Two For the Price of One, Ch. 11
Previously:
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: The SKKS-verse belongs to the creators of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
Technical Notes: A man addresses his wife's brother/s and sister/s as cheonam and cheoje, respectively.
Author's Notes: At long, long, long last, here's the latest chapter! Many apologies for the delay, but I had a lot going on IRL over the past few months that affected not only my writing time, but Internet access as well! I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. Many thanks to naddyamal, Anonymous (knweaye, is that you? :D I always look out for your comments!), and junmaolove (hello again!) for reviewing!
Chapter Eleven
“Hello, Teacher Kim! How are you today?”
“Hello, Madam Sung,” Iseul said, smiling politely at the ajumma with whom she had, until that very moment, only the merest nodding acquaintance. “I'm well, thank you.”
“I hear you and Master Gu have formally introduced each other to your families.” Madam Sung's gaze flickered over Iseul's belly. “Then it shouldn't be long before you set a wedding date, eh?”
“Oh, we're not in a hurry,” Iseul told her. If rumors spread that she was pregnant, Yong-ha's mother would kill her. “There's absolutely no reason to rush.”
The older woman looked somewhat disappointed at that, but recovered quickly. “Of course there is! It's well past time you got married, and if you dilly-dally any longer, another girl might come and steal away your intended! Gu Yong-ha is quite a catch, you know.”
“Yes, Madam Sung, I know.” How could she not, when every other person she came across these days could talk about nothing other than how lucky she was to land such a rich, handsome husband-to-be? “But we're both very busy. Speaking of which, if you'll excuse me, I need to go. I'm meeting Master Gu this afternoon.”
“That's right, you should try to keep him interested.” Madam Sung nodded, approving for once, then fixed her with a penetrating look. “But you shouldn't try too hard, if you know what I mean.”
“We're just meeting for tea at his shop,” Iseul explained hastily, her cheeks turning pink. “There will be many people around, and our family servant will come to fetch me home.”
“Good. Just because you're betrothed doesn't mean that you can do everything that married people do!”
“You're absolutely right, Madam Sung,” Iseul agreed emphatically, hoping that would be enough to prevent any fresh gossip from starting. “Now, if you don't mind...?”
It took some effort, but she did a fair job of keeping her expression pleasant on the rest of the way to Yong-ha's shop-pleasant enough, at least, for a few more people to greet her in passing without giving her strange looks. However, her “betrothed” saw through her right away.
“Darling! You're here!” Yong-ha greeted her when she turned up at his door. “Come in, come in! I thought you would never arrive!”
He spoke effusively for the benefit of any passersby who might be watching, but changed his tone the moment they were inside and in private. “All right, what's the matter?”
“Nothing,” she replied, making straight for what was now her customary corner. A low table had been set aside for her use, and tea and snacks awaited nearby. “Why would you think something was wrong?”
“Because I can see that little wrinkle between your eyebrows again.” He peered at her as he sat near her worktable-yes, there it was. “What do I keep telling you? That's-“
“-going to become permanent if I don't learn to control that habit,” Iseul finished for him. She sighed heavily and rubbed at the offending spot. “I'm sorry. This has just been a difficult day. Everyone I've come across today wants to know when we're holding the wedding.”
“Ah, yes.” He nodded sympathetically. “I've been hearing that sort of thing quite often myself.” (The questions almost always came with a ribald joke about the perils of waiting too long, but she probably didn't need to hear about that.)
“Then there's that visit with my father's family,” she added as she measured tea leaves into the pot. “And dinner with your friends.”
“You know we had no choice but to finally accept that invitation. If we made any more excuses, they could have become suspicious.” Chances were that Yoon-hee and Ka-hai already suspected that something strange was going on; fortunately, their husbands had taken it upon themselves to keep them off Yong-ha's back.
“I know. I'm not saying that we shouldn't go. It just feels as though this is never going to end.”
“It will, eventually,” he reminded her in as cheerful a tone as he could manage. He didn't quite like the disconsolate tone in her voice or the implication that pretending to be engaged to him was a chore, but knew that he could not dismiss Iseul's worries. “You yourself said that today is just a difficult day, didn't you? I'm sure that tomorrow will be better, and the meetings with your grandfather and my friends will be easier than we thought.”
“I hope so,” she said, but her shoulders began to straighten.
“Then,” he couldn't help adding, “I'm also sure that you'll actually be sad once we finally end this 'betrothal,' if only because I'll no longer require your services.”
Iseul harrumphed at that, but he could see a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. “We'll see about that, Gu Yong-ha,” she said as she poured two cups of tea and served him one. “Perhaps you'll find that you can't live without the work that I do for you, and decide to hire me permanently.”
He grinned, knowing that the storm had passed. His “betrothed” was not one to wallow in self-pity for long. “All right, we'll see,” he agreed. “In the meantime, shall we have some tea?”
“I told you this was going to be easier than we thought,” Yong-ha murmured to Iseul as they followed Master Jo through the Ma residence a few days later.
She nodded, feeling quite optimistic herself. The obligatory visit was to be held in Master Ma's study, which meant that the old man would likely be alone because he did not like having many people underfoot and possibly disturbing the order of his books and papers. Although he was no less unpleasant than her other Ma relatives, at least she and Yong-ha did not have to face all of them at once.
“Miss Kim Iseul and her betrothed have arrived, master,” Master Jo announced when they arrived.
“I know,” his employer replied. “I'm not blind. You may go.” He dismissed the servant with a jerk of his grizzled head, then glared at the couple. “Well?”
At least we don't have to deal with the others, Iseul reminded herself as she bowed deeply to her grandfather. “Good afternoon, Harabeonim. My betrothed and I have come to visit. May I introduce Master Gu Yong-ha?”
