A dense darkness was painting over the world.

As they climbed the hill, the fragrant scent of cooking rice wafted from all around.

Suddenly, a rumbling thunder sounded from within the stomach.

Hong Woo Geon smiled slightly and looked around at Kwon Jwa Woo.

“All I’ve eaten today is a single rice ball.”

Kwon Jwa Woo, making an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse, scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

“We’ll reach the Yaseong County office soon. We can get a meal there.”

With Hong Woo Geon’s words, Kwon Jwa Woo’s heavy steps lightened again.

This is why having a goal is good.

The body that felt like a thousand pounds when walking aimlessly became as light as a feather with the goal of ‘food’. Kwon Jwa Woo vigorously moved her legs towards the distant red gate of the government office.

Yaseong County was a larger village than it appeared from the outside.

There were easily over 100 households, with a population of more than 500. Moreover, the living conditions in each home seemed not bad, with busy crimson flames in every cooking hearth.

From one house came the savory scent of perilla oil, while from another, the smell of well-stewed meat made one’s mouth water.

“The village seems quite prosperous.”

Hong Woo Geon nodded in agreement with Kwon Jwa Woo’s assessment.

“Every house has built walls, and the people coming and going don’t look too shabby.”

While Kwon Jwa Woo had been focused only on the cooking scenes, Hong Woo Geon had apparently been observing the state of the houses and the appearance of the villagers.

She gazed at Hong Woo Geon with a newfound perspective.

Sometimes she wondered what this man’s true nature was.

Was his real self the one who played mischievous pranks like a child?

Or was it the one who, like now, observed every small detail passing by with a serious expression?

“What? Do I look handsome from the side too?”

“…”

The sense of awe towards Hong Woo Geon crumbled in an instant.

Snapping out of her reverie, Kwon Jwa Woo asked a practical question.

“In a village like this, why would there be people suffering from stomach aches?”

Instead of answering Kwon Jwa Woo’s question, Hong Woo Geon searched for the village well.

Three women were drawing water from the well.

“Excuse me, could we have a ladle of water?”

Hong Woo Geon approached the women with a friendly demeanor and called out.

Wariness filled the women’s eyes at the appearance of unfamiliar strangers. After exchanging glances, one of the women filled a small gourd dipper with the water she had just drawn and handed it to Hong Woo Geon.

Whether due to shyness or Hong Woo Geon’s handsome appearance, her hand trembled slightly as she passed the dipper.

“Didn’t they say many people were having stomach aches? Are you going to drink that?”

Kwon Jwa Woo tried to stop Hong Woo Geon from drinking the water, whispering quietly like a ventriloquist without moving her lips.

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you drink it yourself?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Then I guess I have no choice but to drink it myself.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Hong Woo Geon began gulping down the water.

He must have been thirsty from the journey, as he didn’t pause even for a moment.

Kwon Jwa Woo watched him anxiously as he drank the water without giving her a chance to stop him.

Usually, the cause of stomach aches in a village was often traced to the communal well.

But… Hong Woo Geon was fine after drinking the water.

If it wasn’t the water, then what could it be?

While pondering this, Hong Woo Geon had quickly become friendly with the women and was chatting about various matters related to the village.

“So you’re saying that Yang Dol’s family, Yeon Sim’s family, and then the Scholar Jung’s house in the upper village, and Widow Son’s house have all had stomach aches recently?”

“That’s right.”

“And they didn’t eat anything together at the same time?”

“No, they didn’t. In fact, I wonder if they even meet. Yang Dol’s family and Yeon Sim’s family had a big fight last autumn and don’t even speak to each other anymore.”

“I see.”

“By the way, who are you gentlemen?”

One of the women, belatedly curious about Hong Woo Geon’s identity, asked.

As he returned the water dipper to the woman, Hong Woo Geon was about to say ‘royal inspector’ but quickly shut his mouth.

Although it seemed like he had stopped himself as if realizing a mistake, Kwon Jwa Woo knew well that all of this was intentional.

Because she had heard him whisper the word ‘candidate’ very quietly… so that only she could hear, right after ‘royal inspector’.

“I thought so.”

“I knew it.”

“He didn’t look ordinary…”

The naive women each left a word of praise and kept glancing at Hong Woo Geon and Kwon Jwa Woo as they returned home.

He was truly a born kidnapper and a natural con artist.

While Kwon Jwa Woo was shaking her head at Hong Woo Geon’s behavior, the two arrived at the gate of the government office.

When they showed the horse token with two horses drawn on it to the guard blocking their way, he wordlessly guided the two inside.

As they entered, the deputy magistrate came running out.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Waiting?”

Kwon Jwa Woo turned to look at Hong Woo Geon.

Did you send word ahead already?

However, this time even Hong Woo Geon seemed dumbfounded, as if he didn’t know what was going on either.

What’s going on here?

Kwon Jwa Woo and Hong Woo Geon followed the deputy magistrate to the guest quarters of the government office.

“We have two separate buildings used as guest quarters, one is being used by another guest, and the other by those who arrived earlier.”

“Those who arrived earlier?”

They headed towards the guest quarters, following the deputy magistrate who kept saying things they couldn’t understand.

