Chapter Nineteen

 Lim sat in his office sorting through a large stack of invitations. Many of them requested LiYul's presence. He could only convince the Director to attend one event out of every ten invitations received. The others were usually sent a sizable check and they were happy. Lim occasionally attended and could always find a date, but usually went alone and danced with many women who were also attending alone. He enjoyed the events more when he went by himself and had lots of pretty women buzzing around him. He grinned and went through another stack. 

 He got a call from the Director. "I have received four calls from the cultural and heritage center director," LiYul said tiredly. "What is it he wants?"

 "It's time to fundraise for the center," Jae-Ho said. "Last year you supported the center heavily. Aquila filmed the Joseon Dynasty, 1392 to 1910. It won several heritage and cultural awards this year. I believe they want to recognize you and thank you for your philanthropy."

 LiYul scoffed lightly. "Sounds as if I am required to attend."

 "It would be good to be seen." Jae-Ho said then added, "SooYun would be a perfect companion for the evening." 

 "Yes, I think you're right. She is an artist and would be able to mingle with the other creatives there. Do you think she would agree to go?" LiYul asked.

 "I think she would if you asked her," Jae-Ho said. "Nicely invited her to accompany you."

 "When is it?" LiYul asked.

 "This weekend," Jae-Ho said. "Black tie affair."

 "I'll let you know what she says," LiYul said. "I'll call you back when I have her answer."

 He then opened the text app and sent a request to 'White Lotus'.

 SooYun was working on her drawings when she felt her watch vibrate against her wrist. She reached over, picked up her phone, and thumbed the text app open. It was from 'Korean Titan'. He was using his phone again. She smiled.

Korean Titan: Are you free this weekend to attend a cultural and heritage event in the city?

 SooYun looked at the text. Was the Director asking her to accompany him to the event? As in a date? 

White Lotus: I saw the event announced on television. It's a fundraiser event – a very formal affair.

Korean Titan: Yes. Would you like to go?

 SooYun felt her heart begin to speed up. Why was he asking her to attend a gala event with him? She had nothing to wear to that kind of event! She told him. 

White Lotus: I have nothing to wear to that kind of event. 

Korean Titan: Be ready tomorrow after breakfast, I will pick you up to shop.

White Lotus:?

Korean Titan: If you do not have anything to wear, you need to shop, yes?

White Lotus: Yes.

Korean Titan: Then I will pick you up tomorrow. Be ready early.

 SooYun had received a command! 

 In the morning SooYun was up early dressed, and ready to shop. She was not sure where the Director intended to take her dress shopping, but she would be ready as commanded! She found his manner of issuing commands annoying, but then since he did not know how to act any other way, she could not find too much fault in him. He had other qualities that were noble and good, he was just used to having his way. 

 She went up to the facility and found Lim catching up on paperwork. When he saw her in the doorway, he stood and bowed. He smiled in appreciation. She wore a pretty paisley printed skirt that fell in full folds around her legs. The peasant top was pale silvery grey, and a wide leather belt cinched her in at the waist. Over everything was a loose sweater coat. She carried an oversized bag. She wore comfortable half-boots. He was happy to take a break. She sat in the guest chair in front of his desk. "So, you decided to go to the event?" Lim asked. He handed her the invitation. "LiYul thought you might find it interesting given your artistic background."

 "Oh, I am!" SooYun replied. "I find the Joseon period a fascinating time." 

 Lim grinned knowingly. "He dislikes functions of this nature, particularly since he will have to say a few words and be gracious receiving whatever accolades the center is awarding Aquila Studios. But with you at his side, I think he'll enjoy himself. He should be on his best behavior."

 SooYun nodded. Her watch buzzed and she tapped the face, "Director Jin has arrived."

 Lim chuckled and picked up his cell phone, "I'll let him know you're on your way down," He dialed LiYul, who picked up instantly, "SooYun is on her way," he said, "She stopped in to pick up her invitation." She waved to Lim and hurried out. 

 "I'm out in front of the facility," LiYul replied, "waiting."

 "She looks very pretty, LiYul," Lim said, "Be sure to tell her."