At the sound of his name, Yong-ha bowed as well. “How do you do, sir?”
“I know who he is,” Master Ma grunted. “I heard more than enough about him and that election from my grandson.”
“Ah, yes. Well... it was a pity that there could only be one winner.”
“Ki-hoon would have just messed things up anyway,” Master Ma sniffed. (Was Yong-ha hearing things, or did Iseul choke back a giggle at that?) “So, you're going to be married, are you?”
“Yes, sir, and we couldn't be happier. Isn't that right, my dear?”
“We're ecstatic,” Iseul confirmed, blushing when her “betrothed” rewarded her with a smile. The words sounded pathetic the moment they left her mouth, but she felt as though she had to say something.
“And when is the wedding?”
“We haven't set a date yet, Harabeonim.” She was getting used to answering that question.
“Haven't set a date yet!” The old man harrumphed. “Well, at least this means you haven't done something stupid like get yourself pregnant.”
“We haven't set a date yet because there are still many preparations to make, sir,” Yong-ha explained.
Master Ma's shaggy white brows drew together in a scowl. “You aren't stalling because she doesn't have much of a dowry, are you?” he demanded.
Whose fault is that? Iseul wanted to ask her grandfather, but stayed silent. This was not the time to dwell on old hurts. As far as her Ma relatives was concerned, she was there to show off the highly advantageous match she had managed to make without any support from them whatsoever.
Yong-ha, however, did not take the jibe sitting down. “That is not the case at all, Master Ma,” he replied in the clipped tones of the grievously insulted. “On the contrary, my family is more than happy to take Iseul just as she is. What do we need with more property or prestige, when we already have more than enough of both?”
“So the pair of you will live on love alone, then?” the old man asked skeptically.
“We will live on the fruits of our hard work, Harabeonim,” Iseul told him, now feeling compelled to speak. “You know I am no stranger to it, and neither is my betrothed.” She mustered a pleasant smile. “So please, don't worry about us.”
“All right,” Yong-ha amended a seeming eternity later, after Master Ma had declared the interview at an end, “maybe that wasn't so easy, but at least it's over now.”
“It wasn't easy, but I think we did quite well,” Iseul replied as they made their way out of the house. “And, ultimately, this was all just a formality. Harabeonim couldn't have objected to the match, no matter how badly things went.”
He stiffened at that. “Did he look like he wanted to?” Surely the Mas, for all their snobbish ways, weren't looking down on him!
“No, I don't think so,” she replied with a dismissive gesture. “I don't think he cares that much.”
“He might, if he insisted that we visit him-ya!” Yong-ha stopped dead in his tracks, his annoyance over the perceived slight replaced by fresh indignation over something else entirely. “Where is your ring?!”
Iseul blinked, startled. “What?”
“Your ring!” he repeated, grabbing her bare hand and holding it up to show her. “The one I put right here!”
“Oh, that ring. Well, I don't really like wearing rings because they get in the way when I work, so-“
He scowled. “So you don't wear it?”
“Not on my hand,” she said, using her free hand to pull at a cord peeking out from under her collar. Her ring hung from it like a pendant. “See?”
The sight of it mollified Yong-ha somewhat, but still he grumbled, “Well, don't hide it like that. Everyone knows what we've done with our garakji, so they'll be expecting to see you wearing yours.”
Iseul was about to explain that she didn't want to wear the obviously expensive trinket in plain sight, in case a thief might take interest in it, but an oily drawl interrupted her before she could speak.
“How touching.”
The pair turned to see Ki-hoon coming towards them with Ma Ki-sook, his unmarried sister, at his side. Neither looked pleased to see Iseul or her “betrothed,” but Yong-ha greeted them with an impish smile. “Hello, Master Ma, Miss Ma!” he caroled as they approached. “Or shall I go right ahead and call you cheonam and cheoje?”
Ki-sook's nostrils flared at the cheeky question, but she did not dignify it with a response. Instead, she peered at Iseul's hand, still clasped in Yong-ha's.
Iseul snatched her hand free and smiled at her half-siblings as though nothing was out of the ordinary. (It was not as though they had been caught in a seriously compromising position, she told herself.) “Hello, Orabeonim. Hello, Eonni.”
Not surprisingly, the only response her greeting elicited was a couple of frosty nods. “I suppose you're here to visit my grandfather,” Ki-hoon remarked.
The barb was not lost on Iseul, but she responded in as pleasant a tone as she could muster. “Yes, we've just finished visiting Harabeonim.”
“Actually, he said we had to visit,” Yong-ha added. “Said he wouldn't allow us to marry if we didn't fulfill our filial obligations.”
The older man sniffed skeptically. “I'm sure he did.”
Ki-sook looked over her younger half-sister appraisingly. “Nice outfit.”
Iseul was certain that the compliment was only half-meant at best, but that day she wore her special “meeting the parents” hanbok (and Yong-ha was naturally dressed to match), so she also knew that the older woman was not being condescending. “Thank you, Eonni.”
Sure enough, a smirk appeared on Ki-sook's face. “It must be nice to be assured of a lifetime supply of fine clothing... but is it worth the price you're paying, I wonder?”
There was no mistaking the ugly insinuation in her tone-something that Iseul had heard from the insincere congratulations and backhanded compliments that had begun to emerge now that the shock of her “betrothal” had worn off. “Actually, I think I got the best of this bargain,” she replied, sending Yong-ha what she hoped looked like an adoring smile.
He smiled back. “On the contrary, my darling, I think we both win.
“I'm flattered that you think so highly of my creations, Cheoje,” he went on, addressing Ki-sook with deliberate emphasis on the formal address. “But if a woman doesn't carry them well, then the finest of clothes would be no better than rags. And a woman's bearing stems from her character. It's my privilege to clothe my betrothed, because everything I will make for her will be beautiful.”
