"I said I would never help you leave my compound. Now, before I do something to all of you, leave immediately!"
His voice was loud, deep with anger, and filled with authority. The atmosphere inside the compound felt tense, like a storm was brewing even though the sky above had been calm moments ago.
Without arguing further, they all slowly turned and walked out of his compound. Their footsteps were heavy, their hearts even heavier. When they reached the outside of the gate, they stopped and stood there quietly, staring at the closed wooden gate as though waiting for it to magically open again.
The king suddenly screamed in anger, unable to control his emotions any longer.
"How dare a common man treat us like that? I will force him to do this if he refuses willingly!"
His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. His royal robe fluttered slightly in the soft breeze as he paced back and forth in frustration.
"No! Don't do that, Your Majesty," one of the guards quickly said. "Let me try again. Please, just give me another chance. This time, I will go talk to him again, but I will go alone. Please allow me to do this, Your Majesty."
The king looked at her for a long moment. His eyes carried both anger and worry. He was worried about sending her alone, yet he also knew Minsoo was stubborn and determined.
"Okay, fine," the king finally said, though his tone suggested that his mind was far from peaceful.
Minsoo took a deep breath, steadied her heartbeat, and walked forward. Slowly, she opened the wooden gate. The sound of the old hinges creaking echoed slightly as she stepped inside the compound alone.
Behind her, the king, Suho, and the royal guards stood watching, their eyes filled with anxiety. The king secretly peeped through a small gap in the gate, making sure nothing dangerous happened to her.
Inside the compound, she found Rowoon sitting alone. He was tasting his puffed rice, mumbling softly to himself as if he was trying to solve a difficult problem in his mind.
Minsoo walked closer, then sat beside him quietly so she would not startle him.
"I see you used sugar to make your puffed rice," she said gently.
Rowoon turned slowly to look at her. He did not seem surprised by her presence.
"Yes," he replied slowly. "But I don't know why it doesn't taste better. Every time I try, I get the same disappointing taste."
He sighed heavily.
"Maybe it is because I do not have enough sugar to use. That is why I see no changes," he added.
Minsoo nodded thoughtfully, looking at the rice grains in his bowl.
"Well," she said slowly, "I think you are not using the right method or enough ingredients."
Rowoon raised an eyebrow slightly, interested despite himself.
"Next time we meet," Minsoo continued, "I will teach you how to properly make puffed rice that will taste very good."
Rowoon smiled slightly. "That would be nice. But I also do not have enough sugar."
Minsoo immediately saw this as her opportunity.
"I promise to bring as much sugar as you need if you help me," she said earnestly. "The people I am competing with want to take the sugar that belongs to our land. If you help me win, I will bring so much sugar for you that you will never have to worry about it again. You can make your puffed rice sweet every single day."
Rowoon stayed silent for a few seconds, studying her face carefully.
"You said you are a chef, right?" he asked suddenly. "And you are in the middle of a competition right now? How does helping you make you win the competition?"
Minsoo took a deep breath before replying.
"Well," she said, "I am making a dish that needs a pressure cooker. Without it, I will likely not finish before the time limit. I also won't achieve the exact taste and texture I want. So I need your help to make the pressure cooker."
Rowoon slowly stood up.
"I have heard what you have said," he said calmly, "but I cannot do it for you."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving Minsoo sitting alone in silence.
The king continued watching through the small hole in the gate. He exhaled heavily, feeling both anger and worry for Minsoo.
When Rowoon walked out of the compound, Minsoo stood up and walked back outside to meet the king and the guards.
When she stepped out, she looked at their faces.
"He declined," she said with a deep sigh.
"You see what I told you!" the king suddenly screamed in frustration. "Let us just force this man to do it. We do not have time for patience!"
"If he is refusing to do it, then let us just go back to the palace," Minsoo replied calmly. "We cannot force him to help us."
The king wanted to argue, but before he could speak again, dark clouds gathered above them.
Suddenly, heavy rain began pouring down from the sky.
"Run!" one of the guards shouted.
They all hurried to find a nearby sheltered area where they could hide from the rain.
The sound of rain hitting the ground created a rhythmic, calming sound, but inside their hearts, they felt disappointment.
Shortly after, Rowoon quietly opened his door and stepped outside to check if they had really left.
He looked around carefully. When he saw that they were nowhere in sight, he smiled slightly.
"Thank goodness they have left. Such nuisances," he muttered before walking back inside his house.
Meanwhile, Minsoo and the king sat quietly under the shelter, both feeling extremely discouraged.
"The mission feels impossible," the king said quietly.
Minsoo remained silent, thinking deeply.
When the rain finally stopped, the king and the guards suddenly realized they were very hungry. Their stomachs growled loudly, reminding them they had not eaten for hours.
Minsoo suddenly snapped her fingers as if she had just had an idea.
"Let's make a plan," she said. "I will cook a meal and attract him using the smell of the food. I pray it works. If it does, we will feed him and make sure he enjoys the meal."
