“You dare! From what reckless thought did you enter the palace, when you don’t even know whose blood flows through your veins?”

Silence fell over the pavilion at the Queen Mother’s shout.

Everyone except the Queen Mother cast their gazes to the floor.

Only Hui Ran slightly furrowed her brows. Not a single breath or ant’s footstep could be heard.

Han Yeoul gulped.

She thought it wouldn’t be easy, but the selection process was turbulent from the start.

“Speak. What audacity made you try to tie yourself to the royal family!”

The Queen Mother’s face was hidden from view.

But her rage seemed to pierce through the thin silk screen.

“…As you said, Queen Mother, my origins are unclear. However…”

Han Yeoul took a deep breath, then squared her shoulders.

“I have not forgotten the grace of the parents who took me in, even though I am not their flesh and blood. I wish to serve my husband with the grace I learned from my parents engraved in my bones.”

She continued in a calm but clear voice.

“Furthermore, although not related by blood, I wish to act with the decorum befitting a young lady of a noble family by helping commoners in difficult circumstances.”

“…Your words are quite smooth.”

The Queen Mother coughed dryly a few times.

“It seems you’ve learned the principles of noble families quite well.”

With a glance at the head court lady, the turns continued to the next candidates.

‘Phew… Thank goodness.’

Han Yeoul inwardly sighed in relief.

The Queen Mother no longer seemed intent on finding fault with her origins.

After all the candidates had bowed, the first selection task was announced.

Head Court Lady Choi stepped forward.

“The first selection task is embroidery. Embroidery is the refinement of palace women and a suitable way to judge the virtues of young ladies.”

An embroidery frame was placed in front of each candidate.

At the same time, the court ladies brought forth wooden boxes the size of a person.

The candidates’ attention was drawn to the wooden boxes.

The boxes had a small hole in the top, mysteriously resembling both a wardrobe and a zither.

A curious candidate raised her hand, and the head court lady nodded.

“Speak.”

“What are the boxes placed before us?”

“They are boxes containing butterflies.”

The surroundings buzzed.

The candidates could not fathom what the first selection task had to do with butterflies.

The head court lady continued her explanation.

“There is an anecdote that a hawk alights on the pine tree painted by Solgo, and butterflies alight on the hydrangeas painted by an unknown artist. Even nature recognizes outstanding works. Embroider flowers so vividly and beautifully that they fool even the butterflies.”

Embroidery tools were laid out before the selection candidates.

“The candidates’ embroidery will be scored based on the number of butterflies that alight. The candidate whose embroidery attracts the most butterflies will receive bonus points.”

Some candidates whispered amongst themselves.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing. How can butterflies recognize and alight on embroidery?”

“Indeed. Unless you smear honey on it, perhaps.”

While everyone was confounded, the selection began.

Han Yeoul recalled her time at the Seo family estate.

Confined to the inner quarters, Han Yeoul had a few hobbies, including reading books and admiring flowers.

While admiring flowers, Han Yeoul learned a certain fact.

Butterflies tend to linger on specific colors depending on the species.

Swallowtail butterflies usually stayed on red flowers, while cabbage white butterflies often lingered on blue or white flowers.

Among them, there was one color of flower that no butterfly refused – the color purple.

‘Perhaps butterflies have a favorite color.’

Han Yeoul picked up the needle and thread.

‘I read in a book that mixing red and blue dyes creates purple. I’m not sure if this will work, but let’s give it a try.’

She began embroidering purple flowers on the frame.

The other candidates also started their embroidery one by one.

About an hour later, Shim Chae Rin beside her glanced at Han Yeoul’s frame.

Han Yeoul was filling her frame with purple flowers.

Chae Rin, who had been embroidering with colorful threads like the other candidates, snickered.

“The candidate’s embroidery won’t stand out at all.”

Compared to the other candidates’ flashy embroidery, Han Yeoul’s was relatively plain.

So it drew less attention, but Han Yeoul did not bother reacting to Chae Rin’s words.

When Han Yeoul showed no reaction, Chae Rin also seemed to lose interest and continued embroidering.

As the allotted time neared its end, Chae Rin raised her hand.

“I’ve run out of thread.”

A court lady approached and handed Chae Rin a spool of thread.

Beneath the wooden spool was a small vial the length of a finger.

Chae Rin naturally received the spool and vial.

Carefully opening the vial so no one else would notice, she dipped her fingertip in the liquid inside.

Then she brushed her finger over the embroidery she had done.

Feeling eyes on her, she turned her head and met Han Yeoul’s gaze.

Chae Rin flinched.

It was unclear how long she had been watching, but Chae Rin feigned ignorance to the best of her ability and flicked off the spot she had been rubbing with her finger.

“Some dust settled on the embroidery.”

“Just now…”

As Han Yeoul tried to speak, Head Court Lady Choi opened her mouth.

“We will collect the embroidery frames. Candidates, please put your hands down.”

The court ladies came and began gathering the frames.

Given the atmosphere, Han Yeoul had no choice but to stay silent.

The court ladies lined up the collected frames at the front of the pavilion.

“We will release the butterflies. Court ladies, please stand in front of your assigned frame and count the number of butterflies.”

Soon after, the doors of the wooden boxes opened.

