The Terms Are Drawn
Hanseong, Joseon
Late Autumn 1837
Kim Jwa-geun returned to Hanseong with a different kind of weight on his shoulders.
The meeting at the coast had not gone badly. In fact, by any reasonable measure, it had gone as well as it could have. The French envoy had not tried to push past the shoreline. He had not made threats, and he had not demanded entry into the capital. Everything had been measured, calm, and controlled.
That was exactly what unsettled Kim the most.
It was easy to prepare for a loud man. It was easy to resist someone who made demands too quickly. But the envoy had done neither. He had spoken like someone who was willing to wait, like someone who believed that time was already on his side.
Kim had seen that kind of confidence before.
It rarely came without reason.
