When Accountant Cha offered to help Eun-bi, he kept to his promise.

He conducted another lesson, but this time, the subject appealed heavily to the ladies–musical arts. Through his connections, he borrowed several musical instruments for them to learn; a skill that gisaengs would master and used to entertain guests at the courtesan houses.

However, he began teaching them it meant more than that—it was art to the ears. A guidance to inner peace.

And what was more surprising next was how he shocked them with his impressive skills.

His fingers flew across the strings, producing a set of beautiful notes. The faces on the noblewomen turned dreamy, clearly smitten by his talent, handsome looks and winsome smiles. His words, honeyed and effortless, brought them crawling to his feet. Begging for more of his time and attention.

Eun-bi, however, simply shook her head at their reactions. They looked absurd; overly giddy and excited. But she felt at ease knowing that their plan was working. The noblewomen showed immense interest in learning subjects that they weren't allowed in the past.

And this was all credited to Accountant Cha. She acknowledged his efforts were commendable. During his class, his sincerity poured through his teaching, which slowly made her question herself if she had been too mean to him before.

Never mind.

Lifting her shoulders into a shrug, she returned her attention to the zither on the table before her, plucking at the strings haphazardly.

This was the first time in her life holding an instrument in her hands. It felt rather...strange and confusing. She wasn't quite certain if this lesson was all about teaching her how to play music or trying to rip her poor nails off.

Her sister chuckled when the notes that Eun-bi played screeched loudly, causing everyone in the hall to wince. "Stop glaring at it, Eun-bi. You should treat this zither gently. Pretend that it's a newborn."

"A newborn?" Eun-bi frowned and tested a few more notes, which sounded very much like a rooster screaming murder into the night. How was it that the instrument was protesting against her too? "Oh yes, this sounds like a newborn screaming."

Yoo-jung choked on her laughter. "No! That's not what I was trying to say."

Footsteps approached, and a shadow fell over them. When Eun-bi glanced up, she realised it was just Accountant Cha.

He took in the chaotic scene that was happening at her table. "Do you require my help, Your Highness?"

"No, I'm definitely–" But the string she was plucking broke suddenly and a loud snapping sound reverberated in the hall. "–in control here. Yes, I am."

He sounded amused. "Are you certain about that?"

Eun-bi snorted and pushed herself from the zither. "Maybe this isn't for me. My talent lies elsewhere."

"And that is?"

"Eating." Eun-bi squared her shoulders proudly as she grinned. "I can bet you'll never see a lady who eats as much as I do. If you don't believe me, ask my maids or my sister." She nudged Yoo-Jung's shoulder lightly. "Isn't that right?"

Her sister grew appalled. "Stop mentioning food, or you'll get yourself hungry again—" Coincidentally, a small rumble came from Eun-bi's stomach. "—see what I mean?"

They laughed in unison. "So, where did you learn how to play instruments that well?" Eun-bi asked him.

Her question caught him off guard, and she noticed how his tone held a tinge of caution. "I...came from a poor family. It was just some skills that I picked up on the streets when I was a child."

"Oh." Even though he was working for her, Eun-bi realised she knew little about his background. "You're good. Is there any secret to playing it well?"

"Firstly... Stop clawing at it like a cat."

She snorted out loud and Accountant Cha's lips lifted into a smirk. Hearing his name called by a student, he left Eun-bi's table. He was talented, but she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that he was hiding something from her.

And yet, the more he wanted to hide, the more curious she got. If she were to learn more about his background, would that explain his peculiar behaviour around her?

Maybe she could get someone to investigate.

Low whispers glided back and forth behind her back and Eun-bi heard someone mention her name. A couple of ladies were discussing her and Accountant Cha, clearly wondering what relationship they were sharing.

"Is she in love with that man now? What about the Crown Prince? Is their relationship falling apart?"

"Do you think I would have a chance at becoming his concubine?"

That did it. Eun-bi was so annoyed by their words that she grabbed the zither and played even louder, sending terrifying chills down their spines, especially to those tattlers.

The audacity of them to talk about Yul getting another lover when she was there! Did they think she was deaf?

She glowered harder. If it wasn't for her sister or Jin-hee glaring at the ladies and holding her back, she would have gotten into a fight with them. If it wasn't for her goal, she wouldn't have to hold her tongue on spewing profanities at them.

