Chapter 18
Three days had passed since the encounter with Lord Yu. Her heart still quickened at the memory, but she wasn’t so naive to imagine that anything could come of it. She therefore dove into her transcription work at home, determined to forget the entire incident. A needless distraction.
Yet, every so often, her focus waned and she found herself thinking of Lord Yu again.
Why had he held her hand? Had it been an accident?
Or did he truly hold some form of affection for her?
But that was ridiculous—when could he have possibly fallen for her?
It was all too instantaneous. She shoved the questions aside each time and went back to her work, wishing she’d never met Lord Yu in the first place.
She had transcribed no more than two pages of a novel when Jade wandered into the room. She sat next to Haewon and was quiet for such a long time that Haewon finally stole a glance at her sister.
“What is it?”
Jade remained sitting, staring blankly ahead. “It has arrived,” she said at last.
“What has arrived?”
Another long, long silence ensued.
Haewon set aside her brush and turned to face her sister, ready to pry the news from Jade, when she noticed the letter in her sister’s white-knuckled grip.
“It is a letter from Young Master Byeongho,” Jade said, and slowly a smile of sheer joy formed on her lips. “What should I do?”
Haewon let out a gasp, her heart thundering so fast her chest ached.
Her sister’s joy was her joy. She wanted to leap to her feet, embrace Jade, celebrate as soldiers did after an impossible victory.
But it was too soon. This was only the beginning.
Composing herself, Haewon rushed to ask, “What does it say?”
“He has read the romantic novels I recommended, found them most enjoyable, and wishes to see me again! He is asking to meet at Seogeomjeong tomorrow afternoon. I don’t think I should go … I would much rather we exchange letters a few more times—”
“But of course you must go! See?” Haewon clasped Jade’s hands. “It worked just as I knew it would.” She forgot all about Lord Yu Seojun as her mind began to strategize. “We mustn’t tell Maid Boram, that is for certain.”
A little frown crinkled Jade’s brow. “Seogeomjeong is quite a journey away.”
“What is a long walk in good weather? That pavilion is where lovers meet—I’ve read of it often in poems. And he is right to choose that place, for to meet here in Gyonam or at Five Willows…
” Haewon shook her head. “There would be too many eyes. And you know what they say: A lady is ever surrounded by spies. No, Seogeomjeong is the safest place to meet.”
Jade clenched the letter, her anxiety evident.
“Write back,” Haewon urged. “Ask to meet him in two days’ time instead. That is when Boram and Mother will drag Yeonhee to the creek to wash laundry. Most of the village women do their washing on that day, too.”
“I suppose no one would miss us…” Jade still looked uneasy.
“I will go with you, and ensure that Young Master Byeongho does not make any improper advances.”
Jade’s face turned red before melting into laughter. “Oh, Haewon. I can’t believe this is happening to me.” Then the brightness of her expression blazed radiant. “If we are already breaking the rules for my sake, perhaps we might as well break another for yours.”
Before Haewon could ask the meaning of this, Mother burst into their room, retying the coat string of her jacket as she said, “Retrieve your veil, Jade. We are going to visit the shaman.” She clucked her tongue sharply as she struggled to arrange the ribbon neatly.
“You are still filled with bad luck and we must ward it away. It has been announced that all but ten spinsters have been matched, and now Master Pyeongtaek’s mother keeps insisting on a match with Jade. That woman vexes me to no end.”
Jade obediently followed their mother out, and once they left, silence filled the house. Yeonhee had gone to tutor a few maids and wouldn’t return until noon. Father was studying. Maid Boram was shuffling about carrying out her other duties.
Haewon was blessedly alone.
Her spirit felt buoyant with the good news Jade had shared. Unable to stop smiling, Haewon reached for her bowl of tea. It was cold now, but she still thoroughly enjoyed its taste, sturdy and robust.
After a few more sips, she steadied her mind and picked up her ink-dipped brush.
Her gaze flicked between the original novel and its copy as she resumed her transcription, keeping in mind the foremost rule Wol had taught her: Never write at the bottom margin of the page.
Too many readers had complained that, over time, countless hands turning the pages would wear the ink away, leaving the words to fade into nothing.
She had yet to complete transcribing a copy this week, and she wanted to visit Five Willows and hated going empty-handed.
As she moved her brush, ink against the blank page, mountains rose and seas crashed through the expanse of her mind. Here, the concerns of the world could not follow her. She was already on a boat far away.
