The Bride: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #7

Chapter 3: Sweet Anticipation

As Ni Na returned to her seat next to Ae Ri, her friend's face lit up with excitement. "So...tell me why you were really sitting with that gorgeous man."

"He was tutoring me."

"Tutoring you?" she asked, incredulous. "In what subject?"

"Mathematics."

Her friend scoffed. "More like you were tutoring him."

Ni Na snickered.

And her friend glanced at her in astonishment. Ni Na rarely laughed.

"You like him," Ae Ri breathed in a quiet hiss.

"What?" Ni Na turned to glance sharply at her.

"You do."

"He is a perfectly nice gentleman," Ni Na responded primly, turning her face to stare at their teacher.

"Mm-hmm. And terribly easy on the eyes too."

"I hadn't noticed," Ni Na lied.

Her friend clicked her tongue. "Come now, Ni Na. You are usually known for your honesty."

"His nose is crooked," she pointed out lamely. Mentioning the man's only flaw. Grasping at straws. Truly.

Ae Ri stared for several long seconds at the man. "I guess it is," she admitted finally. "But to be honest, I hadn't noticed." Her mouth formed a sudden O as excitement lit up her eyes. "You must have studied him at length to realize such a thing!"

Ni Na snorted. "No. I simply have eyes in my head."

"Hey!" her friend exclaimed indignantly as she punched Ni Na on the upper arm.

But the quieter girl ignored her.

And their teacher droned on.

Ae Ri glanced at the gorgeous gentleman again and noticed that he was staring openly at her best friend. Her lips curved into a smile. It seemed that he was quite taken with Ni Na.

She turned to smile at her oldest friend.

Good for her.

––

"Eomma," Lord Lee Beom Sook addressed his mother later that evening. Then he cleared his throat. How to explain his latest endeavor to her?

She glanced up at him, and her mild face lit up with joy at the sight of him. "Well, good evening, darling! How was your day?"

"It was...interesting," he began hesitantly.

Her face was flooded with sudden intrigue. "And just what does that mean?"

He glanced away from her for a moment. "I have recently come to a realization."

"Oh? And what recent realization is that?"

"I am in want of a wife."

Her countenance was transfixed by sudden joy. And she leapt out of her chair. "You're looking for a bride? I'm finally going to get some grandbabies?!"

He chuckled. "Calm down, Eomma. If I understand how these things work, it'll be a little while before you get any grandbabies."

"Oh! You are occasionally quite trying, my darling son."

"Anyway," he continued as he grinned at her, "I have begun to search for an appropriate lady."

Amazed, she stared blankly at him.