Two For the Price of One, Ch. 13
Previously:
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Disclaimer: The SKKS-verse belongs to the creators of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
Technical Notes: Sun-joon's "perfect virtue" quote comes, not surprisingly, from Confucius (via Google).
Author's Notes: Wow, that was a long dry spell. I think I've slowed down ever since Yong-ha found out Iseul's secret. Still, I intend to finish this fic eventually, and hope the new installments will continue to be worth the wait. Thank you to tapzz, junmaolove, naddyamal, and knweaye for reviewing the last chapter!
Chapter Thirteen
“Are there any other matters that we need to discuss?” Yong-ha asked. He paused for what he deemed a decent interval, but the others present-all of them representing the key groups that made up the Joseon Chamber of Commerce-just looked at each other and shook their heads no. “If there are none,” he concluded, “then we can adjourn this meeting. Thank you, everyone, for your hard work today.”
There was a disjointed chorus of thank you's in reply, and the room filled with chatter as everyone prepared to leave.
Yong-ha listened to the hum of conversation with a great deal of satisfaction. From the sound of things, the meeting had gone well. At least, people seemed content with the decisions made that day, which was no mean feat considering the wide range of opinions and interests that the Chamber of Commerce needed to consider.
“How is your grandmother, Teacher Kim?” an elderly merchant asked Iseul, who sat at her “betrothed”'s right hand. “I heard that Madam Park is feeling poorly these days.”
“She's getting better, Master Kang,” she replied with a reassuring smile. “We are doing our best to make sure that makes a full recovery.”
“I'm sure you are taking very good care of her. Still, I would like to send her some chicken soup. My wife makes it very well, and it should be good for cold weather.”
“Oh, I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble,” Iseul demurred.
“Wait-Halmeonim is ill?!” Yong-ha exclaimed, interrupting the back-and-forth about the soup.
“Master Kang just said so, didn't he?” Ma Ki-hoon's oily voice spoke up from one corner of the room. “I'm surprised that Master Gu, of all people, didn't know about it.”
“W-well, she was fine when I saw her a couple of days ago!” the younger man improvised, conscious of all the curious gazes trained upon him. “She was coughing a little then, but otherwise she was the same as she usually is.”
“Be that as it may....” The wine merchant put on an innocently confused expression, although Yong-ha could swear he could see the glitter of pure malice in his eyes. “I still can't help but wonder why your, ah, betrothed didn't tell you when her grandmother started feeling worse.”
“Because, Master Ma, I didn't want to trouble him with something that is only a small concern,” Iseul interjected. “The cold weather disagrees with my grandmother, so she always feels poorly when the weather changes, but it passes once she gets used to it.
“I'm sorry,” she continued, addressing Yong-ha this time. “I did not know that this would matter so much.”
“Of course Teacher Kim wouldn't know about this sort of thing,” a matronly shopkeeper chided Ki-hoon. “She's never been betrothed before and is only just learning how to share her life with a man.”
Grateful for the woman's support, Iseul managed a small smile.
“Think nothing of it, my dear,” Yong-ha assured her magnanimously. “If you say that it is not something to worry about, then I trust your judgment. However, I hope you'll learn to confide in me sooner rather than later.” He gave her a cheeky wink that elicited laughter from their rapt audience. “After all, you'll have to share everything with me very soon.”
“I can't believe you didn't tell me that Halmeonim is sick,” Yong-ha complained after the meeting, when they were back in his shop and in private.
“I didn't think it was something you should worry about,” his “betrothed” replied as she gathered the materials she would need for the sketching that she was to do for him that afternoon.
“Of course I should worry!” he protested. “Betrothed or not, I care about Halmeonim, too! Besides, everyone obviously expected me to know. Luckily for us, I managed to cover up quickly.”
“Everyone should just mind their own business.”
Unable to argue with that, he silently watched her sort her charcoal sticks for a few moments before asking, “Will she really be all right?”
There was a telling pause, and he could swear he could hear little wheels turning in Iseul's head as she wondered just how much to say to him. Finally, she nodded. “This happens every year. It is just a matter of time before she recovers.”
She sounded confident, and Yong-ha hoped for everyone's sake that what she said was true. Even if these sick spells happened every year, they were probably still very worrisome for the household. “Well, can I send Halmeonim anything? A present of some sort to cheer her up? Any special food that she wants to eat?”
“She... doesn't have much of an appetite these days,” she admitted, dropping her gaze.
