I started painting by generously dipping the brush in ink to calm my mind.

“Isn’t that too much ink?”

My attendant Wolseom asked worriedly while grinding ink beside me, but I confidently proceeded to paint.

“See? I told you it’s too much ink.”

Although Wolseom was right, I finished the painting without hesitation.

“It’s fine. I’m not painting this to show anyone anyway.”

By the time I had painted about ten such paintings, my mother finally sent for me.

“Young master. The lady is calling for you.”

At Sugil’s voice, I put down the brush I had been holding for two days straight, and Wolseom quickly brought me a wet towel.

After washing my hands and going to the main hall, I saw my mother standing blankly in front of a table, looking at a scroll of plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo hanging on the wall. She turned her head towards me.

“You’re here?”

“You called for me?”

“I looked into that young man named Nan Gyun you mentioned.”

I sat down on a chair and asked my mother with all my anticipation.

“How was he?”

“That family has quite a good reputation, just as you said. I wondered why the name sounded unfamiliar, but it turns out they were working in Unwangseong and only came up to the capital about half a year ago. However, the few acquaintances all praised the family members as virtuous and wise.”

“What about Nan Gyun?”

Why is she only talking about the family? Could it be that Nan Gyun lived recklessly and changed his ways later? Is that why his reputation isn’t good at this time?

I looked at her anxiously. My mother sighed and said,

“That young man is still in Unwangseong. He stayed behind to finish his studies with the teacher at the academy there.”

“When do his studies end?”

“It seems he’ll need to stay a few more years.”

It feels like I’ve been hit on the head. So that’s why the marriage between Nan Gyun and Lin Hwa is only arranged after a few years!

I asked urgently, knowing my mother would refuse:

“Since the family has such a good reputation, how about exchanging horoscopes and getting engaged for now? We need to avoid the selection of royal concubines right away.”

As expected, my mother firmly refused.

“No.”

“Ah, Mother.”

“Once engaged, it’s not easy to break it off. Divorce after marriage is even more difficult. Lin Hwa must marry a proper man. A virtuous and good-natured man who can make Lin Hwa happy and comfortable for life. It’s hard to know a person’s true nature, but we should at least meet him.”

Oh, Mother! Nan Gyun is a man you and Father have already thoroughly vetted!

‘In the future before the regression, but still…’

I pretended to contemplate and then asked,

“Then, Mother, if I bring Nan Gyun here, will you meet him?”

“Bring him? How?”

“We won’t know if it’s possible unless we try. I’ll try to bring him, so please see what he’s like.”

My mother stared at me for a moment, then took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

I asked in surprise, and my mother replied with a trembling voice,

“I’m touched that you care so much about your sister, even though you fight with her.”

No, not really. I just think it’s better for my sister to live well rather than poorly, and to live peacefully rather than die.

“Of course. Lin Hwa may be an annoying filly, but she’s still my sister.”

“Can’t you stop calling your sister a filly?”

“I changed it to filly after getting scolded for calling her a rascal.”

“Call her Lin Hwa. Or give her a prettier nickname.”

“Actually, filly is prettier than Lin Hwa.”

My mother slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang. But when I just averted my gaze without changing my words, she sighed and advised,

“I’m not just saying this, Yo Hwa. You two sisters are all you have in this world. Right now it may seem like you’re unilaterally taking care of your sister, but after Lin Hwa gets married, you might end up receiving help from her husband or in-laws. Of course, you should continue to protect Lin Hwa too.”

Honestly, I can’t agree with my mother. While close siblings can indeed be each other’s greatest strength, bad siblings are just close competitors.

You can see that with the 13th Prince and his siblings.

But there’s no need to upset my mother unnecessarily, so I just nodded and asked,

“Anyway, if I bring Nan Gyun, you’ll see what kind of young man he is, right?”

“Of course.”

Then there’s no choice. I’ll have to go to Unwangseong and find Nan Gyun myself.

Two days have already passed while waiting for my parents to investigate the Nan family. In the meantime, the Emperor could issue an edict for selecting royal concubines, so there’s no time to waste. I need to go quickly!

The next day. When I entered Wolmugung, I carefully asked my disciple:

“Your Majesty, could I have about a fortnight of leave?”

A fortnight is a bit tight for going to Unwangseong and back. It’ll be even tighter considering the time to find and persuade Nan Gyun.

But my disciple probably won’t allow more than that, so a fortnight was the tightly packed time I had planned.

‘I need at least a fortnight.’

My disciple leisurely turned the pages of today’s study book one by one, then looked at me with seemingly indifferent eyes. There was no answer. But his eyes were asking, “What nonsense is this?”

Still, when I just smiled sweetly, my disciple finally closed the book and asked,

“Didn’t you just return to the palace after the Dongcho holiday?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

“And now you’re asking for another vacation?”

“Well, um, you see.”

What should I do? Should I be honest? Once again, a moment of choice has arrived.

I bowed my head and racked my brain while receiving my disciple’s seemingly indifferent but certainly not indifferent gaze with my head.