 LiYul hung up the phone and put it in his jacket. He was leaning against the fender of the car when SooYun appeared at the front door of the facility. He was unprepared for a face-to-face meeting but wanted to see her. He felt his heart leap when she came out, a smile beaming. He walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She tucked the invitation into her bag and put her ID tag in one of the zippered pockets. He bowed in greeting, her floral perfume reached him as she came up and returned the greeting. He drew in a deep breath. Jae-Ho was right she was very prettily dressed! "Good morning, SooYun."

 "Good morning!" She said cheerfully and stepped into the car. LiYul reached in and secured her seatbelt, receiving another dose of her perfume. He had a rather intense expression on his face, but he nearly always had a fierce look in his eyes. 

 He was dressed casually, but it was expensive, and driving the Porsche Cayman only accented the wealth he wore so easily. He slid into the driver's seat and glanced over at her. The folds of her skirt hid most of her legs, but what he did see were trim ankles and shapely calves. He stole another glance at her. "Do you mind telling me what perfume you're wearing?"

 She looked startled at him. "Is it too strong?"

 "Not at all," he told her. He started the car, shifted into gear, and set out. "I like it."

 SooYun laughed in relief. "It's a blended fragrance I found at a specialty shop, it's citrus blossoms."

 He nodded. He was focused on maneuvering through the light traffic then as they reached the highway, he took another look over at SooYun. She felt his eyes on her, and she chanced a look in his direction. "Thank you for accompanying me tonight." 

 She nodded. "It sounds like it will be a grand affair."

 "Mrs. Hung has given me clear directions on what dress salon I am to take you to and that you're to have more than one outfit to select from," LiYul told her. "I am also to take you to lunch and then bring you to the house so she may help get you ready for the evening."

 "Wow," SooYun said smiling at the image of Mrs. Hung handing down orders to him. "It will take all afternoon to get me ready?"

 LiYul scoffed lightly. "For your sake, I hope not!" he told her. "I thought you might like to go horseback riding before you are sequestered away by Mrs. Hung."

 "I would enjoy that very much!" She exclaimed. 

 "Tell me your boot size and I'll let Mr. Hung know to have them waiting down at the stables for you," LiYul said as he tapped the earpiece in his right ear and spoke Mr. Hung's name aloud. The car phone chimed, and Mr. Hung answered. "Mr. Hung we'll be taking a ride in the early afternoon. SooYun, tell Mr. Hung your boot size." 

 "An EU 40 will work nicely," SooYun replied.

 "I'll have them ready for you, Ms. Shin." Mr. Hung's voice sounded in the car speakers.

 "Thank you, Mr. Hung!" She called. LiYul ended the call and he looked briefly at her.

 "I think we know one another well enough that you can call me by my name," LiYul said, and he lifted an eyebrow at her, "I don't mind."

 SooYun nodded. "All right," she said, "May I ask you a question, LiYul?"

 "You may," he responded. He looked away briefly out the driver's window to hide his smile. He liked the way she said his name, her inflection was near perfect. 

 "Tonight, will no doubt have a lot of people attending this event. Including Chu Min-Ji. Provoking her by having me in tow is not keeping things low-key until the end of the month."

 "You're not in 'in tow'," LiYul told her a fierce glare sparking in his eyes. A frown knitted his brows together. "Even if we do encounter her tonight, she will behave."

 "Do you suspect we will encounter her tonight?" SooYun asked.

 "Possibly," LiYul said. "Min-Ji likes to be seen at these kinds of affairs, but she does not like negative press." 

 They drove into the parking garage of the fashion salon, and he escorted her to the private dressing room and went to wait for her in the front. The women who worked in the salon were more focused on LiYul than SooYun, so she was left to search for her dresses in peace. She settled on three different styles. The first was a black evening cut velvet frock that was off the shoulders. It was covered with a dusting of crystals on the bodice. It put her in mind of a steampunk frock coat. She liked the flair of the tiered bottom of the dress. The bodice was a bit too revealing but a silk peasant blouse under the bodice gave her a theatrical look that appealed to her sense of whimsy. When she stepped out he looked up from his phone and sat forward to get a good look. She turned to look at herself in the four-way mirror. For tonight, it was a bit too whimsical. LiYul was impressed and as she returned it to the rack, he arranged to have it packed.

