Episode 03
Nothing around him could hold his attention.
Though Seoyul continued touring the town he would soon govern, his eyes merely skimmed over the streets and buildings. His body remained here, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
To a certain little girl.
The child he had met less than half an hour ago kept appearing before his eyes.
The more he thought about her, the more his curiosity gnawed at him.
Normally, he cared little for another person’s family background or social standing. Yet that child was different.
Why did she intrigue him so much?
At first, he had assumed she was simply the daughter of a ruined noble family.
But the longer he thought about it, the less convincing that explanation became.
If she had truly suffered such a tragedy, how could her clear eyes remain untouched by bitterness?
She openly wore a priceless ring.
She was accustomed to eating alone at her own table.
She spoke casually—even disrespectfully—to noblemen older than herself without the slightest hesitation.
Even after learning that he was the newly appointed magistrate, she had shown not a shred of intimidation.
Instead, she had continued speaking to him as though they were equals.
No.
Not equals.
Almost as though she were the one above him.
It was a confidence found only among a very small group of people—those born at the highest levels of royal blood.
Yet another part of him still thought his first guess might be correct.
Perhaps she had simply been raised in seclusion, pampered within the walls of a noble household like a treasured princess.
Her clothing certainly argued against any powerful background.
Anyone looking at her would assume she was a servant child or a slave.
And the way she had stared at the procession of government slaves…
That expression had not been ordinary.
Just where did that child come from?
The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.
She had behaved so outrageously that he had spent the entire encounter in disbelief—and in the process had forgotten to ask even her name.
All he knew was her face.
If she failed to appear tomorrow, his questions might never be answered.
Appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as suddenly…
The thought annoyed him more than it should have.
A tiny little girl had somehow managed to get under his skin.
◇ ◆ ◇
“Give it back! It’s mine! That ring is mine!”
In front of a fabric merchant’s shop, Eunmyeong stood on tiptoe, stretching desperately toward a woman holding her ring above her head.
But the woman merely raised her arm even higher and shoved the child away with her free hand.
“Ah!”
Eunmyeong tumbled backward like discarded baggage.
Her knees scraped against the dirt.
Her palms tore open.
The inside of her wrist burned where the skin had peeled away.
Tiny beads of blood appeared.
The pain was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Yet it was nothing compared to the shock she felt.
Lowborn…?
Me?
The word stunned her.
Never in her life had she heard such a thing directed at herself.
She sat frozen on the ground, staring blankly at the woman.
The woman dusted off the places where Eunmyeong had touched her, as though she had come into contact with filth.
The surrounding customers, all dressed in fine silk, looked at Eunmyeong with equal contempt.
Why?
She had merely stopped to touch a bolt of sky-blue silk because it reminded her of a skirt her mother used to wear.
That was all.
Then this woman had appeared, ripped the ring from her finger by force, and begun calling her lowborn.
“A filthy little wretch dressed in rags dares touch my daughter’s belongings? Shameless creature!”
At last, understanding dawned.
The reason everyone was looking at her that way.
The reason they believed the woman’s accusations without question.
Her clothes.
Nothing more.
They saw her worn-out garments and immediately assumed she was a thief.
The realization made her vision go white with rage.
She bit her lip hard and sprang to her feet.
Her small fists clenched tightly.
“How dare you glare at me, you little thief!”
The woman’s voice rose sharply.
Eunmyeong’s face flushed red.
Then she shouted back.
“Hold your tongue! Do you truly have a death wish?”
The crowd gasped.
A child who appeared to be nothing more than a servant was openly challenging a noblewoman.
Such a thing violated every social custom.
The marketplace erupted into whispers.
But Eunmyeong no longer cared.
Her anger and humiliation overwhelmed everything else.
Stamping her feet, she yelled at the top of her lungs.
“Who are you calling lowborn?”
“Who are you calling a thief?”
“You are the one who stole my ring!”
“That makes you the thief!”
The woman’s jaw dropped.
“W-What?”
“You’re lower than an animal!”
“You dress yourself in silk and steal from children!”
“You shameless thief!”
The woman’s face turned crimson.
Steam might as well have been rising from her head.
“You little—!”
She seized Eunmyeong by the collar.
The child’s small body lifted from the ground as easily as straw.
One arm rose high.
Ready to strike.
“Aaaah!”