“Maybe later, then,” he said with as much cheer as he could muster. “When she starts feeling better. But you'll let me know if she wants anything, won't you? Or needs anything-you can count on me to help if it's important.”
“If you wish.”
“Yes, I definitely wish,” Yong-ha told her firmly.
“All right, then.” Iseul picked up a charcoal stick and shot him a sideways glance. “Now, could we please drop the subject and get to work? I have to give a lesson in about two hours.”
It was with mingled trepidation and relief that Iseul arrived home that night to find that although her grandmother remained very weak, she was still lucid and doing her best to fight her illness.
“Halmeonim took all her medicine today,” Eui-jung reported to Iseul when she came to sit with her grandmother for a while. She gave the younger woman an encouraging smile, although there was no hiding the worry in her eyes.
“Well done, Halmeonim!” Iseul praised with false brightness, kneeling by the sickbed and giving Kyo-eul a scratch behind the ears. The dog had barely left Madam Park's side ever since she fell ill. “If you keep it up, you'll be fully recovered in no time. Are you feeling better?”
“Much better,” the old woman replied. Although her voice was thin and hoarse from coughing, she managed a smile.
“That's good. Everyone at the Chamber of Commerce meeting today asked about you, and the apothecary sent you a little ginseng.” She laid the parcel at her grandmother's side. “She said it's some of her best, so it should help you recover quickly.
“And Chae-mi is coming to visit you tomorrow, so you don't have to spend your days with only me and Eui-jung for company.”
She smiled as at the housekeeper as she spoke, to show that she was only jesting. It was a great help to know that she could go to work each day knowing that someone trustworthy was caring for her grandmother.
“Chae-mi will probably want to complain about whatever is going on between her and her father's apprentice,” Iseul chattered on after Eui-jung had excused herself to prepare the evening meal, “so you had best be prepared for that.”
Her grandmother chuckled, but it turned into a brief coughing fit. “What is going on with her and her father's apprentice these days?” Madam Park wheezed when it was over.
“The last I heard, he now eats with the family after the day's work is done. I think Master Han is really bent on getting him as a son-in-law. Chae-mi keeps saying that she hates it, but she doesn't sound as angry about it as she used to be.”
“It sounds as though you two girls are going to get married one after the other,” the old woman remarked. That seemed to remind her of something, because she then asked, “Isn't Yong-ha coming to visit?”
“Ah-yes!” Iseul replied. She had not planned to let her “betrothed” come and visit, but also did not want to refuse her grandmother outright. “O-of course he is! But Halmeonim,” she added in a burst of inspiration, “he promised to visit only when you are better. If you want to see him again, you must do your best to regain your strength.”
She sat with her grandmother until the old woman had drifted off to sleep, then went into the next room to eat her dinner.
Eui-jung had, of course, set out enough food for only one person instead of the usual two. Even though Iseul dined alone on occasion, usually when she was trying to complete a project on time or during Madam Park's other sick spells, grandmother and granddaughter almost always ate at least one meal together every day. Dinner for one seemed pitifully small, and strangely quiet.
She was glad when the door slid open to admit the housekeeper. Even though no one in the Kim household was very cheerful these days, Iseul was grateful for whatever conversation she could get. “Is Halmeonim sleeping well?” she asked.
“Yes, agasshi,” Eui-jung replied. “Her breathing sounds good. I left Kyo-eul in her room. He will let us know if she needs anything.” Her hands twisted in her apron. “But, ah, agasshi....”
The hesitation in her voice caused Iseul to stiffen. “What is it?”
“Halmeonim seems to need more of her medicine this year. Today, I had to send my husband to buy more using some of the money you gave us for this month's marketing. I think can stretch some of our supplies, but we'll still need extra money if we are to last the month. I'm sorry.”
“No, no, please don't apologize,” Iseul assured her. The housekeeper's news was not good, but it also was not as dire as she had imagined. “You did the right thing. We should do whatever it takes to help Halmeonim recover.
“I have a little extra money set aside, so we can use that to tide us over until the next time I get paid. And if it turns out that it's not enough,” she finished, “then I'll just have to earn some more, won't I?”
“You can't have fought with her already!” Jae-shin exclaimed.
Yong-ha scowled and kicked a pebble off the platform upon which he was supposedly practicing archery with his friends. “For us to have a disagreement, there must be a conversation in which we disagree. We have not had such a conversation, because she won't tell me anything.”