Yong-ha nodded curtly to Iseul's half-siblings, signaling that the conversation was at an end. “Come, my dear,” he said to Iseul, starting towards the door even though Ki-sook was still sputtering and trying to frame a suitable reply. “Let me see you home.”
The crowning touch to Iseul's harrowing week came courtesy of Bang Jung-soo, who cheerfully introduced her to a female visitor towards the end of his sister's painting lesson. “This is Kang Myeong-hee,” he announced. “Her family just moved here from Gongju and they're visiting us today. Miss Kang, please meet Teacher Kim Iseul, the finest painting teacher in Joseon.”
The visitor smiled, displaying a charming pair of dimples, and bowed prettily. “Hello. I'm pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Iseul replied, mustering a smile of her own. A family new in town-especially one with a daughter as young and pretty as Miss Kang-was no doubt looking to make an alliance, most likely through marriage.
“And you remember my sister, Jung-hwa,” Jung-soo continued, his attention fully on Miss Kang again. “She will join us once her lesson is over.”
“Hello,” the girl said curtly.
Neither her brother nor Miss Kang seemed to have noticed her rudeness, but Iseul still felt compelled to try and cover it up. “We, ah, we've just finished for the day,” she babbled, gesturing blindly at the worktable. “I'll clean up and-“
“I'll help you, seonsaengnim,” Jung-hwa announced in a tone that brooked no opposition.
“Yes, you do that,” her brother agreed with an approving nod. “Then come and visit with Miss Kang and her parents, all right?”
“Yes, Orabeoni.”
Miss Kang favored them with one last smile. “It was nice to meet you,” she said again, bowing to Iseul as Jung-soo escorted her from the room.
Iseul fought to regain her composure, reminding herself that even though she had foolishly harbored hopes to the contrary, Bang Jung-soo had been well out of her reach long before this. Woodenly, she began to clear the table.
Jung-hwa followed suit. “Her father just bought the Hongs' makgeolli brewery,” she confided as they cleaned their paintbrushes. “I think I heard Abeonim say that she's their only daughter.”
“She seems nice” was all Iseul could trust herself to say.
Her student sniffed. “She's a dead bore.”
“Bang Jung-hwa!” she chided. Even though couldn't help but revel in the girl's unfavorable opinion, she was still a teacher and honor-bound to set a good example. “Haven't I always told you to try and find the good in everyone and everything?”
“She is,” Jung-hwa insisted, pouting. “She does nothing but act nice and sweet all the time.”
“Would you rather she be mean to you?”
“No, but I wish she were more interesting. Like you! Oh, seonsaengnim, I really wanted you and Orabeoni to get married!”
Iseul smiled sadly and patted the girl's arm. “Things will turn out just fine, even though they might not be the way we hope,” she said, wishing she could believe it herself. “Now, you should go and freshen up. Your guests are expecting you.”
Yong-ha knew that something was amiss from the moment he fetched his “betrothed” from the Bang residence. Oh, Iseul responded as she was supposed to, speaking when spoken to and even looked happy when he announced that they were going on a surprise picnic, but it was clear to him that she was only going through the motions.
“Difficult day at work, dear?” he asked her mildly when they had settled down to eat in a wooded area on the outskirts of town.
“You could say that,” she replied with a wry little smile.
“Then I suppose this is a bad time to talk to you about the Chamber of Commerce?”
“Oh, no! Please do tell me what's going on. I'm... a little tired, but I'd love to hear all about it.”
Iseul tried to concentrate on Yong-ha's plans for the Chamber of Commerce, she really did; but despite her best efforts, her thoughts kept straying back to Jung-soo, Miss Kang, and Iseul's absolute lack of marriage prospects.
The worst had come to pass, she thought morosely. Everyone believed her to be off-limits because she was “betrothed,” making it impossible for her to look for potential husbands; and besides, no man was going to want her after she and Yong-ha broke it off. She would never be courted or married. Her grandmother's care would remain solely on her shoulders. She would never have children. She would never even be kissed.
Unless....
“Gu Yong-ha, would you kiss me?”
He stopped short and looked at her blankly. “I beg your pardon?”
She busied herself with brushing crumbs from her hands. “I said, would you kiss me?”
“Now? Why?”
“N-no reason,” she replied with what she hoped passed for a nonchalant shrug. “I'm just curious.”
That was, of course, not enough of an explanation for Yong-ha. “This is quite unlike you, Kim Iseul,” he said, puzzled by her odd behavior. “What brought this on?
“This doesn't have anything to do with Bang Jung-soo, does it?” he went on when she said nothing. A disturbing idea took root in his mind, and his imagination was nothing if not fertile. “Did something happen with him?”
“No. Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
Her voice was suspiciously flat and she refused to look him in the eye, sure signs that “something” had indeed happened. “What did he do to you?!” Yong-ha demanded with rising alarm. He had heard stories about young masters of wealthy households taking shameful advantage of women they perceived as lower-class. Who knew that the bland Master Bang was capable of such things? He wondered if he could convince Jae-shin to revive the Red Messenger one more time, just to hurt the bastard a little. (Or a lot. Yong-ha rather liked the idea of “a lot.”)
“Nothing!” she burst out, glaring at him. “He didn't do anything!”
“Then don't tell me he broke your heart!” She fell silent at that, and he frowned. “He did, didn't he?”
“Not on purpose,” Iseul mumbled, mortified that he had managed to guess her secret. (Had Jung-soo also guessed that she liked him? Did that even matter anymore?) She shook her head and moved to clear away the remains of their picnic. “I'm sorry, I've made things awkward. Let's just leave.”
“Wait.” He laid a hand on her arm when she tried to reach for his empty cup. “I didn't say I wouldn't kiss you.”
