The night sky hung dark and heavy above the palace rooftops, as if mirroring the turmoil in Areum's heart. She sat silently by her window, gazing out without truly seeing. The vision of a future she once held seemed like a distant dream—blurred, and nearly unreal. But now, after discovering that she was the heir of Seol Hwa—a name that had only ever appeared in fragments of folklore and secret manuscripts—her entire life felt upended.
She clutched the silver necklace that hung around her neck. It had belonged to her mother—or at least, that's what she had believed. Now she knew: it was a legacy of blood. Royal blood. Blood that had been crushed, now called upon to mend a broken history.
"Can I bear all of this?" Areum whispered to herself. But deep in her heart, an answer began to burn. She was no longer just a cook from the future. She was a symbol of resurgence. Whether she wanted to or not, history had chosen her.
The next morning, Areum summoned Ji Seong in secret to a small shrine at the edge of the royal gardens—a place rarely visited by anyone. The air was still, accompanied only by the rustle of leaves and the distant cries of wild birds.
"I know who I am now," Areum said softly. "I'm the heir of Seol Hwa. A bloodline that was hunted and erased from history… but still lives through me."
Ji Seong, though his face remained calm, was clearly shaken. He lowered his gaze, hiding his shock in silence.
"I believe you," he replied simply. "But Areum… you must be careful. Lord Baek is watching."
Areum nodded. "I know. That's why we must move before he does. I need you to protect Yu Jin and the royal kitchen. I don't know who he'll target next."
Meanwhile, Lord Baek sat in his chambers, flipping through intelligence reports gathered by his spies. His brow furrowed as he read notes detailing Areum's repeated visits to certain places, meetings with a specific guard, and her occasional retrieval of manuscripts from the secret library.
"This girl is no ordinary servant," he muttered. "And if she truly is Seol Hwa returned… then my future in this palace will be destroyed."
He summoned his most trusted handmaiden, an old woman who had served in the palace for decades.
"Starting tonight, do not take your eyes off that girl. If necessary… remove anyone who gets too close to her."
Areum returned to the palace kitchen the next day, carrying herself as usual—smiling at the other maids, chatting with Yu Jin about new recipes, and pretending she held no secrets that could shake the throne.
That day, she prepared a special dish—a herbal soup that was once only served to the descendants of Seol Hwa on coronation nights. She didn't know why she felt compelled to make it that day, but her hands seemed to move on their own.
At the guest table sat a royal envoy from the southern province. An elderly man, calm in demeanor, with round glasses and a face lined with age. But when Areum placed the bowl before him, his eyes locked onto the necklace at her throat.
"This dish… was once served only to a single bloodline," he said quietly. "And that necklace… it bears a sign. Girl, history will destroy anyone too slow to make their move."
Areum froze. She bowed slightly, trying to steady her pounding heart. The man said no more—just gave her a deep, knowing look before leaving the dining hall.
That night, Areum stood before her old wooden mirror. Her face was pale, but her eyes blazed with determination.
"If this is my fate… I'll face it with my head held high."
She clutched her necklace—and for the first time, the small stone in its center glowed faintly, as if answering the resolve in her heart.
"I won't let history consume me like it did my ancestors. If this blood is fire, I'll ignite the whole truth."
From afar, the chime of the shrine bell echoed through the night—and deep within Areum's heart, she knew… a new chapter had begun.