Three days after the Summer Banquet, the Kang household returned to its usual routine.Or at least, it seemed like it.
In reality, something strange was brewing beneath the calm—like smoke curling before a fire.
Rumors spread quietly that a royal letter had gone missing from the envoy's archives.No one dared say it aloud, but whispers began circling that the letter might have been taken... and that it happened on the night of the banquet.
That morning, Eun-bi was trying her best to organize scrolls in the storage room.
Unfortunately, "trying" was the key word.
"Why are there so many scrolls with no labels?!" she grumbled. "If this were 2025, I'd just make an Excel sheet and call it a day."
"Eun-bi!" called the head maid from outside. "Master Kang wants all the ledgers ready in an hour!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Eun-bi yelled back.Then muttered under her breath, "Sure, let me just invent Google Drive first..."
As she stacked the papers, one scroll slipped and unrolled on the floor. Inside was an unfamiliar golden seal—etched with the royal insignia.
Her eyes widened."Oh no. This is definitely not a grocery list."
She quickly rolled it back up just as footsteps echoed near the door.
Jun-yeol appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, expression calm—but his eyes sharp.
"What are you doing here alone?"
"Uh—organizing... chaos," Eun-bi said with a nervous laugh. "Trying not to destroy Joseon's economy, one scroll at a time."
He raised a brow. "You're not very convincing."
"Well, I wasn't hired for that."
To her surprise, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Apparently not."
Eun-bi blinked. Did he just—smile?Wait. No. That's probably just my imagination. Smiling isn't in his character setting.
Before she could say more, a servant rushed in breathlessly."Tuan Kang! The palace investigator has arrived—they're searching for a missing royal letter!"
Eun-bi's heart dropped.Oh, perfect. Of course the one scroll I just touched turns out to be top secret.
Jun-yeol's expression hardened. "Prepare the guest hall."Then he looked at her. "You. Don't go anywhere."
"Yes, sir," Eun-bi squeaked—already inching toward the back door.
An hour later, chaos filled the Kang residence.Guards searched every room, checking shelves, chests, even servants' quarters.
Eun-bi sat rigidly on a stool, trying to look innocent.Seo Mi-sun whispered, "You didn't actually hide anything, right?"
"Define hide," Eun-bi whispered back.
Mi-sun nearly choked. "Eun-bi!"
Before she could panic further, the investigator entered—stern, with eyes that could slice through lies.His gaze swept across the room and landed directly on her.
"You. What's your name?"
"Ha—Han Eun-bi," she stammered.
He approached, examining the ink stains on her hands. "You handle the ledgers?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then you must've seen every document in this house."
Eun-bi forced a smile. "Not every document. Just, you know... the boring ones. Shopping lists. Fabric counts. Definitely not royal ones."
The man's expression didn't change. "Search her station."
Eun-bi's stomach flipped.Oh great, this is it. I'm going to be executed for accidental espionage.
The guards rummaged through the scrolls on the table. One of them pulled out the same golden-sealed document she had just found earlier.
The room went silent.
Jun-yeol stepped forward, his tone firm but even. "That scroll was misplaced during the envoy's visit. I asked her to catalog it this morning."
The investigator looked skeptical. "Without notifying the palace?"
"It just arrived from storage. My responsibility," Jun-yeol replied calmly.
Eun-bi stared at him in disbelief. He's... covering for me?
After a tense pause, the investigator finally bowed slightly. "Very well. I'll report that the matter is resolved."
When they left, the servants sighed in relief.
Eun-bi exhaled so hard she nearly fell over."Sweet ancestors... I almost became the first office worker to get arrested across centuries."
Jun-yeol glanced at her, arms crossed again."Next time," he said quietly, "try not to organize your way into royal trouble."
Eun-bi nodded quickly. "Right. No touching mysterious gold seals. Lesson learned."
He started to leave, then paused at the door."Still... you handled yourself well."
She blinked. "Wait, was that a compliment?"
"Don't get used to it."
And he walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, clutching her broom like a sword.
Eun-bi sighed. "How do people in Joseon survive without caffeine and HR departments?"
Outside, from the upper terrace, Oh Hwa-jin had been watching everything.A faint smile curved her lips.
"So, the young master defends her again… Interesting."
Her fan snapped shut.
"Let's see how long your luck lasts, Han Eun-bi."