DN07

Episode 7

An Unexpected Encounter

The person who stepped into the pavilion where Danseol slept was none other than Gyeom. He had gone for a walk under the night sky, only to be caught off guard by sudden rain, so he took brief shelter here.

“Your Majesty, I’ll wake that court lady at once.”

This place was a royal resting pavilion, not somewhere a mere court lady had any right to enter. And yet, not only had she come in—she was fast asleep.

“Leave it.”

Gyeom halted Tae-yeom, who had moved toward Danseol.

“Let her be.”

“But—”

“She must’ve come in to escape the rain. Let her rest.”

Tae-yeom glanced quietly at Danseol, then stepped back without another word.

“I’ll remain nearby. Please call if you need anything.”

“Where would you go in this rain…”

Before Gyeom could finish, Tae-yeom had already vanished into the shadows. He was always good at reading the mood.

Since becoming Emperor, Gyeom had never once shown interest in any court lady. But now that he’d shown a hint of it, Tae-yeom had immediately made himself scarce.

“Well, I suppose I have no choice.”

With the rain still pouring, and Tae-yeom having yielded the space, Gyeom decided to stay until it passed. He sat a little distance from Danseol, watching the rain cascade outside.

But before he realized it, his gaze had turned toward Danseol, sleeping soundly.

His shadow-darkened eyes traced from her neatly parted crown to her gently rounded forehead, her long lashes, her graceful nose, and finally the soft curve of her lips.

Even without adornment, her beauty was striking. In fact, stripped of extravagant hairpins and robes, her elegance shone more vividly.

Like the moon reflected in still water, Danseol alone glowed faintly in the darkness.

A strange woman—one he found himself staring at more and more.

“So she really has become a court lady…”

Danseol’s hair was braided on both sides, and she wore a pale green robe that fell to her feet and could be fastened closed. Over it, a white skirt and a green sash at the waist.

Though the garments were plain, on her they seemed like those of a mountain immortal.

Her face, once serene, now looked worn and strained—perhaps the work had been harsh.

“Not that it concerns me.”

Gyeom turned his head away, pulling his gaze from her. Whether she struggled or not as a court lady was none of his business.

And yet, she kept bothering him.

“Truly troublesome.”

He rose and approached her. She still slept, her head resting against the pillar, her body curled tightly.

It was still early spring, and the nights were chilly. With the rain, the air had grown even colder.

Thud.

Gyeom glanced at the laundry basket beside her, then took off his outer robe and laid it gently over her.

“Mmm…”

Danseol stirred and instinctively nestled deeper into the warmth of the robe. The defenseless motion made Gyeom let out a quiet laugh.

“To think someone like this tried to assassinate me…”

When she’d lunged at him, he’d thought she must have been hiding impressive skills. But she was just an ordinary woman. She couldn’t read presence, had no strength to speak of—barely able to protect herself.

His quiet investigation confirmed it had been her doing alone. There was no trace of any conspirator behind her.

She had acted without fear, attempting such a tremendous act.

“I must at least praise her nerve.”

Despite seeming fragile, she had an unyielding core. Even now, reduced to a lowly court lady, she exuded a grace that couldn’t be concealed—something not easily found even in high nobles.

“You truly are… intriguing.”

Like a white plum blossom—what secrets could she be hiding?

“Mmm…”

Sensing a strange presence, Danseol stirred and suddenly opened her eyes wide.

“What… what was that?”

Startled, she sat up quickly and looked around. The large pavilion held only her and the basket she’d brought.

“I was sure… someone was here.”

In the midst of sleep, she had felt someone near. That’s what had startled her awake, but no one was around.

“Was I mistaken?”

She tilted her head and looked outside. The rain had stopped, and all was quiet.

“Hm?”

As she gathered the laundry basket, she frowned and raised her sleeve to her nose.

A faint, pure fragrance brushed the tip of her nose.

“…Sandalwood?”

It was unmistakably sandalwood—baekdan-hyang, the rare white sandalwood. And though her face was cold, her hands and body still held lingering warmth.

As if… someone had covered her with a cloak.

“No way…”

Gyeom’s face flashed across her mind. She remembered smelling this scent when she first encountered him.

But Danseol quickly shook her head.

“I must be imagining it.”

Back then, she had been consumed only with thoughts of vengeance—for her parents, for her homeland. Her mind had been chaotic.

She chalked it up to a trick of memory. There was no way the Emperor himself had come here.

She glanced around once more—but found nothing.

* * *

“What do you think you’re doing, crawling back at this hour?!”

“…I apologize.”

The head court lady scolded Danseol, who bowed her head deeply.

“Did I ask you to apologize? I asked what you were doing, returning so late!”

“I took shelter from the rain and must have dozed off…”

“Ha!”

The head court lady scoffed in disbelief. This newcomer, barely two weeks into her position, had the audacity to sleep on duty?

“And for the sake of your comfort, you’ve left the noble laundry a wrinkled mess! How shameless.”

She lifted a piece of Danseol’s crumpled laundry with her finger—left wet and abandoned.

“There’s no excuse.”

Danseol bowed lower, her voice quiet.

“As there shouldn’t be.”

The woman flung the laundry onto the dirt with a smirk. From the moment she had laid eyes on Danseol, she had disliked her.

Her graceful movements, lovely face, and calm, refined speech rubbed her the wrong way.

“Who does this low-born tribute girl think she is, acting so high and mighty?”

Danseol had never acted superior, but many court ladies saw her that way. Her composed demeanor felt condescending to them—like silent scorn.

They were always waiting for a chance to bring her down.

“Wash them again. Every last piece.”

“Right now…?”

Danseol lifted her head. It was already after the evening hour (7–9pm).

Telling her to redo the laundry now meant she’d be up all night.

“Of course right now. Who told you to slack off in the first place?”

The head lady tipped the basket and dumped the rest of the laundry—clean or not—onto the dirt.

“Try any tricks again, and it won’t end with mere scolding.”

She warned coldly and returned to her quarters.

“Haa…”

Danseol sighed and knelt, gathering the ruined laundry back into the basket.

In the end, she stayed up the entire night rewashing every last dirtied piece.

But her hardships didn’t end there.

Despite not having slept at all, Danseol was given more tasks in the morning. Once she finally finished, she was told to run another errand.

“Deliver this to the Sojubang at Hwayeongjeon.”

Hwayeongjeon was the residence of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Emperor’s grandmother and highest elder of the palace.

It was located on the opposite side of the grounds—a long walk.

By the time she returned, dinner would be over.

Which meant… she’d have to skip yet another meal.

“I need to find a way. Soon.”

While staying at the laundry room, Danseol had realized one thing—if she remained here, she’d die of overwork long before she ever saw the Emperor again, let alone avenged her family.

She had to be transferred somewhere closer to the Emperor’s circle. But for now, she had no clear path forward.

“Who goes there?”

As Danseol approached the Sojubang of Hwayeongjeon, a court lady stepped outside, sensing movement.

“I’m from the laundry room.”

“Ah, please come in. Set the items over there.”

Danseol entered the bustling kitchen area. They seemed to be preparing for dinner.

Lower-ranked court ladies like her were stoking fires or scrubbing dishes, while those in blue robes—senior court ladies—handled the actual plating and service.