Sun-joon shook his head as he notched a new arrow. “When a woman stops talking, sa-hyung, you're in serious trouble. You need to reflect carefully on what you did wrong if you don't want that hanging over your head for the rest of your life.”
“But you, of all people, should know that,” Jae-shin said, loosing his own arrow. The missile landed with a satisfying thunk in the exact center of his target. “After all, aren't you Gu Yong-ha, Joseon's foremost authority on women?”
“I haven't done anything, either,” Yong-ha told them. “And that's the whole problem as far as I'm concerned. Iseul's grandmother is very ill and I've offered many times to help, but Iseul won't accept it.”
His most recent offer had been made just the day before, after Iseul met with his mother about painting a screen for the Gu home. Rather than accept his help, she assured him that Madam Park was on the mend. If that was true, then why was Iseul taking on more and more work? The only reason he could think of was that the old woman continued to need special care, and her granddaughter was scrambling to cover the additional costs.
“If Iseul keeps this up,” he fretted, “she'll fall ill herself, or maybe even worse.”
“We can't have that.” Jae-shin set aside his bow and leaned against the railing. “You know what I think? I think you should just go ahead and help. A person's entitled to her pride, but this could become a matter of life and death for the grandmother if you don't lend a hand.”
“That's exactly what I was thinking! This is Halmeonim's health at stake! What does it matter who pays for her medicine? The important thing is that she gets well.”
“And if you're lucky, your betrothed will end up being more grateful than angry, and reward you accordingly.”
Yong-ha flushed and glanced away as a few possible rewards came to mind. “Perhaps, but I'm not doing it for any reward. Halmeonim was always very kind to me. I just want to do something good for her.”
Sun-joon nodded approvingly. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue,” he quoted. “These five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”
“I don't know if I'm at all capable of perfect virtue, Ga-rang,” Yong-ha told him, “but I'm fairly sure I can practice some of those things.”
The very next day, Iseul arrived home to find a strange cart in the front yard and, moments later, Kyo-eul waiting outside Madam Park's room. The dog greeted her happily, his tail wagging. “What's going on?” she asked as she scratched his ears. Was she hearing voices inside her grandmother's room? “Why are you outside?”
Just then, a male voice called, “Darling! It's about time you got home!”
Iseul looked up and saw Yong-ha walking towards her, Chin-hae at his side. “Gu Yong-ha? What are you doing here?”
“The young master brought some things for Halmeonim, agasshi,” Chin-hae replied on his behalf. The manservant appeared more relaxed than he had over the past few weeks. “Food, medicines, and some extra blankets. He also brought a uinyeo-she's examining Halmeonim right now.”
“Surprise!” Yong-ha added with a brilliant smile.
She supposed the smile was meant to placate her, but instead it stoked a flame of anger inside her that was lit by Chin-hae's announcement. “Oh, yes, I am indeed surprised,” she managed to say.
They heard Madam Park's door slide open. Eui-jung, followed by a woman whom Iseul supposed was the doctor, emerged from the room. “Welcome home, agasshi,” the housekeeper greeted Iseul, moving aside to let Kyo-eul enter and then shutting the door to keep out the cold. “This is Doctor Jang.”
“Yes, I had just heard that she was here,” Iseul said, exchanging bows with the doctor. “Thank you for coming, seonsaengnim. How is my grandmother faring?”
“Her condition is stable, agasshi,” she replied. “You've been taking good care of her.”
“And Halmeonim should recover faster,” Eui-jung added cheerfully, “now that the young master has come to help. Isn't it wonderful of him, agasshi? And with you not even married yet!”
“Yes, it is indeed wonderful,” Iseul agreed, mustering a brief smile.
“It's nothing, my darling,” Yong-ha told her. “Didn't you hear the doctor? You're taking very good care of Halmeonim. I just brought over a few things that she might enjoy.”
She supposed this was her cue to thank him, but she could not force out the words. Instead, she squeezed out an awkward laugh and continued to address Eui-jung. “Ahjumoni, would you please make some tea for our guests? It's the least we can do after they've taken so much trouble to come.”
She was every bit the gracious hostess over tea, but Yong-ha could sense that Iseul was seething beneath the surface. He was tempted to go straight home after escorting Doctor Jang back into town, but ended up returning to the Kims-ostensibly to check on Madam Park one last time that day and enjoy some private time with his “betrothed,” but in truth to face his fate.
