A century waiting for you - Part I

In the 19^th century at a place known as The New World, an average, but a noble family lives into a western country. Sir Hwang raised his only daughter with love and care, since the latter was the last live memory of his deceased wife. The girl a.k.a Stephanie Hwang had to move on and live without a maternal presence, but even missing her so much, Stephanie managed to go on and grown into a beautiful woman and certainly the most wanted of the manly society.

However, her father was getting old and wanted someone to take care of his daughter before he goes. But the problem it’s that Stephanie refuse every single proposal since she acclaimed to fulfill her real dream, to find someone to love and love her as she is. Nonetheless, years passed, and now with 23 years old, her father gave her an advice… she needs to find someone to marry and build her own family. Nonetheless, his true wish was see his daughter with the most wanted man of their city… the duke Siwon.

Don’t get her wrong, duke Siwon was known to be a gentleman and he was the dream of every single girl in her town, including her. Yet, sometimes she wondered to herself who he really was without the beauty, royalty or appearance; she wanted someone with a sincere heart and transparent soul, more than words could describe. While seated in her bed, she sighs heavily and leaned her head in the headboard. She placed her novel in the nightstand and stared the full moon intently as she thinks deeply before drift to sleep:

“If only I was able to find a true love as these books say...”

~*~

In Sunday afternoon, she visited the church and being a faithful believer, Stephanie prayed to find strengths and wisdom to choose her perfect suitor since she knew her father’s concern. However, once she ended, she found her way to the carriage where the coachman helped her to enter and make her way back to home. While staring the street emotionlessly, she jolted in surprise when the carriage stopped abruptly. Creasing her eyebrows in confusion, she popped her head out by the window and asked to the coachman:

“Mister Park, is everything all right?”

The old man shook his head and speaks earnestly:

“The wheel it’s stuck, Lady Stephanie. It will take some time to fix it. I advised you that if you want distract for some minutes, it would be good.”

He hopped from the seat and opens the door as he helped her to get out. She stared at him worriedly and asked softly:

“Are you sure you won’t need my help, Mister Park?” The old man laughs and smiled warmly as he shook his head:

“I thank you, Mistress. But it won’t be necessary, trust me. Now, I know a book’s store down the street, why don’t you go there and find something interesting?”

Suddenly, Stephanie smiled and shook her head as she got her umbrella and speaks:

“*Chuckles* you really know my weakness, Mister Park. I will come back soon, I promise.”

Mr. Park nodded in agreement with a smile as he knew to convince her since he works for her family since she was born. Then, with a smile in her face, Stephanie walks in the street looking for the store. Yet, while distracted, she couldn’t help to feel different, like if someone was staring her intently. She stopped and turns around quickly, but no one suspicious was in sight. She nibbled her lower lip nervously and keeps walking to the store, although she keeps feeling eyes on her back.

Once she found the store, she hurriedly entered to distract her mind and maybe, to mislead “the stalker”. In her favorite world, she was fascinated with such variety of books. After a lot of search, she found a romance book, of course, to be her favorite story before sleep. Paying the cashier, she left the store with a content smile in her face and already riffling the pages excitedly.

The eyes still were focused on her, but this time she was truly engrossed in the new story. However, while she was making her way back to the carriage, she didn’t realize that she took a different path which took her into a desert alley. Even being in daylight, this alley wasn’t a place for an undefended people, even more for a lady. When she snapped her head from the book, she gulped deeply to see where her feet guided her…

Fear started to drain her heart, when she was about to turn around to leave, she halted when she heard steps behind her. She quickly turns around and then, her semblance was changed by an annoyed one since it was a known face. She sighs deeply and asked already feeling bothered to the man in front of her:

“What are you doing here, Wooyoung?”

The man a.k.a Wooyoung smiled slyly as he walked slowly to Stephanie. Seeing the sinister smile plastered in his face, she walked to backwards carefully to disappear from his sight. Yet, when her back touched the brick wall, she gulped heavily and widened her eyes when he was in front of her already. His sinister smile widened as he leaned and hastily pinned her against the wall. She gasped loudly and struggles to set herself free of his grip as she snapped helplessly:

“What do you think you are doing?! Get off me or I will scr---!!!”

“Ah ah ah… I wouldn’t do that if I were you, who knows what I can do…, hahaha”

“Let me go! What do you want?!” His smile dropped for one second as he stared at her intently. He leaned as his hands started to wander in her curvy body. She was about to scream, when he covered with his hand and whispered slyly to her ear:

“You.” She gasped again when his hands were finding a way to tug her dress. Tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes as he speaks like a maniac:

“I’m damn tired of your refusals! Now you shall be mine liking or not! And keep your mouth shut, I know you will enjoy it as well hahahaha---“

“!!!”