The guest quarters, with two rooms and a small wooden floor attached, were cozy.

The deputy magistrate first showed them the small room.

Kwon Jwa Woo and Hong Woo Geon sighed softly as they looked at the room barely big enough for one person to lie down in.

“We can’t sleep overlapping here. Isn’t there another room?”

Kwon Jwa Woo turned to the deputy magistrate and asked.

“Of course there is. Come this way.”

The deputy magistrate crossed the small wooden floor and flung open the door to the room across.

It was a spacious room that looked about three times the size of the room they had just seen.

“This room looks good. We’ll take this one.”

Just as Hong Woo Geon was about to decide.

“This room already has a prior guest…”

“A prior guest?”

At that moment, a familiar face peeked out from inside the room.

“You’ve arrived?”

It was Lee Gyo Young.

“Why is Sir Lee here?”

“How did you come here?”

Kwon Jwa Woo and Hong Woo Geon exclaimed simultaneously.

Lee Gyo Young showed a rare smile towards the two.

“The more in a gang, the merrier, isn’t it?”

“Gang? Who’s in a gang?”

Yoo Chi Sung peeked his head out from behind Lee Gyo Young.

The people who had arrived early at the guest quarters in Yaseong County, Paju, were Lee Gyo Young and Yoo Chi Sung. As it wasn’t proper to share tasks that came up during an exam.

There was no way to know for what purpose they were here.

More importantly, those two had already occupied the large room in the guest quarters. That meant they would have no choice but to live with Hong Woo Geon in that cramped room.

But if they said they couldn’t do that, it might raise Yoo Chi Sung’s suspicions.

As Kwon Jwa Woo was pondering what to do, Hong Woo Geon suddenly grabbed her hand.

“What are you doing?”

Startled by his sudden, unpredictable touch, Kwon Jwa Woo shouted.

“What do you mean? We’ve been on horseback all day and walked dozens of li, so I’m saying let’s go in and rest.”

“You mean here?”

Kwon Jwa Woo gestured towards the room that was barely two pyeong.

“Come now, it’s not like we’re observing gender separation among men. Why are you being so shy?”

Yoo Chi Sung, unaware of the situation, called out from the other room with a mischievous voice.

It’s precisely because we’re not all men that we should observe gender separation.

The words rose to her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud.

That’s when an ally appeared for Kwon Jwa Woo.

“Rather than cramming into such a small room, why doesn’t one of you stay in this room?”

Lee Gyo Young, having grasped Kwon Jwa Woo’s circumstances, extended a helping hand.

As expected, only this warrior can be relied upon.

“Instead of that, why doesn’t Candidate Kwon come over here? I heard that room doesn’t have ondol flooring and is cold. Even in spring, sleeping on a cold floor might cause facial paralysis.”

“…”

Ah, Sir Lee. I’m more afraid of being discovered as a woman than getting facial paralysis.

“Sir Lee, thank you for your words, but I’ll stay in this room. I tend to run hot, so the lack of ondol heating sounds perfect for staying cool.”

As she was trying to settle the situation, Hong Woo Geon interjected.

“Feeling cool is nice for a day or two. But a delicate person like you might catch a chill sleeping in such a cold place.”

“But we can’t have four grown men sleeping in one room, can we?”

Kwon Jwa Woo said, gesturing towards the larger room across.

“Why not?”

Lee Gyo Young began arranging the bedding to accommodate four people.

Watching this, Yoo Chi Sung suddenly lay down and objected.

“I’m against it. I may look easygoing on the outside, but I’ll have you know I was raised like a precious jewel at home. I’m already displeased about not having a room to myself, and now you’re talking about four men sharing a room? I can’t do it. I absolutely refuse to do that.”

Yoo Chi Sung was being obstinate.

He thought this would force Hong Woo Geon and Kwon Jwa Woo to sleep in the small room.

However, the situation unfolded in the opposite direction of what Yoo Chi Sung had expected.

“This works out perfectly.”

Lee Gyo Young lifted Yoo Chi Sung’s upper body.

“Human habits are a fearsome thing. Those used to sleeping alone find it most comfortable to sleep alone.”

Hong Woo Geon matched Lee Gyo Young’s actions, lifting Yoo Chi Sung’s lower body, and they moved him to the small room.

Yoo Chi Sung, who had been moved to a different room entirely against his will, wore a bewildered expression. He quickly tried to get up and return to his original place. But Lee Gyo Young pressed down on his shoulder, pinning him in place.

“Ouch, you’re killing me, you’re killing me.”

Yoo Chi Sung groaned in pain.

Ignoring him, Hong Woo Geon pushed Kwon Jwa Woo, who was standing awkwardly on the wooden floor, into the large room.

“There, the room situation is settled.”

“I never agreed to this.”

Though he said this, Yoo Chi Sung was unable to move, held down by Lee Gyo Young.

“We’re tired, so let’s rest now.”

“I absolutely cannot rest in a room like this.”

Yoo Chi Sung, who had been practically confined to the small room, shouted, but no one was listening.

And so, a peaceful night passed for all but one person.

Or at least, that’s how it seemed it would pass.

However, an unexpected event that no one could have predicted was waiting for them.