Life in Joseon went on as usual—or at least, it looked that way from the outside.But for Han Eun-bi, who now slept with a secret letter hidden under her pillow and a thousand questions in her head, every day felt like a new episode in her overly dramatic life.
"I can't relax," she muttered the next morning while sweeping the courtyard. "The letter said 'the border of worlds will open.' What if my portal home is… in the backyard well?"
"Eun-bi!" shouted the head maid from across the yard. "Stop talking to yourself before I call an exorcist!"
"Sorry, ma'am! I'm just… rehearsing my historical monologue!"
Later that day, Eun-bi was summoned to Kang Jun-yeol's study.He said he needed help reviewing old trade documents and palace letters.Of course, Eun-bi heard it differently.
"He called me… alone… to the study?" she whispered at the door, panicking. "Oh no. Don't tell me this is the start of a romantic subplot. No, no! Focus, Eun-bi! This is Joseon, not an office romance drama!"
She knocked hesitantly.
"Come in," came Jun-yeol's flat voice from inside.
Eun-bi stepped in, nearly tripping over the doorframe. "G–Good day, sir! I'm ready to assist with full… effort and mild terror."
Jun-yeol gave her a blank stare. "Can you read old scripts?"
"A little, sir. As long as the letters don't look like worms."
She sat down, helping him unroll the parchment. Jun-yeol pointed to an old brownish scroll."This one… isn't a regular letter. Look here—see that symbol?"
Eun-bi leaned closer. At the bottom corner was a small mark: a half-sun behind a cloud, encircled by tiny rings.
She tilted her head. "Hmm. Looks like an ancient skincare logo."
Jun-yeol's expression didn't change. "That's the emblem of the former royal family."
"Oh! Same level of importance, then."
She studied it longer, frowning. "Weird… I've seen this before… somewhere…"
Jun-yeol's eyes snapped toward her. "You've seen it?"
"Ah! I mean—maybe on… the kitchen wall?"
"The kitchen wall?"
"Uh… or maybe in a historical drama! Wait—no, in a dream! Yes, a dream!"
He sighed, rubbing his temple. "You really are the strangest servant in Joseon."
"Thank you, sir! It's my most consistent talent."
Then something unexpected happened.The flame from the candle beside them flickered, its light reflecting oddly off the ink.
Faint writing began to appear—lines that hadn't been visible before.
"Eh?! The letter's alive?!" Eun-bi yelped, stumbling backward.
Jun-yeol stepped closer. "No—it's invisible ink. It only shows under certain light."
The words slowly formed:
'The one who holds the mark shall rewrite history. Beware—for the pen can be sharper than any sword.'
Eun-bi stared, her heartbeat quickening—not because Jun-yeol was standing close, but because the message felt… personal.Almost as if it was written for her.
Jun-yeol frowned thoughtfully. "This isn't a simple letter. Someone inside the palace is playing with ancient royal symbols."
"And here I was thinking it was a job promotion," she muttered under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing, sir! Just… very mysterious!"
As the evening light faded, Jun-yeol carefully rolled the letter again."Don't speak of this to anyone. Not even the other servants."
"Yes, sir." She nodded solemnly—then added innocently, "But can I at least write it in my personal diary? You know, so when I return to the future—uh, I mean—future times, I'll remember it?"
He froze mid-motion, looking at her as if unsure whether to laugh or call a physician."You… say strange things far too often."
Eun-bi smiled sheepishly. "It's my charm, sir. Ordinary people are easy to forget."
That night, Eun-bi sat in her tiny room, staring at her candle.She couldn't stop thinking about the glowing ink and the eerie words.
"Candlelight… hidden ink… rewriting history…" she whispered. "Maybe the candle itself is a key."
She leaned closer. "If it is, please don't make me explode."
Just then, a cold gust blew through the window. The flame flickered wildly.On the wall, the shadow twisted—forming a vague silhouette behind her.
Eun-bi turned sharply.No one was there.
Only the chill of the night… and a faint whisper from outside the window:
"The writer has awakened."
Eun-bi froze, face pale. "Okay… this is officially scarier than anything I've ever written."
The next morning, servants found her in the kitchen, clutching her pillow while muttering,"If anyone asks—I'm just a regular maid. Not a historian, not a witch, definitely not a walking portal."
Jo-an placed a bowl of porridge in front of her, shaking his head."Eun-bi, you really live in your own world."
She stared blankly at the bowl."Yeah… and sadly, it's a world with great ratings but terrible plot twists."
✨ In his study, Kang Jun-yeol sat before the same letter, the candlelight flickering gently.He ran a finger over the scorched edge of the paper and murmured,
"To rewrite history… beware the pen."
For a moment, his thoughts drifted to a certain clumsy girl with too many secrets.
And for the first time, the corners of his cold expression softened—barely noticeable, but real.A faint, rare smile.