Even then, Eunmyeong refused to cower.
She did not lower her gaze.
She did not beg.
Instead, she screamed.
A desperate cry for help.
The only weapon available to a powerless child.
But it was a naive hope.
Who would step forward for a ragged little girl?
The woman sneered and prepared to bring her hand down.
Then—
A strong hand suddenly seized her wrist.
Everything happened in an instant.
Another scholar appeared.
While one man restrained the woman, another swiftly pulled Eunmyeong behind him.
The crowd fell silent.
Eunmyeong blinked in confusion.
Looking ahead, she recognized the warrior from earlier.
Chigyeong.
Then that meant—
Her head snapped upward.
A familiar face came into view.
The handsome young scholar who had carried her on his back.
Seoyul.
“Are you hurt?”
Those simple words shattered the tension she had been holding inside.
The fear.
The anger.
The humiliation.
Everything dissolved at once.
Could even an army of ten thousand soldiers have felt more reassuring than this moment?
Her eyes stung.
Before she realized it, she buried her face against Seoyul’s back and took a shaky breath.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
As though it might burst.
I should have stepped in sooner.
Watching the girl’s tiny hand clutch the hem of his robe, Seoyul felt a stab of guilt.
While exploring the market, he had recognized her voice.
When he hurried over, he found the little girl desperately reaching toward the sky, begging for something to be returned.
He had understood the situation almost immediately.
And yet…
He had spent precious moments simply watching.
Observing.
Trying to understand.
Now he regretted it.
Turning toward the woman, he spoke coldly.
“What exactly is going on here?”
The woman remained silent.
His voice hardened.
“Madam.”
Only after thoroughly checking Eunmyeong’s condition did he finally face her.
“Show me the ring.”
“What?”
“I witnessed everything.”
His gaze sharpened.
“You accused this child of theft, did you not?”
“The ring belongs to my daughter.”
The woman pointed toward a nearby girl.
Following her gaze, Seoyul saw a child of eight or nine standing beside a maid.
The girl looked pale.
Terrified.
Seoyul examined her carefully before turning back.
“This child also claims the ring belongs to her.”
“Then show it to me.”
The woman scoffed.
“You would believe the words of that lowborn brat?”
Clearly, she had no intention of surrendering the ring willingly.
Seoyul glanced at Chigyeong.
That was all the signal the warrior needed.
In the blink of an eye, the ring vanished from the woman’s hand and appeared in Chigyeong’s.
A moment later, it rested in Seoyul’s palm.
“How dare you!”
The woman shrieked.
“You’re stealing my property by force!”
But Seoyul’s eyes had already turned icy.
He recognized the ring immediately.
It was the very same ring Eunmyeong had offered as payment at the tavern.
“Does this ring truly belong to your daughter?”
“Are you accusing me of lying?”
The woman lifted her chin proudly.
“If you doubt me, let’s go straight to the magistrate’s office.”
“I’ll have that insolent girl punished properly.”
“Very well.”
Seoyul’s answer came without hesitation.
“But if this ring is proven to belong to the child, then you will face severe punishment for theft and false accusation.”
The crowd stirred.
A noblewoman.
Stealing from a child.
The very thought was scandalous.
Seoyul was prepared to see the matter through to the end.
Then he felt a tug on his sleeve.
Eunmyeong.
“Do we really have to go to the magistrate’s office?”
Her voice was unusually small.
Looking down, he saw fear in her reddened eyes.
At once, understanding struck him.
If this matter reached the authorities, official records would be created.
For a child whose identity remained uncertain, that could be dangerous.
No.
It would be disastrous.
The wiser course was to settle everything here.
Immediately.
“Half an hour ago, this child was wearing this exact ring.”
The woman paled.
“That’s impossible—”
“Furthermore, there is an inscription inside.”
Her confidence visibly cracked.
Seoyul pressed forward.
“Did your daughter’s ring contain a special engraving?”
“…No.”
“I thought not.”
His voice remained calm.
“Inside this ring is a prayer for health and longevity.”
“Along with a chrysanthemum.”
Without another word, he opened the ring and displayed the engraving.
The woman looked inside.
Her face turned scarlet.
Around them, the crowd exchanged suspicious glances.
Whispers began spreading through the marketplace.
And for the first time since the confrontation began—
The woman looked afraid.