She froze. “Then you'll do it?” she squeaked. Their roundabout conversation had led her to think that he would refuse, and helped her recover somewhat from her upset over Jung-soo. Now, she felt restless all over again.
Her breath caught when he drew closer to her and said, “Yes, I suppose I will.
“Although,” Yong-ha couldn't help adding, “asking someone to kiss you when you're heartbroken over another is not the best way to deal with the problem.”
“I know this won't mean anything. It would be just another flirting lesson.”
“Good.” He nodded approvingly. “Let's think of it that way. Now, close your eyes.”
He watched her eyelids flutter closed and, after a moment's pause, leaned over and fitted his lips to hers.
It was a pleasant surprise to find Iseul's mouth soft and pliant beneath his, instead of stiff and puckered like an old maid's. At first, she let him do all the work, but soon she was mimicking his movements-rather awkwardly, but it was a start-and parted her lips at his urging.
Suddenly, he pulled away. “Did you just put your tongue in my mouth?”
Iseul blinked, bemused, then color flooded her cheeks when she came crashing back to reality. “Was that wrong?”
“N-no.” He cleared his throat and looked away from her. “It's just... not something novices are expected to know.”
“Oh.”
Yong-ha snatched up his cup, poured himself a healthy slug of barley tea, and downed it in one shot. “We should get going,” he declared, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, “before you decide you want lessons even more advanced than that one.”
The woman was at her bath. Such a time was supposed to be a private one, but judging from her sly expression, she knew that she was bathing for an audience.
Iseul smiled as she painted the woman's skin a rosy cream. This piece would be part of a set of illustrations for a new book, and the commission promised to be Hwa-jae's most profitable yet.
Thinking about the money helped to ease the lingering pangs she felt over Bang Jung-soo. Her heart wasn't wholly broken, she decided. Although the young man was handsome and well-mannered, she realized now that he had been nothing but a romantic fantasy.
After all, she reasoned to herself, he knew next to nothing about her. They might not have the same interests. He probably wouldn't have taken to the idea of marrying into a family such as hers. He definitely would have disapproved if he knew about Hwa-jae.
It was also possible that Jung-soo was terrible at kissing.
Iseul's smile grew as knowing as her painting's. Although she was not at all qualified to judge, Yong-ha's kiss was quite nice. She hadn't experienced the “transcendent whirlwind of passion” that all the erotic novels talked about, but the books had given her an idea of what to do and expect.
Perhaps things would be better next time, she thought as she defined the graceful arch of the woman's foot. If there will be a “next time.”
Stop thinking about it.
Yong-ha knew that it was ridiculous, the way he could not stop dwelling on that nothing kiss from a few days ago, but then Iseul hadn't been bad for a novice. If he had known that beforehand, then he would have been less concerned about scaring her. He would have kissed her more deeply, perhaps used his teeth or-
He shook his head to clear it. The reason for his fixation had to be the fact that he hadn't indulged in any physical intimacy in a long time-since before meeting Iseul, in fact. The Chamber of Commerce campaign and, later, his sham betrothal had kept him too busy to notice. He would remedy that the next chance he got, and then everything would be all right again.
Fortunately, Yong-ha's “betrothed” was not home when he arrived at the Kim residence. Although he was still expected to visit with her upon her return, he would at least have some time to compose himself before coming face to face with her again.
“You're delivering more clothes?” Madam Park fretted after she and Kyo-eul received him and he announced why he was there. “Why, Iseul has barely worn the last ones she ordered from you. Isn't she spending too much!”
“These are presents, Halmeonim,” Yong-ha assured her cheerfully. The bundles he carried rustled as he bent to pet the dog, who wagged his tail with delight. “A surprise. I wanted my betrothed to have some new warm things for winter. There's a coat for you as well.”
“Gu Yong-ha, you shouldn't have! I should probably scold you about spending too much!”
“Just knowing that you will be warm this winter is worth the expense.”
“Oh, you!” The old woman giggled girlishly. “Well, I suppose the least I can do is to offer you something while you wait for Iseul. Won't you sit down?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Yong-ha set down his bundles and walked over to a set of paintings on the wall. They had caught his eye on his first visit. “These paintings of the flowers....” he said as Kyo-eul trotted after him, “they are our Iseul's work?”
“Yes.” Madam Park turned in his general direction and smiled proudly. “She's talented, isn't she? I'm so glad I saw some of her paintings before losing my eyesight.
“Now,” she went on, “let me see to some tea and snacks for you.”
Iseul hummed to herself as she and Chin-hae arrived at the house. The trip to the market had gone extremely well: the household accounts were all settled, she bought some of her grandmother's favorite foods, she bumped into Chae-mi and agreed to meet for tea the next day, and Hwa-jae had some new orders. They would have to wait until after the latest set of illustrations were done, but the prospect of more work was always welcome.
“Please take the shopping to the kitchen,” she instructed the manservant. “We will have the fish for dinner tonight. Halmeonim will like that.”
“Yes, agasshi,” Chin-hae replied, bowing and leaving her at the Kims' front door.
Kyo-eul came running to greet her as she removed her shoes. She could tell from the spring in his step and the way he barked that he was excited about something. “What is it, boy?” she asked.
The dog, of course, could only bark in reply. He trotted towards the door and looked back at her expectantly, a sure sign that he wanted her to follow him.
He led her to the Kims' “best” room, where Iseul found Yong-ha waiting for her. Kyo-eul gamboled happily at his feet, clearly pleased with himself for remembering that his new friend belonged to his young mistress.
She smiled at the dog's antics, then at Yong-ha. However, her words of welcome died away at the stony look on his face. “Yong-ha, is anything wrong?” she asked, confused.
He continued to regard her coldly. “How was your shopping... Hwa-jae?”