The confrontation took place in the room farthest away from Madam Park's (so that, he supposed, the old woman wouldn't overhear). Iseul sat at a low table, working on some sketches. Yong-ha hoped that the work had helped calm her; she sounded perfectly civil while welcoming him back and thanking the Kims' housekeeper for accompanying him, but one could never tell with women, especially this particular one.
“I know I overstepped my boundaries,” he began as soon as the housekeeper had left them alone, “but I was worried about Halmeonim.” It seemed rude not to allow Iseul to speak first, but the best defense was a good offense-at least, that was what he remembered hearing during sporting events at Sungkyunkwan (not that he was paying close attention).
“I assured you whenever you asked that there was nothing to worry about,” she replied, abandoning her work and getting to her feet. “You didn't believe me?”
“I just wanted to see for myself, and I thought bringing the doctor would be a good way to reassure us all about Halmeonim's condition. Besides, I'm supposed to be helping you with this,” Yong-ha added. “As your betrothed, everyone expects it of me.”
“We're not really betrothed, remember?”
“So? Halmeonim still needs to recover.”
“So,” she retorted, a tinge of tartness creeping into her tone, “I cannot possibly repay you for all the help you've lent today-at least, not right away-“
“I'm not 'lending' you anything, Kim Iseul; it's a gift. I meant it when I said I care about Halmeonim, too! You do not have to care for her alone.” He paused to take a deep breath and quell the disturbing urge to shake her silly-or kiss her. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken that tone with you. I'm just... well, to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of having this conversation whenever I want to help you with something.”
“I just don't feel that it's appropriate to accept help from you,” Iseul mumbled. Up until this point, she felt that their arrangement was a fair one. (All right, perhaps the terms were a little biased in her favor, but that only made up for the fact that their sham betrothal was his fault in the first place.) What Yong-ha did today had destroyed that balance. It was bad enough to feel beholden to him; not having any idea how she might repay him was even worse.
“Well, I think that it is. Halmeonim's health is the only thing we should be thinking of right now. And if I know you,” he added, arching an eyebrow, “you would do anything for her.”
“Except beg for charity,” she retorted rashly.
“Aren't you fortunate, then, that I spared you from having to even think about doing that?”
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Disclaimer: The SKKS-verse belongs to the creators of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
Technical Notes: Sun-joon's "perfect virtue" quote comes, not surprisingly, from Confucius (via Google).
Author's Notes: Wow, that was a long dry spell. I think I've slowed down ever since Yong-ha found out Iseul's secret. Still, I intend to finish this fic eventually, and hope the new installments will continue to be worth the wait. Thank you to tapzz, junmaolove, naddyamal, and knweaye for reviewing the last chapter!
Chapter Thirteen
“Are there any other matters that we need to discuss?” Yong-ha asked. He paused for what he deemed a decent interval, but the others present-all of them representing the key groups that made up the Joseon Chamber of Commerce-just looked at each other and shook their heads no. “If there are none,” he concluded, “then we can adjourn this meeting. Thank you, everyone, for your hard work today.”
There was a disjointed chorus of thank you's in reply, and the room filled with chatter as everyone prepared to leave.
Yong-ha listened to the hum of conversation with a great deal of satisfaction. From the sound of things, the meeting had gone well. At least, people seemed content with the decisions made that day, which was no mean feat considering the wide range of opinions and interests that the Chamber of Commerce needed to consider.
“How is your grandmother, Teacher Kim?” an elderly merchant asked Iseul, who sat at her “betrothed”'s right hand. “I heard that Madam Park is feeling poorly these days.”
“She's getting better, Master Kang,” she replied with a reassuring smile. “We are doing our best to make sure that makes a full recovery.”
“I'm sure you are taking very good care of her. Still, I would like to send her some chicken soup. My wife makes it very well, and it should be good for cold weather.”
“Oh, I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble,” Iseul demurred.
“Wait-Halmeonim is ill?!” Yong-ha exclaimed, interrupting the back-and-forth about the soup.
“Master Kang just said so, didn't he?” Ma Ki-hoon's oily voice spoke up from one corner of the room. “I'm surprised that Master Gu, of all people, didn't know about it.”
“W-well, she was fine when I saw her a couple of days ago!” the younger man improvised, conscious of all the curious gazes trained upon him. “She was coughing a little then, but otherwise she was the same as she usually is.”
