What surprised Yeonwoo the second time he entered the mansion was the table setting that was no less than that of a feast.

“W-What is this!”

Various dishes made with chicken, pork, beef, and other meats were displayed on the table in front of the two.

Looking at the various delicious dishes in front of him, Yeonwoo asked Geon, “Do royalty always eat like this for every meal?”

“How could that be? I heard you like meat, so I had them prepare it.”

Geon remembered Yeonwoo’s appetite when he saw the piglet during the tiger hunt.

He had promised himself that after the hunt, he would feed her until she was full. Now it was time to put that plan into action.

“When you crave meat, just say the word.”

“Wow!”

Upon Geon’s words, Yeonwoo’s heart fluttered as if she had just received a confession. If a man who fed her meat like this every day, she wanted to be with him all the time.

Without realizing it, Yeonwoo’s inner thoughts popped out.

“Can I… become a wife to the Lord?”

“What?”

Confused by the words suggesting marriage, Geon stumbled over his words.

For Geon, who had lived a life far removed from jokes, Yeonwoo’s joke was on a different level.

Geon responded to Yeonwoo’s question with a more serious expression than ever.

“How can a man marry a man?”

Seeing Geon’s serious expression, it seemed as if he was not teasing Yeonwoo, but genuinely inquiring about how a man could marry another man.

To an observer, it might appear as if Geon had confessed that he would marry a man.
Geon’s unexpected reaction left Yeonwoo even more bewildered.

“N-No, it’s a j-joke! How could you take a joke so s-seriously?”

“I’ve never tried farming.”

Yeonwoo replied with a serious expression, and Geon’s response was once again his solemn demeanor.

Now feeling reckless, Yeonwoo responded, “……Yes, it seems so.”

After all, jokes don’t suit him at all with that face and personality.

Enough with the small talk, Yeonwoo was about to pick up the meat on the table to eat.

“Let’s take a bath after the meal.”

“What?!”

Taken aback by Geon’s unexpected proposition, Yeonwoo dropped the pork trotters she was holding with her chopsticks.

Did she hear correctly? Yeonwoo doubted her ears.

It was probably a condensed way of saying they should bathe separately. Yeonwoo spoke with cold sweat on her forehead.

“I-I think there are two bathrooms. Indeed, it’s different from where the royal family lives.”

“From my single residence, why would I need two bathrooms?”

“Then, is there only one?”

“Yes.”

Was this a suggestion to bathe together? Perhaps there was a bathing culture among men that Yeonwoo, as a woman, didn’t know.

Nevertheless, even if that were the case, Yeonwoo, being a woman, couldn’t bathe with Geon.

“Uh, even if it’s men, how can we, um, get undressed and bathe together?”

With a flushed face, Yeonwoo stuttered, and Geon looked at her with a perplexed expression.

“What are you thinking?”

“What?”

“I’ll bathe first, and then you can bathe after me.”

At Geon’s calm response, Yeonwoo blinked her eyes in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

“In the military, I don’t know how you bathed, but here, you have to enter wearing clothes.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t undress all at once.”

With those words, Yeonwoo made a bewildered expression, her face turning red.

The nobles were hesitant to expose their naked bodies, so they usually bathed while wearing clothes. It seemed Yeonwoo had become too accustomed to the rough military life.

Not knowing how to justify herself, Yeonwoo stammered awkwardly, and Geon, finding it strange, spoke with a puzzled tone.

“Is this also a joke of yours?”

“Yes! That’s right! A j-joke, haha!”

Having found a suitable excuse, Yeonwoo chuckled, accepting Geon’s words as correct.

Geon, still not fully convinced, narrowed his eyes.

“Farming seems difficult for me. I can’t understand it at all.”

“Why bother understanding? Haha. Let’s eat! I’m starving.”

In that moment, Yeonwoo, attempting to smooth things over, forced a laugh and began eating the meat.

It was a relief for Geon that he didn’t understand the concept of farming.

Before they knew it, the meal was finished, and bath time approached.

Dressed in a white undergarment provided by the palace maids, Yeonwoo grabbed a towel about the size of her body. She then followed the maids’ guidance to the bathing area.

As she opened the door to the bath, a cloud of white steam rose from the wooden tub.

Even though the tub looked spacious enough for three adults, flower petals were scattered on top, giving it an elegant touch.

As she dipped her foot into the tub, a warm sensation enveloped her entire body.

Soon after, Yeonwoo submerged the opposite foot and the rest of her body into the water.

It had been a while since she had bathed in warm water. During her time in the military, she barely managed to wash her body in cold water while keeping an eye on her fellow soldiers. For Yeonwoo, there was no better place than this.

“Ha… it’s melting. I’m melting.”

“Is it really that good?”

“Heuk!”

When she heard a familiar voice from behind, Yeonwoo’s face turned pale.

Quickly covering her front with the towel, Yeonwoo turned her head slowly toward the direction of the voice.

“G-Gwangho Duke…?”

In the direction she turned, Geon was standing, wearing a tight-fitting white undergarment. It vividly displayed his body.