One of Ji-Hye's servants introduced herself "My name is Seok-Yu…and you are?" she asked in a friendly manner
"Jin-Ri…Hong Jin-Ri" She answered while smiling at them
"I'm Park Dam" another said introducing herself and continuing to say the names of the others as she pointed at the other servants "This is Rin-Ah, she is Mi-Cha" She then started to point at the other table.
"The one on the right is Ho-Sook, the one on the left is Ga-Yon, the short hair is Hee-Sang and the one nearest to us is Ei-Ran"
"Nice to meet you all, hope we can be friends" Jin-Ri replied to them with a courteous bow
"So where did you come from Jin-Ri?" Mi-Cha asked her curiously
"Damn…A simple yet very difficult question. I can't tell them I'm from Mount Yangge, they'll automatically make fun of me" She thought to herself. A light bulb turned on inside her mind "Nyuong gum…I'm from Nyuong gum" she answered
The other girls all looked at each other and screamed at the same time, startling Jin-Ri "What a coincidence we are all from Nyuong gum"
Jin-Ri's jaw dropped, her eyes widened and her hair stood on its end "What?!!! There are literally hundreds of towns in Chiongsun and I happened to say the one town where they all live??"
"So, when was the last time you were back in our hometown?" Ei-Ran asked her excitedly "I'm dying to hear news from home, it's been four years since I've been there" She added, the sadness and longing for home were evident in her voice.
Suddenly Jin-Ri started to hear sobbing within the group She looked around puzzled "Same here, I haven't seen my little brother in two years" Seok-Yu said
"I miss my mama," Rin-Ah said then breaking down into fits of sobs
Ho-Sook noticed that Jin-Ri was not crying "Wait don't you miss anyone back from Hyuong gum?"
"Have you been there recently?" He-Sang asked
"Can you tell us about home? We all miss Nyuong gum" Ga-yon requested
As Jin-Ri surveyed her, she found herself engulfed by a chorus of tear-streaked, hopeful faces. Her mind spiraled into chaos, and she instinctively resorted to the most logical response. "WAAAAAAHUHUHUHU!" she wailed dramatically, "I haven't been home since I was ten!"
The girls exchanged glances, and before they knew it, tears were streaming down their faces like a dramatic scene. Just as the sobs reached a crescendo, Jin-Ri raised her hand and called out to the owner, "Nine bowls of ox bone soup and nine bottles of rice wine, please!"
Suddenly, the place fell silent, all eyes on Jin-Ri. "We're all feeling homesick, right? Don't we deserve a little comfort food to drown our sorrows?" she said, flashing a nervous smile.
The other girls looked at one another, then burst into tears again. "Where's our ox bone soup?" they wailed. "And what about our rice wine?" they chimed in, their impatience showing.
The sun was dipping low in the sky as the group wobbled back to the restaurant, laughter echoing in the air. The girls were all swaying like trees in the wind, except for Jin-Ri, who strode confidently with the prince's clothes tucked with both arms like a prized possession. Ji-Hye's eyes nearly popped out of her head, a mix of irritation and disbelief. "Who gave you permission to drink like fish?" she shouted at her giggling entourage, but all they could do was chuckle, clearly too hammered to care.
Young-Sik glanced at his court maiden, who cleverly used the bundle she was carrying to cover her face. Her eyes peeked out from the top of the bundle as she watched the young lady Ji-Hye scold her wobbling servants.
Fuming, Ji-Hye bids her fare well to Young-Sik "Forgive my hasty departure my husband, but right now, these drunken fools have managed to spoil my mood, perhaps some other time" She then turned around and walked home alone, leaving her drunken entourage.
Young-Sik approached Jin-Ri and asked her "What did you do?"
Jin-Ri lowered the bundle that was covering her face. To reveal her flushed cheeks, droopy eyes, and goofy grin "They and by they I mean we, and by we I mean Me, told them to drink"
"Ugh!" Young-Sik exclaimed, his annoyance teetering on the edge of a full-blown meltdown. He slapped his forehead in exasperation and turned to his court maiden, "Can you please tell me how we're going to get these eight drunken women home?"
Jin-Ri just smirked and pointed at something behind him. "What are you pointing at?" Young-Sik asked, pivoting to find a horse hitched to a cart.
After Lady Ji-Hye's servants clambered into the cart, Young-Sik addressed the driver, "Please take them to Minister Lim's house, and make sure to use the delivery entrance at the back." He then handed over eight gold coins, one for each of the tipsy girls.
He returned to where Jin-Ri was only to find her leaning on a wall face first and her hands were hanging down by her side like limp noodles. Young-Sik swore he heard her snoring. He turned around to walk away but stopped. "I helped eight women who are not even my servants, I should at least help my servant" He took a look around "Damn, where are those carts when you need them"
Young-Sik mumbled and grumbled as he carried Jin-Ri on his back who was sleeping soundly, the bundle of clothes hanging on his neck "I swear I'll just sneak out the next time I want to enjoy the town" It was already dark when he reached the northern gates. He contemplated before entering "This little brat will surely be in trouble if anyone sees me carrying her like this"
Young-Sik, with his court maiden Jin-Ri clinging to him like a charming accessory, pressed on until he reached a secluded spot along the palace walls. With a cheeky smile, he lifted her delicate frame and, in a moment of whimsy, propped her up against the wall like a piece of laundry. He climbed over, scooping her up into his arms, and stealthily maneuvered through the foliage, playing hide-and-seek with the patrolling guards.
He finally arrived at the back of his residence, carefully opening the window, he hoisted Jin-Ri inside, before entering himself. In his room, he threw the still sleeping Jin-Rin on his bed, before slumping on the floor heaving and panting. When he breathed easily, he leaned over and took a couple of pillows. He placed them on the floor by the side of his bed and laid down.
The prince lay on his back, gazing at the ceiling, while Jin-Ri fidgeted restlessly on the bed. Eventually, she found herself hanging off the edge, her head dangling just above Young-Sik, who was sprawled out on the floor. Startled, the prince quickly rolled onto his side, trying to ignore the sight of his court maiden. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping sleep would come, but something nagged at him. With a slow, reluctant movement, he turned back, and there she was—Jin-Ri, peacefully asleep, just inches away.
He was somewhat spellbound by Jin-Ri's features, her heart-shaped face, long, elegant lashes, and vibrant red lips all inviting him closer. Some of her hair had slipped free, framing her face and momentarily obscuring Young-Sik's view. With a soft touch, he brushed her hair aside, tucking it gently behind her ear, utterly captivated by her peaceful features. As he dared to lift his hand once more to caress her soft cheeks, the moment his skin met hers, a spark ignited between them, causing him to pull back. "Why am I even staring at her…she's not even pretty"
With a gentle sigh, Young-Sik rose to his feet, tenderly adjusting Jin-Ri's position on the bed. He cradled her head upon the plush pillows and draped a warm blanket over her, ensuring she would be cozy against the night's chill. After stealing one last glance at the serene court maiden, Young-Sik decided to surrender to sleep himself.
The next morning, Jin-Ri opened her eyes realizing where she was, only one question spang in mind "How did I get here?" She quickly got up, only to feel a sudden but transient shooting pain. She got out of bed the moment the pain subsided. A food tray with a small note caught her attention. She read the note that came from the prince;
"Drink the hangover soup first, before taking the medicine for headaches."
Jin-Ri couldn't resist but smile and bite her lips as fondly looked at the letter, she looked around and peered out of the room, but the prince was not there. "Where could he be?" She asked herself.