Instead, she blessed their ears with her music, hoping that it was potent enough to disrupt their sleep for several nights ahead.

***

After the lesson ended, Eun-bi stood at the front of the hall and delivered a final statement to confess her reason behind the arranged lessons.

Her eyes travelled across the room, meeting every face. For those who spoke behind her backs earlier, she held their gaze longer, her eyes burning in warning until they looked away.

"The reason for organising these lessons is not entirely because I'm trying to get your support," she admitted. "I'm sincerely inviting all the women here to be the first batch of students. What you've experienced these past two days is just the beginning."

As Eun-bi spoke, she could see their expressions shifting from disinterest to serious contemplation, their backs straightening like pillars. This was a complete change of demeanour as compared to the first time she saw them.

They understood her intention now. That she meant business.

"This society has always deprived us of education," she said, "but that won't stop our desire to learn. With the new academy, it will be a place where we will be free to do what we've always wanted."

Lifting her chin, she stood tall and determined in front of her subjects. "So, will you join me in ushering a new beginning into our country?"

***

The construction of the female academy proceeded in peace.

Eun-bi did it. The noblewomen begged their fathers–most who were important officials–to allow them to join the academy once the building finished. This left the men with little choice but to drop their protests and listen to their beloved daughters.

The King was pleased by this result. He invited Eun-bi for dinner on his terrace and rewarded her with a table of delicacies and gifts to show his appreciation.

However, troubles didn't end there.

Rumours of the Crown Princess having an affair with a man circulated in the palace. It all sprouted from the nosy noblewomen, who shared the gossip to their fathers when they got home and now they had spread to the rest of the court. Several times, Eun-bi could catch some of the officials' words clearly and they weren't pleasant to listen to.

This time, she was heading for the gardens for a night stroll, only to stumble upon a few junior officials who were hiding behind one of the thick bushes. They were exchanging gossip and wine bottles like a group of old men at the market.

"Is the Crown Prince accepting concubines? I've heard a few noble families have sent letters to the King and Queen Dowager about this matter."

"You're correct. I heard some noblewomen paid the Queen Dowager a visit, too."

Eun-bi snorted at the junior officials. Waving away her maids, she strode up to the group from behind and joined their circle. She squatted and tapped on one of their shoulders, her tone coming out enthusiastic and inquisitive.

"Who is it? Who is it? Which ladies were brave enough to speak to the Queen Dowager? She's such a scary woman to speak to. The last time I saw her, my knees trembled."

Someone answered her, his head slowly turning in her direction. "It's the daughters of a general that I know–GAH! " He fell back on his buttocks while the rest followed suit, letting out surprised yelps. "I-I-It's the Crown Princess... We're dead..."

Eun-bi beamed at their frightened faces. "Late night drinking and spreading rumours behind a royalty's back? You've all been very brave..." She jabbed a thumb behind her back. "Clean out the horse stables tomorrow morning. That shall be your punishment."

They backed away and scrambled to their feet, muttering words of apology, hoping to be forgiven. As Eun-bi snickered at their trembling backs, a shadow walking across the garden trail on the other side of the pond caught her attention.

To her surprise, it was Accountant Cha. It was already long after work hours, but he was only going home now?

Eun-bi frowned up at the sky. How beautiful was the moon tonight that it lured out this many people from their rooms?

✨ As promised in the previous chapter, I'll be picking questions and answering them! ✨

Q: Are you Asian?

A: I've received this question a few times before and the answer is...yes! I'm from Singapore 🇸🇬. Chinese is my second language, but I'm terrible at it. 🫠

Q: How do you get inspiration for your stories?

A: To be honest, I'm not too sure of that either. Sometimes, keywords appear in my mind from nowhere, or I get flashes of TV drama or movie scenes stuck in my head which gets me thinking about, 'what if this happens instead?' 🤔

It also depends on my interest at the point of writing. For example, I strongly wanted to write a gender bender character for Crown Prince's Bodyguard, a misunderstood villainess in His Demoness, and a witty FL in Maybe It's You. From there, it was really just all about fitting the stories and building the world around them.

The best way to keep my inspiration going is to always remember this: The stories that I write are those that I really want to read or watch on screen. ✨