Page 27 of Gumiho Kiss
His memory of the dream ended there, but that split second of recollection was enough to completely unnerve him.
“Mr.Park, are you well?”
“Of c-course, agasshi.”He tried to even out his voice.“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She nodded toward his hands.“You’re shaking.”
Hyun Soo peered down.Indeed, both his hands were trembling as though wracked with cold.He clasped them behind his back.“It’s nothing.How are you feeling?I was glad to receive your summons.”
“I’m feeling rather ...bored, actually.It’s a good thing you’re here.”
Hyun Soo frowned, unsure how to respond.What was she ...?Her tone almost sounded suggestive, but that didn’t make any sense.She disliked him as much as he disliked her.Perhaps he was still under the influence of that strange dream.
“Mr.Park?”
“Hmm?”
“I said I need you to escort me to the school where my uncle works.”
“Oh.”Hyun Soo winced.“I apologize, my lady.I assure you, I’m not usually absent-minded.”
“I should hope not,” she replied, a mild, almost playful rebuke in her voice.She set aside the pillow and thread and rose to her feet.“Ah In!”
One of the young servant girls entered and gave Lady Lee two small bags.
“Thank you,” she said.
The two shared a smile before Ah In bowed and hurried out.Lady Lee turned to him.“Would you carry these for me?”
Hyun Soo silently accepted the bags, then followed behind her as she exited the pavilion and crossed the courtyard.A canopy of clouds hung low in the sky as they passed through the main gate and onto the city streets.They took a different route than last time, avoiding the busy market.Lady Lee’s gait was brisk, focused, but unlike the last time he’d escorted her, there was an added mindfulness to her steps, and she kept glancing back as if to make sure he was still with her.
She must still have been shaken up from those thieves in the market.Hyun Soo quickened his pace until they were side by side.He may not be fond of her, but he didn’t want her fearing for her safety.
“You’re probably wondering why I wanted to visit my uncle’s workplace,” she said, turning to him expectantly.
“Uhh ...”No, he hadn’t been.Truth be told, Hyun Soo had been scanning the periphery for threats.The nature of her visit was of no concern to him.
She grinned as she pointed to the bags in his hands.“Uncle has been working so hard lately he’s missed lunch the last few days.I wanted to make sure he gets enough to eat.”
Hyun Soo nodded but said nothing.At least she was filial.He didn’t need to worry about Dol Sam starving once they were married.
“I’m sure you’re very dedicated to your family as well?”She ended the sentence as a question, her expression tentative yet inviting.
Whatwasthis?Lady Lee’s personality seemed to shift like sand on the seashore.One moment, she was downright antagonistic, and the next, she was asking about his family.It left him so flustered, he didn’t know what to make of her.Had he misjudged her before?Was he misjudging her now?
Or could it be that she’d changed her opinion of him since he’d saved her?
That idea did make a certain sort of sense.Perhaps she’d been angry with him before because she’d believed she didn’t need a bodyguard, but after the incident in the market, she’d realized she was wrong.
Hyun Soo’s chest tightened.Maybe they’d misjudged each other?
She was still waiting for a response, her honey-brown eyes full of curiosity rather than spite.He cleared his throat and looked away, trying to remember what she’d asked.He’d figure out the answers to his own questions later.
“I ...don’t have much in the way of family.”He tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.This wasn’t a topic he wanted to discuss.Not with her, not with anyone.
Lady Lee seemed to pick up on his discomfort and looked away.They walked in silence for a few minutes before she asked, “How did you and Young Master Kang meet?”
A bit of the tension eased from Hyun Soo’s shoulders.Kang Dol Sam was someone he had no trouble talking about.“We met at the palace a few years ago when Kang Dol Sam and his father were there for an assembly.An assassin infiltrated the palace, but he was spotted before he’d shot his first arrow.My comrades and I pursued, but he happened upon Kang Dol Sam and pressed a dagger to his throat, threatening to kill him if we came any closer.I tried to get him to calm down so Kang Dol Sam didn’t get hurt, but the man panicked and tried to stab him.My comrades and I got the assassin to the ground before he did any real damage.”
