The Hanlimwon was not exactly a place forbidden to women.

After all, there were numerous female servants working here, and many women managed the kitchens.

And if you ask if there were no female scholars? That’s not entirely true either. They occasionally held literary exchange meetings for female writers, and sometimes, noble women from the palace would gather to teach aspiring female scholars.

However, requesting that a spot be reserved in the Hanlimwon’s Tae Hakdang (Imperial Academy Hall) lectures specifically for a woman? That was a different story altogether.

"Master Sigang, I understand your fondness for your disciple, but this …