Wooyoung was violently pushed against the brick wall by a sudden shadow. Stephanie blinked her eyes a few times to realize what was happening. She was agape when an elegant and extremely charming brown haired young man stood before her, but with his back facing her and the wind raising his long black coat gently. He glared at Wooyoung furiously and curled his fists as he hissed into a refrained angered tone:

“Coward. You should be ashamed... Don’t you dare touch this lady.”

Stephanie felt her heart swaying inside of her chest at the sound of the graceful and smooth voice. Wooyoung gritted his teeth and quickly wiped the blood coming from his mouth as he yells angrily:

“Shut up!”

The mysterious man remained motionless while Wooyoung charged against him. Stephanie widened her eyes and feared for the man’s safety as she yells desperately:

“Be careful!”

The moment she closed her eyes and opened again, she was with her agape to see an unconscious Wooyoung facing the mud on the floor. She could catch a glimpse of the eyes of the stranger… it was yellow… thinking that she was seeing too much, she shook her head and looked at him again only to his a pair of hazel eyes staring her worriedly. Once again she was wordlessly with this man’s beauty… it was so delicate, but manly and sharp semblance at same time.

She held her breath when the charming man took a fancy handkerchief with a royal emblem of his jacket and cleaned her face gently. After he wiped her tears, he gets her book which fell on the floor and gingerly placed in her hands along with his tissue as he speaks softly and frowned in concern:

“Here. I think you need this. Are you hurt, fair lady?”

She found hard to breathe since she couldn’t help to be captured by his tender and mesmerizing eyes. Seeing his worried semblance, she snapped from her thoughts and blushing, she answers coyly with her head lowered:

“I… I’m fine… tha-thank you… for saving me, sir.”

Suddenly, the brown haired man flashed a captivating smile as he shook his head and helped her to walk properly:

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s an honor, my fair lady.”

Once again, she felt her face burning in shyness due his charming smile. Out of sudden, he carefully extended his hand as he was motioned her to accept. She stared at his palm intently, still doubtful, but something inside of her was telling to take his hand. Yet, the moment she tried to take the next step, she end up limping since she was pulled against the wall with such strength by Wooyoung. The mysterious man immediately grabs her by her waist supporting her weight and helping her to walk.

She ends up shivering at the feeling of him touching her waist and her hand so gingerly. Flinching at first since his palm was cold, everything changed when her heartbeat increased due the softness of his caringly grip, yet she found herself sharing her warmth with him. Their eyes met as she felt her heart pounding erratically into a strange feeling… how come this strange can make her feel so confused, but so comfortable?

Unable to hold the stare any longer due her flushed cheeks, she averts her eyes to the ground, yet she found herself stealing some glances of her handsome and silent savior. Something tells her that he is face was awfully familiar, but she couldn’t remember, so she finally speaks curiously breaking the silence between them as they walked cautiously:

“Did … did we met each other before?”

He halted briefly and turns his head to her as a mysterious smile playing in his lips as he shrugs his shoulders:

“Maybe…maybe not… but in one thing I’m sure… I wouldn’t be able to forget such beautiful eyes of yours…”

After his sentence, he stared at her intently as she took a deep breath and quickly lowers her head in an attempt to hide her flushed and warm face again. Stephanie started to walk by herself and puffer her cheeks since this ‘stranger’ was having a good time to make her feel embarrassed. Then, he chuckles, shook his head and follows her. Seeing that she still was bothered about his sudden appearance and attitudes, the elegant man spoke sincerely as he held her shoulder gently to help the limping woman:

“I’m really sorry for my reckless conduct, lady. I apologize if I did anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Please, let me help you.”

At the softness of his voice, she looks at him again as a coy smile formed in her lips and she says honestly:

“There is nothing to apologize, mister. You did nothing wrong... actually… it-it was very kind of you.”

Her words made him widened his smile as he nodded his head in agreement with a joyful semblance. Then out of sudden, he stopped to look around and then, his expression becomes serious and stared at her deeply. She knitted her eyebrows confusedly when he approached once again and bowed slowly, closed his eyes and delicately takes her right hand to plant a soft kiss in her milky skin. Stephanie was agape with his action, but she couldn’t help to feel her heart thumping hard against her ribcage and shivers running by her body.

He pulled back slowly to stare at her gently again as he speaks smoothly:

“It was a pleasure to meet you… lady.”

