Disclaimer: The SKKS-verse belongs to the creators of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.

Technical Notes: The josang (funeral) here is based on a number of sources on Korean funeral customs and etiquette. Some gave information that the others did not, so I combined what I could find as best as I could. (However, there was nothing in my sources about professional mourners. I added them here because I figured that the Ma family can afford to have other people do the keening and crying for them.)

Also, Sungnyemun is the traditional name for Namdaemun ("Great South Gate") in Seoul. The market nearby dates back to the 1400s, so would likely be around during the period in which the SKKS-verse is set.

Author's Note: As expected, this chapter was faster to write than the last one, despite other stuff that needed doing IRL. I think I only have a couple more to go on this fic, which means I can move on to the other SKKS stories I still have in my head. Many thanks to whimsicalnet, EndlessBlue, furuba-suzume, , Brown Feather, and aikishiyo for reviewing!

Chapter Sixteen

Yong-ha hated funerals.

They were very important events, of course, but they were also so depressing. Since the entire point of the occasion was the fact that someone had died, a pall of sadness hung over the gathering. Conversations were hushed and centered around innocuous, or not at all cheerful, subjects. They skirted around the topic of death, but it was on everyone's minds nonetheless; if they were not thinking of the departed, then they might be reflecting on their own mortality.

Besides that, there were the mourning clothes. People naturally dressed to fit the somber mood, so there were none of the vivid colors or dashing styles that Yong-ha so loved. Wouldn't it be better, he thought, to throw a party, dress in your finest, and remember the deceased in a happy way?

However, he did understand that not everyone shared his views, and that observing proper etiquette showed respect to the grieving family. That was the only reason why he was allowing himself to be seen in public that evening in his plainest (yet still impeccably tailored) black overcoat and no ornamentation whatsoever.

"We're almost there, Halmeonim," he said to Madam Park, who walked between him and Iseul. Snow crunched beneath their feet.

"Yes, I can hear the people talking," she replied. Although this was her first outing since recovering from her illness, she did not seem to be in any discomfort. "I am not walking too slowly for you, am I?"

"No, no, of course not!"

Yong-ha waited for Iseul to chime in with her own assurances, but his "betrothed" said nothing and kept walking, a silent and forlorn figure in her drab mourning clothes. They were definitely not from his shop, but were in decent enough condition. The absolute worst thing about her appearance, in his opinion, was the haunted look that had not left her eyes since learning that her grandfather had died.

The trio stopped at the front gate of the Ma residence. Awnings had been set up in the front yard to protect the tables and fire pots beneath from any falling snow; and as Madam Park had sensed, there was a number of people seated at the tables despite the cold weather, evidence of the late Ma Byung-chul's standing in the community. They could hear loud wails coming from within the house.

"We do not have to go inside, Iseul," she heard Yong-ha tell her. "We can turn back if you wish."

The idea was tempting, but Iseul shook her head after only the briefest of hesitations. "I should go. He... he was my grandfather, after all." Her grandmother patted her arm and she laid her hand over the old woman's, seeking strength from the contact.

Yong-ha inclined his head. "All right, then. Let's go."

They attracted little attention on their way inside the house, but encountered her half-siblings in the front room. Ki-hoon, naturally fulfilling the duties of the sangju in his capacity as the oldest son of the family, sat on a rough mat beside the ancestral shrine, upon which their grandfather's memorial tablet was prominently displayed. On the other side of the shrine sat a trio of professional mourners, weeping and wailing loudly. Iseul's half-siblings all wore traditional mourning clothes made of hemp.

She tried to ignore their gazes and concentrated instead on guiding her grandmother to stand before the shrine. Together with Yong-ha, they knelt and performed the customary bows. They then bowed to Ki-hoon. "Our condolences on your loss," Madam Park said to him.

"Thank you," Ki-hoon replied, returning the bow politely.

Since her grandmother was present and the sangju was discouraged from speaking too much, Iseul thought that the conversation would be brief and somehow civil for once, but sadly her half-sisters were not subject to such restrictions and had more than enough poison to make up for Ki-hoon's silence.

"I suppose it's a good thing you and Master Gu haven't set a date for your wedding yet," Ki-sook said with false sweetness. "Otherwise, you would not have been able to come tonight."

"Yes, it's funny how things turn out, is it not?" Iseul agreed mildly.

"Wild horses could not keep us from coming to pay our respects," Yong-ha chimed in. He took her hand and gave her an audacious wink. "If it had been necessary, we could have broken our betrothal and called off the wedding, then betrothed ourselves again after the burial."

