Hyang-eum looked puzzled as she recognised the place where San-gyeong had stopped.

“This is…”

They hadn’t arrived at a job market, but at a dumpling shop. In fact, it was a well-known place in Doha, famous for its food and only open for lunch.

The shop was filled with the white steam of freshly steamed dumplings, but it wasn’t open yet, so there were no customers.

“A dumpling shop…? Why are we here?”

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s eat together.”

Thanks to Nanny Gye’s commotion that morning, Woo-hye hadn’t managed to eat either. She didn’t have much of an appetite, or any particular desire, but she had no choice but to follow San-gyeong’s lead and sit down.

Hyang-eum looked confused at first, then clenched her fists in silence.

‘I don’t like much about Lord Cheong-un, but he’s really good at things like this… Is it because he already has three illegitimate children?’

Just then, the owner of the dumpling shop came out of the kitchen, looking worried. He had been making dumplings.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, but we’re not open yet.”

San-gyeong handed him a silver coin – far more than the cost of a few dumplings.

“Just enough steam for four. That should cover the trouble I’m causing.”

The shopkeeper quickly broke into a smile and tucked the coin into his waistband.

“Of course! Haha, entertaining such honoured guests – what a happy start to the day.”

Humming to himself, the shopkeeper went back inside, and Hyang-eum thanked San-gyeong politely.

“Thank you for considering me as well, sir.”

“It’s okay. Everyone take a seat.”

“Pardon? Right here?”

“Is there a problem?”

San-gyeong wasn’t the type of officer to eat alone at a separate table, even in the military camp. He was used to eating at the same table as his Black Guard subordinates.

But Hyang-eum was different. Even when Woo-hye invited her to eat with him, she always refused, instead serving Woo-hye first and then eating alone later. That was the custom.

“Come, Hyang-eum. Let’s eat together.”

“I understand.”

After confirming that Hyang-eum had taken a seat, Samho was the last to sit down.

“Here you go, fresh dumplings! And this is on the house – just a little something to try.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Woo-hye replied with a smile.

The shopkeeper got excited and scratched his head.

“Oh my, it’s my honour if the young lady likes it. Haha, once word spreads that you were here today, people will be in a frenzy.”

“There’s no need to flatter me.”

“Flatter? Not at all. There may not be any customers on the street right now, but every time you appear in the marketplace, the number of young lords noticeably increases.”

At the mention of “young lords”, a brief trace of cynicism crossed Woo-hye’s expression. San-gyeong didn’t miss it.

The shopkeeper chuckled, clearly imagining those fiery young men, but perhaps sensing San-gyeong’s presence, he suddenly made a clumsy excuse and scurried away.

San-gyeong pondered the shopkeeper’s words as he looked around.

In the early morning, the busy street was filled not with customers, but with shopkeepers preparing for business and merchants transporting goods.

Still, it wasn’t as if there weren’t any eyes on them.

The seating in the dumpling shop was exposed. There was a roof, but no walls – so the diners were in full view of passers-by.

Perhaps because of this, everyone nearby stole at least one glance at Woo-hye. It was like watching a celebrity’s every move.

‘This is ridiculous.’

It seemed that from now on they would have to eat only in closed places.

He didn’t trust these rude onlookers to refrain from staring shamelessly at a woman.

Meanwhile, Hyang-eum had placed a separate bowl in front of Woo-hye and moved the dumplings over for her.

“There are dumplings here, so just pick them up with your hands.”

“Okay.”

Woo-hye picked up a dumpling larger than her fist and blew gently on it. Warm steam rose in curls.

She took a careful bite. A burst of savoury broth filled her mouth, rich and tasty, yet light and not overwhelming.

‘I remember wanting to try dumplings from this place…’

She hadn’t expected the opportunity to come up like this.

Gayu had once offered to have someone bring her some, but Woo-hye had refused. Now she regretted not accepting.

She ate the dumpling in her hand with great pleasure.

Moments ago she had no appetite, but now that felt like a lie. Before she realised it, her hand had reached for another dumpling. The soft, warm dough felt like a hand warmer in her palm and she liked that.

‘Ah…’

Had he deliberately chosen food that could be held and eaten by hand?

To make it easier for her to eat.

‘I never expected such thoughtfulness from Cheong-un.’

To be cared for by someone – for whatever reason – was something that inevitably warmed the heart. And the dumplings were hot and tasty.

Perhaps that’s why Woo-hye ended up eating more than usual. Sharing a meal with others probably contributed to her appetite as well.

Just then, Samho, who had quickly finished his share of dumplings, got up from his seat.

“I’ll take care of the task you gave me.”