“Be that as it may....” The wine merchant put on an innocently confused expression, although Yong-ha could swear he could see the glitter of pure malice in his eyes. “I still can't help but wonder why your, ah, betrothed didn't tell you when her grandmother started feeling worse.”
“Because, Master Ma, I didn't want to trouble him with something that is only a small concern,” Iseul interjected. “The cold weather disagrees with my grandmother, so she always feels poorly when the weather changes, but it passes once she gets used to it.
“I'm sorry,” she continued, addressing Yong-ha this time. “I did not know that this would matter so much.”
“Of course Teacher Kim wouldn't know about this sort of thing,” a matronly shopkeeper chided Ki-hoon. “She's never been betrothed before and is only just learning how to share her life with a man.”
Grateful for the woman's support, Iseul managed a small smile.
“Think nothing of it, my dear,” Yong-ha assured her magnanimously. “If you say that it is not something to worry about, then I trust your judgment. However, I hope you'll learn to confide in me sooner rather than later.” He gave her a cheeky wink that elicited laughter from their rapt audience. “After all, you'll have to share everything with me very soon.”
“I can't believe you didn't tell me that Halmeonim is sick,” Yong-ha complained after the meeting, when they were back in his shop and in private.
“I didn't think it was something you should worry about,” his “betrothed” replied as she gathered the materials she would need for the sketching that she was to do for him that afternoon.
“Of course I should worry!” he protested. “Betrothed or not, I care about Halmeonim, too! Besides, everyone obviously expected me to know. Luckily for us, I managed to cover up quickly.”
“Everyone should just mind their own business.”
Unable to argue with that, he silently watched her sort her charcoal sticks for a few moments before asking, “Will she really be all right?”
There was a telling pause, and he could swear he could hear little wheels turning in Iseul's head as she wondered just how much to say to him. Finally, she nodded. “This happens every year. It is just a matter of time before she recovers.”
She sounded confident, and Yong-ha hoped for everyone's sake that what she said was true. Even if these sick spells happened every year, they were probably still very worrisome for the household. “Well, can I send Halmeonim anything? A present of some sort to cheer her up? Any special food that she wants to eat?”
“She... doesn't have much of an appetite these days,” she admitted, dropping her gaze.
“Maybe later, then,” he said with as much cheer as he could muster. “When she starts feeling better. But you'll let me know if she wants anything, won't you? Or needs anything-you can count on me to help if it's important.”
“If you wish.”
“Yes, I definitely wish,” Yong-ha told her firmly.
“All right, then.” Iseul picked up a charcoal stick and shot him a sideways glance. “Now, could we please drop the subject and get to work? I have to give a lesson in about two hours.”
It was with mingled trepidation and relief that Iseul arrived home that night to find that although her grandmother remained very weak, she was still lucid and doing her best to fight her illness.
“Halmeonim took all her medicine today,” Eui-jung reported to Iseul when she came to sit with her grandmother for a while. She gave the younger woman an encouraging smile, although there was no hiding the worry in her eyes.
“Well done, Halmeonim!” Iseul praised with false brightness, kneeling by the sickbed and giving Kyo-eul a scratch behind the ears. The dog had barely left Madam Park's side ever since she fell ill. “If you keep it up, you'll be fully recovered in no time. Are you feeling better?”
“Much better,” the old woman replied. Although her voice was thin and hoarse from coughing, she managed a smile.
“That's good. Everyone at the Chamber of Commerce meeting today asked about you, and the apothecary sent you a little ginseng.” She laid the parcel at her grandmother's side. “She said it's some of her best, so it should help you recover quickly.
“And Chae-mi is coming to visit you tomorrow, so you don't have to spend your days with only me and Eui-jung for company.”
She smiled as at the housekeeper as she spoke, to show that she was only jesting. It was a great help to know that she could go to work each day knowing that someone trustworthy was caring for her grandmother.
“Chae-mi will probably want to complain about whatever is going on between her and her father's apprentice,” Iseul chattered on after Eui-jung had excused herself to prepare the evening meal, “so you had best be prepared for that.”
Her grandmother chuckled, but it turned into a brief coughing fit. “What is going on with her and her father's apprentice these days?” Madam Park wheezed when it was over.
“The last I heard, he now eats with the family after the day's work is done. I think Master Han is really bent on getting him as a son-in-law. Chae-mi keeps saying that she hates it, but she doesn't sound as angry about it as she used to be.”