Madam Park squawked at the outrageous suggestion, but seemed to understand that he was joking. For her part, Iseul tried to look like an incipient bride. (The warm flush that spread over her cheeks at that wink helped.)

"Master Gu, I don't see your family here with you," remarked Ki-ja, the younger of Iseul's half-sisters. Unlike her brother and sister, who were on the thin side, Ki-ja was short and plump. However, all three shared the sour expression that seemed to run in the Ma family (and from which Iseul had been fortunately spared). "What a shame that they couldn't accompany their, ah, soon-to-be daughter-in-law to a family function."

Though innocuous at the surface, but the implications of the sisters' words were clear: that the Gu family did not believe Iseul to be a worthy bride for Yong-ha. Thus, they were dragging their heels on setting a date for the wedding, and keeping an obvious distance from her.

The barbs were not lost on Madam Park, who finally frowned at Ki-ja's words. "Yong-ha, did you not mention on our way here that your parents could not come tonight because your father has another appointment?"

"Yes, Halmeonim," Yong-ha confirmed with a smile as he intertwined his fingers with Iseul's in a seemingly idle gesture. Her fingers wriggled briefly in his hold, but she made no attempt to free herself. "My father has an important meeting that he could not put off. Naturally, he and my mother were very disappointed that they could not come with us."

"Ah." The old woman nodded. "Then surely the Mas, being another family of businessmen, would understand why Master Gu is not here."

"I am sure they do, Halmeonim." He fixed Iseul's half-siblings with a penetrating look. "My father asked me to convey his regrets for tonight," he told them pleasantly, "and promises that they will visit another time.

"In the meantime, please do accept this funeral money from me and my betrothed." Tucking Iseul's hand in the crook of his arm, Yong-ha proffered a pouch heavy with coins. "And do take some time to admire the embroidery on that pouch," he could not resist adding. "It was one of Halmeonim's last pieces before she lost her eyesight. It's priceless."

He was sure that Ki-hoon would like nothing better than to throw the money back in their faces, but the other man knew better than to make such a scene. "It's beautiful," he said grudgingly.

"Thank you," Madam Park replied with a gracious smile. Then, all of a sudden, she stumbled slightly.

Both Yong-ha and Iseul rounded on her in an instant. "Halmeonim, are you all right?" Iseul demanded.

"Yes, I'm fine," her grandmother assured her, and inclined her head towards Ki-hoon and his sisters. "Omo, please excuse me. Could I possibly sit down? This is the longest I have been from home since my illness, and I am still feeling a bit weak."

"Y-yes, of course," Ki-sook said, eyeing the old woman warily, as though she was going to expire in front of them at any moment. "Please make yourself comfortable, and have some food and drink." She waved to a nearby servant. "Master Jo will show you to a table."

"In case we are unable to speak again before you leave," Ki-ja chimed in, "thank you for coming."

Iseul squarely met her half-sister's eyes as their grandfather's right-hand man appeared. "It was only right that we pay our respects," she said, and took her leave with the sketchiest of bows.

"Is this spot warm enough, madam?" Master Jo asked Iseul's grandmother solicitously as he settled them at a free table not far from a fire pot.

"Yes, this is fine, thank you," Madam Park assured him. She smiled as she spoke, and did not sound at all uncomfortable, but Iseul nevertheless adjusted the cloak around the old woman's shoulders and Yong-ha checked for drafts.

The manservant hastened to serve them makgeolli and piping-hot bowls of spicy beef soup. "Please accept my condolences, agasshi," he said to Iseul after adding rice and side dishes to the spread. "He was your grandfather, too."

Iseul nodded. "Thank you," she replied around the sudden lump in her throat. She did not have any burning desire to mourn openly alongside her half-siblings, but Master Jo was one of the very few people outside the Kim household to offer their sympathies.

"Did Master Ma pass peacefully?" Yong-ha asked Master Jo in a low voice.

The manservant nodded. "He died in his sleep," he said. "I think some had been expecting it, as my master's health had been poor for some time, but it was still a shock."

"As I imagine any death would be. How long is the josang?"

"Seven days. Some of my master's business partners are still on their way from Jeonju." Just then, someone called Master Jo's name. "Excuse me," he said. "I must get back to my duties."

"Of course," Yong-ha answered. "Thank you very much for seeing to us."

Master Jo bowed and motioned to the table. "Please eat. And call for me if you need anything else."

