Morning at Sora and Yuna's stationery and design office, warm and busy before the inquiry interrupts.

Sora reads the Lee family's inquiry and realizes it is not a command.

Yuna tries to protect Sora from spiraling, but Sora chooses not to run from the inquiry.

At the Yun household, Sora's parents explain the invitation and the risks of refusing or attending.

Sora prepares for the meeting, choosing the blue ribbon as a symbol of self-possession rather than innocence.

The Lee delegation arrives at the Yun household for the formal inquiry.

The meeting room is arranged, with Joon-seo positioned behind Lady Lee until Sora notices.

Sora asks Joon-seo to sit where he can speak for himself, changing the power arrangement of the meeting.

Lady Lee frames the inquiry as respectful, while Sora refuses to give an immediate answer.

Sora speaks about silence, loneliness, and the fear of being trapped without revealing her regression.

Lady Lee pushes back, but Sora clarifies she is not staging an accusation; she is refusing a structure.

Sora tests whether Joon-seo can respect refusal before any conditions are discussed.

Sora names honest communication as the first condition for any possible courtship.

Lady Lee objects to blunt courtship, and Sora defines directness without abandoning public propriety.

Sora refuses to surrender her business, money, or adult independence for a marriage negotiation.

Sora states that she will not live under Lady Lee's authority or move into the Lee estate.

Sora explains that separate residence is about survival, not spite, and Joon-seo understands the weight of it.

Sora names medical autonomy, and a brief memory of her sick first life shows why the condition matters.

Sora states the right to end the arrangement without disgrace, and Joon-seo accepts before anyone else can answer.

Lady Lee challenges Joon-seo's authority to accept, and he explains that choosing Sora cannot mean cornering her.

Sora warns Joon-seo not to accept out of guilt or noble performance, and he answers plainly.

The families agree to record the terms as a preliminary courtship discussion, not an engagement.

After the formal meeting, Sora and Joon-seo exchange a brief, plain conversation under family supervision from a distance.

Sora exits into the courtyard air, still undecided but no longer ruled by old certainty. Yuna waits by the carriage to anchor her in the life she built.