Seo Jin hadn't slept a all night.
He was still in the Magistrate office, sitting at his desk with tired eyes and a cluttered mind. His hand rested on the table, gripping the tiny dart he had pulled from his neck the night before. It was small, but it said so much. He just didn't know what it meant yet.
He looked around the office. Papers were everywhere. He had turned the place upside down searching for his notebook, but it was gone. He stared at the dart again. He kept turning it in his fingers, as if it would suddenly speak to him. His face was tense. Confused. Determined.
Dawn crept in through the wooden windows, but he didn't even notice.
The other officers started coming in, one by one. They were surprised to see him still there.
"Officer Seo… you didn't go home?" one of them asked.
Jin didn't reply. He just kept staring at the dart.
Soon the whole office was filled with murmurs and chatter. The news had spread fast. Everyone had heard about Lord Baek's death. Some called it an unfortunate fire accident. Others weren't so sure.
"Did you hear? Lord Baek died in his own study," an officer whispered to another.
"They said it was a fire… but I don't know. It all sounds strange," someone else muttered.
"Poor man. Burned alive. What a way to go."
Jin heard all the talk but didn't say a word. He just sat there, thinking. Whoever that masked figure was in the woods last night, she had taken everything—including his notebook.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Jang residence, Eun Sook had woken up early. The sun was barely out when she sat up in bed and reached for her drawer.
Inside was Seo Jin's notebook.
She opened it slowly and began to flip through the pages. Her eyes scanned every word, every drawing, every clue he had jotted down. There were sketches of the darts. A note about the victims. And one line that caught her attention.
"A strong sweet smell of a woman's perfume… like flowers."
Eun Sook raised an eyebrow. "He thinks it's perfume? How foolish!"
She let out a small laugh and shook her head.
Na Bi came into the room with a folded cloth in her arms, but the moment she saw her lady reading the notebook, her curiosity got the best of her.
"What's that?" she asked, stepping closer.
Eun Sook tossed the book to her. "See for yourself."
Na Bi sat down and flipped through the pages, just like Eun Sook had. When she reached the part about the perfume, she frowned.
"But… this scent he's talking about, it can't be your regular perfume? What's so unique about it?"
Eun Sook smiled. "It's not my perfume, Na Bi. It's the tonic. It's made from the blood blossoms which makes it smell sweet. I use it to lace my darts. It's what puts people to sleep."
Na Bi blinked in surprise. "So all this time, he's chasing a perfume when it's just a sleeping tonic?"
Eun Sook leaned back with a smirk. "Exactly. That's the only clue he has. He thinks he's close… but he's nowhere near."
With that, she picked up the notebook again, walked to the small lantern by the corner, and threw it into the flame.
Na Bi gasped. "You're burning it?"
"I don't need it," Eun Sook said calmly. "Let's see how well he does without it."
Ashes floated into the air as the notebook turned black and curled into itself.
"Now," Eun Sook said, standing up, "go prepare a bath. And pick out a hanbok. We're going to see Madam Han."
---
A short while later, Eun Sook stepped out of the front gate with Na Bi and Na Mu by her side. The sky was clear, and the streets were already busy. People stood in groups, whispering, talking louder than they should.
"Did you hear? Lord Baek is dead."
"They said it was a fire in his study."
"What a shame. He was such a good man."
Eun Sook listened to every word as they passed by. The streets of the capital were filled with the news of Lord Baek's death. But it wasn't the right news.
They should be saying Lord Baek was murdered. That an assassin had struck him. But instead, everyone believed it was just an accident.
She paused for a moment and looked down at the ground.
"So he covered it up," she muttered.
Na Mu turned to her. "Who?"
"Seo Jin," she replied.
Na Mu narrowed his eyes. "Then he's more dangerous than we thought."
Na Bi nodded. "He's smart too. If he's hiding what happened, it means he's planning something."
Eun Sook looked ahead, her eyes calm. "Let him plan. I have my own plans too. I'll know how to handle him."
---
When they reached Hwa-ryeong Jeong, the Gisaeng house was quiet and elegant as always. A young Gisaeng recognized Eun Sook and bowed deeply.
"My Lady, please follow me. Madam Han is expecting you."
They walked through the painted halls until they reached the inner chamber. The Gisaeng opened the door and let her in while Na Bi and Na Mu stood outside the room waiting for them.
Madam Han was seated behind a low table, sipping tea and fanning herself with a beautiful fan.
"My lady," she said with a smile. "You came early."
Eun Sook placed a small wrapped bundle on the table. Madam Han opened it and found the hanbok, the jewelleries, and the sword from the banquet.
"You're returning these? You should keep them they were made for you"
"I don't need them," Eun Sook said. "I came for something else."
Madam Han leaned forward, curious.
"I want to know more about Seo Jin," Eun Sook said.
Madam Han's face changed slightly, but she nodded.
"Officer Seo? Hmm… I don't know much, but I'll tell you what I do."
She set her tea down.
"He is the only son of the late Minister Seo. His father was one of the most respected men in the court. Wealthy. Powerful. After he died, the boy inherited everything."
"So he's a noble? That explains his arrogance" Eun Sook asked.
Madam Han nodded. "Yes. But he didn't take that path. He refused to sit in luxury. Instead, he joined the Magistrate office. Chose the hard life."
Eun Sook listened quietly.
"He's not just good," Madam Han continued. "He's the best. Solved old cases no one wanted to touch. Even as a rookie, he had a name. People respected him. He's also close to the royal family too."
Eun Sook bit her thumbnail slowly. Her mind was racing. This wasn't just an officer chasing shadows. This was a man who never lost. A man who dug deep until he found the truth.
She looked down.
If he kept coming after her, he'd find more than just perfume.
She hated it—but if it came to it, she might have to kill him.
But he wasn't evil. He wasn't a noble who abused power. He wasn't cruel. And Eun Sook had a rule. She didn't kill the innocent.
This was a problem.
She stood up slowly.
"Thank you," she said to Madam Han.
"You're welcome. If you have any problem, don't forget to come to me. Don't forget I'll be there for you always," Madam Han replied. "Be careful, Young Lady Jang."
Eun Sook walked out without another word, her heart heavier than it had been when she arrived.
She had always been sure of her path.
But Seo Jin was starting to change that.