TDLWFJ 05

Chapter 5

“Of all days, to die on the wedding day… She never even got to hold her husband’s hand, and now she’s a widow. How pitiful.”

Hari opened her eyes at Maldong’s clicking tongue.

“But that young lady is quite something too. She mourned for three whole years for a husband she never even saw.”

They said she still went to the shrine every day to burn incense.

From the age of sixteen, Nahee had faithfully upheld the chastity and duties expected of a wife—for four full years—despite never once seeing her husband’s face.

“Miss, say something.”

“I will.”

“…Pardon?”

Maldong flinched in surprise.

“You asked if I would. So I said I will.”

“No, but… why?”

“Why else? Because the lady is right. I never saw his face, never even held his hand. If we never lived as husband and wife, can you really call it a marriage?”

In modern Korea, even a prolonged lack of marital relations could be grounds for divorce.

Of course, such reasoning couldn’t be openly used in Joseon, but from Hari’s perspective, it made no sense to claim Nahee had ever truly been married.

“And he died before the marriage was even completed.”

So the marriage could absolutely be declared invalid.

“But miss, wouldn’t it have been simpler if she’d just walked away back then?”

Maldong argued that since Nahee went through with the wedding despite knowing her husband had died—and even completed the three-year mourning—it meant she had accepted the marriage.

Hari smiled as she patted Maldong’s head.

“Not bad. That magistrate will probably argue just like you.”

Which meant Hari needed a second strategy.

And that strategy was—

Hari suddenly sprang to her feet and opened the door.

As she slipped her feet into the neatly placed shoes by the stepping stone, Maldong hurriedly held out a veil.

“Miss, where are you going?”

Stepping into the yard, Hari draped the veil over her head and glanced back.

“I need to meet someone who knows exactly what happened back then.”

“Who? It was four years ago—would anyone even remember clearly?”

“There is. Someone who definitely would.”

“Who?”

“The matchmaker.”

Assuming everything Nahee said was true, there was something suspicious about this marriage.

Her family had no prior connection whatsoever with the Choi household.

While marriages didn’t always happen between acquainted families, Nahee’s family was clearly of much lower standing than the Choi family.

Even in Joseon, where people said daughters-in-law should come from poorer families, high-class marriages were different.

“People marry within their level. But Madam Kim’s side and the Choi household don’t match. And one more thing—Madam Kim didn’t even know her husband was ill. So if this goes well…”

Hari’s eyes sparkled.

“Excuse me? She moved away a long time ago?”

Hari’s enthusiasm hit an obstacle right away.

The matchmaker, Yang Heoyeong, had vanished without a trace.

“You don’t know where she went?”

“I said I don’t! Stop asking and move along—you’re bothering my business!”

The fabric shop owner waved a long dusting stick, chasing Maldong away.

Shoulders drooping, Maldong returned to Hari, who was standing across the alley.

“Miss, they don’t know.”

Thanks to the loud shopkeeper and Maldong, Hari had heard everything from across the street. She nodded.

“Why would she quit such a good job and disappear?”

In Hanyang, a matchmaker dealing with noble families earned quite well.

It wasn’t easy to start, since it required connections, but once a few marriages were successfully arranged, life would smooth out like silk.

That’s why matchmakers rarely left the neighborhoods they had established themselves in.

Yet Yang Heoyeong—who had even been quite famous—had suddenly disappeared.

And it had happened exactly four years ago.

Without informing anyone, without even selling her house, she simply vanished.

Where could she have gone?

It clearly wasn’t just a normal move.

She had even left unpaid debts at a fabric shop she frequented.

“Miss, will it be a big problem if we can’t find her?”

“Not really.”

Hari had only thought the matchmaker would know the situation best—she still had other options.

“What should we do? Keep looking?”

They checked Yang Heoyeong’s house, the surrounding area, and the shops she used to visit.

After half a day of searching, they hadn’t found a single clue. That meant finding her anytime soon would be difficult.

