“His Majesty the Emperor arrives!”

Lin Hwa, who was sitting in front of a small stove longing for the warm inner chambers of her home, jumped up startled at the voice she heard.

“What is this sound?”

Lin Hwa asked Wol Mi.

“Is His Majesty going to the Queen Consort?”

“I don’t know.”

Wol Mi shook her head and quickly ran to the doorway. Opening the door slightly and poking her head out, Wol Mi discovered several lanterns rising plumply towards this direction.

“He’s coming here!”

Wol Mi shouted softly and hurriedly ran back to Lin Hwa.

“His Majesty is coming this way!”

Lin Hwa stood up abruptly and paced in place. The Emperor is coming? His Majesty?

“I, I heard that the Taegam would come and take me to His Majesty’s bedchamber?”

Lin Hwa clutched her head, recalling what she had learned from the court lady at her family home before entering the palace.

“Then it seems he’s not coming to sleep together!”

When Wol Chae pretended to know, Lin Hwa’s eyes widened as if thinking ‘Is that so?’

“This is not the time for that.”

Wol Woo, being somewhat more level-headed, removed the ornaments from Lin Hwa’s disheveled hair and ran her hands through it to spread it out.

Wol Woo took a magnolia-shaped hairpin and inserted it into the side of Lin Hwa’s hair.

Almost simultaneously, the door swung open.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

Lin Hwa and the court ladies hurriedly bent their knees without even properly seeing the Emperor.

“Rise.”

As Lin Hwa raised her body, she stole a glance at the Emperor. The Emperor she first saw on Dongcho Day was as beautiful as that day.

When her eyes met the Emperor’s, Lin Hwa smiled the smile she had practiced in the mirror. The noble ladies would exclaim how lovely Lin Hwa was when she smiled like that.

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“There aren’t many things in your room.”

The next morning. While the court ladies were busily preparing breakfast, the Emperor looked around and said.

Lin Hwa, feeling both embarrassed and shy, fidgeted with her hands silently and then discreetly glanced at Wol Mi.

“Is there not much, Your Majesty? Many dowry items were brought from the family home, but not knowing how much decoration was appropriate, we only decorated the interior with the received items.”

Wol Mi spoke diplomatically while setting down a teacup in front of the Emperor.

The Emperor frowned.

Lin Hwa smiled slyly. Now the Queen Consort and her court people wouldn’t be able to carelessly divert items that should come here.

Who knows when the Emperor might visit again and point out that ‘there are few things’.

After the court ladies finished setting down all the dishes and withdrew, the Emperor slightly rolled up his sleeves to begin eating.

Lin Hwa, observing the Emperor’s mood, quietly picked up a piece of braised potato and placed it in the Emperor’s bowl. She was about to say something, but the Emperor frowned.

“His Majesty dislikes when someone recommends what he should eat.”

Song Taegam, who had come since dawn carrying the Emperor’s morning clothes, said in a courteous voice.

Lin Hwa, feeling embarrassed, said in a small voice.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I wanted you to taste the food brought from my family home. This concubine was thoughtless.”

And as Lin Hwa was wondering if she should change the plate,

“From the Yo family?”

The Emperor muttered, then picked up and ate one of the braised potatoes Lin Hwa had served.

As if it were a rare occurrence, Song Taegam’s eyes widened.

“It’s delicious.”

At the Emperor’s praise, Lin Hwa’s face turned bright red.

“Is this a side dish you usually eat at home?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Can I take some with me?”

Not only that, the Emperor actually asked for some side dishes to take.

His Majesty must like me a lot. Lin Hwa’s face reddened as she quickly said to Wol Mi.

“Give him all the braised potatoes we brought.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

As Wol Mi excitedly went out, Lin Hwa started eating her meal with satisfaction. After finishing the meal, Lin Hwa offered the tea Wol Chae had brought to the Emperor and said.

“This is also tea brewed with leaves brought from my family home, Your Majesty. It’s green tea, which my elder brother especially enjoys.”

“Yo Yohwa?”

“You know my elder brother’s name?”

A smile played on the Emperor’s lips.

“Your elder brother is loyal and intelligent. Such a cute, precious talent is rare.”

Thinking that her sister, just one year older and in a low official position, was already receiving praise and expectations from the Emperor, a wave of jealousy stirred in Lin Hwa.

Now my sister and I are on different paths. Lin Hwa forced herself to calm down and smiled.

Until now, she had disliked that Yo Hwa enjoyed everything just because she dressed as a man, but now it was good for her own future that Yo Hwa would become a recognized official.

“Of course.”

Lin Hwa nodded and smiled earnestly.

Before leaving after the meal. The Emperor looked at the magnolia ornament in Lin Hwa’s hair and said.

“That flower shape doesn’t suit you. It would be better to wear a different flower.”

Less than an hour after the Emperor left, the Queen Consort’s eunuchs brought various items in large quantities.

“We apologize for the delay in sending the items due to late organization, Young Lady.”

The Queen Consort’s eunuch made a shameless excuse and left.

Lin Hwa was angry at his behavior, but felt more relieved than anything.

“Now the Queen Consort won’t be able to disregard me.”

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After lying down all day, taking medicine and resting well, I gained a little strength by morning.

After eating about half a bowl of porridge brought by a court lady. I came out with the support of a eunuch to return home.