The king looked surprised but nodded slowly.
Minsoo then asked Suho to accompany her to get ingredients and cooking utensils.
They walked to a nearby market, quickly purchasing fresh vegetables, flour, seasoning, and cooking tools before returning to the resting area.
They immediately built a small cooking fire.
They used a hand fan to blow air into the fire to make it burn stronger.
Suho was blowing the fire very well, and Minsoo smiled at him.
"You are very good at this," she said lightly.
When the king heard her compliment Suho, he suddenly felt jealous. Without saying a word, he grabbed the fan from Suho's hand.
"Step aside," the king said proudly.
He began blowing the fire very hard, but after only one minute, he was already breathing heavily.
"How am I doing?" he asked Minsoo.
Minsoo smiled warmly.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you are doing very well," she said.
"I know, right? Thank you," he said proudly.
They all laughed together, the tension slowly fading away.
Soon, the fire became strong enough.
Minsoo began cooking a dish called scallion pancakes. She worked carefully, mixing flour, vegetables, and seasoning while controlling the heat perfectly.
As she cooked, she purposely placed the cooking area close to Rowoon's compound since the rain had stopped.
The delicious scent slowly spread through the air like invisible magic.
She flipped the pancakes carefully, watching them turn golden brown.
Soon, the scent reached Rowoon inside his house.
He stopped what he was doing. His nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the air.
"What is that smell?" he muttered.
Curiosity got the better of him.
He stood up and walked outside, following the scent like a trail leading him closer and closer to where Minsoo was cooking.
Finally, he reached the spot.
He saw Minsoo sitting there cooking peacefully.
He was about to turn and leave when Minsoo suddenly spoke.
"Uhmm… you can come join us," she said politely.
She immediately served him a portion of the food.
Rowoon sat down slowly and took a bite.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
The king quickly added more food to Rowoon's plate.
"Do you like it?" Minsoo asked softly.
"Yes," Rowoon said honestly. "It is delicious."
"I will make more for you when I finish the competition," Minsoo promised.
When he finished eating, he suddenly stood up.
"Come with me," he said.
"Yes!" Suho shouted excitedly. "The plan worked!"
They followed him back to his workshop.
That night, Rowoon began helping them build the pressure cooker with Suho. They worked through the night without sleeping, determined to complete the mission before morning arrived.
The night air was cold, but their determination was stronger than the cold wind outside.
⸻
"I said I would never help you leave my compound. Now, before I do something to all of you, leave immediately!"
His voice was loud, deep with anger, and filled with authority. The atmosphere inside the compound felt tense, like a storm was brewing even though the sky above had been calm moments ago.
Without arguing further, they all slowly turned and walked out of his compound. Their footsteps were heavy, their hearts even heavier. When they reached the outside of the gate, they stopped and stood there quietly, staring at the closed wooden gate as though waiting for it to magically open again.
The king suddenly screamed in anger, unable to control his emotions any longer.
"How dare a common man treat us like that? I will force him to do this if he refuses willingly!"
His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. His royal robe fluttered slightly in the soft breeze as he paced back and forth in frustration.
"No! Don't do that, Your Majesty," one of the guards quickly said. "Let me try again. Please, just give me another chance. This time, I will go talk to him again, but I will go alone. Please allow me to do this, Your Majesty."
The king looked at her for a long moment. His eyes carried both anger and worry. He was worried about sending her alone, yet he also knew Minsoo was stubborn and determined.
"Okay, fine," the king finally said, though his tone suggested that his mind was far from peaceful.
Minsoo took a deep breath, steadied her heartbeat, and walked forward. Slowly, she opened the wooden gate. The sound of the old hinges creaking echoed slightly as she stepped inside the compound alone.
Behind her, the king, Suho, and the royal guards stood watching, their eyes filled with anxiety. The king secretly peeped through a small gap in the gate, making sure nothing dangerous happened to her.
Inside the compound, she found Rowoon sitting alone. He was tasting his puffed rice, mumbling softly to himself as if he was trying to solve a difficult problem in his mind.
Minsoo walked closer, then sat beside him quietly so she would not startle him.
"I see you used sugar to make your puffed rice," she said gently.
Rowoon turned slowly to look at her. He did not seem surprised by her presence.
"Yes," he replied slowly. "But I don't know why it doesn't taste better. Every time I try, I get the same disappointing taste."
He sighed heavily.
"Maybe it is because I do not have enough sugar to use. That is why I see no changes," he added.
Minsoo nodded thoughtfully, looking at the rice grains in his bowl.
"Well," she said slowly, "I think you are not using the right method or enough ingredients."
Rowoon raised an eyebrow slightly, interested despite himself.
"Next time we meet," Minsoo continued, "I will teach you how to properly make puffed rice that will taste very good."
Rowoon smiled slightly. "That would be nice. But I also do not have enough sugar."
