It was a deliberate positioning: acknowledging she was new and of lower status, but also making clear she had legitimate right to be there as the young master’s wife.

An older merchant—a man named Master Feng who’d known Samuel’s mother—approached them with a kind smile.

"Young Master Samuel! Good to see you. And this must be your new bride?" He bowed slightly to Heena. "Congratulations on your marriage, young mistress. Welcome."

Heena bowed back properly. "Thank you for your kind words, Master Feng. I’m honored to meet someone my husband speaks of with such respect."

’I have no idea who this man is,’ she thought, ’but flattery costs nothing and gains everything.’

Master Feng looked pleased. "Ah, the young master speaks of me? Too kind, too kind!"

He turned to Samuel. "Your mother would have been pleased to see you married. Though I suspect she would have had opinions about your... unconventional choice."

There was no judgment in his tone—just honest observation.

Samuel smiled. "My mother valued intelligence and capability over social status. I think she would have approved of my wife once she got to know her."

"I don’t doubt it," Master Feng said warmly. Then he lowered his voice. "Though I also don’t doubt that certain people in your household are less pleased with this development."

"Certain people can learn to adjust," Samuel said mildly.

Master Feng chuckled and moved on to greet other merchants.

Over the next hour, as the assembly conducted its business—discussing trade routes, taxation issues, upcoming festivals and markets—more merchants approached to meet Heena.

Some were genuinely kind and welcoming.

Some were coldly polite, clearly disapproving of her low origins.

Some were clearly trying to assess whether she could be used as leverage against Samuel in future business dealings.

Heena handled all of them with the same calm, respectful demeanor—neither overly humble nor inappropriately bold. She listened more than she spoke, asked intelligent questions when appropriate, and generally made a positive impression.

During a break in the formal proceedings, a merchant named Master Zhao—who’d been watching Heena carefully—approached Samuel directly.

"Your wife seems remarkably well-spoken for someone of... humble origins," he said, his tone carefully neutral.

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Intelligence isn’t limited to the nobility, Master Zhao. My wife is educated and capable. I wouldn’t have married her otherwise."

"Educated?" Master Zhao’s interest was clearly piqued. "Can she read? Write? Calculate?"

Before Samuel could answer, Heena spoke up directly.

"I can read and write, yes. And I’m competent with basic mathematics—enough to manage household accounts and understand business ledgers."

Master Zhao looked genuinely impressed. "Remarkable. How did a servant girl come to learn such skills?"

This was dangerous territory. Heena needed a plausible explanation.

"My previous employer believed in educating all household staff to a basic level," she said smoothly. "The reasoning was that educated servants make fewer costly mistakes and can be trusted with more complex responsibilities."

It was a complete lie, but a believable one.

"Progressive thinking," Master Zhao said, nodding. "And clearly it benefited you significantly."

He turned to Samuel. "Your wife is a credit to you, young master. I see now why you chose her despite the social complications."

After Master Zhao left, Samuel leaned close to Heena and whispered, "Smooth lie about the educated employer."

"Thank you," Heena whispered back. "I thought it was pretty good on short notice."

"Where did you really learn to read and write?" Samuel asked quietly.

"That’s part of the story I’m not ready to tell yet," Heena replied. "But I promise it’s not sinister. Just complicated."

Samuel nodded, accepting this for now.

---

’’[The Market District - Afternoon]’’

After the assembly ended, Samuel suggested they walk through the market district before returning home.

"People need to see us together," he explained. "See that we’re a normal married couple, not some scandal hiding away in shame."

So they strolled through the busy marketplace, occasionally stopping to examine goods or chat with vendors.

Heena bought some fabric for new clothes—her current wardrobe was extremely limited. Samuel purchased some books from a traveling scholar-merchant.

And everywhere they went, people watched and whispered.

"That’s the young master’s wife..."

"She seems nice enough..."

"Pretty girl..."

"I heard she was a servant, can you imagine?"

Most of the whispers were curious rather than hostile. The general population didn’t care as much about social hierarchies as the wealthy did—they were just fascinated by the romantic story of a servant marrying her master.

At one food stall, an elderly woman selling steamed buns smiled at them warmly.

"You two make a lovely couple," she said kindly. "Here, take an extra bun—a wedding gift!"

Heena accepted with genuine gratitude. "Thank you so much, grandmother. Your kindness means a great deal."

The old woman beamed. "Such good manners! Your husband is lucky to have you."

As they walked away, Samuel said quietly, "You’re very good at this."

"At what?"

"At making people like you. At reading what each person needs to hear and providing it naturally."

Heena shrugged. "It’s just basic social skills. Be kind to kind people, respectful to everyone, and genuine in your interactions. It’s not that complicated."

"For you, maybe," Samuel said. "But I’ve seen many nobles who can’t manage it nearly as well."

They continued walking, and Heena found herself actually enjoying the afternoon.

The market was vibrant and colorful, full of interesting smells and sounds. The people were friendly. The weather was pleasant.

’This is nice,’ she thought. ’Surprisingly nice. When’s the last time I just... enjoyed a day without constantly planning or fighting or surviving?’

She couldn’t actually remember.

---

’’[The Incident at the Silk Merchant]’’

Their peaceful afternoon was interrupted when they passed by an expensive silk merchant’s shop. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Inside, visible through the open door, was Maya.

She was examining bolts of fabric, accompanied by her servant Meili and surrounded by the merchant’s staff who were fawning over her.

Heena would have just walked past, but Maya noticed them and her expression immediately darkened.

She stepped out of the shop deliberately, blocking their path.

"Well, well," Maya said loudly enough for nearby shoppers to hear. "The young master and his... wife. How charming to see you out together."

The way she said "wife" made it sound like an insult.

Samuel’s expression remained polite but cool. "Stepmother. Shopping for more expensive fabrics, I see."

Maya’s eyes narrowed at the implication about her spending, but she maintained her sweet smile.

"A woman must maintain her appearance," she said. Then she turned to Heena. "Though some women don’t seem to care about such things. That dress you’re wearing is so... simple. Almost like a servant’s clothing still."

The nearby shoppers were now openly watching this confrontation.

Heena smiled calmly. "I prefer practical clothing that I can move and work in comfortably. Beauty and status aren’t determined by how much money one spends on fabric."

She paused deliberately, then added, "Though I suppose when one’s beauty is fading, expensive clothing becomes more necessary to maintain appearances."

Several nearby people gasped at the subtle insult.

Maya’s face went red. "How DARE you—"

"Mother-in-law," Heena interrupted, her voice still perfectly calm, "we really must be going. So many people to meet, so much to see. Enjoy your shopping."