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: The SKKS-verse belongs to the creators of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
Technical Notes: A man addresses his wife's brother/s and sister/s as cheonam and cheoje, respectively.
Author's Notes: At long, long, long last, here's the latest chapter! Many apologies for the delay, but I had a lot going on IRL over the past few months that affected not only my writing time, but Internet access as well! I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. Many thanks to naddyamal, Anonymous (knweaye, is that you? :D I always look out for your comments!), and junmaolove (hello again!) for reviewing!
Chapter Eleven
“Hello, Teacher Kim! How are you today?”
“Hello, Madam Sung,” Iseul said, smiling politely at the ajumma with whom she had, until that very moment, only the merest nodding acquaintance. “I'm well, thank you.”
“I hear you and Master Gu have formally introduced each other to your families.” Madam Sung's gaze flickered over Iseul's belly. “Then it shouldn't be long before you set a wedding date, eh?”
“Oh, we're not in a hurry,” Iseul told her. If rumors spread that she was pregnant, Yong-ha's mother would kill her. “There's absolutely no reason to rush.”
The older woman looked somewhat disappointed at that, but recovered quickly. “Of course there is! It's well past time you got married, and if you dilly-dally any longer, another girl might come and steal away your intended! Gu Yong-ha is quite a catch, you know.”
“Yes, Madam Sung, I know.” How could she not, when every other person she came across these days could talk about nothing other than how lucky she was to land such a rich, handsome husband-to-be? “But we're both very busy. Speaking of which, if you'll excuse me, I need to go. I'm meeting Master Gu this afternoon.”
“That's right, you should try to keep him interested.” Madam Sung nodded, approving for once, then fixed her with a penetrating look. “But you shouldn't try too hard, if you know what I mean.”
“We're just meeting for tea at his shop,” Iseul explained hastily, her cheeks turning pink. “There will be many people around, and our family servant will come to fetch me home.”
“Good. Just because you're betrothed doesn't mean that you can do everything that married people do!”
“You're absolutely right, Madam Sung,” Iseul agreed emphatically, hoping that would be enough to prevent any fresh gossip from starting. “Now, if you don't mind...?”
It took some effort, but she did a fair job of keeping her expression pleasant on the rest of the way to Yong-ha's shop-pleasant enough, at least, for a few more people to greet her in passing without giving her strange looks. However, her “betrothed” saw through her right away.
“Darling! You're here!” Yong-ha greeted her when she turned up at his door. “Come in, come in! I thought you would never arrive!”
He spoke effusively for the benefit of any passersby who might be watching, but changed his tone the moment they were inside and in private. “All right, what's the matter?”
“Nothing,” she replied, making straight for what was now her customary corner. A low table had been set aside for her use, and tea and snacks awaited nearby. “Why would you think something was wrong?”
“Because I can see that little wrinkle between your eyebrows again.” He peered at her as he sat near her worktable-yes, there it was. “What do I keep telling you? That's-“
“-going to become permanent if I don't learn to control that habit,” Iseul finished for him. She sighed heavily and rubbed at the offending spot. “I'm sorry. This has just been a difficult day. Everyone I've come across today wants to know when we're holding the wedding.”
“Ah, yes.” He nodded sympathetically. “I've been hearing that sort of thing quite often myself.” (The questions almost always came with a ribald joke about the perils of waiting too long, but she probably didn't need to hear about that.)
“Then there's that visit with my father's family,” she added as she measured tea leaves into the pot. “And dinner with your friends.”
“You know we had no choice but to finally accept that invitation. If we made any more excuses, they could have become suspicious.” Chances were that Yoon-hee and Ka-hai already suspected that something strange was going on; fortunately, their husbands had taken it upon themselves to keep them off Yong-ha's back.
“I know. I'm not saying that we shouldn't go. It just feels as though this is never going to end.”
“It will, eventually,” he reminded her in as cheerful a tone as he could manage. He didn't quite like the disconsolate tone in her voice or the implication that pretending to be engaged to him was a chore, but knew that he could not dismiss Iseul's worries. “You yourself said that today is just a difficult day, didn't you? I'm sure that tomorrow will be better, and the meetings with your grandfather and my friends will be easier than we thought.”
“I hope so,” she said, but her shoulders began to straighten.
“Then,” he couldn't help adding, “I'm also sure that you'll actually be sad once we finally end this 'betrothal,' if only because I'll no longer require your services.”
Iseul harrumphed at that, but he could see a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. “We'll see about that, Gu Yong-ha,” she said as she poured two cups of tea and served him one. “Perhaps you'll find that you can't live without the work that I do for you, and decide to hire me permanently.”
He grinned, knowing that the storm had passed. His “betrothed” was not one to wallow in self-pity for long. “All right, we'll see,” he agreed. “In the meantime, shall we have some tea?”
“I told you this was going to be easier than we thought,” Yong-ha murmured to Iseul as they followed Master Jo through the Ma residence a few days later.
She nodded, feeling quite optimistic herself. The obligatory visit was to be held in Master Ma's study, which meant that the old man would likely be alone because he did not like having many people underfoot and possibly disturbing the order of his books and papers. Although he was no less unpleasant than her other Ma relatives, at least she and Yong-ha did not have to face all of them at once.
“Miss Kim Iseul and her betrothed have arrived, master,” Master Jo announced when they arrived.
“I know,” his employer replied. “I'm not blind. You may go.” He dismissed the servant with a jerk of his grizzled head, then glared at the couple. “Well?”
At least we don't have to deal with the others, Iseul reminded herself as she bowed deeply to her grandfather. “Good afternoon, Harabeonim. My betrothed and I have come to visit. May I introduce Master Gu Yong-ha?”
At the sound of his name, Yong-ha bowed as well. “How do you do, sir?”