Minsoo immediately saw this as her opportunity.
"I promise to bring as much sugar as you need if you help me," she said earnestly. "The people I am competing with want to take the sugar that belongs to our land. If you help me win, I will bring so much sugar for you that you will never have to worry about it again. You can make your puffed rice sweet every single day."
Rowoon stayed silent for a few seconds, studying her face carefully.
"You said you are a chef, right?" he asked suddenly. "And you are in the middle of a competition right now? How does helping you make you win the competition?"
Minsoo took a deep breath before replying.
"Well," she said, "I am making a dish that needs a pressure cooker. Without it, I will likely not finish before the time limit. I also won't achieve the exact taste and texture I want. So I need your help to make the pressure cooker."
Rowoon slowly stood up.
"I have heard what you have said," he said calmly, "but I cannot do it for you."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving Minsoo sitting alone in silence.
The king continued watching through the small hole in the gate. He exhaled heavily, feeling both anger and worry for Minsoo.
When Rowoon walked out of the compound, Minsoo stood up and walked back outside to meet the king and the guards.
When she stepped out, she looked at their faces.
"He declined," she said with a deep sigh.
"You see what I told you!" the king suddenly screamed in frustration. "Let us just force this man to do it. We do not have time for patience!"
"If he is refusing to do it, then let us just go back to the palace," Minsoo replied calmly. "We cannot force him to help us."
The king wanted to argue, but before he could speak again, dark clouds gathered above them.
Suddenly, heavy rain began pouring down from the sky.
"Run!" one of the guards shouted.
They all hurried to find a nearby sheltered area where they could hide from the rain.
The sound of rain hitting the ground created a rhythmic, calming sound, but inside their hearts, they felt disappointment.
Shortly after, Rowoon quietly opened his door and stepped outside to check if they had really left.
He looked around carefully. When he saw that they were nowhere in sight, he smiled slightly.
"Thank goodness they have left. Such nuisances," he muttered before walking back inside his house.
Meanwhile, Minsoo and the king sat quietly under the shelter, both feeling extremely discouraged.
"The mission feels impossible," the king said quietly.
Minsoo remained silent, thinking deeply.
When the rain finally stopped, the king and the guards suddenly realized they were very hungry. Their stomachs growled loudly, reminding them they had not eaten for hours.
Minsoo suddenly snapped her fingers as if she had just had an idea.
"Let's make a plan," she said. "I will cook a meal and attract him using the smell of the food. I pray it works. If it does, we will feed him and make sure he enjoys the meal."
The king looked surprised but nodded slowly.
Minsoo then asked Suho to accompany her to get ingredients and cooking utensils.
They walked to a nearby market, quickly purchasing fresh vegetables, flour, seasoning, and cooking tools before returning to the resting area.
They immediately built a small cooking fire.
They used a hand fan to blow air into the fire to make it burn stronger.
Suho was blowing the fire very well, and Minsoo smiled at him.
"You are very good at this," she said lightly.
When the king heard her compliment Suho, he suddenly felt jealous. Without saying a word, he grabbed the fan from Suho's hand.
"Step aside," the king said proudly.
He began blowing the fire very hard, but after only one minute, he was already breathing heavily.
"How am I doing?" he asked Minsoo.
Minsoo smiled warmly.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you are doing very well," she said.
"I know, right? Thank you," he said proudly.
They all laughed together, the tension slowly fading away.
Soon, the fire became strong enough.
Minsoo began cooking a dish called scallion pancakes. She worked carefully, mixing flour, vegetables, and seasoning while controlling the heat perfectly.
As she cooked, she purposely placed the cooking area close to Rowoon's compound since the rain had stopped.
The delicious scent slowly spread through the air like invisible magic.
She flipped the pancakes carefully, watching them turn golden brown.
Soon, the scent reached Rowoon inside his house.
He stopped what he was doing. His nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the air.
"What is that smell?" he muttered.
Curiosity got the better of him.
He stood up and walked outside, following the scent like a trail leading him closer and closer to where Minsoo was cooking.
Finally, he reached the spot.
He saw Minsoo sitting there cooking peacefully.
He was about to turn and leave when Minsoo suddenly spoke.
"Uhmm… you can come join us," she said politely.
She immediately served him a portion of the food.
Rowoon sat down slowly and took a bite.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
The king quickly added more food to Rowoon's plate.
"Do you like it?" Minsoo asked softly.
"Yes," Rowoon said honestly. "It is delicious."
"I will make more for you when I finish the competition," Minsoo promised.
When he finished eating, he suddenly stood up.
"Come with me," he said.
"Yes!" Suho shouted excitedly. "The plan worked!"
They followed him back to his workshop.
That night, Rowoon began helping them build the pressure cooker with Suho. They worked through the night without sleeping, determined to complete the mission before morning arrived.
The night air was cold, but their determination was stronger than the cold wind outside.
⸻