“It sounds as though you two girls are going to get married one after the other,” the old woman remarked. That seemed to remind her of something, because she then asked, “Isn't Yong-ha coming to visit?”
“Ah-yes!” Iseul replied. She had not planned to let her “betrothed” come and visit, but also did not want to refuse her grandmother outright. “O-of course he is! But Halmeonim,” she added in a burst of inspiration, “he promised to visit only when you are better. If you want to see him again, you must do your best to regain your strength.”
She sat with her grandmother until the old woman had drifted off to sleep, then went into the next room to eat her dinner.
Eui-jung had, of course, set out enough food for only one person instead of the usual two. Even though Iseul dined alone on occasion, usually when she was trying to complete a project on time or during Madam Park's other sick spells, grandmother and granddaughter almost always ate at least one meal together every day. Dinner for one seemed pitifully small, and strangely quiet.
She was glad when the door slid open to admit the housekeeper. Even though no one in the Kim household was very cheerful these days, Iseul was grateful for whatever conversation she could get. “Is Halmeonim sleeping well?” she asked.
“Yes, agasshi,” Eui-jung replied. “Her breathing sounds good. I left Kyo-eul in her room. He will let us know if she needs anything.” Her hands twisted in her apron. “But, ah, agasshi....”
The hesitation in her voice caused Iseul to stiffen. “What is it?”
“Halmeonim seems to need more of her medicine this year. Today, I had to send my husband to buy more using some of the money you gave us for this month's marketing. I think can stretch some of our supplies, but we'll still need extra money if we are to last the month. I'm sorry.”
“No, no, please don't apologize,” Iseul assured her. The housekeeper's news was not good, but it also was not as dire as she had imagined. “You did the right thing. We should do whatever it takes to help Halmeonim recover.
“I have a little extra money set aside, so we can use that to tide us over until the next time I get paid. And if it turns out that it's not enough,” she finished, “then I'll just have to earn some more, won't I?”
“You can't have fought with her already!” Jae-shin exclaimed.
Yong-ha scowled and kicked a pebble off the platform upon which he was supposedly practicing archery with his friends. “For us to have a disagreement, there must be a conversation in which we disagree. We have not had such a conversation, because she won't tell me anything.”
Sun-joon shook his head as he notched a new arrow. “When a woman stops talking, sa-hyung, you're in serious trouble. You need to reflect carefully on what you did wrong if you don't want that hanging over your head for the rest of your life.”
“But you, of all people, should know that,” Jae-shin said, loosing his own arrow. The missile landed with a satisfying thunk in the exact center of his target. “After all, aren't you Gu Yong-ha, Joseon's foremost authority on women?”
“I haven't done anything, either,” Yong-ha told them. “And that's the whole problem as far as I'm concerned. Iseul's grandmother is very ill and I've offered many times to help, but Iseul won't accept it.”
His most recent offer had been made just the day before, after Iseul met with his mother about painting a screen for the Gu home. Rather than accept his help, she assured him that Madam Park was on the mend. If that was true, then why was Iseul taking on more and more work? The only reason he could think of was that the old woman continued to need special care, and her granddaughter was scrambling to cover the additional costs.
“If Iseul keeps this up,” he fretted, “she'll fall ill herself, or maybe even worse.”
“We can't have that.” Jae-shin set aside his bow and leaned against the railing. “You know what I think? I think you should just go ahead and help. A person's entitled to her pride, but this could become a matter of life and death for the grandmother if you don't lend a hand.”
“That's exactly what I was thinking! This is Halmeonim's health at stake! What does it matter who pays for her medicine? The important thing is that she gets well.”
“And if you're lucky, your betrothed will end up being more grateful than angry, and reward you accordingly.”
Yong-ha flushed and glanced away as a few possible rewards came to mind. “Perhaps, but I'm not doing it for any reward. Halmeonim was always very kind to me. I just want to do something good for her.”
Sun-joon nodded approvingly. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue,” he quoted. “These five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”
“I don't know if I'm at all capable of perfect virtue, Ga-rang,” Yong-ha told him, “but I'm fairly sure I can practice some of those things.”
The very next day, Iseul arrived home to find a strange cart in the front yard and, moments later, Kyo-eul waiting outside Madam Park's room. The dog greeted her happily, his tail wagging. “What's going on?” she asked as she scratched his ears. Was she hearing voices inside her grandmother's room? “Why are you outside?”
Just then, a male voice called, “Darling! It's about time you got home!”
