The sky glowed pale gold that evening.The Kang household was abuzz again — not because of chaos this time, but because of a rumor spreading quickly from the main hall:
Lord Kang Jun-yeol had asked to postpone his wedding.
Inside the room, the air was tense.Lady Im Hwa-jin sat straight and composed, her expression calm but her eyes sharp.
"Postpone?" she repeated slowly, her voice soft but cutting.
Jun-yeol met her gaze. "I don't think this is the right time, Lady Im."
"The right time?" she echoed, her polite smile fading. "We've been engaged for years, and suddenly you say it's not the right time?"
Jun-yeol paused for a moment before replying."I respect the bond between our families. But marriage shouldn't be something done out of obligation."
Hwa-jin let out a small, cold laugh. "Strange. That doesn't sound like the Kang Jun-yeol I know."
"People change," he said quietly.
"Yes," she replied, her tone cooling further. "Especially when someone makes them change."
Jun-yeol didn't respond, but his silence spoke louder than any denial could.
That afternoon, in the back garden, Eun-bi sat by the old well, staring into the still water reflecting the sky."I promised not to rewrite anything again," she murmured, "but everything's changing on its own anyway…"
Then came that familiar voice behind her."Still talking to the water?"
She turned quickly. "Tuan Kang! You really like appearing out of nowhere, huh? This is Joseon, not a horror movie!"
He stood beside her, calm as ever. "You seem… troubled."
Eun-bi fidgeted with her fingers. "Not troubled, just… confused. Feels like the world keeps changing without asking permission."
Jun-yeol sat down beside her, keeping a respectful distance."Sometimes the world has to change, even when we're not ready."
Eun-bi gave a small smile. "Are you talking about the world, or your fiancée?"
He glanced at her. "You've been listening to gossip again?"
"Not gossip," she said defensively. "It's just that the servants talk really loudly."
She looked back at the well water. "So… you really postponed the wedding?"
Jun-yeol nodded slowly. "I'm not sure it's the kind of marriage I want."
Eun-bi went silent.Something in his tone — calm but honest — made her chest tighten.Like he was quietly rewriting his own fate.
"Tuan…" she said softly. "If Lady Im finds out, she'll be furious."
"I know."
"But you still did it.""There are things worse than someone's anger."
"Like what?"
"Living a life with someone you don't love."
The words slipped out easily, but the air between them changed completely.Eun-bi froze — for once, she couldn't come up with a witty reply.Only her heartbeat filled the silence.
But that silence didn't last."So… this is the reason."
The voice came from behind them — soft, but icy.
Lady Im Hwa-jin stood at the edge of the stone path, her hanbok fluttering in the breeze.Her face remained calm, but her eyes burned like quiet fire.
"Lord Kang Jun-yeol," she said evenly. "Now I understand why you wanted to delay our wedding."
"Hwa-jin—"
"Apparently, you've been… busy keeping your servant company."
Eun-bi jumped to her feet, panicked. "L-Lady Im! It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh?" Hwa-jin's lips curved into a cold smile. "My eyes must be playing tricks on me, then."
Jun-yeol stood as well, voice steady. "Enough. Don't blame her."
"Then who should I blame?" Her tone trembled slightly. "I've waited for years, quietly, patiently. And now you're not even sure you want to marry me?"
"I'm sorry," Jun-yeol said quietly. "But I can't pretend."
Hwa-jin's voice cracked, though her face stayed composed."So what now? You think your heart just changed because of a servant?"
Eun-bi bit her lip, ready to speak, but Jun-yeol answered first.
"This isn't about who she is. It's about who I am… when I'm with her."
Hwa-jin stared at him for a long moment before letting out a bitter laugh."You don't even realize that sounded like a confession."
She turned away, her composure fracturing just slightly."Think carefully, Lord Kang. In this world, love alone is never enough."
And with that, she walked away, leaving only silence — and the faint sound of the wind stirring between them.
Eun-bi finally whispered, "Tuan… I didn't mean to—"
"I know," he interrupted softly. "But things won't be the same now."
Eun-bi looked down at the well, their reflections rippling in the water."Maybe the world really hates staying still," she murmured.
Jun-yeol glanced at her. "Maybe. Because someone in it can't stay quiet."
She smiled faintly. "You mean me, right?"
He didn't reply, but the corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly — half annoyed, half amused.
And under the dim Joseon twilight, they sat in silence —not knowing what would happen next,but both aware of one thing:
No ink could ever rewrite the human heart.