San-gyeong gave a quick nod and Samho left the dumpling shop.

Woo-hye asked in confusion,

“Where is Samho going?”

“I sent him to hire maids. He’ll find as many as he can and send them to Yeonmowon. When we return, you can meet them and make the final decision.”

At his explanation, Hyang-eum let out a small squeal of joy.

She had wondered if San-gyeong really meant it when he said he would bring more maids to Yeonmowon – but now it looked like he really meant it.

‘I don’t want to be happy because of Lord Cheong-un, but… how can I not be?’

Woo-hye had no history of broken engagements, nor was she known as a villain.

And yet, the marriage of the legitimate daughter to a commoner meant that her family had treated her worse than an illegitimate daughter.

This incident had trampled on Woo-hye’s honour and made her a laughing stock.

Noble families would now use her as a cautionary tale when disciplining their daughters: “Do you want to end up like Dan Woo-hye?”

High society was not only conservative – it was closed. No one wanted to be associated with a woman who was seen as a discarded kite string. There was nothing to gain and everything to lose.

Hyang-eum had once believed that once they returned to Akyang, Woo-hye would finally be treated with the dignity of a legitimate daughter – but now she was desperate.

And yet, the one who could have saved Woo-hye from this abduction… could be this very man. Everything he had done so far had been unexpectedly pleasant.

Hyang-eum began to doubt what was really best for her lady.

Meanwhile, Woo-hye couldn’t understand why he had brought her out if everything was going to be done without her.

Surely he hadn’t brought her all the way here just to eat dumplings.

“If Samho is the one who hires the workers, is there anything I should do?”

“Yes. I checked and found that the engagement gifts were woefully inadequate, so I’m planning to buy more.”

“Excuse me?”

San-gyeong had already noticed that Woo-hye had stopped eating and had been sitting quietly for some time. The meal was over and there were many shops to visit.

He wanted to visit every shop in the marketplace today.

“Let’s start with the cloth shop.”

***

Overnight, Woo-hye’s circumstances had changed completely.

For the past few days, she had been sleeping and waking under warm, cosy blankets and had been helped to bathe.

After washing, her entire body was treated with fragrant lotions, and instead of her usual tattered clothes, she wore soft, smooth new ones. Her new shoes were sturdy and comfortable.

That morning she had eaten a steaming bowl of clear fish soup and stir-fried vegetables for breakfast.

All very nice, of course – but what she noticed most was the tea.

She loved tea. Every time she visited the Pungwoo pavilion, she would look for a new variety to try.

At home, she had simply dried tea leaves from her garden and brewed them at random. But now she drank exquisite teas every day, teas whose scent alone could make her heart flutter.

‘It’s so warm.’

For Woo-hye, who had always felt as if she lived in perpetual winter regardless of the season, the last few mornings had been filled with warmth.

As soon as her dazed mind had cleared, she found herself sitting in front of a vanity, having her hair styled.

Even the vanity was new. It was so well crafted that her fingertips couldn’t find a single splinter or rough edge as she ran her hand over it.

With everything that had changed, Woo-hye couldn’t help but ask a very reasonable question: “Has Cheong-un gone mad?”

He was spending far too much money. The scale of his spending was simply irrational.

Who would ever spend so much just to prepare extra engagement gifts?

The bride wasn’t a cherished daughter of a respectable family – just a discarded outcast.

Hyang-eum firmly rejected the theory that Cheong-un had gone mad.

“He’s not mad – he’s clearly trying to win your favour.”

“What would Cheong-un gain by winning my favour? I have nothing.”

The only thing he could possibly want from her was a child. And that, if they became husband and wife, would come naturally anyway.

That is… if her body was in the right condition.

‘Mokcheon said that her body would have a hard time bearing children.’

Woo-hye had endured years of being injected with poison to restore her sight.

Her body, frozen by accumulated cold energy, had been severely damaged – her menstruation had almost stopped, and her hands and feet were always ice-cold. Except in the middle of summer, she was always cold.

‘A child…’

In time, the people she loved would get married, have children and start families of their own. That was something to celebrate.

But Woo-hye couldn’t feel that way.

‘They’ll all leave my nest one day.’

The thought hurt too much. Just thinking about it made her chest tighten, as if she couldn’t breathe.

If she could, she would have clipped their wings – so that no one could ever fly away from her nest…

“He must have fallen for you at first sight, I’m telling you!”

Lost in her dark thoughts, Woo-hye reacted belatedly to Hyang-eum’s remark.

“Who did?”

Hyang-eum, growing frustrated, couldn’t understand how her usually sharp lady could be so stupid.

“Lord Cheong-un-he has fallen in love with you!”