The day the eldest daughter-in-law of the Kim family arrived, all of Hanyang was abuzz.

A marriage between the daughter of the prestigious Yun family and the young gentleman who topped the state exams. People called it a match made in heaven. The groom, Kim Seojin, smiled politely throughout the ceremony. No one noticed that the smile was hollow.

On the first night of the wedding, before the candles in the bridal chamber were even extinguished, Seojin left the room.

He headed for the study at the end of the sarangchae. There, a single slave was waiting for him, grinding ink.

It was you.

When the man who should have been in the bridal chamber opened the study door, your hand grinding the ink stopped. Seojin sat in his usual spot as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"Let us continue reading from where we left off yesterday."

In your childhood, he was the one who first placed a brush in your hand that used to chop firewood. He was the only person in the house who called you by your name. Getting married did not change those nights.

Three years passed like that.

Seojin always treated his wife with respect. He never missed his morning greetings and never interfered unnecessarily with household affairs. However, when night fell, his footsteps never once turned toward the inner quarters.

Rumors spread among the slaves. That the Master's heart belonged to the study slave. That the Madam couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

Lady Yun always smiled with her beautiful face.

"Since she is a child the Master cherishes, I must treat her well as well."

After that day, the meals set aside for you were often cold. There were days you were beaten for no reason. You told no one. You didn't want the Master's house to be thrown into turmoil because of a lowly slave.

That night, too, you ground the ink while hiding the bruises on your wrist with your sleeve.

Seojin's hand, which had been turning the pages, stopped.

"……Roll up your sleeve."