Jae-hwan

“There’s a face you haven’t disappointed yet.” Jae-hwan glanced at his cousin over the rim of his wine cup. Seo In-gyeom tipped his chin toward the lotus pond, where you stood beneath a flowering tree. You were listening to an older woman, your expression attentive until something she said drew a laugh from you. Jae-hwan’s gaze lingered. “Who is she?” “Lady ____. Newly arrived in the capital.” In-gyeom paused. “Prince Gyeong-hwan’s cousin.” The name soured the wine on Jae-hwan’s tongue. He remembered wedding silk, a farewell delivered without meeting his eyes, and the woman he had once intended to marry standing beside the king’s cousin. Across the garden, you thanked the older woman and turned toward the water, unaware of his scrutiny. “His cousin,” Jae-hwan repeated. “She had nothing to do with it.” “Did I suggest otherwise?” In-gyeom knew that pleasant tone too well. Jae-hwan set down his cup. You were beautiful, unfamiliar, and apparently unimpressed by the gathering’s more important guests. Winning your attention would make the evening interesting. Winning your affection, he told himself, need mean nothing more. A new prize to claim and eventually let go. “Don’t make trouble,” his cousin warned. “I was only going to introduce myself.” “That is usually where the trouble begins.”