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chapter 27
“They said this man is the nephew of the Empress of the Great Western Empire, and the heir of the merchant guild…”
Sorin delivered the next schedule to Nasim, who still looked dazed for some reason.
[Sir, your meal has been prepared. Please follow me to the dining hall.]
[Huh? Ah… I-I should first bring my luggage to my room…]
[Your luggage will be carried to your room by our staff at Hyeumwon.]
Before Sorin even finished speaking, the clerks swiftly stepped forward and collected Nasim’s key and luggage.
[Th-thank you! I-I shall gladly f-follow you!]
Nasim stuck close behind her as she guided him.
As they stepped out of the reception hall, a gentle autumn breeze carried Sorin’s faint fragrance toward him. Nasim found his gaze drifting to her small shoulders.
‘Wow… she’s tiny. Everything about her is small.’
Her face looked like it could be covered with one of his palms, and her shoulders seemed so delicate that a slight bump might break them.
Still in a daze, he followed Sorin to Pungwoljae, one of the banquet rooms inside Manhyangru. When Sorin opened the door, a separately partitioned room appeared.
‘Hm? It’s warm inside?’
After spending so long in the cold wind on horseback, the warm air melted the stiffness in Nasim’s muscles.
His eyes swept over the elegant decor and the braziers placed throughout the room.
‘Huh, they even prepared a private room like this. They have good sense.’
Then—
Sniff, sniff—
‘Wait… this smell?! Why?! How is this smell here?!’
A familiar scent—spices and the smoky aroma of baked bread—hit his nose. Nasim instinctively looked around.
How could the smell of home exist in this faraway land?
[Please, have a seat.]
Sorin carefully pulled out the chair next to Rashid.
[Ah? Ah—yes! Y-yes!]
Nasim fumbled awkwardly as he sat on the chair she held for him.
[You’re here.]
Rashid had been puzzled by his nephew’s dazed manner, but once he saw the way Nasim was staring at Sorin’s retreating figure, he let out a sighing laugh.
[…Nasim?]
[…]
[Nasim?]
[…Ah, yes.]
[So? How does it feel to visit Goryeo’s caravanserai?]
[Ah…]
In truth, Nasim had not expected much from Goryeo.
No—he had been disappointed. To travel such a long distance only to arrive in such a small country.
And instead of staying at the famous Byeongranjeong caravanserai near the storied port of Byeokrando—one he had at least heard of—they were staying at a place none of the sailors had ever heard of.
He had even felt a bit resentful.
But now… his thoughts were starting to change.
[Ahem… I’ll give you an assessment once I’ve seen more.]
[Haha, do so.]
Rashid smiled meaningfully as they waited for food to arrive.
Once Nasim was seated, the rest of the Al-Fayrouz merchant group took their seats as well. Then the door opened wide as servers entered with dish after dish.
The merchants’ eyes widened.
[T-this is… kofta?! My favorite!]
[A-and chorba too! Am I dreaming? Why is this here?!]
[There’s even lavash! Do they have a special oven for it?!]
Everyone was delighted—and shocked—to see their homeland’s dishes.
The Goryeo food they had eaten on the journey wasn’t bad, but nothing compares to food from home.
Yet… no one touched their utensils.
Seeing this, Vice Director Lee Jeong-a asked Sorin:
“Why aren’t they eating?”
Sorin answered with her earlier suspicion.
“They must not know whether the food follows their religious laws. They’re afraid to eat.”
Jeong-a clicked her tongue.
“You prepared this food yourself, did you not? You should explain it to them.”
Sorin made a troubled expression.
“I am only one of the junior attendants to them. My words hold no weight. But if you speak, and I translate, they will accept it.”
Jeong-a was impressed by Sorin’s insight. She was right—words gain weight when spoken by someone responsible.
“Very well. Translate for me: Tell them the food was prepared as sincerely as possible according to their laws, so they may eat without worry.”
Sorin added what was necessary and translated:
[There are no ingredients forbidden to Muslims. All food was prepared as close to ‘halal’ standards as possible. You may eat with peace of mind.]
The merchants murmured loudly.
[Halal? How do they know this?]
[Do they even know what halal means?]
Sorin translated their doubts to Jeong-a.
“Me? Of course I don’t know.”
She couldn’t translate that directly, so she hesitated—until Jeong-a winked.
“Translate however makes sense. You know what to do.”
“Yes.”
Just then, Euncheon and Junkyeong entered the hall to observe the reactions of the foreign merchants.
As they stepped in, they overheard part of a conversation between Sorin and Rashid.
The mood seemed positive.
[Yes. They are our first honored guests. Only one thing is unfortunate—we were unable to prepare the meat by your ‘dhabiha’ method.]
Euncheon was startled hearing the word “dhabiha,” but soon concluded Sorin must’ve learned it from the kitchen staff.
Rashid laughed heartily.
[If you know what dhabiha is, there’s nothing more to say about halal. Don’t worry. When necessary, other meats may be taken.]
Jeong-a felt relieved when Sorin relayed his words.
“Sorin, you’ve done very well.”
Sorin translated this as:
[Thank you for your understanding. Please enjoy your meal.]
Still, no one moved first.
“After you.”
“No, you first.”
But then—Nasim glanced briefly at Sorin.
And suddenly—
He grabbed a huge spoonful of kofta, shoved it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