“I know who he is,” Master Ma grunted. “I heard more than enough about him and that election from my grandson.”
“Ah, yes. Well... it was a pity that there could only be one winner.”
“Ki-hoon would have just messed things up anyway,” Master Ma sniffed. (Was Yong-ha hearing things, or did Iseul choke back a giggle at that?) “So, you're going to be married, are you?”
“Yes, sir, and we couldn't be happier. Isn't that right, my dear?”
“We're ecstatic,” Iseul confirmed, blushing when her “betrothed” rewarded her with a smile. The words sounded pathetic the moment they left her mouth, but she felt as though she had to say something.
“And when is the wedding?”
“We haven't set a date yet, Harabeonim.” She was getting used to answering that question.
“Haven't set a date yet!” The old man harrumphed. “Well, at least this means you haven't done something stupid like get yourself pregnant.”
“We haven't set a date yet because there are still many preparations to make, sir,” Yong-ha explained.
Master Ma's shaggy white brows drew together in a scowl. “You aren't stalling because she doesn't have much of a dowry, are you?” he demanded.
Whose fault is that? Iseul wanted to ask her grandfather, but stayed silent. This was not the time to dwell on old hurts. As far as her Ma relatives was concerned, she was there to show off the highly advantageous match she had managed to make without any support from them whatsoever.
Yong-ha, however, did not take the jibe sitting down. “That is not the case at all, Master Ma,” he replied in the clipped tones of the grievously insulted. “On the contrary, my family is more than happy to take Iseul just as she is. What do we need with more property or prestige, when we already have more than enough of both?”
“So the pair of you will live on love alone, then?” the old man asked skeptically.
“We will live on the fruits of our hard work, Harabeonim,” Iseul told him, now feeling compelled to speak. “You know I am no stranger to it, and neither is my betrothed.” She mustered a pleasant smile. “So please, don't worry about us.”
“All right,” Yong-ha amended a seeming eternity later, after Master Ma had declared the interview at an end, “maybe that wasn't so easy, but at least it's over now.”
“It wasn't easy, but I think we did quite well,” Iseul replied as they made their way out of the house. “And, ultimately, this was all just a formality. Harabeonim couldn't have objected to the match, no matter how badly things went.”
He stiffened at that. “Did he look like he wanted to?” Surely the Mas, for all their snobbish ways, weren't looking down on him!
“No, I don't think so,” she replied with a dismissive gesture. “I don't think he cares that much.”
“He might, if he insisted that we visit him-ya!” Yong-ha stopped dead in his tracks, his annoyance over the perceived slight replaced by fresh indignation over something else entirely. “Where is your ring?!”
Iseul blinked, startled. “What?”
“Your ring!” he repeated, grabbing her bare hand and holding it up to show her. “The one I put right here!”
“Oh, that ring. Well, I don't really like wearing rings because they get in the way when I work, so-“
He scowled. “So you don't wear it?”
“Not on my hand,” she said, using her free hand to pull at a cord peeking out from under her collar. Her ring hung from it like a pendant. “See?”
The sight of it mollified Yong-ha somewhat, but still he grumbled, “Well, don't hide it like that. Everyone knows what we've done with our garakji, so they'll be expecting to see you wearing yours.”
Iseul was about to explain that she didn't want to wear the obviously expensive trinket in plain sight, in case a thief might take interest in it, but an oily drawl interrupted her before she could speak.
“How touching.”
The pair turned to see Ki-hoon coming towards them with Ma Ki-sook, his unmarried sister, at his side. Neither looked pleased to see Iseul or her “betrothed,” but Yong-ha greeted them with an impish smile. “Hello, Master Ma, Miss Ma!” he caroled as they approached. “Or shall I go right ahead and call you cheonam and cheoje?”
Ki-sook's nostrils flared at the cheeky question, but she did not dignify it with a response. Instead, she peered at Iseul's hand, still clasped in Yong-ha's.
Iseul snatched her hand free and smiled at her half-siblings as though nothing was out of the ordinary. (It was not as though they had been caught in a seriously compromising position, she told herself.) “Hello, Orabeonim. Hello, Eonni.”
Not surprisingly, the only response her greeting elicited was a couple of frosty nods. “I suppose you're here to visit my grandfather,” Ki-hoon remarked.
The barb was not lost on Iseul, but she responded in as pleasant a tone as she could muster. “Yes, we've just finished visiting Harabeonim.”
“Actually, he said we had to visit,” Yong-ha added. “Said he wouldn't allow us to marry if we didn't fulfill our filial obligations.”
The older man sniffed skeptically. “I'm sure he did.”
Ki-sook looked over her younger half-sister appraisingly. “Nice outfit.”
Iseul was certain that the compliment was only half-meant at best, but that day she wore her special “meeting the parents” hanbok (and Yong-ha was naturally dressed to match), so she also knew that the older woman was not being condescending. “Thank you, Eonni.”
Sure enough, a smirk appeared on Ki-sook's face. “It must be nice to be assured of a lifetime supply of fine clothing... but is it worth the price you're paying, I wonder?”
There was no mistaking the ugly insinuation in her tone-something that Iseul had heard from the insincere congratulations and backhanded compliments that had begun to emerge now that the shock of her “betrothal” had worn off. “Actually, I think I got the best of this bargain,” she replied, sending Yong-ha what she hoped looked like an adoring smile.
He smiled back. “On the contrary, my darling, I think we both win.
“I'm flattered that you think so highly of my creations, Cheoje,” he went on, addressing Ki-sook with deliberate emphasis on the formal address. “But if a woman doesn't carry them well, then the finest of clothes would be no better than rags. And a woman's bearing stems from her character. It's my privilege to clothe my betrothed, because everything I will make for her will be beautiful.”
