Although So Yeonhee was his daughter, So Jin could never honestly say she was good at managing a household.

Even back in the capital, she had always buried herself in books and shown little interest in housework.

And now what?

She had cooked fish stew?

So Jin, along with the rest of the So family’s elders, couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“Yeonhee, made fish stew? Is that really true?”

“Of course! It smells amazing, and it’s so delicious! I feel like I could eat ten bowls!”

But how?

The girl had only just gotten out of bed after being sick.

The mistress of the So household and mother of the three siblings, Madam Jang, stared at her son in astonishment.

Thinking he had to be joking, she questioned him again, but he remained completely serious.

“It’s true. Elder Sister and I caught lots of fish in the stream. Then she added mountain herbs and radish she gathered from the forest. It’s really, really good.”

She caught the fish herself?

Only two days ago she’d poisoned herself by accidentally picking the wrong mushrooms, and now she was risking her life again?

It all sounded impossible and deeply worrying.

Yet So Yeonwoo, who claimed to have eaten the stew, looked perfectly healthy.

There was even a faint, savory aroma clinging to him.

Did Yeonhee really make fish stew?

Since they had been working in the fields since dawn, everyone was already starving.

Watching his wife continue to voice her doubts while clutching her empty stomach, So Jin finally spoke.

“Let’s head back.”

“…What?”

“The hoe is broken. We won’t be able to do any more work today anyway.”

He brushed the dirt from his hands and clothes, tucked the broken hoe under his arm, then helped Madam Hong—the family’s matriarch, who had been working in the fields in Yeonhee’s place.

“We should go home and see how the children are doing.”

He needed to know what exactly had happened to his daughter.

They hurried home.

The moment the adults stepped into the old thatched cottage, they froze.

From afar, they’d only seen smoke rising from the chimney.

But now the entire house was filled with a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

When they entered the main room, despite their exhaustion, they found three small serving tables already set with steaming bowls of appetizing fish stew.

It was enough to make one think they’d seen a ghost.

“Yeonhee… where did this fish stew come from?”

Madam Jang asked in bewilderment.

Yeonhee pulled out a chair for her.

“Mother, the egg porridge you made for me was so delicious. I shared it with my siblings, and it was so good I almost cried.”

“…Was it?”

“Yes. So I wanted to make something delicious for Father and Mother too. It’s late, but I wanted to apologize for making everyone worry.”

She smiled shyly.

Yet she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet their eyes.

Seeing that expression, So Jin became certain.

His daughter…

She had known those mushrooms were poisonous.

“‘She collapsed after eating poisonous mushrooms!’ A child who’s never caused trouble in her life suddenly does something like this. Our family’s already struggling enough…”

“Widling mushrooms all look alike. Yeonhee didn’t do it on purpose. It was simply an accident, so please don’t scold her too harshly.”

“I don’t even know what to tell Mother. If she finds out two doe of rice were spent on Yeonhee’s medicine, she’ll surely be furious.”

Perhaps because Yeonhee was the eldest daughter.

Because she’d never once caused trouble.

Without realizing it, they had expected her to understand her parents’ burdens, even amid the family’s collapse…

To comfort her younger siblings…

Even to endure her grandmother’s misplaced resentment.

Without realizing she was still just a child who could be overjoyed by a single bowl of egg porridge.

So Jin’s eyes grew moist.

He gazed at the bowl of fish stew his daughter had caught and cooked herself.

How much hardship must she have endured to prepare even this one meal?

His heart ached with pity.

Yet he also couldn’t help feeling proud.

Not everyone, however, shared his feelings.

“You already had porridge for lunch, yet you prepared another meal for dinner. Such wastefulness.”

Madam Hong frowned, clearly displeased.

Madam Jang looked hurt by the criticism, but Madam Hong remained unmoved.

“Do you know how much rice was spent on your medicine? Instead of reflecting on your actions, you’ve gone and wasted food on something unnecessary. You truly haven’t learned your lesson.”

“Mother!”

So Jin’s voice rose sharply.

