Jisoo and Joy had just finished getting dressed and walked into the parlor when Jisoo heard Suyeon come into the kitchen and start preparing breakfast.

"Oh!" Jisoo said as a thought came to her suddenly. "I'd better go tell Suyeon that Jin-Young has left and you're here, or else you'll wind up with the invalid's breakfast that she would have fixed for Jin-Young."

When Jisoo returned from this errand, she and Joy settled into a conversation about what they'd been reading recently, as this seemed an innocuous enough topic with Suyeon in the house. Joy was impressed that Jisoo's bookseller was able to keep her up to date with all the most fashionable novels in Seoul. She was less impressed with Jisoo's newsagent. "Some of the magazines he's sending you have been out of fashion for a season or longer, while there are several exceedingly good new magazines you're not getting. After breakfast we should go have a talk with him. I'd hate to see you rusticate just because your husband happens to be stationed in Busan for now. From what you've told me, he seems to be bound for great things - or at least greater things than this - and it simply wouldn't do for you to be unprepared."

"Thank you, Joy," Jisoo said. "Captain Lee has made it my responsibility to see to it that we're reading the right books and magazines for the circles he aspires to move in soon, and I'd hate to let him down."

"Not to worry," Joy said, "by the time we're done with your newsagent, he'll be your biggest ally in this."

Just then Suyeon quietly stepped into the parlor. "Ma'am," she said, "breakfast is ready whenever you and your guest are ready."

"Thank you, Suyeon," Jisoo said. Turning to Joy, she asked "Shall we?"

"I suppose so," Joy said, conspicuously glancing at Suyeon in a way that Jisoo couldn't help but notice, "but two at breakfast seems such an overly quiet start to the day. I'm afraid I've gotten quite used to the larger parties at school."

Jisoo smiled as she caught what Joy was hinting at. "Suyeon," she asked, "have you had breakfast?"

"Ma'am?" Suyeon asked, surprised by this sudden turn of the conversation.

"I'd like you to set another place at the table and break your fast with us," Suyeon said.

Suyeon was thoroughly taken aback. "Oh, no ma'am! I couldn't! It wouldn't be appropriate!"

"Suyeon!" Jisoo said, her voice taking on a little of the edge she'd picked up from observing Madame Park interact with the servants at the academy. "Surely you're not suggesting that I would ask you to do something inappropriate!"

"No ma'am," Suyeon said, blanching a little under Jisoo's gaze.

"Then set yourself a place at the table and break your fast with us," Jisoo said. "I expect you can be quite a charming young lady when the opportunity presents itself, and I'd like to see it."

"Yes ma'am," Suyeon said, curtsying and rushing out of the room, but not before Joy and Jisoo had a chance to notice that she was blushing.

"She really is quite taken with you," Joy said as she and Jisoo walked into the dining room.

"Jin-Young said the very thing," Jisoo said. "Are you quite certain? I'm afraid I don't see it."

"You never were very good at that sort of thing," Joy said, her laugh washing away any sting her words might have had.

"Probably not," Jisoo agreed, "so I must bow to your expertise."

By the time Joy and Jisoo entered the dining room, Suyeon had already set a third place at the table and was standing behind her chair, awaiting them.

Once they were all seated, Jisoo poured tea for everyone. She looked around the table, pleased with the selection of dishes Suyeon had prepared. "It all looks quite delicious, Suyeon," Jisoo said as she began servinb herself.

"Thank you, ma'am," Suyeon said, blushing again.

Breakfast was altogether pleasant. Jisoo and Joy soon managed to convince Suyeon that they truly did wish for her company, and after Jisoo had added an extra sausage to the food that Suyeon had served herself, she saw that Suyeon was beginning to feel comfortable in their presence. She didn't say much during breakfast, enjoying watching Joy draw out Suyeon. She had been told that Joy was a gifted conversationalist and exceedingly skilled at getting others to talk, but this was her first time seeing Joy practice her skills on someone who didn't have an academy training. Before the end of the meal, Suyeon was willingly telling Joy every detail of her life, and yet the conversation never took on the character of an interrogation, and she was quite sure that if asked about it later, Suyeon would not recall anything amiss about the conversation, instead feeling only that Joy was quite charming and she would love to talk to her again.

After breakfast, Joy and Jisoo set out for the news agent's. As they walked, Joy asked some questions to try to see what leverage they might have to get what they wanted.

"Is there another newsagent we could go to? Or threaten to go to?" Joy asked.

Jisoo shook her head. "Mr. Baek is the only newsagent who will deliver to my house, and the others are too far across town for me to make the trip there to pick up magazines."

"Hmmm," Joy said. "That does weaken our position considerably, but given all the things you've told me about Mr. Baek, I think I see way that we can get what you need."

When they reached the newsagent's shop and talked to Mr. Baek, it was exactly as Jisoo had predicted: He was willing to order her whatever magazines or newspapers she asked for, but unwilling to invest any effort to ensure that she was getting all the best magazines.

"I'll go out of my way to get the customer any newspaper or magazine they ask for, but it's up to them to figure out what they want. I can't offer the sort of personalization your requesting, Mrs. Kim," he said, his tone of