“Shall I carry you on my back?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ve gained some strength now.”

Yesterday I was sicker than today, but still walked to Wolmugung. Today I should be able to return home too.

The eunuch bowed, and I walked towards the outer gate of the palace carrying a bundle of medicinal herbs to take home.

But after just a few steps, someone approached from the side and lifted my bundle.

“Your Highness?”

It was my disciple who had followed me. He had bombarded me with strange questions yesterday and then disappeared without a trace.

“I’ve called for a carriage, it should be waiting. I’ll escort you just until there.”

My disciple spoke in a calm tone. His demeanor was peaceful, unlike the person who had asked strange questions yesterday.

I was puzzled, but not wanting to bring up yesterday’s incident, I just walked quietly.

As we exited through a side gate of the palace, another of my disciple’s eunuchs was pacing in front of a carriage.

Before I could go that way, my disciple spoke.

“Yesterday, the Emperor went to Lady Yo’s quarters.”

“What?”

Instead of explaining further, my disciple handed me the bundle.

“I thought you might be curious.”

In the carriage on the way home, I sat blankly hugging the bundle, then took out the magnolia hairpin the Emperor had given me and looked at it.

“…”

Since the Emperor visited Lin Hwa, the Queen Consort probably won’t bully Lin Hwa anymore. Lin Hwa will have one less worry too. It’s a good thing.

But why do I feel so uneasy.

‘He must have given it without any meaning, right?’

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While I stayed in my room for days recovering, my family was busy preparing for New Year’s Day.

Even with the door closed, I could tell the whole house was in an uproar.

“From this year, young lady Lin Hwa will spend New Year’s Day in the palace.”

My maid Wol Seom said as she brought me hot medicine from the palace.

I took the bowl of medicine she gave me, blew on it, and asked.

“Do you seem to regret it?”

“Originally there were only four of you, but now there are three. It’s because there are even fewer people. I wish our young master would get married soon so the family would grow.”

Wol Seom’s words were true. When I was cooped up in my room, I thought the outside was busy enough.

But when I recovered a bit and came out, it was clearly not as bustling as last year, even though only Lin Hwa was missing.

I carefully walked around, trying not to trip on the long paper that hadn’t been hung high yet, then got tired and returned to my room.

“Yo Hwa. His Highness says that since New Year’s Day is coming soon anyway, you should rest well while you’re resting, and have lessons after New Year’s Day is over.”

In the evening, father came to relay my disciple’s message.

“Did he seem angry when he said that?”

I was suspicious since my disciple wasn’t the type to be so considerate, but father shook his head.

“He didn’t seem to be.”

But when New Year’s Day actually came, the atmosphere in the house wasn’t as bleak as Wol Seom had worried.

The long paper that had been spread on the floor was hung high like last year, and the first snow of the season fell heavily from the sky.

There was no snow accumulation on the ground due to the many people coming and going, but looking up, the roofs were turning white.

People working in the house who lived nearby went to their hometowns, but those from far away stayed here and greeted each other as they went about.

More relatives of the Yo family than last year came to pay their respects and ask about Lin Hwa.

“Young Master. Young Master Sun An has sent a gift!”

“Young Master. The 9th Princess has sent a gift!”

“Young Master. The 6th Prince has sent a gift!”

“Young Master. A gift from the 2nd Prince has arrived!”

“Young Master. Where should we put the gift sent by the 13th Prince?”

Moreover, for some reason, the royal family sent me gifts in droves.

My disciple is one thing, but the 9th Princess, 2nd Prince, and 6th Prince weren’t this close before my regression.

The relatives who came to ask about Lin Hwa gaped and stared in a daze as various gifts from the royal family poured into our house.

“Master, it seems Yo Hwa has gained great trust from the royal family.”

Father smiled contentedly and boasted at the words the relatives offered.

“Of course. Our Yo Hwa is so amiable that those above trust her greatly.”

But among the gifts sent by the royal family, the pinnacle was the Emperor’s gift brought by four eunuchs standing in order.

“His Majesty the Emperor commanded us to deliver these gifts to Lord Yo.”

The eunuchs each handed me a vase adorned with jewels, silk that sparkled in the sunlight, a white gold bird-shaped paperweight, and an elegant wooden box.

When I opened the lid of the box, inside was a brush made of incredibly soft fur.

“It seems His Majesty is fond of Lin Hwa.”

The relatives who came to pay respects whispered to father. Father also looked pleased. It seemed I was the only one perplexed by the Emperor’s gifts.

‘What did I do to receive such gifts?’

The gift sent by the 9th Princess can be seen as a kind of joke, a gift sent to a matchmaker. But the gifts sent by the Emperor were all useful and precious…

Because I felt uneasy even after receiving such gifts, I sent an errand boy to the Sun family to call for Sun An.

I intended to shake off this nameless uneasiness while playing with Sun An.

“I’m sorry, young master. Young Master Sun An is attending royal events as the 9th Princess’s official fiancé.”

But the errand boy returned from the Sun family and relayed this message.

It seemed that on New Year’s Day, the royal family also gathered together, and those whose engagements were certain were invited to that gathering.

“Oh no.”

Hearing that story, I became anxious for a clear reason this time.

‘Then it seems Lin Hwa and Sun An will meet at the banquet. Will it be alright?’