 The next dress was the basic black lace evening dress. It fitted close to her curves and LiYul liked it a lot, but he also knew that other men would also like it a lot! She examined herself in the mirrors and she decided to continue to think about the dress. Then the last dress was one she almost passed over. It was a plain and simple black dress with a crème off-shoulder collar of stylized flower petals. When she stepped out before the mirrors and LiYul, he knew that was the dress for the evening. He signaled to the store manager and the transaction was completed. 

 Now he knew her tastes and size. He could get Mrs. Hung to order a selection for SooYun to try in the privacy of her room at his townhouse or the estate.

 She found a pair of black slingback sandals with nice heels and the headdress that completed her wardrobe. The wrap was a black brocade lined with warm velvet. Everything was boxed and LiYul carried multiple bags in both hands and followed dutifully behind SooYun to the car. He put everything in the trunk and saw her safely in the car. When he got in the driver's seat he turned to her, "Shall we eat?"

 "LiYul, Do you think we could stop someplace on the way?" SooYun asked. "More riding time."

 "Of course!" He had no idea where they should stop, but he guessed that SooYun might have a destination in mind. She did. It was a dumpling shop. They sat on a bench and ate steamed dumplings from a paper bowl with bamboo chopsticks. They were not terrible, but they were not Mrs. Hung's dumplings. Quickly they were back on the road and as they drove through the first set of gates SooYun looked over at LiYul. "The estate? Isn't –"

 "No," LiYul growled he threw a dark look over at SooYun. "She is gone from my estate!" 

 "Oh," SooYun said softly as she met his fierce eyes. Suddenly he puffed a great sigh and she edged away slightly.

 "I'm sorry, SooYun, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just been a long two weeks!"

 "I can only imagine the stress you've been under," she said and started to reach out and lay a hand on his arm, but remembered he did not like being touched and pulled back.

 He saw her reach out to him, then pull back. As he got closer to the gates the security guard opened the gates and waved a hand in their direction. They pulled up under the pavilion and Mrs. Hung came out to greet SooYun. LiYul got out of the car, came around to the passenger side, and opened the door. He extended a hand to SooYun. She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. He felt a shiver spill down his spine as her fingers touched his skin. Mrs. Hung nodded approvingly at them. "Mr. Hung tells me you're going riding. Mind you don't over-extend!" 

 "You'll find everything upstairs waiting," LiYul said, leaning close to whisper in SooYun's ear. 

 She gave him a radiant smile that Mrs. Hung saw brought a pleased look on LiYul's normally taciturn face. LiYul watched her hurry to greet Mrs. Hung and they went upstairs ahead of him. He smiled to himself and went upstairs after her at a more leisurely pace. When he entered his bedroom suite he heard Mrs. Hung already fussing over SooYun. He went into his closet space and began dressing.

 SooYun was left to dress in her riding gear after Mrs. Hung had brushed and braided her hair. It hung in a golden rope down her back and tied with a dark blue ribbon that matched her long-sleeved shirt. The pants were dark tan, and the dark blue shirt had tan piping around the collar and tan detailing on the sleeves and shoulders. The socks were a near match in color to her breeches. She stuck her feet into her slippers, examined herself in the mirror, and winked at her reflection, "Tallyho SooYun!"

 She picked up the leather riding gloves and tucked them in the belted waistband of her pants. She came out of her bedroom and found LiYul waiting for her in the hall. His gaze went from her toes up to her head. He handed her a pair of rubber shoes. "Wear them down to the stable." She took the slides, and they walked together down the stairs. She could not help but notice how good he looked in the outfit and that it was a near match to what she was wearing. They left through the kitchen and Mrs. Hung watched as LiYul waited for SooYun to put on the rubber slides. She got into the side of the golf cart next to him. She saw the attentive look LiYul had on his face. How he studied SooYun, and how he smiled when he thought no one was looking.

 They rolled up to the stables and Mr. Hung was waiting. He took SooYun into the tack room and she pulled on her boots, adjusted the guards, and zipped them up. She emerged from the tack room and stamped her feet. They were a good fit. "How long has it been since you were in the saddle?" Mr. Hung asked her.

 "A good six months," SooYun answered. "Maybe longer."

 "Let's take a look," Mr. Hung said. He called for a stable hand to attend to them. They walked down the stable aisle. Midway a grey head appeared to inspect the visitor. SooYun smiled as he lowered his head to see if there was a treat in the visitor's pockets. "Bogart has a sweet tooth." Mr. Hung said, and he pressed several peppermint candies into SooYun's hand. 