Yong-ha nodded curtly to Iseul's half-siblings, signaling that the conversation was at an end. “Come, my dear,” he said to Iseul, starting towards the door even though Ki-sook was still sputtering and trying to frame a suitable reply. “Let me see you home.”
The crowning touch to Iseul's harrowing week came courtesy of Bang Jung-soo, who cheerfully introduced her to a female visitor towards the end of his sister's painting lesson. “This is Kang Myeong-hee,” he announced. “Her family just moved here from Gongju and they're visiting us today. Miss Kang, please meet Teacher Kim Iseul, the finest painting teacher in Joseon.”
The visitor smiled, displaying a charming pair of dimples, and bowed prettily. “Hello. I'm pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Iseul replied, mustering a smile of her own. A family new in town-especially one with a daughter as young and pretty as Miss Kang-was no doubt looking to make an alliance, most likely through marriage.
“And you remember my sister, Jung-hwa,” Jung-soo continued, his attention fully on Miss Kang again. “She will join us once her lesson is over.”
“Hello,” the girl said curtly.
Neither her brother nor Miss Kang seemed to have noticed her rudeness, but Iseul still felt compelled to try and cover it up. “We, ah, we've just finished for the day,” she babbled, gesturing blindly at the worktable. “I'll clean up and-“
“I'll help you, seonsaengnim,” Jung-hwa announced in a tone that brooked no opposition.
“Yes, you do that,” her brother agreed with an approving nod. “Then come and visit with Miss Kang and her parents, all right?”
“Yes, Orabeoni.”
Miss Kang favored them with one last smile. “It was nice to meet you,” she said again, bowing to Iseul as Jung-soo escorted her from the room.
Iseul fought to regain her composure, reminding herself that even though she had foolishly harbored hopes to the contrary, Bang Jung-soo had been well out of her reach long before this. Woodenly, she began to clear the table.
Jung-hwa followed suit. “Her father just bought the Hongs' makgeolli brewery,” she confided as they cleaned their paintbrushes. “I think I heard Abeonim say that she's their only daughter.”
“She seems nice” was all Iseul could trust herself to say.
Her student sniffed. “She's a dead bore.”
“Bang Jung-hwa!” she chided. Even though couldn't help but revel in the girl's unfavorable opinion, she was still a teacher and honor-bound to set a good example. “Haven't I always told you to try and find the good in everyone and everything?”
“She is,” Jung-hwa insisted, pouting. “She does nothing but act nice and sweet all the time.”
“Would you rather she be mean to you?”
“No, but I wish she were more interesting. Like you! Oh, seonsaengnim, I really wanted you and Orabeoni to get married!”
Iseul smiled sadly and patted the girl's arm. “Things will turn out just fine, even though they might not be the way we hope,” she said, wishing she could believe it herself. “Now, you should go and freshen up. Your guests are expecting you.”
Yong-ha knew that something was amiss from the moment he fetched his “betrothed” from the Bang residence. Oh, Iseul responded as she was supposed to, speaking when spoken to and even looked happy when he announced that they were going on a surprise picnic, but it was clear to him that she was only going through the motions.
“Difficult day at work, dear?” he asked her mildly when they had settled down to eat in a wooded area on the outskirts of town.
“You could say that,” she replied with a wry little smile.
“Then I suppose this is a bad time to talk to you about the Chamber of Commerce?”
“Oh, no! Please do tell me what's going on. I'm... a little tired, but I'd love to hear all about it.”
Iseul tried to concentrate on Yong-ha's plans for the Chamber of Commerce, she really did; but despite her best efforts, her thoughts kept straying back to Jung-soo, Miss Kang, and Iseul's absolute lack of marriage prospects.
The worst had come to pass, she thought morosely. Everyone believed her to be off-limits because she was “betrothed,” making it impossible for her to look for potential husbands; and besides, no man was going to want her after she and Yong-ha broke it off. She would never be courted or married. Her grandmother's care would remain solely on her shoulders. She would never have children. She would never even be kissed.
Unless....
“Gu Yong-ha, would you kiss me?”
He stopped short and looked at her blankly. “I beg your pardon?”
She busied herself with brushing crumbs from her hands. “I said, would you kiss me?”
“Now? Why?”
“N-no reason,” she replied with what she hoped passed for a nonchalant shrug. “I'm just curious.”
That was, of course, not enough of an explanation for Yong-ha. “This is quite unlike you, Kim Iseul,” he said, puzzled by her odd behavior. “What brought this on?
“This doesn't have anything to do with Bang Jung-soo, does it?” he went on when she said nothing. A disturbing idea took root in his mind, and his imagination was nothing if not fertile. “Did something happen with him?”
“No. Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
Her voice was suspiciously flat and she refused to look him in the eye, sure signs that “something” had indeed happened. “What did he do to you?!” Yong-ha demanded with rising alarm. He had heard stories about young masters of wealthy households taking shameful advantage of women they perceived as lower-class. Who knew that the bland Master Bang was capable of such things? He wondered if he could convince Jae-shin to revive the Red Messenger one more time, just to hurt the bastard a little. (Or a lot. Yong-ha rather liked the idea of “a lot.”)
“Nothing!” she burst out, glaring at him. “He didn't do anything!”
“Then don't tell me he broke your heart!” She fell silent at that, and he frowned. “He did, didn't he?”
“Not on purpose,” Iseul mumbled, mortified that he had managed to guess her secret. (Had Jung-soo also guessed that she liked him? Did that even matter anymore?) She shook her head and moved to clear away the remains of their picnic. “I'm sorry, I've made things awkward. Let's just leave.”
“Wait.” He laid a hand on her arm when she tried to reach for his empty cup. “I didn't say I wouldn't kiss you.”
