Flustered, Sinyeong hurriedly snapped open the folding fan he’d been carrying these past few days and held it up to his face.
“It’s rather hot today.”
“Yes, it is. Hwacheon is at its best this season, but the capital feels stifling. For now the shade keeps it cool, though I can’t help but worry about midsummer.”
At her murmured worry about the climate, Sinyeong jumped in quickly.
“Even in midsummer, the shaded places stay cool. And the palace has an icehouse—we can bring you ice whenever the heat is too much. You needn’t trouble yourself about that.”
The word ‘ice’ sounded so out of place that Hwayeong’s eyes widened. She stepped closer.
“Ice?”
“Yes.”
“But isn’t that only in winter?”
“There’s a storage chamber deep beneath the palace where the ice of winter is kept. Down there it’s as cold as midwinter year-round, so the ice never melts. You’ll always have it.”
