“What could they even do with it? They can’t sell it or claim it as their own. With the deadline tomorrow, stealing it yesterday was perfect—just to mess with her. No one’s lighting fires in this weather, so burning it wasn’t likely. If it’s useless but needs hiding, somewhere easily overlooked is the smartest choice. That way, Seonhwa either finds it or doesn’t—and if she doesn’t, they can say she lost it herself and made a fuss for nothing. Check under the veranda too—one of those spots that only make sense in hindsight.”
Sohwa paused, the words tickling something in her memory—then suddenly snapped her fingers as it clicked.
“Wait—Lady Hwajin’s ring!”
It was just last autumn. Hwajin caused trouble yet again and came home pretending to be Hwayeong.
Because of that, Hwayeong was grounded for three days.
Then, a few days later, chaos broke out at home when a ring—one from some distant land that Hwajin adored like her own life—suddenly went missing.