Hundreds of colorful butterflies emerged from the boxes.

The rare spectacle astounded both the candidates and court ladies.

Some butterflies flew out of the pavilion, but others began alighting on the frames one by one after fluttering around.

Butterflies landed on Han Yeoul’s frame.

Two or three butterflies gathered, soon becoming four or five, then around ten.

Considering most candidates had only one or two butterflies on their frames, if any at all, Han Yeoul’s results were good.

Strangely, the butterflies began concentrating on one person’s frame.

Head Court Lady Choi narrowed her eyes.

“Isn’t that Candidate Shim Chae Rin’s frame?”

Even from a distance, butterflies were exponentially flocking to Chae Rin’s frame alone.

At first there were four or five, but they quickly multiplied to ten, twenty – it was effortless.

Soon, countless butterflies alighted on Chae Rin’s embroidery.

The head court lady collected the papers with the butterfly counts from the court ladies and stepped forward.

“I will announce the results. In 3rd place, Candidate Kim Dan Bi. In 2nd place, Candidate Han Yeoul.”

From behind the silk screen, Hui Ran casually remarked.

“I suppose it goes without saying who will receive the bonus points in this first selection.”

As if to meet Hui Ran’s expectations, the head court lady continued.

“1st place, Candidate Shim Chae Rin. Candidate Shim Chae Rin, who achieved the most outstanding results, will be awarded bonus points.”

A smile spread across Hui Ran’s lips.

At the sight, the Queen Mother furrowed her brows, while Han Yeoul sighed in relief.

‘Thank goodness I at least got 2nd place.’

Despite the overwhelming score difference, 2nd place was not a bad result.

Although she did not come in 1st, Han Yeoul’s experiment was successful.

However, Chae Rin’s earlier actions bothered Han Yeoul.

No matter how she thought about it, the gathering of butterflies on Chae Rin’s embroidery seemed related to what Chae Rin had done.

.

.

.

The rear garden of the palace.

Lee Tae, who had been strolling through the garden, looked towards the pavilion where the first selection was being held.

“The first selection should be over by now.”

As the party to the marriage, Lee Tae could not be involved in the selection process. He could not even acknowledge Han Yeoul if he encountered her.

There was no reason to come to the palace, but it was more convenient to hear the selection results directly at the palace rather than waiting for news at home.

“I’m sure it went well.”

Above all, Lee Tae had another reason for coming to the palace.

Normally, Lee Tae would only be curious about the selection results, but this time, concern for Han Yeoul took precedence.

Did she not get too nervous? Did she make good use of the training she had prepared?

Did she catch the attention of the Shim family?

If she became a target of the Shim family from the start, she could face sabotage during the selection process, and her life could even be endangered.

If such a thing were to happen, he needed to take action before it was too late.

When he first saw Han Yeoul, he thought she was a woman fit to exploit, with an appearance that was too naive and placed herself at the bottom of the food chain.

But at some point, Lee Tae began to care about the woman named Han Yeoul.

“Elder brother?”

At the voice calling from behind, Lee Tae turned around.

There stood Crown Prince Lee Sun in his black dragon robe.

Although he had the appearance of a young man, Lee Sun, who had not yet shed his youthful air, wore a bright smile.

“Elder brother! It is you, elder brother!”

“Your Highness! Please do not run! You will get hurt!”

“Please maintain your dignity!”

Despite the palace attendants’ dissuasion, Lee Sun ran towards Lee Tae.

However, that short distance seemed too much for him, and Lee Sun stopped midway to catch his breath.

It was not even midwinter, but Lee Sun even began coughing.

While the palace attendants were at a loss, Lee Tae approached Lee Sun.

Lee Tae’s gaze toward Lee Sun was as dry as a desert.

“Have you been well, Your Highness.”

Lee Sun took a sip of the water a palace attendant brought and composed himself.

A delighted expression quickly rose to Lee Sun’s face upon seeing Lee Tae.

“It has been a long time, elder brother. I have not seen you at all lately.”

“It seems you are still in poor health.”

“But I have improved a lot. I can even come out for walks like this.”

Lee Sun spoke in an excited voice.

“The first selection to choose elder brother’s wife is being held today, right? I hope you find a wise woman.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah, and one more thing!”

Lee Sun gestured to the eunuch behind him.

The eunuch brought forth a scroll and politely presented it to Lee Tae.

“It is a birthday gift for you, elder brother.”

“My birthday is still far off, is it not?”

“I prepared it in advance because I did not know when I would see you again. We have not met for the first time this year, have we?”

Lee Tae accepted the scroll and unfurled it.

Inside the scroll was a finely painted peony painting.

“I drew it wishing for elder brother’s wealth and glory.”

“It is an honor to receive a painting personally drawn by Your Highness.”

As Lee Tae smiled, Lee Sun blushed as if embarrassed.

“But what to do with this.”

Lee Tae extended his arm holding the peony painting over the pond.

Then he relaxed his grip, and the peony painting Lee Sun had drawn limply fell into the pond.

“It slipped from my hand.”

Although Lee Tae’s face clearly wore a smile, his eyes were chillingly devoid of warmth.

The surroundings fell silent. The palace attendants’ faces turned pale.

Black ink spread across the painting paper as it soaked in the pond.