They stayed just long enough to eat some of the food, then discreetly took their leave. Besides needing to consider Madam Park's health, Yong-ha thought it best to avoid any more awkward encounters.

Upon arriving at the Kim residence, Iseul excused herself to go to her room, leaving her grandmother and Kyo-eul to entertain Yong-ha while he took some tea. "It sounded as though there were a lot of people at the Mas' house tonight," Madam Park remarked, reaching for her cup.

He stopped scratching Kyo-eul's ears to nudge the vessel closer to her hand. "Yes, Halmeonim, there was quite a crowd."

She placed her fingers carefully around the cup and smiled her thanks. "I suppose there will be even more visitors later, when the people from out of town arrive. Will you visit them again?"

"I suppose so, if my parents ask me to accompany them, or if Iseul wants to return."

The old woman sighed at the mention of her granddaughter's name. "She's upset by her grandfather's death, isn't she? She has said very little about it since hearing the news and I cannot see her face, but I can tell."

"I think you're right, Halmeonim," he agreed, taking a thoughtful sip of his tea. "She seems a little... lost. Do you remember her being like this when your husband passed away?"

As he spoke, Kyo-eul lifted his head from where it lay on Yong-ha's lap, as if wondering why no one was scratching his ears. He lay back down—among a fair number of loose dog hairs, Yong-ha noticed—when the young man resumed his ministrations.

Madam Park nodded slowly. "Both of us felt cast adrift when Ok-boon died. He was the pillar of our family, after all. Despite his treatment of her, Ma Byung-chul seems to have had a similar presence in Iseul's life."

She sipped her tea. "You're probably tired and have work to do tomorrow, but... do you suppose you could stay a little longer and see to Iseul?" she asked him. "Make sure she is all right?"

"Ah..." Yong-ha stammered, momentarily discombobulated by the request (and the thousand possible ways of consoling Iseul that sprang to mind). She is not asking you to do anything improper, he reminded himself. That's just your imagination running away with you.

"Yes, o-of course, Halmeonim," he said finally. "I cannot go home without making sure that our Iseul is at least settled for the night."

"The agasshi's room is right there, young master, the one with the light burning inside."

Yong-ha nodded as he and Chin-hae crossed the inner courtyard, towards the small building on the left. "Thank you."

The manservant paused at the steps. "I will be nearby in case I am needed."

"I understand," the younger man replied, hiding a smile.

Under Chin-hae's watchful eye, Yong-ha removed his shoes, walked up to Iseul's door, and knocked. "It's me," he said. "Are you decent?"

He listened for a moment. Iseul—assuming she was within—gave no answer, but he didn't hear the rustle of clothes, either. Surely she had finished changing while he had been chatting with her grandmother.

"You have ten seconds, and then I'm going in."

After counting loudly to no reaction from inside, Yong-ha opened the door.

Iseul's room had the slightly cluttered look of an active workspace. Various boxes, some sporting random dabs of paint, were stacked haphazardly around the room along with rolls of paper and containers of brushes and charcoal sticks. Paintings, likely Iseul's own work, splashed color on the walls. The requisite wardrobe for clothes and bedding was crammed in one corner, almost like an afterthought, next to a low table that held what looked like the lacquered cosmetic box he had given to her during their "flirting lessons."

Iseul herself, now changed out of her funeral clothes and wearing an old hanbok, sat at another low table, on which lay a charcoal stick and a blank sheet of paper. She got to her feet when she realized that she was no longer alone in her room. "Oh, you're here."

Yong-ha nodded. "I'll be off in a while, but wanted to see you first."

He thought he heard her mutter something that sounded like This isn't necessary, but chose to ignore it in favor of the artwork on display. Quite a few were completed paintings, but there were also partial studies that were finished enough to convey the spirit of their subjects.

"I like this one of the onggi," he said, walking over to inspect the piece. Though rendered in shades of brown, there was enough contrast and detail to showcase the different sizes and shapes of the large clay fermentation jars that were a staple in every household. "It takes a special eye to see the beauty in something as ordinary as this."

Yong-ha arched a quizzical eyebrow when Iseul failed to respond to his compliment, not even with the briefest thank-you as he had taught her long ago. He was hoping they could talk a while and he could reassure himself that she was all right, but her silence told him nothing.

He tried a different tack. "You owe me a share of the money I gave your brother tonight."

No answer.

"Since I'm in a charitable mood, you can pay me less than half. Shall we say thirty-five percent?"

Still no answer.

"I'll take that as a yes. Do you want to repay me directly, or take it out of your payment for the screen?"