Even Madam Hong, Madam Jang, and the three children all jumped in surprise.

Then—

“Grandmother.”

Yeonhee stepped forward, breaking the heavy silence.

She neither lowered her head in submission nor answered with defiance.

Instead, she quietly approached and gently took Madam Hong’s hand.

“You’ve been worried sick because of me, haven’t you? I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“W-What? Since when did I ever…”

“I know your heart, Grandmother. I became ill after eating poisonous mushrooms, and instead of resting, I insisted on preparing dinner. You were only upset because you were worried about me.”

She smiled softly.

At first, Madam Hong wondered if the girl was mocking her.

But there wasn’t even a trace of ridicule in her face.

If anything, it was filled with heartfelt affection.

“Don’t worry. I don’t misunderstand you anymore. When I was younger, your blunt words used to hurt me… but now that I’ve grown up, I understand. They were all expressions of your love.”

Her voice was tinged with longing.

Each word seemed to carry years of unspoken yearning.

“What in the world did you eat today? Did someone put poisonous mushrooms in your egg porridge too?”

“Oh, come now. I’ve simply grown up a little. In a situation like this, I can’t remain a child forever.”

As she spoke, Yeonhee personally pulled out a chair for her grandmother and helped her sit.

She even placed a spoon into Madam Hong’s hand.

W-What’s gotten into this child all of a sudden?

People said that after suffering a great shock, someone could start behaving in ways they never had before.

She didn’t hit her head somewhere, did she?

“Now, stop worrying and have a taste. I cut the radish into small pieces so it’d be easier for you to eat.”

Whether she knew her grandmother’s thoughts or not, Yeonhee continued looking after her with warm, gentle eyes.

Almost without thinking, Madam Hong scooped up a spoonful of broth and drank it.

“…!”

She came to only one conclusion.

Perhaps…

Her granddaughter really had been possessed by a ghost.

A ghost with extraordinary cooking skills.

“I thought Grandmother would get much angrier, but she calmed down much faster than I expected. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Maybe working in the fields exhausted her. Even her voice sounded much weaker than usual.”

Yeonhee chuckled at Yeonwoo’s teasing.

Truthfully, she’d been just as surprised by her grandmother’s reaction.

She’d expected to be scolded much more harshly.

Instead, her anger had melted away far sooner than expected.

“Doesn’t it upset you? The way Grandmother blames you.”

“What is there to be upset about? It isn’t entirely wrong to say the So family ended up like this because of me.”

She hadn’t meant to, but she had offended the Fourth Prince and wounded his pride.

The So family had fallen because of it.

How could she expect her grandmother to simply forgive everything over one bowl of fish stew?

That would be asking far too much.

“Besides, Grandmother may sound harsh, but she’s actually a very warm person.”

Whenever Grandmother told her to stand up straight…

What she really meant was:

Stand tall. Be confident.

Whenever she said, “Stop grinning like an idiot,”

What she truly meant was:

Don’t waste your energy trying to please everyone else.

“You think too much. That’s how you tie yourself into knots.”

Once, Yeonhee had thought those words were criticism.

That her grandmother was calling her narrow-minded.

But she had been wrong.

“Fortunes rise and fall in this world. Not every misfortune is your fault.”

It had been comfort.

Her grandmother’s own awkward way of telling her not to blame herself.

Her own quiet way of reaching out a hand.

Now that Yeonhee understood the feelings hidden beneath those harsh words, how could a few resentful remarks ever hurt her?

Especially after finally getting her family—and her life—back.

Every single moment was precious.

“Anyway, I won’t make you worry anymore. And I won’t cause Father and Mother any more concern either.”

Yeonhee smiled, her heart lighter than it had been in years.

But strangely…

The moment she finished speaking, her brother and sister’s faces darkened instead.

A sense of unease crept over her.

She frowned.

“What? What’s wrong? What happened?”

The two exchanged hesitant glances.

After fidgeting nervously for a long while, they finally spoke.

“…Father is in danger.”