Iseul looked up and saw Yong-ha walking towards her, Chin-hae at his side. “Gu Yong-ha? What are you doing here?”
“The young master brought some things for Halmeonim, agasshi,” Chin-hae replied on his behalf. The manservant appeared more relaxed than he had over the past few weeks. “Food, medicines, and some extra blankets. He also brought a uinyeo-she's examining Halmeonim right now.”
“Surprise!” Yong-ha added with a brilliant smile.
She supposed the smile was meant to placate her, but instead it stoked a flame of anger inside her that was lit by Chin-hae's announcement. “Oh, yes, I am indeed surprised,” she managed to say.
They heard Madam Park's door slide open. Eui-jung, followed by a woman whom Iseul supposed was the doctor, emerged from the room. “Welcome home, agasshi,” the housekeeper greeted Iseul, moving aside to let Kyo-eul enter and then shutting the door to keep out the cold. “This is Doctor Jang.”
“Yes, I had just heard that she was here,” Iseul said, exchanging bows with the doctor. “Thank you for coming, seonsaengnim. How is my grandmother faring?”
“Her condition is stable, agasshi,” she replied. “You've been taking good care of her.”
“And Halmeonim should recover faster,” Eui-jung added cheerfully, “now that the young master has come to help. Isn't it wonderful of him, agasshi? And with you not even married yet!”
“Yes, it is indeed wonderful,” Iseul agreed, mustering a brief smile.
“It's nothing, my darling,” Yong-ha told her. “Didn't you hear the doctor? You're taking very good care of Halmeonim. I just brought over a few things that she might enjoy.”
She supposed this was her cue to thank him, but she could not force out the words. Instead, she squeezed out an awkward laugh and continued to address Eui-jung. “Ahjumoni, would you please make some tea for our guests? It's the least we can do after they've taken so much trouble to come.”
She was every bit the gracious hostess over tea, but Yong-ha could sense that Iseul was seething beneath the surface. He was tempted to go straight home after escorting Doctor Jang back into town, but ended up returning to the Kims-ostensibly to check on Madam Park one last time that day and enjoy some private time with his “betrothed,” but in truth to face his fate.
The confrontation took place in the room farthest away from Madam Park's (so that, he supposed, the old woman wouldn't overhear). Iseul sat at a low table, working on some sketches. Yong-ha hoped that the work had helped calm her; she sounded perfectly civil while welcoming him back and thanking the Kims' housekeeper for accompanying him, but one could never tell with women, especially this particular one.
“I know I overstepped my boundaries,” he began as soon as the housekeeper had left them alone, “but I was worried about Halmeonim.” It seemed rude not to allow Iseul to speak first, but the best defense was a good offense-at least, that was what he remembered hearing during sporting events at Sungkyunkwan (not that he was paying close attention).
“I assured you whenever you asked that there was nothing to worry about,” she replied, abandoning her work and getting to her feet. “You didn't believe me?”
“I just wanted to see for myself, and I thought bringing the doctor would be a good way to reassure us all about Halmeonim's condition. Besides, I'm supposed to be helping you with this,” Yong-ha added. “As your betrothed, everyone expects it of me.”
“We're not really betrothed, remember?”
“So? Halmeonim still needs to recover.”
“So,” she retorted, a tinge of tartness creeping into her tone, “I cannot possibly repay you for all the help you've lent today-at least, not right away-“
“I'm not 'lending' you anything, Kim Iseul; it's a gift. I meant it when I said I care about Halmeonim, too! You do not have to care for her alone.” He paused to take a deep breath and quell the disturbing urge to shake her silly-or kiss her. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken that tone with you. I'm just... well, to be perfectly honest, I'm tired of having this conversation whenever I want to help you with something.”
“I just don't feel that it's appropriate to accept help from you,” Iseul mumbled. Up until this point, she felt that their arrangement was a fair one. (All right, perhaps the terms were a little biased in her favor, but that only made up for the fact that their sham betrothal was his fault in the first place.) What Yong-ha did today had destroyed that balance. It was bad enough to feel beholden to him; not having any idea how she might repay him was even worse.
“Well, I think that it is. Halmeonim's health is the only thing we should be thinking of right now. And if I know you,” he added, arching an eyebrow, “you would do anything for her.”
“Except beg for charity,” she retorted rashly.
“Aren't you fortunate, then, that I spared you from having to even think about doing that?”