Just then, he heard a sharp gasp, quickly muffled. Yong-ha turned to see Iseul standing by the opposite wall, her back to him. Her body shook in a manner that could only mean one thing.

Another man would have hightailed it out of the room in an instant. However, he knew he could not leave her in such a state, especially after promising Madam Park that he would make sure Iseul was all right.

"What? What is it?" He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you upset about your grandfather?"

She spun around at the gentle touch and barreled into him. Right before she buried her face in his chest, he could see that her cheeks were wet with tears. "He looked t-terrible the last time I saw him," she sobbed. "Why didn't I tell him to see a doctor? Why didn't I m-mention it to anyone?"

"Master Jo said your grandfather had been poorly for some time," Yong-ha reminded her. "People in that household knew. I'm sure someone sent for a doctor at some point."

"Maybe I noticed it ear-earlier," Iseul insisted. "Maybe a doctor could have saved him then."

He sighed and patted her back, realizing just then that his arms had somehow found their way around her. "Don't think like that. Master Ma's dying was not anyone's fault; it just happened."

She sniffled. "I w-wish it didn't have to. He wasn't as good to me as my Grandfather Kim, but I cared about him all the same."

"Of course you did."

Iseul's body shook again on a wave of fresh tears. Yong-ha patted her back again and made comforting noises as best he could. Apart from that, there was nothing he could think of to do other than let her cry. At least, he consoled himself, she wasn't crying all over his good clothes.

The crying jag helped, but Iseul still found herself feeling delicate the next day, when Chae-mi came to visit. "You look terrible," the potter's daughter greeted her the moment she bustled into Iseul's room.

"It's lovely to see you, too," Iseul replied dryly, even though she couldn't help but smile at her friend's frankness.

Chae-mi removed her quilted cap and settled herself comfortably on the heated floor. "I brought you some roasted chestnuts," she said, offering a steaming basket of the wintertime treat. "Have some while they're still hot."

"Thank you. Here, let's eat them together."

The other girl helped herself to a chestnut without having to be told twice. "I suppose I should have brought you something to help with puffy eyes instead," she said, "but I didn't think you would cry over your grandfather. He was never exactly nice to you."

"I know." Iseul took a chestnut, too, and busied herself with peeling it. "I can't completely understand it myself. I think... it has to do with him always being there. Even though he was... what he was, he was always there. A-and now he's not."

Blinking away the sting of tears, she took a deep breath to regain her composure. "I'm all right," she declared. "I'm coping. Harabeonim's death was a huge shock, and I know it will take time to get over it."

Chae-mi nodded feelingly, clearly relieved that the other girl wasn't going to cry. "At least you're not going through this alone. You have Halmeonim to look out for you... and me... and, of course, Master Gu! I'm sure he's a great comfort to you these days."

Iseul felt her cheeks grow warm as she remembered just how Yong-ha had held her the night before. "You could say that—but not in the way you're thinking," she hastened to add when her friend shot her a speculative look. "This is hardly the appropriate time for... that."

"Why not? I would think there's no better way to get over a death than to—" Mercifully, she cut herself off. "All right, all right, forget I said anything."

"It's been really nice having Yong-ha around, though," Iseul admitted reluctantly. Not for the first time, especially these days, she thought about how solid his presence felt in contrast to the flighty image he tended to show the world. "I know that Halmeonim will support me until the ends of the earth, but this... it's different somehow, you know?"

"Yes, I know." Chae-mi chewed pensively for a moment, then gave a loud sigh. "Well, I'm glad one of us has a man like that in her life. All I have is... well, you know what I have."

Iseul hid a smile. It had been a while since the potter's daughter had complained about his apprentice, and it wasn't much of a complaint at that.

"Oh, and guess what else?" she said, by way of changing the subject. "Before we left last night, Master Jo told me that there is going to be a family meeting after the burial."

Her friend's eyes widened. "And you're expected to be there? Do you think your grandfather left you something?"

Iseul shrugged. "It's possible, but I don't want to get my hopes up."

"But why else would they ask you to come?"

Her mouth twisted wryly. "Knowing my half-brother and -sisters, it might be to tell me to my face that I have no inheritance at all."

It came as no surprise to anyone that Yong-ha insisted on accompanying Iseul to the meeting.

"People will be expecting me to be there," he explained as he helped her dismount in the Mas' front yard, which was now clean of the detritus from the funeral. "Besides, if you did inherit something, won't my business knowledge be useful to you?"

"I know a thing or two about business, too," she reminded him.

