"I expressly forbid you from going to tea at the Chatsworth Estate" Minjun said, picking up her knitting. She had decided to knit Hyunshik a scarf. The evenings were starting to be chilly and knitting took her mind of things. Her anger and indignation had not quite left, despite the muting of her restlessness. The Lees had effectively been cut off with awkward attempts at reparation rejected by her parents.

"But Mama, I cannot let Minah go alone" Haneul insisted. She had more reasons of course. It would be the first time in two weeks that everyone was going to gather at the estate. Taekwoon and Minah had come up with the idea on an evening stroll together, though how that had come to be Haneul did not know. An attempt to clear the air for the young lovers. 

"Nonsense."

Minjun was having none of it.

"Mama, we cannot live cut off from our neighbours and society" Haneul reasoned.

"A fine time for you to have regained your bearings regarding society" she jeered. Haneul kept shut, knwoing there was no way she would win against her mother.

"Besides, your aunt wrote back. She says she will be delighted to host you at Exeter for the winter. You should prepare to leave soon" she instructed.

"I will. I shall leave without protest and follow everything you say if you let me go to tea today" she pleaded.

"Fine. But no more engagements. You shall write your farewells tonight and depart tomorrow" Minjun decided. 

"Yes Mama" Haneul said. She left the parlor, making her way to the kitchen. She found Soojung in the doorway, picking up wool to be given to her mother from their room.

"I heard the news. Are you to leave soon?" she asked.

"Yes Ma'am" Haneul replied.

"Good. A change in the scenery would be good for you" Soojung said. Haneul nodded in response before moving on her way.

-

"I hear you are to return to London soon, Miss Han" Taekwoon said, seeing as no one else was willing to start a conversation. 

"I shall leave in a fortnight if all goes according to plan" Minah replied. 

"Oh dear. I was hoping you would stay here to help me with the wedding preparations" Sooyeon said.

"Oh I am no good at these matters. Haneul would be better off at helping you in the arrangements. She has quite a lovely taste for dresses and gowns and flower arrangements" Minah said.

"I am afraid that on this account, I must disappoint you as well" Haneul started. That statement caught the attention of her company, though she wished the effect wasn't as exaggerated.

"I am to depart for Exeter within the week to visit my ailing aunt. My mother received a letter this morning" she told them.

"You're leaving?" Wonshik asked, speaking for the first time since they had gathered.

"You have an aunt in Exeter?" Jaehwan asked, equally surprised. 

"Yes. My mother's third sister in law. They were quite close but lost touch over the years. The letter was a surprise and we hoped it was good news but unfortunately not. Mother gets too distressed by travelling so I am going in her stead" Haneul explained.

"Oh dear. Would you be back in time for the wedding?" Sooyeon asked.

"Hopefully so. I shall write to you" Haneul promised.

"Soon, we shall be bereft of such enjoyable company" Taekwoon said. "After all, who would misjudge my intentions quite as vigorously?" he asked Minah in a low voice. Minah coloured, deciding to focus on Sooyeon who was visibly disheartened by the news. Jaehwan and Wonshik looked uncomfortable and Haneul knew they had figured out the real reason.

"You did not tell me you had decided to leave so quickly" Minah told Haneul.

"I wished to inform you this morning but I was caught up in the whirlwind of preparations. Mama had multiple instructions and I had to prepare for leaving tomorrow" Haneul said. She bit her tongue when she realized what she had let slip.

"Tomorrow!" Minah exclaimed. "Must you go so soon??"

"I am afraid I have no choice" Hanuel said. The atmosphere of the room darkened, only rescued by the servants coming to clear up the tea and cakes which had lain forgotten since the conversation had started.

"I wish you didn't have to go" Jaehwan said. "We always talked about how grand weddings in the estate would be."

"Indeed. You do not know how saddened I am at the thought that I might miss the occasion" Haneul told him.

"Excuse me" Wonshik said, standing up and leaving for his study on the pretext of some urgent news to attend to. 

"I gather he still isn't happy about the idea of the wedding" Haneul said, once the door had closed behind him. 

"No he isn't, I am afraid. And he refuses to talk to any of us about it" Minah said with a huff. "Just yesterday I tried enticing him into a conversation about it with Sarangi as an excuse. It did not work."

"I am afraid my brother is quite stubborn. The only one who he listens to is you Haneul. And even then he believes you are in the wrong for being happy for this union" Sooyeon told her.