Does my disciple know the name of Nan Gyun, Lin Hwa’s husband from before the regression? He said he had no interest in Lin Hwa at all. So it seems he wouldn’t know.

On the other hand, Nan Gyun is not only Lin Hwa’s husband but also my in-law, so he might know the name.

He might not know the full name, but he might have heard it in passing and suddenly recover his memory if I mention the Nan family or Nan Gyun’s name.

‘Then it’s better not to talk about Nan Gyun, right?’

If my disciple hears about Nan Gyun, he might guess, ‘You liked him before and married him, so now you’re trying to arrange a marriage with him again because you like him.’

But in the worst case, he might guess, ‘Why is the timing of the marriage proposal so different from before the regression? Could it be that Master has memories from before the regression?’

I finally chose to give a vague explanation.

“I’m not feeling well.”

“Not feeling well?”

“I’ve been running around diligently even after being hit with the inkstone, haven’t I? It seems the aftereffects are still lingering. So I’d like to rest properly for about a fortnight to recover, Your Majesty. Would that be alright?”

My disciple asked with an annoying smile,

“Then what about my lessons?”

Liar! You don’t even listen to my lessons anyway, and now you’re saying this!

“Your Majesty is so brilliant that fortunately, we’re ahead of schedule in our lessons. I think we can afford to skip a fortnight, Your Majesty.”

I tried my best to make my eyes look pretty. My disciple says my eyes are pretty.

Whether it was effective or not, when I stared intently with all my effort to make my eyes pretty, my disciple, who had been looking at me coldly, slightly averted his gaze and stepped back.

“Very well.”

Oh!

“However, there’s a condition.”

“A condition?”

“I’ll prepare a room for you in Wolmugung.”

“What?”

“Rest there while staying here.”

“!”

I was shocked and stared blankly at my disciple, then objected, trying not to show too much displeasure.

“We may have discussed marriage, but we’re not even engaged yet, let alone married. How can you suggest we live together!”

Unlike my consideration, my disciple showed his disgust all over his face.

His expression was so displeased that I almost got upset. Why! You suggested it first, so why are you looking at me like that!

“Master.”

“Yes…”

“You shouldn’t misunderstand. This disciple doesn’t want you to come here because he wants to be near you.”

“!”

“It’s because I find it hard to trust you that I want you to come here.”

You nasty brat… How can someone with such a fair face have such a foul mouth.

“Why don’t you trust me?”

I asked even though I knew why my disciple didn’t trust me. The me without memories from before the regression shouldn’t know why he’s acting like this.

My disciple silently stared at me for a while, then answered with a light smile.

“Because you’re lustful, Master. You wag your tail like a dog at anyone with a pretty face, regardless of who they are.”

“Calling your master a dog…”

The father throws an inkstone, and now the son throws a dagger.

When I muttered dejectedly, my disciple stopped wielding his knife-like words and fell silent for a moment.

I was just looking down at the desk, then slightly raised my head to see my disciple looking at me with an unpleasant gaze.

Why. You called me a dog, so why are you making that expression!

I stared intently at my disciple with those eyes he said he liked about me. How can you call me a dog when you see me like this!

Moreover, thinking about it, it’s funny.

“Dogs are known for their loyalty. Your Majesty always scolds me for lacking loyalty, yet you call me a dog. In fact, even in Your Majesty’s eyes, I’m not without loyalty, am I?”

After I pointed out how flawed his logic was, my disciple pretended to laugh awkwardly as if he felt caught.

“Besides, dogs are very lovable and cute…”

As I added one more comment and lowered my gaze again, my disciple made another deflating sound.

As I continued to stay in that state, my disciple spoke again in a more subdued tone than before.

“If I give you a fortnight’s vacation, I don’t know what you’ll do. We’ve met twice at the gambling house, haven’t we?”

“The fact that we’ve met there twice means that Your Majesty has also been there at least twice… Never mind. Please continue.”

I tried to logically refute again, but my disciple’s expression was so scary that I quickly shut my mouth.

As I put my hands together and assumed a respectful posture, my disciple concluded coldly,

“If you want a fortnight’s vacation, stay here and receive treatment from the royal physician. I’ll call for the physician. Otherwise, there’s no vacation.”

“But I need to rest at home to feel at ease.”

By this point, he should have backed down a bit. But my disciple absolutely refused to back down.

Rather, my disciple frowned, displeased that I kept objecting, and asked, pretending to compromise,

“Then shall I stay at your house together?”

Are you crazy!

“We, we’re not even engaged, how can you suggest such a thing? No way!”

“Then I’ll visit you every day for the fortnight to check on you. You won’t refuse this, will you?”

This disciple! He’s really a bad guy. I fumed inwardly, unable to say harsh words.

But my disciple seemed determined not to give me any freedom no matter what.

However, since I couldn’t stay in Wolmugung for a fortnight, nor could I let my disciple into our house for a fortnight, nor receive his care, I finally backed down dejectedly.

“Please forget I said anything.”

It can’t be helped. It won’t be as effective as going myself, but I’ll have to send someone to meet Nan Gyun…