"Yes, well, two heads are always better than one in these instances. Now, let's have a look at you." He looked her over critically, nodded with curt approval, then took her hand to peer at it. "Are you wearing your garakji? Good. Let's go in, then."

Iseul rolled her eyes, but allowed herself to be towed towards the house.

A waiting servant led them to what had once been her grandfather's study. The desk that used to dominate the room was still there, although currently pushed against one wall to make space for the meeting. Iseul also noted that the other furnishings were different. Ki-hoon, as new head of the family, must have already taken over the space.

Her half-siblings, joined by Ki-ja's husband, were arrayed side by side, facing the door. A much older man whom Iseul did not recognize sat at Ki-hoon's right. "Ah, you're here," her half-brother said, sounding uncharacteristically civil, as soon as he caught sight of her. "Come in and sit down.

"Deputy Minister Choi, may I present Miss Kim Iseul and her betrothed, Master Gu Yong-ha," he continued. "This is Deputy Minister Choi Seok-jin of the Ministry of Justice, a close friend of my grandfather's."

"Pleased to meet you." Yong-ha bowed to the deputy minister, who returned the gesture. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his "betrothed" do the same. She did not seem to be affected by Ki-hoon's failure to introduce her as his sister.

They bowed to Iseul's half-siblings and finally sat down. Master Jo appeared then, directing the maids who served them food and drink. He gave Iseul a small smile of encouragement before taking his place in one corner of the room in case he would be needed.

"I have called this meeting today to honor my grandfather's last wishes," Ki-hoon announced. "Some months before he died, he wrote a letter to be read to his family after his passing. He left it with Deputy Minister Choi, who is here to read the letter to us. Deputy Minister, if you please?"

"Yes, of course." The older man produced a flat silken parcel from his sleeve and hold it up so that everyone in the room could see. "This is the letter that Master Ma Byung-chul left in my keeping," he said. "I personally witnessed him secure the cord with wax, and stamp the wax with his own personal seal. As you can see, the wax is intact."

Yong-ha watched him break open the seal and take out a letter covered in spidery handwriting. So far there was nothing suspicious about the man, and he even seemed to accept Iseul's presence with ease, but appearances could be deceiving. Yong-ha wondered whether he could send Jae-shin's father, who headed the Ministry of Justice, after his deputy minister if he turned out to be biased against Iseul.

Presently, Deputy Minister Choi cleared his throat and began to read.

"To my family—If you are reading this, then I have already died..."

Iseul stifled a smile as she listened to her late grandfather's parting words. True to Master Ma's character, there were no tender farewells. After a brief introduction in which he stated that he was of sound mind and writing the letter of his own free will, the letter launched straight into the instructions.

The letter confirmed that the family businesses and the bulk of the properties were to go to his only grandson, Ma Ki-hoon. Ki-hoon was directed to use a judicious amount of the proceeds to support his family, and share the rest with "his sisters," whom Iseul supposed meant only Ki-sook and Ki-ja. Ki-sook and Ki-ja were also to share between themselves the jewelry and furnishings that had once been the personal property of their late grandmother.

There were gifts, mostly in kind, to relatives, friends, and close business associates; and even a sum to Master Jo. This time, Iseul allowed herself to smile at a look of surprise that spread over the manservant's face. In her opinion, it was the least he deserved after his decades of loyal service.

"And finally," Deputy Minister Choi read as he neared the end of the letter, "to my youngest granddaughter, Kim Iseul, I bequeath the land located near Sungnyemun."

Gasps of surprise erupted around the room. Iseul traded stunned looks with Yong-ha, but there was no time to process the shock as there was more of the letter to be heard.

"The papers enclosed with this letter will serve as proof of her ownership. She has lived supporting herself and never taken a nyang from the family, but I will not let her go empty-handed to her marriage. Signed, Ma Byung-chul."

The deputy minister held out the end of the missive, where everyone could see Iseul's grandfather's name and seal. "That concludes Master Ma's letter," he announced. Murmurs erupted from Ki-hoon's side of the room as the siblings conferred among themselves.

He quickly reviewed the papers accompanying the letter before handing them to Iseul with a kindly smile. "Here you are, Miss Kim. Congratulations; you are now a woman of property."

From the looks on their faces as they whispered with each other, Yong-ha knew that Ki-hoon and his sisters would not stand for Iseul receiving something from their grandfather, however small. Indeed, they approached her right after Deputy Minister Choi had gone... but her inheritance turned out to be not so "small" after all.

