The Innocent: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #3

Chapter 38: Decided

Several hours later, Soo Ho and his father returned home. Lady Bit Na was up waiting for them. But both of her young charges were sound asleep now. Soo Yeon had tucked the little girl into her own bed and decided to remain with her throughout the long night. In case the child awoke. Soo Yeon didn't want her to be afraid. She'd left a lamp burning in her bedroom so that Bo A would recognize her strange surroundings. And her new dolly was tucked safely in her arms.

Jung Sook had eaten a light dinner and reclined on the bed in the chambers Lady Bit Na had lent her. Surprisingly, Jung Sook had also fallen asleep early. Though she had feared that the trauma of the evening would keep replaying in her mind, causing her too much distress to overcome with sleep, she had still managed to drift off.

Hoping to distract the young woman from the distressing scenes of earlier that night, Soo Ho's mother had remained with her, reading to her from one of her favorite stories. Apparently, her plan had worked. For not a half an hour into that reading, the older woman had glanced up to find the young teacher sleeping peacefully.

Now Lady Bit Na examined her son and his father as they strode into the front room.

"Has it all been dealt with?"

Her husband peered down at her. "Aye."

"And the girl's mother? Did she want to come see her baby?"

"Yes. But I convinced her that she was being well taken care of here and was most likely already asleep. I also reminded her that she has three other children to console tonight."

"What was the woman's frame of mind? Is she upset with Soo Ho? And Gwan Jung Sook?"

Lord Kim Seub inhaled sharply. "She was numb. I think that, on the one hand, the man's death was a comfort to her." He glanced at his son. "She was mottled with bruises, Bit Na. I think the man must have taken out his ire on his wife in his daughter's absence. So she must be relieved that she'll no longer be his victim.

"But...she has four mouths to feed. And the older three are all boys. Though, the oldest is nearly seventeen and may be able to take over his father's forge. I don't think she'll struggle as much as she's anticipating. Her other boys are twelve and fourteen. Practically grown themselves." He paused. "But, Bit Na, there is something else."

Wrinkling her brow, she murmured, "Yes?"

"She's one of our servants. That new one. The maid that you hired a couple weeks back."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Ga Hee? Bo A is Ga Hee's daughter?"

He nodded his head. "She is. So, I assured her that we wouldn't allow her children to starve. The fact that she now works for us...I think it made her husband's passing a bit easier for her to handle. She can provide something for her children now. And I told her not to worry about being late for work tomorrow. Uh, today." They had already passed midnight.

"I think she was mostly worried about what her daughter witnessed. And suffered," Soo Ho added.

"Did you speak with her?" Lady Bit Na addressed her son.

He nodded. "I did. She knows that I'm the one who killed him. But she is also aware that he was attempting to rape Jung Sook. Appa is right. The woman is in shock. Who knows how she'll react once it wears off?" He glanced around. "Where is Jung Sook?"

"Sound asleep. In her own chambers. I gave her the cherry blossom rooms. But, Soo Ho," she spoke now in a stern tone, "you're not to visit her there. Understood?"

She hadn't upbraided him in that voice for a while, but there was a definite twinkle in her eyes. He smiled at her.

"Eomma. What did she tell you?"