When he was about to turn around to leave, Tiffany gulped deeply since she didn’t know what to do, but certainly she didn’t wanted him to leave like this. Suddenly, she took a step and called him loudly, but softly:

“Wait! I – I… I don’t even know your name, sir.”

He turns around with a charming smile as he walked to her slowly. She held her breathing in anticipation as he leaned and whispered tantalizing:

“I will tell you next time we see each other, beautiful lady. And I will be looking forward… to meet you again.”

Completely wordlessly, Stephanie didn’t manage to answer properly since this mysterious man took her breath away. They held a meaningful stare as brown eyes met hazel ones; when she was about to speak, a familiar voice breaks her attention:

“Lady Stephanie! There you are! I was worried! There, the wheel it’s already fixed! Let’s come back, it’s getting dark.”

“Just a minute, Mr. Park, I was talking with---“

Once she turns around, she realized that she was alone and in the street again. So the mysterious man managed to guide her back to the main road one more time after all. She looked around apprehensively, looking for any signs of “him”, but no… he disappeared completely. Feeling disappointed, she sighs deeply and shook her head as Mr. Park helped her to enter on the carriage due her limping leg.

On her way back to home, she was staring outside the window with her left hand supporting her chin. Suddenly, she looked to her right hand and recalled the moment when the mysterious man kissed, caressing the spot with her thumb. With only this thought, she blushed madly; then, she grabs the elegant handkerchief as she looked the initials at the tissue’s corner… “J.J”? She knitted her eyebrows confusedly, but sighs again as she caressed the smooth tissue and whispered to no one longingly:

“Will I see you again?”

~*~

At night, laid on her bed, Stephanie tried to distract herself with her new book, but it was useless. Her mind keeps replaying the odd meeting with the mysterious gentleman… As much she wanted deny, she nearly held her own control when they were so close, he was very attracting for sure, she thinks. She couldn’t help to feel more and more enchanted and … bedazzled by the man’s mysterious and charming personality. The way he looked at her, she felt something feverish building inside of her body, but in a good way, it was almost like he bewitched or mesmerized her…

She took a deep breath debating to herself if she was right to felt this way about a man that she just met today. Even being a focused and serious lady, more she longed to see the stranger again. Suddenly, her eyelids became heavy as she was getting tired to think in the enigmatic “J.J” and finally fell asleep while holding her book… and the tissue.

~*~

In the morning, she opens her eyelids slowly due the sunbeams in her room. She carefully stood up since she was recovering from her recent sprain in her foot. Unfortunately, she had to lie to her father in the last night after he worriedly asked what happened. She knew that once she had told the truth, he wouldn’t let her go out again due his over protectiveness. Back to the present, the maids helped her to get dress and she climb down the stairs still with her mind busy in a mysterious person…

However, the moment she reached the living room, she heard her father talking excitedly with someone. She frowned confusedly since she didn’t remind that her father could be so friendly with someone over duke Siwon. Feeling curious, she found her way to the living room and her father saw her as he smiled happily and speaks loudly:

“Oh, there you are! Good morning, dear!”

She smiled at his hyper state and couldn’t help to return the greeting and ask curiously while he hugged her tightly:

“Good morning, father. Is everything all right? Who are you talking about?”

It looks like Sir Hwang’s smile widened with her question as he averts his stare to the chair close to the fireplace, but it was with the back facing them. He quickly motioned her to greet the “person” that he was talking to as he speaks into a satisfied tone:

“Oh! I was talking with our new neighbor! He is a very kind gentleman and so young. Lord Jung, this is my most valuable treasure, my daughter Stephanie Hwang.”

Stephanie watched attentively when the man perked his head up and stood up to turn around slowly. When their eyes finally met, he flashed a stunning smile at Stephanie’s dumbfounded face. She was agape since she couldn’t believe that the one she most wanted to see… it was right here and before her eyes. Once again her heart started to pound erratically as she flushed away with his inquisitive stare. In his mind, he keeps smiling as he thinks while walking slowly to her direction:

“So… we met each other once again… indeed, beautiful lady.”

TBC

A/N: And that was the Chapter 1. I promise i wont make a long and boring story (I'll try my best). This same story might have 5-7 chapters, still I don't want to push you guys, so comment and rate this chapter only if you want to. Btw, I posted this story on ssf about 1 year ago, but it was on hiatus. And now, i'll continue this story =) Oh, for the ones who doesnt know this fic, I think you guys might be asking what is our mysterious Jung? Hahaha i really wanna know about your tips or clues. Thank you for reading and oh, if someone wants to be added as my friend, I'll be more than happy =D God bless all and take care!