"Harabeonim gave you the piece of land that Orabeonim's shop stands on," Ki-sook said to Iseul.

"He did?" she replied.

Yong-ha bowed his head to hide a smile. Iseul looked surprised, but her tone plainly said that she was well aware of the fact. He watched her leaf through the papers she had been given until she found the map showing her new property's location. "Ah, so he did," she said. "How interesting."

Her half-sister paused, groping for another opening in the conversation. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked finally.

To Yong-ha's delight, Iseul readily replied, "Why, keep it, of course."

That compelled Ki-hoon to speak for himself. "W-wouldn't you consider selling it back to us?"

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "No, Orabeonim, I think not. The rent would provide very nicely for me and my grandmother, and as Harabeonim's letter said, at least I would have a dowry for when I marry."

Ki-hoon's eyes flared in alarm at the mention of rent. "B-but," he sputtered, "as a businessman, I could manage the property well, perhaps better than you could."

"I might not be a businessman, but that does not mean I would have to go at it alone," Iseul pointed out reasonably. "I am sure that if I had any questions or difficulties, Master Gu would help me." She turned to her "betrothed" with a brilliant smile. "Wouldn't you, darling?"

Yong-ha grinned back. "Absolutely, my love," he replied, meaning it.

Her eyes seemed to linger on his face for longer than they should, and her half-brother hastened to bring her attention back to the matter at hand. "We could give you a regular share of the profits in exchange for the property," Ki-hoon offered. "Just like Harabeonim told me to give to our sisters."

"That's very kind of you, but I would prefer to receive my share of the costs rather than wait for whatever is left."

Just then, Master Jo appeared at her elbow, holding a stack of ledgers. "Here are the records you requested, agasshi," he said, sounding as though he was quite enjoying the situation. One of the first things Iseul had done after overcoming her shock at the inheritance was to ask for any and all records of transactions relating to the property.

"Thank you, Master Jo." She took the ledgers, then turned to Ki-hoon with a sweet smile. "Please do not worry, Orabeonim; I am not out to bankrupt your shop. I will consider past payments and present market values in coming up with a fair rental rate."

"How very astute of you, my dear," Yong-ha could not resist saying.

"Why, thank you, sir," Iseul answered, then rose to her feet. "I wish I could stay and chat, but I have some reading to do." She tapped the ledgers meaningfully. "I will be in touch, Orabeonim. We will meet before the New Year begins to discuss terms."

"That was the most glorious moment of my life!"

Laughing, Yong-ha raised his cup of makgeolli in another toast to Iseul. "I'd say it was richly deserved, after the way Ma Ki-hoon and his sisters treated you."

"But I wasn't unreasonable, either, was I?" she asked. "All I want is the rent from the land that Harabeonim left me, and at a fair price. And I am willing to discuss terms with my tenant." There was relish in her voice as she spoke the word.

"You were the very voice of reason," he assured her.

"I could have evicted Orabeonim on the spot," she went on, "but I did not."

He picked up the kettle to top up her cup with more liquor. "Ma Ki-hoon should count himself lucky that you took the high road."

"Of course, if he wants to leave of his own accord, he is free to do that. Given the property's location, I don't think I'll have trouble finding someone else to rent it." Clinking her cup against his, she took a dainty sip and sighed. "I really should retire for the night, but I don't want this day to end."

Yong-ha chuckled. Although Madam Park had said essentially the same thing while celebrating with them earlier, she ended up giving in and going to bed. "Think of it this way—the best things about today will still be around tomorrow."

"That's true." Iseul paused and gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"Everything," she said. Her cheeks were pink, although he could not tell whether it was from drink or embarrassment. "Giving me work when I asked. Coming with me to the meeting today. Staying by my and Halmeonim's side through all the difficult times."

"Oh." He smiled. "It was my pleasure. And things haven't been all difficult, have they? Sometimes they've even been... fun."

As he spoke, Yong-ha marveled at how he and Iseul had indeed gone through quite a lot together—perhaps not as much as he had with the Jalgeum Quartet, but close—in the short time that they had known each other. He also thought that they seemed to be talking as though those times were all past, with no more to come, and the idea was unsettling.

Have I had too much to drink?

"Yes, there have been some fun times," Iseul agreed with a little laugh. "And soon, there will be nothing but good times. All right, perhaps they won't all be good," she amended, "but at least they'll be free of worry. With my inheritance—a real one this time—I will have enough money for me and Halmeonim to live well.

"And we won't need to pretend that we're betrothed anymore."