“Do not think I mean to criticize your parents," she said with an expression that was innocent and sly at the same time.

 

"I would never dream of implying that you were spoiled in any way." He nodded graciously.

 

"It's just that"—she leaned in, as if imparting a grave secret—"I rather think you could get away with murder if you so chose."

 

He coughed—not to clear his throat and not because he wasn't feeling well, but rather because he was so damned startled. Hyul was such a funny character. No, that wasn't quite right. She was ... surprising. Yes, that seemed to sum her up. Very few people really knew her; she had certainly never developed a reputation as a sterling conversationalist. He was fairly certain she'd made it through three-hour parties without ever venturing beyond words of a single syllable. But when Hyul was in the company of someone with whom she felt comfortable—and Chanyeol realized that he was probably privileged to count himself among that number— she had a dry wit, a sly smile, and evidence of a very intelligent mind, indeed.

 

He wasn't surprised that she'd never attracted any serious suitors for her hand; she wasn't a beauty by any stretch, although upon close examination she was more attractive than he'd remembered her to be. Her brown hair had a touch of red to it, highlighted nicely by the nickering candles. And her skin was quite lovely—that perfect peaches-and-cream complexion that ladies were always slathering their faces with arsenic to achieve.

 

But Hyul's attractiveness wasn't the sort that men usually noticed. And her normally shy and occasionally even stuttering demeanor didn't exactly showcase her personality. Still, it was too bad about her lack of popularity. She would have made someone a perfectly good wife.

 

"So you're saying," he mused, steering his mind back to the matter at hand, "that I should consider a life of crime?"

 

"Nothing of the sort," she replied, a demure smile on her face. "Just that I rather suspect you could talk your way out of anything." And then, unexpectedly, her mien grew serious, and she quietly said, "I envy that."

 

Chanyeol surprised himself by holding out his hand and saying, "Hyul Jeon, I think you should dance with me."

 

And then Hyul surprised him by laughing and saying, "That's very sweet of you to ask, but you don't have to dance with me any longer." His pride felt oddly pricked.

 

"What the devil do you mean by that?"

 

She shrugged. "It's official now. I'm a spinster. There's no longer a reason to dance with me just so that I don't feel left out."

 

"That's not why I danced with you," he protested, but he knew that it was exactly the reason. And half the time he'd only remembered to ask because his mother had poked him— hard—in the back and reminded him.

 

She gave him a faintly pitying look, which galled him, because he'd never thought to be pitied by Hyul Jeon.

 

"If you think," he said, feeling his spine grow stiff, "that I'm going to allow you to wiggle out of a dance with me now, you're quite delusional."

 

 "You don't have to dance with me just to prove you don't mind doing it," she said. "I want to dance with you," he fairly growled.

 

"Very well," she said, after what seemed to be a ridiculously long pause.

"It would surely be churlish for me to refuse."

 

 "It was probably churlish of you to doubt my intentions," he said as he took her arm, "but I'm willing to forgive you if you can forgive yourself."

 

She stumbled, which made him smile. "I do believe I'll manage," she choked out.

 

"Excellent." He offered her a bland smile. "I'd hate to think of you living with the guilt." T

 

he music was just beginning, so Hyul took his hand and curtsied as they began the minuet. It was difficult to talk during the dance, which gave Hyul a few moments to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. Perhaps she'd been a bit too harsh with Chanyeol. She shouldn't have scolded him for asking her to dance, when the truth was, those dances were among her most cherished memories. Did it really matter if he'd only done it out of pity? It would have been worse if he'd never asked her at all. She grimaced. Worse still, did this mean sh