 SooYun grinned and put them in her breeches pocket and the stable hand handed her the harness and lead. She thanked him, opened the door, and stepped in. She came up to Bogart's side and quickly found the itchy spot that all horses had trouble getting to on their own. His head immediately lowered, and she slipped the headstall on and clipped the lead in place. With the promise of more scratches, the gelding followed her obediently out of the stall and over to the space where Mr. Hung waited with the pad, saddle, and tack. SooYun clipped Bogart into the crossties and her days in the barn came flooding back to her. She quickly did an inspection, running her hands over the muscles and inspecting the hooves. Finding everything as it should be, she took the pad and saddle and set it in place, then tightened the girth. She dropped one of the crossties, slipped the harness and reins in place, and handed off the headstall and lead rope to Mr. Hung. She unclipped the other tie and Mr. Hung and the stable hand walked out with SooYun leading the dapped grey Andalusian gelding out of the barn.

 Once they were in the paddock, SooYun pulled the stirrups down and tightened the girth on the English saddle. Mr. Hung nodded his approval. He came over and placed a helmet on her head, "One last piece of equipment." She adjusted the chin strap and clicked the closure in place. He stepped to her side to give her a leg up. She looked up at Mr. Hung, "I'd like to take a turn around the paddock so we can get acquainted," SooYun said.

 "Excellent, Ms. Shin." Mr. Hung replied and easily boosted her up. She eased into the saddle, leaning over to adjust her stirrup on the right as he adjusted the left. He took hold of the bridle as she pulled her gloves on then stepped away as SooYun gathered up the reins in her hands and squared her position in the saddle. Since she was sitting on an English saddle, the horse would be used to English cues. By the time they were halfway around the paddock, SooYun and 'Bogart' were in sync with each other. LiYul waited mounted on a spirited stallion, eager to be off. The stable hand opened the paddock gate and SooYun guided Bogart out and they headed off into the wide-open pasture. Both riders and horses kept pace side by side, then LiYul lifted the reins of his mount and moved off into a canter. SooYun watched and then gave the verbal command to move into a trot as she drew up alongside LiYul and his mount. He looked over at her. 

 Her face was flushed, and her eyes glittered with pleasure. He nodded to her. "The pasture is safe." He told her.

 With that, SooYun grinned at LiYul and said to her mount, "Hut!" Bogart snorted and leaped happily into a gallop! LiYul and his mount followed after them. She was completely at ease and rather than come to a stop she made a wide arc to the left so the horses would not cross paths and came around to slow into an easy canter. LiYul moved his mount up alongside SooYun and 'Bogart' so they were riding side by side at a walk. "You ride well, SooYun."

 "I've missed riding," she told him. "Thank you for suggesting it. Takes some of the anxiousness from later this evening."

 "Are you nervous about the evening with me?" He asked.

 "No!" SooYun declared. "I'm looking forward to tonight with you! But I'm always anxious facing shoes with heels."

 He laughed. "You can hang on to me," He told her, "I won't let you fall."

 The ride back to the house was quiet, but then both SooYun and LiYul were contented, and both were in buoyant moods. They were smiling when they entered the kitchen. Mrs. Hung was ready with tea and also ready to take SooYun off to begin preparing her for the evening. LiYul managed to keep SooYun with him through tea. 

 He listened to her stories of working in the barns and college competitions. SooYun listened to several stories of his college experiences and asked all the right questions to draw LiYul out of his fortress. He even laughed good-naturedly when SooYun lightly teased him. Mrs. Hung listened to them as they chatted quietly, and she approved of the way they both were getting along.

 Finally, he relented to Mrs. Hung's cajoling, and he watched as the older woman gathered SooYun up and they disappeared upstairs. He went up to his office and went into the safe. He pulled a flat jewelry box from the upper shelf and opened it. Nestled in the black velvet padding were his mother's diamond necklace and earrings. It had belonged to his father's family, and she had been gifted it when they became engaged. Now it belonged to LiYul and SooYun was the first woman he had ever considered wearing his family jewelry. It felt right to have her wear it.

 He took it to his room and put it on his dresser next to his father's signet ring. He rarely wore jewelry of any kind, but tonight he decided to wear the ring. He went off to shower.