She froze. “Then you'll do it?” she squeaked. Their roundabout conversation had led her to think that he would refuse, and helped her recover somewhat from her upset over Jung-soo. Now, she felt restless all over again.
Her breath caught when he drew closer to her and said, “Yes, I suppose I will.
“Although,” Yong-ha couldn't help adding, “asking someone to kiss you when you're heartbroken over another is not the best way to deal with the problem.”
“I know this won't mean anything. It would be just another flirting lesson.”
“Good.” He nodded approvingly. “Let's think of it that way. Now, close your eyes.”
He watched her eyelids flutter closed and, after a moment's pause, leaned over and fitted his lips to hers.
It was a pleasant surprise to find Iseul's mouth soft and pliant beneath his, instead of stiff and puckered like an old maid's. At first, she let him do all the work, but soon she was mimicking his movements-rather awkwardly, but it was a start-and parted her lips at his urging.
Suddenly, he pulled away. “Did you just put your tongue in my mouth?”
Iseul blinked, bemused, then color flooded her cheeks when she came crashing back to reality. “Was that wrong?”
“N-no.” He cleared his throat and looked away from her. “It's just... not something novices are expected to know.”
“Oh.”
Yong-ha snatched up his cup, poured himself a healthy slug of barley tea, and downed it in one shot. “We should get going,” he declared, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, “before you decide you want lessons even more advanced than that one.”
The woman was at her bath. Such a time was supposed to be a private one, but judging from her sly expression, she knew that she was bathing for an audience.
Iseul smiled as she painted the woman's skin a rosy cream. This piece would be part of a set of illustrations for a new book, and the commission promised to be Hwa-jae's most profitable yet.
Thinking about the money helped to ease the lingering pangs she felt over Bang Jung-soo. Her heart wasn't wholly broken, she decided. Although the young man was handsome and well-mannered, she realized now that he had been nothing but a romantic fantasy.
After all, she reasoned to herself, he knew next to nothing about her. They might not have the same interests. He probably wouldn't have taken to the idea of marrying into a family such as hers. He definitely would have disapproved if he knew about Hwa-jae.
It was also possible that Jung-soo was terrible at kissing.
Iseul's smile grew as knowing as her painting's. Although she was not at all qualified to judge, Yong-ha's kiss was quite nice. She hadn't experienced the “transcendent whirlwind of passion” that all the erotic novels talked about, but the books had given her an idea of what to do and expect.
Perhaps things would be better next time, she thought as she defined the graceful arch of the woman's foot. If there will be a “next time.”
Stop thinking about it.
Yong-ha knew that it was ridiculous, the way he could not stop dwelling on that nothing kiss from a few days ago, but then Iseul hadn't been bad for a novice. If he had known that beforehand, then he would have been less concerned about scaring her. He would have kissed her more deeply, perhaps used his teeth or-
He shook his head to clear it. The reason for his fixation had to be the fact that he hadn't indulged in any physical intimacy in a long time-since before meeting Iseul, in fact. The Chamber of Commerce campaign and, later, his sham betrothal had kept him too busy to notice. He would remedy that the next chance he got, and then everything would be all right again.
Fortunately, Yong-ha's “betrothed” was not home when he arrived at the Kim residence. Although he was still expected to visit with her upon her return, he would at least have some time to compose himself before coming face to face with her again.
“You're delivering more clothes?” Madam Park fretted after she and Kyo-eul received him and he announced why he was there. “Why, Iseul has barely worn the last ones she ordered from you. Isn't she spending too much!”
“These are presents, Halmeonim,” Yong-ha assured her cheerfully. The bundles he carried rustled as he bent to pet the dog, who wagged his tail with delight. “A surprise. I wanted my betrothed to have some new warm things for winter. There's a coat for you as well.”
“Gu Yong-ha, you shouldn't have! I should probably scold you about spending too much!”
“Just knowing that you will be warm this winter is worth the expense.”
“Oh, you!” The old woman giggled girlishly. “Well, I suppose the least I can do is to offer you something while you wait for Iseul. Won't you sit down?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Yong-ha set down his bundles and walked over to a set of paintings on the wall. They had caught his eye on his first visit. “These paintings of the flowers....” he said as Kyo-eul trotted after him, “they are our Iseul's work?”
“Yes.” Madam Park turned in his general direction and smiled proudly. “She's talented, isn't she? I'm so glad I saw some of her paintings before losing my eyesight.
“Now,” she went on, “let me see to some tea and snacks for you.”
Iseul hummed to herself as she and Chin-hae arrived at the house. The trip to the market had gone extremely well: the household accounts were all settled, she bought some of her grandmother's favorite foods, she bumped into Chae-mi and agreed to meet for tea the next day, and Hwa-jae had some new orders. They would have to wait until after the latest set of illustrations were done, but the prospect of more work was always welcome.
“Please take the shopping to the kitchen,” she instructed the manservant. “We will have the fish for dinner tonight. Halmeonim will like that.”
“Yes, agasshi,” Chin-hae replied, bowing and leaving her at the Kims' front door.
Kyo-eul came running to greet her as she removed her shoes. She could tell from the spring in his step and the way he barked that he was excited about something. “What is it, boy?” she asked.
The dog, of course, could only bark in reply. He trotted towards the door and looked back at her expectantly, a sure sign that he wanted her to follow him.
He led her to the Kims' “best” room, where Iseul found Yong-ha waiting for her. Kyo-eul gamboled happily at his feet, clearly pleased with himself for remembering that his new friend belonged to his young mistress.
She smiled at the dog's antics, then at Yong-ha. However, her words of welcome died away at the stony look on his face. “Yong-ha, is anything wrong?” she asked, confused.
He continued to regard her coldly. “How was your shopping... Hwa-jae?”