison was enough to kill even a healthy person in an instant.

“Make sure you eat food that will help restore your energy. You must also keep warm.”

“I will. Oh, while you’re here, stay for a meal before you leave, Uncle. It’s been a while since you visited Yeonmowon.”

As Woo-hye tugged at his sleeve and spoke with childlike affection, Mokcheon patted her head gently.

It was a gesture of quiet kindness, despite his typically gruff demeanour.

“Maybe next time. For now, get some rest.”

Hearing that he was about to leave, Woo-hye felt a pang of disappointment.

“Then at least let me escort you to the gate.”

“That is not necessary. You need to stay warm and rest as much as possible.”

“He’s right, my lady, I’ll see him out, so don’t worry and just concentrate on resting.”

Faced with the two of them, Woo-hye had no choice but to lie down again.

But she didn’t want to be alone – especially not now.

These were the moments when her heart felt unbearably heavy.

But who could she blame?

Her fragile state was, after all, the result of her own choices.

Left alone in her room, Woo-hye couldn’t bear the frustration any longer and finally threw off the blankets and got up.

She walked over to the window.

‘It should have been here…’

She was sure she had touched the peach blossom from this spot earlier in the morning.

But now, no matter how she reached, her hands found nothing.

‘Was it not here? Maybe over there?’

She’d just wanted to lift her spirits by touching the flower again, as she had that morning.

But did it really have to be so difficult?

In the end, her efforts were in vain. She couldn’t find the branch.

All she could do was cool her body down, which made her fever rise.

Having gained nothing, she closed the window and leaned back against it, staring blankly into space.

Three steps forward. Five steps to the left.

Then the bed.