Then, naturally—

“I’m not going.”

Yul-hye replied firmly. After all, what reason could there possibly be for them to go out together?

“Kyah!”

Before she could react, Ah-shin scooped her up effortlessly and slung her over his shoulder.

“You do have the right to refuse, but it doesn’t always work.”

With that, he began striding away as if nothing were amiss.

‘This, this… this insane man! What right to refuse? He’s just going to do whatever he wants anyway!’

For a moment, she had actually believed she had a choice. It was foolish to think so.

‘Choice, my foot.’

***

‘What is he doing?’

Yul-hye glanced sideways at the man sitting next to her. She was now dressed in a thick fur coat and sat next to Ah-shin. In front of them, soldiers were busy distributing rice and meat to the townspeople.

Who were the recipients? The citizens of the city.

Under the previous governor, in times of heavy snowfall, severe drought or poor harvests, the Gangseo provincial storehouse was often opened to distribute relief grain to the people. This was an expected duty of a governor.

But to see this man – Ah-shin – do the same was unexpected.

She had always thought of him as someone without compassion, completely indifferent to people’s lives. Yet here he was, handing out relief grain just because there had been a few days of heavy snow.

But why did it feel so insincere?

It didn’t seem like something he was doing out of genuine concern – it felt contrived, a show for appearances.

How else could the same man who only last night threatened to burn down houses, chop off heads and kill people, suddenly turn into a compassionate benefactor overnight? It was harder to believe than the idea of a dog suddenly deciding to stop chasing its tail.

“Am I not merciful?”

Ah-shin said, looking smug.

He even said it himself.

“You shouldn’t say that about yourself.”

“Then why don’t you say it for me? Tell me I’m merciful.”

“You are merciful.”

“Doesn’t it look like my last years are going to be blessed?”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? That my final years wouldn’t be good. That I’d be betrayed, abandoned, and spend the rest of my life in regret.”

Wait, he remembered that?

What kind of man held onto something so trivial? His physique was imposing, yet his heart was so small.

“Now that you see how merciful I can be, don’t I seem different to you?”

Ah-shin asked with a smirk.

Yul-hye blinked in surprise, unsure how to process his words.

‘Is he seriously trying to make me fall for him by doing this?’

Her thoughts raced as she tried to understand his intentions.

‘Does he truly believe that one act of mercy would win me over?’

The idea was laughable. No woman in her right mind would fall for something so shallow—especially when she already knew the kind of person he truly was. Falling for this would be absurd. No, unless she’d completely lost her senses, that could never happen.

‘But I can use this.’

Yes, she had already made up her mind to act as though she had fallen for the Governor. The more convincing her performance, the sooner she could make her escape. If he wanted her to appear infatuated, all she needed to do was play the part.

“You’re a bit different from what I imagined,” Yul-hye said, choosing her words carefully. “I thought you were completely heartless, but… you have a human side. I like that. A little.”

As the words left her lips, she studied Ah-shin’s reaction closely.

To her surprise, he smiled. It wasn’t his usual cold, menacing smile but one that seemed genuinely pleased.

‘Did what I just say actually make him happy?’

“The people will respect you now, my lord, even I’ve come to respect you—just a little.”

Ah-shin’s smile widened slightly, but his response was sharp.

“Respect isn’t what you should be offering.”

Before Yul-hye could reply, an untimely sneeze broke the tension.

“Ah-choo!”

Yul-hye faked a sneeze, adding a shiver for effect as though the cold had seeped into her bones. She even made a show of trembling slightly.

“Are you cold?”

“Yes, my hands are freezing.”

She slipped her hands under the edge of his fur coat with a practiced air of innocence, as though she were merely seeking warmth.

It was a deliberate move, calculated to seem harmless—a simple gesture to stave off the cold.

But then Ah-shin caught her hands, his grip firm and unyielding, stopping her in her tracks.

“This should make it less cold.”

His voice was calm, as if he really cared.

Yul-hye’s thoughts whirled in disbelief. She knew better. This was all an act – a carefully constructed facade. He wasn’t that kind of man. Not really. Not deep down.

And yet, for some inexplicable reason, this feigned gesture felt strangely endearing. Was it because she was so utterly exhausted?

So tired that, regardless of who this man truly was, she just wanted to lean on someone—anyone.

‘It should be fine, right?’ she thought hesitantly, before gently resting her head against his shoulder.

To her surprise, his broad shoulder felt incredibly comfortable. She had never imagined how reassuring the shoulder of a man with such a towering frame could be.

Then, in a low murmur, he said, “Not bad.”

‘Not bad?’

Yul-hye blinked, puzzled. What wasn’t bad? What could he possibly mean?

“Not bad.”

Yul-hye still didn’t understand his meaning, but she found herself unwilling to argue. She shifted slightly against his shoulder and thought to herself, ‘He’s right—it’s… not bad at all.’

***

He had big hands. She already knew this, but now, as her gaze fell on them again, she couldn’t help but marvel silently.

At the moment, Yul-hye was walking while holding Ah-shin’s hand.

But why was she holding his hand in the first place?

As she watched his hand sway slightly with each step, Yul-hye felt an odd urge to grip it more firmly. His hand was massive—easily twice the size of hers, perhaps even more.

‘His palm is so rough’

Her fingers brushing against the calloused surface.

It was unmistakably the hand of a man who wielded a sword. It stirred a memory, bringing to mind her late father’s hands.

Jung Dae-in’s hands had been soft and smooth—the hands of a scholar. But her father? His hands were hard, calloused, and weathered, much like Ah-shin’s.

Yet, she had always liked how those rough hands held her small ones so gently. Walking hand in hand with her father had made her feel as though the whole world belonged to her.

She couldn’t return to those days, no matter how much she longed for them. And yet, holding this man’s hand now felt strangely familiar, as if she had been transported back to that time of warmth and security.

Of course, this man was nothing like her father. Their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

“You have a wound on your hand.”

Yul-hye remarked, noticing the scarred skin.

“It’s just a scratch from a tiger’s teeth.”

His tone was as casual as if he were talking about stepping on an ant. Yul-hye blinked at him, unsure whether to marvel at his nonchalance or question his sanity.