The scene opens in a brothel in the middle of the night. The owner of the brothel, the "highness" , is trying to make a fish-maw-based dish for his guests. He has no idea how to add black cardamom to the dish to make it even more umami-rich. The "royal highness prince" arrives and greets the guests. The highness is surprised to see that the prince is dressed like a womanizer and that he has recently learned classical pieces for his highness. He asks for some western spices to spice up the dish, and the highness agrees to bring him the spices. When the soup vessel is smashed, the owner realizes that someone has fallen into the water, and he flees the brothel.