"Perhaps I can talk to him" she said.

"It would certainly help. I doubt it would get any worse" Jaehwan said wistfully.

"He will be in his study. He spends most of his time there" Taekwoon told her. 

"Thank you" Haneul said, following one of the servants out.

-

"May I come in Mr Kim?" Haneul asked, pushing the door slightly.

"Haneul. I mean Miss Kim, why yes of course" he said, standing up as she walked into the room.

"I wished to talk to you. I hope I did not find you at an inopportune time" she said carefully.

"No. Do sit down" he said, gesturing to the small sofa placed in his study. 

"Thank you" Haneul said, taking her seat. The room was illuminated by the golden rays of the setting sun. A reminder that it would be night fall soon and that Haneul and Minah would have to return home soon. Haneul glanced over the board, lying on Wonshik's desk that had been brought in on her request and turned back to the aforementioned man. 

"You wished to talk to me" Wonshik started.

"Yes. It was a matter of much importance. As I gathered, you were still unhappy about your sister's marriage plans" Haneul said.

"Are you here to make another case for your friend? If so, you made your point very clear earlier" Wonshik said stubbornly. 

"I am not here to petition for Jaehwan. I am merely here as your friend to talk to you about how you feel about it" she told him.

"My feelings on the matter are clear" he said, clearing his throat.

"You believe that Jaehwan will be unfaithful to your sister as he had been unfaithful to me" Haneul said. "All in your perspective of course"

"Well yes. Despite what you say about it. Do you really claim to be unaffected by the chain of events?" he asked her.

"I am fine. Like I said, I never loved Jaehwan. I was happy the day he told me he was in love with Sooyeon" she replied.

"And that is why you are leaving before the wedding occurs? To a place far away" he pointed out.

"My parents did not take this news as well as I hoped they would. I should have known given their hopes to unite the families" she said honestly.

"And what of your feelings? Why did you agree to leave with such haste?" he asked. sitting down next to her.

"My feelings in this matter are irrelevant as I have stated before. Even if I was in love with Jaehwan, which I am not I remind you, I wouldn't have forced him to stay in an unhappy engagement" she told him.

She put her hand on Wonshik's hand that rested on his knee. "I am not unhappy or saddened by this affair. I wish your sister and brother to be, the best of luck for their future together. Do you not wish the same of them?" she asked him.

"I do but this is unfair" he replied.

"It is only unfair that you are judging Jaehwan without giving him a chance and punishing your sister for feelings beyond her control" Haneul chastised. Wonshik pulled his hand away.

"He is a fool for not loving you and you are a greater fool for advocating his case" Wonshik said. 

"And you are thrice the fool for assuming I would have been happy with Jaehwan. We have very different temparaments. He is much better suited with your sister. Now won't you promise to let go of your anger and prejudice?" she cajoled him, as if cajoling Sanghyuk to drink milk before his bedtime. Wonshik looked at her, hesitating and debating between agreeing and disagreeing with her.

"Haven't we stretched the matter long enough?" she asked him. He sighed and shook his head. Haneul laughed, knowing she had won the argument for now. 

"I have some better news for you. I did finally finish the sketch of the estate that you had wished to see. I thought that perhaps I would bring it along and give it to you before I go" she said, gesturing to the board that had been placed on his desk. Wonshik's eyebrows raised in surprise. He walked over to his desk, followed by Haneul.

"I didn't have time to properly frame it I am afraid. And it is quite hastily done" she said modestly.

"It is beautiful" Wonshik admired. He didn't touch the board, afraid of smearing the paint that still looked fresh. "I cannot thank you enough. I shall have it displayed in my study" he promised her.

"You are too kind" Haneul said, refuting the praise.

"Look at the picturesque view and the bold of colour. It is indeed as beautiful as you are" Wonshik said. Haneul blinked, trying to process his words. She blushed, when he held her gaze. The proximity was inappropriate surely. Haneul realized they were alone in his study, while being positioned quite intimately. Why anyone could walk in at any minute and this would be scandalous but she didn't wish to pull away. Wonshik stepped forward and brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and she started, the spell broken.

"I... I'm afraid I must leave. Mama would be angry if I was to leave after dark" she said, smoothening her skirts. "Really, I just wish you wouldn't treat Jaehwan and Sooyeon so harshly. And I only wished to give you the sketch. Thank you Mr Kim" she said in rushed whispers before leaving. 

Wonshik stood there, trying to process his own actions.