Let’s put Yang Heoyeong aside for now.

Hari made a quick decision and started walking.

“We’ll meet someone else.”

“Miss, wait for me!”

Maldong hurried after her.

Before long, Hari—veil drawn low—arrived at the Choi residence.

Standing before the towering gate, Maldong shrank back.

Noticing, Hari said,

“Our house is just as grand as this one.”

“That’s true… but somehow, this place feels eerie.”

Maybe it was because not a single sound came from beyond the walls.

As Maldong rubbed her arms, Hari didn’t even reach for the gate. Instead, she leaned casually against the wall.

“Miss, aren’t we going in?”

“No.”

“Aren’t you here to meet her?”

“The ‘her’ Maldong meant was Nahee.

“That would be a disaster. I’m not meeting her.”

Nahee had come to meet Hari in secret.

A widow wasn’t allowed to go out unaccompanied.

Delicious food, pleasant conversation, entertainment—even laughter—were forbidden to a widow.

Even visiting her parents or meeting old friends required caution.

And meeting a legal advocate?

There was no way she’d received permission.

Their meeting had to remain an absolute secret.

At least until the petition was written and submitted to the authorities.

“Then why are we here?”

“We wait.”

“For who?”

“Someone who can tell us exactly what happened inside.”

“Who would that be?”

“Wow, miss! I always knew you were talented, but I didn’t know you could act so well. I almost believed it myself!”

Only after they were far from the Choi residence did Maldong finally speak, amazed.

“I’m good, right?”

“Yes! I really thought your leg was broken—my heart nearly stopped! Next time you do something like that, at least warn me first!”

Maldong clutched her chest.

The incident that shocked her had happened just half an hour ago.

The gate of the Choi residence had opened, and a kind-looking middle-aged woman stepped out.

At that moment, Hari—who had been leaning against the wall—darted forward and naturally collided with her.

“Ah! My leg!”

She bounced back and collapsed, clutching her ankle.

The woman, having bumped into what was clearly a noble young lady, turned pale and rushed over.

Trembling at the thought of having injured someone of high status, the woman shook with fear.

Hari spoke gently.

“Do not worry about my injury. But if you truly feel concerned… would you answer a few questions?”

For a commoner to harm a noble was considered a serious crime.

Even if it wasn’t intentional, who would listen to a commoner’s excuses?

The servant woman, her mind blank, could only nod.

Hari asked everything she wanted to know.

However, she didn’t get the information she was looking for.

Instead, she learned something new.

“They replaced all the household staff not long after the second son died. Doesn’t that seem strange? Is that normal?”

At the Choi residence, right after the second son’s funeral, they had dismissed everyone—from long-serving servants to wet nurses—and hired entirely new staff.

“Letting a few people go happens sometimes,” Maldong said. “Some masters are strict about mistakes. But dismissing over twenty people all at once? I’ve never heard of that. Though I haven’t lived long.”

“If you haven’t heard of it, it probably doesn’t happen.”

Maldong was two years younger than Hari.

When she was five, a severe drought took her parents, and Hari found her starving and took her in as a servant.

Though she was technically a servant, Hari treated her like a companion.

She even taught her to read and write.

Maldong didn’t have much work, and spent her free time wandering around and talking to people.

As a result, she knew many people and heard many things.

If you wanted to know what was happening in Hanyang, people said, ask Maldong.

That wasn’t an empty saying.

“We need someone who can tell us more about what happened back then. Do you think we can find someone who worked there at the time?”

When something unprecedented happens, it usually leads to a case.

Not an accident—a case.

Hari’s eyes sharpened.

“We could ask around… but it might take a long time.”

What they needed now was something like a private investigation agency.

“Isn’t there any group that finds people for money?”

“…Not exactly for finding people, but there is a place that takes money to do jobs.”

As expected, Maldong knew everything.

“Where is it?”

“It’s called Punguibang. But miss… I don’t think we should go there.”

“Why?”

“Well… you see… where it’s located is…”