Jade barely slept that night, and the following night, Haewon watched as her sister tossed and turned. When the sun finally arose, Haewon and her sister slipped out of Gyonam Village early in the morning, leaving behind the crowd of women off to pound laundry and gossip by the creek.
There was a heart-skipping sensation fluttering in Haewon’s chest, this intuition that the day was filled with possibilities and new beginnings.
It inspired a bounce in her steps as she walked.
Jade, too, had recovered enough that she matched Haewon’s long strides, the color high in her cheeks, her eyes glittering.
There could not have been a more perfect day for their …
tryst? Escapade? Adventure? Haewon was still uncertain how to categorize this affair.
But she and Jade had come to the silent agreement not to spare their possible ruin any thought.
This was a golden opportunity, and it was worth the risk when the only other option was to stay still and watch Jade forced into a match by government officials.
A most miserable match.
Haewon took in a deep breath of air, determined to think of only good things this morning.
The spring weather was too pleasant to think of anything else, anyway.
Cool breezes left their skirts and veils billowing, and the sun warmed their bones.
With the rain now falling several times a day, the trees were in full bloom, whole groves of them, clouds of white, pink, and yellow blossoms, branches dabbled with bright green buds.
“We’re almost there,” Haewon said, spotting the stream in the distance.
“Already?” Jade let out a nervous laugh. “I was hoping it might last a little longer. I’m terribly nervous.”
Haewon herself was terribly nervous for her sister. But Jade had always been her unwavering support, and Haewon wished to be the same for her now.
“Here, let me have a look at you, eonni,” she said, keeping her voice steady and sure. She whipped out a handkerchief and dabbed away the faint sheen of sweat from Jade’s brow. “Bite your lips a little, to return some color to them. Good, and pinch your cheeks, too.”
Satisfied, Haewon then adjusted her sister’s veil back slightly, revealing more of her features and the sparkling hairpin that illuminated Jade’s face.
“One last thing,” Haewon murmured, carefully arranging the long veil over her sister’s dress, draping it elegantly over the white jeogori, its collar trimmed in pale yellow, and the voluminous pink skirt adorned with embroidered flowers along the hem.
It was Jade’s finest gown made of a luxurious ramie fabric, reserved only for special occasions.
Jade’s attire was a garden in full bloom, and as for Haewon, she’d chosen her most severe outfit, an old white jacket and an indigo-dyed skirt, befitting the background character she wished to play in Jade’s great love story.
“Perfect,” Haewon whispered, holding back a proud smile. “You look truly splendid, my dear sister. I think he will positively collapse at the sight of you.”
Jade let out a nervous breath, her eyes gleaming. “I hope he is there, waiting for us. I think I’ll be crushed if he’s forgotten. He might have, you know.”
“Well, we’ll have to go see, won’t we, eonni?”
Taking her sister’s hand, Haewon led the way, the smile dropping from her face. If he was not there, she would personally storm over to Hwasadang and give him an earful. She would never forgive him, and she would take revenge on Jade’s behalf and—
There were two gentlemen near Seogeomjeong Pavilion.
One was pacing about nervously, kicking at stones, dressed in a dramatic flare of colors, like an azure-blue river shimmering with the reflection of the spring wilderness.
The second gentleman had leapt off his horse and was tethering the reins to a nearby tree, a tall and imposing figure who moved with the elegance and command of a prince.
Haewon’s stare pinned onto the latter gentleman, who was garbed in a robe of deep violet and a long overcoat of a sheer silk gauze that billowed as pale smoke.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Shielding her eyes from the sunlight, Haewon stared harder, hoping her eyes had been mistaken.
But it was no mistake. “Why is Lord Yu here?” she asked in a panicked whisper.
Then she looked at Jade and a slow, creeping chill slithered down her spine at the sight of her sister’s timid yet knowing smile.
“You’ve always done so much for me,” Jade whispered. “You always think of my happiness. I wanted to do something for you.”
“My happiness?” Haewon tried to sound pleasant. “What does Lord Yu have to do with my happiness?”
“Boram said you fancy him, and Lord Yu fancies you. She told me that you were only denying it out of pride and embarrassment. Remember what I told you?” It was now Jade who tugged Haewon along.
“If we are already breaking the rules for my sake by meeting Young Master Byeongho, then why not break them entirely and allow you the same chance?”
Haewon’s stomach twisted as they crossed the bridge, each step bringing her closer to him.
To Lord Perfect—the man who never smiled, at least not at her.
The one who was far too quiet, too rigid, too insufferably proper for someone so young.
The one who seemed to take secret pleasure in judging her.
And then, here she was, standing right before him.