The smell reached Lee Yeong before the bowl did.
He had been sitting near the low table with a stack of reports in front of him, trying to finish reading the documents Minister Han had left behind, when a rich, unfamiliar aroma of garlic, seasoning and hot broth slowly spread through the chamber. Lee Yeong lifted his eyes from the report and found Yeon Joo sitting comfortably across the room with her legs folded beneath her, a large porcelain bowl held possessively in both hands. Her hair had been tied loosely behind her head, and the expression on her face was far too satisfied for someone who had spent the entire morning complaining that palace food was becoming boring.
